The Krayolas and Kingdom of Mustang

powerpopaholic
The Krayolas

The Krayolas “Happy Go Lucky”

Tex-Mex popsters The Krayolas return with a reissue LP from 1982 that has been carefully restored from the “long lost” master tapes. The sound and production are perfectly crisp and clear. The title track jangles along evoking a simpler time and “Times Together” uses a little Latin R&B and Motown with pop panache.  An early highlight “Love is Gonna Get Ya” with San Antonio’s West Side Horns helps Hector Saldana effectively channel Smokey Robinson.

On “The Sphinx Won’t Tell,” it’s a novelty that reminds me of Sam Sham and The Pharaohs. The garage riffs of “All of the Time” is a welcome change of tone, and even better is the mix “Al Coda No. 1” an instrumental where the horns lead the way. The band doesn’t stick to a single style with bluesy “Roadrunner John” and the Beatlesque “You’re Not My Girl.” While the tonal changes are jarring, the band is still young and finding their voice.  Fans will find this essential while newcomers may want to start with  Savage Young Krayolas first.

Amazon


Kingdom of Mustang

Kingdom of Mustang “Into Beautiful Blue”

Charlottesville, Virginia band Kingdom of Mustang’s fourth album continues its journey through mellow rock and jangling pop. The opener “All I Can Do” is a mid-tempo tune with gentle harmonies all around. And things really open up with “Here In The Valley,” a bouncy pop tune similar in structure to XTC.

The band is led by Mark Roebuck (The Deal) and supported by Michael Clarke, Tim Ryan, and Rusty Speidel. The music features some great melodies and thought-provoking lyrics, as “High” provides a great example of this. A song about avoiding your issues “when you’re making sense, but you’re inside out.” The band’s simple approach is deceptively catchy, and many “growers” are here. Highlights include: “It’s Alright (In The Wrong Kind of Way)”, “Whatever Makes You Happy”, and the sunnier”One More Day” and “Coming Soon.” Elements of folk and blues are subtlety brought into each tune and it gives Kingdom of Mustang its own unique pop style. Highly Recommended!

Kool Kat Musik

More August singles: DB Edmunds, It’s Karma It’s Cool, Natalie Sweet, Brad Marino, Crossword Smiles, Vanilla, Freya Josephine Hollick, Electric Lecture

powerpopaholic

No more weather-related puns. Just great new music. DB Edmunds is a welcome sight after all this time. As a member of power pop greats The Gladhands and The Stars Explode, he’s back with a solo effort that sounds excellent. UK band It’s Karma It’s Cool has a new single out with the help of Peter Holsapple(dB’s. R.E.M. and Hootie & The Blowfish). Another notable collaboration is Natalie Sweet and Brad Marino (The Connection), the first single has Sweet singing the rocker “Second Time.” And yet another pairing with Michigan indie pop veterans Tom Curless and Chip Saam combine to form Crossword Smiles, they sing “Parallel Lines” in advance of their new album. And power pop band Vanilla decides to go full disco for its upcoming ‘77′ album, with the teaser “Ka-Bang!” sung by Ava Adams. I randomly came across Freya Josephine Hollick, and her tune ‘Me & Mine’ is for all the misfits, the ousted, those who live on the fringes of society trying to make ends meet, and finally a video from an eclectic group called Electric Lecture. The band is the brainchild of Greg Ansin, Bronson Taalbi, and Anthony J Resta, and the band is influenced by XTC, Tom Petty, and Beck. Can’t wait to hear more from them!







The Power Popaholic Interview: Jem Records artists

powerpopaholic

 Jem Records Artists: The Anderson Council, Nick Piunti, The Airport 77s, The Midnight Callers, Lisa Mychols, and Jem Records CEO Marty Scott.

A big interview with several of the artists on the new tribute album Jem Records Celebrates Pete Townshend. I ask the basic question of each artist “What was the first Who song you heard? and more” Plus Jem Records CEO Marty Scott details his meeting with Pete on the potential release of the Lifehouse project years before it came out.
🎸 Visit this link to get their album: Amazon

I Honestly Love Olivia Newton-John

powerpopaholic

I was simply in love with Olivia. My first celebrity crush, started in grade school when I first saw her sing “I Honestly Love You” on a TV special.  During high school, I treasured an original Grease movie poster that I hung in my parent’s basement, where I spent many days dreaming of my own “Sandy.” I wrote to her, got an original photo, and watched Xanadu in the theatre so many times I could recite the dialog. But teenage dreams don’t last forever and we all grow up. Sadly, cancer has attacked Olivia, and despite her best efforts would not let go of her.

If you imagined what an angel’s singing sounds like, it was the voice of Olivia Newton-John. Winning numerous awards in country music early in her career, she hit it big with her star turn in Grease and never looked back. Moving from country to pop to soft rock, in my opinion, her peak was 1978’s Totally Hot and then teaming up with ELO’s Jeff Lynne for the movie and soundtrack to Xanadu in 1980.

By the time she did Physical in 1981, she was a pop-culture phenomenon. It was a slow glide moving from there as a legacy performer, having fun appearing on TV shows like Glee and other pursuits. She never lost her focus and refused to let cancer dictate her life. In fact, she used the experience to gain greater self-awareness and became a positive inspiration to millions of people battling cancer.  Listen to her on Spotify and she never goes away.

Tributes: Jem Records Celebrates Pete Townshend and Pop Aid for Ukraine

powerpopaholic
Jem Records Celebrates

Assorted Artists “Jem Records Celebrates Pete Townshend”

The third “JEM Records Celebrates” compilation focuses on The Who’s Pete Townshend. Pete not only coined the term ‘Power Pop’ but inspired countless rockers with his bombastic chords and timeless songwriting. JEM artists contributing include The Weeklings, The Grip Weeds, The Anderson Council, The Gold Needles, Nick Piunti, Lisa Mychols & Super 8, The Airport 77’s, Johnathan Pushkar, The Midnight Callers, and Richard Barone.

These artists do truly original interpretations of Pete’s best-known songs. It’s tough to call out a single song that standout out here, as all the artists do such a great job. My favorites included Lisa Mychols & Super 8’s version of “Baba O’Riley” and “Can’t Explain,” The Midnight Callers’ “Let My Love Open The Door,” The Anderson Council’s “Mary Ann with the Shaky Hand,” and Airport 77’s combination of “Substitute” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” But even the more traditional approaches of The Grip Weeds’ “I’m Free” and The Weeklings’ “I Can See For Miles” bring real power to their versions. Not a weak track here and it’s highly recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Real Sickies

Assorted Artists “POP AID – A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine”

This massive 63-track, 3CD collection was put together by Kool Kat Musik to benefit the citizens of war-torn Ukraine.  100% of all profits from sales of the collection will go to World Central Kitchen, a renowned organization founded by chef Jose Andres whose mission statement is “To serve hot, nutritious meals to people who need them most.”

An amazing array of artists from around the world have provided previously unreleased tracks that you won’t find anywhere else. Many songs were recorded specifically for this collection. The 63 artists contributing power pop favorites on this compilation include Arvidson & Butterflies, Jim Basnight, Terry Carolan (with Al Chan & Tommy Dunbar), Chris Church, Cloud Eleven (with Rick Hromadka), Dave Cope and The Sass, The Embryos, Flashcubes, Nick Frater, The Glad Machine, Jeremy (with Ken Stringfellow), The Junior League, Joey Molland (Badfinger) and many more familiar names.

Kool Kat Musik is to be commended for their heroic efforts in getting this done so quickly. There are too many great songs here for me to even call out favorites, just know that out of the 63 tracks you will find many, many fresh favorites. Highly recommended and all for a very worthy cause, so get it now!

Kool Kat Musik