It’s a total takeover of the airwaves! Power Popaholic has invaded the studios at 11L Radio New York International and locked out DJ Dave “The Boogieman,” so he could play nearly 3 hours uninterrupted. You can download the show from the 11L server and listen or stream it live Sunday night. Here is the full program:
Power Popaholic new picks (30 min)
The Beatlesque block (30 min)
The Brian Wilson Tribute (30 min)
Back to The Future: power-pop from 2014 (30 min)
Godley & Creme for 10cc fans (30 min)
My favorite Fuzzy Warbles from Andy Partridge (30 min)
Download and Listen
Stream Live on 11L Radio NY International on 8/1/21, 8:00 pm
Sorrows were formed by guitarist and singer Arthur Alexander in 1977 after the breakup of his influential power pop band The Poppees. With the initial excitement over their debut ‘Teenage Heartbreak‘ (later re-released in 2010 as ‘Bad Times Good Times‘) the band expected to pick up momentum on their sophomore LP. But working with famed producer Shel Talmy (The Who, The Kinks) proved to be a disaster. After four decades and a protracted legal battle, the original band members Alexander, Joey Cola, and Ricky Street won the right to release their “real” version of ‘Love Too Late.’
With modern mastering, the sound is truly amazing on the opener “Christabelle,” with sharp guitar riffs chopping away. The vocals are wonderfully realized with a perfect pop bounce to each verse. The title track is the party song it deserves to be, with some nice bass and drum work (Thanks Ricky!) It also keeps you on your toes with “Crying Time,” a deceptively charming song with a reggae beat that takes off at the bridge. Each song here resonates, and some epic moments just transcend like “Breaking My Heart (Over You).” Even a simple cover of The Kinks “Tired Of Waiting For You” is made unique through its slow build and strong harmonies. This is a pure lost classic that’s been given new life and should not be missed by power pop fans, young and old. Makes my top ten of 2021 this year! Super duper highly recommended.
Thanks to Big Stir Records, we have a full documentary about the band and the album.
Lucas Aaron “Domino”
California psych-pop musician Luke Aaron delivers a fully fleshed-out debut, that owes much to late ’60s psychedelics and garage rockers. Similar to compatriots Diamond Hands, Lucas takes his love of that style and makes it his own, although it takes a little bit to get used to his nasal vocal performance. Instrumentally, he’s spot on with the opener “8th & Downtown” and “Ghost” recalls early Dylan and the Lemon Pipers. The jangle is heavy on “Tomorrow’s Yesterday” with a rhythm straight outta the Beatles “She’s Got A Ticket Ride.”
All good, but not as big an impression until midway through the LP, Lucas adopts a Lou Reed-like cool on “Hanging Around Again.” From this point, he’s firing on all cylinders, and gems like “Toy” and the blues-influenced “Walking” are simply great. Lucas also does a Lennonesque turn on the closer “Need Some Love.” Overall a very good debut, especially in the second half. Check it out.
Glad to bring you some new songs, as we close out July. First is a neat freebie, The Morning Line‘s collection of outtakes. The opener “Straight Lines” is a solid single, and the rest aren’t shabby either. Mo Troper‘s freebie is the grinding grungey single “Ballad of Big Nothing” in the best Posies tradition, with a bit too much texture. Voltz from Sheffield, UK gives us a bit o’ glam mixed with pop on “Glitterbomb.” German band Eddie Mooney & The Grave has an 80s-styled pop gem with the catchy “Telephones.” I was also impressed with this debut EP from Seattle’s BPM Collective; “Adelaide” hooked me right away, and “Mr. Congeniality” has fantastic chord changes. I so much missed the music of Andy Bopp, and his single “Camera” is worth the wait. The first song I ever heard from Michael Carpenter gets a remix treatment, and Sofa City Sweetheart does a sweet Brian Wilson cover. Vista Blue‘s Ramones-styled pop returns with an Olympic-themed freebie and Reno Bo rocks both “Count Your Karma,” and a Todd Rundgren cover. Quiet a nice mixtape we have here.
Aaron talks to Swedish musician David Myhr, formerly with The Merrymakers. We discuss “And Now This” his new EP full of sharp pop tunes and how The Merrymakers dissolved, and his prolific solo career. Read the album review here and listen and see the video below!
The Peppermint Kicks are Sal Baglio (The Stompers, The Amplifier Heads) and Dan Kopko (The Shang Hi Los, Watts), and very much like chocolate and peanut butter, they blend together just fine. The two share a love of classic power pop and punk, as evidenced by the opener “When Rock & Roll Met Your Dad” a huge love letter to many, many bands, especially the Ramones. You could spend days picking out all the references, but the song itself is a fine example of a “teenage tragedy song” updated for middle age. Next along similar lines “Hey Fanzine!” recalls a fondness for those homemade band newsletters and rock magazines (Creem, Circus), and it’s got sweet hooks too.
I thought “I Don’t Hear A Single” was a theme for a popular blog, but it’s more about “pointless rock and roll.” Fans of Cheap Trick will eat this album up, as the beats and nostalgia are once again the targets on “Shag ’72.” Every track here will speak to rock and roll fans’ experiences; from visiting old venues like “Johnny D’s (Play It Again)” to playing in bands that aren’t “loud enough” on “Stooge” and “Rock and Roll Rampage.” It also looks back to history with a fondness for the last era of independent rock and roll, prior to the domination of corporate rock on radio airwaves. There are more than enough gems here to make this a highly recommended pick.
The Aerovons secured their role in rock and roll history with only a few singles. Signed to The Beatles’ label Parlophone, The Aerovons recorded “Resurrection” in 1969 at Abbey Road, and were hailed by the UK press; “It’s like hearing newly discovered Beatles tracks!” Beatles’ sound engineers Geoff Emerick, Alan Parsons, and Norman Smith worked on the sessions. The album was produced by their prodigious 17-year-old leader Tom Hartman. But it remained a “lost” classic until it was finally released in 2003.
Tom left the rock and roll life back then, but he’s back for “A Little More” and has proven that age hasn’t dimmed that talent. The eight songs on the album make for a smooth transition from the ’60s to today’s adult pop format. Unapologetically Beatlesque, the tracks “Stopped!” and “A Little More” was written in 1969 and are the big highlights here. Tom proves skilled at bringing The Aerovons back to life, and like Dana Countryman remains a skilled producer in retro pop sound. The newer songs don’t feel entirely out of place but do feel written by a more mature voice. “Swinging London” looks back on those times, and “The Way Things Went Tonight” is a lush ballad, perfect for a wedding anniversary. As a whole, it’s a transitory album with enough for fans of the original and proves you can come home again. Hopefully, Tom will not make us wait another 50 years for more. Highly Recommended.
