Del Amitri and Caper Clowns

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Del Amitri

Del Amitri “Fatal Mistakes”

If you only know band Del Amitri from their big hit single “Roll to Me,” then you should recognize they are a more talented band than their one-hit-wonder status would suggest. And considering it’s been 19 years since the last album, they sound damn good. Lead singer Justin Currie’s vocal hasn’t lost its power and the songwriting is sharp and insightful.

The opening track “You Can’t Go Back” is a reminder that they’ve still got some magic left. “Losing the Will to Die” is another highlight that clicks wells, and proves that the band’s melodies still resonate. But it’s the sobering mature topics; the bitterness in “Musicians and Beer” and the wry sadness of “Otherwise” that dominates the album. There are a few bouncy moments with “It’s Feelings,” but most songs lack the hooks needed to make it essential. Fans will still enjoy this album, but newbies will want to pick up Hatful of Rain first.

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Caper Clowns

Caper Clowns “Abdicate the Throne”

Denmark’s Caper Clowns has been a consistently great band over the years. Often characterized as a cross between The Merrymakers and Crowded House, the band continues to expand its sound on its third album. Opening with the wistful rocker “Pineapple Songs” it does a fine job, and the bouncy “CAPS LOCK ON” is a story about the anxiety of life online. The lovely “Bonsai Tree” moves from conventional to great with a swaying chorus chock full of sweet chord changes.

But these Clowns expand their sound, loving the piano-led gem “Be There (The Ever-Changing Tone)” as each vocalist (all four of them) brilliantly harmonizes. And the hooks are all over “April Fool,” another great single. And these dudes rock out on “In Your Kaleidoscope” or can get dramatic and spacey for “Under Your Command.” Each track offers something interesting, like the ELO-like ballad “Valley of the Queens.” Overall, there is more than enough variety here to please the most discriminating pop fan. Highly Recommended.

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The Power Popaholic Interview: Chris Stamey and Mitch Easter

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Chris Stamey and Mitch Easter

Founder of Sneakers and the dB’s, Chris Stamey stands alongside Alex Chilton as the progenitor of the Southern jangle-pop sound. I get the chance to talk with him and famed producer-musician Mitch Easter (REM, Sneakers, Let’s Active) about Yesterday’s Tomorrow: Celebrating the Winston-Salem Sound, a live concert recording. Bonus news about upcoming dB’s material!

“Condition Red,” from Sneakers’ first record, was originally recorded during the bicentennial celebrations of 1976, which perhaps partially explains its insistent, fatalistic jingoism. In this live performance from 2018, we see Mitch Easter (guitar, SR), Will Rigby (drums), Chris Stamey (guitar & singing), and Robert Keely (bass). Musicologists, take note: Its lyric includes a “lift” from the inner groove message of another American group, Memphis’s Big Star: “The more you learn, the less you know.” From the new album, Yesterday’s Tomorrow. Get it on Amazon

Perry Serpa and The Bablers

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Perry Serpa

Perry Serpa “Laying Low in the Highlands”

Like many musicians, Perry Serpa went to work when COVID hit, and this album is the result. Opening with the instrumental “Out Of Purel” kinda says it all, I think. The time of isolation allows Serpa’s sparse chamber pop to focus on how events felt in 2020, and it offers a sobering view on loss and confusion.

The darkness of “Shadow Of The Delacorte,” feels like a walk through empty streets, and jazz-inflected “I Got A Fever” is a compelling dual-meaning tune. The cover of the Gilbert O’Sullivan nugget “Alone Again (Naturally)” fits here like a glove, and it’s not all gloom as “Now I’m Not So Sure” is a hopeful gem with a touch of soul. Not everything here is as catchy either, but there is enough variety to make this a good representation of the time we were in. Check it out.

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The Bablers

The Bablers “Psychadilly Circus”

An accomplished group of Finnish musicians, The Bablers are songwriter/vocalist Arto Tamminen (bass, drums, guitars,
keyboards, cello, percussions, vocals), Janne Haavisto (drums, vocals), Pekka Gröhn (bass, keyboards, vocals), and Hannu Pikkarainen (guitar, vocals). The opener is a Lennonesque ballad “Love Is Everything!” which signals a decidedly retro direction, from there the title track brings more energy, and despite fuzzed-out (unintelligible) vocals, the rhythm is simply infectious.

“Queen Of Yesterday” is a lonely character study, a successful hybrid of “Elenor Rigby” and Pink Floyd’s “Have A Cigar.” The power-pop sound comes out on the jangling “I Hope It Wouldn’t Rain Tomorrow,” a terrific single, and “All Because of You” is a familiar, yet heartfelt ballad that swells up during the chorus. From there it goes off in different directions, some interesting (“Angry Young Man”) and others not so. The production is crisp and clean and allows the music to shine, some additional gems include “Walking On A Sunny Beach” and “When You Were Growing.” While it could’ve used some editing, with 15 tracks, there is enough to pick through to make this one highly recommended.

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Johnathan Pushkar and The Palace Guard

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Johnathan Pushkar

Johnathan Pushkar “Compositions”

Johnathan is back! Starting with “Any Second Now” it’s another snappy Beatles-inspired pop gem that will hook you quickly, very much like his debut last year. He approaches the songs with wide-eyed innocence and light vocal that can be either sweetly endearing or very irritating (depending on the listener). Jonathan keeps the party going with “Does What She Does,” a Beach Boys-inspired track. Pushkar then delivers the mellow reassurances of “Gonna Be Alright” and country-lite “Just Friends” about a crush gone wrong, recalling Ringo’s “Act Naturally.” “Can’t Get You Out of My Mind” is a song of obsession with a girl, and taking the opposite end of that theme “Alexandra” is a cautious tale about that clinging girlfriend.

All well and good, but some songs here feel too generic, “Making Plans,” “Red Eye” and “Love Will Save The Day,” simply disappear from memory almost immediately. Note how these songs contrast with the great cover of Paul McCartney’s “Junior’s Farm.” In this case, drummer Geoff Britton and Dan Ealey appear on the song, as part of the Ram On Tribute. Fans of the debut will enjoy this for continuity, but others may be looking for Pushkar to push the envelope a little bit more.

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The Palace Guard

The Palace Guard “All Night Long: an Anthology 1965–1966”

One of the few select American bands that tried to imitate The Beatles’ “overnight” success in real-time, was The Palace Guard with its jangling single “All Night Long.” Another notable imitation from this time was The Knickerbockers “Lies.” Both singles captured the zeitgeist of early Beatlemania, but to maintain a music career after that was a challenge for both bands.

The Palace Guard only released 6 singles during their tenure and was the starting point for power-pop legend drummer Emitt Rhodes, who left the Guard to join The Merry Go Round. They even backed Don Grady (“Robbie” from My Three Sons) on his songs “Little People” and “Summertime Game.” Thanks to Omnivore Recordings, this collection has all 12 sides of The Palace Guard’s output, remastered and restored. Notable hits include “Falling Sugar” and “Calliope.” Fans of mid-60’s nuggets will love it.

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Big Deal: Spyderpop Records partners with Big Stir Records

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Arlington, Texas-based Spyderpop Records, the home of Lannie Flowers, Danny Wilkerson, The Pengwins, and Bill Lloyd announced a new partnership with California label Big Stir Records. It makes good sense to help spread more good music through Big Stir’s distribution. To celebrate the event, on the new Lannie Flowers page, they are offering up a SpyderPop Records Starter Kit (4 vinyl 45s, 5 CDs, and more) and plenty of downloadable music. Now that’s a great deal.