Video premieres and singles: Chris Berardo, Willie Wisely, Brent Windler, Welcome Center, Vintage Fiction, Shake Some Action!, Richard Turgeon

powerpopaholic

VIDEO PREMIERE: Chris Berardo goes full power pop with a cover of Badfinger’s classic “Baby Blue.” When asked why he wanted to cover the song he said “I’d always been a huge fan of Badfinger’s music, just such a fantastic blend of melodies, great harmony singing and rock-solid playing.” Get the single here: Amazon

Willie Wisely goes back to his power pop roots with “The Automaton.” This is the Wisely we know and love, so it’s great to hear him poke that bear once in a while. Get the Maxi-single here: Amazon

Brent Windler shows us a terrific video from his upcoming 2021 debut record New Morning Howl. The LP will be out worldwide on August 20, 2021. I can’t wait, as it sounds awesome so far. Get it here: Amazon

Welcome Center is a band that has a great mix of influences, so fans of Death Cab For Cutie and Phoenix are sure to enjoy “Parasite City.” Get it here: Amazon

Vintage Fiction‘s psych-rock single, “Alright, Okay” sways back and forth in its own mellow vibe. A part of the EP Caution in Vogue. Check it out on Spotify


So nice to hear new music from Shake Some Action! The jangle-tastic band with James Hall has a freebie for you! Take it now, or live with the shame of not getting great power pop. New LP coming soon this summer!


Richard Turgeon is earning a new moniker for me as ‘King of Dad Rock’ with his new single “Forgiveness,” and he’s been tirelessly pouring out covers, all of them compiled here: Vol. One and Vol. Two

Cloud Eleven and Caddy

powerpopaholic
Cloud Eleven

Cloud Eleven “Pandora’s Box”

Last year during the Pandemic lockdown, Rick Gallego (aka Cloud Eleven) was exploring his collection of demos, song snippets, and outtakes. He found enough good stuff here to build upon, and his unique approach makes this a step above the typical rarities album.

The experimental title track “Pandora’s Box (Schone Lulu)” is an interesting 60’s styled instrumental, and the Beach Boys-inspired “Row Row Row” is another neat curio, along with “Radiant Radish.” Light and pleasant fare like “You Make Me Happy” and “Homework” feel a little underdeveloped. The blissfully romantic “Extraordinary Girl,” “Deep Down” and “Heaven-Scented Bliss” are what Cloud Eleven fans expect and love, but there are other experiments here that just don’t work. One pleasant surprise is a cover of The Isley Brothers “I’m Gonna Knock On Your Door.” For fans of the band, it’s a great addition. But newcomers to Cloud Eleven should check out Record Collection first.
8

Kool Kat Musik


Caddy

Caddy “Detours and Dead Ends Vol. 1

Another covers album? Not quite. Tomas Dahl (Caddy) decided to do the research and cover some obscure power pop bands across the 70s and 80s. And the songs are deep tracks as well. It’s most likely you’ve never really heard these songs, and that makes them “new” to most people. Heck, even I didn’t recognize most of them, and that encourages more exploration.

Caddy has a clean hard rock sound and the opener “Walking On The Roof” (Sgt. Arms, 1982) is a really cool song, and Tomas makes it his own (as he does with all these). Lots of highlights here, my faves being “If I Call Your Name” (Junior Campbell, 1971), “Cost of Love” (The Cretones, 1980), and “No Money ” (The Freshies, 1980). Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

 

Richie Mayer and Jim Trainor

powerpopaholic
Richie Mayer

Richie Mayer “The Inn of Temporary Happiness”

During the 1980’s Chicago Power Pop bands like Pezband, Cheap Trick, and Shoes helped carve out their own niche, and Richie Mayer’s band Loose Lips, was there at the time, (even on TV!) but the well-regarded group only released a single EP.  40 years later Mayer is back, bursting with creativity on his own solo effort.

Loaded with solid production, influenced by The Cars and The Beatles primarily, it starts with “Dangerous Rythym,” a great guitar-based tune, layered with details and Mayer kind of sounds like Ric Ocasek here. Even better is the hook-filled “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore,” sure to get you playing air guitar and singing along. Highlights include the Beatlesque “Love Will Find A Way,” the gentle rocker “Come Back Caroline,” the rousing “Don’t Say Nothing,” the Jellyfish-like “She Is Why,” and many more.

The vocals Mayer delivers shifts with several songs, some sounding like a psychedelic pastiche in the same way Andrew Gold did with The Fraternal Order of The All, and others going in a more 80’s MOR sound. It demands multiple listens to appreciate the craftsmanship here. Not a bad thing and most songs do hit the bullseye. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

Jim Trainor

Jim Trainor “Staring Down The Sun”

Idaho native Jim Trainor’s EP last year was impressive, but now his Nick Bertling produced full-length debut shows off a great opener in “Truth,” a heavy rock-pop gem that’s shows off Jim’s exceptional songwriting, and thick hooks. The follow-up “Heaven Descending” boasts a strong chorus, and it leads to the exceptional power ballad “Staring Down The Sun.” Jim develops another earworm for “Somewhere Before” and the “doo doo doo” lyric begs you to sing along with him.

As the music gets progressively lighter and/or mellower, the production is just as sweet.  Added highlights include “All I’m Thinking About” and “Maybe I,” with a distinct Beatley flavor and the frenetic layered guitars of “Rewind.” There are more than enough gems here to make this a highly recommended pick.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

The Power Popaholic Interview: The Rubinoos

powerpopaholic

The Rubinoos

It was great to meet Power Pop Hall of Famers The Rubinoos. I spoke with Jon Rubin and Tommy Dunbar and we discussed the new LP “The CBS Tapes,” working with Todd Rundgren in the 80s, Meeting Chuck Prophet, Al Chan’s health, and touring again. Officially the album comes out on June 25, and much merriment is made that I got an advanced copy!

New Singles: LMNOP, Geoff Palmer, Tommy Sistak, Jonny Polonsky, The Reflectors, Drew Beskin

powerpopaholic

The one-man band LMNOP has a new album coming called whatNOP dONW7 on July 16, 2021. “The song ‘Nuclear Trust’ doesn’t have anything to do with anything nuclear, just liked the way those two words sounded together. The line “Now I’ve found I don’t know what I’ve found” kinda sums up where I’m at in 2021.” says LMNOP mastermind Stephen Fievet. I agree. Look for an LP review soon!

Geoff Palmer is back with a catchy punk answer to that query when you forget the name of that band. You know, the one that goes…

Canadian Tommy Sistak is back with a new retro-harmony-covered tune. Fans of The Beatles and Monkees will enjoy this comforting music.

Jonny Polonsky is back and he’s sounding much more like himself on this hook-filled single. He certainly has a pulse on the public’s anxiety with COVID. Favorite lyric; “To make me feel like Felix Unger – I have to set myself on fire”

Speaking of retro – The Reflectors are a brilliant 80s-90s styled power pop combo that rocks! Explore last year’s debut for more.

Finally, we have Late Night with Drew Vandenberg introing Drew Beskin singing “Going Alright For You” from his upcoming third full-length solo album, Problematic for the People. It’s a damn good power-pop tune with its crunchy riffs, handclaps, and a killer hook. Enjoy!