Rocket Bureau and The Dials

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Steve Robinson

Rocket Bureau “Middle Angst”

A concept album born out of frustration, don’t let the quick punk opener “Disconnected” throw you off too much. Wisconsin’s Kyle Urban describes middle-age blues perfectly on several short bursts of power-pop energy. “Not You” and “Lipstick Queens” express the raw emotion, like “you’re no fun anymore.” The guitar acrobatics are quite impressive, but it gets better on “Summertime Crime,” a look back at those “wasted” years of youth and how it’s over. The tunes blend together seamlessly, fans of Cockeyed Ghost will really enjoy this album, especially “Something Wrong” which goes for the full Robert Pollard, loaded with layered riffs and an anthemic chorus.

“Bummer” continues our protagonist journey “what if you dropped everything, and let it shatter?” And the next several songs deal with a “sort of introspective hell” and it keeps the pedal to the floor on tone and tempo. Each short musical theme resonates, with “One For The Angels” and “Starlit Hotline” as standouts. While I enjoyed this album, it seemed a bit too long. Despite this pet peeve, it’s a very worthy musical ride that deserves to be heard.

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The Dials

The Dials “And Another Thing .​.​. b​-​sides and asides”

The Dials are a British band that formed in 2002 whose music is a mixture of psychedelia, country, and rock. These are “B-sides” that never made previous albums, but the quality is really high. It starts with an excellent psychedelic groove “A Jigsaw Mind” and it seamlessly goes into “C.S.N.” which name drops legendary band’s Deja Vu, with an organ and acoustic guitar tribute. “Watch Her Walk Away” is another Byrdsian composition similar to “Eight Miles High.”

The songs then shift to a more folky direction with “Ford In The Road” and “Little Voices.” These mellow compositions give way to “Deep Blue Sea” a surf guitar lead gem that would make Dick Dale proud. A standout here is the music hall piano selection “The Station” with a terrific melody and middle eight. Then the band lets loose on the title track “And Another Thing,” and it rocks! The talent here is undeniable. Overall an enjoyable listen and should encourage you to invest in the band’s past “A” material.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

The Power Popaholic Interview with Eric Bazilian (The Hooters)

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Eric Bazilian (The Hooters)

It’s been almost a year since my last interview, and I figured since everyone is using zoom anyway I will adopt my future interviews with artists by talking to them on camera. I came out from behind the microphone to interview Eric Bazilian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and producer, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters and for writing “One of Us,” made famous by Joan Osborne in 1995. He’s got some great new music that deserves to be heard. Check it out on Spotify:


Jay Gonzalez and The Krayolas

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Jay Gonzalez

Jay Gonzalez “Back to the Hive”

Jay Gonzalez (Drive-by Truckers) returns with a second full-length solo album designed to sink into your head with simple, mellow pop melodies that recall the early ’70s AM radio. The instrumental opener “Sunspot” gives us a clue to the time period, and the title track “Back To The Hive” follows through with an easy-going strum. The country-folk love song “(I Wanna) Hold You” features inventive lyrics like “I wanna fold you up like origami.” Jay effectively mines all the influences and still makes these songs hook-filled gems.

Jay enlists Athens, GA friends like Chris Grehan, drummer Joe Rowe (The Glands), and former Drive-by Truckers Matt Lane (drums) and John Neff (pedal steel guitar.) The album’s second half gets a little more varied, with the terrific power-pop of “Need You Round,” and its double-tracked guitar and synths. The James Taylor-like ballad “Never Felt Bad (About Feeling Good)” evokes the same moods, and “Cryin’ Through The Wall,” a dramatic tribute to Robin Gibb is another winner. Highly Recommended.

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The Krayolas

The Krayolas “Savage Young Krayolas”

We’ve been advocates for The Krayolas for a long time, and this newly re-mixed and re-mastered collection stands as proof that these Tex-Mex Beatles have the goods. These Chicano garage rockers from San Antonio rock right out of the box with the first three songs “Aw Tonight,” “You’re Not My Girl,” and “Roadrunner.” The energy and hooks are heavily influenced by the Dave Clark Five, Duane Eddy, and The Kinks (a cover of “You Really Got Me” is here too).

The band offers versatility with the Merseybeat “All I Do Is Try,” and the garage stomper “Gator Gator.” The harmony-filled “Sunny Day” compares favorably to The Beach Boys! The appealing melodies are so crisp, and if this is your first taste of The Krayolas you can look further into their catalog starting with ‘Best Riffs Only’.This is super highly recommended and stands as one of the best archival releases of 2020.

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EP and Singles Potpourri: Sandy McKnight, Beebe Gallini, Brad Marino, Vanilla, Jon Klages, Barton Hartshorn

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Sandy McKnight‘s follow-up to last year’s San Fernando Beat EP continues his string of “shoulda-been” hit songs with Fernando Perdomo. If you’re looking for DIY rock and roll, look no further than Beebe Gallini and Brad Marino. Beebe’s got a rough garage sound, but it’s chock full of hooks, and Brad’s sound is vintage gold, similar to The Rolling Stones.  Going back in time further, Vanilla ’66 is an instrumental album for a 1960’s movie that never existed, retro pop fans can bask in the fluorescent glow of nostalgia. Will there be another Austin Powers movie? We got the soundtrack.

Jon Klages new single “1133 Ave. of the Americas (For Enoch Light),” is a subtle jazzy tribute to his grandfather, akin to Harry Nilsson in its brilliant simplicity and a great mood setter. UK artist Barton Hartshorn has a new single, “Listen For A Change,” and it recalls Prefab Sprout and early Style Council. Very nice.




Steve Robinson and My Life As A Dog

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Steve Robinson

Steve Robinson “Swallowing The Sun”

Steve Robinson (Headlight, Roger McGuinn) made impressive music with singer-songwriter Ed Woltil on his album Cycle several years ago. Robinson has a smooth approach on this solo LP. Opening with the layered acoustic and jazzy electric guitars of “Sorry Amsterdam,” he looks back at his youth in the 1980s and it feels similar to Aztec Camera. “Wild God” is even better at setting a mood with its caustic lyrics “Eat your words and spew your junk” and its raga-like rhythm. Another gem here is “Quiet One” with its subtle melody and a slide guitar from XTC legend Dave Gregory. It is a fitting tribute to George Harrison, the “quiet” Beatle.

The songs move from Celtic-styled folk-pop (“Milk and a Dash”) to dour acoustic ballads (“Skinful,”) but there are some bright gems here, notably the McCartneyish piano pop of “Mr. Empty Head” and the bouncy love song “Make You Mine.” As he notes in “Dizzy Love Song” it’s “not rocket science… just sing along.” Beautifully produced and cleanly mixed, I’m sure you’ll find enough favorites here to make this album one that deserves a spot in your playlist. Highly Recommended.

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My Life As A Dog

My Life As A Dog “Borders”

My Life As A Dog is the passion project of singer-songwriter Ryan Hanifin. Ryan traces his five-year Odyssey from his home in Texas to Brooklyn, before finally settling down in Charleston, SC. An echoing piano ballad “Dotted Lines” is supported by classic strings that make a clean lead into the melody of the title track “Borders.” As the main melody chugs along Ryan’s vocal style brings to mind crooner Eric Matthews. The theme of the album is travel, and we do time travel with the ’80s-influenced “Science Fiction” and “Concrete Shoes,” its instrumentation recalling Tears For Fears at times. A highlight here is “Jessamine and Lavender” with its dramatic storytelling and jangling guitars. Ryan puts it all out there, and it will speak to many. This is definitely music that deserves to be heard.

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