El Goodo and Marshall Holland

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El Goodo

El Goodo “Zombie”

Welsh pop band El Goodo (yes… named after the Big Star song, “Ballad Of El Goodo”) is back with a retro-styled album that definitely sounds familiar to grizzled music aficionados. Zombie contains many of the touchpoints of the late 60s era, with country/roots progressions and harmony-rich melodies.

The harmonies take over the opening ballad “Things Turn Around,” and “Home” is very much like a Mike Nesmith (Monkees) penned tune that bounces and jangles along. The vintage riffs of “I Can’t Leave” bring to mind the peak of The Beau Brummels. The country banjo, slide guitar twang, and harmonica keeps “Forever Casting Shadows” and “You Let Me Down” shuffling along despite the very dark lyrics. “The Grey Tower” is about being stuck at a job, working longs hours, and dreaming of getting home. It’s a solid narrative, and the wicked baseline brings to mind The Zombies. There is some lightness in the instrumental “Sounds Good To Me, Man” and the last song, “If The Coast Is Clear” is a bit like a Beatles-era Ringo song. Overall this is like a really good mixtape with some inventive techniques that prevent the songs from sounding too much like their influences.
Check it out.

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Marshall Holland

Marshall Holland “Paper Airplane”

Marshall Holland returns after a 6-year break, and following his creative impulses, he created a response to the heartache of our current events. The catchy gem “When The Rain Comes” brings those classic pop sounds upfront (fans of The Left Banke will love it.) The acoustic “Hand Holds A Bird” brings an emotional resonance as a plea for love states “a ring on a finger speaks more than words.” The title track evokes the band America, as his double-tracked vocals float across the chorus. It’s brilliantly written, as well as the romantic harpsichord led “Look Into My Eyes.”

Looking at the pandemic through the sober “Waiting For That Peace & Love” contrasts with the guarded optimism of “Don’t Do It.” Elvis Costello is a significant influence on the pounding opener “Our Fate,” “She Buys A Dress” and the anti-Trump theme “Whatcha Gonna Do.” Some of these do require repeat listens, but they grow on you quickly. Marshall performs everything himself, and his musicianship is solid. Fans of Seth Swirsky, Ken Sharp, and Bread will soak this up. Highly Recommended.

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Summer Singles: The Mayflowers, Richard Turgeon, Mom, Your Friend Jebb, Detroit Cobras, Vanilla

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Japanese rockers The Mayflowers newest single “Sunflower Girl” gets it’s premiere on Power Popaholic! Band leader Osamu Satoyama wrote the music and worked with Gary Frenay (The Flashcubes) for the lyrics. This is simply awesome and the new album is expected very soon! Get it on Amazon

Richard Turgeon turns up the juice with this rocker about the sad state of our nation.

Swedish rockers Mom channel late the 1970s power pop bands The Jam, The Beat, etc. Very cool.
Your Friend Jebb is joined by Lisa Mychols and Tom Richards and its a match made it power pop heaven! Comparable to the Agony Aunts “Change of Seasons” is amazing! Plus the band teams up with Terry Draper (Klaatu) on “Sound The Alarmed.”

Detroit Cobras really know how to raise the mood with “Feel Good,” a song that you need to blast at full volume and sing along to!

Jayson Jarmon from Vanilla has been releasing a series of singles that reflect many different musical eras and styles. This time he imagines himself a Glam rocker circa 1974. T-Rex fans will love this one!

Book review: “I Don’t Fit In” by Paul Collins

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Paul Collins

I Don’t Fit In: My Wild Ride Through the Punk and Power Pop Trenches with The Nerves and The Beat

by Paul Collins (Author), Chuck Nolan (Author)
HoZac Books 2020

Paul Collins gives us the full story from his childhood in New York to the birth of The Nerves, The Breakaways, and The Beat. This is an unvarnished biography showcasing the beginnings of the DIY Power Pop movement in the late 1970s. The story is lively, and Paul’s inner voice comments on some of those crazy moments through his timeline, often referencing career advice from his bandmate and mentor Jack Lee.

Paul’s story is a definitive record of his dogged persistence in the early days, and how he overcame the long odds to become the rock and roll legend he is. In 1977 The Nerves undertook a cross country tour with no manager, no label, and no money. Often playing clubs where the audience was not friendly, but they got to open for The Ramones and supply a hit song for Blondie. Paul goes through all the quirks of touring back then, and how The Nerves gave way to The Breakaways. But it isn’t until he forms The Beat that his career really takes off. The Beat’s debut was one of the best power pop albums of that era and the band’s major-label career is a musical Cinderella story, full of heroes and villains. Paul’s passionate narrative reveals all the drama, victories, and defeats. Plus, it’s got loads of previously unseen photos, flyers, and ephemera from each band. This is a highly recommended book.

Get it on Amazon

 

Dana Countryman and Ryan Allen

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Exploding Flowers

Dana Countryman “Come Into My Studio”

Dana Countryman is a true craftsman of retro adult pop, and for his latest album, he literally takes you on a “tour” of his musical menagerie with plenty of contributing guests; Brian Gari, Ronnie D’Addario, Dee Long, Probyn Gregory, Matt Tyson, Kai Danzberg, Chad Quist, Scott Bennett, Scott McPherson, Tricia Countryman and Kirkcaldy McKenzie.

This album is really for fans of glossy AM pop in the vein of The Carpenters, Captain & Tennille, and Christopher Cross. “Come Into My Studio” is a breezy intro, and then the catchy “Take A Little Chance” sparkles through the speakers, much like those boy-girl pop gems Neil Sedaka used to write. The hooks are all over highlights like “Ecstasy,” “Where Can My Baby Be?” And “Every Time You Break My Heart.” The early Beatle-isms are all over the gem “Better Let Her Go,” and “Same Old Dream” is like an old variety show routine, with a tap dance interlude!

Several tunes bring to mind TV themes, like “It Happens Every Time” and “You Gotta Love Jeanne Marie.” Dana’s music can sometimes be a bit too much treacle for some, but he’s controlled those impulses here. That makes it a highly enjoyable and recommended gem!

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Ryan Alen Extra Arms

Ryan Allen “Song Snacks Vol. 1”

Ryan Allen takes a page from the Guided By Voices playbook and create a bevy of very short songs bursting with energy and creativity. And like his hero Robert Pollard, Allen does a great job. “Inventing Sports,” “Luke Warm” and “Barking Up The Right Tree” are excellent power-pop tunes that maintain the Extra Arms sound with a touch of GBV lo-fi fuzz and they seamlessly flow together. Similar to Nick Frater’s 59 Vignettes these songs are no longer than one to 2-minute sketches, and with a bit more flesh on the bones. Ryan was also influenced by The Wrens and  Olivia Tremor Control in style and production.

Lots of fun to be had here, from the driving riffs of “Trash Mountain” and “Gem City” to the glam goodness of “You’ve Been Electrocuted.” The music alternates between these louder songs and softer acoustic rhythms on songs like “Raspberry Ghost,” which really deserve a longer treatment. While not everything is gold here, there is more than enough to recommend. This has been a banner year for short attention spans with Ryan Allen, Nick Frater, and 2nd Grade. It’s all music that deserves to be heard.

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Exploding Flowers and Dolour

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Exploding Flowers

Exploding Flowers “Stumbling Blocks”

The LA quartet Exploding Flowers bursts forth with influences from the ‘60s and ‘80s. Fans of The Soft Boys, early XTC, and The Three O’Clock will enjoy this. Those echoing Paisley Underground harmonies highlight the opener “A Daunting Thought” with its neon-psychedelic rhythm. The title track weaves together jangling guitar and power-pop chords brilliantly, and “I Need Your Devotion” adds a mesmerizing angular riff prior to the melody.

Singer-songwriter Sharif Dumani’s echoing lead vocals occasionally get overshadowed by the shoegazer-styled instrumentation, but when the beat and vocals are front and center on songs like “My Poor Heart” its simply great stuff. Other standouts include “Imagine All Possibilities,” and the spacey “Amongst Burnt Out Stars” which has a touch of Big Star in its DNA. What makes this album so special is it takes those influences and forms something both unique and familiar. Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik


Dolour

Dolour “The Royal We”

Nashville musician Shane Tutmarc had many great pop varied influences, but his songwriting has always been impressive and after a 15-year layoff (while working on other projects) he gathered years of unfinished songs and recorded the best of them in The Royal We. This is top-shelf adult-oriented pop that starts very strong and mellows nicely by the album’s mid-point.

“Yes and No” is a brilliant single with a killer hook and “The Snake Eye” quietly burrows into your brain, in a manner like Gilbert O’Sullivan. “Drunk Dial,” tells a catchy story about those late-night calls, and the Bossanova flavored, “Wake Up The Sun” is a nice change of pace. “I Can Quit At Any Time” is a compelling narrative about his musical addiction. The bold pop of “Words I Thought You Said” contrasts with the smooth casual of “I’m Over It” and “Chasing the Summer Sun.” No real duds here and each song grows on you the more you listen to it. Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik