The Power Popaholic Interview: Brian Ray

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Guitarist Brian Ray is someone I love to talk to. Besides being Paul McCartney’s long-time lead guitarist, he has done some amazing solo work. His first album Mondo Magneto was my first review, and I’ve followed his career over the last 12 years. My first interview with him was in 2009, and we touched base again in 2017. Today Brian is working with “Little” Steven Van Zandt and making music for Wicked Cool Records. We get to catch up on his new R&B singles, including working with Smokey Robinson.


Keith Slettedahl and Ed Ryan

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Keith Slettedahl

Keith Slettedahl “You Know You Know”

Guitarist-songwriter Keith Slettedahl was the driving force of The 88, one of the great power pop bands that slowly faded from view several years ago. They’ve been in my past top ten list, but they are likely best known to the public for the theme to the TV show Community. Now Slettedahl has created a solo LP with producer (and Posies drummer) Frankie Siragusa.

Keith’s knack for hooks and rock melody is in full bloom, as its lineage can be traced to The Beatles, T-Rex, and Spacehog. Opening with “No One Understands Me Like You Do,” it slowly builds as those deep guitar riffs cut across the verses, to the hushed vocals that recall Marc Boland at his peak. “Lady Is Love” is another big winner with an irresistible bass line, and then “It’s Never Been Easier” constructs a thick wall of sound that rivals Oasis or The Dandy Warhols. Each song seems designed to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, with “My Baby,” and the catchy gem “Cuz I’m A Lover.” Keith smolders with the ballad “Give It Time You’ll Be Fine,” where heartbreak is emphasized by Spanish horns and harmonies and “One and All” laments with exhausted feeling about living online instead of the real world. I couldn’t find a bad song here. Definitely belongs in my top ten albums for 2020.

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Ed Ryan

Ed Ryan “Even Time”

Multi-instrumentalist Ed Ryan returns with his third album, as he goes through his history by revisiting songs he made with The Rudies and Jupiter Jets, and throws in some new material to match. The title track is a solid pop single with a steady rhythm and compelling hook, it’s a different sound for Ed, but the next several songs have a strong late 70s – early 80s guitar vibe. The electric guitar buzz “Never Lied To You” delivers a terrific hook in the chorus and “Say What You Will” is a very compelling jangle-pop melody.

“I Want To Go” literally changes the tone again, with an acoustic guitar and galloping rhythm. But it’s a momentary change, as the guitar buzz returns on “Let It Out,” another great tune. “Next Time Around” and “Breakway” have an even harder edge, as they burst from the speakers. Other tracks feel a little out of place (“Everywhere”), but there is enough here to please fans of The Beat, Rick Springfield, and The Knack. This is truly music that deserves to be heard. Check it out.

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Cool and Controversial singles: Badfinger, Rick Gallego, Zak Nilsson, Starbelly, Dungeon of Skeletons, Frankie Siragusa

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“Baby Blue,” taken from the 1971 Badfinger album Straight Up, is rated one of the band‘s greatest power pop songs. An updated version of this classic features vocals by Badfinger’s sole surviving original member, singer/guitarist Joey Molland, with Matthew Sweet adding backing vocals and guitar. Molland has been working on a new album Be True to Yourself, with veteran producer Mark Hudson. This new version is pretty controversial, as fans on Facebook have let loose some blistering criticism that this version is akin to sacrilege. Judge for yourself. 

Thanks to Rick Gallego (aka Cloud Eleven) we have a jingle for the health food store Brian Wilson owned from 1969 to 1971. Wilson went on a big health food kick at the time exemplified in the song “Vegetables”, written for the Beach Boys’ album Smile in 1966. It sure makes me smile!

Zak Nilsson (son of legendary musician Harry) wrote this song about his dad. Produced by Fernando Perdomo & Jason Berk, all proceeds benefit the City of Hope Cancer Research and Treatment Center. To hear a tribute to Harry’s music from last year that Zak participated in, listen to This is the Town: A Tribute to Nilsson, Vol. 1

The great Starbelly returns with this new single featuring the incredible Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (Jellyfish, Beck, The Lickerish Quartet) on piano, backing vocals, and other lavish orchestrations. Drink it all in — it’s a winner!

Dungeon of Skeletons is a new band from Nashville, the always excellent Justin Kline is the driving force behind it and he’s developed two excellent singles. I can’t wait for the full length!


Frankie Siragusa (who played with The Posies) has a solo track under the name Jebb. It’s a grower about our ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

The Vapour Trails and Andrew Taylor and the Harmonizers

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The Vapour Trails

The Vapour Trails “Golden Sunshine”

The echoing jangle of the Vapour Trails new LP shares those neo-hippie vibes, as this Scottish band feels more like it belongs on the streets of Haight-Ashbury than Aberdeen. The title track, “Golden Sunshine” is a cascading series of dream-like guitar arpeggios with muscular wah-wah riffs close behind. Fans of The Byrds, Beatles, and Buffalo Springfield will really enjoy this music. It’s psychedelic with a capital “P” on “Dr. Barnes” with its sitar and tambourine rhythms.  Another gem here is “Lonely Man” with its catchy melodic composition and “Different Girl” dazzles with its harmonized verses.

It’s the unique vocal arrangements of male and female voices that make The Vapour Trails standout from the crowd. “Sometimes (Thinking of You)” is a great example of this, with a simple acoustic guitar and layered acapella. In addition, each song has a compelling approach, either “Strange” with its trippy jangle rhythm or the stunning Rickenbacker melody of “Behind You.” The styles and mood shifts often enough to keep things unpredictable, additional highlights include “You Wonder Why?” and the epic closer “Seabird.” Fans of the classic California sixties pop sound should not miss this one. Highly Recommended.

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Andrew Taylor and the Harmonizers
Andrew Taylor and the Harmonizers

Andrew Taylor and the Harmonizers “Lockdown Session: May 2020, June 2020”

What started in April with Andrew Taylor (Dropkick) as a Covid-19 lockdown songwriting session in Scotland during April – has expanded to a monthly full-band effort. Andrew gets help from Alastair Taylor (Guitars,) Ian Grier (Bass, Keyboards,) and Iain Sloan (Pedal Steel, Guitars). In the May sessions we start with the workmanlike pop of “St. Leonards,” and those harmonies and steel pedal chords lead the way. Other highlights include “I Wouldn’t Be Anywhere Else,” “Turn Around,” and “Change of Heart.” The country-folk jangle is easy on the ears and the musicianship is solid, even if the songs tend to blend together a bit.

The June Sessions are more varied in style, and “I’ll Never Win” adds a little synth to the catchy melody. Between two slow almost somnambulistic ballads, we get the optimistic “For This To Pass,” and it’s great to hear those electric guitar riffs. “Ploughing On” is closer to Dropkick’s normal sound. The final song “You’re Not Right” (written in 1997!) is another highlight. These sessions are all a “name your price” download, so there are no excuses. Check it out!

Kool Kat Musik


The Power Popaholic Interview: Jesse Malin

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PHOTO CREDIT: STEVEN SEBRING

PHOTO CREDIT: STEVEN SEBRING

I was fortunate to speak with Jesse Malin last month, and I’ve got the interview here. Jesse’s last album Sunset Kids was a soulful pop gem that I discovered earlier this year. It did make a few best-of lists in 2019, so it’s worth checking out. We talk about his new projects and performing during this pandemic, plus his time with Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joe Armstrong (Green Day). Check out his new single “Backstabbers.”