Since my last Spanish power pop post, a few notable new releases still needed to be highlighted. Octubre from Madrid, Spain has been a local favorite, and a few called it the best pop album of the year, and the opening track “Todo se lo lleva el viento” (translates to “Everything is carried away by the wind”) compares well to Teenage Fanclub. The grand jangle of “No sé qué hacer” is another standout track with plenty more. The sound is just mesmerizing! Get on Amazon
Coke Belda (a long-time fave here) is back with a tribute album to the legendary Beatlesque band Los Brincos. The four-piece Spanish rock band from the 1960s was often compared with The Fab Four, and Belda takes the classic sound and updates it with modern studio polish. Fans of the classic power pop style will simply love it. Don’t miss it! Get on Amazon
Javier Miramontes (aka Howdy) and his previous band, The Starkwells pay tribute to Big Star here with an original and a cover.
Not Spanish, but in case you missed it… a Celeb-filled “My Sweet Lord” video in celebration of the 50th anniversary of George Harrison‘s classic solo album, All Things Must Pass.
Hot Summer a new group by The Shins’ Jon Sortland and Brian Belier. “Fire And Ice” is indirectly related to the great disparities between political parties and a byproduct of shut-in pandemic isolation. Sounding a bit like The Eels to me, Hot Summer certainly is mesmerizing.
The great Joe Kane goes back to 1964 and the British Invasion with The Poppermost. It’s simply Fab! Let’s hope an album follows soon.
Emperor Penguin and Orbis Max combine for this terrific FREE single! An upbeat gem. What is not to like here?
I know little of Chicago band Gal Gun, but they’ve got some solid music here with fuzz guitars and catchy melody. Fans of Superdrag and Velvet Crush will dig it. Visit the singles of the previous months, especially “Premium” from September.
I haven’t heard from Gentlemen Rogues in a long time, so it’s good to see them active again. Nice aggressive guitar pop, with punk-inflected energy. Check it out.
Coke Belda digs deeper in the Bee Gees back catalog and it’s a reminder of how great the Gibb brothers were as songwriters. “Islands in the Stream,” originally sung by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Paton is presented here as a fine duet between Coke and vocalist Sara Depp. More Bee Gees love on Volume 3.
Bob of the Pops (Robyn Gibson and friends) plays hits obscure and common for Volume 5(!) This FREEBIE is brilliant and Robyn’s voice is perfectly suited to The Hollies “King Midas in Reverse” and Jeff Lynn’s ballad “Midnight Blue.”
Coke Belda certainly wears his love of McCartney on his sleeve. Opening with an unapologetic fanboy love note on “Thank you, Paul,” you can have a fun time counting how many Macca songs are mentioned by name. But this doesn’t take away from the fact that Coke writes catchy melodies that just stick. “Another Day” is a gem that adds a little ELO to the mix with its deep chords about avoiding internet trolls. The short “Believe” is a bouncy acoustic ballad, and the rich production and vocal harmonies take center stage on the mid-tempo standout “6×8 Basement.”
Belda varies his style enough on the impressive Hollies-like “Just A Dream,” and the hippie folk tune “1968.” So far this album is really good, but on “Harlan, Kentucky” Belda takes it up a notch. The catchy verses build on each other, the riffs are infectious and by the middle eight it’s transcendent. At another time, this would be a huge hit song. He also indulges with a syrupy six-minute love song on “Watching You,” which eventually builds to a flowing guitar solo. Simply no filler here, and it makes my top 10 list this year for sure. Super highly recommended.
Andrew Gold was best known for hits “Lonely Boy,” and Golden Girls theme song “Thank You For Being A Friend.” He was a great songwriter and helped rocket Linda Ronstadt to fame. His genius was often overlooked, and he passed away in 2011. But his widow Leslie Kogan discovered a collection of demos Gold recorded in 1973. These songs would ultimately land him a deal with Asylum Records who would release his first album in the fall of 1975. Thanks to Omnivore Recordings, it’s seeing the light of day.
The potential hit here “Something New” was eventually given to Playboy model Barbi Benton in 1976, but Andrew’s version is fresher with less studio gloss. Additional “finished” songs include the country-pop of “Prisoner” and “Resting in Your Love.” These are not typical Gold, but very enjoyable. The remain tracks are all solo demos and not everything here sticks. Highlights include the fine melodies of “Come Down To Me,” “The World Tomorrow Brings,” and “Don’t Bring Me Down.” Despite the fact that these songs are underdeveloped, they all hold potential. This collection will mainly appeal to Gold fans. Others should start with Essential Gold.
If you like your power pop with classic ’60s and ’70s influence, Martinez hits his stride here. “Let Me Tell You Why” and “When We Meet” has that bouncy rhythm and sing-along hooks that easily could’ve made the AM radio charts back in the day. We get a little psyche-pop “Sooner or Later” with sitar and finger cymbals, but it tries a bit too hard. Much better is the grand “Time” which is a post-Beatlesque look back with a perfect point of view and Martinez vocal soars.
The Earle Mankey production is solid and Martinez is joined by Adam Marsland doing all the instrumentation here, they sound like they’re having fun on the rocker “Get It Right” and the title track. Not really any filler, unless you count the Prince-inspired finale “Will U B My Lover” with the entire roster of Karma Frog Records joining him. Overall, a really fine album that deserves to be heard.
Young pop-rocker Gordy Garris is a strong vocalist and his opener “Let Me In” has a big anthemic chorus that will stick in your head. The songs across the album are all about relationships, and their ups and downs, as “Out Of My Mind” he wonders why he’s even in one.
Standouts include “Good Times,” with its hook-filled harmonies, the multi-tracked “Move Me,” and the shimmering-guitar of “Wanted Man,” with its violin accents. Many of the romantic ballads are decent, if unremarkable but there is enough here to recommend. Gordy never gave up, so you should definitely give him a listen.
Coke Belda creates this fantastic tribute to the Brothers Gibb on his third album. Belda adds his own fine musicianship to these Bee Gees classics, so in many ways, it sounds fresh and new. He avoids most of the disco era, remember early in the Brothers career they competed with The Beatles, as evidenced by “Claustrophobia.”
What he’s done is pick buried treasures from the Gibb catalog such as “Run to Me,” (from To Whom It May Concern) “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You” (from Idea) and B-sides like “Sir Geoffrey Saved the World.” These underappreciated gems are polished by Coke with vocal assistance from Gretchen Wheel’s Lindsay Murray, and mastered by former Merrymaker Anders Hellgren. Highly Recommended.
On his debut album German musician Coke Belda proved his mastery of power pop style and production techniques. Belda takes the next step by crafting irresistible ear candy on Nummer Zwei (Number Two). The illustrious Alan Haber introduces the very Jeff Lynne-like “Rainbow” with its layered harmonies and strong synth lead. “You’re Not in Love” has a shimmering guitar rhythm and a catchy melody. And each song that follows keeps the quality high, “Hold Me Tight” is another winner that recalls Pilot.
The joys and frustrations of songwriting are part of the ballad “Songwriting” and “Another ****ing Song,” the latter ending with high falsetto harmonies. While the musical techniques are sharp, its the song composition that really impresses here, “Where I Am” is a great example that hits all the right dramatic notes with George Harrison styled guitar flourishes. Belda is also fairly consistent with his style, there is no doubt that this makes my top ten list this year. As a bonus, if you buy Belda’s new LP, you’ll get a free download of his debut album! Bandcamp only
The Expected “Radio Night” EP
The Expected is a melodic rock/power pop band from Finland. The opener “Free Me” is a model of quiet/loud contrast with a riff heavy chorus of “Free Me Now or Forever Be Damned.” It’s a great single that deserves a spot on your playlist. The title track “Radio Night” is a showcase for lead singer Janne Äyräväinen and his layered harmonies with echoing guitar goodness are in the chorus. “Songs Of Hate” has a more anthemic chorus and is driven by drummer Tero Rikkonen’s beats. The European accents are barely noticeable and overall we have a great start for this rocking quartet. Check it out.
