Tag: Gregory Pepper

Dr. Cosmo’s Tape Lab and Gregory Pepper

powerpopaholic
Miracles of Modern Science

Dr. Cosmo’s Tape Lab “Coconut Summer Drop-In 432”

The Coconut Summer Drop-In 432 is brilliant parody-homage of The Beach Boys Party!, Smiley Smile, and Surf’s Up albums with ukuleles, bongos, casiotone keyboards, and gorgeous harmonies. Studio chatter and party atmosphere on the opener “Ready Steady Beach!” ring with authenticity.

Next the brilliant “Too Hot To Sleep” is a slow stoner theme with Spanish verses, and lovely Smiley weirdness. More gems include “She’s Crazy” and “Andiamo” which are catchy and fun. “High Inside (The Lost Frontier)” channels the song “Surf’s Up” perfectly. The album is peppered with atmospheric filler, but for Beach Boys fan this is a special treat. Highly Recommended.

Bandcamp only


Gregory Pepper & His Problems

Gregory Pepper & His Problems “CHORUS! CHORUS! CHORUS!”

I love the honest emotion of this new Gregory Pepper LP. Like a mix of Ben Folds and Weezer, each song is a tightly constructed arrangement with a catchy melody. “Crush On You” is fuzz guitar anthem to teen hormones and the hilarious un-PC bitterness of “Smart Phones For Stupid People” and “I Wonder Whose Dick You Had To Suck” make it stand out (and tons of cursing helps).

The irony of “Chorus! Chorus! Chorus!” is that each song only has a single chorus and the music is so quick (most songs are under a minute and a half) it feels like fleshed-out demos. They Might Be Giants did this on “Fingertips” to comedic effect too, but I’d love to hear a second verse at least. Still — this is a sweet distraction worth getting into.

Amazon

Fakeband and Gregory Pepper

powerpopaholic

The Fakeband “Shining On Everyone”
The Fakeband are an impressive indie band from Spain (thanks to Rock Indiana Records) with bright guitars and swirling chords. The opening salvo “On Top Of The World” sung with American accents, is a richly melodic tune along the lines of Crowded House or The Gin Blossoms.

But the band isn’t easily pigeonholed in one style,”If You Fool Me'”is similar to West Coast Pop with a rhythm that reminds me of Stealers Wheel, and “Parking Lot” is a slower roots ballad similar to The Autumn Defense. The sax and soulful keyboard comes out on “Healing Time,” and even more brass comes out on “Get You Back,” sounding like a lost Foundations oldie. The band also does bar boogie a la Dire Straits with some excellent musicianship on the rockers “She Told Me” and “Something About You.” Overall, its got something for everyone and highly recommended.

Amazon

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power pop

Gregory Pepper and His Problems “My Bad” EP
If you liked the Paul Starling album I reviewed the other day, then you’ll enjoy Ontario native Gregory Pepper and His Problems. Once again DIY bedroom pop is the name of the game “Anything Is Passable” is a nice Wilsonesque ballad. “Is This Thing On?” goes off into awesome-ville with a thick reverb heavy riff.

Most of the tunes are short little sketches, with some nice arrangements. One of my faves here is “Hated Every Minute,” a wonderful sad sack theme with a twist. “My Bad” is far from bad and its a free download in Bandcamp.

Bandcamp