Tag: KiDD

Weezer and KiDD

powerpopaholic
Weezer

Weezer “Black Album”

Weezer had been pegged as one of the last commercially successful power pop bands, but Rivers Cuomo is not one to play it safe. As fast as he rediscovered his power-pop roots on  Everything Will Be All Right in the End and The White Album, he has drifted into distractions with an album of cover tunes (The Teal Album) and with The Black Album, he’s once again pushing against his fan base. Cuomo just wants to get your attention, even if it pisses you off. So if you’re expecting another “Pork and Beans” skip this one.

But interestingly enough, the album is pretty decent.  The lead track, “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” is classic pop songwriting with some faux Spanish flavoring, the chorus “Hasta luego, Adios” will stick in your brain for days.  The highlight here is the earnest “High As a Kite” whose video is a parody of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.  A few additional standouts include “Piece of Cake,” “Byzantine,” and the T-Rex influenced “The Prince Who Wanted Everything.” But you will suffer through electro-dance pop like “California Snow” and “Living In L.A.” Hardcore fans will definitely want to get this, but others will feel better with the earlier material.

Amazon

KiDD

KiDD “Chance Weekend”

Scottish bedroom-pop singer-songwriter KiDD is back. As part of several bands (The Wellgreen and Doctor Cosmo’s Tape Lab), he’s had a distinctive Nilsson meets Kinks influence on past works. With Chance Weekend, he gets more organic and sober with the downbeat opener “A Picture I Don’t Want To Paint.” He gets a little more optimistic on “Little One” and “Forget Me Not” with its soft-shoe beat, kazoo, and banjo accompaniment.

KiDD still has an eye toward simple compelling melodies, from the gentle folk tune “Tomorrow Sky” or the acoustic “Crazy George” with a myriad of effects against a sparse chorus. The catchy “Like A Bullet” sounds like an early Paul Simon hit, and another standout is the psyche-pop gem “Where Have They Gone.” In some respects, it feels like a collection of demos — but occasionally we get some gold. Check it out!

Amazon

KiDD and Ryan Allen’s New Year present

powerpopaholic
KiDD

KiDD “Where Are The Strange People?”

KiDD is Glasgow musician Stuart Kidd, who’s also been part of The Wellgreen and Doctor Cosmo’s Tape Lab. He has emerged from his bedroom recording studio with a batch of lo-fi pop gems, including a children’s music album. If you enjoyed Harry Nilsson’s “The Point” or Ringo’s “Octopus’s Garden,” you’ll find KiDD a refreshing listen.

The instrumentation is sparse, but the melodies are tightly packed. The opener “Little Flower” has this sweet combo of jangling guitar and futuristic bubble popping sounds in the rhythm, as the harmonies flow along. The combination of pastoral and futuristic on “Cyan Seren” is a mellow gem that won me over right away. The album’s second half features several psychedelic textural pieces like “Callisto” and “Modified Radio Birdsong.” The psyche-pop of “Looking For The Way Out” is another trippy melody that sticks, but doesn’t linger too long. A very pleasant distraction and overall a great headphones album.

Bandcamp | Pretty Olivia Records

Happy New Year from Ryan Allen!

We get a nice gift (aka FREE download) from Ryan Allen and his Extra Arms. “The Boy Who Bounces Back” and “New Year’s Day” are two tracks that were recorded but left off of 2016’s Basement Punk. Great stuff!

The Best of 2017 List comes out Friday!

A great year for music, and even though I’ll continue reviewing some of last year’s albums, the list is almost ready. We will also post David Bash’s best of List the following week. Stay tuned!

Dave Rave and KiDD

powerpopaholic
Dave Rave

Dave Rave and The Governors “Sweet American Music”

Canadian rock veteran Dave Rave is a consummate professional who has played fifty IPO shows in a row from 2010–2013. His recordings have been both prolific and sporadic, but certainly well worth hunting down. Rave plays good ole rock and roll on “Sweet American Music,” sounding like a mix of The Stones and Material Issue with nice harmonies in the chorus.

The Kinks-like “Always Something There” and “Queen Of The Tambourines” is a shift in tone and tempo. The latter song has little psychedelic touches that dovetails nicely into “Pullman, Washington” with its exceptional guitar solo. “Purple Velvet Valentine” is another tonal shift sounding like Lou Reed, but the jangling chords of “Lindsay” are closer to Rave’s classic R&R sound. “You Take What’s Yours” is another favorite here, with Merseybeat echoes and a strong hook. Overall, this album is full of sonic variety and a highly recommended gem.

Amazon


KiDD

KiDD “Hotchpotch”

KiDD is a mix of talent from The Barne Society (a Glasgow collective) including; The Wellgreen, Dr. Cosmo’s Tape Lab, Euros Childs, Linden, and BMX Bandits. Song were written and produced by Stuart Kidd and for Hotchpotch he cherry picked songs from previous albums to make this compilation. The McCartneyesque digital 8-bit melody of “Alfie” floats along and the acoustic lullaby “Little Lucy” keeps things joyfully light.

“Win Or Lose” feature harmonica and melodic hook with a tambourine beat. The lazy shuffle of “Please Say You’ll Stay” and “Breathe in The Country” make this perfect summer music, with harmonies that recall The Beach Boys Smiley Smile album. The atmospheric tempo slows down even more, and get progressively more psychedelic and folky on “Waiting For Springtime,” but overall this is fine collection of tunes. Limited edition cassettes on Bandcamp.