Tag: Richard Turgeon

April Showers: Richard Turgeon, The Caper Clowns, The New Pornographers, Caleb Nichols, Moonspin, The Red Birds

powerpopaholic


A burst of spring creativity for artists this week. Richard Turgeon, who I dubbed king of “dad rock” has a theme for all you struggling musicians who don’t want to be a “Small Fry.” We are also glad to see those Danish power pop masters The Caper Clowns are coming up with a new album, so check out the advance track. Another welcome return are The New Pornographers with a “Ballad of the Last Payphone,” with an amazing catchy rhythm here with added wistful NYC nostalgia. Speaking of catchy, Caleb Nichols shows us his hypnotic harmonies with “Hag Stone,” and lastly a pair of great freebies for you to download. Moonspin is the Swiss duo of Fabian Ellenberger and Pascal Stocker, with a both traditional rock and a jangling pop sound, and I really like the strong melody of “I Can’t Wait.” And from Angers, France, The Red Birds do the familiar power pop we all know and love. Merci!






Great EPs and more: Tamar Berk, Fernando Perdomo, Summer Salt, Joe Di Zillo, Richard Turgeon

powerpopaholic

Tamar Berk is following up on her successful ‘Tiny Injuries’ album with ‘Good Times for a Change’.  Check out the advanced single “Good Impression,” which indicates Tamar is not slowing down. Fernando Perdomo’s album “Self” is a masterful blend of introspective lyrics and lush, melodic arrangements that showcase his multi-instrumental talents. Perdomo’s intricate guitar playing and soulful vocals serve as highlights, check out “Optimist Prime.” Summer Salt has the mellowest vibe I’ve heard this summer, and “Ribbons” is a light, sunny, easy-listening gem. Chicago musician/singer-songwriter Joe Di Zillo is “Bringing It Back” with his garage style. Check it out. Finally, Richard Turgeon returns with a Nirvana-inspired single, “Song of Discontent,” and it’s pretty cool. Enjoy!





Bory and Richard Turgeon

powerpopaholic
Bory

Bory “Who’s A Good Boy”

Another Mo Troper-produced pop confection, Bory is a Portland artist who impressed me with his melodic EP debut, Sidelined. With his first full-length album, Bory has a layer of grungy, obscured fuzz and DIY bedroom compression, but it is unable to contain the powerful melodies, which sound like classic Teenage Fanclub crossed with Guided By Voices.

The bombast of the opener, “The Flake” is all about the lovely melody buried beneath the buzzing drone of guitars and pounding drums.  Bory adds earworms to his “Five Course Meal” about a self-effacing narrative; you barely hear the rising harmonies and handclaps over the fuzz, and that’s the point. “Our New Home” is all about the freedom of moving to a new area and “acting real cool” as a homeowner.  As we move forward, “We Both Won” and “Wreck” go into relationship issues with a masterful combination of key changes. The catchy “Secrets” adds more jangle to the mix as he frets about aging and insecurity as he says, “The best days are behind us, and the worst is yet to come.” “Sidelined” is another catchy riff that explodes into an echoing solo. Fans of Diners, Disq, and The Eels will enjoy this razor-sharp mix of textured memories and inspirations. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

Richard Turgeon

Richard Turgeon “Life of The Party”

Richard Turgeon has found his niche, and he’s sticking with it. He’s a one-man band that writes, composes, and plays almost everything himself. Longtime collaborator Ron Guensche guides Richard along here, and these new songs stand out right away. Starting with “All Alone” and “You’ve Moved On,” they are a one-two punch about a final separation. “I’ve Got You Now” is the guitar crunch rooted in mid-90s power pop (The Gin Blossoms, The Lemonheads, The Posies), and he falls into the category of modern West Coast power poppers like Jeff Shelton (The Well Wishers) and James Hall (Shake Some Action).

Next, “Our Fair City” is a commentary on the homeless problem (“It’s better when you turn a blind eye.”) Additional highlights include the solid “Friend Zone,” and while the album’s second half sounds a bit routine, the final track, “Don’t Forget Me When You’re Gone,” is a well-done ballad in the Billy Joel tradition. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

May Singles, EP and Stuff: Sparks, Charlie Reiling, Joe Dilillo, Friends of Cesar Romero, The Heatwaves, Richard Turgeon

powerpopaholic

Cute babies are for the new Sparks video “Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is”, from the new album ‘The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte‘ by Sparks, out May 26th. This week’s freebie is “Closed Minds,” a jangling gem softly song by Charlie Reiling. Joe Dilillo is a true craftsman and came out with the brilliant “Loser Girl” a few years ago. And now he’s expanded it into a full EP. “Superhero Star” and “Mend Your Heart” are just as amazing. On the garage end of things are Friends of Cesar Romero with a 3-song gem that deserves to be heard. The Heatwaves from Spain, have an ’80s-era charm, so enjoy “Take Back” and “Nothing New Under The Sun.” Richard Turgeon has a funny story about a kid with a weird nickname, and a solid melody. It doesn’t quite replace “Piss Aaron,” as far as “if it’s stupid, enough it’s cool,” but it will do.




Late-July EPs and more: Sloan, Richard Turgeon, Kurt Baker, Sunshine Boys, Geoff Palmer, The Happy Somethings

powerpopaholic

Celebrating the fact that Sloan has a new album due out in October, we get the single “Spend The Day” to whet our appetites. What a prolific band, and speaking of prolific, Richard Turgeon has a sweet new EP Rough Around The Edges, check out the riffage on “I Never Loved You,” a classic power pop-sounding gem. The dense grunge-like rhythms are in contrast to the crisp re-released and remastered Kurt Baker solo Brand New Beat. This is without a doubt my favorite of his albums, and every song is top shelf, plus a boat-load of extra tracks (a total of 26) – so worth it.

Sad to say, but The Sunshine Boys are calling it quits, the trio leaves us with a pair of great tunes, both “Underwater” and “The Beginning.” If you want more buzz in your riffs, Geoff Palmer (The Connection) fits your needs perfectly. The FREEBIE this time is the lovely unpolished harmonies of The Happy Somethings from the UK. Great jangling happy melodies, full of irony guaranteed to brighten your day.