Tag: The Cherry Drops

The Grip Weeds and The Cherry Drops

powerpopaholic
The Grip Weeds

The Grip Weeds “Trip Around the Sun”

The Grip Weeds are easily one of the most successful power pop bands from New Jersey, featuring Rick Reil ( rhythm guitar), Kurt Reil (drummer, vocals) and his wife, Kristin Pinell Reil (lead guitar). Add to the mix, Dave DeSantis (bass) and you’ve got the complete package. The band doubles down on its musical influences from ’60s psyche-pop, hard rock,  jangle and folk on this “Trip Around The Sun.”

Starting with the shimmering melody on “Vibrations” recalls 2013’s positive vibes from “Speed of Life.” It then goes to the slow-building gem “I Like Her,” and the folk-rock strums of “After Sunrise” with steel pedal accents. Psyche-pop has always been a specialty of The Grip Weeds repertoire and the groovy “Mr. Nervous” and Byrdsian “Truth Behind The Lie” stands with the band’s best work. Reil’s anthemic skills continue on the gems “Times I Wasted” and “She Tries” with its sweet harmonies and angular riffs. Overall no duds and nothing feels forced either. This is a band cruising along on a magic ride and it earns a top ten nomination for best of 2018. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

The Cherry Drops

The Cherry Drops “Good to the Last Drop”

On the third album from the retro-loving The Cherry Drops (Vern Shank, Josh Cobb, Jamie Markowski, and Jimmy Mason) they are joined by an array of guest stars. Ron Dante of The Archies, Dennis Tufano of The Buckinghams, Mark Dawson of The Grass Roots, Steve Boone of The Lovin’ Spoonful and the late Gary DeCarlo of Steam.

The opening “Cherry Drops Theme” features pitch-perfect Beach Boys-styled harmonies. “One More Try” is a bouncy theme that hits all the right optimistic buttons, with layered harmonies, guitars and booming percussion. “Tiger Feet” is another toe-tapper, similar to The Bay City Rollers that deserves its own custom dance moves. The band’s harmonies peak on “Feels Like Summer Love,” and “Rockin’ At The Hard Rock” with a genuine nostalgic glow and superior musicianship that really impressed me.

It’s fine that the guest stars play their respective “hits,” but a few songs do suffer from a little too much saccharine, like the Ron Dante (The Archies) led “Happynessville.” Thankfully the superior production lifts the cover material and helps make the music sound timeless. Highly Recommended.

Amazon | CD Baby

The Cherry Drops and Propeller

powerpopaholic
Cherry Drops

The Cherry Drops “Life is A Bowl of Cherry Drops”

Is it possible to love the sixties sound too much? Nah. Vern Shank and his band the Cherry Drops have concocted an album that absorbs those retro influences like a sponge. Opening with a vocal Beach Boys prayer “Bliss,” it’s followed by the bubble gum gem “We’re So High” with its mellow psych-pop groove, reverbs and farisa organ. Then the band turns on a bit of the guitar muscle with the “Far Out,” and mentions almost every dance craze of the era. And its not just paying homage, as Steve Boone of The Lovin’ Spoonful is included on the sunny chorus of “Sweet Lovin.”

A few more guests include Mighty Manfred (Woggles) and Tony Valentino (The Standells.) There are a few covers (including a rare Badfinger tune), but its the originals that have plenty of hooks as “Light ‘Em Up” proves. Plus “It’s A Surfing’ Thing” is chock full of Dick Dale guitar licks. The danger here is a few songs can appear saccharine (“Everything’s Alright”) but most of the time The Cherry Drops deliver their pop with a sincerity that can’t be faked. Highly Recommended.

Amazon


Propeller

Propeller “Fall Off The World”

Propeller is back and with another quality power pop release. “Can You Here Us Now” is part Bryan Adams, part Bram Tchaikovsky with a great leading riff in the chorus. The bands compositions have gotten tighter as “Mismatched Shoes” and “Wish I Had A Picture” densely packs the harmonies on top of a bed of guitars. Lead singer Greg Randall’s vocal style reminds me of Nick Piunti too.

“She’s So Alive” is similar to Tom Petty with its jangling rhythm, and its one of my favorite songs here. The lyrics are mostly about the common teenage crush; “a girl with a beautiful name” is the source of inspiration for “It’s Kinda Why I Like You.” Not a single note of filler as the band goes through all ten high energy tracks. If you want to nitpick, the band doesn’t take its foot off the gas, and it would be nice to have a slower tempo break things up a little. Otherwise this is a real winner, and you can download these tracks on Bandcamp at a “name-your-price” or buy the traditional way. Highly Recommended and no excuses for letting this one pass you by.

Amazon

The Cherry Drops and Leanne Kingwell

powerpopaholic
The Cherry Drops

The Cherry Drops “Everything’s Groovy”

Who knew you could mix Garage and Bubblegum pop with seamless precision?  The Cherry Drops have done this making a themed album that combines every 1960s power pop influence you can name. Like the Archies-styled cartoon cover the LP begins rather harmlessly with “Pop, Pop (Til You Drop),” but then shortly veers into the garage with the hand-clapping “Little Girl.” The next tune, “Outta Sight” was voted “coolest song” by Little Steven for good reason. It features a strong beat with some great layered riffs and a wicked dueling guitar solo at the break (cool, indeed!).

And its not just music, but pop culture that’s celebrated. “Shlemiel, Shlemazel, Hasenpfeffer Incorporated” is a blazing  punk surf theme, that’s a tribute to 70’s TV show “Laverne & Shirley.” The Beach Boys influenced “Summertime Is A State of Mind” soothes, and a crisp cover of The Raspberries “I Wanna Be With You” excites. In fact you’ll hear lots of familiar influences buried in the music, and its not all retro, “Let’s Bug Out” is like Weezer meets Jan & Dean and “Surfer Slut” combines Dick Dale and The B-52’s. The bottom line of all this is pure power pop fun. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

 

Leanne Kingwell

Leanne Kingwell “Choking on Halos”

Aussie rocker Leanne Kingwell wrote “Choking On Halos” in Melbourne and recorded it in Hollywood over a period of two years. And she’s not your typical pop diva. In fact she’s the anti-diva, with influences rooted in The Clash, Nirvana, and My Chemical Romance. Starting on “This High” a dense bed of guitars form below the melody and allow Leanne’s rasp to come to the forefront. “Saviour” is a defiant but smoky approach that gives the song almost a gothic atmosphere. “Sunshine” is a pretty cool single filled with sex-filled lyrical metaphors, and think Sinead O Connor meets Romeo Void with a Pixies fetish on the title track.

Recommended tracks also include cool “My Flag On The Moon,” plus the dynamic dance tunes “Kickin” and “Slingshot.” If you are looking for pop with a deep dark edge, Leanne has you covered.

CD Baby | Amazon