Gary Ritchie "Pop! Radio"

Although not new, this is a great example of excellent and timeless melodies from Gary Ritchie. Originally from the Chicago band, Loose Lips, Ritchie teamed up with band mate Jeff King to channel his love of those classic jangle bands in Pop! Radio. Fans of Pezband, Fotomaker, The Raspberries, The Rubinoos, and The Spongetones will just love this album. From the opening chord riffs of “I’ll Be There” you’ll hum along to the beat that has that 70’s rock feel. The Beatles-jangle isn’t far behind on “You Were Only Using Me” and the hooks just continue to fly by. The excellent rocker “Living On Lies” is a humorous autobiography of a rocker who hasn’t gotten “a life” due to his love of rock and roll. Most of the songs are about moments in a relationship and what happened “Last Night” (a great Dwight Twilley reference here) and other odes to the girl of your dreams. The gems here keep coming, and to get into any more tracks here seems superfluous. Not a single scrap of filler here, so if you never heard it do yourself a favor and stop reading. Get a hold of this album.

My Space | CD Baby | Not Lame

The Injured Parties "Fun With A Purpose"

The Injured Parties are Chicago based rock band lead by Larry O. Dean (guitar/vocals) and assisted by Jimmy DeLauriea (bass) and Mike Ebersohl (drums). Opening with chugging and driving guitar on “American Comfort” they remind me of Tom Petty or The Lemonheads if they were lead by Lou Reed. “Been There, Done That” has a weary Neil Young approach that suits the song just fine. The descriptive story of characters inside “Zingerman’s Deli” is a lot of fun to listen to, with charging piano and guitar rhythms. The low key vocals in “Dogwalker” are enhanced by the female harmonies in the background and the Ray Davies-styled narrative. Unique subjects include a love song to actress “Linda Fiorentino” and getting so stupid you “Walked into a Wall.” Colorful lyrics aside, this will also appeal to fans of Dylan, Roger Waters and The Kinks. Lovers of classic guitar sound will gravitate easily to The Injured Parties.

My Space | itunes | Emusic

Fun With a Purpose – The Injur…

McCartney performs on the marquee


Being a New Yorker has it’s advantages. Nearly forty-five years after the Beatles first appeared on American television on the Ed Sullivan show, Sir Paul returned to the Ed Sullivan theater and performed atop the marquee of the Late Show with David Letterman. I think that’s Brian Ray on lead guitar here.

Bleu interviewed on Powerpopaholic

This was a good month for me as my second interview was with none other than Bleu McAuley just as his newest album A Watched Pot is about to drop nationally. We get into a history of the album and how some of those tracks have been simmering for over five years. We ask some essential questions, like will there be another L.E.O. album? Click here to read the interview. (or check out the button on the right). You can actually order this long blogged about music now from our favorite places.

Not Lame | Kool Kat Musik | Amazon

Peter & The Penguins "How To Choose A Sweetheart"

Last year on the IPO#11 disc a standout was “There Goes Pete Best,” and this year has been chock full of Beatlesque bands making debuts this year. From The Poor Richards, Alan Bernhoft to Pete Best himself – the sound is just timeless and embedded in pop culture. Not even compared to other like-minded bands (The Fore, The Offbeat) this Norwegian band is easily a cut above the rest. That’s because they take the template and enhance it – for example, “Barefoot” uses the Rickenbacker riffs, honey sweet Beach Boys choruses and sax touches to make a catchy song, not just imitate what’s been done. Lots of highlights here that make them comparable to The Spongetones in quality (they even do a cover of “Here I Go Again”). “The Walk” has a jangle and beat thats just irresistible, and “She Took Me By Surprise” gets the early mop-top songwriting and guitar innocence down perfectly. “There’s No Living Here Without You” updates the snappy Beatle ballad with a minor chords aplenty. Not every song is perfect, but with 14 tracks here, you’ll find more than enough Mersey-inspired gems to keep your toe tapping. As long as bands like this keep making music, I will happily listen.

My Space | CD Baby | Not Lame | Kool Kat Musik