Tag: Dwight Twilley

The PInk Spiders and Dwight Twilley

powerpopaholic
The Pink Spiders

The Pink Spiders “Freakazoid”

This is a Nashville band that wants to make a bold statement. Influences from power pop, glam, and indie rock are all mixed in a musical stew. “Gold Confetti” is a great start, with its upbeat, sing-along chorus dripping in attitude. But even better is the follow-up single “Let’s Go Home” with its super energetic hooks, and its quiet verse builds to a catchy chorus. The guitars here bring it all together as the band uses classic song structures (that are out of vogue today) to form something quite unique, and “Devotion” is another winner with its Cars-like synths.

Next, lead singer Matt Friction sings “Can’t Stop Letting You Down” and seems to channel Marc Bolan without the falsetto. The band wants this to be a party album, as each hook takes a winding stylistic shift in the second half. The band can go “hard rock” anthem with ease on “Stoned To The Bone,” and the next few songs go straight party rock, and you’ll never get bored here, and no filler. The closest analogy I can come up with is Sweet meets Panic! At The Disco. Yes, it could’ve used a ballad to break things up, but this deserves attention and is highly recommended for sure.

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Dwight Twilley

Dwight Twilley “The Best of Dwight Twilley The Tulsa Years 1999​-​2016 Vol 1”

Dwight Tilley had a revived sense of purpose after releasing several collections of rarities (Between The Cracks) at the end of the 20th century. He began the journey to elder statesman status in power pop with 1999’s Tulsa and continued to be very productive for the following 15 years. This new compilation of Twilley’s later work proves he was not only a great songwriter but also remained a potent force in melodic rock and roll.

Nothing in the collection sounds dated, as it’s timeless rock. Check out these new Twilley classics; “It’s Hard To Be A Rebel,” “No Place Like Home,” and “Speed of Light.” With 20 tracks there are plenty of gems to choose from.

If you’re a fan of Dwight Twilley’s work, The Best of Dwight Twilley: The Tulsa Years 1999-2016 Vol 1 is a must-have. There are previously unreleased songs from albums like Tulsa, The Luck, 47 Moons, Green Blimp, Soundtrack, and Always. Dwight’s 12-page booklet with photos and notes about his inspiration and the songs’ backgrounds is included. Highly Recommended.

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Dwight Twilley and Ward White

powerpopaholic
Dwight Twilley

Dwight Twilley “Always”

Twilley’s first album since the loss of long-time guitarist Bill Pitcock IV wasn’t easy, but he’s soldiered on for a fan base that is energized every time he takes the stage. He continues the thick production style of 2011’s Soundtrack and his nod to the fans starts off with the title track, a reference to his classic “I’m on Fire.”

“A Million Miles Wide” recalls Tom Petty’s guitar on the intro, and the brilliant “Into The Flame” proves Twilley will always be able to write a power pop gem. The slow piano chords drive “Everyone’s Crazy,” which reminds me of Jeff Lynne a bit, with its background strings. Twilley’s defiant Texas bar-room rant “Til The Jukebox Dies” is another rocker that screams “No Surrender” followed by the 12-string melody of “We Were Scared.” The songs are well constructed (though I wish Twilley’s vocals were less obscured by production fuzz) and this is a fine addition to the Twilley discography.
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Dwight Twilley

Ward White “Ward White is The Matador”

Ward White is a brilliant vocalist and arranger, proven by his last LP Bob, but this time he’s surrounded himself with added talent to make The Matador extra special. Bryan Scary does keyboard and Graham Norwood adds his guitar and you’ve got something that needs to be experienced. White’s delicate tenor are equal parts Colin Blunstone, and young David Bowie as he drifts through each narrative.

The synth beat on “Sabbath” leads to a a rich atmospheric chorus, where he’s tripping out with a wild textured pyche-beat crescendo. “Alphabet Of Pain” is a light baroque pop treat about “pain that is almost guaranteed.” The 60’s lounge styled “Balloon” has an great chorus full of soaring harmonies and “Chiquita” is another richly developed gem that is most like Bowie. It takes a few detours by mid album, but really becomes a full art-pop performance on the 20 minute “The Olde Days.” If your tastes run left-of-center, this will just absorb you.
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Concert Review: The Bell House Power Pop Festival

Barry Dreyfus
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One didn’t need Mr. Peabody’s Wayback Machine this past weekend if one yearned to return to the heyday of 70’s power pop. One merely had to purchase a weekend pass to The Bell House’s 1st Power Pop Festival (May 9 & 10). For one glorious weekend, we all were transported back to 1978 watching legendary 70’s power pop stars Dwight Twilley, Shoes, Pezband and Paul Collins. The iconic music mag Trouser Press promoted the shows and brought back to NYC these legendary bands, 3 of which haven’t played in the city for decades.

Friday night opened with the Pezband’s original lineup (Mimi Betinis, Mick Rain & John Pazdan). They mixed classic Pezband (“Stop! Wait A Minute”, ” Baby, It’s Cold Outside”, “Please Be Somewhere Tonight”) with well-chosen covers (“Not Fade Away” and “Hippy Hippy Shake”) all with meaty hooks and well-crafted, punchy songs they proved to be a truly potent musical force still.  Dwight Twilley was next and he still has one of the most recognizable voices of all the 70’s power poppers and aided by 20/20 mainstay Ron Flynt on bass (and harmonies), Twilley had the sell-out crowd galvanized from the start. Pulling tracks primarily off his first 5 albums, Dwight’s set displayed the full range of his influences, melding rockabilly, British harmonies and basic ol’ rock n’ roll.

On Saturday it was time for Paul Collins to haul out a treasure trove of iconic songs from his vast catalog. He played earlier chestnuts like “Rock and Roll Girl,”as well as later gems like “Ribbon Of Gold”. And to cap off an already stunning weekend were power pop pioneers Shoes. From the first notes of opener “Head Vs. Heart” you could hear the excitement and joy from the crowd  soaking it all in like a sponge. After the show the throng staggered out into the rain of a late Saturday night feeling nothing but elation; protected by nothing more than the lingering melodies and memories of a weekend in Brooklyn in May of 2014.

Concert Review by Barry Dreyfus | Photos by Joanna Ente