powerpopaholic, Author at Powerpopholic

Rusty Anderson "Born On Earth"

September 27, 2010July 7, 2024 powerpopaholic 1 Comment

Rusty Anderson is a guitarist with Paul McCartney’s band (along with Brian Ray) who produced an awesome debut album and now it’s followed by his sophomore effort Born on Earth. Filled with lush orchestration and solid song structure it starts with a heavy guitar bridge on the opening title track. You can definitely hear Paul’s influence on “Timed Exposure,” it’s got a sneaky hook that bursts into crunchy guitar riffage in the chorus “You’ve got a story to tell, when it’s over, timed exposure…” A few tracks get quite artistic and emotional (“Private Moon Flower” and “Under A White Star”) but remain solid rockers.

The gorgeous melodies come out when Rusty works the easy going ballads “Julia Roberts” with it’s slow shuffle, harmonica and the sunny strumming of “Where Would We Go?” But he is just as impressive when it comes to full bore guitar pop of “These Are The Days.” Unlike his boss, Rusty favors louder riffs when it suits the song. Loads of quality tunes and fans of hard driving arena pop will love this album.

MySpace | Amazon | Not Lame | Kool Kat Musik

The Power Popaholic Interview: Joe Satriani

September 27, 2010July 7, 2024 powerpopaholic

I was thrilled to get the opportunity to interview electric guitar legend Joe Satriani and we talked about his latest solo album Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards. Since we’re both Long Island, NY locals, we discussed his early years and some of his favorite guitarists.

We also touched on his upcoming album with Chickenfoot, a group that includes Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony of Van Halen and Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Read the interview first on The Rock and Roll Report.

Later this week, I’ll post the unedited audio interview for your listening pleasure. You could also pre-order Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards. Official release date is Oct.5

Schnauser "The Sound Of Meat"

September 24, 2010July 7, 2024 powerpopaholic 1 Comment

Schnauser are a trio of musicians from Bristol, UK who seem to have collected a perfect blend of psychedelic, folk and baroque rock influences (The Beatles, Todd Rundgren, Syd Barrett, XTC and The Who) but ultimately it falls slightly short. Lead by the pop visionary Alan Strawbridge (The Lucky Bishops, Cheese) the best comparison I can give you is early Stackridge. The atmospherics and compositions are just beautiful, as each song blends seamlessly into one another. Opening with “Cosmic Ordering Service” it’s as compelling as anything The Pillbugs have ever done. The following “Twins of Evil” and vaudevillian “I Couldn’t F*ck A Gorilla” are both brilliant Peppery slices of mod-styled pop. The lyrics are simplistic as well as cryptic – like Zappa with writer’s block on “World of Whimsy.”

The concept of this album loosely covers the story of twins, one a rich and happy, the other a wretched soul who “freezes his ass” on the Beach Boys falsetto-laden “Homeless.” The concept really sparkles on “I Wuv You, Mommy” a Rundgrenesque masterpiece. There are so many melodies here stitched together, it takes several listens to appreciate each musical morsel. The big problem is that no single melodic theme stays around long enough to hook you. And the second you spot it, it’s gone. That lack of hooks is what takes the whole album down a notch, despite the great stuff on each track here – with the exception of the purposely off-key vocal on “You’re The Greatest Girl I’ve Ever Seen.” Overall it’s an innovative take on pysche-pop that will challenge the musically open-minded – like a musical rubik’s cube!

MySpace | Amazon | Pink Hedgehog

Here is the band posing as Polish duo “Usmiecsh Zebiczny” singing “Quiches And Flans And Bottles And Bags.” It’s not an album track, but gives a good representation of Schnauser’s sound.

The ELO Spaceship!

September 24, 2010September 24, 2010 powerpopaholic 2 Comments

I am totally surprised no one posted this earlier. It would have been really cool to have this animation on a big stage screen while Jeff Lynne and the band played “Tightrope” live back in the day. Oh well, if Jeff ever makes a follow up to “Zoom”…

Joel Streeter and Adrienne Pierce

September 22, 2010July 7, 2024 powerpopaholic

Joel Streeter “Matador”
Bay Area singer-songwriter Joel Streeter is a true pop talent that continues his growth on the sophomore album “Matador.” The sound is similar to Chris Stamey or Paul McCartney building classic pop compositions through a dense wall-of-sound approach. He is assisted by over a dozen players including producer Jerry Becker (Train) to make this a highly polished effort. The hooks are all over the title track and the use of horns to support “Drive Away” bring to mind Squeeze. The mid-tempo songs “Baby Your Time’s Here Too” and “A Better Day” both have great Beatlesque melody and hooks in the chorus that don’t quit. Another highlight here is the piano bounce on “Man Of The Hour” where the guitar rhythm mimics “It’s Getting Better” prior to the rich chorus and the orchestral break in the songs middle. The multi-layered vocal harmonies on “Like A Bird In A Gilded Cage” recall early Crowded House. Fans of Jim Boggia, Marshall Crenshaw and the other artists mentioned will really enjoy this album. Not a bad track in the bunch, and plenty of memorable gems make it easy to recommend.

MySpace | CD Baby | Amazon

Adrienne Pierce “Oh Deer”
Canadian Adrienne Pierce has a very distinct vocal that gets your attention. It’s a mesmerizing combination of Edie Brickell and Blossom Dearie that draws you in. She’s written music for TV (Grey’s Anatomy, Veronica Mars) and this is her third full length album. It’s safe to classify her as folk pop, and the opening “Amargosa Hotel” has the guitar twang and dreamy quality often found on Sheryl Crow’s work. The same feeling on “Black Sand” carries through, with a catchy beat to contrast her multi-tracking here. The storylike ballads like “Monsters” and “Arc De Triomphe” are soulful and effective. My favorite track though is the bouncy “Guilty of Everything” with a sweet melody and seductive confessions in the lyric. However, other tracks here seem self-indulgent (“Telescope”) or are just too sparse (“Nightswimming”), so you may want to pick and choose the keepers here.

MySpace | CD Baby | Amazon