Vermont native Syd is a super talented singer/songwriter who knows his way around a musical hook or two. Sounding like a hybrid of Rivers Cuomo (Weezer) and Joe Jackson on his new EP “Upswing,” the big twang of “The Big Town” is a smart quirky single with a sing along chorus. Fans of Johnny Polonsky’s first album will find a few similarities here as well. After starting his career as a John Mayer styled pop folkie, he’s pulled on over to the power pop side. The highlight here is “Mallory” with hand claps and a high falsetto in the chorus that helps this single jump out of the speaker at you. The other two tracks ( “Easier On You” and “The Pattern” here are standouts as well, with catchy melodic refrains and a strong beat. This is pure pop sweetness and even though it’s only four tracks, it’s superior to other bands’ full length releases and again this is a FREE download people! GET THIS NOW. You’ll thank me after you hear it.
Author: powerpopaholic
Ken Stringfellow interview transcript posted
Last week I interviewed Ken Stringfellow for The Rock and Roll Report. Please check out the site and read the full transcript of the interview.
In addition, an interview with Dennis Diken (Smithereens) is now posted on The Rock and Roll Report by Gary “Pig” Gold. These are two HOT artists that pop fans will definitely want to know more about.
Dennis Diken with Bell Sound "Late Music"
Rock geeks, get ready to drool. If you just can’t get enough of rock nostalgia, then Smithereens drummer Dennis Diken has been joined by a group of special guests to make this love letter to the golden age of rock. Oh yeah, those guests include, The Wondermints, Andrew Sandoval, Brian Wilson producer Andy Paley, The Honeys and Jason Falkner. Fellow New Jersey native Pete DiBella collaborated with Dennis to bring these songs to fruition, reflecting their mutual love of classic pop and rock genres. Fans of all the old school greats: The Four Seasons, The Who and The Beach Boys will find this pure ear candy. Each song evokes the spirits of each of these rock gods. The first track “The Sun’s Gonna Shine in the Morning” is a half Monkees and half Dave Clark Five, complete with studio echo. Then the Beach Boys/Four Seasons vibe is all over the gorgeous wall of sound in “Standing in Line.” And the Shel Talmy-era Who is all over “Long Lonely Ride.” Each song sounds like a lost classic! Even on “No One’s Listening” the vocals are almost identical to Howard Kaylan (The Turtles). “Fall into Your Arms” is a dead ringer for a solo Brian Wilson hit. I could go through each song here, but you get the idea. It’s a Diken’s vision to make you a “mix tape” of his favorite influences. Diken’s drumming and vocals are awesome, and even a throwaway instrumental like “Lost Bird” is pleasing in it’s own bossa nova way. Towards the albums end, it gets more experimental, mashing up these “pure” influences, so “No One Does It Like You” is both weird and compelling to listen to. As much as I like derivative music, there are so many potential AM pop “hits” here, you can’t ignore it for our year end top 10. Mark Deming from Allmusic Guide said it best: “An album made by music fans for music fans.”
| Lala | Kool Kat Musik (includes a bonus disc!)Listen to “Standing in That Line” at on Bob Brainen’s show
Listen to the clip here!
First In Space "Geronimo"
As a band matures, you can hear a specific direction. Ohio natives First In Space had a decent debut re-released this summer and this new follow up sets the trio (Dolus McCormick, Johhny Stanec, and drummer Beau Basement)on a more commercial power pop sound. The clean guitar work and rich chorus of “Goddamn Shame” recall the best tendencies of The Gin Blossoms and alt-rockers Cracker. On “It’s All Gone To Hell” the vocals of Dolus McCormick really shine here. It’s the consistent guitar work that also wins you over as “Take It Away” is my favorite here, where the bridge builds, and builds to a harmony filled chorus. The tracks are all good, so no filler here – although it slows down the tempo on “In My Dreams,” it picks right back up with tough layered guitar riffs on “Stuck Around You” and stays on an even keel through all ten tracks. The mid-western flavor of tracks like “Down On Me” and high energy harmonies between McCormick and Stanec on “Taking Over” recall the Rembrandts at their most aggressive and melodic. Keep your eye on First In Space, as they continue to produce first-rate power pop.
Cloudy with a Chance of Power Pop
Who says power pop doesn’t break through to mainstream? Official video for “Raining Sunshine,” the new single from the ‘Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs’ motion picture soundtrack performed by Miranda Cosgrove, the star of Nickelodeon’s hit series iCarly. The song was written by Matthew Gerrard, Jay Landers and Charlie Midnight, a team that previously worked on Hillary Duff’s musical career. Not sure what Miss Cosgrove’s solo album will sound like when it’s ready, but this single full of huge musical hooks is a nice way to start.