powerpopaholic, Author at Powerpopholic

The Alice Rose "Phonographic Memory"

June 4, 2007July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

The Alice Rose from Austin, Texas has an uncanny ability to play amazingly catchy pop music. After being reviewed well by National Public Radio, local Texas media and other power pop blogs, I’ve finally gotten around to this one. The band’s sound is best defined to resemble the classic strummings of Squeeze and Crowded House. But the influences aren’t definitely not confined there. That’s why “Phonographic Memory” is such a great choice of title. Led by the talented JoDee Purkeypile, it is a major find and you should give these guys a spin on your ipod. “Lighten Up” has a McCartney meets Glen Tilbrook vibe – and would make an awesome single. “Love Me” is like an early Elton John classic. “Saints” is a perfect mid-tempo ballad with a chorus that has a rush of emotion that I haven’t heard in a long time and reminds me of classic Stevie Wonder. “Wisteria” is another great song here. A nice mix of arena soft rock guitar and melodic acrobatics that Jellyfish fans will fall in love with. I love the chord changes on this song and vocal performance – this is my favorite song on the album so far. “Stop” recalls early Wilco meets The Rembrandts and is an excellent tune as well. The production is clean and well done too. It is without a doubt, if you pick up this CD, you will not be sorry. Hear some of it on MySpace.

The Alice Rose Website | MySpace | CD Baby | Not lame

Black Tie Revue "Code Fun"

May 31, 2007January 5, 2025 powerpopaholic

Pittsburgh, PA’s Black Tie Revue debut hit the streets and it is best described as legitimate sonic assault. The catchy “Code Fun” dares you to not enjoy yourself while you listen — it opens up with “Red Everywhere” and that’s full of heavy guitar and fast drums, not unlike Splitsville or Green Day’s early material. The best track however is the amazing “I’m so sure” a great summer punk anthem. It got the right amount of scorching riffs and profanity and I can’t stop listening to it and hitting that repeat button over and over. The group has been touring all over the country (CMJ, SXSW) and has been picking up new fans wherever the go. A local Pittsburgh newspaper declared BTR “most likely to succeed” less than two years after first playing together. “Code Fun” continues the addictive three-chord power-pop fest and I dare you to not shake your head in response to this one! “The Late Show” gradually increases the noise at the end of the track, like The Beatles’ “She so Heavy.” Every song here is hot with no filler, all killer tracks! The band’s history is one where “persistence” is a credo and it’s beginning to pay off. Get this one before your friends!

Listen to “Code Fun”

BTR Website | MySpace | Amazon | Not lame | Gearhead Records

Zuckerbaby has returned!

May 31, 2007April 1, 2018 powerpopaholic

From sources on the Audities list, I wanted to spread the word that the Canadian power pop band Zuckerbaby is working on a new album. Listen to some of the new tracks on the MySpace page. Nearly 10 years after the group formed, landed a major recording deal, played stadiums across the country and then imploded after losing their record contract, Zuckerbaby is indeed back, and this time the band’s priorities have changed. “We’re just a bunch of guys who love to make music,” said guitarist Reed Shimozawa. “After all is said and done, and all that we’ve been through . . . the biggest thing we missed was creating something, and the feeling of giving birth to music that at least four people in the room think is great.” Read more about it here.

Also I’d like to give a shout out to some new blogs posted by Stuart Jones, a huge music fan with a group of music blogs.

Mr. Obscure – a blog with lots of rare tracks
Punk Powerpop – more tracks from ’77 to ’83
Rare and Elusive – more hard to find tracks
Super Seventies Sounds – take a wild guess what era these are from.
Enjoy!

Ther Paul Collins Beat "Flying High"

May 30, 2007April 1, 2018 powerpopaholic

Paul Collins is a true original. With Jack Lee, he formed The Nerves in 1974, whose hit “Hangin’ on the Telephone” became a single for Blondie. He then met up with bass player Steve Huff and formed the Beat in 1977 and has released “The Beat” – one of the greatest power pop albums of the 70s. The Beat has played with The Ramones, Shadows of Knight and Eddie Money. Paul’s latest album is “Flying High” after a 12 year absence. With a mix of up-tempo guitar rockers and slow ballads, the album flows beautifully. And alot like Jeff Murphy or John Wicks, age has only made these guys sound better. “Rock n’ Roll Shoes” is an excellent classic single in the Beat tradition. “Helen” is another great song with a catchy and bouncy melody. Things get a bit spotty toward the middle with lonely sounding acoustic “Bobby.” But this album has plenty of great songs including the Wilco-like “All over Town” and the Byrds-like “More Than Yesterday.” Also amazing is “Silly Love” – which cuts between chorus with awesome guitar solos. “Paco & Juan” sounds alot like Dire Straits’ “Sultans of Swing” with a rich tapestry of characters in the song. If you haven’t heard the The Beat – shame on you! get this album and atone for your sins.

Paul Collins Website | MySpace | Kool Kat | Not lame

Splurge "The Cure for the Cure"

May 29, 2007July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

Splurge are a pop-folk-rock group from Australia with a laid back approach. They are a little hard to pin down as far as category actually. They have mid-tempo beats and steady rhythm guitars with melodic wailing vocals. The opener “When I Go To Sleep” is a bit like Coldplay meets Aztec Camera. “She’s Not the One” is another good song doing an Echo & The Bunnymen vibe with some synth and guitar. Sometimes the laid back guitar works well – the song “Beautiful” is better than any James Blunt trash. Greg Williams vocals do a serviceable job, but sometimes a bit too breathy for me. “Too much is not enough” is one of the few great rockers here, and the entire album could have used more of this. Several songs toward the end of the album, drift along on a lazy psychedelic vibe and at over four minutes for each track, could put you to sleep. The exception is “Numb” a nice Pulp-styled ballad with dramatic flair. Also the title track “The Cure for the cure” is a good track too, if a bit overindulgent. Overall the melodies are excellent, and this is a highly recommended CD. Listen for yourself on the MySpace site.

Splurge Website | MySpace | Not Lame | Jam Recordings | CD Baby