Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

Heirs Of Fortune and Trip Wire

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Heirs Of Fortune

Heirs Of Fortune “Circus of Mirth”

Terry Carolan’s (Blue Cartoon/True Hearts) latest project is a tribute to his friend and supporter Gary Littleton. The band Heirs Of Fortune include Ralph Smith and Robert Watkins (Amnesia), and Robert Woodrich (Just Boys.) After a toy piano pop intro “Invited,” it leads to the polished guitar and mid-tempo “Aster Street Days,” a nostalgic look back to the past. In fact, the focus on wistful longing is the main theme overall, and musically Carolan’s soothing vocal harmonies and simple melodies are comparable to the recent work of Terry Draper.

The multi-tracked jangling guitar strums of “How Can I Resist” and “From Where I Am” suit the band’s melodic approach well. The Beatlesque piano and guitar flourishes of “Face The Light” utilize strings for extra emotional punch. Terry’s mild vocals don’t quite fit the song “Crazy” which calls for a wilder guttural approach. You wish that the band added a bit more muscle or bass fuzz on several tracks.

But the bevy of catchy melodies and memorable choruses here is proof of Carolan’s talent with the brilliant love song “(It Only Took) Forever”and the rare fast paced “Shine.” My favorite here is the gorgeous “Goodbye My Friend,” with its George Harrison styled slide guitar that stands as his final words to the dearly departed. The title track seems to be Gary’s answer back to his friend, and a faithful cover of Big Star’s Chris Bell’s “I Am The Cosmos” fits nicely here. Fans of Big Star, Pilot, Badfinger and Klaatu will really enjoy this heart-felt album.

Kool Kat Musik | Amazon


Trip Wire “Cold Gas Giants”

Not to be confused with The Tripwires, these well traveled local San Francisco music veterans are Marty Schneider (The Campbell Apartment), Bill Hunt, Stu Shader and Jeff Shelton (Spinning Jennies, The Well Wishers). The album opens with the commanding guitars of “Long Days Gone,” a catchy riff-centered anthem with a densely composed wall of guitars. Both “I’m Not The Enemy” and “Growing Old” are lead by Shelton, and recalls his work with The Well Wishers. More standouts are the jangling Rickenbacker guitar of “These Are The Days” and on “Winter Days” the band adds violins and a sweet bass line.

The band’s hybrid of jangle pop and rock dictates the album as it sways from one style to another, but it also manages to go in another direction on “Saturn V” with its space-themed indie fuzz pop. Virtually no filler here makes this album an audio treat, and a highly recommended addition to my power pop collection.

Timmy Sean and The Dirty Truckers

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Timmy Sean

Timmy Sean “Weeks”

In 2015 Timmy Sean was one a few artists with a goal of producing a song each week. Subscribers got the first crack at these, and after all was said and done, you have a massive 21 tracks. Sean moves around the pop and rock landscape, the most commercial tune of the bunch “Everything I Want” sounds like a top 40 hit, but I like the exuberant piano theme “Seventeen,” a look back at youth; “We never know the best times” he sings. Sean takes liberally from classic rock styles, and it enhances his songs. “One Dimensional Man” heads into ELO territory and both “Way Too Long” and “Gimme Everything” are like a Lenny Kravitz outtakes. You even get Elvis influence on “Baby, She’s Better Than You” and a Smokey Robinson doo wop on “Til You’ll Be Mine.”

And it’s not all power pop, “Western Rodeo” and “Hold It Strong” are ballads with country, and contemporary pop approaches. A few tracks were recorded at Abbey Road Studios (“Lately Lacey”) and these are musically dense arrangements. Its hard to find to fault with any of the music, Sean’s careful “singles” approach make each tune a pleasant surprise. If anything there is too much to absorb in a single listen. Overall a highly recommended double album. Plus the limited edition two CD version contains a bonus disc of covers (including 8 Beatles classics) through Bandcamp.

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The Dirty Truckers

The Dirty Truckers “Tiger Stripes” EP

I enjoyed the new Tom Baker and The Snakes album earlier this year, so I looked into his past and found a gem I missed. Tom was in a Boston band called The Dirty Truckers a few years back. As lead guitarist Baker growls through a half dozen songs starting with the barroom rocker “Stranger in Disguise,” but tone shifts slightly to the more refined “Human Contact.” This song is reminiscent of Lannie Flowers with its driving rhythm and catchy chorus.

Overall this band’s riff-centric approach is consistent with “Feedback” and “Arms Length” led by the dual guitar attack of Baker and John Brookhouse. It closes out the EP with a roots rocker “Just Run Away” which is closer to classic Wilco. If you enjoyed Baker’s new band, you will definitely like his old one.

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Bill DeMain and Green Circles

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Bill DeMain

Bill DeMain “Transatlantic Romantic”

Bill DeMain (Swan Dive) delivers a smartly arranged bit of adult pop that is just full of sweet slice-of-life moments. Several years ago he gave us a Paul Simonesque “Extended Stay” EP that displayed the same warmth and familiarity Swan Dive was known for. On his first full length, DeMain follows the grand tradition of classic Brill Building pop, Philly Soul and Folk influenced artists like Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman, and Todd Rundgren.

In fact, after a gorgeous set of strings and harmonies on the opener “Begin” he pays tribute to Todd on the song “Leroy Boy,” a sort-of-sequel to “We Gotta Get You A Woman.” Next the piano and horn gems “Honey Bear” and “Brewster, IL, April 3, 1952” recalls Newman’s poetic storytelling. The song “Lemon Yellow” is a simple waltz charmer about loving your first car. A great cover of The Beach Boys “Wendy” makes use of co-producer Jim Hoke’s strings behind Bill’s harmonies, and “The Golden Age” is a tune about the love of pure nostalgia, with some sweet sax flourishes. This is a rare treat that will grow on you all summer. Plus Kool Kat is offering a 2-fer of this and Extended Stay for $18. Don’t miss it! 

Kool Kat Musik


Green Circles

Green Circles “No Room For Squares”

Australian garage/psych rockers Green Circles have been around since 1998 and still make music in the retro-garage rock and roll style. No Room For Squares is a collection of odds and sods from throughout the bands’ career. A mixed bag with some great songs here, favorites include the psyche-pop gem “Elevator Operator,” the jangling Kinks-like “Girl in a Morris Minor” and the Who-influenced “Stephanie Comes.”

The album also includes several live tracks where the band rocks much harder,  as the energy of “Five Blue Moons” and “Kneejerk Reaction” could sit alongside classic music by The Pretty Things, The Creation, and The Small Faces. The fast-tempo garage energy is also reflected in brilliant “Long Live Sivananda” with its strong drum work and “Tomorrow Will Be Fine” features a catchy chorus. Enough great music here to elevate it above your average release. Highly Recommended.

Kool Kat Musik | Amazon

The Naturals and Phenomenal Cat

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The Naturals

The Naturals “We Are The Naturals”

Brothers Aaron and Keiren Jolly are The Naturals. Having “discovered” The Beatles, The Kinks and The Zombies in their teens, they have faithfully developed their craft through a 1960s rock and roll framework. It’s tough to create catchy originals, that could’ve been big hits in another era – but The Naturals make it sound so easy.

The intro “We Are The Naturals” is gleefully anachronistic, followed by the psychedelic backbeat of “I Don’t Need A Car,” laying in the Farfisa organ and guitar. There simply isn’t a bad song here, the jangling “Out of My Head” and the driving riffs of “Billy” remind me of The La’s. For sheer joyful power pop just listen to “Mary Go Round” and the awesomely stick-in-your-head-forever “Pretty Young.” The songs are brilliantly melodic with the traditional boy-meets-girl theme. Fans of retro bands like The Above or The Weeklings will not want to miss this one. Highly Recommended.

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Phenomenal Cat “Pop Wasteland”

Pop Wasteland is the soundtrack for a graphic novel by the English rock band Phenomenal Cat. The story is about a man named Albert Blood who finds himself swept along in a crusade against a dystopian society. The album’s spoken parts are narrated by British actor, Kenneth Colley (Star Wars, The Life of Brian).

The mood is an amalgam of Neill Blomkamp’s work (Elysium, District 9) with just a touch of Mr. Roboto. The opener “Albert Blood” describes the post-natural disaster scene with horns and guitar, as Albert is shuffled into his prison-like surroundings to a Mod beat. The music is inventive as “Satellites” rocks, and the scratchy demo “Sugarloaf Hill” is the water damaged cassette our hero listens to. The title track is a nostalgic look back on rock and roll, with a saxophone lead. The production is impressive, standout tracks include; “Welcome To Suburbia,” the glam rocker “Fade In/Fade Out,” and “The Dead Seekers,” which brings to mind The Dandy Warhols. Overall the gloomy thematic approach lacks variety, but the good news is this is a “name your price” download and with a $3 graphic novel it’s a bargain.

Amazon (graphic novel) | Bandcamp

The Relationship and Jamie & Steve

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The Relationship

The Relationship “Clara Obscura”

Brian Bell’s (Weezer) second band The Relationship has returned to with a sophomore LP that fully distinguishes itself as a force to be reckoned with. The meticulously built opener “Missing” is a prelude to the album’s break-up theme.

The lead single “Break Me Open” is a hook-filled plea that doesn’t let up, and one of the best building ballads “Without Me” is about what happens when the person that broke up with you has moved on even if you haven’t. Life goes on in “Working On Myself” which brings to mind Fastball and the optimistic ascending chords of “Smile” are all about getting over the blahs. With “Hawthorne” strings are added to this Beach Boys tribute that would make a perfect wedding song. The ending track “This Year’s Children” has more strings, and an ELO styled composition. Not only is each song great, but they tell a memorable, complete story. That also makes it a nominee for my top ten best album of 2017.

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Jamie and Steve

Jamie and Steve “Sub Textural” EP

Even after 40 years together, Jamie Hoover and Steve Stoeckel (Spongetones) continue to make jangling melodic gems and Sub Textural is proof positive that this duo hasn’t missed a beat.

The songs were all recorded across different years, but you wouldn’t know it. Starting with “Sword Of Love” it’s jangling treasure spinning like a mix of Squeeze and XTC here.  “It’s All Because Of You” is a very McCartneyesque guitar song with lots of texture (hmmm). The best thing here is the contrasting textures in “In A Little Tango,” with its 10cc-like shifts in soft and heavy sounds. The layered acapella harmonies make “Cry” another can’t miss beauty. What else can I say… long live Jamie and Steve! Highly Recommended.

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