Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

Música en España: Ramirez Exposure, Mama, Hank Idory

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2017 was also a very busy year “across the pond” in Spain – which is a very strong market for power pop artists and continues to produce great music in English and Spanish. A big thanks goes out to Rock Indiana label in Madrid. and Pretty Olivia Records in El Altet, Alicante. Here are some of my favorites… excelente música para ti.

Ramirez Exposure

Ramirez Exposure “Young Is The New Old”

Valencia-based artist Víctor Ramírez has an impressive musical resume. After having supported Jacco Gardner on tour in Spain last year, he enlisted Ken Stringfellow (Posies, Big Star) and Marc Jonson to produce his solo album, even covering Jonson’s “Suddenly Sunshine.“ Opening with the spacey, bouncy pop of “Hazel Love” it shows amazing melodic skill with a light touch. The joyful “Sweetheart” is a mid-tempo gem with a tight composition and “The Heartbreak Kid,” named after a favorite movie is about listening to your subconscious to make bold life choices. You definitely hear a subtle Brian Wilson influence across each song. And the song quality is maintained from beginning to end. This is another album that easily could’ve made my top albums list for 2017.

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Mama

Mama “Toque De Queda”

José María Granados is a veteran power pop musician and Mama is one of Spain’s most venerable bands. Translated to “Touch of Delay,” delivers a superb collection of power pop in Spanish, from the opening strums of “Uno Mas” it bounces along, and the big single “Acto De Fe” (Act of Faith) is super catchy even if you don’t know the language. Songs are mostly 3-minute bursts of irresistible choruses and energetic guitars. Many great tunes here. Highly Recommended.

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Hank Idory

Hank Idory “Hank Idory”

Also from Valencia is another artist, Hank Idory with more of a chamber pop approach; smooth vocals mixed with soft harmonies that recall bands of the sunshine pop era like The Millennium or The Association mixed with a crisp modern production style. The meticulous arrangements will win over power pop fans even if you don’t understand the language, like the gentle “Lo mejor de mí” or gorgeous ascending bridge of “El tiempo siempre miente.”  Only rarely veering into the conventional, its clean Rickenbacker chords and chiming harmonies make this my favorite Spanish language release of 2017.  Highly Recommended.

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Daisy House and Tommy Zamp

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Daisy House

Daisy House “Crossroads”

Formed in 2012, Daisy House played compelling folk pop, but with last year’s Crossroads, the band has jumped more into the melodic rock sandbox. Daisy House is made from the duo of Doug Hammond on guitar, bass, keys, and his daughter Tatiana on vocals.

The booming drums, and bass guitars open up “Languages,” a gorgeous song with Tatiana’s strong harmonies anchoring a catchy chorus about “peace and love.” Ever wonder what would’ve happened if Joni Mitchell had joined The Byrds? This is as close as you’ll get to that. The title track is a nice combo of bass rhythms and acoustic strums, but the Byrdsian jangle is a big highlight on “Leaving The Star Girl” and “The Girl Who Holds My Hand,” even Doug’s vocal sounds like Gene Clark. There is still plenty of sensitive folk balladry here like the mid-tempo “Remembering The Arc” for Doug and haunting piano tune “Albion” showcasing Tatiana’s beautiful voice. Overall, great musicianship elevates this album above most I’ve heard in 2017. Highly recommended.

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Tommy Zamp

Tommy Zamp “You Don’t Know Me”

Rocker Tommy Zamp (Fixer, Circus Life) has a sound similar to Butch Walker, Izzy Stradlin or Extreme. His solo LP came out last year and was included in several best-of lists, as it is an unabashed love letter to New York City.

“Pretty Girls” is a cheerful glam tune that opens the album, and you almost expect a dance number to go along with it. The heavy fuzz guitar melodies continue with “Tattoos Of Stars” and its hand claps to go with its tour of the neighborhood. “Romeo” and “Beautiful Losers”  have a dense pop sound similar to Cheap Trick with a guitar riff following Tommy’s swaggering vocal. Many highlights here include “Let It Go,” the chunky riffed “Time” and “Calling Mother May.” Not everything sticks, the ballads drone on a bit much — but there is enough here to make it a highly recommended listen.

Amazon | CD Baby

Danny de la Matyr and Luke Fitzpatrick

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Danny de la Matyr

Danny de la Matyr “Crybaby”

Dallas native Danny De La Matyr has been widely praised last year. Jody Stephens (Big Star) said “Crybaby is a beautiful record. Danny’s voice is soft but emotive, in part because of his sweet melodies.” Danny has mentioned his favorite artists are Paul McCartney, XTC, Todd Rundgren and his LP made quite a few “best-of” lists, so I sought it out.

Crybaby starts with the Big Star-ish mid-tempo “Drift Away” and the acoustic “Waterslide” which makes good use of Danny’s hushed vocals. But the slow building gem “How Can It Be?” is very similar to Paul Bertolino’s 70’s influenced style. The jangling guitars and echoing “Lines” bring to mind Dwight Twilley at his melodic best. Other gems include the Beatlesque “Skeleton Key” and the brilliant key track “Misfire” which is one of the better songs I’ve heard this year. The anthemic “Fade To Grey” has an Elton John feeling to it. The rocking guitar also comes out on “Rippin’ my Soul Out,” overall a great album that also could’ve made my list last year. Highly recommended.

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Luke Fitzpatrick

Luke Fitzpatrick “Sun Songs”

Sydney based songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Fitzpatrick is a power pop fan who draws inspirations from The Beach Boys, Phil Spector, and Todd Rundgren. Each song is 2 minutes or under, done in a DIY bedroom pop style, as “Through” layers vocals, piano and hook-filled riffs. The lyrics are as simple as any from the golden era of rock and roll as heard on “Don’t Forget About Me.” Fitzpatrick has a method of establishing a simple verse-chorus couplet that burns into your brain, like the catchy “Tell Them.”

The limitations of this style are apparent midway through, as the tempo and rhythms of the songs tend to blend together, and it sometimes feels more like a demo or sketch, for example, “Chance is Gone” just begs for a fuller production. Still, this is a fun set of music sure to impress power pop fans looking for melodic ear candy. Oh yeah, this is also a FREE download, so no excuses!

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Sparks “Hippopotamus”

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Sparks

Sparks “Hippopotamus”

I have to acknowledge the musical “elephant in the room” (or is that expression “hippo in the room”?) in that one of the longest lasting and most unique sounding bands continues to produce substantial music without compromise nearly 50 years along. I’m talking about Sparks, more specifically the Mael brothers; Ron and Russell. I can’t think of any other musical artist short of Todd Rundgren who deftly avoids commercial success, yet keeps its cult fan base on the edge of its seat over the course of decades. It makes sense that Rundgren helped get them started too, signing them to his Bearsville label and produced their self-titled 1971 debut. Early on, Sparks was compared favorably with 10cc, but with even more artistic integrity. I would encourage the uninitiated to explore the vast back catalog which I consider experimental power pop until the band’s shift to electronic disco on 1979’s No.1 in Heaven, which is considered the band’s commercial breakthrough in the US.

But I digress, as Hippopotamus the band’s 23rd album retains Ron Mael’s sharp wit, and Russel’s iconic vocals as best displayed early on for “Missionary Position.” The meta-melodramatic “Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me)” is a great example of Sparks musical auteurism. And like most Sparks work, some tunes are perfectly accessible (“Unaware”) and others border on annoying (“Giddy Giddy”). The title track is a surrealist nursery rhyme, and another highlight is the light and wobbly “I Wish You Were Fun.”

Even when the subject gets somber, like on “Bummer” about a funeral service or “Life with the Macbeths” the impressive operatic musical composition showcases the brothers’ knack for brilliance. When I was done, I felt compelled to revisit the early period work and marvel at how ahead of its time it was and how it holds up even today. Highly Recommended.

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Kai Danzberg and Third of Never

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Kai Danzberg “Pop-Up Radio”

We first heard about German musician Kai Danzberg last year on an EP, but he’s been very busy since then. You gotta appreciate a guy who wears his power pop influences on his sleeve, or in this case his entire body. It all starts with the faux Jellyfish opener “Welcome To The Show” with references The Beatles, Jellyfish, Queen, The Bee Gees and Pink Floyd(?). It uses every audio cue you could think of, a chiming piano, layered effects, and all that instrumentation is impressive. The piano coda leads into the sunny “Yes We Can” which is the kind of harmonic pop similar to The Sonic Executive Sessions or Paul Steel. The chorus pleads and delivers a full-on sugar rush.

The entire album follows this style, highlights include the “You’re The One,” “How Can You” and the earnest gem “Too Late.” But the pop sweetness wears off by the album’s mid-point. There are lots of compelling musical elements, however not everything here has a hook and often the atmosphere and production overshadow the song compositions. Fortunately, there is enough to make this a highly recommended listen. Fans of the above-referenced bands will appreciate it, and if you’re a Michael Jackson fan you’ll definitely want to check out his recent Unacceptable EP. Oh yeah, Kai has also made this a FREE download – so dig in!

Bandcamp

Third of Never

Third of Never “Austerity”

A New Jersey power pop band with the emphasis on “power” is made up of Jon Dawson, CJ Grogan, Vince Grogan, and Mike Polilli with Kurt Reil (The Grip Weeds) and John Bundrick (The Who) lending a hand. The pounding drums and thick riffs of “Kidnapped Information” showcase the bands crackling energy that will really appeal to fans of The Who or Blue Oyster Cult. “Dig The View” is another great song meant to be played loud.

The atmospheric hard rock of “Run Silent, Run Deep” is another winner, and even the lead vocals resemble Roger Daltry. The band keeps the pedal to the floor, although the tempo finally slows on “18 Strings,” a song with some great percussive effects and texture. And we finally hear those harmonies on the closer “Shanty Town.” This would’ve made my top 30 if I heard it earlier this year. Highly Recommended.

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