Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

Liam Gallagher and The Brixton Riot

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Liam Gallagher

Liam Gallagher “As You Were”

Those in need of an Oasis fix certainly need look no further. Where Noel got high flying, Liam has stayed grounded and put the mantle of Oasis on his shoulders with all the John Lennon influences intact, albeit less retro than his previous work on Beady Eye. This is in fact the best post-Oasis work of either Gallagher. Ad: Great discounts and offers are now available from CouponsMonk.

“Wall of Glass” delivers the upbeat echo and solid beat, Liam’s vocal stands out on each song here. One of the early gems “Greedy Soul” is very catchy and is a great tune to work out to. Other highlights include “Paper Clown”, “For What It’s Worth”, “Universal Gleam,” “Chinatown” and “I’ve All I Need.” Overall there are no filler tunes, with a good balance of rockers and ballads and most every track had my full attention. As Liam states “sometimes we lose our way,” so I’m glad he’s back and free from Noel’s shadow. With so few “mainstream” power pop artists left in the public eye, it is nice to have that brief spotlight. Highly Recommended.

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The Brixton Riot

The Brixton Riot “Close Counts”

Veteran New Jersey power-pop band The Brixton Riot deliver “Close Counts,” their sophomore LP release, a bit older, wiser and definitely louder. The band’s influences are a diverse group from The Jam, The Replacements, Elvis Costello and Nirvana. The openers “Can’t Stop Now” and “Slow Evolution” boast driving percussion and steady guitar melodies. The more subtle “Hector Quasar” is a bit like The Lemonheads, and the fuzzy jangle of “The Ballad of Pete Best” is a fun tribute to the ex-Beatle drummer “who should’ve learned to play the guitar.”

The faster, grungier guitars of “Maybe Tomorrow” are contrasted by the optimistic vocals as there is no drop off in the quality of musicianship on the album’s second half.  “Little Spark” about the love of music on vinyl and boomboxes, and “Talk About Nothing” are resonant rockers about being “so bored.” But you will not be bored because this is damn good power pop. Overall, the lack of consistent hooks brings this album down a notch, but as the title states, close counts and this music definitely deserves to be heard.

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No Tricks, Lots of Treats (Singles and EPs)

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The Connection “(Its A) Monsters’ Holiday”
One of our favorite bands has a timely holiday single available, so give “The Monster Mash” a break and try this NEW classic.

The Zags are back! Portland artist David Ricardo delivers a monster single in “A World Away,” a really catchy gem! And it’s a FREE download!


Stay “Always Here”
Brilliant jangle psyche-pop from Minneapolis, Minnesota also delves in a few covers like The Bee Gees “Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You” and The Kinks “Where Have All The Good Times Gone.” Produced By Owen Morris and featuring guitarist Andy Bell on “You Know It’s Right.” Highly Recommended.


Walty “I’m in Love With Everything”
Philly band goes all over the place from New Wave, Disco, Hard Rock and everything in between. Variety is the spice of this EP.

Hidden in the vaults of Capricorn Records USA for over 50 years, we found lost ’60s band Stone Ridge only has a single available. Fortunately for us, we also have a tribute EP featuring Vinnie Zumo, Jose Estragos and Joe Ricardello (The Modulators) that really make that song shine. And no trick folks, it’s Power Popaholic’s treat; A FREE download for your goodie bag!

The Stanleys and The Sighs

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The Stanleys

The Stanleys “The Stanleys”

The Stanleys, a power pop band from Perth, Western Australia have a sound solidly rooted in the late ’70s and early ’80s. The band is Mark Di Renzo (Lead Vocals, Bass Guitar, Keyboards), Jamie Horsburgh (Guitars, Vocals), and Tomas Dahl (Drums, Guitars, Vocals). Fans of The Rubinoos, The Producers and The Modulators will simply love this. I reviewed the group’s debut EP years ago and now that has been incorporated into this full release. The opener “Amy” is a perfect example, with its fast tempo and hook-filled riffs that just beg for repeat plays. “Cigarette Glow” is another infectious gem, oozing style with its layered crunchy guitars.

Earlier songs fit right in, with standout “My World,” full of fuzz and jangle. It would pass for an oldie if not for all the lyrics that mentioning “clicking a mouse” and “Facebook.” Another notable track is the very timely “Hefner” coming recently after the Playboy mogul’s passing, which looks back in envy at his life, “the old guy’s got it made,” croons lead singer Di Renzo. Another song “Say You Will” has some nice harmonies and key changes. One pet peeve I had was the mixing, that tends to make the vocals blend into the rhythm a little too much but otherwise, it’s all killer, no filler. Highly Recommended.

CD Baby

The Sighs

The Sighs “Wait On Another Day”

More than two decades after releasing their last album, The Sighs return with a new full-length album. We premiered the video last month, and the famed Massachusetts band consists of Tom Borawski (drums), Matt Cullen (lead guitar, vocals), Robert LaRoche (lead vocals, guitar) and Tommy Pluta (bass, vocals). The album starts with the foreboding opener “It’s Real” with layered atmospheric production and sharp guitar chords. Fans of late 90’s grunge rock will enjoy this and the follow up “Words Of Love” which has an arena rock feel to it, but it’s not until the title track “Wait On Another Day” that we really get true power pop, with the jangling Rickenbackers and hooky chorus. The strong effort includes the sitar intro and swirling psyche-pop of “Love From Lisa,” one of the strongest songs here with a heavy dose of Beatlesque musical cues. “Summertime Roses” also echoes those Fab roots with its keyboard rhythms and trumpet flourishes.

With all those retro stylings, it still never feels stuck in any one mode, and sounds modern enough to not classify as a nostalgia act. The heavy chords of “Socialite” and “Into The Light” indicate the darker side of pop is part of The Sighs DNA as an alternative rock band that plays great power pop. A live experience ends the album with “Think About Soul” combining both styles into a perfect example of what makes this band special. Check it out if you’re into original music with a twist.

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Travis Bretzer and The Red Button

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Travis Bretzer

Travis Bretzer “Bubble Gum”

Edmonton native Travis Bretzer created this infectious album of bedroom pop that grows on you faster than weeds in the sun. Bretzer’s approach is very simple melodies filled with little hooks and sparse arrangements, similar to Apples in Stereo or early Brendan Benson. The quirky “Heart and Soul” has a fast tempo and a smooth synth for its chorus of “away, away.” It then delivers a brilliant faux country gem “Up In The Morning,” reminding me of The Monkees with its simple lyric,”Up in the morning/not much to do.”

“Are You Ever Gonna Change?” introduces a little psyche-pop guitar to the melody, and the follow-up “Evergreen” gets even more trippy, with acoustic guitar and echoing harmonies, like a lost Beta Band single. The centrepiece here is the gorgeous ballad “Peace, Love and Harmony,”  and on the latter half, we get lots of false endings and the tempos slow with each song that follows. By the time we get to “Vamanos” we get more instrumental, and eventually “A Song For Rashy” is simply a lullaby to doze off to. Oh, yeah this is also a “name-your-price” download, so reward him generously. Highly Recommended.

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The Red Button

The Red Button “Now It’s All This!”

When Seth Swirsky teamed up with Mike Ruekberg in 2007, it’s hard to believe the massive impression they left on the power pop scene. Jem Records picked up the band retrospective —Now It’s All This! featuring a new 6-song EP, bonus “unplugged” rarities, and newly remastered versions of the first two Red Button albums on 2 CDs.

Firstly, let me say the list of artists that can correctly capture the pure pop spirit of The early Beatles is very short. While many can emulate the sound, few can compose original material that stands alongside McCartney and Lennon. I count The Weeklings and The Wonders. The Red Button can also generate the same excitement with its music.

The new material is absolutely consistent, “Can’t Let Candy Go” and “Tracy’s Party” has the Rickenbacker riffs, and hook-filled melodies that never get old. The gentle jangling ballad “Tell Me It’s Over” is a heartbreaker about waiting for expected rejection. Seth’s winsome “Solitude Saturday” has a rich orchestral approach, and the title track is a fitting finale. The unplugged tracks are very close to the originals, but “Genevieve” actually sounds much better without the studio mixing. We have already reviewed The Red Button’s She’s About To Cross My Mind, and As Far As Yesterday Goes and it goes without saying this talented duo is essential listening.

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The Glad Machine and Ed Ryan

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The Glad Machine

The Glad Machine “The Glad Machine”

Once in a while, you find a band that just does everything right. Western Massachusetts band The Glad Machine has all the right elements, the big hooks, big guitars and the reliable rhythms that make it a joy to discover. The quartet is helmed by vocalist Brad Thayer with Neal Robinson (Bass), Greg Saulmon (guitar) and Mike Franklin (drums). The list of influences is a who’s who of power pop; Cheap Trick, The Posies, Jellyfish, and Superdrag.

“Homecoming” is a great opening theme, and it comes across like a lost 90’s rock classic, with some smooth reverb guitars and a pounding beat. “Wake Up Girl” and “Wave” has more hard rock elements similar to bands like Semisonic or The Marvelous Three. The easier mood and harmonies of “I Wanna Drive” and Cheap Trick-styled composition “Tonight” suit the band even better, and make it stand out from songs that could sound too similar. The band gets more adventurous with “18 Days” and “A Song For Steven” including some solid story-telling lyrics. Overall a pretty substantial debut, and it’s highly recommended.

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Ed Ryan

Ed Ryan “Furious Mind”

Ed Ryan (The Rudies, Jupiter Jets) continues his solo journey here as he absolutely shreds on the opener “You’re My Kind of Fun,” a song that demands you turn up the volume. Now that he has your attention, Ed goes melodic on the follow-up “Here I Am” with some nice ’60s touches; the bouncy chorus, strings, and church bell flourish. Ed channels a little Ramones in the excellent “Rocket Ship,” and other recommended songs are “I Know, I Know” and the heavy jamming rhythm on “Can’t Drag Me Down.”

It’s when Ryan takes on longer songs like “Take Me Home” and “Faulty Connections,” that the limitations of his songwriting and overuse of vocal overdubs start to show some strain. That’s not to say he doesn’t shine on slower songs, as “Lullaby” is a soulful and poetic gem and the mid-tempo “Back In The Day” is a fantastic closer. Overall, a worthy follow up to last year’s Roadmap. It’s music that deserves to be heard.

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