Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

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.

Amazon

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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!

Bandcamp

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.

Amazon

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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

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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.

Amazon

Lucille Furs and The Mylars

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NOTE: There is still a huge pile of music to review as the year ends, and as usual, I have fallen behind, so likely I will continue to review 2017 releases well into January. The top 25 list will be coming out approximately the first weekend of the new year.

Gorilla

Lucille Furs “Lucille Furs”

Chicago band Lucille Furs is a pure retro 60’s band in the mold of The Strawberry Alarm Clock, New Colony Six and The Left Banke. “The Fawn of The Teal Deer” is very much like a Zombies tune, with its harpsichord melody and strong charting chorus, and while the initial sound and style are familiar, the band’s compositions are original and unique.

The subtle “Pink Noise” is another highlight that jumps out with tight harmonies and a strong bassline. Things mellow a bit with “Sunset Moon,” its layered melody chased by a Spanish guitar counter rhythm, but the band is at its most baroque on the psyche-pop gem “Our Lady Of Perpetual Frustration.”  Then the style shifts a bit on “Alabaster Crayon” sounding like an early Three Dog Night hit. Additional standouts include the Kinksian “Please, Give Her This Letter” with a swirling coda, and the final track “Between Us Two/ I Saw You,” chock full of 12-string guitar riffs. Overall a wonderful little retro discovery and Highly Recommended.

Amazon


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The Mylars

The Mylars “Melody Records”

The Mylars are a super-charged rock and roll outfit founded by vocalist/guitarist Danny Roselle (ex-Crash Moderns) and long-time collaborator, vocalist/bassist Quig. The Mylars clearly have the musical chops and crisp production to get some major label attention. The band has many influences and crosses the line from pub rockers to arena rockers often, so fans of The Goo Goo Dolls or The Gin Blossoms might enjoy them too.

“Forever Done” has the crunch and infectious choral melodies that gets your attention right away.  It all clicks with the solid swaggering riff of “What Do You Got To Lose,” along with the anthemic songwriting on “Shine” make it another great single. The bombastic layered guitars lay it on nice and thick for an updated cover of The Cars “Let’s Go,” and I didn’t miss the synths one bit. The chugging rhythm of “Betty, Buddy & Me” reminded me of Fountains of Wayne a little, and since you’ve got two main singer/songwriters the music never gets predictable or stale. While most of the music is straight melodic rock and roll, the ending “Home To You” is a pure power pop gem with handclaps and a great hook in the chorus. No filler here, all killer and it slips into my top ten consideration for 2017 albums of the year.

Amazon

Holiday Gift Guide: Cheap Trick and The Searchers

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Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick “Christmas Christmas”

Like an Energizer bunny, Cheap Trick has been firing on all cylinders this year with a new album and now it’s first ever Christmas album! Needless to say, this one is a real holiday gem with a combination of new and old songs. Robin Zander can belt it out unlike anyone else on  “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day.”

As with most things CT, you get ringing guitars and a full production. A good mix of slower numbers (“Please Come Home For Christmas”) balance out the hard rocking crowd-pleasers (“Run Run Rudolph”). The only missteps are an odd remake of The Kinks “Father Christmas,” (the slower tempo just doesn’t work) and “Our Father Of Life” which sounded like filler. Otherwise a great soundtrack for your holiday.

Amazon

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The Searchers

The Searchers “Another Night: The Sire Recordings 1979-1981”

During the British Invasion, there was another Liverpool band topping the charts not named The Beatles. The Searchers had 11 Top 40 hits between 1963 and 1966 in the UK, with “Needles And Pins,” “Sweets For My Sweet,” “Don’t Throw Our Love Away”  and the US hit “Love Potion No. 9.” By the end of the decade, they toured Europe but never faded away. The band continued to develop musically, change personnel and eventually signed with Sire Records in 1979 for a revival. This was a rare case of an “oldies” band re-tooling to a new generation successfully.

“Hearts in Her Eyes,” (written by The Records’ Will Birch and John Wicks) was a vibrant new sound that still maintained the Searchers trademark harmonies. The band showcased this sound on the Sire recordings, as they covered many great bands (Big Star, Duck Deluxe, Tom Petty) and originals. “Feeling Fine,” is a lost link between those Merseybeat days and 80’s power pop, with its jangling chords, harmonies and catchy as hell chorus. Fans of supergroup Rockpile (with Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe) will really enjoy this collection, as the guitar work and even vocals make The Searchers very comparable. The music has no filler either, as most of the songs have a timeless quality with little of the cliched overproduction from the era. Fans of 80’s power pop will love this and its highly recommended. Thanks for the Christmas gift, Omnivore Records!

Amazon

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