Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

NRBQ and The Flywheels

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NRBQ

NRBQ “High Noon: A 50-Year Retrospective”

NRBQ is one of those bands that anyone can latch onto, often called “the world’s greatest bar band,” it never sticks to a single genre; Americana, Rock, Jazz, R&B, Rockabilly and Power Pop are all over the course of its 40 year plus career. Formed in 1967 by pianist Terry Adams and guitarist Steve Ferguson it set itself apart with its a easy going, and heartfelt style. Another amazing thing is that Adams musical vision for NRBQ has stayed consistent over the years despite numerous line-up changes.

This four disc set encompasses all the best of the band, and its multiple styles. This is an instant record collection over the course of 106 songs spread out across the five CDs. From their progressions, melodies, lyrics, production, and overall musicianship, NRBQ is truly an American original. Not every song here will be your favorite, but I guarantee you’ll hear somthing to make you smile as this music grows on you faster than a chia pet on steroids. My pick for favorite box set of 2016.

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The Flywheels “I’m For The Flowers”

Responding to a fan online, I checked out this San Francisco band. A good find, as they have John Moremen on lead guitar, and the jangly, melodic tunes of the Flywheels echo the essence of such hallowed power-pop combos as Big Star, Badfinger and the Flamin’ Groovies. Originally funded through Kickstarter, this album boasts a dense psych-pop sound, and lots of famous guests contributed (Scott McCaughey, Peter Buck, Dennis Diken, Allen Clapp, etc.)

The opener “Hello Cruel World” and the piano jangle gem “Counting to Eleven” recalls The Bangles or The Corner Laughers. You hear Allen Clapp (Orange Peels) clearly on “Needle of Sunshine” and the huge guitar jam of “Red Tail Lights” is another highlight. Lead singer Kim Wonderley is the glue that holds everything together, her soothing vocal on “Let Me Take You Down (To The Sea)” is a great blend of production and melody. The tracks that don’t feature her vocals suffer in comparison. Still so much great music is here, from the riffs on the wild title track to the punkish “Astronaut Motel.” Highly Recommended.

CD Baby | Amazon

The Connection and Pseudonym

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The Connection

The Connection “Just For Fun”

A sweet holiday gift from The Connection – this new set of covers is Just For Fun, as the band paying homage to their musical heroes. Some of these tunes are right up the band’s alley, like using the Johnny B. Goode template for Bob Seger’s “Get Out Of Denver.” Some classics including “Teenage News” (Sylvain Sylvain), “No Expectations” (Rolling Stones), and “Southern Girls” (Cheap Trick) make for a great listen. Even oldies like “I Can Read Between The Lines” by Gary Lewis and The Playboys have a distinct Merseybeat feel, and because many songs aren’t automatically familiar, there’s little predictability. Like the title says, these guys are just having a good time and after listening to these tunes you will too.

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Pseudonym

Pseudonym “Pack Of Lies”

California Musician Paul Desjarlais with his friends (aka Pseudonym) deliver one of the better LPs this year with Pack of Lies.  Each track is a reminiscing on a painful breakup, guitarist Waylan Solo offers up an interesting story in the “liner notes” on the Bandcamp page related to it. He knows what we power poppers will gravitate to right away, but listen through the entire album to get a better understanding of the story. Its a slow build from the first isolated vocal track of “I’m Fine” to the jangling guitar on “All The Little Things.”

The combo of fuzz bass and harmonies work great on “I Don’t Care About Love,” plus the easy going melody on “Victimless Crime” is super catchy. Then a trio of slow tempo ballads starting with “Don’t Leave Me This Way” show the isolation of the songwriter, but things go back to rocking mode on “Lorraine” and “Round and Round.” On “Foreign Talk” the beat quickens even more, reminding me of The Cure. Overall an excellent album, and on top of all this its a FREE download until Jan. 1st (then buy it on Amazon). Highly Recommended.

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George Usher and Lions In The Street

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George Usher “The End And The Beginning: 1990-2009”

Described by the Village Voice as “one of New York’s best pop craftsmen,” singer-songwriter George Usher has a long, storied history that is expertly curated in this multi-disc retrospective The End And The Beginning. While it doesn’t have everything, its pretty thorough collecting tracks from across Usher’s career. The set starts with the bands House of Usher (1990) and George Usher’s Lazy Gentlemen (1991) where he develops a solid rep doing jangle pop with a baroque style.

When we hit the single “Not The Tremblin’ Kind” from Miracle School (1997), its melodic magic with a strong Beatle vibe that we’re used to. Great songs like “Begging For Rain” and “Days Of Plenty” make you question why Mr. Usher wasn’t a bigger star, but his talent as a songwriter and performer is beyond question. The ballads become more prominent later on, like the pastoral “Love By Any Other Name.” Since much of his earlier work is out-of-print and in some cases hard to find, this collection is essential for power pop fans. Get it directly from George on his website.

George Usher Direct

Lions In The Street

Lions in The Street “The Years”

Playing tough, swaggering ’70s-styled rock & roll influenced by the Small Faces, Eagles and the Rolling Stones, Vancouver’s Lions in the Street are a band that persevered in spite of years of record company interference. The album “The Years” (named after the band’s original moniker) was held up in lawsuits. Recorded for TVT Records(Lil’ Jon, Pitbull) in New York City with Grammy-nominated producer Dave Cobb (Jamey Johnson, Jason Isbell), a legal dispute with the label put the band in debt and stalled any career progress.

Fortunately, this is now finally released and is a pleasant surprise that still holds up. The gentle harmonies and muscular guitars start on “Someday” are almost like a mix of Badfinger and The Faces. The soulful vocals of Chris Kinnon on “Still The Same” and “Carolina” compare well with Mick Jagger. The country harmonies on “Can You Hear The Sea” strongly contrast with the heavy rock riffs of “In Cold Blood” and “I Know You Wanna” is almost AC/DC-like. Strong songwriting and performances sustain all 11 tracks. A lost gem that’s finally uncovered and highly recommended.

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Check out this FREE bonus track from the album.

The Lemon Twigs and Joyce Manor

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The Lemon Twigs

The Lemon Twigs “Do Hollywood”

While Ronnie D’Addario’s kids are teens, they picked up their dad’s best music instincts on the Lemon Twigs big label debut. “I Wanna Prove To You” is a retro doo-wop mid-tempo ballad thats twisted around a slick production style similar to 10cc. It takes a few listens to appreciate all the melodic goodies contained within, like the next track “Those Days is Comin’ Soon,” filled with a complex blending of styles. If anything, this allows The Lemon Twigs to stand out against a homogenous indie rock field.

The precious vocals on “Haroomata” and “Baby, Baby” recall Nilsson but don’t stay boxed in any conventional structure, with frantic synth pop la-las bursting out from the slow tempo. “These Words” could be a lost Todd Rundgren tune, full of studio craft and bursting with harmony. “How Lucky Am I” is the most like a conventional love song, but its the unexpected twists in these songs that makes this album special, “Hi + Lo” being a perfect example. Very hard to categorize (on purpose) but it also reminded me of Frank Zappa and The Mothers “We’re In It For The Money,” amongst other timeless pop gems. Highly Recommended.

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Joyce Manor

Joyce Manor “Cody”

Joyce Manor is speaking to generation of young males (much the way Weezer did 20 years ago) with 2 minute slices of emotional angst. Opening with “Fake I.D.” which describes the thrill of meeting that smoking hot but superficial girl who asks “what do you think about Kanye West?” All done with a swagger and fuzz, very much like Superdrag as “Eighteen” rocks out a catchy credo “Find something to do, then do it,” but then ending with “I feel so old today.”

An acoustic duet about addiction “Do You Really Want to Not Get Better?” between lead vocalist and guitarist Barry Johnson and Phoebe Bridges provide a good break from the earlier anthems. “Make Me Dumb” leads with a loud minor-key riff and melodic chorus similar to early Rooney. But “Over Before It Began” and “Stairs” are the heart of this album, the latter a mid-tempo ballad about young adulthood “Yeah, I’m 26 and I still live with my parents.” Each song has a good hook and the band solidly connects with its audience. Highly Recommended.

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The Dowling Poole and Vaudevileins

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Dowling Pool
Dowling Pool

The Dowling Pool “Miles Checks Out” and “Bright Spark” EPs

Fresh off of the band’s spring LP One Hyde Park, the duo of Willie Dowling and Jon Poole deliver a pair of singles, buttressed by 4 live tracks from recent Manchester concerts. Combined its a fine addition to your Dowling Poole collection, and while the singles “Miles Checks Out” and “Bright Spark” are fine B-sides, its the live tracks that are the biggest surprise.

“Miles Checks Out” is a jaunty melody, with bossa nova beat and soaring vocals. But the live tracks (all from the debut album Bleak Strategies) are enthralling. “Saving It All For Saturday” and “The Sun is Mine” removes all the heavy production work and lets the melody stand alone with keyboards and vocal harmonies. It proves just how damn good Dowling and Poole’s songcraft is. “Bright Spark” is a very XTC like bit of psychedelic pop, with at least 5 different melody lines jammed into its 3 minutes and 25 seconds. Overall, this should’ve been combined into a single EP but its highly recommended you get both.

Bandcamp | Amazon


Vaudevileins

Vaudevileins “Magician”

Review by Mike Olinger: Chicago-based Vaudevileins specialize in the kind of straight ahead rock n roll that has all but disappeared from the Top 40 landscape. Their vibrant, crashing guitars help the energetic songs blast along, only breaking to give room to distorted solos and throbbing drums.

The first half of Magician hammers along at break-neck speed, spiced with Midwest punk harmonies that are surprisingly tight. The second act kicks off with the highly melodic “Hell Jazz” and progresses with more dynamic riffs and measured musical offering like tape echoed ballad “Devils” which is the album’s definitive standout track. Overall Magician is a strong offering that holds its greatest gifts for those who make the journey to the end.

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