Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

Jonathan Rundman and The Person & The People

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Jonathan Rundman

Jonathan Rundman “Look Up”

Minneapolis-based folk singer-songwriter Jonathan Rundman ends a decade-long break to deliver the pop-oriented Look Up. The band that includes drummer Steve Goold (Sara Bareilles), guitarist Tyler Burkum (Leagues), guitarist Jasper Nephew (Owl City), and bassist Ian Allison (Jeremy Messersmith). Guest stars include power pop legend Parthenon Huxley (ELO, Eels) and neuroscientist/musician Daniel Levitin.

After the mid-tempo opener “Prioritize Us”, the standout song “Northbound Traffic” celebrates the need to unplug, and follow your wanderlust. This is where the power of the band propels Rundman’s melody forward with solid guitar riffs, denser production and brilliant harmonies. A bit more sparse is “The Science Of Rockets” but its a fast tempo gem with a buzzing solo between the main verses. The old rustic ballads and Finnish melancholia are still part of Rundman’s oeuvre, “The Ballad of Nikolaus Rungius,” “Second Shelf Down” and “Home Unknown” are sweet and comfy compositions. “Helicopters Of Love” has a neat hook in the chorus, and “Flying On A Plane” is another big standout about the marvels of technology and how it all contrasts with the past. Definitely worth checking out.
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[youtube]http://youtu.be/UnFrNGLtdqw[/youtube]

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The Person and The People

The Person and The People “What A Drag”

From the other end of Minnesota’s musical spectrum is The Person & The People. This was a real under-the-radar gem that I missed on my 2014 year end list. Short spiky melodies blast through, like the Superdrag-like “I Get Weird” and “Unwind.” The smooth harmonies and dynamic melody on “Vitamin C” is just what the doctor ordered, it’s just brilliant. Most tunes clock in nicely at the three minute mark.

Another gem “Give Me More” is like Weezer doing Nirvana with fuzz and buzz leading the way. Not a single second of filler here, each tune has the right attitude, like the cynical “What You Do” or the disappointment in “The Wrong Way.” I hear a little of Bob Mould influence on “Year Long Drought.” This LP only encouraged me visit the band’s back catalog for more. Only on Bandcamp, and highly recommended.

power pop

First In Space and Garfield’s Birthday

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First In Space

First In Space “In The Red”

Ohio based First In Space has streamlined their sound from those early days where they were akin to The Gin Blossoms mixed with a touch of Bon Jovi. The production is more intimate, less “arena-oriented” and more focused on a solid melody. “Letters From Hell” is an excellent opener, featuring the crisp harmonies of Johnny Stanec and Dolus McCormick. “Return To Sender” is just as strong, with a wicked guitar solo at the break. “Forward Progress” is proof of this band’s new maturity when they sing the lyric “Every bridge I ever burned became a lesson to be learned…”

The positive vibe flows from the band, and it makes for excellent listening. Additional highlights include “A Captive’s Point Of View,” and “Now Or Never.” Even the grand finale “The Prescription” doesn’t feel labored or forced, so pick this one up. Highly Recommended.
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Garfields Birthday

Garfields Birthday “You Are Here”

The Felton Brothers (Shane and Simon) return and are joined by Alan Strawbridge (Schnauser/The Lucky Bishops) as guest drummer. The lead track “Magic Bike,” has great bass line along its psyche-pop melody with a quick catchy beat. The duo’s very British harmonies are quiet good, a bit like classic Chad and Jeremy. “Fancy Dress” bounces along like a hippy B-side with its “ba-ba-ba” chorus, but the tempo slows to crawl on “I’m A Star Tonight” which drags on past 4 minutes.

But the Feltons have many tricks up their collective sleeve and the Kinks/Monkees vibe is all over “It’s Your Lucky Day” and the trippy “Lunar Eclipse” is a lot of fun too. “Radio” is a short gem about those radio program directors who play the “same old song on the same old show.” It closes out on two great tracks, the fast moving “Sunday Best” and the majestic “Water (Looks Like Rain)” the gentle chorus “Everything’s beautiful to me…” has a soulful guitar bridge running underneath it. If you dig those mellow ’60s grooves, pick this one up.
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Amazon

The Blood Rush Hour and The Sunset District

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The Blood Rush Hour “And Then… The Unthinkable Happened”

I’d like to start off the new year with a great release, and The Blood Rush Hour has been happy to oblige.  “And Then…” isn’t a traditional album, but more like a power pop musical with a pile of great influences from Supertramp, XTC and especially 10cc. The theatrical opener “Hello (They’re Coming To Get You)” is a stunner with a choral verse halfway through. Production work is reminiscent of 10cc’s “Original Soundtrack” or Jackdaw4. “Hard To Put Right” blends seamlessly into the mix, you almost can’t tell when one song ends and the next one begins. No filler, although the songs are so dense they don’t hook you immediately and very few have repeating choruses. So take your time and hit repeat frequently.

Lots of highlights; “A Song That Some Sing” is a beautiful ballad by guest singer Christian Phillips (The Sonic Executive Sessions) and the tropical “Nicola” displays a keen melody with a sweet falsetto. “Dancing By Yourself” and “(The Day I Finally) Stopped The War” are closer to pop singles with immediate impact. The ending pair of “You Don’t Seem To Wonder Why” and “I See Something” use more synth and the compositions remind me of Trevor Rabin-era Yes (particularly on the latter song.) Songwriter/producer Robert DeStefano has got a special album here, and it isn’t unthinkable to add this into my top 20 list from last year. Highly Recommended.
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Rob Fetters

The Sunset District “The Sunset District”

This Atlanta, GA veteran band lead by John McNicholas gives us a fun debut that I missed last year, while it starts out a bit stiff on the opening (“We Can Stow Away the Sound Underground“) the next track “Candy Says” is warm and full of indie personality. You’ll hear the influences from REM to Fountains of Wayne, with the narrative structures of the catchy “I Will Always Be Your Man” showcasing a fine bass guitar lead.

The band gets a bit more aggressive on the fuzzy “Oh, Angelina!” and while not alt-country, its got that southern laid back charm, like on the duet harmonies with Kim Ware on “A Girl Like You” and “All Hail This Town.” I can definitely say that this band has potential, so check it out.
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Weezer and Rob Fetters

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Weezer

Weezer “Everything Will Be Alright In The End”

A few major label acts fall into the “power pop” category, and fewer have the longevity of Weezer. Rivers Cuomo has really come back to his roots and even got his old producer Ric Ocasek to help bring the magic back. In a major turnaround, Rivers waves goodbye to the dance-rock of 2009’s Raditude for good. He explains himself on “Back to the Shack,” that “thought I’d get a new audience, I forgot that disco sucks” and even the guitar licks refer back to the bands “Blue” debut.

“Eulogy for A Rock Band” tells us that Weezer accepts its role in the rock universe, and to cement this gives us the crunchy singles “Lonely Girl,” “The British Are Coming,” “Cleopatra,” and “Go Away.” The band still goes off on a tangent with its’ closing suite “The Futurescope Trilogy,” but there are more hooks than a tacklebox on the songs preceding it. Highly Recommended, especially if you haven’t heard any Weezer since 2001.

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Amazon

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqZBAq2AdNc[/youtube]
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Rob Fetters

Rob Fetters “Saint Ain’t”

I really enjoyed discovering Cincinnati musician Rob Fetters (Thanks Carl Chavis!) Recorded in Nashville with a pile of guest stars like Matt Malley (Counting Crows), Belinda Lipscomb (Midnight Star), and Clyde Brown (The Drifters, Ben E. King) to name a few. “Suffer” is a catchy rock gem that will get you hooked. “Nero” is plaintive light pop composition with a great hook about infamy, “who says I can’t last forever?” he says. His sound is similar to Tom Petty, Todd Rundgren or Ian Hunter.

Solid songs all along here, “Desire” and “Forever Never” are very enjoyable, but the collaborations are so stylistically different it’s jarring. The light folky “Famous Last Words” a collaboration with Bee Haskins is the polar opposite of the blues-rock on “Life and Death Boogie” with Clyde Brown. Honestly, Fetters is so good he didn’t need these duets here to fill the running time. “Walking Out” is another gem with excellent guitar work that closes out the album. Highly Recommended.
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CD Baby

Graham Alexander and Pete Donnelly

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The Intercontinental Rip Off Artists

Graham Alexander “Repeat Deceiver”

With his eclectic style, Graham Alexander is back with a new album and he’s leaning more on the “rock” side of the fence than the commercial “pop” side for Repeat Deceiver. His vocals have been compared to Sir Paul before, but now he’s ready to burst out with that lead riff in the catchy title track.

Graham’s enthusiasm and authenticity ooze out of each track, “Romeo Blue” also throws on rhythms and grooves that keeps your toes tapping to the melody. He also takes no shortcuts, that’s real strings on the ballad “Games” and he doesn’t stick to a set formula either. He could go all show tune-like on “Third Wheel” or country rock for “People Are Only Sorry When They’re Caught.” I like the hummable “Cartography,” and the aching love song “American Au Pair In Paris.” It’s a finely crafted album that just makes it into the running for my top LPs list this year.
power pop

Itunes | Victrola

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRITkrpzzmQ[/youtube]
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Pete Donnelly “American Town” EP

Pete Donnelly has played with many great rockers(Tommy Stinson, Graham Parker) and bands(The Figgs, NRBQ) but the New Jersey songwriter also needs to express his personal feelings on his solo work. After last year’s excellent Face The Bird, Pete’s newest EP explores issues related to inequality and the American dream on American Town.

The music is more folk Americana than the usual pop based songs, starting out with the breezy “So Long,” featuring backup vocals from Shelby Lynne. Then comes “Making Changes Overnight” with its bouncy beat and hopeful message. The title track is a real standout, a Tommy Pettyesque chorus about those who’ve returned home from war and the horrible treatment they get. It’s a great protest song that overshadows the other lighter tracks, songs that match subtlety with style on “Pink Noise” and “Downhearted Crazy.”
power pop

CD Baby | Amazon