Fans of the old Not Lame record label can catch up with Bruce Brodeen at his brand new site, Pop Geek Heaven. Have a look at www.popgeekheaven.com
Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic
Valentiger and Dan Miraldi
Valentiger “Oh, to Know!”
This Michigan band is on the cusp of something big. A very smooth blend of alt. country and folk pop with a casual attitude. Opening with the Wilco-ish “Oh, To Know!” features the commanding guitar strums and harmonies in the chorus. The building bass line and quiet-loud composition from lead guitarist-vocalist Brent Shirey also won me over. The slower beat on the melodic “All I” shuffles along and the Beck-like fuzz on “Another Cool Move” recall a lost Replacements tune. On the slower side of things, “Love to Forgive” is a sweet pastoral folk tune along with the wistful ballad “Why I’m Not Great.” Things roar back to life with the 90’s grunge of “Frozen Dozing.” The poppiest song here is saved for last with anthemic “Good Day, goodnight” complete with handclaps and happy harmonies. No filler to be found here as everything here is nicely done. Fans of Uncle Tupelo, Wilco and Old 97’s will really love this one.
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Dan Miraldi “Rock N Roll Band” EP
Ohio native Dan Miraldi was the keyboard player for The Silver Liners, and this is his newest EP. Miraldi has plenty of classic rock and roll influences, his sound is like a hybrid of Mick Jagger and Ricky Nelson. It opens with the hard rock “We Both Know” and the chord structure is very Nirvana, but Dan’s clear croon didn’t quite fit for me. “You’ve Got To Hurry” sounds better, with a familiar melody and workman-like performance. The single “Mystical Queen” is Dan at his most retro, here it’s almost an Everly Brothers song. The straight shooting “Rock N Roll Band” is another standout, with his own bio and sales pitch in the lyrics (“I was working on guitar, but I’m a much better singer…”). While this isn’t bad by any stretch – it doesn’t have the energy and swagger of his earlier album Thirsty (listen to the single “Premonition“). But if you’re into oldies styled rock with a modern twist, it will appeal to you.
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The Power Popaholic Interview: Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles
I was really thrilled to interview the lovely Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles. We talk about the new album (Sweetheart Of The Sun) of course and yes there will be a new Sid & Susie album, Under The Covers, Vol.3 coming out soon. I ask her about Prince, Dhanni Harrison, Susan Cowsill and other interesting things including a possible Bangles boxset in the future. I tried to squeeze in everything and she was very personable.
The Bangles “Sweetheart Of The Sun”
Celebrating their 30th year anniversary, The Bangles’ newest album Sweetheart of the Sun, has all the requisite power pop touch points (The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Byrds) and co-produced by Matthew Sweet. Combining their trademark angelic harmonies with jangling guitar riffs, the band is now a trio; Susanna Hoffs (guitar) and sisters Vicki (guitar) and Debbie Peterson (drums); former bassist Mickey Steele is the only original member to leave the group. While many will consider this a successful “retro” album – it really is the band leaning on those 60’s pop roots to produce a more confident and timeless approach. The feminine harmonies are seamless and the melody lines will instantly stick in your head, from the opening track “Anna Lee (Sweetheart of the Sun)” all the way through to the Todd Rundgren penned “Open My Eyes.”
The music here is so good it’s hard to find fault here as this is a solid comeback for the band. The lead vocal duties are split amongst the many tracks, notable are Susanna’s “I’ll Never Be Through With You” and Vicki’s “Mesmerized.” The slower mid-tempo number “Circles In The Sky” denotes the more mature Bangles, as Peterson’s vocal is deeper and assured. They still can rock a hard riff on “Sweet and Tender Romance” and the harmonies reach its apex with “Through Your Eyes.” Both musicianship and songwriting are simply perfect here – not a weak track in the bunch. This makes it an easy choice to give a top ten nomination for best power pop album this year.
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Meyerman “Who Do You Think You Are?”
Theo Meyer and his band comfortably crank out infectious power pop full of crunchy riffs, handclaps and shaking tambourines. From the opening introduction to the blistering “Permission To Rock You” takes its cues from Cheap Trick, Splitsville and The Posies. It also helps that the debut was recorded and mixed by Kurt Reil of the Grip Weeds. The vintage chords flow freely on “Get To You” and it effortlessly segues into a quiet break, then builds back up. The tracks have a relentless energy, and “Immaculate Mansions” has a touch of the Grip Weeds sixties-centricity in its DNA, with a terrific rhythm and guitar solo.
A good description of the bands method is in the opening lines of “Tour of Japan” where Meyer intones “We’ve been down in the basement for over a year/writing teenage symphonies that no one will hear…” The rock and roll dreams are so honestly portrayed, its hard not to join in with air guitar yourself. Meyers nasal vocal fits the driving energy of songs pretty well, but unfortunately the two part harmonies on the well written “Indecision & Inertia” aren’t quite up to par. Aside from that, this is a wonderful debut that sure to win over fans. It’s already won over IPO‘s David Bash who called them “a great power pop band…” I totally agree and highly recommend this album.
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