Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

Andrew Belle “The Ladder”
Andrew Belle is a new pop artist who splits time between Chicago and Nashville, he is currently touring to promote his debut, The Ladder. Shades of Chis Martin and Conor Oberst are evident right away on these tracks, as Andrew’s smooth vocals are front and center on the title track. Another standout “Static Waves” is a superb duet with Katie Herzig, a hook filled melody with subtle strings at the song’s bridge.  The nuanced piano, sophisticated strings, and contemplative lyric come together on “Don’t Blame Yourself”. The album is an excellent example of modern baroque pop, and it’s earned many kudos from indie critics. It runs out of stream toward the albums end, but if you’re sipping a latte, I can think of no better soundtrack.

Watts “On The Dial”
This Boston foursome combines influences to create a timeless rock-n-roll sound. The band may be named after the Rolling Stones drummer, but vocalist/guitarist Dan Kopko’s throaty wail has more in common with Ryan “Shmedly” Maynes than Mick Jagger. After a solid sophomore album, the band draws on such varied influences as Cheap Trick, Sweet and The Replacements. High energy tracks start us with “On The Dial,” “Chaperone” and the AC/DC cloned “Afterburn.” And of course the Stones influence is still here on “Dancehall Days & Nights” and “Fight Song.” A more straight up power pop approach is on the John Blout lead “She Wants To Rock.” This is great party music, and if you’re looking for a ballad – go elsewhere. Play this one loud, kids – it’s what power pop is all about.

Glad to see the snow starting to melt, and hear the sounds of this kick-ass power pop trio from Washington state. Fortune 500 are a high energy melodic rock band and they are rightly advertised as a “remedy to bland radio rock and cloned pop/punk boy bands.” The opening track “Shake Me” does as advertised with buzzsaw riffs that blast out during the chorus. The next several tracks keep the energy going with a Weezer-Costello-Ramones whirlwind of chords and harmonies. Favorite tracks here include “Hat Trick” and the wild “Freestyle.”

And the band isn’t a one trick pony either, with a nice ska beat on “Sometimes” and the steady melodic march of “Daddy Is A War.” Fans of Harvey Danger, Everclear, and Green Day should also embrace this band heartily. “Liberated” is another gem, part Weezer and part Presidents of The USA with a catchy beat. The album’s tracks are thick with pop hooks and almost no filler is here, although the reggae “Detox” doesn’t quite fit. An impressive album that’s sure to gain attention and new fans.  Listen to the whole album on Facebook.

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Following this week’s ELO theme, Swedish natives Göran Hjertstedt and Ulf Holmberg’s new group Longplayer follows Jeff Lynne’s approach to production and songwriting style pretty closely. Combining strings and synths, they start with an impressive instrumental “Space Place Cafe” and dive right into the boogie beat with “Won’t Let You Down” which recalls ELO’s “Hold On Tight.”  And the albums first half brings us some excellent gems like “The Messenger” and “Silicone Sue.” Göran’s vocal sound is closer to Bev Bevan’s ELO Part 2 than the original – but the songwriting is strong and the hooks are plentiful throughout.

The songs begin to loose their catchiness when they veer into “The Traveller”  and “Cool Cat Walk” but the production is still polished and worth repeat listens. The missteps here are “Wild Wild Woman,” a full fifties do-wop ballad and a forgettable “The Power.” It ends on a high note with “Red Wall Of Sound” a nice reworking of “Rock And Roll is King.” This album is great fun and highly recommended to ELO and power pop fans.