Everyone knows what power pop sounds like now, but in the mid to late 70’s the genre wasn’t easily identified. The Raspberries and Badfinger had faded in the public’s memory and disco was king. During the birth of the punk revolution New Yorkers Bob Waxman, Arthur Alexander, Paddy Lorenzo, and Donny Jackrel created a sound that mimicked the Beatles Merseybeat period perfectly. Like many Merseybeat bands of the past (The Knickerbockers, Merseybeats) only The Poppees brought the sound to a new generation of kids. Lasting only a few months, the band split up with Alexander leaving to form The Sorrows, while Waxman and Lorenzo went on to form The Boyfriends. Each band added the influences to current new wave trends to create the now familiar skinny tie power pop sound. The 18-track “Pop Goes The Anthology” also features never before released recordings, including demos, early live recordings, and culminating with a rip-roaring live performance at CBGB. It is complete with liner notes and unpublished photos. Thanks also goes to BOMP records Greg Shaw for this collection. Beatles fans should not miss this one, it’s essential.
New York’s own Mark Bacino is no stranger to power pop greatness. With past efforts like Pop Job…The Long Player! and The Million Dollar Milkshake on my all time great albums list, it was with great anticipation I waited for the next album. Now it’s here and proves that Mark has added maturity and gravitas to his songwriting and he hasn’t lost his pop mojo in the process. After the idyllic intro we get to the the title track, a love letter to his favorite borough. It’s a rockin’ jam full of guitars, keys and jubilant pop spirit. Then the album switches gears into a more restrained celebration of domestic bliss starting with the Randy Newmanesque “Happy.” Following that is the album’s highlight – “Muffin In The Oven” with wonderful horn accents, and a killer guitar solo during the break. “Camp Elmo” and “Bridge & Tunnel” are Harry Nilsson inspired tunes about suburban fatherhood. “Middle Town” and “Ballad of M & LJ” continues the sunny laid back atmosphere of his neighborhood in the folky tradition of John Sebastian. A bit out of place is the ballad “Blue Suit,” so somber it threatens the overall positive vibe, but the whimiscal perspective of a local old-timer on “Who Are Yous?” redeem things. Fans of Mark’s earlier work may be disappointed by the lack of “power” in this pop album, but it stands on its own as an intimate and moving self-portrait. Fans of Paul Simon’s NYC centered songs will find much to cherish here. Listen to the album streaming at markbacino.com
I really wanted to dedicate a page to the internet podcasts and radio stations that have power pop bands as the primary playlist. If your favorite power pop internet radio show isn’t listed here, just let me know in the comments. The best stations and podcasts are only a click away! Internet Power Pop Radio stations
Lawrence Arabia, better known as New Zealander James Milne wraps his bright baroque melodies together with a thick retro-60’s bow. “Apple Pie Bed” is the sugary pop sing along single that starts us off, and it’s got a jangling hook, and steady tambourine beat . The Lennonesque treat “Look Like A Fool” continues on this precious path of both desolate longing and sweet melody. “The Undesireables” features lush multi-layered vocal harmonies, and it’s perfectly hypnotic. You get some forgettable hometown shout out on “Auckland CBD Part Two,” but most of the album does it right and has lots of repeatable tracks, fans of Jim Noir and The Ruby Suns will love this. “The Crew Of The Commodore” is a psychedelic pop dreamscape worthy of Outrageous Cherry. The Kinks’ styled mid-tempo “I’ve Smoked Too Much” is another highlight here, that shows Milne takes his influences and songwriting seriously. It ends off with the effective Beach Boys “In My Room” styled clone “Dream Teacher.” A satisfying album that shows plenty of growth potential for Lawrence Arabia. Get the MP3 of “Apple Pie Bed” FREE from Amazon
Sons of Great Dane “Why Ramble?” This is a Kansas City trio lead by singer/songwriter Brent Windler. Brent has an excellent melodic instinct and writes roots rock similar to Rhett Miller or Jay Bennett. The bass slapping, muscular guitar riffs are effortlessly catchy. It also helps to have Wilco producer Lou Whitney’s assistance here. The combo of alt. country and power pop is seamless here and brilliant on the pop openers “Early Train” and “Bullet Left It’s Barrels Head.” The galloping rhythm of “Always Right, Always Wrong” reminds me of the Nashville band Joe, Marc’s Brother. The somber “Ballad Of Lou Baker” is an Elliot Smith inspired composition that starts out simple and builds to a strong chorus. My favorite song on the album is the Wilco-like “Drug Queen Beauty” with a terrific rolling beat and riff combo. “Question” turns into a dense alt country version of The Beatles’ “A Day In The Life,” including overlapping instrumental chaos. Every single track shines here (no filler for this bunch) and the blended styles work beautifully together. But most of all, Windler knows how to write great songs by the seat of his pants. I can’t wait to hear more from The Sons of Great Dane.
The Antennas “s/t” From flood-ravaged Nashville comes The Antennas. This traditional power pop band is comprised of brothers Layne and Landon Ihde and drummer Mark Niemiec. In the tradition of The Knack, The Who and Matthew Sweet the band knows how to rock pretty well on the opener “A Call To Arms.” The band has a full guitar dominated sound and plenty of energy throughout. “We Are The Rabbits” has a catchy rhythm leading to the punkish chorus. The falsetto lead on “Stop Running Their Mouths” and synth touches on “I Found Out” brings to mind many of the great 80’s power pop bands (The Beat, 20/20, Shoes, etc.). The band rarely misses the mark (“All Aboard”) but for the most part is consistently good and plays it safe songwriting-wise. The superb guitar playing prevents any lesser efforts from spoiling the momentum and the catchy riffs on almost every song pull the listener in. The keyboard/guitar combo of “You Really Bring Me Down” is a treat for fans of The Cars and the album highlight for me has to be the closer “Walk Out Your Door” full of sparkling harmonies and tight composition. A very impressive debut that shouldn’t be overlooked. They are even working on a follow up EP as you read this. The band also has a FREE iphone app where you can hear the whole album – how cool is that?!
