Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

The Small Change “Every Line In My Head”
Seattle’s The Small Change’s third album makes a loud rowdy riff driven statement. From the fading in on the opener “From The East Coast” to the pounding drums on “The American” the band’s garage jam sound has plenty of The Replacements, Elvis Costello and The Black Crowes influence baked inside. My favorite here is gritty sound on “Droppin’ Petals On The Way Down” and the song has a brilliant guitar break and chorus in the middle. Frontman Greg Collinsworth sings his heart out on each track, and I’m sure his voice is raw after a live performance. “Downtown in a Restaurant” is another Costello-like tune that rings true. The albums middle moves from power pop to pub rock smoothly, with “Celebrate” and a borderline Jerry Lee Lewis “Can’t Dance Witcha Honey.” The lack of any ballad or slower tempo material makes sticking with the entire album exhausting. But as an incentive, the band is offering the album as a FREE download on it’s website for a limited time. If you miss that opening or want a physical CD, you can always go to CD Baby.

My Space | CD Baby | The Small Change Site

Palmdale “Get Wasted!” EP
What do you get when you combine Kay Hanley (Letters To Cleo) and Linus of Hollywood? You get the beauty that is Palmdale. Full of big sweet melodies and Kay’s incomparable vocals, it’s an early season treat from start to finish. “Her Comes The Summer” opens with a with big infectious hook and her angelic harmonies. And it’s not afraid to use angular guitars with the 90’s styled “Pick Your Poison.” Every track here is wonderful, especially the heartbreaking put down ballad “Bound For The Floor.” Linus awesome guitar work and musicianship are flawless. This EP is a digital release only, but I was told a full length album is in the works. It makes another case for more collaborations of male/female duos, along with She and Him, Volume Two

My Space | Palmdale Site | Amazon

Not to be confused with The Riffbrokers, This is the continuing efforts of Spanish popsters Fausto Martin and Nacho Garcia, after the break up of their former band The Winnerys (Rainbow Quartz USA) in February 2007. The band was born in the springtime of 2007 in Madrid, and that summer the recording sessions of their first album “The Curtain Shop And Alterations” began. The new 11-song set was written by Fausto and fans of the Winnerys are sure to love it. The Beatles/Byrds guitar imprint is on every track here with Fausto’s signature vocal leading the way. Starting with the driving “Now It’s Fine,” the band’s musical ability is sharp and those Beatle-y riffs are unmistakeable. “You’d Do Anything” has more jangle than you can shake a 12-string Rickenbacker at, and “Sometimes” has those wonderful guitar bridges and Nacho’s impressive drumwork. The songs are mostly self-referencing experiences, especially “Stupid Rock Star’s Dream” which will remind some of The Raspberries “Overnight Sensation.” Fans of Paul McCartney will enjoy the ballad “After All These Years” and it mixes all the right elements without getting tiresome. A great collection of songs by focused pop craftsmen without a dud in the bunch.  Keep on Riffin’!

My Space | Not Lame | Kool Kat Musik | Bebo

The Slingsby Hornets “Something Old…Something New…”
Jon Paul Allen returns and he hasn’t lost any of his mojo, as the Brian May inspired guitar licks on “Stoned Houses No.1 / Elevator” rip through the speakers. “Gettin’ Better” is a 70’s styled rock glamfest that has a lot in common with the recently released Vinyl Candy. The Slingsby Hornets trot out a few really obscure covers, (“Pinball,” “Gonna Make You A Star”) and perform them so well you wouldn’t know they aren’t originals. He adds a bit of psychedelic rhythm to the guitars on “She’s The One” and “Are Friends Electric?” sure to please fans of The Pillbugs. Some interesting effects are all over “Miles Away” which feels like a Andrew Gold-Brian Wilson collaboration. Another gem is “Glass Of Champagne” with it’s steady beat, “oh yeah” harmonic chorus and divine guitar riffs — it’s one of my favorites here. He kind of goes overboard on the faux-James Bond movie theme “The Devil May Care,” but overall this is Allen’s strongest album to date, full of great melodies, awesome musicianship and careful studio production. Fans of classic rock influences shouldn’t miss this one.

My Space | CD Baby | Amazon

Something Old…Something New….

Josh Ketchen & The 1,000’s “We Don’t Belong Here”
Boston based Josh Ketchen is a singer songerwriter that builds songs with a unique sound that falls somewhere between Paul Simon and Ian McCulloch.  The farfisa organ opens up “We Don’t Belong Here” and it’s clear Josh is a good story teller. His crooning style took me a few listens to get used to, but the catchy melodies and beats win you over. “Earl Grey” is a detailed and compelling story of a long term relationship. The musical themes take small details from the early ’60’s Beach Boys and Belle and Sebastian, as evidenced by the echoing “Riverside” with it’s Spector-like orchestration. Occasionally it gets a bit pretentious (“Another Term For Love”) but often it’s very honest and hits the right balance of melancholy and whimsy. “Dream” is a sad/hilarious portrait of a washed up rocker, as Josh wails “What do rock stars dream when their heads aren’t filled with amphetamines?” Almost every track has a memorable arrangement and keeps things moving along, and the bouncy “Say So” is a real pop treat.  Some songs lean more folk than pop, and fans of Camera Obscura, Stereolab and Robyn Hitchcock may also find this a totally enjoyable album. This is a small debut that grows on you like moss and will remain planted in your memory.

MySpace | CD Baby | Amazon

Locksley features brothers Jesse and Jordan Laz (rhythm guitar and bass respectively), Kai Kennedy(lead guitar) and Sam Bair(drums). 2008’s “Don’t Make Me Wait” was a triumph of rock and pop and burst them through the national consciousness. Locksley tries their best to get the feeling of a live show across on “Be In Love.”  Starting with “Love You Too” it bounces along with gritty guitar chords and shouting choruses, it all plays with an infectious exuberance that cannot be denied. The Brit-pop guitar lines “One More Minute” and “Days of Youth” are pretty catchy diversions with easy to follow melodies. The album sags a bit with the next few tracks, although the writing on “21st Century” paints a vivid picture of a “a rebel in a three-piece suit /Two inches higher in his Beatle boots.” A favorite here has to be the early single “The Whip” which is tailor made for a sports anthem along the lines of Garry Glitter’s “Rock and Roll Part 2.” The Kinks garage-style on  “Down for Too Long” is another gem that will get you caught up in the air guitar spirit. The band stumbles on a few tracks, but thankfully there is enough here to keep you interested.  Kinks legend, Ray Davies himself commented “I got to know the guys in Locksley last year when they served as my backing band for my U.S. tour. I just heard their forthcoming album “Be In Love” and I was reminded why I loved these guys in the first place.” Overall, the album isn’t that deep, but it’s lots of fun to listen and sing along to.

My Space | Amazon