Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

Android Angel “Glow Worm”

Just in time for Halloween, Bryan Scary and The Shredding Tears worked a bit of musical magic. The mad hyperactive piano of “Andromeda’s Eyes” and even faster chorus makes it hard to enjoy, unless you’re into a musician on a sugar speed overload. Thankfully, he dials it back down to earth on the follow up “(It’s a) Gambler’s Whirl” with a tight disco-pop composition. The next track is the best, an ELO-inspired “The Garden Eleanor” with a bouncy piano and catchy hook in the chorus that is so good it’s scary (ugh. Even I groaned at that one). The other tracks are pleasant and engaging, including the lovely ballad “Maria Saint Claire” and the expansive epic “Bye Bye Babylon” that has great manic energy and guitar majesty. In summary, after a trick (track 1) we are given some wonderful musical treats to fill our metaphorical musical goody bag. The band are touring throughout fall/winter to support Mad Valentines. They plan to enter the studio early in the new year to record their next full-length album, a Western set during the early 20th century and titled Daffy’s Elixir.

Now for a new band few have heard of from Rotterdam, Netherlands called The Madd. They follow in the tradition of European mid 60’s garage-merseybeat revivalist like The Mellowmen, Bronco Bullfrog and The Winnerys. I can’t tell you much about them cause I don’t speak Dutch, however this local reviewer does and you’ll hear all the English you need to know in the review. The opening track, “I Know” is a dead ringer for The EasyBeats and the follow up track “The Days Mind The Time” is a brilliant Beatlesque mid tempo charmer. “Good Evening Girl” is another gem full of catchy riffs, fast tempos and solid harmonies. The band plays really tight, so it doesn’t feel like a simple retro-retread and the first half is damn near perfect. And unlike some European retro bands you won’t hear any Dutch accents. On the albums second half, a little more psychedelic feel is added with Farfisa organs to “I Loved You” and “If You Don’t Come Back” and you’ll hear bits of The Seeds and Strawberry Alarm Clock here. By the albums end, we go the full garage monty along the lines of The Creation or The Pretty Things on “Love” and the theme “We’re Pretty Quick.” But that doesn’t change the fact that each song here is an soothing salve to retro pop enthusiasts like myself. Fans of the above bands and classic power pop simply must get this now. It’s extra cheap on AimeStreet ($3.30) so you have no excuses.

My Space | Band Website | Lala | Amazon | AimeStreet

Pennsylvania native Mark Cronk is no rookie musician. He started in the late 70’s with the band Appalachia, played with Robert Palmer and the Ramones. Currently he is lead vocalist for the Beatles cover band Glass Onion. Now he has produced this sweet melodic solo album that will appeal to most fans of power pop, especially Spongtones fans, with it’s jangle and Beatlesque chord progressions. Opening with “It Can Wait” it bursts with powerful catchy guitars, and multi-tracked harmonies. The follow up “Who Are You Calling Now” is just as infectious with a steady Shoes-like rhythm throughout. What slows the momentum is the the treacle-filled ballad “Let Me In.” Thankfully it’s a minor hiccup for this wonderful album. “She’s The Girl” is a classic bit of Merseybeat goodness that is both uplifting and masterfully played. In fact, much of the following tracks are excellent, including “Rock and Roll Sunday” and “I’ve Seen Your Face Before.” He even swings a little doo-wop rockabilly on “Please Don’t Ask Me Why,” but my favorite song here is the majestic “Irene,” a mid-tempo ballad that faithfully recalls Bread or America. The song is a true gem about a woman in the later stages of life – and it will bring a tear to your eye, without a doubt. The albums second half is confident, catchy pop and the ballad “No One Home” is another effective tear-jerker and boy, I want to listen to some Dan Fogelberg now… until Cronk makes another fine pop album.

My Space | CD Baby | Kool Kat Musik | Not Lame

After the record setting sales of his greatest hits album, the former Cockeyed Ghost frontman returns with a 2 disc musical journey. In some ways it is like a parallel of Stew’s Passing Strange, a personal saga of dreams shot to hell and a redemption through unfailing hope and faith. This certainly is Adam at his most lyrically engaging and musically complex. Starting with “Standing In Chicago” it’s a soul ballad that smacks of nostalgic memories, and it all leads to the gorgeous Beach Boys vocal harmonies on “Who.” Starting his road trip with the cocky bravado of “Burn Down The World” it takes many musical turns. The songs progress like a very much like a rock opera, and it’s not all power pop as it ventures into all genres from new wave disco (“I Don’t Wanna Dance With You”) to funk (“Two Children In A Bed”) and everything in between. My favorite incarnation of Marsland is the defiant guitarist, and it comes across on “1 in 4” and the Replacements styled “This Is Hard.” The ballads are also top notch, his duets with Evie Sands/Teresa Cowles and piano melody makes “Go West” one of his best. Lots of highlights, another being the mid-tempo gem “Fade Away” with compelling harmonies and key changes. When you get the amazing “No Return,” a song with only scant keyboards and harmonic choral vocals you will realize just how much Adam has learned since his more recent days with The Beach Boys and Hal Blaine’s wrecking crew. The keys and guitar work on “Despair” will remind you that this is probably the closest anyone will get to a modern era version of Todd Rundgren’s Something/Anything double LP. It is also important to note the good stuff is not stuffed on one disc or another, but rather spread throughout, which is why listening to the entire set (23 tracks) at once can be challenging in today’s ADD world. But you have to give props to this an unassuming album full of emotional depth and masterful musicianship.