Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

Jeff Larson "Heart Of The Valley"

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It’s the welcome return of Jeff Larson. This time rather than just having America’s Gerry Beckley do a few songs, the album is more of a mutual collaboration. The combination of Beckley’s songwriting and Larson’s sweet guitar/vocals are just magic together. The memorable adult contemporary songs are lead by the stellar “Heart of the Valley” – with a catchy hook and lovely Jeff Foskett outro. The collaboration of the Larson/Beckley vocal combo is best shared on the next track “Sudden Soldier” with a rich story and musical experience here. The albums theme is the myriad of stories wrapped around travel, beginning with the “Airport Smiles” mini-intro. My favorite on this album is the guitar rich jangle of “Minus Marci” which starts typically, and then bounces into a chorus that’s as catchy as a TV sitcom theme. “Calling” and “Southern Girl” are laid back pop gems in the style of America, and “One Way Ticket” will appeal to fans of Christopher Cross or Dan Fogelberg. The soulful “One Lit Window” is just “classic” Larson. Simply put, every track is a winner here. I knew Jeff was getting close to his musical sweet spot with each successive album, and I think he’s found it here. It makes my top ten this year… nice job, Jeff.

MySpace | CD Baby | Amazon | Not Lame

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Kevin McAdams "It’s My Time to Lose My Mind"

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Kevin McAdams (drums/percussion for Elefant, Watchmakers, Maricopa, etc.) writes and sings a series of bouncy modern pop tunes. Elements of Coldplay, ELO and Magnetic Fields are present though most of the albums first half. “Start Over Again” kicks off with a catchy beat and hummable hook in the chorus. The follow up “US vs. World” is a multi-layered pop song that has ELO overtones and a compelling lyric. The piano ballad “Hourglass” is a faux blues tune with waltz-like chorus and a gentle harmony throughout. Another excellent song is “A Different Kind of Love Song” it has proggy roots with a gentle vocal across a sea of “la-la-la” over a steady beat. This song and “The Hustler” both have a little bit of Alan Parsons Project meets Beck feeling. It doesn’t stick to a single formula, or style for long, by “Leave Us Alone” it flirts with electronic dance music a la Sparks. It ends with a really strong piano pounding “My Time” and building to a chorus of “It’s my time… to loose my mind.” Heavy guitar enters on the energetic “Turn The Lights Off,” another good song that bring to mind what Puddle of Mudd would sound like if they knew anything about melody. This is an album that isn’t immediate, but definitely will grow on you after repeated listening.

CD Baby | Lala | Amazon

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Syd "Upswing" EP Free Download

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Vermont native Syd is a super talented singer/songwriter who knows his way around a musical hook or two. Sounding like a hybrid of Rivers Cuomo (Weezer) and Joe Jackson on his new EP “Upswing,” the big twang of “The Big Town” is a smart quirky single with a sing along chorus. Fans of Johnny Polonsky’s first album will find a few similarities here as well. After starting his career as a John Mayer styled pop folkie, he’s pulled on over to the power pop side. The highlight here is “Mallory” with hand claps and a high falsetto in the chorus that helps this single jump out of the speaker at you. The other two tracks ( “Easier On You” and “The Pattern” here are standouts as well, with catchy melodic refrains and a strong beat. This is pure pop sweetness and even though it’s only four tracks, it’s superior to other bands’ full length releases and again this is a FREE download people! GET THIS NOW. You’ll thank me after you hear it.

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Dennis Diken with Bell Sound "Late Music"

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Rock geeks, get ready to drool. If you just can’t get enough of rock nostalgia, then Smithereens drummer Dennis Diken has been joined by a group of special guests to make this love letter to the golden age of rock. Oh yeah, those guests include, The Wondermints, Andrew Sandoval, Brian Wilson producer Andy Paley, The Honeys and Jason Falkner. Fellow New Jersey native Pete DiBella collaborated with Dennis to bring these songs to fruition, reflecting their mutual love of classic pop and rock genres. Fans of all the old school greats: The Four Seasons, The Who and The Beach Boys will find this pure ear candy. Each song evokes the spirits of each of these rock gods. The first track “The Sun’s Gonna Shine in the Morning” is a half Monkees and half Dave Clark Five, complete with studio echo. Then the Beach Boys/Four Seasons vibe is all over the gorgeous wall of sound in “Standing in Line.” And the Shel Talmy-era Who is all over “Long Lonely Ride.” Each song sounds like a lost classic! Even on “No One’s Listening” the vocals are almost identical to Howard Kaylan (The Turtles). “Fall into Your Arms” is a dead ringer for a solo Brian Wilson hit. I could go through each song here, but you get the idea. It’s a Diken’s vision to make you a “mix tape” of his favorite influences. Diken’s drumming and vocals are awesome, and even a throwaway instrumental like “Lost Bird” is pleasing in it’s own bossa nova way. Towards the albums end, it gets more experimental, mashing up these “pure” influences, so “No One Does It Like You” is both weird and compelling to listen to. As much as I like derivative music, there are so many potential AM pop “hits” here, you can’t ignore it for our year end top 10. Mark Deming from Allmusic Guide said it best: “An album made by music fans for music fans.”

MySpace | Amazon| Lala | Kool Kat Musik (includes a bonus disc!)

Listen to “Standing in That Line” at on Bob Brainen’s show
Listen to the clip here!

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Charlotte Pop Fest "09 Compilation"

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As Charlotte Pop Fest runs into this weekend I wanted to let readers note that Saturday (9/26) morning and afternoon shows on the Main Stage at Freedom Park are FREE. On hand are The Parallax Project, Tony Low, The Singles and other favorite artists. And if you’re stuck at home, you could do yourself a favor and get the Compilation CD. It’s a massive pile of 35 great tracks. The starting point is a NEW Smithereens track, “Someday Boy” and then The Spongetones “Lost Weekend” pulled from their latest album. Although Roger J. Manning Jr. wasn’t able to make the festival, he is represented with “Living In End Times.” There are several exclusive tracks you’ll not find anywhere, like Ed James riff heavy “Princess Perfect”and The Jellybricks “Beryllium.” Having the light touch of Jill Sobule on “A Good Life” is a nice change of pace, and the familiar, but awesome Mike Viola adds “Maybe, Maybe Not.” It also gives us an opportunity to hear lesser known groups, like The Stellas and Crisis. There is something here for all types of power pop fans from the hard (Popdudes) to the soft sounds (Linus of Hollywood). No weak tunes here, as James Deem has done a great job of picking tracks, and he even covers XTC’s “Dear God” too.

MySpace | BUY THE COMPILATION | The Pop Fest website

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