Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

Girl in a Coma “Trio B.C.”
This Texas band, composed of sisters Nina and Phanie Diaz (on vocals and guitar and drums, respectively), and bassist Jenn Alva was launched in 2007 with support from Blackheart Records (Joan Jett’s label). The Diaz sisters chose Trio B.C. as the album title because it was the name of their grandfathers tejano band in a the 50s. Nina Diaz vocals really stand out here, like a mix of Jett, Lene Lovich and Chrissie Hynde. The album is full of punk rock energy, great examples of this are “Static Mind” and “Baby Boy.” The soulful songs “Vino” and “El Monte” show a maturing band hitting it’s stride. The highlight of the album hits with “Pleasure and Pain” full of guitar hooks and harmonies through a crunchy guitar buzz. “Joannie In The City,” the is lone track produced by Joan Jett and is full of aggressive and addictive guitar hooks and a driving bassline that drives the song into your brain. The band takes influences from many sources (new wave, punk, rockabilly) and still pushes through it’s Latin identity, most notably on “Ven Cerca.” Keep your eyes on these women — they know how to rock without faking it.

MySpace | Amazon

Calico Brothers “Tell It to the Sun”
In the farway land of Waitakere, New Zealand, the Calico Brothers broke into the modern music scene in 2008 with their debut EP, God Left Town. In the basement studio, Chet O’Connell (guitar), Jimmy Calico(bass) and Robbie Calico(drums) finished their debut full length “Tell It To The Sun.” This is gentle folk pop with a country twist, and it opens with the shimmering title track, complete with harmonica and slide guitar riffs. The wonderful songwriting pulls this album above the ordinary with the Lennonesque “Is There Anyone There?” and “Up For Air.” Fans of Wilco, Jayhawks, America and CSN will surely enjoy the wonderful harmonies and subtle Telecaster sound. The low key ballads are not that exciting, but the mid tempo pop gems more than make up for it. “Tread Carefully” sounds like a Gerry Beckley classic and “Weight Around My Heart” is another well written single. The heavy echo effects on “Always Said I’d Do” distract a little from the melody, but it’s still a keeper. This is a fairly successful album, with perfect rural pop songs for a sunny day.

MySpace | CD Baby

Five years following the death of the lead singer/guitarist Phil Healy, the Knobs have reformed to release a serious statement of hope and sadness with “Breakup and Die.” The Knobs, are heavily influenced by The Beach Boys, The Kinks and Wilco, but the band sounds closer here to the hushed sounds of Eric Matthews playing with The Jayhawks. It’s no surprise the gem of the album is  “Dublin Sky on New Year’s Eve.” It’s a perfectly tight song full of rich jangley guitars and a catchy chorus. The band also features Steve Chesser (whose most excellent Bos Taurus CD I reviewed a while ago). The studied sadness of “Room With the Fire Escape” shows off the anguished honesty, and the band’s gorgeous musicianship. Some of the heart wrenching lyrics in “After All It’s Been A While” and “Say Goodnight” almost beg the less sober of us to belly up to the bar. But it’s not all a downer here, as the lush pop arrangements prove what a talented songwriter Healy was, and both guitarists Phil Young and Ken Herblin perform each song with loving care here. While this is not a “happy” pop album, it is most definitely a well crafted one. Worth noting, the fastest paced song here is the bouncy irony of “If Died In A Car Crash,” (exactly how Phil Healy was killed). My favorite ballad here “The Way is Up,” as it echoes Neil Young’s sound slightly and provides the ethereal hope toward the albums end.

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

The good times are rolling for Michael Behm four months after releasing “Saving America,” The third single off his forthcoming album “If I could Learn To Fly” is enjoying top chart positions in Canada, Australia and finding solid ground in the US. “Saving America” is a big pop album full of accessible optimism and cheer, that could even turn your average American Idol fan into a power pop fan. The production work and mixing assisted by Pat Steward (The New Odds, Bryan Adams) and Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Elvis Costello, Metallica) give the album a crisp full sound. “If I Could Learn To Fly” is a huge highlight, with ELO-like echo effects and smart time signature changes. Next is the hook-laden “The Art of Letting Go” which has a great leading bass line and Michael’s winning vocals. Other highlights include “Ticket to Heaven” and the danceable “Honesty” resemble a Jellyfish single with a high falsetto driving the chorus. Even the ballads are done right with “Lincoln” pulls all the right heartstrings. Also of note “Underground Epic” features some amazing guitar work in the intro similar to Sloan or Cheap Trick. Behm has an extensive back catalog, and I look forward to exploring it now. This is an excellent example of modern power pop that shouldn’t be missed.

CD Baby | Michael’s website | Itunes

When it comes to the newest direction in pop music, The Alligators take the best practices of the past and push them to the future. Piggy & Cups is one of the best modern pop albums to be released so far this year. Recorded at Jason McGerr’s (Death Cab For Cutie) Two Sticks Audio in Seattle, the group take influence from many of the greats and hints of Radiohead, The Beach Boys, and The Zombies can be heard in their songs. To me, comparisons with Death Cab, Belle and Sebastian and The Shins are appropriate as well. All the members, hailing from the greater Bremerton area of Washington state, are experienced from a variety of other talented bands. With the apathetic and bland music that plagues radio stations and music venues today, it’s only a matter of time before Alligators’ start to make their presence felt. “Where Does it Hide” has a beautiful melody and clever arrangements and  the theatrical “Original Fear” reminds me of Brian Scary a little. It gets a little less dynamic after the albums mid-point, but no less compelling. Each element of the band is interesting; from the tight pulses that the bass and drums provide, to the guitar-synthesizer relationship during the always-stylish vocal harmonies.Learn even more about the band via this short documentary.