Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

And here I though The Rutles were back in town. No, it’s multi-talented singer-songwriter Alan Bernhoft with a collection of songs that really captures the feel and sound of The Beatles. From The Spongetones to The Beatnix to The Fore – people love Beatlesque power pop. It’s no surprise really that this style of power pop is one of my guilty pleasures. Alan does a great job with these songs, so they are not just an imitation or tribute band (like the Fab Faux). These are all original compositions with the spirit of 1964 starting off on “Keep Your Hands Off My Baby” and “Be Mr. Nice.” Some of these songs are from Bernhoft’s film, “Desperately Seeking Paul McCartney”. Marc Cushman, the film’s director & producer said “We couldn’t afford The Beatles’ music, so we got the next best thing- Alan Bernhoft.” The different eras are all covered well with hightlights on “Someday (’08 Mix)” with a bit of Sgt. Peppers style, and both “Sunshine Girl” and “Winter Ocean Mary Go Round” have a bit of a Mystery Tour flavor. Alan wrote all the words & music, sings, plays all the instruments and produced the recordings at his AIM Studios in Los Angeles. A few tracks here are way overproduced (“Every Girl I See”) with too much fuzz and reverb, but for the most part it’s all good. Fans of Beatlesque pop rejoice!

My Space | CD Baby

I always liked Big Kid. The first two albums are collections of can’t-miss hooks and feel-good riffs that put the pop squarely back into power pop. The band has always followed the influences of Andy Sturmer and Roger Manning, Jr. to a perfect “T” so many were looking forward to this new release in 2007. The San Diego-based quartet has made one change though, and the new lead singer, Justin Avery has the lead vocal duties. Avery sounds even more like Roger Manning, Jr. than the last vocalist, and Steve Clark’s songwriting is still pretty sharp here. Opening with the uplifting “Gold” it has that energy that makes it easy to enjoy. “Get Up” continues the ride, with organ, guitars and irresistible hooks. Things get into a lower key ballad with “Love’s a Slow Song” with probably the best chorus of the album. The song describes a girl “who listens to old Beatles and Jazz” and the anxious suitor who wants to know more. The next track “Monsters” has a sharp rhythmic bass lead that gives off a Michael Jackson meets Glen Tilbrook vibe. The remaining ballads here seem to take center stage, as the lovely chorus of “Perfect Sunrise” will echo in your head for days. Avery’s vocal dominates on the last few tracks and it’s so sweet and romantic, you could dance your wedding to both “Madly” and “Hollywood Star.” Jellyfish fans and romantics alike shouldn’t let this album pass you by.

Early in 2006, I kind of discovered Jonathan Coulton and he is what I would call the quintessential indie Internet rock success story. He left a software job a year earlier to pursue music full time releasing a song a week on his website. Some became big Internet hits including his biggest hit “Code Monkey” which became a TV show. Now between the internet sales and live performances, he is able to make a living at it. He’s been compared to They Might Be Giants, Barenaked Ladies, Loudon Wainwright III, and other “Geek” musicians, because… well he’s a geek. And he writes damn catchy stuff too. This release goes over all the songs he’s done and like TMBG, it’s mostly short 2 minutes tunes that get to the point. Highlights here include, “Tom Cruise Crazy” which looks back on the celeb’s couch jumping days, and the brilliantly melodic “Skullcrusher Mountain” about a mad scientists passion. With 20 tracks there is a lot of good material here.

Jonathan’s Website | CD Baby