Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic Archives - Page 315 of 358

Ness "You Can’t Afford To Feel"

February 7, 2009July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

Another missed gem from 2008 that should not be neglected. I can’t say enough about Ness. An amazing masterpiece of a rock and roll. Ness takes it’s lead from 70’s classic rock and progressive pop sounds, but it combines the influences into a swirling mass of rock and pop sweetness. The opener “Where’s Guns?” floors you like a mix of The Posies and The Who full of hypnotizing riffs and harmonies. The follow up “I Intend” gets theatrical in a very Mick Ronson kind of way. Listen to it streaming and tell me you disagree. The track “Somewhere” sounds a lot like early seventies Yes, if you replaced Jon Anderson with Brian Wilson. This album manages to put layer upon layer of tracks, and “Weary By The Day” and the follow up “The Future Used To Be Cool” resembles a pop version of Genesis’ “Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.” This is the heart of the album, and it’s an amazing achievement (complete with organ solo fadeout). That would be enough, but the stellar “Losing Track (Of The Things I’ve Lost)” is another opus similar to Buffalo Springfield. “Petty White” is a Todd Rundgren meets Pet Sounds gem that compares well to Paul Steel’s “April & I” in technique. “Elena Margaret” is a fitting end ballad to the entire album. “Goin’ Home” is a jam that continues a general showcasing of instrumental prowess, with spoken band credits. This is one of the best progressive pop albums, I’ve heard in a long time.

My Space | CD Baby | Not Lame | The Ness Website

Leave "On a Happy Note"

February 6, 2009July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

This is the Chicago band Leave’s final album due the passing of lead singer and guitarist Mike Murphy. In a horrible act of fate, Murphy was killed by a hit and run driver. The band could’ve packed it in, but to their credit they soldiered on. On A Happy Note is a fitting tribute to his memory, with some excellent power pop that is styled like a combination of The Spongetones and The Riffbrokers. The opener “Hope It Doesn’t Come My Way” channels The Beatles with tight harmonies, driving rhythms and a delicious hook. The remaining tracks don’t drop in quality, and “Take The Easy Way Out” is another well crafted gem. The gentle ELO flavored ballad “Lovely Mess” is another mid-tempo beauty that will definitely get stuck in your head. “Again It’s Too Soon” could be considered a Cavern Club styled bit of rock heaven. Things settle down after that, with “Murph” exploring great lyrical depth on tacks like “On My Mind” trying to reassure his nervous girlfriend. His voice reminds me of a mellower version of Michael Stipe, and some tunes have a western pop flavor, like The Jayhawks or Rhett Miller. This comes through on “I’ll Get Mine” and the slow acoustic “Down The Line.” In fact the gorgeous title track is a bit eerie when he sings “- when time is at an end…” No duds or filler on this album, so it is highly recommended. May the legend of “Murph” continue in your ipod – get it today!

My Space | CD Baby | Not Lame

Any Version Of Me "Backward Forever"

February 2, 2009April 4, 2018 powerpopaholic 1 Comment

Call this one, “slipped through the cracks” – as Powerpop Station blog found this one I missed. Any Version of Me is a mystery man from Paris, France. I am not fluent in French, but his music speaks volumes. “The Good Old Days” seems to me a seamless blend of Brian Wilson and Gilbert O’Sullivan with a touch of Colin Blunstone (Zombies). The touchstone here is Pet Sounds/Abbey Road production (using vintage instruments), with “More” it also recalls a gentle late 60’s songwriting style that touches pop greatness. The vocal on the lonely ballad “Tonight” has a soaring falsetto that makes it work similar to Eric Carmen doing Ziggy Stardust. The next several tracks wander into Herman’s Hermits territory, which isn’t a bad thing, but it fails to generate the excitement of the earlier tracks. “Something’s Gonna Happen” is a fun baroque sixties throwback a la The Parade, but the next track “Take Some Time” is a well written and original Beatlesque gem. And the ending track, “All I Will Keep From You” even ends with a Beach Boys multi-part harmony fade out. Some fans may think this album too derivative (which is true) but it has enough original songwriting to carry it through to highly recommended status. The entire album is streaming below and on the Any Version Of Me web site he is giving visitors a FREE single download “Don’t Fall My Friend.” Now that’s just smart marketing.

My Space |Emusic | Itunes

The Kavanaghs "The Kavanaghs" Demo Download

January 26, 2009April 4, 2018 powerpopaholic 2 Comments

The Kavanaghs are a brand new band from Rosario City, Argentina. Formed in early 2006, they’re now preparing the release of their first album. Band members are: Tiago Galindez (lead vocals, bass guitar, pianos), Alejandro Pin (lead vocals, rythm guitars) Diego Vázquez (lead guitars, backing vocals), Julio Leidi (drums, percussion and backing vocals). Both Eric Carmen and Jim Bonfanti from the Raspberries who wrote the liner notes for the upcoming album said about the Kavanaghs: “The Beatles, Badfinger and Raspberries fans will love this band!! This guys really wear their influences well. Catchy melodies and great harmonies are still alive. It’s a pleasure to hear their songs!!”
I got this over the weekend and already other blogs have been promoting it, so this is my turn to spread the word. The music certainly is excellent. You really hear the Badfinger harmonies and McCartney styled bass on “The Wrong side of the Way.” The Hudson Bros. styled piano and bass combinations are great on “Friday on My Mind” (no relation to the Easybeats). Although the South American accents come through a little, “English Town” is a wonderful song with nice horns and piano work similar to The Kinks “Drivin.” Some maudlin moments like “Goodbye Chris” are redeemed by the rocking Beatlesque “Cat in Town.” The production is a bit sparse, but that’s okay for this preview. My favorite here is the subtle and hook filled “All The Time,” but there are plenty of great songs here like “It Seems That I’m Not Getting Things Quite Right” with it’s Zombies/Association vibe. I hope to hear more from this band that shares the same geek love of power pop groups I have. Please support this band when the final mix comes out. Best of luck, Tiago!

My Space | Kavanaghs Site | Download Demo Album

Canadian Invasion "Three Cheers For The Invisible Hand"

January 22, 2009July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

So what is so special about a band called “Canadian Invasion” that isn’t even from Canada? Well it’s a tight Philly group lead by Andy Paul better known as Andy Canadian (okay I get it now). This is really sweet power pop with punch along the lines of REM, Teenage Fanclub or The Well Wishers. It opens with the jangle riffs of “Pop Magic Fantastical Masterpiece” full of gently breathed harmonies in the chorus. Fans of My Brother Woody and The Thrills will find a lot to like here. The lyrics and song titles are lots of fun too, a prime example is “Standing On The Shoulders Of The Carcass Of John Mayer.” The gentle flow of some songs like “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” have just enough melody and guitar licks to make very enjoyable listening. Every song here is a winner, with tempo changing from the very Fountains of Wayne-like “How To Build A Jetback” to the Americana pop twang of “The Last Time I Went To Church.” A great album that got me digging for more on the band’s earlier efforts. No invisible cheers for this one — just full throated “Hip Hip Hooray!” for Canadian Invasion. Right now the new album is only on Amazon or MySpace.

My Space | Lala (Blame the Robots ep) | CD Baby (Songs For The Atco Ghost) | Amazon

Listen to “”Three Cheers for the Invisible Hand”