Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

More pop genius it seems comes from Brooklyn, New York this year than I can keep track of. The sweet indie pop/folk duo “This is Ivy League” are a perfect spring breeze, with a new easy going, soft pop album. Ryland Blackinton and Alex Suarez, gained a bit of fame as part of Cobra Starship (playing on the soundtrack for the forgettable movie “Snakes on a Plane”) and then they tried to revive the sound of the 60’s pop of “Ivy League” and took up part of the name. It opens with gentle guitar and harmonies of “The Richest Kids.” The song is an excellent single that weaves melodic jangle and wistful vocals, a lot like early Beau Brummels. Next, the sophisticated coffeehouse folk of “Viola”is just oozing cool all around (snaps, you latte sippin’ cats). With roots in the sound of Chad and Jeremy and the modern stylings of Belle and Sebastian, or Morissey the duo charm you with the bouncey pop of “London Bridges.” The classic “A Summer Chill” is my favorite track on the album, as it perfectly melds the classic and the modern. The duo’s vocal dynamic will remind casual listeners of the classic Simon & Garfunkel in the tune, “Til the Day.” The retro 60s english sound returns on “Visions of Tokyo,” that has the wonderful feeling of Gerry and The Pacemakers if updated for today. Like label mate Pelle Carlberg I reviewed last year, or Camera Obscura, “This is Ivy League” works even better. The music is filled with shimmering harmonies, slick guitar work and a punchy rhythm section that nicely usher in the spring. So far, the album is only available from 27 records.

My Space | 27 Records website

Listen to “London Bridges”

Beach Boys fans rejoice! Matt Tyson, a self taught indie artist, has a rare talent for reproducing classic Brian Wilson surf/beach sound flawlessly. The sound primarily sticks to earlier Beach Boys canon (pre-1966) and uses gorgeous harmonies, catchy melodys, with a driving and dynamic sound. The Malibus debuted last year with “Keep an Eye on The Malibus”. This new album is more of the same. A whopping 14 tracks will satisfy your surfin’ jones for this summer. Opening with the vocal delight “lullaby” it leads to our first big track “Marianne” with a chord structure similar to BB’s “She’s Not The Little Girl I Once Knew”, it includes the multi-layered vocals and horns that sound great. Next “Fun when the Weekend Comes” is a perfect companion to ” I Get Around” and just as cool to listen to. But thankfully, many songs sound very fresh, especially the wonderful “You Know What I Mean” which has a bit of a Wondermints feel. Another very original highlight is the heavenly “My Big Mouth” which would sound at home on the new Brent Cash album. The oddest tune on the album is “I Don’t Mind” a direct rip of The Who’s “Can’t Explain” sung with that west coast style. These songs all sound great, including the a capella “Til Summer Comes.” The album closer “A Little More Love” is an awesome mix of classic Supertramp and ELO, and I look forward to the next album already. The biggest complaint you can come up with here is a few songs are just a bit too derivative of BB songs. But that issue shouldn’t stop you from getting this wonderful album. If you are a fan of the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean and Bruce and Terry you can’t miss this.

My Space | CD Baby | Not Lame

The Brixton Riot “Sudden Fiction”
The Brixton Riot is a gathering of four rock veterans from the New Jersey area (The Christies and Electraluxe) and the debut EP is smooth indie power pop all the way. “Sudden Fiction” as the title suggests deals with the writing process and the opener “Battle of The Band” about the rigors of touring, has jangling guitar riffs that bring to mind REM, The Lemonheads and Wilco. Each song on this EP is a gem – my favorite being a wonderful song “(There’s) Something in The Air” about the Stanley Kubrick movie “The Shining” about a writer who wants to kill. The entire EP is listenable on My Space. I can’t wait for the full length.
My Space | CD Baby

The Smith Brothers “Lost”
The Smith Brothers are not the guys on a box of cough drops. It’s another group featured at Charlotte PopFest, and the Smith Brothers have a great classic power pop sound, very much like Teenage Fanclub or Cheap Trick. Pat Dollenmayer and Mike Clark have a true enthusiasm for the music, and it comes out in the opener “Lost” – a Teenage Fanclub styled slice of greatness. The classic guitar sounds continue on “Way We Know” another melodic fuzz covered gem. The pace slows down a bit for “Ducky” which goes for a classic Elvis Costello meets You Am I sound, with wonderful guitar solos and gentle harmonies. Elements of Fountains of Wayne are found in the songwriting style, and I picked this up on “Blame on You” and mid-tempo “Words Fail Me.” Another classic here is the bouncy “Addicted To You,” with Squeeze-like chordplay and vocal approach. No bad tracks, and you’ll surely get addicted to the music here. I hope these guys get bigger distribution, as this is a great CD that all power pop fans will love. A new disc this year is planned for spring — get this while you wait.
The Smith Bros. home | My Space | Indie Rock

This album comes out of nowhere, and blows me away with amazing songwriting and playing. Brooklyn’s Brandon Wilde has a Paul McCartney meets Elliot Smith musical sensibility. Opening with “Whatever You Want” will remind most listeners of Chris Brown or David Grahame, with delicate strum and irresistible vocals. Even the slow alt country ballads like “Ever After” or “Rag Doll” have an amazingly catchy bridge that keeps you engaged. Most of the album is full of low key ballads, but with those clean Macca-styled hooks and arrangements. The ballad “Highway to The Moon” takes a very Radiohead-like turn with wonderful touches of acoustic folk and multi-tracked harmony. The thickest, stickiest hook and my favorite on this album is “Love in Cars.” This sole mid-tempo song will have you singing and clapping along in no time. It’s been on my ipod all week! The ballad “Cannot Say” evokes a bit of The Small Faces ballads and Brandon’s voice almost morphs into Rod Stewart’s cragginess. He ends the album with “Hollow” – a Beatlesque ballad of “Blackbird” proportions. My only nit pick here is that there is nothing on the album that is faster paced. But Mr. Wilde is an extremely talented musician and his “Songs From The Deep Sleep” are a well executed collection of subtle musical beauty.

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