Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

Review by Mike Z.

It’s been four years since “Volume 4” and Joe Jackson returns better than ever. Impeccable musicianship with great songwrtiting leads me to say this is a return to form that doesn’t feel as forced as “Volume 4.” Jackson has done it all the past decade from soundtracks, to jazz, to blues and has come home to his pop roots for “Rain.” For a start, he’s reunited with Graham Maby and Dave Houghton, both players on his classic eighties albums. He has constructed an album with the polished melodies and the massive hooks that borrow from different styles of his earlier catalog. The opening track “Invisible Man” is a piano pop classic that states his celebrity status among today’s musicians and stands alongside his greatest songs. “King Pleasure Time” and “Good Bad Boy” have a nostalgic feel and approach that would fit just fine on “Look Sharp”. Another new classic and my favorite here is “The Uptown Train” – a song that couldv’e fallen off of “Night and Day.” Another amazing track “Too Tough” that has the concert hall feel of his album “Body and Soul.” The other songs here are excellent too, “Wasted Time,” a very Rundgren-like, soul ballad, and the gentle strains of “Rush Across the Road” are pure pleasure for fans here. Jackson is above all else a musical survivor of the skinny tie era and enjoying every minute of this. It’s tough to argue against it, when so much passion is on display here.

Joe Jackson’s Official Site | My Space | Itunes

After the departure of Cliff Hillis from IKE, it has become a rawer, louder band fronted by John Faye and supported by Brett Talley. What is most impressive is that this self produced album was supported by fan donations, and everyone who contributed is in the liner notes. Note to you major labels: you are becoming less relevant every day. This is modern power pop closer to the commercial alt. sounds of All American Rejects, or American Hi Fi. This is almost a return to Faye’s form as a member of the Caulfields or The John Faye Power Trip but with the added depth of experience. There is more lyrical insight here behind the fresh melodic riffs than usual. The album starts out with some pretty heavy guitar work and the single “We Like Sugar” seems like good companion to Velvet Revolver (I want this song on Guitar Hero IV). Awesome stuff. My fav here is “The Way I see it” with those handclaps and killer riffs. It’s a great melodic power rock tune. Add to this “Say Luvva” and you hear John Faye at his best. A fully literate and descriptive lyrics with killer hard rock guitars. This is one indie release that has a great chance of breaking through to the younger crowd. The single “We Like Sugar” is getting airplay on a local Philadelphia rock station, and that says it all. The are no ballads here, although it runs to a mid-tempo pace after 2/3 of the album, with “Eleven Eleven” and “Late Bloomer” it kind of wears you down a bit, but it proves that John Faye is one hell of a performer. Purchase this directly from IKE Online and stick it to “the suits.”

IKE Online | My Space

If the first four tracks of “Spots” don’t move you, then you need a new set of ears. The All Night Chemists new album have the soaring harmonies and melodic genius that bring to mind The Honeydogs or Chris Brown. The group is actually the brainchild of front man and multi-instrumentalist Len Monachello, who hails from Long Island, NY and grew up in a musical family. His dad also owned a record store, so Len grew up soaking in his parents Beatles, Kiss, Foghat and Cream Records. He grew into a sharp musician and joined the band Thisway in 1999. Eventually he matured to release the first All Night Chemists a debut album in 2005. Now on “Spots” Len continues his journey. “Wake Up” grooves on like The Mother Hips meeting The Velvet Crush. Then “Question” is a sombre ballad worthy of Elton John (Tumbleweed Connection-era) or The Finn Brothers. We then take a musical detour with the Harry Nilsson-ish music hall styled “Isabella.” Later on the album it takes a turn to classic Brit-pop a la Supergrass(“Waste of Time”) and Blur (“Look Me in The Eye”, “The Fog”). The last two tracks are a bit rambling, both “Overthrown” and “Searchlights” tend to turn into extended psyche-jams and then halfway through “Searchlights” it packs an Oasis-like power punch of guitars and distortion. Not a single track here is filler and the stylistic changes prevent any kind of musical boredom to set in. Every track has something to say, and it becomes a true musical journey. This is another 2007 best of candidate I missed (Damn it!) but you don’t have to, just get this great music. You can listen to the entire album streaming here.

All Night Chemists Site | My Space | CD Baby | Itunes | Not Lame

Listen to “Listen to “Isabella”

Listen to “Listen to “Waste of Time”

Hailed as the “Tex-Mex” Beatles, this San Antonio, Texas band has released a pile of local hits that date back to 1977. This album gathers all the singles between 1977 and 1988, and with assorted band personnel. The sounds are retro perfect Beatlesque of the 1964 – 1966 variety and the production is clean and very similar to The Toms. If you thought that was buried treasure, gobble this one up. The album name comes from a bit of advice that Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds gave the band when they played together in the late ’70s. This is nice hook-filled candy that not only evokes the Fab Four, but also reminds me of The Buckinghams or Knickerbockers. This is evidenced by the note perfect Merseybeat of “All I do is Try” and the perfect “Sunny Day.” More great power pop comes with the Association-styled “Rhymes of Tomorrow.” Then “Alamo Dragway” throws in some early Southern Culture on the Skids reverb guitar instrumental. “Sometime” is a great Byrds styled mid-tempo number. Other tracks seem like they are from other bands because they are so different stylistically. “Roadrunner” flirts with messy R&B and “Dorothy” is pretty cool new wave 1980’s era tune. Sometimes it gets a bit cheesy, “The Sphinx won’t tell” almost sounds like a song parody. Overall though, most of the songs here are interesting, if not excellent. I had to post two different videos here, so you see the two sides of this cool band. If you order from Kool Kat Musik you get a bonus EP of “Little Fox” (in Spanish and English) and three more tracks.

Krayolas Site | My Space | Kool Kat Musik

Listen to “Little Fox”

Listen to “Find a Girl”