Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

Vanity Mirror and Aloud

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Vanity Mirror

Vanity Mirror “PUFF”

The Toronto-based Brent Randall and Los Angeles-based Johnny Toomey team is well-known for their work with the baroque-pop outfit The Electric Looking Glass. Their newest endeavor, Vanity Mirror, benefits stylistically from the balance between the two musicians. Randell’s vocal is very much in the Ray Davies mold, and he wrote, played, and produced the album, with Toomey very much in Ringo-mode on drums.

The band’s sweet retro approach is the same road that the Elephant Six bands took back in the late 90s, with The Kinks, Beatles, and The Creation as musical touchpoints. Opening with “(I First Saw You There on) Tinpot Lane” catches you with the opening reverb riff and its baroque Anglophilic verses. “Tuesday’s News” is a lovely pastiche with a great piano and Rickenbacker combination. The strong songwriting helps songs like “Dandelion Wish” elevate beyond its precise retro-pop technique. The music was mostly created on vintage instruments, for example, “A Fool With An Applecart” which boasts an old piano melody punctuated by airy cello and flute flourishes. Both catchy and affecting, the album is a strong opening statement and is highly recommended.

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Aloud

Aloud “Apollo 6”

Bandmates Jen de la Osa and Henry Beguiristain have been the driving force for the rock group known as Aloud. They started out in Boston, but in 2017 moved to Los Angeles. In that time they released 5 albums, and this is their sixth. It starts out with an impressive anthemic sound on “Somewhere To Be” that almost dares you not to clap along, fans of Oasis will love this one. Then Jen delivers a powerful vocal akin to Nancy Wilson with “The Comeback Kid,” a bluesy number.

The band gets spacey on “Meditation for the Housebound,” and this psychedelic approach follows through on a few other songs. The “Morning Moon” starts out slow and builds into a dense chorus, “Big Blue” slinks along and another highlight is the heavy percussion of “Stranger in the Alps.” The pop styles are seemingly very varied, and lots of experimentation is evident. Not everything works, but a lot does and this is a band that definitely deserves to be heard. I will want to hear the back catalog for sure.

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Alex Fleuris and Dropkick

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Alex Fleuris

Alex Fleuris “A Lifetime Of Bullshit”

French rocker Alex Fleuris (Crusaders of Love) moved to Montreal to record an album and got all the demos done but along the way, life happens (Covid, day job, etc.) so rather than wait, Alex decided to release these songs, and he did everything here except a few drum tracks.

Starting with “Don’t Care About Nothing” it has that Phil Spector wall-of-sound approach, with a sweet jangling guitar break.  The Raspberries-like “I Should Have Never (Got In The Way)” has a driving riff and compelling melody. Alex’s skill here is on full display, and “Word Gets Around” is a multi-layered tune, and like the others, the solo bridge is exceptional. “Street Girl” feels like a lost ’80s pop hit, and the ender “Memories of a Sad Clown” is another example of epic classic rock songwriting.

Now this would be so much better with some professional mixing and mastering, but that said I think there are some excellent songs here. Maybe some enterprising record company will take it to the next level. As it is this is music that deserves to be heard.

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Dropkick

Dropkick “The Wireless Revolution”

Andrew Taylor returns to his main band, after a few new projects and collaborations. Dropkick operates at the intersection of mellow Americana and jangling power pop, and after nearly a dozen albums (including lockdown sessions) Dropkick moves forward in Byrdsian fashion. The Wireless Revolution notes in the opener “Don’t Give Yourself Away” that “this place feels different than before,” all to the confident melodic strums. But not much has changed as far as musical quality.

Taylor has a knack for smooth melodies, and his songs are consistently great. “Telephone” is the first big standout here with a strong chorus, and even the better “Unwind” adds those delicate harmonies to the mix. The other bandmates get props too, Ian Grier and Alan Shields on tracks like “The Other Side.” Overall Dropkick does great work here, “Wouldn’t Know Why” is another highlight with a fantastic bridge. And this is another highly recommended album.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Ransom and the Subset and Matthew Logan Vasquez

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Ransom and the Subset

Ransom and the Subset “Perfect Crimes”

Seattle singer-songwriter RanDair Porter carefully curated Ransom and the Subset’s sophomore album. Back in 2014, when I heard the debut No Time To Lose it proved Porter’s talent, but with Perfect Crimes, he’s brought a more consistent sound across the 10 tracks. That glossy flawless production makes this a great headphones album, as it straddles the line between sophisticated adult-oriented pop and power pop. A bevy of guest stars behind Porter includes Roger Joseph Manning Jr., Darian Sahanaja, Jim Babjak, Kurt Reil, and Ducky Carlisle to name a few.

The opener “Perfect Crime” is irresistibly catchy with its guitar riffs rhythmically bouncing across a chorus of “bada-ba” harmonies. “Sara Kandi” is a seamless follow-up, about infatuation with a young girl he just met. “Left Her at the Shinkansen” is a Japan-based tableau at the famous bullet train. Once we get to “One Last Thing (Leaving)” its mellow vibe recalls the recent The Pearlfishers with its smooth tones and orchestral composition. The guitar riffs return with “Should Have Said Nothing At All” loaded with great backing harmonies. The ender “Fast Car” has a bit of Elvis Costello in its DNA. While the most memorable music and standout hooks occur in the album’s first half, the remaining songs are just as meticulously constructed. This is a terrific album that is without a doubt a contender for my top ten list for 2023. Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Matthew Logan Vasquez

Matthew Logan Vasquez “As All Get Out”

Matthew has been the frontman for heartland indie rockers Delta Spirit, he draws from a huge collection of influences, including Gram Parsons, Kurt Cobain, Neil Young, and Iggy Pop. The album’s approach is a potpourri of roots rock to slow jams. After the rhythmic percussive opener “Untouchable” it kicks the doors out on the catchy “Over It” a hook-filled rocker that sticks fast with its punk edge.

It then settles into a groove with “Odysseus” with its spiritual mantra “always coming home but never going home.” The anthemic “Long Line of Lovers” has a great Beatlesque bass line buried in the chorus and it’s likely the standout track here. The 12-string strums and jangle of “Shawna” and “Recognize” are flowing streams of Matthew’s lyrics that feel like a modern-day Donovan. And before you know it the pounding rocker “Can You Turn Me Up” shows up. While it zig-zags all over the place, the songs are quite good. Highly Recommended.

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Mike Viola and The Successful Failures

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Mike Viola

Mike Viola “Paul McCarthy”

If there is anyone who’s well-loved in power pop circles, it’s Mike Viola. As a producer, he’s pushed artists like Panic! at the Disco, Andrew Bird, Ryan Adams, Jenny Lewis, and Mandy Moore to higher levels. As a musician, he’s built an amazing catalog of albums, both solo and with his band The Candy Butchers. And it’s Mike’s voice on that American pop classic “That Thing You Do!” written by Adam Schlesinger.

After several “quiet” years, Paul McCarthy has Viola clearly exploring his relationship to pop stardom and fame. “Bill Viola” gives us a slice of this past, expecting rock stardom, one foot in the future, and one foot in the past as he blurs narrative lines. His hard rock style on “Water Makes Me Sick,” notably recalls Joe Walsh as an inspiration. “Love Letters From A Childhood Sweetheart” is another solid ballad, about looking back to what could have been. The compelling guitar lines on “Scientist Alexis” have serious heft, but lack the hooks it really needs. But no matter, the title track “Paul McCarthy” is a fun imaginary tale of joining The Beatles at Shea Stadium, complete with a dreamy chorus “Do know you’re alive?” Viola coasts, then he immerses himself in the buzzing “Torp” with its bass rhythm and an earnest chorus. The awesome “You Put The Light Back in My Face,” recalls the great solo rocker of his past. Viola remains a dynamic artist that keeps his music fresh, and that’s what makes this album great, and always highly anticipated by fans. Highly Recommended.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLDcvhWGnM8

The Successful Failures

The Successful Failures “Wrong Together”

The 10th LP from New Jersey’s Successful Failures finds lead singer/songwriter Mick Chorba still knows how to jam with the best of them. The potent mixture of rootsy, indie-rock is evident in the opener “Millions of People.” It’s a great start, full of catchy riffs and inspirational lyrics. In the next tune, it goes into a less optimistic “Sunny Side of Town” with a little more twang and sadness. From there it feels more like a mixed bag. In some cases, the band recalls its earlier, grungier incarnation on “New City” and “The Worst of Our Kind.” Things seem to drag after this, with the simplistic “It Is the Rain” feeling like a kiddie rocker.

It seems to get more fun with the loose chorus of “Kids from Queens” which includes a blistering solo in the coda. The blues come back in “All I Really Want” and Chorba excels at this too. The ambitious “I Am of the Stars” proves the band does really good operatic rock with notable piano and guitar call-and-response. “Flying Cowboys” is a strong final track, and while this album isn’t as consistent as previous ones it boasts several great tunes. Still, a band that deserves to be heard.

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Mid April Goodies: Les Lullies, The Genuine Fakes, The High Strung, The Forces, The Linda Lindas, Gregory Pepper & His Problems

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Looking for a little punk pop in your life? France’s Les Lullies new single “Zero Ambition” is an advance of their new album Mauvaise Foi out May 19th. The band plays it hard with nods to rock and punk influences both new and old (Ramones, D4, The Saints, The Real Kids, The Records, MC5). The Genuine Fakes are most genuine with “Websites” a very sweet song reminiscent of Fountains of Wayne. The High Strung has an album on the way too, and you get a taste with “Different Animal,” its driving tempo about “leaving shit behind.” Dutch band The Forces look to dazzle with harmonies on the new EP, and more details are in an interview on Sweet, Sweet Music blog. The Linda Lindas found after the flash of indie pop fame last year they have “Too Many Things.” It wouldn’t be the first time the music business has “killed” an artist, or that an amazing talent just walked away — but Gregory Pepper & His Problems always felt like he’s given his soul and maybe as an audience, we didn’t pay close enough attention. No Thanks is his final album, and the bile-filled hostility is wrapped up in candy-sweet melodies. Although its a name-your-price point, I’d pay a tribute to Gregory. We will miss him, and I hope his problems get resolved.