Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

Cliff Hillis and The Bug Club

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Cliff Hillis

Cliff Hillis “Be The Now” EP

Cliff Hillis has been such a talented fixture across so many great bands (The Orchestra, Smash Palace, Starbelly) it’s easy to forget his excellent solo career spans over 20 years.  Be The Now is likely his most mature-sounding album, with songs that opine on hope and hopelessness. Starting with the pensive “Good Morning and Goodnight” its a cleverly chilled panic attack that sticks to your brain effortlessly.

Almost easy listening, but “Motel Parking Lot” is a brilliant slice-of-life theme that recalls Adam Schlesinger. “Wanna Feel Good” is a simple and economical tune that Cliff effortlessly pulls off. As with most Cliff Hillis, his approach means no filler, all killer. From the country “Spring Foreward” to the boosting “Oh, Dan Bern” with Dan Bern singing a verse about Cliff, it’s a fun highly enjoyable 8-song EP. Highly Recommended.

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The Bug Club

The Bug Club “Green Dream in F#”

This charming indie pop just bursts from the speakers. The Wales duo of Tilly and Sam sing about space, small-town life, love, and bad habits. These short goodies are under 2 minutes each and most of the tunes are catchy as hell. The opener “Only in Love” is a finely crafted earworm that speeds by with a grin. Sam gives us a dour Velvet Underground-on-speed approach to “The Six O’Clock News” and the next several tracks. “It’s Art” reminds me of the early new wave, and “Going Down” has a lovely baseline (even more Lou Reed-like).

Things are usually hit or miss with this many short songs, but the melodies are carefully composed, and the sharp humor keeps it moving. Very few fillers here, and “Love Letters From Jupiter” is another highlight. Plus the band has another added EP “Pure Particles” that has slightly longer songs. All this deserves to be heard and celebrated. This is a club I wouldn’t mind joining.

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More March Singles, Freebies, and EPs: The Tearaways, The Deadlights, Peter Hall, The Plus4, Ransom and Subset, Friends of Cesar Romero

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Great song from The Tearaways, from the upcoming album ‘And Now For Our Next Trick.’ due out at the end of the month. The jangling alt. rock alter-ego of Jeff Shelton The Deadlights returns with a new single here, and I was impressed with the melodic EP by Peter Hall called About Last Night. The title track rocks, and “For Love” has some ELO overtones, but overall very very good. Keith Hale aka The Plus 4 sings about a UFO sighting I guess and the radio-ready single by Ransom and Subset is a real treasure that’s a free download. Loud punk rock from Friends of Cesar Romero all the same tempo, but I liked the “Bittersweet Nothing Symphony” best, and it’s a free download too.

Support P. Hux and some EPs that deserve to be heard: Old Town Cryer, Flathead, Andy Bopp, The Photocopies, The Pozers

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The great P. Hux has a new album he’s finishing up, mixing, mastering, and other details. You only have a few days left to contribute to one of the best power pop artists around. Visit the Kickstarter site. Old Town Cryer has a bluesy live performance last year at The Fallout Shelter in Norwood, MA and half the proceeds go to The Pine Street Inn, a charitable organization whose mission is to end homelessness. From Marseille, France comes Flathead, an energetic power pop band that advertises “No Synths… Only Guitars.” Another great power pop veteran, Andy Bopp is back with an EP of sweet tunes; “Roger” and “Poison Girl” which is like a mix of Bowie meets Robert Pollard. Love this! The Photocopies have a neat new release that hums along, check out the fuzzy pop “Holiday Romance” and  “Like Teenage Love.” Finally, The Pozers video for “Two” comes from Crybaby Bridge. It’s my favorite song from the album. Enjoy!

February Singles and Freebies: The Rallies, Lisa Mychols, The Nobility, The Low Spirits, The Guts, Cliff Hillis

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The animated video is from The Dowling Poole, the track is taken from the album ‘Refuse’ which is available to buy on Bandcamp here. Really great singles this month and my faves so far; The Rallies kill it with “Must Be Love” a power pop classic in the making. The queen of power pop, Lisa Mychols also returns with The Masticators for an excellent freebie “Here’s A Boy” and Nashville band The Nobility‘s ballad “Poison Mind” recall The Bee Gees styled falsetto. If your tastes are more old-school, The Low Spirits deliver the freebie “Outta Sight” with its textbook ’66 Animals style, and Geoff Palmer’s side project The Guts has a punk pop gem with “O.F.S.C.” Finally our old friend Cliff Hillis has a sweet new EP out, but since this is a singles post, his new single is a catchy sing-along about the “coolest scuba diver we know.” He should tour kindergartens with this (is this how Raffi got started?).

Star Collector and Paul McCann

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Star Collector

Star Collector “Attack, Sustain, Decay​.​.​. Repeat”

Star Collector’s sixth album is likely the most well-rounded collection of songs by the Vancouver band. The opener “Feel It Comin’ On” stomps forward with its solid riffs, and the catchy “Beat It To Death” gives you “all that sass” as the tongue is planted firmly in cheek when it comes to pop cynicism. “Running Through The Rain” is a classic Who-meets-Bunnymen blast that sticks with you, and the hypnotic bass of “If We Can’t Take A Joke” and “Crashin” recalls Cheap Trick with a Canadian cowbell.

The band slows up for the ballad “Cross My Heart,” a heartbreaker about a broken marriage. Not everything works, as “Broken Butterflies” sounds like a mixed musical of clichés. The smooth “Nineteen Dream” seems to channel the best of the band; a minimal bass line and soulful verse that explodes into loud guitars and a bitter chorus. The band doesn’t stay in this sweet spot, but it’s pure magic when it does. Highly Recommended

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Paul McCann

Paul McCann “Alter Ego”

The death of a parent can be a deeply emotional and impactful experience for anyone, including musicians. Like Tamar Burke in 2022, Paul McCann documented his father’s unexpected passing and it inspired him to create music that reflects his feelings of loss, grief, and remembrance. He worked with a bevy of collaborators including Jason Falkner (Beck, Paul McCartney); Roger Joseph Manning Jr (Jellyfish); Charlotte Hatherley (Bat for Lashes); Gary Lucas (Jeff Buckley, Captain Beefheart), Sylvie Lewis, and others.

“World Keeps Turning Round” has strong horns over a pensive but soulful melody, and “Lost in this Moment” is a standout with a rich hopeful chorus amongst the churning guitar riffs. The early ’70s pop sheen of “All is fair (in Love and War)” channels Bacharach and The Carpenters with its sophisticated orchestration. At times McCann tries a bit too hard with rock epics (“Divide and Conquer,” “Call Off the Dogs”) but his soulful introspection on “Red River Run” and “Out of The Blue” are truly haunting. Some songs require repeat listens to catch all the details and nuance, but I just love the immediate hooks of “Something Has Changed.” Overall, very highly recommended.

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