Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

The Lunar Laugh and Dana Countryman

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The Lunar Laugh

The Lunar Laugh “Nighthawks!”

Oklahoma duo Connon Anderson and Jared Lekites are The Lunar Laugh and they offer up a live concert album with a pair of studio tracks on Nighthawks! The band tends to cover the musical spectrum from power-pop to folk-rock, and country. Opening with the studio tracks “I Wanna Know” and the spawling “It’s Okay,” it showcases their smart melodies and stylistic range (especially on the latter.) From here the live concert begins. Starting with “On The Road” it’s an excellent song with palatable energy that draws the audience to clap along.

The solid performances of “Winsome” and “Living A Lie” soon expand to other tracks, like bass player Campbell Young’s “Alive,” Neil Diamond’s “Solitary Man,” and Death Cab For Cutie’s “Soul Meets Body.” While these are well received, they don’t fit the band’s identity as well as a “Mama’s Boy” and “Old New Kid In Town.” With 18 songs it would’ve been a little better to get a few more studio tracks instead of covers, but nevertheless, this album is a pleasant diversion and deserves to be heard.

Big Stir Records | Amazon

Dana Countryman

Dana Countryman “Pop Scrapbook”

Once again the prolific Dana Countryman is back. The unapologetic “One-man Brill Building” delivers a knockout pop punch where his meticulous production details enhance everything he does. The terrific “Mrs. Sunshine” is a collaboration with Klaatu’s Terry Draper and Scott McPherson. It sounds like a lost track from classic ’70s Klaatu mixed with ELO and Queen; it’s simply great (we need a whole album of this!) But Dana is never stuck to a single style or genre, and the classic hook of “My Little Caroline” follows in the Neil Sedaka tradition.

The breezy light jazz-pop of “City Life” and the bossa nova “Sunday Comes Along” is an idyllic slice-of-life guaranteed to lighten your mood. Dana also isn’t afraid to take chances, as the mini-musical “Record Store Employees” is a medley of melodies all dedicated to crappy customer service. It’s another winner here, and “Brand New Feeling” is a country ditty with a really nasal vocal. The shmaltz level remains high on the other songs, but nothing here is cringe-worthy (although “Butterflies” comes close). So if you love retro pop get this – it’s highly recommended.

Amazon

The Weeklings and The Toms

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The Weeklings

The Weeklings “In Their Own Write”

The Weeklings are one of the best Beatlesque power pop bands out there and after three great LPs, they decided to put together a “greatest hits” album. The spin on this is that The Weeklings started life as a live Beatles cover band, so why not record these songs live? Taken from 2 different shows, the band plays a robust setlist and their banter and audience interaction make you feel like you are there.

From the opener “Little Tease,” it’s got all the Beatle “easter eggs” that people enjoy and done with a verve and energy few can match. The new “April’s Fool” is a welcome addition to favorites like “Morning, Noon, Night,” “Little Elvis,” and “Don’t Know, Don’t Care.” Like most Weeklings albums, there are a few choice covers like “Baby You’re A Rich Man,” the Adam Schlesinger penned “That Thing You Do,” and a re-arranged rocking version of “The Word.” Highly Recommended (what else?)

Amazon

The Toms

The Toms “Tomplicated”

The Toms (Tom Marolda) has remained an active DIY power-pop force of nature since his debut in 1979. Last year brought us some “lost” songs from those 1979 sessions, but now he’s back with some new material. In a return to the techniques of his early Beatle-influenced recordings, Tom’s masterful use of contrasting sounds (like a deep bass chord over a light acoustic strum) on “Too Many Yesterdays” make a simple melody stand out. In addition,“Three” has a terrific bass groove, with a psych-pop wall-of-sound, and it’s an early highlight in the massive 16 track effort.

However, many tunes feel more like sound sketches and experiments that fell off the Magical Mystery Tour bus, like the title track “Tomplicated” and “You Shot Me Out Of Your Cannon.” Interesting yes, but when the song has a great hook it works even better. Added highlights include the excellent “Hang On” and the jaunty “Sunday Clothes” with cello flourishes that recall The Move. “Somewhere Over This Rainbow” is another gem, referencing The Wizard of Oz in its narrative and the optimistic jangle of “It Doesn’t Matter to Me” is a fitting finale. There are more than enough tracks to rate this one highly recommended.

Amazon

Dolour and The Popravinas

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Dolour

Dolour “Origin Story”

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Dolour’s debut LP creator Shane Tutmarc took a selection of early songs and re-recorded them. After the great ‘Televangelist’ earlier this year – it’s interesting to hear some reimagined music that I wasn’t that familiar with. It’s essentially a combination of several EPs, and Shane still has an ear for catchy singles as the bouncy “Cleopatra Eyes” proves to be both light and infectious. “Naive” similarly charms with its layered harmonies in the chorus. The fuzz guitar enters the fray with “CPR” a terrific post-breakup song, and Shane’s approach is similar to Fountains of Wayne on “Before Tonight’s Big Party.”

The ballads have high points as well, with  “Next 2 U” with its flowing verses and melody.  There are also a few experiments that are interesting, like “Suburbiac,” a murder plot between two lovers. Some songs seem a little overproduced, like the dense “Ready To Fly” and the wonderfully written indictment of the music industry “I Smell A Lawsuit.” While not on par with his last LP, this is still a great group of Dolour tracks. Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

The Popravinas

The Popravinas “Goons West”

The Popravinas (pope-rah-veen-ahs) are back! The California band led by Eddy Sill (The Mutts) is joined by John Adair (guitars, keyboards,) Dean Lyons (rhythm guitar,) and David Rodgers (drums) to create a well-tooled guitar sound influenced by The Rolling Stones, Soul Asylum, Whiskeytown, and The Old 97’s.  While they do have a ’90s garage-pop sensibility with songs like “Do The Creep” and “Minor Resistance,” when they add that country twang it takes them to another level.

“Self Made Derecho” is a distinctive catchy song and Ed’s vocal provides the perfect amount of sarcasm, and the cornpone approach of “Bunkin’ in Reno” is a joyful tale of couch surfing that brings to mind Mojo Nixon. The more traditional R&B, Stones-y tunes are similar to The Connection or Watts, with “Feasibility Holdout” and “Might Want Out” being standout tracks. Overall, a fine album that deserves to be heard.

Amazon

The Harmony Motel and Diamond Hands

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The Harmony Hotel

The Harmony Motel “Topical Depression”

Stanton Hall (The Zags) takes a detour from his band to this wild diversion. Starting with the electro-funk instrumental “The Plan” it goes into “Played By The Game” a compelling slice of piano pop akin to Ben Folds combined Bowie and add in some prog-pop elements. Next is the chugging beat of “Gettin’ Started Late,” it’s another winner that delivers a strong chorus before it leads to the sleepy synths of “Faces” which reminds me of Godley & Creme’s arty pop. “Mushrooms” is a bit of filler (with Hazel H rapping) but better is the impressive composition of “Comment Comment” and “Topical Depression” with its western slide guitar that morphs into a waltz. Some of these songs work, and a few don’t, but overall the experience proves that Stanton’s Harmony Motel is worthy of a visit. Come and stay awhile.

Bandcamp only

Diamond Hands

Diamond Hands “Thank You”

After three retro gems and some solo work, the duo of Jon Flynn (“Citrus”) and Joel Tyler Wall (“Green Wave”) join forces again for Thank You. And the retro-pop influences of previous entries are more in the background here, as Diamond Hands creates a more timeless sound. Similar to those Elephant Six bands of the late ’90s, they include elements of psych-pop and baroque folk.

From the start “The Magazine,” has a hook that keeps you engaged and a chorus that hums along, and  “She’s An Alien” enjoys a crunchy jangling lead and its fascination with beautiful women. There seems to be no single track that stands out as it’s all consistently good from top to bottom. From the aching vocal of “Out of My Head” or the slide guide chord progressions of “Runaway,” it’s a treat. It does get heavier (glam?) with “Ziggy,” and the tempos slow down towards the album’s second half. Overall a highly recommended album that further solidifies Diamond Hands as one of the best power pop bands around.

Kool Kat Musik

Jim Basnight with The Rockinghams and The Moberlys

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Jim Basnight remains a rock and roll survivor, from his days with The Moberlys in the ’80s, to The Rockinghams in the ’90s to today. Last year Power Popaholic released the full-length LP Jokers, Idols, and Misfits with our digital distribution on Bandcamp. This year Jim has gone back to his archives and re-released his original albums with those bands. These releases have been remastered and include never-before-released bonus tracks. Enjoy!

Jim Basnight with The Rockinghams

Jim Basnight with The Rockinghams “Makin’ Bacon”

While in Seattle, Jim Basnight teamed up with Criss Crass (Muffs) and Jack Hanan (Seattle’s Cowboys) to form this fun trio in 1992. Originally released on Not Lame Records in 1999 after the band broke up, its stage shows had a reputation for being pretty wild, and it’s easy to see why.

Opening with “Middle of the Night” has a grunge-fueled riff that sets the mood, “dancing to your favorite song” and the party has started. Bouncy punk-pop of “Need A Car,” “Played A Trick” and the jangling gem “Ho Chi Minh” show just how good this band was together. The songwriting feels immediate and the riffs and vocals are loose, on “More Than One Way” you get a hint of what they sounded live on stage. Basnight struts around and howls approval on “Lattes,” and impresses the groupies looking for a “Rock and Roll Girlfriend.” This release includes some rare tracks like “Ripple In The Bag,” “Miss America,” and “Python Boogaloo.” Highly Recommended.

Bandcamp

Jim Basnight and The Moberlys

Jim Basnight and The Moberlys “Seattle – New York – Los Angeles”

This 1995 Moberlys compilation (now updated and remastered) gathers many songs from the band’s career in the ’80s and is an underappreciated gem that still sounds timeless today. Influenced by The Byrds, The Raspberries, and The Rolling Stones (to name a few) they combine roots rock, garage rock, and new wave pop in a unique melange. The band changed line-up through each of the cities mentioned in the title, but Basnight was the constant.

“I Wanna Be Yours” recalls the sharp pop of The Pointed Sticks, while “Rest Up”  is a tight song that brings to mind both The Byrds and R.E.M. and on the ballad “Lose Me” Jim does his best Jagger-like vocal. The band successfully does roots-country on “Aint it Funny” and “Elma,” but can still do pop gems like “Summertime Again” and “She Always Smiled” with ease.  “Tonight” feels like Tom Petty, and “Your Fool” is a bouncy new wave radio hit.  This kind of musical variety was rarely done back then, and it’s more impressive that each genre is handled so well. No filler at all, and an important document of this “lost” power pop band. Highly Recommended.

Bandcamp