Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

Brendan Benson and Librarians with Hickeys

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Brendan Benson

Brendan Benson “Dear Life”

Brendan Benson is a rarity; a veteran power-pop artist still making great music that resonates with mainstream audiences. Even with his stint in the rock band The Raconteurs with Jack White, he’s always touched on the zeitgeist effectively. He’s bent his style to suit current music trends on his opener “I Can If You Want Me To” full of looped samples, dubstep styled beats, and synth effects. But he doesn’t break, and “Good to Be Alive” effectively gets the message out, despite the programmed beats and middle-aged realization “my body’s getting older, but my brain is aging slower.”

Eventually, the guitar hooks find their way to us via “Half a Boy (Half A Man)” a brilliantly arranged single. Next “Richest Man” and “Baby’s Eyes” find Benson coming to terms with the joys of middle age, and both songs are excellent. “Dear Life” and “I Quit” are a lyrically darker, but no less catchy. The apt described “Freak Out” shifts the sound level up a few notches. The album is unpredictable and has enough of “classic” Benson mixed with his more experimental tunes to make it a great listen overall. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

Librarians with Hickeys

Librarians with Hickeys “Long Overdue”

Akron Ohio power pop band Librarians With Hickeys start the album with the Velvet Crush-like gem “Until There Was You” full of crunchy jangle and a late ’60s Byrdsian approach to the vocal melody. The band is led by Ray Carmen (vocals, guitar) and Mike Crooker (guitar, vocals), with the addition of Andrew Wilco (bass) and Rob Crossley (drums). Next, “That Time Is Now” builds a wall of harmony with twin Rickenbacker, handclaps, tambourine, and Lisa Mychols(!) backing vocals.

The style shifts a little closer to the early ’80s on “And Then She’s Gone,” and “Next Time” with its reverb chords and brass accents. Fans of REM and Game Theory will flip for “Obsession” and “Poor Reception.” These influences are more pronounced on the album’s second half, but they get down to power pop basics on the catchy “Black Velvet Dress.” Overall a very strong debut that deserves to be heard. Check it out.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik


El Goodo and Marshall Holland

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El Goodo

El Goodo “Zombie”

Welsh pop band El Goodo (yes… named after the Big Star song, “Ballad Of El Goodo”) is back with a retro-styled album that definitely sounds familiar to grizzled music aficionados. Zombie contains many of the touchpoints of the late 60s era, with country/roots progressions and harmony-rich melodies.

The harmonies take over the opening ballad “Things Turn Around,” and “Home” is very much like a Mike Nesmith (Monkees) penned tune that bounces and jangles along. The vintage riffs of “I Can’t Leave” bring to mind the peak of The Beau Brummels. The country banjo, slide guitar twang, and harmonica keeps “Forever Casting Shadows” and “You Let Me Down” shuffling along despite the very dark lyrics. “The Grey Tower” is about being stuck at a job, working longs hours, and dreaming of getting home. It’s a solid narrative, and the wicked baseline brings to mind The Zombies. There is some lightness in the instrumental “Sounds Good To Me, Man” and the last song, “If The Coast Is Clear” is a bit like a Beatles-era Ringo song. Overall this is like a really good mixtape with some inventive techniques that prevent the songs from sounding too much like their influences.
Check it out.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik


Marshall Holland

Marshall Holland “Paper Airplane”

Marshall Holland returns after a 6-year break, and following his creative impulses, he created a response to the heartache of our current events. The catchy gem “When The Rain Comes” brings those classic pop sounds upfront (fans of The Left Banke will love it.) The acoustic “Hand Holds A Bird” brings an emotional resonance as a plea for love states “a ring on a finger speaks more than words.” The title track evokes the band America, as his double-tracked vocals float across the chorus. It’s brilliantly written, as well as the romantic harpsichord led “Look Into My Eyes.”

Looking at the pandemic through the sober “Waiting For That Peace & Love” contrasts with the guarded optimism of “Don’t Do It.” Elvis Costello is a significant influence on the pounding opener “Our Fate,” “She Buys A Dress” and the anti-Trump theme “Whatcha Gonna Do.” Some of these do require repeat listens, but they grow on you quickly. Marshall performs everything himself, and his musicianship is solid. Fans of Seth Swirsky, Ken Sharp, and Bread will soak this up. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

Book review: “I Don’t Fit In” by Paul Collins

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Paul Collins

I Don’t Fit In: My Wild Ride Through the Punk and Power Pop Trenches with The Nerves and The Beat

by Paul Collins (Author), Chuck Nolan (Author)
HoZac Books 2020

Paul Collins gives us the full story from his childhood in New York to the birth of The Nerves, The Breakaways, and The Beat. This is an unvarnished biography showcasing the beginnings of the DIY Power Pop movement in the late 1970s. The story is lively, and Paul’s inner voice comments on some of those crazy moments through his timeline, often referencing career advice from his bandmate and mentor Jack Lee.

Paul’s story is a definitive record of his dogged persistence in the early days, and how he overcame the long odds to become the rock and roll legend he is. In 1977 The Nerves undertook a cross country tour with no manager, no label, and no money. Often playing clubs where the audience was not friendly, but they got to open for The Ramones and supply a hit song for Blondie. Paul goes through all the quirks of touring back then, and how The Nerves gave way to The Breakaways. But it isn’t until he forms The Beat that his career really takes off. The Beat’s debut was one of the best power pop albums of that era and the band’s major-label career is a musical Cinderella story, full of heroes and villains. Paul’s passionate narrative reveals all the drama, victories, and defeats. Plus, it’s got loads of previously unseen photos, flyers, and ephemera from each band. This is a highly recommended book.

Get it on Amazon

 

Dana Countryman and Ryan Allen

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Exploding Flowers

Dana Countryman “Come Into My Studio”

Dana Countryman is a true craftsman of retro adult pop, and for his latest album, he literally takes you on a “tour” of his musical menagerie with plenty of contributing guests; Brian Gari, Ronnie D’Addario, Dee Long, Probyn Gregory, Matt Tyson, Kai Danzberg, Chad Quist, Scott Bennett, Scott McPherson, Tricia Countryman and Kirkcaldy McKenzie.

This album is really for fans of glossy AM pop in the vein of The Carpenters, Captain & Tennille, and Christopher Cross. “Come Into My Studio” is a breezy intro, and then the catchy “Take A Little Chance” sparkles through the speakers, much like those boy-girl pop gems Neil Sedaka used to write. The hooks are all over highlights like “Ecstasy,” “Where Can My Baby Be?” And “Every Time You Break My Heart.” The early Beatle-isms are all over the gem “Better Let Her Go,” and “Same Old Dream” is like an old variety show routine, with a tap dance interlude!

Several tunes bring to mind TV themes, like “It Happens Every Time” and “You Gotta Love Jeanne Marie.” Dana’s music can sometimes be a bit too much treacle for some, but he’s controlled those impulses here. That makes it a highly enjoyable and recommended gem!

Amazon


Ryan Alen Extra Arms

Ryan Allen “Song Snacks Vol. 1”

Ryan Allen takes a page from the Guided By Voices playbook and create a bevy of very short songs bursting with energy and creativity. And like his hero Robert Pollard, Allen does a great job. “Inventing Sports,” “Luke Warm” and “Barking Up The Right Tree” are excellent power-pop tunes that maintain the Extra Arms sound with a touch of GBV lo-fi fuzz and they seamlessly flow together. Similar to Nick Frater’s 59 Vignettes these songs are no longer than one to 2-minute sketches, and with a bit more flesh on the bones. Ryan was also influenced by The Wrens and  Olivia Tremor Control in style and production.

Lots of fun to be had here, from the driving riffs of “Trash Mountain” and “Gem City” to the glam goodness of “You’ve Been Electrocuted.” The music alternates between these louder songs and softer acoustic rhythms on songs like “Raspberry Ghost,” which really deserve a longer treatment. While not everything is gold here, there is more than enough to recommend. This has been a banner year for short attention spans with Ryan Allen, Nick Frater, and 2nd Grade. It’s all music that deserves to be heard.

Amazon

Singles, Previews, and Freebies… Oh My! Brad Brooks, Geoff Palmer & Lucy Ellis, Lava Fangs, Ryan Hamilton and the Harlequin Ghosts, Persian Leaps

powerpopaholic

When you’re feeling down on yourself, do you ever put on music to lift your spirits? Music has the power to brighten our mood, reduce stress, and improve your health and overall well-being. Here are some new singles, previews, and freebies for the end of summer.

Brad Brooks‘s new album God Save The City is let for October release. This preview track is loosely based on Roky Erickson (13th Floor Elevators) mental issues. Have you thanked your local postal worker?

Geoff Palmer & Lucy Ellis cover John Prine’s track “In Spite of Ourselves” – it’s a great cover, check it out!

This is a new Melbourne band Lava Fangs recalls late 80s rock with a catchy chorus in “Line Up For A Broken Heart”

Ryan Hamilton and the Harlequin Ghosts have a new LP set to release next month. “Can I Get An Amen” is a rocker that reminds me of Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive”

New Persian Leaps! The band sounds really tight here. New EP set for September release.

The trio of Nick Bertling, Scott, and Kevin Robertson try a modern update of the classic Kinks LP. Very faithfully rendered and wonderfully performed. FREEBIE!

Rum Bar Records artists deliver a boatload of tracks; enjoy Brad Marino, The Laissez Fairs, Tom Baker and the Snakes, Justine and the Unclean, The Dirty Truckers, Spanking Charlene, and many more! It’s all at a “name-your-price.” Enjoy!