Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

Szuters and Lisa Mychols & Super 8

powerpopaholic
ç

The Szuters “Sugar”

The Szuter brothers; Mike and CJ were always guitar heads that played melodic rock, much like The Lund Brothers. In the late ’90s they formed The Szuters and let loose a great rare LP in Japan, but then changed the band to heavy alt-rock and their name to Magna-Fi. They ended up at Ozzfest in 2004 supporting Sevendust, but the band faded from view six years later.

Coming back to their power-pop roots, “Sugar” is everything we missed from The Szuters, and it lives up to the title. Opening with the Beatlesque “Two We Will Always Be” its a super catchy melody with sticky sweet harmonies. The piano-based “Don’t Lie To Me” is another winner, with a wild psyche-pop riff mid-break. Fans of  The Raspberries and Cheap Trick will love “Baby Don’t You Be So Blue,” and “She’s Coming Home With Me.” The Beatlesque gems return with “If You Only Knew” and “I Don’t Wanna Cry.” They turn up the amps for the heavier “Good Thing,” and not a note of filler anywhere. It’s a perfect balance of melodic sweetness and guitar crunch. Easily gets a top ten nomination for my year-end list. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN9i0UaRZx0

The Yum Yums

Lisa Mychols & SUPER 8 “Lisa Mychols & SUPER 8”

The “Queen of Power Pop” Lisa Mychols joins forces with British psyche-popper Paul “Trip” Ryan to deliver this playful confection for the ears.  Lisa’s light harmonies open thing on “What Will Be?” a hippie-infused psychedelic intro that seamlessly blends into the bouncy “Trip & Ellie’s Music Factory” and this is where the chemistry of the two artists play to each other’s strengths.

“Time Bomb” is another great example of kaleidoscopic pop. The tone of the music ebbs and flows from romantic (“Honey Bee”) to wry humor (“The Monkee Song”) but never loses momentum. It does mellow significantly towards the album’s second half with “Your Summer Theme” and “Laguna Night To Remember.” Mychols vocals are as lovely as ever, and Trip even adds his vocal lead to the acoustic “Peaceful.” This is music designed to relieve stress, so spin it and snap along to the music. Highly Recommended.

Bandcamp only

Tom Curless & the 46% and The Yum Yums

powerpopaholic
Tom Curless & the 46%

Tom Curless & the 46% “Almost Ready for the Future”

Michigan indie musician Tom Curless and his new band the 46% put in 100% effort into this sophomore album. Starting with the garage style of “Always In Between,” it encourages you to turn up the volume. Next, “House on Fire” shows more polish, and its the best album’s song. “I Just Wanna Talk” is a narrative tune with nods to The Cars in the chorus. The more rocking efforts “Fall Like Dominos” and “Unexpected Knock” have an early ’80s vibe, while “Ride Along Wave” recall peak Greg Khin. Overall a very fine album that deserves to be heard.

Amazon


The Yum Yums

The Yum Yums “For Those About To Pop!”

If you put power pop, punk, glam, and bubblegum in a blender then Norway’s The Yum Yums would be the result. They are a shoutout to The Ramones, The Beat, and similar bands, and the title track explains it quite nicely; “you’ll always have a friend in your three-chord pop songs.”

The perfectly simple punk song structures of “Baby Baby,” are contrasted by candy-coated chords and harmonies of “She’s Got Everything.” Every song hits the right notes on boy-girl romance. And at two-minutes plus the songs are all short, but still sweet. While stylistically consistent, the sameness of the songs can make things a little predictable. However, they will throw you a curveball like the doo-wop chorus on “Say You’ll Be Mine,” or a sunny pop chorus in “The Kind of Girl.” The terrific riffs and solid hooks still make this an easy choice: Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Odds, Ends, and Reissues: Nick Frater, Spiraling, The Orange Peels, Roger J. Manning Jr.

powerpopaholic

If you thought 2nd Grade’s songs were a bit too long, Nick Frater has the solution for the ADD music fan. 59 songs all under a minute! I have to admit, the first two hooked me right away, “Intro” and “Say It’s Alright” are stunning Beach Boys recreations. Not everything is that good, but some have little clues to the influence; like “Another Nod To Todd.” Irresistible!

New to me (maybe to you) is this 2003 release from New Jersey musician Tom Brislin. Spiraling is a mix of many pop styles, but what stood out to me is the piano tune “The Girl On Top (of the Piano)” which is as catchy as anything Ben Folds has ever done. An overlooked gem, re-issued on bandcamp.  Get it on Amazon
Hard to believe it all started in 1997 for Allen Clapp. The Orange Peels “Square” is a timeless classic, that still sounds fresh today. This new re-issue is labeled “Square³” and it boasts 40 tracks with demos, bonuses, an alternate album… what else do you need? Get it on Amazon

During my last interview with Roger Joseph Manning Jr., he mentioned a re-release of his solo output was coming, and here it is. These albums have long been out of circulation and its good to have them back dutifully remastered by mixing engineer John Paterno under Manning’s supervision. This catalog threesome consists of 2006’s The Land Of Pure Imagination, 2008’s Catnip Dynamite, and his 2018 PledgeMusic EP, Glamping.

Visit rogerjosephmanningjrofficial.com to get these re-issues directly.

Kai Danzberg and Honeywagen

powerpopaholic
Kai Danzberg

Kai Danzberg “Rockshow”

Germany’s wunderkind Kai Danzberg has proven to be a musician with a flair for the dramatic as he starts his fresh album “Rockshow,” with a fantasy concert motif. The title track is catchy, well written, and recalls his earlier material. But this isn’t a concept album. It’s more a collection of dynamic singles. The bouncy love song “You & Me” and “Living Room” are great examples of Kai as the impulsive romantic, bursting with optimism to the beat. Adding more horns and layered vocals and we get the dense melody of “Waiting For You,” and it’s a big highlight here. The ELO and Jellyfish influences are also still there, as “Making It Right” jumps out of the speakers with those sparkling harmonies assisted by Dana Countryman.

“Oh, Girl” is a jazz-themed torch song with assistance from Drake Bell that features solid musicianship, but it feels a little out of place. Kai has always added great ballads to his albums and “Undone” certainly is another highlight. For variety, there are funky disco beats on the dance track “Magic Night.” Overall this is a wonderful album that deserves multiple listens so check it out. Highly Recommended.

Amazon


Honeywagen

Honeywagen “Halfdog”

Its been a few years since Honeywagen’s Jamboree, but these veteran musicians from Kansas City are back showing off their Midwestern vintage rock style. Starting with “For Love” it features catchy guitar riffs, harmonies, and compelling jangling rhythm. The Rickenbacker jangle continues with the roots-influenced “Anywhere The Wind Blows.” Guitarists Mike Penner and Scott Christensen play so well off each other, it makes “All That Matters” a solid love song, and the end solo complements the melody perfectly. The tempo slows for “Running Out Of Time,” with more of country-rock feel, and and “Maybe Maybe Not” brings to mind mid-70s classic rock, like Traffic.

“On The Beach” is a simpler Beatlesque sort of tune with a descriptive lyric, but a big highlight is “All The Little Things” with a stronger melody and bigger hook – it’s my favorite track. When they don’t overthink the lyrical story (“The Waitress”) and let the band cut loose, its a much better listening experience. That said, fans of The Beatles, The Byrds, and The Grip Weeds will enjoy this band. Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

The Successful Failures and Fernando Perdomo

powerpopaholic
Successful failures

Successful Failures “Pack Up Your Shadows”

As one of New Jersey’s most accomplished bands, The Successful Failures are not afraid to color outside the lines. Mick Chorba (guitar, vocals), Ron Bechamps (bass, mandolin, vocals), Rob Martin (drums), and Pete Smith (guitar) start off with a series of Bluegrass-Country influenced songs that I’d expect more from Wilco or The Jayhawks. However, “Honeycomb” and “On Down The Line” are great catchy tunes, and Bechamps mandolin is front-and-center here.

“Murder ‘Neath the Silver Moon” is a great transitional story song, it reminded me of The Black Crowes, and that twang is joined by a strong lead guitar. “This Girl” continues the streak, with layers of rhythm guitars and a great chorus, it’s definitely a rocking “hit.” The band cuts loose on “More of The Same” with its Chuck Berry-like riffs, then slowing to a bluesy crawl mid-way through before it comes back roaring to life. Mick then comes back to the country-based bar songs, “Whiskey” and “Something Good.” No weak tunes are to be found here. The band seems to be excellent no matter what genre they play. Grab a shot of your favorite libation and listen up. It’s highly recommended.

Amazon


Fernando Perdomo

Fernando Perdomo “The Leo August Album”

Fernando has been very busy lately, doing some great collaborations this year with Justin Paul Sanders and Dave Kerzner (to name a few.) This is a concept album about a musician named Leo August who is on his death bed at the end of his battle with a deadly disease. The somber story is told through Fernando’s acoustic fingerpicking and first-person lyric.

There is a deep feeling of regret and sadness throughout, like classic Lee Hazlewood or Leonard Cohen. The melodies are very bittersweet. An early standout is “Release” is a song about Leo pleading to his fellow musicians to get their music out before it’s too late. The double meaning is all too clear, as Leo seeks a release from regrets. The psychedelic “Float Away” creates a dreamy soundscape, and “Fade Out” has the best message here; “I wanna live, till I die. I wanna get to say goodbye.” While this album has an effective narrative and mood, it seems stretched out to cover the 10 songs here. Still, it’s an effective downbeat album, and if you are feeling depressed, it will feel like Fernando is playing directly to you. Check it out.

Amazon