Category: Power Pop Review

Friday Freebies: The Black Hearthrobs and Stone Ridge

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The Black Hearthobs “The White Album”
The Black Heartthrobs are a three-piece melodic garage rock band from Culver City. This was a pretty unique cover approach to the Beatles “White Album.” The band re-imagined many of the songs by changing the chords, structures, and melodies around, for example “Don’t Pass Me By” sounds like a Pet Sounds outtake. Some of these songs are so different I wish these melodies contained new original lyrics, on the other hand it makes for really interesting listening. And its a FREE download so don’t complain!

Bandcamp

Stone Ridge

Stone Ridge “The Lost Recordings 1968 -1971”
Hidden in the vaults of Capricorn Records USA for over 50 years, we’ve dusted off the legendary band-that-never-was: Stone Ridge! Next time we’ll leave well enough alone. If you’d like to know more about this legendary band from Brooklyn, we can offer you the first single absolutely FREE for download.  For more you’ll have to Listen to Dave “The Boogieman” on 11L Radio New York International this Sunday April 3rd here.

Bandcamp

Prix and The Rubinoos

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Prix “Historix”

What would a fourth Big Star album have sounded like? A rare and historic artifact of the mid 1970’s the Prix Historix album is finally out on HoZac Records. Prix was the postscript to Big Star, and started off after Tommy Hoehn and Jon Tiven had both been part of the legendary power pop band’s final incarnation. Tommy contributed to the final album Sister Lovers/3rd, and Tiven filled out the last live version of the band on their 1974 tour. The following year the pair recruited Alex Chilton and Chris Bell, and then added Rick Clark on bass as they headed into the legendary Ardent Studios in Memphis to record. Listening to this it sounds like a lost Big Star record with denser production and heavier guitars.

Listen to “Girl” and “She Might Look My Way” and you’ll hear those classic sharp melodies and ringing guitar riffs. “Love You Tonight (Saturday’s Gone)” is another grand mid tempo ballad similar to Radio City, “Take Me Home And Make Me Like It” (one of the Alex Chilton tracks from the Tiven-produced Bach’s Bottom) is another gem; and Tiven’s “Every Time I Close My Eyes” as another potential A-side hit. The band never released anything more than an EP single, and it was previously only available as a Japanese import. There is still quite a bit of filler added, but having this music remastered and available makes it worth the trip. Since this re-release and new interest in the band, Tiven has reformed Prix with Sid Herring (The Gants) and plans to make new music next year. For Big Star fans this is essential.

Amazon


Rubinoos

The Rubinoos “The LP Collection Vol​.​1”

In the mid seventies, power pop was at a low ebb, The Raspberries and Dwight Twilley were considered leaders of a genre that was losing steam with the record buying public despite notable exceptions (Fotomaker, Hudson Brothers, Ray City Rollers). But The Rubinoos came into this environment with a bubble gum twist to each catchy melody played with a tongue-in-cheek innocence. Album tracks like “Peek A Boo” and “Rock and Roll is Dead” showed both playful humor and solid musicianship. Its hard to find a dud among the fine material here that deserves re-discovering.

This claims to be the definitive vinyl collection of The Rubinoos first 3 classic albums (“The Rubinoos”, “Back To The Drawing Board” and “The Basement Tapes”, which was never released on vinyl before), remastered and adorned with bonus tracks. This collection stops prior to the 1983 Todd Rundgren produced comeback album “Party of Two,” which I expect will be on volume 2. Very Highly Recommended.

Bandcamp | Amazon (vinyl)

Cliff Hillis and Dropkick

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Cliff Hillis “Love Not War” EP

Cliff is back! Another EP loaded with excellent songs. The catchy title track is finely crafted gem that works on several levels in the pristine production. The follow up “The Buddha’s Belly” has a little honky-tonk styling that just encourages spontaneous dancing. From there the styles shift from folk pop (“Don’t Drown The Wind”) to mid tempo power pop (“Mayor Of Midnight,”) each song a worthy gem that deserves repeat listens. Of course highly recommended, so pick it up!

Itunes

Dropkick

Dropkick “Balance The Light”

The prolific Scottish band formed by brothers Andrew and Alastair Taylor and friend Ian Grier continues to develop some of the best pop on its latest album. The bands influences include The Jayhawks, The Byrds, and Wilco with a West Coast easy going sensibility.  “Save Myself” is a slow mellow confessional that beautifully opens up mid-way through the song to an instrumental cacophony. The tempo stays the same on the excellent ballads “I’m Over It” and “I Wish I Knew.”

The album theme is a meditation on sadness after a breakup, “Where Do You Think I Went Wrong?” continues the relationship post-mortem. “Out Of Love Again” is a highlight with its jangling guitars and sharp harmonies. Another gem is “Homeward,” with its Neil Young-like melody, and the most upbeat song here “Slow Down” compares well with Teenage Fanclub. Despite it being a somber listen, the compositions are well written. Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

EP Reviews: The Foreign Films, Family Values, Skai, and The Harmalators

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Bill Majoros (aka The Foreign Films) continues his journey through his “Record Collector” project. Each “side” is released one at a time, like scenes from a film that will eventually tell the entire story. And its available as a “name-your-price” download. This is volume 4 of 6 and it explores songwriting shaped by the late 1970s and early ’80s. You’ll definitely hear a lot of Bowie influence on this one, check out “Falling Like A Star” and the glam-ballad “Time Disappears.”

Check it out here.

Family Values have been in the studio together with the Norwegian power pop legend Tomas Dahl (Caddy) and the result is the band’s second EP “Time Stands Still”, inspired by bands such as Teenage Fanclub, Go Betweens and Big Star. If you like summery jangle, this EP does the trick. They will be touring with The Posies in Oslo, Norway this April.

Amazon


Skai “Diskaises” – Born in New York and raised in the suburbs of New Jersey, SKai is a new pop talent that seems to do everything from alternative rock to dance pop, and everything in-between. SKai’s main influences are Chris Daughtry, Bruno Mars, Jason Mraz and Train. While I wasn’t thrilled with everything here, “Heart Attack” had a power pop like swagger and a catchy chorus. Check it out.

Itunes


The Harmalators “Greater Things” – From Santa Rosa, California the twin brothers Marlon Kay (bass guitar) and Norman Kay (lead guitar, keyboards) have returned with a new import EP from Japan. The title track is punctuated by a big beat and trumpets in the chorus. The band still has classic pop influences (Beach Boys, America) as “Today, Tomorrow and Yesterday” has a nice chord structure. Unfortunately the production and mixing sounds more like a live recording than a studio take, but still give it a listen.

Thistime Records

 

The Labradors and Wild Feathers

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Brett Harris

Labradors “The Great Maybe”

Three-piece powerpop/rock band from Milano, Italy have their second full length album out and it’s an impressive production. The quiet acoustic guitar ballad “I Won’t Let Anyone Hurt You” is a gentle poem to a “delicate creature” with dramatic swelling strings. The title track then swirls with guitars and drums similar in feel to Sloan or Weezer with harmonies in the chorus. “Jasmine” is even a touch harder, with lead Fabrizio Fusi sounding like Evan Dando here, and a nice bass guitar lead.

It quiets down considerably after this, but “Terrible Friend” is a heart-felt rocker about a mate who can’t get sober, and “All I Have Is My Heart” does the quiet verse-loud chorus thing quite nicely and both are winners.  The cat lovers theme “Paws” is another gem that will put a smile on your face for sure. Overall, the songs here are solid power pop and most of them are very good. Highly Recommended.

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The Wild Feathers

The Wild Feathers “The Wild Feathers”

Austin band The Wild Feathers is something both old and new. Ricky Young, Joel King, Taylor Burns, Preston Wimberly, and Ben Dumas grew up steeped in music – playing solo gigs, touring with local bands and working at venues. The guys came together in Austin in 2010 through coincidence, mutual friends, and a shared love of classic alt-country and southern rock. The young band spent the following year writing and reshaping their sound before heading into the studio to record with producer Jay Joyce (Cage the Elephant, Emmylou Harris).Their debut has a great mix of power pop and modern country music in parts with its dense, layered production.

To read more – check out the full review on BlogCritics.org

Amazon