Category: Power Pop Review

In honor of the 4th annual Record Store Day, Steven Wilson (of Plasticsoul) and Brandon Schott perform a cover version of the Big Star classic “THANK YOU FRIENDS.” This download is limited to 200 units only, so get it quick!

The Honey Pies “Think Of England”
From Australia comes this vintage sounding 60’s fuzz rock band that’s a lot like a Starburst sour and sweet chew. It’s got a hard punk rock shell with a sweet chewy melodic center.

“Sex Wax” opens things up with blistering guitar rhythms and Freakbeat drumming. “Hair of The Dog” continues the manic pace until we get to the melodic “Get It Right” with it’s perfect blend of echoing vocals and harmonies, it’s a real highlight. You’ll also get some garage do-wop similar to early Kinks in tracks like “Don’t Mention The War” and “Diving Bell.” It’s all good stuff here, the band even manages to throw in some Merseybeat with “She Don’t Love You.” Stylistically it never is quite clean cut, and sometimes it goes for the throat with the punk rants “DQYDJB” and “Bossanova.” One of the most versatile bands I’ve heard this year, it will appeal to fans of both The Beatles and The Sex Pistols simultaneously.

CD Baby | Amazon

Tiny Animals “Our Own Time”
New York City power-pop trio (husband & wife, Chris & Rita Howerton, on guitar & drums respectively, and bassist Anton Kriesi) have already been veterans of TV music (like MTV’s Jersey Shore and The Real World) so it’s no surprise Our Own Time is a decent example of modern power pop.

Themes of love and breakup aren’t new, but the melodies here are non-threatening and several times you get enough smart hooks to draw you in, like on the great opener “Fight or Flight” and the bombastic “You Let The Whole World Down” full of heavy guitar riffs and floating backing vocals that weaves together a blanket of sound. “Wait For Me” has a nice dance beat with the chorus and a few more standouts have some really nice production like “I Don’t Need This Love” and “The Moment.” The band does veer into the mainstream a bit too much on  “I Can’t Cry Forever” and “Nah Nah Nah” which seem like demos for some Disney ingenue. Hopefully Tiny Animals will do well enough to leave the formulaic behind in future releases.

The NYC trio of Stuart Klinger, Steve Wickins and Yianni Naslas create hook heavy gems in this sophomore release. Vocals recall Rhett Miller in spots, and really work magic on tracks like “For The Best” and “The Things I’ve Done,” the latter track has a great riff that sound like Fountains of Wayne and Old 97’s combined. “Running Away” rocks a bit more, with a nice bridge to the chorus and it makes up for the occasional misfire (“World”).

The band has some creative song composition and smart lyrics, but at times the vocals don’t always click. But there is plenty here to recommend. Fans of Sloan will enjoy the heavier sounds “Timeline” and “Uhm” near the album’s end and fans of jangle pop will be thrilled with “Oh No.”I would definitely say this is a solid effort that fans of indie rock will really enjoy.

CD Baby | Amazon

Hurtsmile is a new project by Extreme/Van Halen frontman Gary Cherone and his brother Mark. Fans of Extreme will find similarities in theme and tone with his previous band’s masterwork “III Sides To Every Story.” The band straddles the line from brilliant hard rock (“Just War Theory”) to unlistenable tripe (“Jesus Would You Meet Me”). Mark Cherone is an excellent guitarist as evidenced on “Stillborn.” The riff work on “Kaffur (Infidel)” is so good it overshadows Gary’s vocals and even the melody line. The best rocker is “Love Thy Neighbor” both Cherones are equally represented here. But what is surprising is the amount of mellow ballads and eclectic experiments. The best of this style is the soulful “Beyond The Garden/Kicking against The Goads.”

Overall a solid mixed bag here. Even Mark’s skills and Gary’s impressive vocals cannot save a horrible song like “Just War Reprise.” Fans should pick through this release for the goodies hidden here.

Penguin Party “Sex furniture warehouse and other stories”
Dave Milligan has a lovable quirky attitude on this third Penguin Party album. “Mike Leigh-on-sea” is an impressive XTC styled single, and the album goes off on the theme of senior citizenship with typical British jangle and whimsy. The production is sparse compared to the last album, and it brings us a homey intimacy on “She Was Only A Roofer’s Daughter.” It’s like Martin Newell doing a sing-a-long in the pub, especially on the charming “Song For My Old Lady.” Sometimes it looses it’s way getting too jokey (like an old Monty Python tune) or experimental. But there are more than enough gems here (like the terrific “Whatever Happened to Tomorrow’s World?”) to make it worth your while. Fans of Mr. Newell and Mr. Partridge shouldn’t miss this one.

Sitting Target Music | Bandcamp

Lousy Robot “Hail The Conquering Fool”
If you mixed The Eels and Apples in Stereo in a blender you might get Lousy Robot. This Albuquerque indie band knows about quirky synth hooks and fuzzy riff based pop. Listening to the hand clapping goodness of “Andy Warhol’s Gone” it sets expectations high. The album balances out tight melodies in songs like “The Peacock” with low key filler (“A Not Quite Perfect Film”). Some of the stream of conscious lyrical musings work well on “Christmas In Berlin” and it sets you up for sweet tracks like “Sugarsweet Me.” However the band wears its slacker badge with pride, as “A Man On A Weird Horse, Pt. 1” teases us with a single bridge. And that’s the issue I have – a few good songs surrounded by a pile of loose snippets. This 12 track album felt more like an EP, so I hope the band makes more pop and less “corn” on the next album. Pick out the choice kernels here.

MySpace | Bandcamp | CD Baby