Category: Power Pop Review

Not really power pop, but regular rock here. Fans of Counting Crows and Dave Matthews Band will find a lot to like about Fair Herald, with it’s laid back guitars and Mike Kuntz wailing lead vocals. The opening song “From Peotone” has a steady beat and effective piano lead, hits its comfort zone early and it continues with the mellow REM-like “Whirlwind” where Kuntz sings “There’s no where else to run anymore.” The next song is one of the albums best, “Coyote Nowhere” with it’s alt-country guitar ballad style and sunny mood and light percussion – similar to Whiskeytown or Old 97s. The remaining songs on the album tread on familiar guitar rock ground, and don’t really distinguish themselves from each other. There are exceptions though. “Never Said Hello” and Make Me Blue” are standouts as musings on a relationship with a musician, and both have an impressive guitar solo to end the songs. Fans of the above mentioned bands should check them out.

Fair Herald website | MySpace | CD Baby | Itunes

Rinaldi Sings is the new group fronted by singer and songwriter Steve Rinaldi. A big band with a big sound, they play uptempo moddish pop that nods to the band’s northern soul and sixties influences. He’s played in IPO Liverpool this year too. Rinaldi’s influence is more swinging Carnaby Street kitsch than Beatles and Bryds here. The horns and organ dominate most of the melodies, leaving the guitars as supporting players. Steve’s vocals are great, but for some strange reason they remind me of Greg Page (of The Wiggles) – maybe it’s the whole “feel-good” rock vibe here. Opening with the bouncy “You Take Me There” sets the album’s tone of distinctive cheeky optimism. Like the bubblegum pop hits of Tom Jones or Petula Clark with modern rhythms. A highlight is “End of An Error” which has an insanely catchy melody and harmony that resembles the best of The Beautiful South and other Manchester bands with those great Bacharach-ian horns. Other nostalgic trips like the wonderful “The Only Show in Town” get in a Harpers Bizarre mood. The beautiful orchestration is another detail that bumps this album up a notch. The Housemartins are another Hull band that draws comparison here, as far as hooks and horns, but Rinaldi’s voice is much stronger. No bad tracks here – a worthy earful of classic up-tempo pop music.

Rinaldi Sings “Avenues & Alleyways”

I would like to bow my head in respect and honor the memory of
Audities publisher Gary Littleton.

Gary suffered a massive stroke involving the right hemisphere of his
brain last June. After extensive therapy and rehab he was released from
hospital paralyzed on the left side of his body and confined to a
wheelchair. He continued to seek therapy and rehab in Tampa for
several months. He never was able to recover from this.

He passed away on June 28. Without him and the Audities mag/site/list – I would not be listening to great music, let alone blogging about it. He championed the genre like no other and will be missed.

“I can feel it, now its time
Open your eyes
Fears be gone, it wont be long
Theres a light in the sky
Its okay to look outside
The day it will abide
And watch the sunrise.”

– Big Star “Watch the Sunrise”

An album full of simple pleasures made by a pop music veteran, Van Duren. I’ll be quick with the history here, but Van Duren is part of Big Star lore, partnering with Jody Stephens and Chris Bell in 1976. He would have taken Bell’s spot in Big Star if the band had survived. Undaunted he’s been making music over the past 30 years in the Memphis area. His latest “Open Secret” is a collection of sweet pop songs and ballads that make for fine listening. The opener “Stars Inside” has a bit of that Big Star flavor, with hummable melody and guitar strums. Similar to other southern rockers like Mitch Easter or Don Dixon, the earnest vocals come out on “Face to Face Again” where he laments “Children grow up too fast/ All we can do is cast a long shadow.” Like a lot of adult themed pop, the subjects are varied from love, loss and aging. Elements of the title track “Open Secret” are similar to Brian Wilson and Todd Rundgren, with full strings and woodwinds. My favorite here is “Heart Trouble” where he is joined by both Terry Ferguson and Probyn Gregory (Wondermints) with a hook filled guitar melody that inspires. Van Duren is limited a bit by his vocal range, but the instrumentation is pure gold as “At The Lonely Hearts” reminds me of a Hudson Brothers ballad. More Todd comparisons come to mind on the mid tempo songs (“Oh Kay” and “Europe”). The last track “Europe” is also a standout here, with piano and guitar dramatics that bring the album to a fitting finale. Overall, this is a great album that power pop fans are sure to enjoy.

Van Duren’s Site | MySpace | Not Lame

The pop mind of Gilbert Garcia is fertile. The band name roughly translated means “My fault” – and it isn’t a mistake that his band, the Memphis based Mea Culpa has a great pop sensibility that resembles Ben Folds, Elvis Costello and Big Star all at once. Recorded at the legendary Ardent Studios, “Madison” should lift the band to new highs and make the leap to stardom. Helped by bassist Adam Hill, this is a short album (8 songs) but it’s a quality collection. Opening with the “Coming Back To Me” it resembles a the band You Am I, even Gilbert’s vocal approach is like Tim Rogers.The song is full of sweet hooks and it continues on the smartly written “Resume” lead by a strong piano melody. However the album’s high point is the guitar rock goodness of “You’re Not The One” – it’s got hit single written all over it. Then the album settles into a bit more of a laid back position with the Teenage Fanclub-like “What You Want” and the very Ben Folds-like “Your Best Appendage.” After that unfortunately the remaining songs can’t compete with the earlier ones in terms of memorability. But the flashes of brilliance are definitely worth your ears and a purchase. 

Mea Culpa Site | CD Baby | Itunes

Listen to “You’re Not The One”