Power Pop Review Archives - Page 358 of 403

Popcast Update and a mention!

March 29, 2008July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

I hope you are downloading the FREE popcasts hosted by James Deem and Rob Reber (Ed James has taken some time off). The show has been introducing me to great local bands that will appear in the PopFest in July. The latest one (#11) features “Analog Daze” and actually thanks this site at about the 7 minute mark. Thanks for the props, guys! You can download them on their Charlotte Pop Fest My Space page or through Itunes. I will be reviewing a few of the bands featured in the coming week ahead.

The Unremarkables "Five Year Holiday"

March 21, 2008July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

This is a Norwich UK group that have an unapologetic, commercial American sound and a not-so-good name. The Unremakables have a bit of Coldplay meets The Goo Goo Dolls in them as the guitar strums lead the song to a sticky chorus in “In The Water (Part One).” Next comes the song “Back Stabbing” – a mainstreamed slice of alt rock with a blistering guitar solo at the end. “Everlast” and “The Only One” are the height of radio ready adult alternative style, with a pleasant mid-tempo guitar that is so generic it could be classified as a pop-lite. Things get much better with the highlight here “The Gift” where the rougher, punchy riffs match better with the James Oakleys inspired vocals. Another highlight is the memorable “Satellite Town” which laments a childhood, where a once vibrant town is in decay – the song has a real sticky chorus and is sure to linger. “Cruel Summer” has a bit of a paisley pop feel, and is full of vigor and emotion similar to The Crayons or The Gin Blossoms. Some of the other songs here suffer from a lack of “hook” but this shouldn’t put you off listening to the album. Unlike their namesake, it’s most remarkable and will have you repeating your favorite tracks in no time at all.

My Space | E-music | Itunes

Powerpopaholic’s Power Pop Reviews now syndicated in Italy

March 20, 2008July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic 5 Comments

Some select reviews are now going to be made available through the Italian rock magazine/web site Rockit. This is a great way to spread the good news of power pop bands to the Italian audience. This blog was selected as part of a group of reviewers for the site. If you know how to read in italian, check out our power pop reviews, power pop and rock and roll opinions. Power pop and even more power pop and rock and roll.

The Jet Age "What Did You Do During The War, Daddy?"

March 19, 2008July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

The Jet Age is an energetic indie rock band with a very contemporary sound, front man Eric Tischler sounds a little like Ray Davies if he joined The Lemonheads. The indie press seems to love them, from Wired to Pitchfork. This is less power pop, but more a standard rock band with good harmonies and a wall of sound style of production, where layers of guitars fill the audio space completely. A highlight is “Dance” – where a special nod goes to drummer Pete Nuwayser, who does the best Keith Moon impression I’ve heard this year. Other songs bring to mind The Odds or early Sloan (“If I Had You Then, I’d Still Want You Now” has that plus the Kinks thrown in for good measure). Another highlight for me was the mesmerizing “O, Calendar” throwing drum and guitar at you much like Guided By Voices. The flowing, ever repeating guitar rhythms tend to take over many of the songs (“Dumb” is an example of this). The theme of the album is of political nature and the lyrics are pretty insightful in “I Said Alright.” Things get a bit shoegazer on “Now We Are Three” but get a bit punky on “Maybe Love’s A Transmission.” Listen to the streaming album “What Did You Do During The War Daddy?” You can buy the album directly from the band’s website.

The Jet Age Webpage | My Space

Listen to “O, Calendar”

Geoff Westen "Vidiots – Tune In!!"

March 18, 2008July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

Okay time for a side trip. How about a flashback to the era of “Weird Science” and weirder hairdos? As a follow up to “The Pigs” Geoff Westen is not content in staying with one type of musical style and with his latest “Vidiots – Tune In” we get a flashback to 1982 via new wave pop. Like a bizarre mix of The Talking Heads and The Cars with Roxy Music as your backing band, Westen has the period down perfectly. I am sure at some point, this music will be fashionable again (after all it happened to Disco). As good and slick as the production is the songs themselves don’t really make an impression on me until “Angry Young Man” which would fit nicely into the dance pop category along with Pseudo Echo. “Action Man” is a well written pop tune about “goin’ to a party”. Then some experimental synthpop entered the scene with “Some of you Girls” and he loses me again. If you are patient, you’ll get a good pop tune like “Searching For Love” with a very David Byrne-like vocal. The funky “Friend or Lover” heads into Devo territory and does a excellent job although it seems to drag on over six minutes. If your musical taste runs into this nostalgia trip of day-glo colors, Westen will be happy to start your “party out-of-bounds.”

Disturbing Music | My Space | CD Baby