In my day to day reviews, I sometimes get an e-mail request from a power pop newbie — “Where do I start?” Well lots of lists of bands have been compiled and it could go on forever. The range of musical styles of power pop are varied from the countrified jangle of The Byrds to the hard power chords of Cheap Trick and everything in between. But I found a nicely done web page with lots of mini-reviews to a bunch of classic 90’s – 00’s albums. If you want a power pop music collection, this would be a good place to start.
There is also a nice Jellyfish wallpaper to download.
Okay, then here is a non-power pop album that caught my attention last week on You Tube. VHS or Beta have a few catchy tracks on their latest album “Bring on the Comets”. “Love in my Pocket” is a great dance tune with a cool hook and pounding beat. Sounding alot like an 80s dance band with a bit of The Strokes guitar crunch. Another gem is “Can’t believe a Single Word” – and unlike recent hits by Scissor Sisters or Mika, this music will not inspire androgyny or the ghost of Freddy Mercury. The Liverpudlian synth pop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Echo and Bunnymen, The Cure and U2 are huge influences here. And by the mid point the album drifts into a case where tracks begin to resemble each other and blend into boredom until the excellent “Time Stands Still” wakes you up with a hot guitar riff that drives the entire melody to a great Cure-styled chorus. It’s worth a spin on the ipod if you’d like to workout or dance. Also a pretty in depth “behind the scenes” for the band is posted below. The album is due to come out August 28th.
Lee Hazlewood sings ‘These Boots Are Made For Walkin”
Okay, the above track sounds like some studio tomfoolery. Below is the real hit song with the smoothest bass line ever written. Nancy Sinatra sings ‘These Boots Are Made For Walkin”
Swedish songster Pelle Carlberg has a good sense of humor. In his self-titled opener “In A Nutshell” starts with two minutes of bleak boring piano, then two minutes of silence before the “pop” song begins “They say I need a hit song…” And the hilarious lyrics continue “I’d rather wear a leather thong.” Not bad. Pelle has a kind of soft pop approach similar to Belle and Sebastian or early Sondre Lerche. “Showercream and Onions” has a bouncy chorus that contradicts the distrubing lyrics “I like you, despise you.” Most of the album is low key and mellow, and fans of Nick Drake styled pop will enjoy it. “Middleclass Kid” has a bit of Billy Bragg styled storytelling with a great beat and a catchy hook. Pelle’s clever lyrics are easy to overlook, but they are brilliant and filled with sardonic wit. Other gems here are “Crying all the Way to the Pawnshop” and “I Love You Imbecile” – each with memorable chorus and rhythms. He kind of overreaches with the choir on the overly dramatic anthem “Pamplona” and the ballad “Why Do Today What You Can Put Off Until Tomorrow?” didn’t really impress me. But overall a solid effort that pop fans will enjoy. Stream the entire album here or get a free download at the Labrador site (Swedish).
Lee Hazlewood, the pop svengali who wrote the Nancy Sinatra hit ‘These Boots Are Made For Walkin”, died of cancer in Las Vegas on Saturday (August 4). He was 78. He was a recording eccentric who refused to acknowledge mainstream tastes; a songwriter capable of crippling fatalism (“My Autumn’s Done Come”) and playful country corn (“Dolly Parton’s Guitar”), and songs that use elements of both (“Dark in My Heart”); it’s all part of the highly contradictory legend of Hazlewood. His influence is felt all over today’s Alt. Country movement.