The Last Bees and Pezband

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The Last Bees

The Last Bees “The Last Bees” EP

Milwaukee-based The Last Bees are a project from the mind of singer-songwriter Ian Ash. Playing perfect Beatlesque pop music is comparable to Bushnell’s Law; “easy to learn, but difficult to master.” Very few bands have done it right (The Red Button is one of them) and I’m proud to say The Last Bees deserve to be part of this exclusive club. The Last Bees stick to the Fabs mop-top era (1964-66) for inspiration, and it would’ve been nice to move forward in time, but we can get to that on the next EP.

“I Can’t Wait” is pure infectious joy on par with the Wonders. The Beatles may be the starting template, but Ian makes sure each song has a unique catchy-as-hell chorus that finds the melodic sweet spot. The songs also tap into a kind of youthful vulnerability that has all but vanished from today’s pop music. Care is given to each song so it doesn’t become repetitive and at under three minutes — they never overstay their welcome. A big highlight for me was the mid-tempo ballad “The Final Sting,” with its glossy acoustic strums, recalling The Beatles “I’ll Be Back” in technique. Without a doubt one of the best retro pop EPs you’ll hear in 2019.

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Pezband

Pezband “Cover To Cover Remixed”

Remember power pop in the ’80s? While Pezband’s original Cover To Cover was released in 1979, it foreshadows the mid-80’s production techniques (big bass, delays, loaded reverbs) that gained popularity at that time. Fans will love this remix; the vocals are more prominent and other sonic details are clearer. I talked with band leader Mimi Bentinis earlier this week about the album.

Pezband’s great melodies are still guitar loaded, but they add some synths on “Stella Blue” and the title track adds a steel drum intro. The vocal work is also passed around a bit more. The band’s songwriting is solid, “Meika” should have been a huge hit. The band puts the “power” in power pop on “Back In The Middle,” and “Don’t Look Back.” In addition, “Unexpected” is another excellent tune that deserves repeat listens.

But you can also hear the band’s frustration with its lack of commercial success. One clue; “Make Me Happy” ironically doesn’t sound too happy. Betinis’ mid-tempo “Didn’t We” makes that frustration clear “why’s it all wrong / tried for so long / didn’t we?” It wasn’t that surprising that the band shut down soon afterward. But this rare LP from the Illinois power pop legends definitely deserves re-discovery. Fans of  The Beat, 20/20, The Plimsouls, and The Flashcubes will love this. Highly Recommended.

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EPs, freebies and singles: Un-Teens, Secret Friend, The Well Wishers, The Embryos and Any Version Of Me

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The Un-Teens are classic sounding power pop band with infectious hooks tipping their hat to early punk from Hamilton, Ontario.

Steven Fox’s band Secret Friend is back with a sweet single. Linus of Hollywood (guitars) and Roger Manning Jr. (keyboards) contribute!

Jeff Shelton is busy at work with both The Well Wishers and Trip Wires. “Feelin’ Fine” is a strong single paired with a cover of  Fleetwood Mac’s “Second Hand News.”
Chicago band The Embryos resemble Teenage Fanclub on the standout “Wasting All Your Time,” and the other tunes are good too! FREE Download!
French retro pop enthusiast Any Version of Me is back. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like we have a way to download the music – but we can stream these tunes. “Thinking of The Days” has a very Lennon-Harrison vibe, and “Look What You’ve Done” is a hybrid of The Four Tops and The Hollies!

The Power Popahoplic Interview: Mimi Betinis of Pezband

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Pezband (Mimi Betinis)

Pezband was an American power pop band formed in 1971 in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois. The original lineup consisted of Mimi Betinis (guitar and lead vocals), Mick Rain (drums and vocals), John Pazdan (guitar, piano and vocals), and Mike Gorman (bass and vocals). A recently remastered and remixed third LP, Cover To Cover is out now, and I talked with Mimi Betinis about this LP and what happened after that album.

Get the new Cover to Cover LP here.

The Maureens and The Beatpunkers

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The Maureens

The Maureens “Something In The Air”

The Maureens are from in Utrecht, the Netherlands with influences that recall The Beatles, The Byrds, Teenage Fanclub, and The Jayhawks. Over the years the band’s line-up has been thinned to a core four: Hendrik-Jan de Wolff (vocals/guitar), Wouter Zijlstra (vocals/bass guitar), Martijn Vink (guitar) and Stefan Broos (vocals/drums). Their songs are structured around blended harmonies and catchy melodies, and the Something in the Air album is their best one yet.

“4 AM” has a brilliant Rickenbacker jangling melody with a swelling chorus – a great standout. The tight harmonies on “20 Years for The Company” is like a mix of R.E.M. and Cast with its catchy folk chorus. The guitars get a little heavier on the ballad “She’s A Dreamer” and the easy-going “Can’t Stop” but the constant dual harmonies of Wolff and Zijlstra are what keeps things sweet. Another good comparison is The Spongetones — most songs are neat and short, with a only a few missteps. The jangling chords on the albums first half give way to rootsy acoustic ballads and some steel pedal guitar. “Trying To Reach You” and “Turn The Page” add guitar distortion to the compositions, and fans of The Grip Weeds will appreciate this. But despite all the retro techniques here, the music doesn’t dwell in nostalgia and sounds fresh and new. Highly Recommended without a doubt.

Amazon | CD Baby


Any Version Of Me

The Beatpunkers “Those Years Songs”

From sunny Spain, this trio formed in 2015 but longs for those skinny tie pop days when Paul Collins and The Jam ruled the airwaves. Lead singer Joseba “Joss” Aranburu explains “There are just three ingredients to define the Beatpunkers’ sound: a search for melody and vocal harmonies, power-pop guitars and a genuine garage-rock or even punk-rock drums all around.” It’s basic three-chord pop that starts out pretty straight  on the opener “Lonesome Heartbreaker.”

It moves into 80’s styled garage pop with “She’s The One” and “No Reverse.” It’s these efforts that will resonate with power pop fans and the strong riffs on “Little Judas,” are another early highlight. Other songs get a bit too generic; “Come On Over” and “Lady Moon” are perfectly constructed but fail to make an impression. However, the band’s worship at the Paul Collins alter is fulfilled with “Sometimes” and “Hey Misses.” The garage Merseybeat “Missing You” is a pleasant surprise, and there while there is no “punk,” there also no clunkers or fillers. Highly Recommended.

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Joe Sullivan and Eytan Mirsky

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Joe Sullivan “Growing Up Schlockstar”

Joe Sullivan returns with a highly anticipated sequel to his 2014 gem Schlock Star. Sullivan has the playful style and guitar buzz all around the opener “Mr. Positivity” that reminded me of an “American version” of Paul Steel. It’s a highly addictive melody that follows a theme of looking back at Joe’s youth through a power pop lens. “Gifted And Talented” boasts an assist from the awesome Brandon Schott, and its got a pop structure is similar to Jellyfish with its harpsichord, minor guitar chords, and heavenly harmonies.  “Secret Weapon” is an ode to the untouchable girl from your class, but better is “Greenfield Acres” a layered guitar gem describing Joe’s hometown with a light Beatlesque touch.

It’s more focused than Schlock Star with less direct homages, but the corniness is turned up as well. The earnest innocence of “Cheerleader” and “The End” are so well played and executed it avoids lyrical parody. He cranks up the riffs on the Raspberries-like “Birthday” and it’s the highlight of the album. A great song that pulls out all the stops, and it’s guaranteed to have you playing air guitar. Overall, it checks all the right power pop boxes and almost every song here hits the mark. Oh, and it’s also got Andy Reed and Donny Brown. This album seems custom designed to make my top ten for 2019 “best album” list. Highly Recommended (of course).

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Eytan Mirsky

Eytan Mirsky “If Not Now… Later”

The lonely troubadour Eytan Mirsky is back with a well written and solid melodic album. “Would It Kill You?” is a catchy opener that basically asks a woman who’s rejected him to “be nice to me,” which seems a tough sell. Unlike Funny Money, the album is a lot more pessimistic in its point of view and the music has more of a rootsy country vibe. Mexican standoff seems the subject of “Lay Down Your Weapons,” led by its slow steel pedal melody. And the fatalistic attitude is also expressed in “When the Ship is Sinking,” asking directly “Are you gonna float or are you gonna drown?” This theme is carried through the entire album.

It doesn’t let up, until the bouncy “Lingerie Pillow Fight,” which is the album highlight for me. It’s a great song with Eytan’s humorous attitude and catchy guitar riffs that would make Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne) jealous.  I also recommend “Last Home Game of the Season” a sad sack theme that’s perfect for your losing baseball team’s video montage. If you’re a member of the Mirsky Mouse Club definitely pick this album up. It’s music that deserves to be heard.

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