Interviews Update: YouTube archives and new interviews coming

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Just a heads up to check out my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@powerpopaholic

I will be doing a lot more interviews, and I have about 25 archived interviews that are stuck on an older account I am updating for easy access. Be on the lookout for these new and old interviews. Archived interviews include original conversations with Joe Satriani, Terry Adams, Nicole Atkins, Susanna Hoffs, and more. And it would really be nice if you subscribed, that way you are notified the minute they are posted.

More August Music: Tamar Berk, doubleVee, FOND, The Spongetones, Elena Rogers, Fernando Perdomo, Broken Glass Kid

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August heat continues. The talented Tamar Berk has a new video single and she’s got a new album coming up in September. doubleVee has a great EP that I want to feature here, starring Allan Vest (ex-Starlight Mints) and Barb Vest. The opening track “Submarine Number Vee Three” is a richly produced gem with strings leading a cool melody!  FOND is a heavier rocker, akin to a DIY Weezer check out “Complacent” and “Hooking Up.” They’ve got spunk to spare. I’m especially excited for the return of power pop hall-of-famers The Spongtones. They do the “Honest Work” and I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album. Next, Elena Rogers is a singer/songwriter from North Carolina with a beautiful voice and melodic skills displayed on “Song About Me” and it’s a real gem. I’ve always enjoyed Fernando Perdomo’s work, and here he’s got a rare Billy Joel tune that he put’s his stamp on. Finally, I’ve got a new item off-the-beaten-path from Broken Glass Kid, check out the moody atmosphere of “Unravel.” It’s perfect for those hot summers when you just want to cool off.





The Lolas and Peppermint Kicks

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“The

The Lolas “Big Hits and Freak Disasters”

This is not a greatest hits compilation. Tim Boykin, the brains behind The Lolas has been releasing multiple digital-only singles since 2021, and now we get it all together in one beautiful package. Boykin never fails to deliver, whether he’s channeling psychedelic pop, British Invasion, jangle pop, or bubblegum hooks.

The album’s opening track, “Work is the Blackmail of Survival,” is very much like a jangling Byrds tune with great harmonies in the sunny chorus. “Shut Me Down” is pure West Coast bubblegum pop bliss, and “Call Your Name” is a dense guitar attack with a garage vibe. “Trick Myself” is very much like an early Who single, and when it comes to the ideal jangle of ’80s college rock, “From the Start” is spot on. As a singles collection, it varies in style from the mellow “I Wish You A Happy Journey” to the new wave synths meets guitars on “Down We Go.” With songs like these, Tim Boykin reminds us why The Lolas are one of the most reliable—and under appreciated—names in power pop.

Let’s also give props to Kool Kat Musik, which is still putting out tangible power pop CDs in the digital age, supporting musicians like Boykin and keeping the scene alive for both fans and collectors. Highly Recommended and makes my top ten album list for 2025.

Kool Kat Musik

The Peppermint Kicks

The Peppermint Kicks “Pop Rocks In My Chewing Gum”

The great Sal Baglio and Dan Kopko combine their talents with a variety of drummers to create The Peppermint Kicks 2nd album, and it leads to an explosive, heavy punk-pop. “Radio Wham Bam Boom” is a great glam radio show theme song that sets the stage. “Too Sweet” is a great Cheap Trick meets bubblegum track with a kick-ass strutting riff. The garage-rocking “Little Doll (Picolla Pupa)” harkens back to the best of British pop from the 1960s.

Many tunes here follow that template and are fond memories of teen years, “Lollipop Girl” is dreaming about an English magazine model. And plenty of loving references to mid sixties anime with “Gigantor” and “Speed Racer.” Indeed, the enchanting “We Did It All For Rock N Roll” emphasizes the nagging feeling that we all long for that nostalgia when rock and roll was at the top of the cultural zeitgeist. Fans of Sweet, Mott The Hoople, and Queen will love this. Overall it demands to be played loud and its highly recommended.

Amazon