OK Go and EXPO

powerpopaholic

OK Go “Upside Out” EP
Ever since their 2002 self titled debut, OK Go has been one of the most visible power pop bands in the mainstream. After the noise pop experimentation and funk on Of The Blue Colour Of the Sky, it’s great to have the band back to form with this new EP.

Damian Kulash and co. are back to making catchy pop with real punch and “Turn Up The Radio” is a great single with its mid tempo hook. But If you’re looking for the standouts its the hypnotic “The Writing’s On The Wall” and the unstoppable dance beat of “I Won’t Let You Down.” Both tracks recall their breakout LP Oh No and its sure to bring you back on the bandwagon. And it just wouldn’t be OK Go without a viral You Tube video.

Amazon

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EXPO “Hydrogen, Helium & Other Songs”
Baltimore alternative pysche-pop band EXPO is the brainchild of  Christian Lipski & John Lane. EXPO uses vocal rhythms, harmonies and textures similar to The Beach Boys but to create a totally new sound. The wordless “Up We Go” is a perfect example with its soaring melody lines, and “Like We Do” mixes organ and sparse instrumentation to allow the vocals to build up. “Best Part Of The Day” and “Sun Shower” are pure Wilsonesque magic similar to the textures created by The High Llamas or Matt Mahaffey (Self).

Occasionally the songs don’t stick (“Let’s Grow Something”) but the touching melodies of “Old Friends Don’t End” and “Stars In Our Eyes” proves its not only textures but lyrics that make the song work. I feel a bit more polish would really put EXPO on the map (especially the finale “Paper Trumpets”), but this is a fine intro to their work.The band has 2 other albums on Bandcamp worth exploring.

Bandcamp

The Bobbleheads and The Lost Boys

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The Bobbleheads “Make Yourself Happy”
After 2004’s excellent album, I haven’t heard from The San Francisco based trio called Bobbleheads till now. What a great come-out-of-nowhere power pop album. If you took the cheerful vocals of Steven Page (Barenaked Ladies) and married it to hard driving riffs of The Connection, it would sound a lot like “Prove Yourself,” a non-stop riff attack of Rickenbacker melody, and dense production. “Mean Girls” is just as good, and not a second of filler anywhere.

Highlights are numerous, although it is missing a quieter ballad to break things up. I dare you not to play air guitar to “Who’s Gonna Love You” or not sing along to “Turn The Radio On.” Fans of The Smithereens style of power pop will love this and I’m gonna shut up because you just need to hear it. It will stay locked into my daily playlist for a while and without a doubt, gets my nod to be considered for my top ten album list of 2014.

CD Baby | Amazon

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The Lost Boys “Answers on a Postcard” EP
Another “lost” band that passed me by until now is Southampton, England’s The Lost Boys. Last years EP Answers On A Postcard is the follow up to 2011′s debut Not Arf It’s…The Lost Boys. Lead by Daniel Ash (not the Bauhaus and Love And Rockets guy) its full of compelling melodies and polished production techniques.

Opening with the fast tempo of “I Fall For Everyone” it reminded me of Zumpano with its echoing surf guitar tones and cheery vocals. Another gem here is the “Moving Pictures” with its hook filled chorus, chock full of great key transitions. This style is a winning formula that’s repeated on “From Love To Hate,” and it connects each melodic clip in a way that recalls XTC. The slow ballad “Broken Story” follows Daniel’s echoing lead over a methodical acoustic melody. Overall its a winner, and between the two EPs you have a band deserves to be heard. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

The American Professionals “Other People”

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EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE! San Francisco recording artists The American Professionals’ video for “Other People”, the lead track from their 2014 album, We Make It Our Business. We reviewed it in March. It was shot by fans, friends, and family almost exclusively on smartphones and edited by longtime friend and collaborator Stephanie Mechura. Listen to the whole album on Bandcamp…

The Click Beatles and The Crush

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The Click Beatles “Wake Up To Music”
The multi-talented Dan Pavelich is both a cartoonist and a musician. His first solo LP on Vandalay Music implies that this is another Fab Faux styled album, but no — its only has one Beatles tribute song. A labor of love for the past few years, it bares the stylistic fingerprints of Dan’s mentors: Jamie Hoover (The Spongetones) and Jeff Murphy (The Shoes).

“Shut The TV Down” is a great mantra for the couch potato in your life, and the rock energy on “Tell Me How You Feel” flows really well, both have an ’80s new wave-ish sound. The jangle melodies are turned up a notch for “Bubblegum,” and my favorite tune is the sweet “Try Girl,” with its hand claps and minor chords. Dan gets a bit darker on “Ever Since The World Began” and the horn-fueled “I Never Said Goodbye” was co-penned by Lisa Mychols.  A pretty cool release sure to please power pop fans everywhere.

CD Baby | Jam Recordings

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The Crush “Future Blimps” EP
Loved the debut EP and this new EP continues the fun. “Never Gonna Stop” is a catchy as hell riff with lead singer Kira Wilson sounding a bit like Debbie Harry.  The dual tracking harmonies add more dimension to “Around, ” and the garage styled opening on “Better and Better” and “It’s Love” recall The Clash and Paul Collins in spots. This is no-frills rock and roll, done just right and at $3 on Bandcamp it’s a sweet bargain. Enjoy!

Bandcamp

Album Preview: The Posies “Failure” Reissue

powerpopaholic
The Posies’ 1988 debut is about to work its magic all over again. Little did Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow know that when they dropped off their cassette to Scott McCaughey (R.E.M., The Minus 5, Baseball Project), the clerk at their favorite record store (who happened to do A&R for the indie label PopLlama), that a power-pop dynasty would begin. On August 19, 2014, Omnivore Recordings will reissue this landmark album, complete with eight bonus tracks, including one available for the first time.