The Power Popaholic Interview: Leslie West (Mountain)

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Leslie West is one of those little known guitar legends that everyone has heard, but few know just how influential he really is. In this interview, despite his leg amputation he’s all fired up for the release of Still Climbing. Leslie has been in rock for so long, there are few musicians he hasn’t had a relationship with. I try to ask some unique questions, and ask about some of the friends he’s played with over the years.

Note: all my musician interviews are now located on the top menu in alphabetical order (roughly).

Radio Jellyfish coming soon!

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Brand spankin’ new Jellyfish “unplugged” is coming out on Omnivore in December. Radio Jellyfish offers the bare essence of why Jellyfish is one of the most beloved power pop bands in music history: the voices and the songs. Unlike a live concert with dodgy sound or the glossy production brilliance in the studio – this is just the artists performing their hits in minimal arrangements with acoustic instruments. So who’s “joining a fan club”?

The Pengwins, Gentlemen Rogues and The Connection

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The Pengwins “Naive/Life After High School” EP
Way before Lannie Flowers became one of the most beloved musicians in power pop, he had a band called The Pengwins that played from 1978 into the ’90s. In fact this Texas band was one of the great “lost” power pop bands of the midwest. The band also had Alan Petsche on guitar and vocals, Delbert Raines bassist, and Danny Wilkerson on drums. This box set EP is the first of the remastered singles. Its amazing how good they were, and unfortunate that they weren’t well known outside of Texas. Now you have your chance to re-discover them.

CD Baby | Amazon

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The Gentlemen Rogues “The Gentlemen Rogues”
Speaking of Texas, A new group of guitar centric rockers from Austin wow’ed me with their riffage skills. Even if the first track “Run From The Light” is a bit long winded, the ’90s melodic skills shine through on “Persistence is Futile.” Another standout “Is Tomorrow Worth Tonight?” with its Green Day-ish pop cynicism. This is a decent start and I look forward to hearing more from these Rouges.

Amazon | Bandcamp

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The Connection “First Time”
What else can I say about The Connection?  The album Let It Rock is already on my top ten list. But while my Poperpopaholic Fest was playing,  Brad Marino and
Geoff Palmer were off touring in France. They got a day off and decided to hit the recording studio to do this nice addendum. Pick it up now only on Bandcamp.

The Bye Bye Blackbirds and The Twigs

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The Bye Bye Blackbirds “We Need The Rain”
Singer/songwriter Bradley Skaught brings a terrific power pop vision to the newest album from The Bye Bye Blackbirds. The Bay Area band has been considered “thinking man’s rock and roll” often compared to Sloan  and Big Star.  The opener “All In Light” is darn near perfect start with big hook filled riffs in the Cheap Trick vein, then “Like A Thief” reminds me of a Posies tune with its cynical lyric in the chorus, “don’t ever, ever pray for love.” The wicked riffs lead “Butterfly Drinks” and then the slightly Beatlesque “Brand New Sitting Still” offers up a sunnier outlook on relationships.

Each song is carefully produced and the musicianship is top shelf here, without a dud track to be found. That said not everything sticks right away either, but the harmonies on “Waiting For The Drums” are amazing and the deliberate paced guitar on “Secret Ride” recalls Richard X Heyman. The band also does a rocking cover of Free’s “Broad Daylight” and tries a go at “Spin Your Stars,” a Neil Young styled mid-tempo roots rocker. Highly Recommended.

Bandcamp pre-order only

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The Twigs “Jump Right In”
Are you ready for a shiny bright ray of sunshine pop? The Twigs are twin sisters, songwriters and singers Linda and Laura Good, with Laura on guitars, vocals, ukulele, bass, keys and programming and Linda on piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, guitar, and vocals. Like the Corner Laughers, the duo displays clever lyrics, catchy melodies and luscious harmonies in “I Got A Great Idea.” They’re also positively wonderful on “Sunshine” and “Baby, Don’t Cry” – guaranteed to put you in a good mood. Like a mix of Lisa Loeb and The Beach Boys.

Okay, “You Are The Sweetest Thing”  and “Panda Bear” are most definitely kids bubblegum music. But if you are willing to tolerate it, you will be rewarded with those harmonies again in “Jump Right In” and “Frere Jacques.” It ends with a bedtime lullaby “Time To Sleep” and if you have a toddler this will be the “go-to” CD for both of you.

CD Baby | Amazon

Video Review: Caro Emerald in Concert

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Dutch songstress Caro Emerald is one of the most successful singers in Europe, and as I was listening to this concert, it occurred to me this wasn’t even close to what I normally listen to. She directs an 8 piece horn section with a mix of big-band and salsa pop. I gave this a try, not knowing what to expect.

Emerald is perhaps the most accessible retro-jazz/soul vocalist that I’ve heard recently. “Back It Up” is a perfect example of this, as she guides the horn section to a mix of scratching’ pop that flirts with hip-hop (almost) and it totally captivates the audience, getting them involved in the performance. While Adele currently rules this niche, I wouldn’t be shocked if Caro manages to steal the spotlight. This DVD performance is all the evidence you need.

Amazon