Agony Aunts “Big Cinnamon”

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It’s been too long, but the Bay Area supergroup returns after 2010’s Greater Miranda, with even more harmony-laden psych-pop.  The band is basically The Corner Laughers; KC Bowman, Karla Kane , Khoi Huynh, and Charlie Crabtree. Add to this many guest stars including Gil Ray (The Loud Family), Anton Barbeau and Allen Clapp (The Orange Peels). So can all those cooks spoil this brew? Not likely.

Opening with the kaleidoscopic “Twenty-four Mergansers” it’s a lot like the Laughers with a bit more Magical Mystery Tour thrown in. Then it follows up seamlessly with “Family Drugs,” the lyrics repeating over with crisp harmonies on the “bottle it up” backing chorus. The psychedelic sheen on everything is comparable to The Pillbugs on the title track. And if you ever wondered what a modern day Mamas and Papas would sound like, listen to “Back To Back Bills.”

The second half is more rock oriented, those dual tracked guitars stand out on the perfect “We Got The Jekyll.”  Raspberries fans will flip for the intro on “Uranium My Love,” a riff heavy melody full of hooks about science. Its not predictable either, “You’re So Vague” is like a combo of Todd Rundgren and The Explorers Club. It ends with the mysterious story behind “Cool Fresh Nights” and Barbeau’s quirky country “Trouble Was Born.” Not trace of filler to be found, production is clean and sounds great through headphones, so its hard to not love this album. Multiple listens make it better and it makes my top ten for 2013 easily. Get it now!
power pop review score 9

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The Perms and Jonathan Friedman

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The Perms “The Aberdeen EP”
The Perms are back with their traditional punk pop sound on this short 4 song EP. “It’s Mania” starts us off with fuzz guitar riffs and catchy backing chants of “whoa-oh.” The title track is a bit more like Green Day fused with a slick studio production and expansive backing harmonies. My favorite here is the ear-worm “The Parent Thing” which reminds me of Adam Marsland or Bowling For Soup a little, and then it closes with the churning guitar rhythm of “Walk Away.” Overall a really good EP from a veteran band.

CD Baby | Amazon
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Jonathan Friedman “Pop Rock Overflow”
Seattle singer/songwriter Friedman must have really loved the ’80s pop scene. On the opener “Alseep At The Wheel” he gives us a strong Hall and Oates vibe with echoing drums and dense production in the chorus. The synths are bathed all over “Jake Ryan” with all kinds of ’80s movie references in the lyrics. Friedman croons very much like Corey Hart on “Crazy Beautiful,” its one of the better songs here.”Live or Memorex” is another cultural reference from that day-glo decade.

Having lived through it, my recollections of that era’s pop were not my favorites, and every musical cliche is on display here. My tastes were more Elvis Costello, The Smithereens and The Romantics at the time. There is no denying Friedmans got talent, but it either comes together (“Everyone Knows You’re A Star”) or it really doesn’t work (“Too Early For Love”). Fans of this of this style will appreciate it more than I did.

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Greg Pope “Pop Motion Animation”

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Greg Pope returns with another great power pop album, but he throws in a twist or two this time. Starting off with “Partner In Crime” it’s pretty straight forward power riff based melody and a memorable chorus. Even better is “More Like You” with its layered vocal, dense rhythm guitar and its lyrically inspiring message of gratitude. We then go off into Joe Walsh/Lynrd Skynrd mode for the most enjoyable track on the album, “The Mattress.” All about a bed that fell off his truck on the highway, which in the lyric becomes an analogy for a hard luck life (in a funny way).

Pope slows down a quite bit after that with the acoustic “Don’t Wait” and “Cloud and Thunder,” a contemplative pair of folk-pop songs. While these slower tunes are okay, they don’t resonate as well as the more rock oriented ballad, “Playing Along”. The “Rebel Inside” is back to the Replacements style rock we’re familiar with. The final track, “She Might” is another winner and overall this is a welcome return for Pope after his successful film work. Its good to hear Greg branch out with different styles and fans should continue to support him and artists like him.

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The Poster Boy and Dylan McGuire

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The Poster Boy “Bonjour, c’est Pop deux”
A follow up to the  debut of this Hungarian band offers both improvement in song writing and performance. The band handles power pop perfectly on the heavy riffs and quiet/loud contrasts of “D-Day,” but the band changes its sound to more piano riffs and lighter guitars on “12:01,” similar to early Maroon 5. Next is one of the best songs here, “Spectre” is an amazing single with a sweet backing chorus and its catchy as hell.

The album gets softer as we move forward, “Another Person” is a mid tempo ballad that builds to a moving guitar solo at the close. The vaguely ’70s lite rock of “Raven Girl” is another enjoyable song, the solemn ballad “Down” is exactly what you think it is. Thankfully the guitars return on the six minute epic “The Waiting Room” and overall not a note of filler. Oh, and the title translates from the French, “Hello this is Pop 2.” Highly Recommended.

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Dylan McGuire “Gravity (Or Lack Thereof)”
Philadelphia-area native Dylan McGuire is a singer/songwriter who just completed his newest album with up-and-coming local producer Brett Talley (of IKE). McGuire soaks in some of those IKE influences on the opener “Sunny and 71″ with a solid guitar hook leading the way. Its also pretty clear on”My New Wings” and “Try To Stop Me” that U2’s The Edge is a major influence. His style also reminded me of a mix between The Goo Goo Dolls and Matchbox 20 at certain points.

It helps that Dylan has a strong vocal, and is skilled composer as well. Both the hook filled chorus and guitar riffs kept me listening on the 5 minute “Wear It On Your Sleeve” and “Maybe This Time.” Dylan also has a great melodic instinct so its too bad we don’t get a ballad here.  However, fans of soul searching anthems and guitar-centered rock will enjoy the entire LP immensely.

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Concert Review: Roger Hodgson (Supertramp)

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RHodgson_loves_powerpopaholicI reported on his tour a few weeks ago, and I happen to catch Roger’s last NY area show at The Westbury Music Fair. There are few vocalists instantly recognizable from the first few bars of a song but Roger Hodgson is certainly one of that unique group. As the primary singer/songwriter of Supertramp, his voice is as unmistakable as the distinct keyboard sound of his early hits.

The venue “in the round” had fantastic acoustics and the audience loved the warm, intimate ambiance. The band was precise and production was lush. Special kudos to Aaron MacDonald who played all the horns and wind instruments with such note perfect skill. Every hit song got a standing ovation, from “Take The Long Way Home,” “Logical Song” and more, ending with a big sing-along for “Give A Little Bit” as an encore. Backstage, he was gracious and enthusiastic that I reported on his performance. Hope he comes back for an interview someday, it was quite a special night. Visit his website here.

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