Power Popaholic Fest 2013 Report

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Everyone had a great time at our 2nd annual Power Popaholic Fest in Brooklyn, NY. I have to say I was very pleased with the Rock Shop as a venue and it looks like we’ll have next years Fest in the same location. Jana Peri started the show with an acoustic set to get the crowd warmed up. Jana and guitarist Jacob brought a feel-good vibe to the place and then Kurt Baker went up to the mic solo. He gave a great solo performance but at one point in the middle of a song he had “brain fart” and forgot how to continue with a song. The audience had a blast as Kurt ad-libbed his way past that and then finished the song.

Then The Turnback took to the stage and the crowd began to grow, the band is planning an LP in 2014, so they showcased a few brand new songs. The audience was packed now, and The Anderson Council buzzed through their set, to many hoots and applause. Then to promote their entire catalog release in iTunes, The Gripweeds took to the stage. The band sounded amazing with a virtuoso drum performance by Kurt Reil that thrilled the crowd. Rick Reil and Kristin Pinell chimed in with their Byrds-styled guitarcraft. The night rounded out with local Brooklyn retro-poppers The Above who also did an excellent job. The audience stayed through the entire Fest and we all can’t wait till next year!

To commemorate the experience Power Popaholic is selling limited edition album cover sized posters of the “Fest Volume 2.”We are also auctioning off a poster, signed by each one of the bands that played Power Popaholic Fest on ebay.

We are also selling non-signed posters for $4.00 each.




Tommy Keene and C.L. Blake

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Tommy Keene “Excitment At Your Feet”
Tommy Keene’s new album, Excitement at Your Feet, is a new and exciting approach to covers. Picking several favorite classic bands (The Who, Rolling Stones, Big Star, etc.) but don’t pick the best known tracks. In fact, these songs are downright obscure, and allow Keene to operate without the original lingering in your head for comparison.

Opening with the exciting Flaming Groovies’ “Have You Seen My Baby?” it really rocks and Keene goes to town. The jangle is heaviest on Echo & The Bunnymen “The Puppet” and even the little known Mink DeVille gets covered. With the skillful arranging it makes them all sound like Keene originals. Highlights include “Choking Tara (Guided By Voices)” and “Out Of The Blue (RoxyMusic).” My only pet peeve is that he doesn’t cover The Who’s “Listening To You,” as its lyric is in the albums title! This is further evidence that if you dig deep into your favorite albums, you’ll find a gem or two that can be re-discovered.

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C.L. Blake “george” EP
C.L. Blake (Ira Katz, lead singer/songwriter of The Greenberry Woods) recently teamed with producer/drummer Ken Coomer (Wilco, Will Hoge) to record this EP last year, and its worth discovering. While it has more in common with Wilco stylistically than his old band, Blake still delivers compelling melodies with “All We Are” and the jangling guitar of “Say What You’re Thinking.” Another gem is “Waiting on a Lover (Tressa).” It makes for a polished and effective showcase for his talents. It would be great to hear more “up” tempo tunes, and hopefully Blake is working on a follow-up.

Amazon | CD Baby

The Power Popaholic Interview: Matt Whitby

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Matt_Whitby Matt Whitby is a power pop critic who lives in England and writes about music for popunderground. Recently he started a wonderfully simple site called www.disbandables.com The site tracks down some of my favorite power pop bands who have disbanded, then finds the lead musician(s) involved and has them answer a exit questionnaire. I love the idea that these defunct bands can be re-introduced to “new” power pop fans who never heard of them when they made an impact. Read the interview here.

Free Music Monday: Grant Lindberg, Jesse Brewster and The Cheap Speakers

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I am still recovering from the wild night at Power Popaholic Fest, this past Saturday. In the meantime, here are some cool free music to enjoy:

Grant Lindberg is a one-man band recording rock music in the vein of Superdrag, Cheap Trick, Jason Falkner, Nirvana and Ash. His album is a free download on bandcamp.

 

Jesse Brewster has a mission, and that’s a single each month for a year. In the end the tracks will be compiled into an album called March of Tracks in January 2014. Click on the Soundcloud link and it will take you to several free tracks.

 

The Cheap Speakers meld indie songcraft, alt-rock howl, and classic-rock riffs into a sound all their own. Formed in 2007 by Brennan Gault (bass, vocals) and Natalia Manzocco (guitar, vocals), the Speakers have grown into an explosive live act. Here’s the first single free!