New Talent: Asbury Keys, Didn’t Planet, Hi Electric

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Ashbury Keys “Wake Up” EP
Texas brothers David and Darwin Keys are joined by bassist and vocalist Bill Walter on this new EP. It’s got a blended sound,  just add equal parts of Foo Fighters, Noel Gallagher and Taking Back Sunday.  Each of the five tracks give us solid hooks and loud guitars, starting with the pounding drums and guitars of “Swimmer.” And these guys can still do the melodic as evidenced by “Hero” with its great minor chord shifts. The bands versatility is displayed through the punk beat of of “Oh My God” or the ballad-like start of “Break.” And if you want to hear more, then listen the full length LP Growing Up.

Didn’t Planet “We’re Goin’ Nowhere”
Why didn’t I hear about this band? Maybe its the horrible pun for a name, but this Massachusetts group won me over with its light-hearted intro “the Fat Albert theme.” Then it rocks right into “Maryanne” with ringing guitar riffs and harmonies. The  POV with “Any Requests?” is a band struggling to play at venues “going nowhere” and doing covers. The narrative on “Bitter” is that of a resigned musician “out of touch with the kids” wanting to play what he wants. I’m sure every power pop artist can relate to this song. However there are too many self-pitying songs, fortunately most of them are pretty good. Recommended.

CD Baby | Amazon

Hi Electric “Hi Electric”
Indie band from Memphis,TN that references garage, soul, rockabilly is lead by  singer Neil Bartlett. Influenced by Big Star, Queens of The Stone Age and The Grifters it starts off with the subdued but effective “Bicycle Blades,” that has almost a grunge redux with snarling guitar solos after the chorus. It shuffles along like a softer version of Soundgrarden, but never really impresses until the mid-point with the catchy tracks “Open Cuts,” “Foolin’ Myself,” “It’s Not You” and the mid tempo shimmering “Come Down.” After additional listens, the melodies help the fuzzy exteriors take shape, so overall it’s a grower… why not give it a try?

Amazon | Artist Website

Lite Rock Preview and Interviews

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It’s coming up in the Spring of 2013, the ‘Monsters Of Lite Rock’ Tribute album. And one of the artists featured is Michael Carpenter, doing a great job on the Cliff Richard classic “We Don’t Talk Anymore.” To find our more about this awesome tribute go to the Monsters of Lite Rock Facebook Page.

 THE POWER POPAHOLIC INTERVIEW:

It’s been a few months since I interviewed some artists so I’m trying to make up for some lost time here. First I reached Roy “Holmes” Shakked. He is still promoting his 4th album ‘Complication Simplified’ and I got to talk with him here. Then the very next day I contacted my old friend Vinnie Zummo who just finished three albums in the last six months! I recently reviewed the last volume of his trilogy called ‘Swinging Guitar Sounds of Young America’ – our conversation is here. Of course you can navigate to our interviews section and find them there too.

Vinnie Zummo and Nine Times Blue

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Vinnie Zummo “Swinging Guitar Sounds of Young America Vol 3”
Once again Vinnie Zummo gives us a collection of stylistic homages in several different genres. The melody of “I Wanna Love You” features bright Breach Boys styled harmonies, and Vinnie’s compelling lead.  The slide guitar and jangley melody of “Play Paul McCartney” sure to warm the hearts of power pop fans everywhere. He uses retro Beatles song structure on “Can’t You See,” and a vintage Stevie Wonder harmonica for the soul pop of “Funky Games.” He even does Steely Dan on “Howd This Happen,” the man is the definition of versatility.

His wife Janice really stands out as the vocalist for the country tune “Pocket Full of Soul.” You’ve got a massive twenty of tracks of music and I have to say that Vinnie’s songwriting and production have continued to improve. Recommended tracks are “Heartless,” “Just For You,” “Living On The Sun,” and with “George Harrison” he’s got a song for each Beatle! Update: Just finished an interview with Mr. Zummo. Read it here.

CD Baby | Vinnie’s Blog
 
This tune is from Vinnie’s second album “Swinging Guitar Sounds of Young America Vol.2” and its for sale here!

Nine Times Blue “Falling Slowly”
The band is named after a Michael Nesmith song and is based in the Washington DC area. Lead by Kirk Waldrop (vocals and guitar) and joined by Greg King (guitar), Jeff Nelson (bass) and Jason Brewer (drums) opens with the title track, and I could sworn it was the Goo Goo Dolls or The Gin Blossoms. It’s rock with a high jangle content and familiarity. In addition, a cadre of power pop stars have minor roles (Joe Giddings, John Faye, David Myhr) on the LP.

The strongest material is early on, the most impressive being “Crazy To Think” and the title track. The instrumentation is exceptional, as evidenced on “Grace” and “Silent Words.” Other than a few heartfelt melodies like “Fun and Games” and some guitar acrobatics on “So Much Time,” it just didn’t move me like the first three songs here. But, if you like contemporary rock with a emphasis on strong guitar playing, this is for you.

The World Record and Steve Katz

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The World Record “Freeway Special”
After the highly acclaimed Guitars Forever in 2007, songwriter Andy Creighton (Apex Manor, Papercuts) second solo project picks up right where he left off.  After the quick demo-like intro “One Knee” it goes into the title track with Big Star styled guitar chords and a strong horn section. Next we get the subtle lounge tones of “Candy” and the mutli-tracked acoustics and harmony in “A Little More Time.”

There is an element of Andy’s jangley sound that will definitely appeal to fans of Chis Stamey (DB’s) and REM, especially on “Be Nice” and “Cats on The Roof.” Some songs are simple sketches with compelling melodies like “Call The Doctor” and “Stopping Somewhere.” Not everything sticks, but with 18 tracks you can’t go wrong here as most hit the mark. Additional highlights include “Marsha (Think It Over)” and “She’s Not A Liar.”

Steve Katz “Barricades” EP
This is not power pop, but you can’t ignore talent like this. Originally from Belgium, singer/songwriter Steve Katz has made Manhattan his home and produced his debut. It highlights Steve’s strong vocal skills which resembles a mix of Eddie Vedder and Damien Rice on the modern rock opener “Thrive.” He follows this with a simple acoustic ballad “Today I Saw Hope” and title track, but my favorite here is “Fair” because the melody  is memorable and a good match for Steve’s rich vocal performance – kinda reminds me of David Gates and Bread.

CD Baby | Amazon