Kenny Howes “Tornadoes Here and Past”

powerpopaholic

Kenny Howes “Tornadoes Here and Past”
It seems like a million years since I last heard Kenny Howes, who was a bona fide power pop superstar in the late 90’s. I am happy to report on his return, with Tornadoes Here and Past, a new album full of original material. Opening with the delicate acoustic rhythms of “Cannot Remember” it showcases Kenny’s instrumental prowess, then builds to a fantastically lush melody. “Slip On By” has echos of Todd Rundgren, and “Silence and Camouflage” guitar and bass combo is classic Kenny Howes pop.

There are a few detours, like the 70’s influenced “Foxy Jackie” has some nice horn accents and nice harmonies. Other highlights, “People are Doing Stuff” is a simple whimsical ditty, that asks the question “What are you doing?” It gets a bit looser on the albums second half with the powerful rocker “You Don’t Say Anything” and the Harrison-styled slide guitar of “Five Minutes Of Rain.” We are treated to some Beach Boys harmony on the intro of the impressive closer “We Don’t Get To Say Goodnight.” Overall another triumphant comeback in a year full of them. Don’t miss this one either.

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Kenny has played with tons of artists in power pop, including Smithereens frontman Pat DiNizio, here doing a cover of The Monkees “I’m A Believer”

Scott Warren and Sara Melson

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Scott Warren “Dyed In The Wool”
Formerly of Signal Hill Transmission, Warren gives us his 2nd solo effort. The bouncy opener “Divisible/Indivisible” leads with Beatles styled brass and handclaps. “No One’s Home Anymore” is a solemn mix of “Elenor Rigby” till you get to the fast paced chorus. My favorite here is “When She Comes Around” a gentle love song with a great bass line and catchy jangle chorus.

The stripped down, sparse approach concentrates on Scott’s lyrics and composition, this works well on “Guess I Should Tell You.” And it also works magic on simple pop treats like the “Dime Novel” and the Shins styled “Sinking Feeling.” Even the slightly psyche-pop closer “Tongue-tied” is a marvel of melody with natural sound effects. After several spins this album grew on me like a well worn pair of jeans, and would make a excellent headphones album on a quiet night.

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Sara Melson “The Beachwood Canyon Sessions”
Sara Melson is one of those artists, who have such a lovely voice you wonder “How come I never heard her before?”  – especially since her debut Dirty Mind from 2008 was considered a folk pop success and she’s been a TV actress. Since that time Sara left her label, sold songs to TV and like Jeff Lynne of ELO, has decided to re-record and reinterpret some of those songs in a stripped down manner for The Beachwood Canyon Sessions.

Coming at these tunes fresh, Sara breathes real life into them, the songs have spiritual quality with “Birthday Prayer” where she looks back and forward at once. The optimism of “Never Been Hurt” is tempered with caution after the chorus where “…my fear has got no chance of winning.” Each track charms and let’s Melson’s personality shine through. Fans of Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Sarah MacLachlan will savor this.

The Condors and Electrolic

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The Condors “Three Item Combo”
It’s been a while since I heard The Condors, this latest gem shows a band that has improved with time. Gone is the rough garage ethos, songwriter and frontman Pat “Pooch” DiPuccio gives us slicker rock melodies with tighter instrumentation. Influences range from The Kinks, Plimsouls, Raspberries and the Smithereens. Starting with “Here I Go,” it crackles with energy and magical riffs, a song that is definitely a great addition to the music playlist that you should listen to.

“My Slice Of Life” takes us on a great autobiographical study with handclaps and flamenco touches. “Queer Fascination” has great bounce and memorable riff that compares well with The Romantics. No duds here, overall a satisfying “take-out” that appeals to classic rock and roll tastes.

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Electrolic “Live On Land”
Scott Gagner‘s new project, a collaboration with long-time friend Steve Enstad is a mix of electronic-synth pop. The catchy “Hello Hello” is a neat introduction, but “Benefit Of The Doubt” is a meandering combination of Depeche Mode and John Mayer.  “Refreshing” is a little psyche-pop treat bathed in synths, and the Cars’ “Drive” is a compelling cover version that displays Scott’s soft vocal. “After The Fall” was another gem buried here with the best combination of synth, guitar and melody. But some of this didn’t work for me, “Flash” tries too hard to be like Radiohead, although it was an interesting listen. If your tastes run more eclectic, you may like this one.

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Power Popaholic Fest Original Soundtrack

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After Power Popaholic Fest, I wanted to keep the energy going and some of the performing artists (along with some others) contributed a song to a “soundtrack” album for fans. It also seemed a good method to raise money for charity. With the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy last week, it seemed the the perfect opportunity to help. All profits from the purchase of Power Popaholic Fest Original Soundtrack will go directly to The American Red Cross.  I personally know people who have lost their power, their cars and even their homes. I can think of no better way to help them and get some great tunes at the same time.

Bands on the album: Lannie Flowers, Sitcom Neighbor, Cliff Hillis, The Wellingtons, The Honeymoon Stallions, Rick Hromadka (Maple Mars), King Washington, Eytan Mirsky, John Laprade, The Heartless Devils, Joe Giddings (Star Collector), The Hillary Step, Dave Rave, Vinnie Zummo, The Turnback, The Toms and Klaatu. Over 17 songs for your listening pleasure! It’s a great way to discover new sounds at a great price and help those in need.

Get the compilation exclusively on Bandcamp