Power Popaholic Fest Pre-show preview

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I will be co-hosting a pre-show on the Dave The Boogieman radio show at 11L Radio New York International at 7:00pm this Sunday (7/29). If you are on the internet at about that time, click on the LIVE LINK. I will talk about how the idea for Power Popaholic Fest got started, and play music from all our Fest artists: Lannie Flowers, Jana Peri, Buddy Love, Lane Steinberg, The Turnback, Jeff Litman and The Heartless Devils. Dave also has a special guest, Jonn Savannah (The Sinceros, Squeeze).

Update: The show will soon be available for free download in Dave’s archives. Oh yeah, the station survives on donations, so please lend a hand and throw him a few bucks from your Paypal. Thanks.

 

The Sunny Boys “FreebOObin”

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Italian import The Sunny Boys are a punk pop band cut from the same cloth as Bowling For Soup. Playing the part of the eternal optimist on “Brian and Bubblegums” its full of quick harmonies, fast tempo and is a ready made TV show theme.

The dizzy pace and overly sweet melodies make this the ultimate musical sugar high, fans of Sexy Heroes and Ocean Grove will love “Shauni has a Boyfriend” and “Double Whammy.” The latter is like a Beach Boys tune on speed. The heavier guitar riffs come out on “Summer in Punkadise” and “Backstage Boom Boom” but the harmonies remain light. Every song here is a charmer, “Surfin'” once again is the California dream of Brian Wilson updated for todays’ modern pop audience. The lack of any ballads does tend to exhaust the listener – but the true enthusiasm and lack of cynicism make up for this. A perfect album for the beach if you are tired of listening to those old men.

CD Baby | Amazon

 

Mike Viola “Acousto De Perfecto”

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If you were a big fan of last year’s Electro De Perfecto,  then Mike Viola’s newest is the perfect “bonus disc” companion to it. It’s got half new songs and half stripped down interpretations. The opener “Secret Radio” is a love letter to fans,”for people like you. Who keep it turned on. for people like you. I’ve been singing to all along.” The album is sparsely constructed with the help of LA-based violists Eric Summer and Kate Reddish. The string arrangements are clean and simple, lending warmth to Viola’s unmistakable croon.

“Happy & Normal” benefits from the plucked strings and its melody is a mantra of frustration that sticks to your brain. “Primary Care” is an even more personal song that  is part confessional, part therapy. One of the best tracks here is “I’m Your Dog” a perfect 2 minute ode to unconditional love that rivals anything Stevie Wonder ever wrote. The previously released material from Electro De Perfecto also works well, especially “El Mundo De Perfecto” with the lines “It’s been a bad day for the whipping boy…” sounding even more poignant than the original. The album creates a soft intimate atmosphere that’s a real treat for Viola’s fans.

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The What Gives and The DB’s

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The What Gives “The What Gives”
A “lost” album from the late 90’s is finally released. The band is Jon Harrison on guitar and keyboards, Bret Dillingham on Drums and Stephen Naron on Bass.  Echos of vintage Lemonheads and Adam Marsland are the template here on “The Boy With The Tambourine Heart.” You’ll also hear some Db’s influence on the next few tracks, “Summer Everywhere” is a pretty solid single, and the catchy “When You Drop Dead” is a bit like a They Might Be Giants single, with a juicy jangle solo between choruses. More standouts include “Erin Grey” and “Burn Me Down.” It fizzles out on the last few tracks, but it’s worth adding to your collection for sure.

CD Baby

 

The DB’s “Falling Off The Sky”
As you might have already heard, Holsapple and Stamey got together and put together a proper DB’s album after almost 30 years. And you can hear they didn’t miss a beat on the opener  “That Time Is Gone” and the hook filled “Before We Were Born.” Like Shoes, these guys are 80’s power pop royalty and deserve kudos for giving us a heck of an impressive comeback. But these guys aren’t twenty year olds anymore, as the opening lyrics state “You better wake up, wake up, wake up, That time is gone.”

A wistful maturity has always been part of Stamey and Holsapple’s recent work, and its evidenced in the duo’s ballad “Far Away and Long Ago.” After those initial rocking tunes, the skillful melodies and slower tempos take over, as “Send Me Something Real” has a great chiming guitar lead. Comparisons to REM are apt on the jangle filled rhythms of “World To Cry” and “Collide-oOo-Scope” with it’s sweet chorus. Several songs here are simply average (“She Won’t Drive In The Rain Anymore”) but it doesn’t take away from the great stuff. Enjoy these comeback albums, they don’t happen that often.

 

Scott Grant “Gemini”

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Scott Grant follows the great tradition of those 70’s rockers, and gives us a pretty impressive debut album. Opening with the acoustic strum and shuffling melody of “Dream Away” it’s got a good hook in the chorus and a desending bridge that leads to a brilliant coda with “do do do” harmonies at the fade out. Then a baroque harpsichord opens up “Just Like We Do,” a piano melody similar to the style of Emmit Rhodes emerges, with its gorgeous Beatlesque overtones.

The organ and rhythmic funk of “What You See Is What You Get” recalls Lenny Kravitz “It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over,” Grant does a decent job though his vocal strains a bit here. After these gems the albums settles down a bit. It’s fun to play “spot the influence,” but the ballads don’t really stick with you. Grant’s voice is better suited to the soulful “Sonic For You,” a good mix of Peter Chris and Steve Forbert. Towards the albums last few tracks, starting with “Nevermind” it brings to mind a Hendrix ballad and  “Sunshine Serenade” is a blast with John Bonham drum beats and the great fuzz guitars a la Kravitz “Let Love Rule”. Our dramatic finish to the album, “Halcyon Days” and “Hold On” starts quite but slowly becomes a layered orchestration along the lines of  Derek & The Dominos “Layla.”  It’s all admittedly derivative, but fans of classic 70’s rock will still love this.

CD Baby | Amazon