Video premiere and more stuff: The Smug Brothers, Ridel High, Pop Boomerang, The Happy Somethings, Sr. Pez, Pop Boomerang

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The Smug Brothers are back with a new album, due in May titled ‘Gravity Is Just A Way To Fall’ check out the premiere of a new video by skate legend Dave Ackels. You can pre-order the album here. Now some FREEBIES! Next before Tsar became a big Hollywood power pop band, Ridel High was there, and here is a new digital EP of remastered ’90s demos. Next, UK band The Happy Somethings deliver happy folk pop that have us “Thinkin’ ‘bout good times.” and from Elche, Spain this psychedelic pop band Sr. Pez is just “Walking In Circles.” Finally, I am happy to report the return of Pop Boomerang Records compilations, this new one is ‘Electric & Eclectic Rarities Volume 2.’  It bundles up previously unreleased songs, demos, live versions, rare B-sides and a huge array of covers. Enjoy the snow melt!






Feb Freebies, singles, eps: Banda AL9, The Black Watch, Log Flume, High On Stress, John Lebhar, Vista Blue, Left Letters

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Now that Banda AL9 is signed to Wicked Cool Records, I am so glad these talented brothers (Matheus Khouri & Thiago Khouri) from Brazil will get more exposure. Here they are doing a classic Kurt Baker & Wyatt Funderburk power pop gem. The Black Watch is back with a new single in advance of an LP, and this is a band that ages like fine Cabernet.  Another band that slipped under the radar 2 years ago was Log Flume from Philly, PA. They have a great sound and we’ve got a new single that rocks (and hopefully a new LP on the way). Next I am loading you all up with freebies: RumBar Records delivers a great EP by Minneapolis band High On Stress. I loved the Tommy Keene cover “Nothing Can Change You.” This was a surprise, as Massachusetts musician John Lebhar caught my attention with the hooky “Can’t Quiet Explain,” and he’s got a lot great music (not all power pop) and its worth your time checking out his catalog on Bandcamp. A familiar voice is always comforting, and Ramones like riffs of Vista Blue are no exception. Left Letters are another band that blends indie pop, fuzz core and melody. Enjoy the goodies and remember uncle Frank’s advice; don’t eat the yellow snow!



Guv and The Format

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“Guv"

Guv “Warmer Than Gold”

Ben Cook, you know, the guy behind Young Guv and those power pop albums, has switched things up a bit. He is calling himself just Guv now for this new album ‘Warmer Than Gold’. He went back to London last year, hanging out in pubs not too far from Brixton where he grew up and the whole trip got him thinking about stuff for this record.

I think it feels like he is trying for that brit-pop, slow core vibe here. Kind of swinging away from the bedroom stuff on GUV IV from a couple years back. There are some grooves that stick in your head, sure. But overall, it is less about those tight power pop songs we used to get from him. The opener “Let Your Hands Go,” it reminds me of the Charlatans or The Happy Mondays. Then “Blue Jade” and “Thorns in My Heart,” those have more guitar sounds, akin to The Cure or Stone Roses in spots. “Out of this Place” and “Oscillating” are great little tunes you can really groove to. The tracks that lean on rhythm, they feel kind of basic sometimes, like he was just messing around without pushing it further. Still pretty enjoyable, and we hope Guv comes back to those melodic earworms a bit more. Despite that, it remains Highly Recommended.

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The Format

The Format “Boycott Heaven”

Next to Adam Levine (Kara’s Flowers, Maroon 5) it can be argued that the most successful power pop alumni from the early aughts would be Nate Ruess. Not only did Ruess score big with his Grammy winning trio, Fun, but he’s written or worked with tons of modern pop superstars (Ke$ha, Pink, etc). But things all started for Nate and instrumentalist Sam Means with The Format in 2001. And now he’s back in a reunion of sorts, and they have not lost a step.

Sounding more polished than earlier efforts, Nate starts with “No Gold at the Top,” a foreboding guitar riff with harmonic hum, that builds to a dramatic screaming end. “Holly Roller” is another solid track that marches along to a chorus about the fleeting effects of fame. But “Shot in the Dark” and “Right Where I Belong” really shows his perspective as an adult, all this from the dude who wrote “We Are Young.”

For longtime Format fans, ‘Boycott Heaven’ might sound unexpected, as the album leans harder, louder, and more openly emo than anything in their catalog, with Nate Ruess embracing renewed intensity. Sam Means’ melodic instincts still shine, Ruess’ voice still cuts, and the songwriting sticks. This album proves the return mattered, and it earns its place alongside their best work. Highly Recommended.

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Power Popaholic Interview: Ben Vaughn

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Ben Vaughn

Retro-rocker Ben Vaughn wrote “I’m Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee)” and Marshall Crenshaw covered it on his ‘Downtown’ album. But there is so much more to Ben. He’s had remakable career as a musician, songwriter, film and television composer, and record producer. But he tells us the most enjoyable aspect of the journey has been meeting the diverse personalities along the route. We chat about his experiences meeting and playing with Alex Chilton, and his impression of getting the first Big Star album.

His buddy Laura Pochodylo, who works for Sun Records in Nashville, scribbled down the characters’ names and placed them in a hat. This was the beginnings of his new podcast https://www.straightfromthehat.com/

Below is Ben in his younger days, and he promised me re-issues of his albums are on the way!

Lost and Found: Blue Ash and The Iveys

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Hidden Pictures

Blue Ash “Dinner At Mr. Billy’s”

Formed in Ohio in 1969 by bassist Frank Secich and singer Jim Kendzor, Blue Ash toured hard, wrote constantly, and chased the perfect three minute pop single. They hit the public consciousness with the power pop classic “Abracadabra (Have You Seen her?)” in 1973. These tracks were recorded between 1970 and 1974 the original lineup worked with DJ Bob Mack on these tracks that were never released at the time.

It starts out uneven, but the good stuff emerges. Songs like “Dangerous Dynamite,” “It’s Alright by Me,” and “Say Goodbye” highlight the band’s core strength, bright melodies, and tight arrangements. Each song carries an emotional resonance even when the style shifts from chiming guitars to heavier rock. One real gem here is “She Isn’t There,” recorded at Peppermint Productions in 1979. Secich recalls Greg Shaw hearing it and immediately wanting to sign the band. The performance sounds confident, polished, and radio ready, proof that Blue Ash never lost their songwriting focus.

Dinner at Mr. Billy’s works as both excavation and celebration. Longtime fans get a vault opening packed with prime material that reinforces the band’s cult status. New listeners get a clean entry point into a catalog built on hooks, harmony, and Midwestern grit. With hundreds of songs still unreleased, this collection feels like the start of a long overdue rediscovery for power pop fans.

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“The

The Iveys “Miniskirts And Rainbows”

Before they were Badfinger, they were The Iveys. And with the continual discovery of the bands lost material, its not unexpected that these demos would surface. The band in 1967 had Pete Ham (lead guitar), Ronald “Ron” Griffiths (bass guitar), Tom Evans (guitar) and Mike Gibbins (drums). ‘Ivy’s Anthology 5: Miniskirts and Rainbows’ collects 19 tracks recorded between 1966 and 1969, built almost entirely from home demos and rehearsal tapes. This is archival material, unfinished in spots, but it opens a detailed window into the Ivy’s songwriting before the Apple era. Four tracks are early demos of known songs, three are alternate versions, and 12 songs never surfaced before.

The biggest surprise comes from manager Bill Collins, who wrote “Good Boy” and “All the Fun of the Fair.” Fans never knew he ever wrote material, the latter song being written for singer Mary Hopkins. Pete Ham’s demo “I Love You” ranks among the strongest cuts. Elsewhere, Tom Evans fills the record with hooks and personality on tracks like “Cleopatra in a Miniskirt,” “That’s Okay,” and “Girl Next Door in the Miniskirt.”

This set plays like a raw scrapbook from the Ivy’s early years, packed with hooks, experiments, and flashes of brilliance that point straight toward Badfinger. You hear a young band pushing melodies to the front, chasing harmonies, and throwing every idea onto tape. The sound stays rough, yet the songwriting shines through and for longtime fans, the key tracks earn instant replay value.

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