Guv and The Format
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.
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.
Power Popaholic Interview: Ben Vaughn
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/
Lost and Found: Blue Ash and The Iveys
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.
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.
Late Jan Singles surge: MaveriX, Vegas With Randolph, The Corner Laughers, Girl for Samson, The Pretty Flowers, Captain Wilberforce
Enough snow for you? Here’s a bigger shovelful of great music. I am really liking what I hear from MaveriX. They’re responding to a world of phoniness with a visceral, high-voltage song designed for sweaty nights and unrestrained revolt. Look forward to more from them. On a similar vein, Vegas With Randolph is back with a new single, “Let’s Fool Around” and I dare you NOT to sing along with that “doo-doo-doo” chorus. Next up, Joe Pernice adds a soulful touch to “The Black and The Blue” in advance of his new album. Love those Pernice Brothers and those “bittersweet stories.” The Corner Laughers have a more folk pop approach on their new Big Stir Records single. Girl for Samson also has some folk mixed with that indie pop, and I really liked “Jehovah.” The Pretty Flowers really know how to craft a hook, and the advance track “Came Back Kicking” is excellent. Hope we get more of that when the LP releases in March. Captain Wilberforce give us a terrific freebie this month, with “Got it.” You should get it now. Enjoy the hot cocoa and the tunes.