The Small Change and Palmdale

powerpopaholic 1 Comment

The Small Change “Every Line In My Head”
Seattle’s The Small Change’s third album makes a loud rowdy riff driven statement. From the fading in on the opener “From The East Coast” to the pounding drums on “The American” the band’s garage jam sound has plenty of The Replacements, Elvis Costello and The Black Crowes influence baked inside. My favorite here is gritty sound on “Droppin’ Petals On The Way Down” and the song has a brilliant guitar break and chorus in the middle. Frontman Greg Collinsworth sings his heart out on each track, and I’m sure his voice is raw after a live performance. “Downtown in a Restaurant” is another Costello-like tune that rings true. The albums middle moves from power pop to pub rock smoothly, with “Celebrate” and a borderline Jerry Lee Lewis “Can’t Dance Witcha Honey.” The lack of any ballad or slower tempo material makes sticking with the entire album exhausting. But as an incentive, the band is offering the album as a FREE download on it’s website for a limited time. If you miss that opening or want a physical CD, you can always go to CD Baby.

My Space | CD Baby | The Small Change Site

Palmdale “Get Wasted!” EP
What do you get when you combine Kay Hanley (Letters To Cleo) and Linus of Hollywood? You get the beauty that is Palmdale. Full of big sweet melodies and Kay’s incomparable vocals, it’s an early season treat from start to finish. “Her Comes The Summer” opens with a with big infectious hook and her angelic harmonies. And it’s not afraid to use angular guitars with the 90’s styled “Pick Your Poison.” Every track here is wonderful, especially the heartbreaking put down ballad “Bound For The Floor.” Linus awesome guitar work and musicianship are flawless. This EP is a digital release only, but I was told a full length album is in the works. It makes another case for more collaborations of male/female duos, along with She and Him, Volume Two

My Space | Palmdale Site | Amazon

power pop reviews, power pop and rock and roll opinions. Power pop and even more power pop and rock and roll.

The Riffbackers "The Curtain Shop and Alterations"

powerpopaholic 1 Comment

Not to be confused with The Riffbrokers, This is the continuing efforts of Spanish popsters Fausto Martin and Nacho Garcia, after the break up of their former band The Winnerys (Rainbow Quartz USA) in February 2007. The band was born in the springtime of 2007 in Madrid, and that summer the recording sessions of their first album “The Curtain Shop And Alterations” began. The new 11-song set was written by Fausto and fans of the Winnerys are sure to love it. The Beatles/Byrds guitar imprint is on every track here with Fausto’s signature vocal leading the way. Starting with the driving “Now It’s Fine,” the band’s musical ability is sharp and those Beatle-y riffs are unmistakeable. “You’d Do Anything” has more jangle than you can shake a 12-string Rickenbacker at, and “Sometimes” has those wonderful guitar bridges and Nacho’s impressive drumwork. The songs are mostly self-referencing experiences, especially “Stupid Rock Star’s Dream” which will remind some of The Raspberries “Overnight Sensation.” Fans of Paul McCartney will enjoy the ballad “After All These Years” and it mixes all the right elements without getting tiresome. A great collection of songs by focused pop craftsmen without a dud in the bunch.  Keep on Riffin’!

My Space | Not Lame | Kool Kat Musik | Bebo

power pop reviews, power pop and rock and roll opinions. Power pop and even more power pop and rock and roll.

The Romeo Flynns "Masque Of Anarchy"

powerpopaholic 1 Comment

The Romeo Flynns, Detroit’s premier local rock group, have released their sophomore effort, and it’s partially a concept album. “Masque of Anarchy” is named after poem from famous 17th Century author Percy Shelly. It starts with a timely British radio address mentioning the country’s huge  financial defcit and launches into the title track with rocking precision similar to Cheap Trick or Off Broadway. The themes are darker and harder edged than their first release, and are more consciously aware they are a power pop trio, as evidenced by a cover of Badfinger’s “Baby Blue.” Guitarist, Dorian Lee and bassist, Jimmy Moroney, are joined by drummer John Sarkisian as they rip through the hard rocking “Not Your Style.” Lee’s guitar riffs give the band a nice edge and things get very patriotic with “That Ain’t The Motor City” which could be a theme for the revived US auto industry. Several gems include “I Got My Eye On You” and the acoustic ballad “Annie” that showcase the band’s improved songwriting abilities. And the band continues it’s mix of British Invasion and Detroit-sytle rock. The theme of economic collapse is also continued in “Poor Man’s Paradise” and the Badfinger-like closer “Don’t Leave Me Now.” Like a breath of fresh air, you’ll certainly enjoy this latest collection from The Flynns.

My Space | CD Baby

Listen to “Baby Blue” played on Dave The Boogieman radio show 03-14-10

P.S. I did “hook up” with Paul Collins recently, and an interview is in the making. Listen to Dave the Boogieman show on the web.

power pop reviews, power pop and rock and roll opinions. Power pop and even more power pop and rock and roll.

Farewell Alex Chilton

powerpopaholic


Wow. I am crushed. This is one of the giants of the genre, so I am hard pressed to think of something to say, other than he will never be forgotten. To quote Jim DeRogatis: “Alex Chilton, a legend of the Memphis music scene and one of the founding fathers of the power-pop movement, died at a hospital in New Orleans on Thursday, the victim of an apparent heart attack. He was 59 years old. Chilton’s hugely influential band Big Star was about to be celebrated at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, partaking in a panel session and a showcase gig on Saturday. The band was experiencing the latest in a series of career resurgences, thanks to the recent reissues of its celebrated albums from the ’70s as the box set, “Keep an Eye on the Sky.” Read more of the obit here.

If you want more info on the box set and a book on Big Star check out my older post.

Here is the NY Times article about Chilton’s passing.

power pop reviews, power pop and rock and roll opinions. Power pop and even more power pop and rock and roll.

The Virgin review: Rich McCulley "Starting All Over Again"

powerpopaholic 1 Comment

Rich McCulley is the type of musician who doesn’t try to dress up his rock & roll with fancy tricks. He is a roots-country rocker who writes songs that deal with the traditional themes of love and loss. My new review of his album  “Starting All Over Again” is posted over at Virgin.com.

My Space | Rich McCulley’s site |  Amazon
power pop reviews, power pop and rock and roll opinions. Power pop and even more power pop and rock and roll.