Powerpopholic

Jeremy "Journey To The Center Of The Heart" and "Pop Explosion"

September 7, 2009April 4, 2018 powerpopaholic

The prolific Jeremy Morris returns to the sublime and familiar here. The Michigan based guitarist/songwriter/producer has been a mainstay in the power pop and progressive genres for years. On Journey…, we get fresh pop where last years Pop Explosion left off. “Home” opens with a chugging guitar riffs, catchy drum beats and the Cheap Trick inspired “Where There’s A Will There’s A Way.” The guitar magic continues on the Byrds-like “Vanity Fare” with a perfect jangle-filled guitars building to the chiming chorus here. The title track “Journey To The Center Of The Heart” throws in a little Beatles inspired psychedelics and it’s another winner, my favorite on this disc. With the calming “Church of Byrds” it revels in the heavenly vocal chorals and 12 string textures that build to a wall-of-sound that envelops the listener. But it also gets into fast-paced Merseybeat with “No More Lies” that is a sister track to the Fab’s “Dizzy Miss Lizzy.” The only indulgence here is the seven minute opus “Sailing Homeward” which has elements of ELO and Lennon sonically, but tends to drag a bit. I’ll give Jeremy that one, as everything else here just shines.

Jam Recordings | Kool Kat Musik | Not Lame

In case you missed this last year, it’s another jam packed power pop disc. Unlike the newer Journey… the Beatlesque and Kinks tendencies are more pronounced here. The Davies-styled rhythm and multi-tracked vocals of “Come Clean” comes across like another lost nugget from the Merseybeat era. “Superstar” perfectly mirrors The Strawberry Alarm Clock “Incense and Peppermints” with Byrdsian flourishes throughout. The big beat and guitar chords of “You’re Gonna Get It” effortlessly channel “All Day and All of The Night.” It’s not all 60’s retro, and few tracks have a more modern 80’s sound like “I’m Still Waiting” and “My Heart Beats For You.” Unfortunately, these tunes tend to blend together for me. However the piano ballad “The Perfect Love” is a gentle Lennon-styled winner and easy to appreciate. With all this it’s easy to be spoiled by the quality and quantity of tracks. On top of all this you get a bonus disc of 24 covers that run from Big Star to the Monkees. Just on value you get a ton of bang for your music buck, and if you are fan of those classic rock sounds, this is a full course.

Jam Recordings | Kool Kat Musik | Not Lame

Dreaming In Stereo "Dreaming In Stereo"

September 4, 2009April 4, 2018 powerpopaholic 1 Comment

Dreaming in Stereo’s leader, Fernando Perdomo cites Todd Rundgren as the primary influence for his band, and they’ve opened for Todd and fellow Utopia bandmate Kasim Sulton recently. And like classic mid 70’s Todd this is an exercise in progressive rock and power pop. Perdomo is a multi-talented singer/songwriter and a highly in-demand session musician, the Dreaming In Stereo project is a way he can let his “freak flag” fly. Just listen to “Steal this Song” for Fernando’s enthusiastic “free-love” attitude towards music piracy. “Misery Loves Company” is another melodic and spacey composition that also reminds me a bit of early Zappa. The multi-tracked instrumentals and drum rolls on the repeating chorus of “Not Gonna Move To L.A.” is both a mantra and an neo-hippy anthem. The slower ballad, “Smile” gets a bit maudlin, but the much better “The Will to Love” will stun you with it’s ethereal beauty. If you long for something different in a good way, let Perdomo take you on this magical trip.

MySpace | Not Lame | Dreaming In Stereo site

Blind Pilot "3 Rounds and a Sound"

September 3, 2009April 4, 2018 powerpopaholic

Music critics are falling all over themselves on these guys, as they are true modern troubadours. Blind Pilot follows a folk pop that draws from both Elliot Smith and Death Cab for Cutie. These Portland natives, Israel Nebeker and Ryan Dobrowski will charm you with the big hit “Go On Say It” (it was a featured Itunes free single last year). Fans of alt. folk pop will enjoy the simple acoustic beauty of the gentle strummed “Paint Or Pollen” and the muti-tracked sobering vocals on “Poor Boy.” One can’t always get around the obscure lyrics, but the quality musicianship and haunting atmosphere bring to mind a few rustic settings from the banjo accented “Oviedo” to the shuffling “Two Towns From Me”. Fans of The Jayhawks, Jens Lekman and Snow Patrol will all be comfortable with this one. Blind Pilot is currently wrapping up a summer tour, which included opening slots for The Decemberists, Andrew Bird and the British rock band Gomez.

MySpace | Itunes

Matthew Sweet. The Power Popaholic interview.

September 2, 2009September 2, 2009 powerpopaholic

Well thanks to my friends at Rock N Roll Report, I will be doing a series of interviews with a pile of power pop music celebs, and this one was one of the first on my list. Matthew Sweet was part of the vanguard of power pop artists in the 90s and I was thrilled to find out he’s an even bigger music geek than myself. We talk about his various collaborations (including The Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs), the “Under The Covers” series and a new album in progress. Listen to the entire interview streaming (24 minutes).

Thanks for the interview, Matthew!

The return of The Offbeat and Josh Fix

September 1, 2009July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic 1 Comment

The Offbeat “To The Rescue” EP
Fresh off his solo CD, Tony Cox is back with Darren Finlan and Nigel Clark (Dodgy) to follow up the Offbeat’s amazing debut album. The Beatlesque bliss that is the opener “She Can Make The Sunshine” displays the songwriting and dense harmonies that make this EP a welcome addition to your collection. The fast moving rhythm of “Someday Somehow” is a catchy follow up, as is the sweet jangle and ascending melody of “Something About The Girl.” Another highlight here for me is the ringing guitar strums of “Blue Sky,” a kind of mix of Merseybeat and Moody Blues-era pysche-pop. The lovely “You & Me” comes closer to the Magical Mystery Tour era musings on relationships. A toast then to The Offbeats, and I hope they continue to pump out this great music.

The Offbeat site | CD Baby | Itunes | Kool Kat Musik | Not Lame

Josh Fix “This Town Is Starting To Make Me Angry” EP
Last year’s “Free At Last” was one of the best power pop debut albums ever, and Josh has followed it up with an even better EP. Josh opens thing with the very Jason Falkner-like “This Town Is Starting To Make Me Angry.” A seemingly odd sense of dread permeates the proceedings, although this is one of those “don’t-miss-it” album. The next track, “Dirty Bloody Naked” is simply brilliant. Full of gorgeous piano and pounding rhythm guitar riffs, it melds both Elton John and Queen in a tight Jellyfish-like bow. The driving piano lead in “Ghosts in Your Head” is a dramatic theme for Josh’s state of mind. My only pet peeve here is the confessional prayer of “Dear Lord.” The soulful ballad cries for a Freddy Mercury-like vocal high octave finale, but it never comes. “Barely Insane” rounds out things with a funky Mellotron melody and lasers. This mini-album is a spectacular triumph and gives Greg Pope a run for his money on best EP of the year. It’s available almost everywhere, so stop reading and buy it now.