Quinn Hawkins and The Monochrome Set
Quinn Hawkins “Eccentric”
San Francisco musician Quinn Hawkins was a great find a few weeks ago, and I could not resist a full album review. His sound is strong with late-era XTC Andy Partridge sounds but isn’t limited to that single influence. The arrangements are well constructed, with chords and verses that catch you off guard.
The quirky “Can’t Wait To Go To Bed Every Night” is smart, catchy and so damn melodic. As the song increases its intensity, it goes totally into Dukes of The Stratosphere territory. Solid guitar pop on “Love The Thought Of You,” and “(Back Off) I’m On Vacation,” with its unusual percussion. Ween influences come out on “Don’t Call Me Your Future,” “Different Level of Hell,” and the brilliant “Hawaiian Stress.” Out of the eleven tracks, none of them feel like filler. My favorite track “Souvenir in The Dirt”is the most XTC-like, but his piano pop ballad “Nothing Seems To Kill Me Now” starts off quiet, then adds strings as it turns into something more dense, similar to 8×8. Overall a great debut that defies predictable pop, and a contender for my top ten list in 2026. Super highly recommended.
The Monochrome Set “Lotus Bridge”
Guest Review by Jack Serpick
By now, fans of The Monochrome Set have learned to be patient. After releasing ‘The Lost Weekend’ in 1985, the whimsical post-punk group broke up and their music has been sporadic ever since regrouping in 2012. The Monochrome Set returns this month with the characteristically poetic and eclectic ‘Lotus Bridge’. The title track sets the dreamy mood that carries on through the album. Several tracks directly reference dreams in various capacities and the tunes themselves can be disorienting; they spin us, take us in unexpected directions and leave us upside down. It’s an engrossing experience.
Frontman and lyricist, Ganesh “Bid” Seshadri, builds a mythical world and takes us on an adventure. Tracks like “Diaphanous” bring us into a city with a quick, pulsing beat. Songs in this camp flip-flop between highlighting intense drums and tamer keys or guitar ascents/descents; the group gets frequent comparisons to The Smiths. Songs like “Arcadia” are more mysterious and spacey, highlighting ethereal sounds. “Our Sweet Souls,” is a perfect album-closer, illuminating more drawn-out allegories. In “Lotus Bridge,” crossing the bridge, whether between the past and future or a dream and the real world, entails leaving people who cannot follow: “We will stay where our broken bodies lay…we are happier this way…go and breathe in tomorrow, where the air will be so sweet.” As a whole the album portrays the contemplation and reminiscence that goes into leaving something behind. Highly Recommended.
Power Popaholic Interview: Conor Lumsden (Music City)
Conor Lumsden (Music City)
You’ll hear:
• Honest takes on songwriting and influence
• What he’s learned touring with The Lemon Twigs
• What he picked up from the band 10cc
• The mindset it takes to keep making music that matters
👉 Album review here,
If you care about power pop, and classic rock energy this one is worth your time.
More singles and album previews: The Dollyrots, The Lemon Twigs, Andrew Deevey, In Loom, Quinn Hawkins, The Spindles, The Donuts
Nick Piunti and Juliana Hatfield & Eric Payne
Nick Piunti “Solo… ish”
Working with Andy Reed (The Legal Matters) Nick Piunti turned a series of demos into musical manna as per usual. He has added help from Donny Brown (The Verve Pipe) and Joe Daksiewicz (The Complicated Men). The songs are all about the frustration of the music “business,” as we start with “Big in Madrid.” A catchy tune about an overseas tour where he’s always giving of himself, while he tells himself “don’t quit your day job.”
When Nick is on point he’s the best power pop artist in the biz, both “One Dimensional” and “Handshake Deal” are just perfection here. The mellower tracks here are good too, as nothing here is filler. The textures and orchestration of “Darken My Days” show real depth and the layered harmonies on “Vacant Heart” prove to be more highlights. The more emotional “Bruises and Bandages” and the addition of Lora Aldrich on “Tragic Tragedy” are treated with the same care and deserve additional spins. Once again, Nick ends up on my Top Ten short list. Highly Recommended.
Juliana Hatfield and Eric Payne “Bets”
I don’t know when I slipped Juliana into the power pop category, but her first band The Blake Babies were always melodic and her entire career has been consistently underrated. And similar artists, like Liz Phair should be taking notes. ‘Bets’ is a collaboration with her contractor(!) who’s a musician himself. Eric proves that it may take an unexpected, like-minded soul to bring out the best in us.
The opener “Your Social Security” hooks you immediately, with its flowing verses. The rougher riffs of “Only Sister” and “Sweet” keep the same urgency, and Juliana’s vocal carries the song where it needs to go. It goes all relaxed for “Temptation” and the hook is solid on “The Well.” While not every song had me grooving like “Thoughts To Send,” there is enough here to make this highly recommended.