Tag: B-Leaguers

EP Reviews: Tommy & The Rockets, Paperweight Array, Vista Blue and B-Leaguers

powerpopaholic

Tommy & The Rockets deliver a great EP that wears its love of power pop on its sleeve, even though these dudes seem a bit too clean-cut to be a “Wrecking Machine.” The melodies here owe a lot to early Beach Boys more than The Ramones, but each track is a fast-tempo theme that crackles with energy. Highly Recommended.

The Paperweight Array is a new band with guitarist Aaron Hemmington (The Sunchymes). The music is more current sounding than the Sunchymes psyche-pop nostalgia. But the great jangle and harmonies are still there. Check out the prog-rock epic “Going Back” with its shifting key changes.

Those baseball themed rockers Vista Blue are back just in time for opening day. It’s very much in the same mold as past releases, with the Ramones-like garage riffs leading the way. Check out “I Wanna Be Your Shortstop” and “Blame It All On The Ump.” Oh, and like all Vista Blue music — it’s a “Pay-as-you-like” download.

From Lincoln UK, The B-Leaguers also have a garage-styled punk pop that aims to look back on youth. In fact “World Famous (In A Little Town)” would’ve been a perfect fit for the T2: Trainspotting soundtrack. They also share the EP with Hooligan Crooners who do grizzled punk on “Head Full Of Chemicals.”

B-Leaguers and The Miamis

powerpopaholic
B-Leaguers

B-Leaguers “Death of A Western Heart”

James Styring (The Popdogs) forms a new band with a harder edge and a thicker guitar sound. The title track refers to the loss of the past, and James slowly builds the song from a simple bass line to a riff driven rock anthem where eventually “you come back to where you start.”

“Amnesia” has a punk energy that keeps the song afloat and  “Numbers” has a neo-metal riff alongside its chiming guitar rhythm section. It keeps to the standard pop-punk rock until we get to the excellent “Lemonade” with its frantic harmonies and faster tempo. Definitely worth checking out.

Kool Kat Musik

Scott Warren

The Miamis “We Deliver”

It’s hard to believe, but there are still “lost” bands out there that never made it to the limelight in the classic rock era.The Miamis were an active part of the ‘70s New York club scene, playing at CBGB, Max’s Kansas City and the Mudd Club. They headlined shows alongside Blondie, the Ramones and New York Dolls, but the lack of a recording contract kept the Miamis forever in obscurity. They did record a self-released album, but the industry execs at the time dubbed them “too punk for pop, too pop for punk.” I don’t hear any punk, but the energy and melodies clearly belong to power pop, so fans of The Knack, The Raspberries and Rubinoos will really enjoy this.

The infectious melody on “We Deliver” is unmistakable, and could easily be mistaken for a Rubinoos single. “Cry Baby” is like early Ramones with horns, and “Dancin’ Together” is like T-Rex playing an NRBQ hit. You can hear some Todd Rundgren influence in “I Want A Girlfriend” and  “Just Too Many People In The World.” You then realize that the Miamis were not so easy to categorize. The live songs are also where this band really shines, with a bluesy “That’s Life” capping 23 total tracks. Don’t miss this slice of lost power pop history. Highly Recommended.

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