Tag: Coke Belda

Coke Belda and Professor and The Madman

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coke belda

Coke Belda “9”

Coke Belda, a Valencia, Spain native who settled in Pittsburgh, has been serving up finely tuned power pop since 2013. Across nine albums, he has stayed true to his love of melody, harmony, and polished pop craftsmanship, with The Bee Gees, Jeff Lynne, and The Beatles among his key influences. On this latest release, those influences remain clear, but Belda puts his own sugary stamp on them.

Coke’s approach is relaxed and smooth, allowing the melodies to take center stage. “Golden Days” gets things off to a strong start with soaring strings and lush harmonies, while “Everyone Needs You” has an almost ethereal quality, built around layered guitars and beautifully stacked vocals. Then there’s “Beach Life,” which positively shimmers. If you’re looking for the perfect song to accompany a honeymoon video, this one practically begs for it.

“The Music Is Waking Up” sounds like a lost Gilbert O’Sullivan song, with its charming piano-led arrangement and lyrical plea for music that retains a human touch in the age of AI. “Velvet Sunrise” features some clever harmonic touches in the chorus, while “World Without Fear” and the jaunty “Keep on Wandering” provide more highlights. There’s no denying this album leans heavily toward the sugary side of pop, and some listeners might find the sweetness a little excessive. For fans of classic pop craftsmanship, lush harmonies, and unabashed melody, this is another winning entry in Coke Belda’s growing catalog. Highly recommended.

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AProfessor and The Madman

Professor and The Madman “Dreamworld”

Alfie Agnew and Sean Elliot came up through the Southern California punk scene, playing in several bands before befriending Rat Scabies of The Damned. When former Eddie & The Hot Rods bassist Paul Gray joined in, Professor and the Madman was born. Their latest concept album is a love letter to mid-’60s psychedelia and pop, complete with the “Revolver”-inspired artwork.

“Dreamworld” opens with simple piano chords before bursting into swirling psychedelia and a “ba ba ba” chorus. “Tolerant World” charges forward on a forceful guitar riff, and “Mental Tape” has a playful, campy quality, with vocal inflections reminiscent of Smash Mouth’s retro lounge style. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, the production is rich and polished without losing the album’s vintage character.

“The Light” delivers strong hooks and a touching lyric about trying to get through a painful time. The Beatles influence is unmistakable on “12 Strings and Tambourines,” which borrows the hypnotic drum-and-bass rhythms of “Tomorrow Never Knows.” My favorite track is “Adams Street,” a perfect blend of dreamy vocals, nostalgia, and memorable guitar. Its lyric, “We’d create fictitious bands/Give them faces, names, and plans,” neatly explains the album’s concept. Professor and the Madman have built their own dreamworld, and it’s a fun place to visit. Highly Recommended.

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Enuff Z’nuff and Coke Belda

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“The

Enuff Z’nuff  “Xtra Cherries”

It’s hard to pigeonhole Enuff Z’nuff because they’re often grouped with glam or hair metal because of their look and the time period (late 1980s), but their music has always been consistently hard Midwestern power pop akin to Cheap Trick, with Beatles-influenced melodies and psychedelic touches. Chip Z’nuff has carried the torch for the band since 2018, keeping the band alive as a vehicle for his vision. His voice isn’t perfect every time, yet it grows on you, like the opening ballad “Heartbeat.” Next, “No Cold Feeling” is one of the strongest tracks here, the “Na Na Na” really sticks with you, and the alternating riffs are a masterclass in melodic hard rock courtesy of Steve Brown (Trixter, Def Leppard).

“Sanibel Island (It’s Outta Control)” is the ultimate spring break party song, about the Florida beach destination, but the heart of the album is “Heavy Metal,”with its “feeling heavy metal” chorus about achieving that rock star dream. There is a little “spot the influence” on “Back To The Wall” which opens and closes with a Queen riff, and “Magnificent” has great churning guitars and and the lyrics sound like it was written for the new Superman movie, plus it’s got a Beatles reference too! Finally my big highlight is “Take It Or Leave It” and it’s the poppiest of the rockers here, loaded with great minor chords. Enuff Z’nuff are criminally under appreciated in power pop circles. They deserve a reassessment, especially now that Chip is steering the ship with more of a pure pop intent. Highly Recommended.

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“The

Coke Belda “C8ke”

Throughout his career, Coke Belda has always provided high-quality melodic pop; his most recent work is no different. Belda has his own sound, even though he unambiguously admires Jeff Lynne and the Beatles. Starting with “Seeing Red,” it’s a sunny melody with contrasting lyrics about the anxiety of a new Trump administration and “Broken Man” is an accurate assessment of our current White House occupant.

Next, “A Different Nowhere Man” contains great harmonies, but they don’t sound like the Beatles’ “Nowhere Man.” Instead, Belda’s approach sounds more like a Boyce-Hart song with its bouncy piano. “Wondering in Wonder” is another bright melody with a solid guitar break, and “Starlit Dream” (a co-write with David Myhr) is another big highlight here. Loaded with hope and fantastic aspiration, it’s a journey to a magic “starlit land.” The harmonies are also at the forefront of “Tides of Joy,” a Beach Boys-styled gem. While not every song here sticks, more than enough of them do. The theme of the album is made clear on “Echoes and Symphonies,” bursting with gratitude, and I’m grateful for Coke’s music. Highly Recommended.

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Más Power Pop español: Octubre, Coke Belda, Javier Miramontes, The Starkwells, George Harrison

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Since my last Spanish power pop post, a few notable new releases still needed to be highlighted. Octubre from Madrid, Spain has been a local favorite, and a few called it the best pop album of the year, and the opening track “Todo se lo lleva el viento” (translates to “Everything is carried away by the wind”) compares well to Teenage Fanclub. The grand jangle of “No sé qué hacer” is another standout track with plenty more. The sound is just mesmerizing! Get on Amazon

Coke Belda (a long-time fave here) is back with a tribute album to the legendary Beatlesque band Los Brincos. The four-piece Spanish rock band from the 1960s was often compared with The Fab Four, and Belda takes the classic sound and updates it with modern studio polish. Fans of the classic power pop style will simply love it. Don’t miss it! Get on Amazon

Javier Miramontes (aka Howdy) and his previous band, The Starkwells pay tribute to Big Star here with an original and a cover.

Not Spanish, but in case you missed it… a Celeb-filled “My Sweet Lord” video in celebration of the 50th anniversary of George Harrison‘s classic solo album, All Things Must Pass. 

 

Singles, Tributes, and Freebies: Hot Summer, The Poppermost, Emperor Penguin and Orbis Max, Gal Gun, Gentlemen Rogues, Coke Belda, Bob of the Pops

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Hot Summer a new group by The Shins’ Jon Sortland and Brian Belier. “Fire And Ice” is indirectly related to the great disparities between political parties and a byproduct of shut-in pandemic isolation. Sounding a bit like The Eels to me, Hot Summer certainly is mesmerizing.

The great Joe Kane goes back to 1964 and the British Invasion with The Poppermost. It’s simply Fab! Let’s hope an album follows soon.

Emperor Penguin and Orbis Max combine for this terrific FREE single! An upbeat gem. What is not to like here?

I know little of Chicago band Gal Gun, but they’ve got some solid music here with fuzz guitars and catchy melody. Fans of Superdrag and Velvet Crush will dig it. Visit the singles of the previous months, especially “Premium” from September.

I haven’t heard from Gentlemen Rogues in a long time, so it’s good to see them active again. Nice aggressive guitar pop, with punk-inflected energy. Check it out.

Coke Belda digs deeper in the Bee Gees back catalog and it’s a reminder of how great the Gibb brothers were as songwriters. “Islands in the Stream,” originally sung by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Paton is presented here as a fine duet between Coke and vocalist Sara Depp. More Bee Gees love on Volume 3.

Bob of the Pops (Robyn Gibson and friends) plays hits obscure and common for Volume 5(!) This FREEBIE is brilliant and Robyn’s voice is perfectly suited to The Hollies “King Midas in Reverse” and Jeff Lynn’s ballad “Midnight Blue.”

Coke Belda and Andrew Gold

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Coke Belda

Coke Belda “4”

Coke Belda certainly wears his love of McCartney on his sleeve. Opening with an unapologetic fanboy love note on “Thank you, Paul,” you can have a fun time counting how many Macca songs are mentioned by name. But this doesn’t take away from the fact that Coke writes catchy melodies that just stick. “Another Day” is a gem that adds a little ELO to the mix with its deep chords about avoiding internet trolls. The short “Believe” is a bouncy acoustic ballad, and the rich production and vocal harmonies take center stage on the mid-tempo standout “6×8 Basement.”

Belda varies his style enough on the impressive Hollies-like “Just A Dream,” and the hippie folk tune “1968.” So far this album is really good, but on “Harlan, Kentucky” Belda takes it up a notch. The catchy verses build on each other, the riffs are infectious and by the middle eight it’s transcendent. At another time, this would be a huge hit song. He also indulges with a syrupy six-minute love song on “Watching You,” which eventually builds to a flowing guitar solo. Simply no filler here, and it makes my top 10 list this year for sure. Super highly recommended.

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Andrew Gold

Andrew Gold “Something New: Unreleased Gold”

Andrew Gold was best known for hits “Lonely Boy,” and Golden Girls theme song “Thank You For Being A Friend.” He was a great songwriter and helped rocket Linda Ronstadt to fame. His genius was often overlooked, and he passed away in 2011. But his widow Leslie Kogan discovered a collection of demos Gold recorded in 1973. These songs would ultimately land him a deal with Asylum Records who would release his first album in the fall of 1975. Thanks to Omnivore Recordings, it’s seeing the light of day.

The potential hit here “Something New” was eventually given to Playboy model Barbi Benton in 1976, but Andrew’s version is fresher with less studio gloss. Additional “finished” songs include the country-pop of “Prisoner” and “Resting in Your Love.” These are not typical Gold, but very enjoyable. The remain tracks are all solo demos and not everything here sticks. Highlights include the fine melodies of “Come Down To Me,”  “The World Tomorrow Brings,” and “Don’t Bring Me Down.” Despite the fact that these songs are underdeveloped, they all hold potential. This collection will mainly appeal to Gold fans. Others should start with Essential Gold.

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