Tag: David Myhr

David Myhr and Love Hearts

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david myhr

David Myhr “Everything Is All About You”

David Myhr has been a reliable presence since his days with The Merrymakers, and his solo albums have shown he has plenty of melodic firepower of his own. On “Everything Is All About You,” he turns outward, offering a collection of songs about taking chances, moving forward, and making the most of life.

“Say Yes” gets things off to a strong start, with a joyous carpe diem message, catchy horn lines, and Myhr’s trademark layered harmonies. “Take a Run at the Sun” follows with the same positive outlook at a slower pace. “Summer Summer Summer” has plenty of bounce, though the song feels somewhat lightweight. “Milk and Coffee” is more substantial, a Gilbert O’Sullivan-style gem about the small details of starting a new phase of life. The whistling melody gives it plenty of charm and makes it one of the album’s standouts.

The second half takes a sharp turn, slowing the pace and moving away from straightforward power pop into adult-oriented pop territory. “Continental Drifter” heads into ’50s lounge, while “Doodlebug” is a cute song for his child. These departures show Myhr is unwilling to stay locked into one formula, though some of the stylistic experiments feel less essential than the stronger material earlier in the album. Even when the songs wander, Myhr’s melodic instincts remain intact. There’s enough personality and songwriting craft here to keep his solo journey worth following. Highly Recommended.

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radio days

Love Hearts “Love Hearts Forever”

Norwegian punk-pop with enough sugar to rot your teeth and enough energy to get you moving. Love Hearts kick things off with the fast-paced “Sugar Sugar,” while “Smile” follows the Ramones template, adding enough harmonies and melody to keep your head bopping. They take things up another notch with “Occupy My Heart,” where his love “is stuck in my head, like a catchy pop song.” The chorus delivers a hook that sticks.

Between the sub-minute-and-a-half punk blasts, the band slips in some stronger pop tracks, including “Be Good,” “Crush On You,” and “With You.” This isn’t rocket science, and some of the short, chorus-free punk tunes start to blend together. Still, the better songs rise above the noise and show the band has a knack for melody. Fans of Vista Blue will want to add Love Hearts to their playlist. A fun, energetic album that deserves to be heard.

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June singles: Danny Laj and The Looks, David Myhr, The Toxhards, The Regulars, Willie Dowling, Almost A Cow

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Danny Laj and the Looks “We’re The Freaks” really speaks to the power pop movement. The track focuses on how something as simple as a noise complaint can threaten a beloved venue and the ripple effect that loss has on musicians, fans, and the local community. Something I’ve lived through, for sure. I’ve seen a big push in new music recently because it’s summertime. Let’s start with David Myhr (The Merrymakers) latest solo album, and the opening track “Summer Summer Summer” and its exactly what you expect, a swirling gem that will add a smile to your face. Next, The Toxhards are back after last year’s top-ten rated LP, with a new single and hopefully a full length isn’t far behind. After that you get a new freebie EP from The Regulars, a scruffy rock band from Boxborough, Massachusetts with the goods, check out “Impossible” and “Empty Dose.” Great live energy and good songs. Across the pond, Willie Dowling (Dowling Poole, Jackdaw4) is carrying on again in his manic way about the state of politics. We get it, mate! Finally, Almost A Cow is a Texas band with a big sound claiming to write anime songs, but its just melodic rock and roll (and I like it, yes I do!) Check out the 90s influenced power pop tracks “Manatee” and “Downfall.” Thanks!
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Radio Days, Watts and David Myhr

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Radio Days

Radio Days “Rave On!”

Italian power pop band Radio Rays returns with a new LP, and like comfort food, it warms the soul with a catchy sound that combines the energy of The Beatles, The Knack, and Paul Collins Beat wrapped into three-minute jangling gems. “I Got Love” is a classic power-pop single with a signature riff repeating throughout. The party continues with “Lose Control” and its dense guitar attack similar to The Ramones. Even better is the catchy “Walk Alone” which layers its guitar line perfectly, and builds into a harmonic chorus. It’s likely the best tune here, but there’s plenty more to enjoy.

The angular guitars on “Til The End Of The Night” boasts a gentle quiet verse, followed by a loud chorus about love. “What is Life?” is a fun tune full of guest stars ( Paul Collins, Kurt Baker, The Yum Yums, and The Psychotic Youth). Nearly every track hits the mark, and it sets itself up as a contender for top power pop LP for 2021. Highly recommended, of course.

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Watts

Watts “Shady Rock and Rollers”

Boston’s local guitar heroes Watts are back with an album that turns it up to “11”. The first track says it all “Loud & Fast,” as lead vocalist Dan Kopko’s grizzled shout describe “that’s how I want my rock and roll!” In the early days of Watts history, the band’s template was The Rolling Stones, and they still have an R&B core sound on a few tunes, like “The Night The Lights Went Down.” But when I heard “Queens,” it was definitely a call out to the band KISS, even the lyric mentions “queens of the nighttime world.” Additional influences like Guns N’ Roses and Cheap Trick are heard as well.

Lots of highlights here, including “Heavy Metal Kids,”  “Seventeen,” and “All Done With Rock and Roll.” The music doesn’t falter and is consistently great. There are more than enough gems here to make this a highly recommended pick.

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David Myhr

David Myhr “And Now This” EP

David Myhr is a treasured power-pop artist from Sweden, whose band The Merrymakers was one of the best examples of the genre in the late 90s. David has continued to produce high-quality music over the years, and this EP is no exception. The opener “We Wanted To Shine” is a look back to his time in the band and its too short career. The soothing “You Spin My World Around” is a classic mid-tempo love song with bells and harmonies, and my favorite is the electric sitar gem “Egyptian Blue.” With only 4 songs, it’s a short and sweet EP. It only makes me want more Myhr music, and it’s also a top EP for 2021.

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David Myhr and Dropkick

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David Myhr

David Myhr “Lucky Day”

David Myhr (The Merrymakers) returns after six years and like many power pop legends of the last century, his quest for musical satisfaction continues on a more mature path. He has gathered an all-star group of songwriters to collaborate with him; Bleu, Linus Of Hollywood and Bill DeMain to name a few. He also enlisted producer Brad Jones in Nashville who explains: “My goal was to show David branching out from his youthful power-pop to a more reflective sound.”

David’s harmony-filled opening number “Jealous Sun’” a gem is buoyed by its simple acoustic melody and its sing-along catchiness. This is typical Myhr, and it just keeps coming. “Negative Friend” is full of McCartney-like piano and layered effects (kazoos, even!) “Room To Grow” starts out subtly and then picks up a breezy casual melody with minor keys, it literally grows on you. But the real showpiece here is the catchy and inspirational “The Perfect Place” with swelling strings it is simply brilliant. After this David shows his romantic side, with the soft pop of “Every Day It Rains,” “Lucky Day” and “Lovebug.” Every song hits the mark, no filler and it is on my short list for 2018’s top ten list. The CD version of the album has four additional singles including the sweet ELO-inspired “Spellbound.” Don’t miss it.

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Dropkick

Dropkick “Longwave”

Dropkick knows how to jangle – they’ve been at it for 14 albums. The band, based on Scotland’s east coast, are Andrew Taylor, Ian Grier Mike Foy, and Alan Shields. Like a mix of Teenage Fanclub, Big Star and The Jayhawks the opener “Out Of Tune” is undeniably catchy and instrumentally precise.  “It’s Still Raining” is another big highlight, with frontman Andrew Taylor’s soft lead cruising on top of a jangling rhythm. Even the sparse ballad “Faraway Places,” showcases Taylor’s soul with the lyrics; “There are ways to grow up without getting older.” 

More highlights include “Come Around,” the warm fuzzy riffs of “Giving Way,” “Fed Up Thinking About You.” Dropkick’s chiming guitar chords and great harmonies make this a highly recommended album.

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