Tag: Ryan Allen

What did I miss? The Elbow Patches, The Goods, Ryan Allen

powerpopaholic

The days have gotten away from me, and I need to review some 2026 stuff this weekend. But here is another look at some of last year’s great music I did not review in time. 

The Elbow Patches

The Elbow Patches “Achingly Familiar”

John Dunbar was working on a new LP for his band, The John Sally Ride but with the sudden passing of legendary bass player, Sal Maida, earlier in the year he vowed to end that band and The Elbow Patches was formed. The jangle and melodic fuzz of the opener “You Can’t Kid Yourself” is a great start. Next the Byrdsian strums of “The Day Got Away From Me” is just comfort food for my ears. Dunbar’s sardonic side is kept in check, aside from tracks like “Who Doesn’t Hate Each Other?” Although there seems to me a sense of resignation in his songwriting. With its retro late 60s style, each track resonates, and like his other musical projects it’s certainly highly recommended.

Amazon


The Goods

The Goods “Don’t Spoil The Fun”

This should have been a bit higher on my list, Oakland band The Goods have a mellow melodicism on the opener “April Fools” akin to late period Monkees. You’ll hear that magic on “Sunday Morning Out of The Blue.” They also have a dense chiming jangle akin to Dropkick on many songs. But add those harmonies and you’ve got something special, like on “Raining” and “Me and My Ghost.” The album is also consistent with its style and quality songwriting. No filler here at all.  After a few spins, this will stick with you. Super Highly Recommended.

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Tulpa

Ryan Allen “Livin’ On A Prayer On The Edge”

Ryan Allen came out with 2 albums in 2025. Both are excellent and Allen just continues to get better and sounds like he’s having fun doing it.  ‘One Week Off’ is like an experiment in churning out demos, like Robert Pollard on a 4-track. Great as this album is, ‘Livin’ On A Prayer On The Edge’ feels more deliberate and the songwriting feels more thought out. It also allows thoughtful moments like “Anxious All The Time” and punkier excursions like “Devil’s Juice.” Some tune are just fun like “Spider Sally” while others are driving pop jams like “So What Who Cares.” It’s a very well rounded album that really showcases Allen’s talent. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

Extra Arms and Motorists

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Extra Arms

Extra Arms “Radar”

Extra Arms, a Detroit band, has always been quite good, and on 2022’s ‘What Is Even Happening Right Now?’ they leveled up. ‘Radar’ continues that trend, and we have a fantastic album here full of infectious power pop hits that will stick in your head.

They named the album after bass player Ryan Marshall’s dog. Why not? They start with the howling feedback of “Be Someone Else,” with a killer beat, and monster energy. Influences are a great mix of The Replacements, Elvis Costello, The Buzzcocks, and The Cars. There is no “doggy-do” here, and the first 5 songs are all killer, including “Everything Disappears,” “All Good Things Take Time,” and “I Don’t Wanna Surrender.” The song “Shut’Em Down” in particular is a relentless, fast-paced assault that is ideal for your running or exercise soundtrack.

There is a breather mid-way on the smooth “Space and Time” with strategic steel pedal accents, and then it gives us an amazing closing rocker, “Mad Dog Blue,” and you can hear Allen struggling with the concept of time passing beneath it all. Overall, a great album, and it makes my top ten list this year! Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik


Montorists

Motorists “Touched By the Stuff”

The Motorists are a group of lifelong friends and colleagues from Toronto who, in their catchy and energizing music, combine the rough-edged fuzz of modern rock with the nostalgic jangle of college rock from the 1980s. This sophomore album has more of a power pop edge, with short, catchy tunes that have some elements of new wave mixed in.

“Decider” has that jangly, post-punk, fuzzy melody. “Call Control” is another standout with its bass lead. It’s a fuzzy gem that recalls Echo and The Bunnymen or The B-52’s with its guitar rhythms. But it isn’t that predictable, with different elements of alt-rock and occasional vocal harmonies on “L.O.W,” and “Forced Perspective.” The Sloan-like guitar riffs on “Barking at the Gates” surprised me. No filler here, and worth repeat listens for sure. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

Ryan Allen and Butch Walker

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Ryan Allen

Ryan Allen “The Last Rock Band”

Ryan Allen has not let up since his top-ten-rated album from last year. This time Allen and his bandmates have a concept album about the rise and fall of the “last” rock band. It’s loaded with anthemic melodies, pounding percussion, and dense guitar riffs from beginning to end, starting with the title track “The Last Rock Band.” The classic approach reminded me a little of Nick Piunti, as it asks the question “is rock dead?” It goes through the timeline of the story, from the “Discovery,” of the sound that “changed my life” to the excellent “Start A Band.” Ryan hits the power pop sweet spot with almost every track.

Allen emulates the obvious in “Like The Ramones,” and shreds even harder on “Wrong Place Wrong Time” about the downfall of the last band’s excesses. The only misfire is “Bought A Computer,” a lament of Luddite musicians told through the synth rhythm. But the music is kicked up a notch with “Second Act,” and the epic “We Have Returned.” At times, Allen’s vocals get a little buried in the mix, but the hooks are so strong here it’s hard to complain. If you want a prime example of modern power pop melded with classic rock, we have it here. Super highly recommended.

Amazon

Butch Walker

Butch Walker “Butch Walker as… Glenn”

Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Butch Walker has come a long, long way from his time in the power pop band The Marvelous Three. The native Georgian had a long prolific solo career and is still a sought-after producer (Green Day, Pink, Taylor Swift) but this time he changes his persona to “Glenn,” a late ’70s troubadour fashioned as a Southern version of Billy Joel with a touch of John Mellencamp when the guitars kick in. The concept album takes place in a “club” where a bar fight breaks out halfway through happy hour.

The beauty of this piano man act is that many of the songs are really good. The first song, the ballad “Leather Weather (Mr. and Ms. Understanding)” will touch that nostalgic part of your brain, and the catchy “Roll Away (Like a Stone)” recalls a long-lost Jackson Brown single. “Avalanche” and “Holy Water Hangover” are sleepers that will also stay with you after a few plays. The poignant ballad “Don’t Let It Weigh Heavy on Your Heart,” a duet with Elizabeth Cook, is a song designed to make you cry into your beer. Fans of this classic rock era will love it. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

End-of-January Singles, EPs and a Freebie: Ryan Allen, Luddites, Ilko Birov, Floral Portrait, Brock Pytel

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After a relatively warm January, we settle in and see Ryan Allen is already following up his #7 album of 2022 with a new concept album. This is a taste, we’ll review the entire LP soon. Boston’s Luddites does a good job with old-school power pop riffs, and Bulgarian singer-songwriter Ilko Birov knocks this single “Mrs. James” out of the park. Fans of Elliott Smith and Dave Davies will enjoy this. Jason Bronson and Jacob Chisenhall bring us the warmth of Floral Portrait, a slice of sunny orchestral pop in the tradition of Brian Wilson. Fans of The Wondermints will appreciate it and it’s our freebie. On a louder note,  Brock Pytel (formerly of The Doughboys, the Montreal punk band and NOT Richard X. Heyman’s band) has a new single and it’s got a catchy fatalism, akin to Bob Mould playing The Rolling Stones. Onward to Spam… I mean, February!