Tag: The Rallies

The Rallies and Hypnolovewheel

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The Rallies

The Rallies “No Better Time”

Seattle’s The Rallies deliver an effortlessly melodic sound that balances warmth and energy without it feeling too lightweight. Opening track “This Time” is packed with hooks and instantly memorable, while “I Believe” builds on that momentum with an uplifting message and added guitar punch. The band’s sound recalls the melodic craftsmanship of Squeeze, The La’s, and even a touch of Deadeye Dick. “Comes and Goes” is a great example; a slow building simple verse that leads to an irresistible “la la la” chorus.

Produced by Johnny Sangster at Crackle & Pop, the album showcases a cohesive performance from Steve Davis, Lee Brown, Ben Heege, and Brian Chase.  The album’s second half leans into its ’60s-inspired jangle, with the rich harmonies of “Love” and the Monkees-inspired “You Set Me Free.” Additional highlights include the minor-key gem “Be With You” and the self-assured “Not So Much Anymore.” The Rallies never stray far from a strong melody, and this one is highly recommended.

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Hypnolovewheel

Hypnolovewheel “Parallel Universe”

Ahead of their time, Hypnolovewheel spent the late ’80s and early ’90s crafting a distinctive blend of garage rock, noise pop, post-punk, and psychedelia. Featuring guitarists Steve Hunking and Dave Ramirez, bassist Dan Cuddy, and drummer Peter Walsh, the band occupied a space somewhere between The Pixies and The Presidents of the United States of America. Despite releasing several excellent albums, they never received the wider recognition they deserved. The new compilation, ‘Parallel Universe,’ makes a strong case for rediscovery.

Across 22 tracks, power pop fans will find plenty to enjoy. The jangly, melodic “Bridget Because” balances perfectly against the fuzzed-out guitars of “Peace of Mind.” Short, hook-filled songs are scattered throughout the collection, with shades of early R.E.M., Talking Heads, and Hüsker Dü woven into the band’s sound. While a few tracks show their age, standouts like “Pleasant Valley,” “Here Comes a Headache,” “What’s Going On,” “Embarrassment,” and “Secret Star” remain as compelling as ever. For newcomers, Parallel Universe serves as an ideal introduction to one of alternative rock’s overlooked treasures. Highly recommended.

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Halloween Treats: Toni Cornell, Mo Troper, The Rallies, Dazy, Shake Some Action, Vista Blue

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These treats are so sweet! An aquatic mermaid lair, fairy wings, a candlelit room filled with potions, and a pet lion are just a few of the fantastical aspects that add to the whimsical storyline of the “Campari” music video from popster Toni Cornell. Everyone’s favorite DIY bedroom pop producer Mo Troper is back, and you have “The Best Seat In The House” to this bouncy power pop gem. Seattle’s The Rallies compile some of their newest singles, please listen to my fave, “I Believe.” Another excellent modern power pop band Dazy has an excellent EP ready, and ‘Bad Penny’ doesn’t have a bad song, really! Another real sweet gem here is the return of the mod-influenced Shake Some Action and you are ‘Running Out of Place To Run’ so you may as well enjoy these excellent tunes.Finally, the ever lovin’ Vista Blue. This new freebie single fits today’s theme, but the band has a great tradition of baseball themed EPs, and the new one ‘The Shift Is Dead’ is a fun soundtrack to this year’s World Series. Enjoy the sugar rush, kiddies!

Father’s Day: doubleVee, The Krayolas, Mark Ward, Richard Snow, The Rallies, DelCobras

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Happy Father’s Day to all the dads. Plenty of great new music to share with your dad today, starting with Allan Vest & Barb Vest (Starlight Mints) as doubleVee who release “Everyone’s Lonely Under The Sea” in anticipation of the release of the ‘Periscope at Midnight’ EP. The rest of the EP is excellent! Dig that bass line!  Next, The Krayolas deliver a sweet tribute to Brian Wilson with “Surf’s Down” a newly released gem from the Tex-Mex trio. Speaking of tributes, Mark Ward has done a cool EP full of covers, interpreted in his own way. Check out the pop bounce of Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind,” a great song with a whole new spin. With all the anxiety going on in the world today, Richard Snow has a very timely response to the conspiracy culture we’re in on “Governments Always Lie.” The Rallies are also back with a simple song that“Comes and Goes” and it really impresses during the harmony-filled bridge. Philly Green Day inspired rockers DelCobras have a great single here with “Untied (She’s The One)” with that infectious chorus. Enjoy a nice cold drink with these tunes. Cheers!

Merry Christmas from Power Popaholic!

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While not Christmas-themed, I wanted to feature this Syracuse University freshman, Callan Nagel-Dubin, who covers The Flashcubes with “It’s You Tonight” for his project in a recording class at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Ironically, the first time The Flashcubes ever recorded was as a student project for a musical recording class at Newhouse in the spring of 1978.

It’s easy to dismiss, but I love original Christmas music. Honestly, I’m tired of the old classics (the constant repetition is what makes some people hate Christmas songs) and would love to hear new stuff on the radio. Not only are all these great examples of new Christmas music (Joe Algeri’s JAC is more of an outlier here), but most of them are also “Name Your Price,” so this is also a bargain. I have one more week of reviews left, and then on New Year’s Eve, we let fly our top 25 albums for 2023. So enjoy the egg nog while it’s still fresh!

February Singles and Freebies: The Rallies, Lisa Mychols, The Nobility, The Low Spirits, The Guts, Cliff Hillis

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The animated video is from The Dowling Poole, the track is taken from the album ‘Refuse’ which is available to buy on Bandcamp here. Really great singles this month and my faves so far; The Rallies kill it with “Must Be Love” a power pop classic in the making. The queen of power pop, Lisa Mychols also returns with The Masticators for an excellent freebie “Here’s A Boy” and Nashville band The Nobility‘s ballad “Poison Mind” recall The Bee Gees styled falsetto. If your tastes are more old-school, The Low Spirits deliver the freebie “Outta Sight” with its textbook ’66 Animals style, and Geoff Palmer’s side project The Guts has a punk pop gem with “O.F.S.C.” Finally our old friend Cliff Hillis has a sweet new EP out, but since this is a singles post, his new single is a catchy sing-along about the “coolest scuba diver we know.” He should tour kindergartens with this (is this how Raffi got started?).