PowerPop Overdose

Friend of PPO , Mick from "Bucketfull of Brains" has posted his top 10 of 2008, Enjoy!

The Pillbugs - Everybody Wants A Way Out

A friend of mine recently said, “You can always count on the Pillbugs” and it’s true. The fifth in a run of brilliant albums Everybody Wants Away Out is as always chockfull of brilliant melodies and invention, beautifully played, produced and arranged by the pop genius Mark Mikel and the boys. Like all their previous albums, effortlessly my album of the year.

1. Life As It Happens 2. Do You Really Want To Go To The Centre of the Sun

Winterpills - Central Chambers

From the moment I first heard the opening track on the debut album by The Maggies, through a pair of golden honey drenched solo albums and now this third album by his superb combo Winterpills I have always been utterly smitten by the heart stoppingly beautiful music of Philip Price. Wistful and wise lyrics wrapped in cascading pop melodies, happy, sad and always real. Price is a musical treat for the heart and ears.

1. Secret Blue Thread 2. Beesting

Class Three Overbite - Horses For Courses

A late contender this one, I’ve only had it a week but already I’m bowled over by the sheer power pop class mastery of Class Three Overbite. Think Jellyfish detail with Imperial Drag brashness mixed in with Rundgren/Beatles melodies. An album that twinkles as it fills your ears. The sort of album that makes you go Wow!

1. Storm’s Comin’. 2. Sunshine

Dora Flood - Dream Out Your Window

California five piece Dora Flood have been delivering up class shoegaze psychedelia for over ten years now, shimmering depth filled joy wrapped around great dreampop songs that never fails to delight the mind and ignite the ears. Masterful stuff.

1. Never To Forget 2.Nothing Became Something

Waz - The Sweet Bye and Bye

Best friend and one time guitarist for Pete Yorn, Waz’s debut album has been along time coming and much anticipated by anyone familiar with the passionate joy of his 2002 ep Mine To Remember. The Sweet Bye Bye certainly delivers the goods. Waz has pockets stuff with magestically lovely melodies, a voice like honey spread on velvet and imaginative musical chops to spare. A perfect album in everyway.

1. Why Cant We 2. What She Needs

Paulusma - I Record

Jelle Paulusma was lead vocalist and (along with Anne Soldaat ) songwriter for Dutch masters Daryll Ann, in my book one of the greatest bands to ever walk the earth. While their subsequent solo careers have shown that Soldaat was the main musical force in DA (Anne has just recorded his second (trust me, brilliant) Do The Undo album in LA with Jason Falkner to be released next March) Jelle still has that golden voice and an ability to write one beautiful spine tingling song after another.

1. Ready To Go 2. Ship Of Fools

Adam Merrin - Have Another One

Merrin is this keyboard player with The 88’s and this nine track solo album (up for free download here http://www.last.fm/music/Adam+Merrin/Have+Another+One) is a romantic majestic pop treat from start to finish. Think Chris Holmes mixed in with Jon Brion. Classy melodic and beautifully assured.

1. Closer To You 2. Fallen For You.

Augie March - Watch Me Disappear

A magical Australian combo held close to my heart like The Mutton Birds or Trip Shakespeare, there’s no one quite like Augie March with their literate passionate songs and magestic strange pop invention. That said their forth album is by far their most straight ahead and immediate, not necessarily a good thing but the genius is such that it still burns brighter than most

1. Watch Me Disappear 2. Mugged By The Mob

The Swimmers -Fighting Trees

One Star Hotel recorded two superb and neglected albums of later period Jayhawks tinged pop country that displayed dazzling musician ship in spades. What made them really special though was the dynamite melodic songwriting and pop suss of Steve Yutzy-Burkey. Qualities he’s carried over into his new band The Swimmers. Leaving the country behind in favour of a brit tinged eclectic pop, this fine combo delivers up an album to be savored

1. Its Time They Knew 2. Home

Ike - Where To Begin

Since the long lost days of The Caufields John Faye has had his finger on the power pop pulse and never let go. With the departure of Cliff Hillis Faye has been left as the main man of the every excellent Ike and fortunately he’s got a big box full of great pop songs and insanely addictive hooks to fill the Hillis void effortlessly. A Joyful buzz of an album from a master of the pop trade.

1. We like Sugar 2. Atomic Rose

A Gift From Mick! pt1
A Gift From Mick! pt2