Pearl Harbor & The Explosions - Pearl Harbor & The Explosions - 1980

he Sex Pistols' implosive ghost polarized local bands as much as or more than the labels who shunned them. Outfits like the Avengers, the Dils, or the Nuns risked being isolated and marginalized for sticking to their hard-and-fast guns, while anyone with a skinny tie and an ear for bouncy pop tunes had at least one or two shots at mainstream success. Judging by the record they made, Harbour and bandmates had no qualms about cruising the new wave highway to heavy rotation. (To be fair, so did numerous other bands.) The slick, gauzy sound is seemingly tailor-made for courting Top 40 listeners, but a dearth of memorable tunes doesn't support the premise. The best tracks play up the band's rootsier side: "Drivin'" scored as an indie single and promptedWarner to sign the band, while "You Got It (Release It)" should have been the second hit: its coy sexual innuendoes would naturally have fit next to the Knack's like-minded fare. "Shut up and Dance"'s rockabilly bluster is also good rakish fun (and has served as a metaphor of sorts for Harbour's solo career). Elsewhere, the pickings get slimmer. Peter Bilt's jazzy, dissonant guitar flourishes are the most left-field touch, but there's not much else happening musically — once you get past his bandmates' outlandish pseudonyms. Had the band taken more chances, this album would have risen above standard-issue new wave fodder. The masses didn't care, either; by spring 1980, the band imploded, leaving Harbour to start over in London with a different cast of characters. Still, the highlights would make a dynamite EP. -AMG

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Pearl Harbor & The Explosions - Pearl Harbor & The Explosions - 1980

Pugwash - Eleven Modern Antiquities - 2008

This fourth Pugwash album, appearing three years on from the richly-defined Jollity, is a high-water mark in a career defined by such milestones. The title of the album, Eleven Modern Antiquities, is ironic, for how can "modern" creations be antiquities, "relics or monuments... of ancient times," as the word is defined by Merriam-Webster? Walsh suggests that he is a songwriter writing pop songs today, not as if he were plying his trade in, say, the 1960s or 1970s. His is not a retro art, but a modern art that references and is informed by what has come before--a contemporary art, if you will, that is clearly created in the present. If you get a chill up your spine listening to Walsh's music--if you're of a certain age or you're simply wired to swoon under the spell of a clever chord change, sumptuous melody, or a genuinely inspired lyric--you owe it to yourself to become immersed in this absolutely wonderful music. Top of the pops, in fact.
These eleven modern antiquities are really of a piece, so well do they fit together and alongside each other. The first single, "Take Me Away," a bright and cheery-sounding, straight-ahead pop song of immense charm, is informed musically by Jason Falkner's expressive, chunky rhythm and otherwise guitars, and bandmates Keith Farrell and Johnny Boyle's spot-on musicianship, not to mention Walsh's beautiful voice, an instrument most certainly to treasure. -[Alan Haber] buhdge.com

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Pugwash - Eleven Modern Antiquities - 2008

The Young Knives - Superabundance - 2008

Young Knives couldn't be faulted for much on their breakthrough album, Voices of Animals and Men. If their tartar plaid and throwback video-making — not to mention their angular new wave musical sense — made them seem rather retro-obsessed, their songs were pure gold and singer Henry Dartnall played the nerdy, over-analytical type very well. But where Voices of Animals and Men featured social critique that didn't make life seem too bad (just the kind of place where you might have to work in a takeaway shop or get a little freaked out about relationships and school life), on Superabundance the situation is quite dire. Dartnall's view of life in England now includes the dreariness of its domestic life, its materialism, the desperation of its nightlife, its lack of care for the individual — and that's just the first four songs. It's gotten so bad, apparently, that suicide is an option ("Sitting in the front seat/turning on the motor/sucking on the hosepipe/keep it turning over"). But music is, by and large, entertainment and escapism, so regardless of whether Young Knives intend to add enlightenment to that formula, their hooks and their ideas — their entire musical package — are too intriguing and exciting to provoke the usual worries about agit-pop. (Tiresome themes, depressing lyrics, and worse yet, the listener's nagging sense that all this has been heard before.) The trio definitely have mastered the basics of new wave: the spiky rhythms, plunging basslines, jagged guitars, and yelping vocals. More so than their debut, however, they're proving themselves masters of arranging and pacing their songs for maximum impact, letting guitars rage only up to a point and switching gears multiple times even before they hit the bridge. If you're afraid there's too much faux-populism on display (and not enough true populism), listen to the sober epic "Turn Tail" for something that reaches farther in a lyrical sense than most any other British band of the 2000s; the fatalism of the chorus ("We're all slaves on this ship/this ship's sinking") turns to hope near the end ("Swim to the coast, boat full of ghosts, jump from the prow"). Like certain of their forebears (Gang of Four being only the most obvious), Young Knives understand that using music to make social statements means very little unless the music is as strong as the statements. -AMG

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The Young Knives - Superabundance - 2008/rs
or

The Young Knives - Superabundance - 2008/mu

Couple - Top Of The Pop - 2008

Dig This...

One of the few true blue power pop bands in the region (Malaysia), Couple has been plying its trade for about 12 years now, dedicating itself to remind people of the virtues and magic of ’the song’, and the power of the pop!!
Taking cues from bands like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Big Star, The Who, The Raspberries, The Beat, The Rooks, Enuff Znuff and Weezer, Couple has kept on doing what they do best and hope to put a smile (and hopefully a headbang or toe-tap or two) on all youse guys’ faces. But, making you wet your pants will make us equally happy too!!
Relying solely, and foolishly, on the dodgy songcraft of our dodgy and lame frontman, Aidil, Couple has continued to defy the odds as none of us can play our instruments competently to save our lives, hoping to inspire similarly incompetent kids to just form their own bands and stick it to the Man!! Our live shows are textbook examples of the triumph of substance over style, if you call professional musicianship ’style’, that is. Sloppy and loud, with more than a touch of toilet humor in our lame crowd banter (if we’re up for it!!), our live shows will never fail to make you wet your pants with laughter and icky stuff. Yes, we’re THAT good and THAT bad!!
Bottom line: We’re here to serve the muse that is the pop! To pursue that magic in ’the song’. And to give you the sugar rush you need!! For further info or any inquiries please write to: encik.aidil@gmail.com Myspace

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Couple - Top Of The Pop - 2008

Chris Bell - I Am The Cosmos - 1992

Unreleased for over 15 years, I Am the Cosmos is nevertheless an enduring testament to the brilliance of Chris Bell; lyrically poignant and melodically stunning, this lone solo album is proof positive of his underappreciated pop mastery. While cuts like "Get Away," "I Got Kinda Lost," and "Fight at the Table" recall the glowing, energetic power pop of Bell's earlier work, the majority of the songs on I Am the Cosmos are more reflective and deeply personal; the title track is a harrowingly schizophrenic tale of romantic despair, while other cuts like the lurching "Better Save Yourself" and the lovely "Look Up" are infused with a spiritual power largely missing from his Big Star material. The album's highlight, "You and Your Sister" — which features backing vocals from none other than Bell's Big Star mate Alex Chilton — is simply one of the great unknown love songs in the pop canon, a luminous and fragile ballad almost otherworldly in its beauty. -AMG

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Chris Bell - I Am The Cosmos - 1992 pt1

Chris Bell - I Am The Cosmos - 1992 pt2

Love Nut - Bastards Of Melody - 1996

As the title suggests, Bastards of Melody is a primer of brash'n'sassy power pop that expends only 25 minutes to execute its whirlwind ten-track content. Ironically, "Green Tambourine," and while enjoyable, comes across just a tad overly-cautious and respectful. The group cracks its whip with much more authority on such originals as the frantic "Jane," dramatic anthem "Into Battle," and (its real stock-in-trade) the crisp Anglo-jangle meets garage-rock riffing of "Touch" and "Please" — picture a basementfull of earnest punk rockers mysteriously body-snatched by Badfinger or the Raspberries. -AMG

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Love Nut - Bastards Of Melody - 1996

The Hoosiers - The Trick To Life - 2007

Fans of the Feeling's bright, playful, and undeniably British songcraft will get a similar buzz from the Hoosiers, who mine the same crop of influences (ELO, Supertramp, and other vintage pop/rock groups) but deliver a frantic performance reminiscent of the Kooks and Hot Hot Heat. The Trick to Life is strongest when the band works to meld both those styles — luminous power pop and nocturnal indie rock — into such U.K. chart-toppers as "Worried About Ray" and "Goodbye Mr. A." Choral harmonies, organs, and angular guitars combine on the latter song, which dissolves into a psychedelic freak-out after four minutes of candy-coated hooks. "Worst Case Scenario" follows a similar pattern; Irwin Sparkes' guitar cuts choppy patterns throughout the verse, but the chorus brings nothing but bounce and summery sparkle, with Sparkes' bandmates echoing their frontman's voice in sweet bursts of harmony. Elsewhere, the Hoosiers fly their oddball flag high on tracks like "The Trick to Life" and "Run Rabbit Run," two songs whose quirky grandeur recalls the experimental work of post-Neon Ballroom Silverchair. In fact, Sparkes shares a number of similarities with Silverchair's Daniel Johns, from his extended falsetto range to his vocal theatrics (which run the gamut from cooing sighs to dramatic, rock opera stylings). So while it might be easy to write off the Hoosiers as a cheeky clan of Jeff Lynne wannabes, the second half of The Trick to Life shows a diversity that's missing from the band's hit singles. Only when the Hoosiers ride a poppy riff into the ground or attempt to emulate Muse (as they do during "Killer") does this debut suffer, but those mistakes are few and far between. -AMG

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The Hoosiers - The Trick To Life - 2007

Dave Edmunds - Repeat When Necessary - 1979

Recorded simultaneously with Nick Lowe's Labour of Lust, Dave Edmunds' Repeat When Necessary continues the winning streak of Get It and Tracks on Wax 4 simply by sticking to the formula. Though Rockpile's sound is a little cleaner here than before, nothing's changed but the songs, which are uniformly excellent. Culled primarily from pub rock contemporaries (and containing no Lowe songs whatsoever), the record contains four classics: Elvis Costello's galloping "Girls Talk," and Graham Parker's relentless "Crawling from the Wreckage," the funny (a rarity of Edmunds) "Creature from the Black Lagoon," and the country-rocker "Queen of Hearts," which would later become a hit for Juice Newton in exactly the same arrangement. A few songs come close to meeting this high standard, but they are occasionally hampered by a tightness similar to the pinched rhythms of Subtle as a Flying Mallet; in particular, the early Huey Lewis song "Bad Is Bad" and the old Brinsley Schwarz number "Home in My Hand" are hurt by this. But these are minor flaws — Repeat When Necessary is an energetic, old-fashioned rock & roll record that ranks as Edmunds' last great album. -AMG

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Dave Edmunds - Repeat When Necessary - 1979

Holly & The Italians - The Right To Be Italian - 1981

It's only fitting that Holly Beth Vincent of Holly & the Italians would eventually make a record with Joey Ramone (the pair revisiting "I Got You Babe" on a 1982 single). In many ways, Vincent could have passed for Ramone's younger sister (or maybe a kissing cousin). The Right to Be Italian providing the kind of three-chord punk-pop cheap thrills that Joey tried to create with the Ramones. Vincent reinvents the '60s girl-group aesthetic with a snotty attitude and smoldering sexuality, her voice perfect for this sort of material, deep and throaty and uniquely endearing (much like Ramone's). Vincent's lyrics are a whip-smart mix of goofy punk nihilism, high-school romance, and pop-culture references, delivered with all the subtlety of a scorned girlfriend. Written during the band's lengthy tour of the U.K., "I Wanna Go Home" is an ode to the fast-food joints and all-night stores of America, a big drumbeat and great harmonies supporting fond memories of the "land of opportunity." Vincent's hard rock riffs drive "Youth Coup," her lyrics mixing John Lennon's "you say you want a revolution?" with the Stones' "Satisfaction" in a play on teenage angst, frustration, and boredom. The album's first single, the Brill Building-styled ballad "Miles Away," was written by bassist Mark Sidgwick and offers some of Vincent's most compelling vocals, the song's subtle construction requiring a greater range of emotion on the part of the singer. A remake of the Chiffons' "Just for Tonight" is spot-on with swelling musical crescendos and soulful vocals while "Means to a Den" is an edgy '60s-styled rocker with psychedelic studio gimmickry and a garage rock vibe. "Tell That Girl to Shut Up" is Vincent's shining moment of glory, however. It's the song that got the band signed, a three-minute slice of pop/rock perfection that should have been a hit (and did hit later for Transvision Vamp, Wendy James a pale copy of the vibrant Ms. Vincent). With just the perfect balance of vulnerability and self-righteous anger, an ultracool chorus, and a timeless, time-tested beat behind the lyrics, "Tell That Girl to Shut Up" is one of the great lost singles of rock music. A spiritual godmother to distaff rockers like the Donnas or the Eyeliners, Vincent would never again make music as innocent, stylized and outright fun as she did on The Right to Be Italian. -
AMG

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Holly & The Italians - The Right To Be Italian - 1981

Chris Stamey - V.O.T.E - 2004

V.O.T.E. was a limited release in October of 2004 that saw a much wider, slightly altered official release (including four additional tracks) in January of 2005 as A Question of Temperature by the Chris Stamey Experience. With a public service announcement as the title and lead track (the jingle is relegated to a bonus track on the newer release), V.O.T.E. was one of many attempts by the rock & roll community to help get the vote out in the 2004 presidential election. While it may not have been successful in its unstated goal of unseating the incumbent (Stamey claimed V.O.T.E. stood for "Very Obvious Total Emergency" in press releases), it certainly left an impact on Stamey's catalog. With generous help from Yo La Tengo — with whom Stamey first collaborated in 1987 on the band's sophomore effort, New Wave Hot Dogs — and other key contributors like Caitlin Cary, keyboard wizard Tyson Rogers, and Stamey's former dB's bandmate Gene Holder, V.O.T.E. features a broader, harder-hitting sound than Stamey's previous recorded solo fare. The first half of the record is given over to covers, including Vietnam-era corkers like Cream's "Politician" and the Yardbirds' "Shape of Things." These classic rock warhorses share billing with chiming pop gems more typical of Stamey, including a worthy re-recording of his 1978 single "Summer Sun" and an almost-as-gorgeous one-take-only version of Television's flawless "Venus." But it's Yo La Tengo that provide most of the musical muscle via their particular pastiche of melody and dissonance, which is precisely what Stamey had in mind from the outset (the pre-Stamey Experience record is officially credited to Chris Stamey with Yo La Tengo). The YLT signature sound seeps into almost every song, in fact, nowhere more so than on Stamey's "McCauley Street (Let's Go Downtown)." A ten-minute-plus voyage written with his former New Jersey neighbors in mind, it unfurls as adventurously as any of Yo La Tengo's own classic feedback-happy marathons. To his credit, Stamey sounds as comfortable yowling in front of the rock band as he does cooing one of the gentler cuts, and V.O.T.E./A Question of Temperature serves as a nice foil for his more demure and twangy solo pop constructions. Recorded primarily in one three-day August 2004 session, Stamey's record is a worthy addition (in either incarnation) for fans of both bands. -AMG

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Chris Stamey - V.O.T.E - 2004 pt 1

Chris Stamey - V.O.T.E - 2004 pt 2

Welsh Rabbit - Don Quixote vs. Sancho Panza - 2007

Power trio psychedelic indie pop bizness. Portland rock!
"Don Quixote vs. Sancho Panza", the third album by Portland-based Welsh Rabbit, exposes some of the trio's deepest influences. The 14 track album clocks in at just under 40 minutes, yet manages to cover musical styles from every modern movement. From the instrumental/psychedelic opening track, to the slow-core finale, "D.Q. vs. S.P." acknowledges each and every period of pop reinvention. -CD Baby

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Welsh Rabbit - Don Quixote vs. Sancho Panza - 2007

Lolas - Doctor Apache - 2006

The Lolas are a power pop band/on-going recording project, formed in 1998, the brainchild of ex-Shame Idols singer-guitarist-songwriter Tim Boykin.
The idea for the band came about during the recording of the album Ballerina Breakout (Jam 1999), which was intended to be the the third Shame Idols album, but instead became the Lolas debut, as the Shame Idols broke up before the album was finished.
Ballerina Breakout received critical raves, as did the follow up, 2000's Silver Dollar Sunday (Jam). Each album was picked up for re-release by Japanese power pop label, Wizzard In Vinyl. In 2002 the Lolas toured Japan. 2003 saw the release of Something You Oughta Know, again receiving critical accolades.
2006 sees the long awaited release of Doctor Apache (Wizzard In Vinyl). If you're a Lolas fan or a power pop fanatic, you'll want to be sure pick this up, as it's going to be hard (for now) to find in the USA or Europe. Destined to be hailed as a classic. -CD Baby

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The Shazam - Tomorrow The World - 2002

Rev. 9 suggested that the Shazam had brought the artier, psychedelic strands of their music to their logical conclusion, concluding that EP with an "interesting" epic but not-very-rock & roll cover of the Beatles' "Revolution 9" (do Beatles fans even play through that song without hitting "skip"?). But a funny thing happened between 2000 and 2002 — rock & roll, played loud and loose, became popular again. The Shazam always were a funny fit for the pop underground — sure, they write hooks, but they are really a decidedly retro arena rock band through and through — so it was no stretch to see them take an adventurous step toward joining the garage rock revival — and in the process get some increased attention. What's surprising (or not, depending on your viewpoint) is that Tomorrow the World sounds...well, it sounds like the Shazam always has. Brad Jones is again in the producer's chair, and very little of this material would've sounded out of place on their storming 1999 album Godspeed the Shazam, and vice versa, even if there's less emphasis here on crafting Beatles-y hooks and more on building up a stadium-sized crunch. That means that there are a few songs that frontman Hans Rotenberry has described as "dumb riff" songs — tunes like "New Thing Baby" or "Rockin' and Rollin' (With My) Rock 'n' Roll Rock 'n' Roller," which are really just vehicles for delivering a punishing guitar assault and killer riffs. These songs work really, really well, however, because Rotenberry is a truly talented songwriter, meaning he writes these dopey, hedonistic stadium anthems as well as he does gorgeous retro pop. The band's pop underground cult will likely cry foul at the absence of ringing Rickenbackers, but realistically this is exactly the kick-in-the-pants that scene needed from one of their most popular, most visible, and hardest-rocking acts. -AMG

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The Shazam - Tomorrow The World - 2002

Sniff 'n' The Tears - Fickle Heart - 1978

The British band Sniff 'n' the Tears' 1978 debut, Fickle Heart, is best known for containing the relentlessly catchy rocker "Driver's Seat," which became a hit in 1979 and is simply one of the greatest "one-hit wonder" singles of that decade, and arguably of all time. Killer keyboard and synthesizer riffs by Alan Fealdman and guest Keith Miller, piercing electric guitars by Loz Netto and Mick Dyche, solid bass by Chris Birkin, steady drums by producer Luigi Salvoni, and bandleader/songwriter Paul Roberts' incessant acoustic rhythm guitar and dramatic lead vocals are all terrific individually, but they add up to a fantastic whole. "Driver's Seat" is the leadoff track on Fickle Heart and, while it's hard to follow up a classic tune, the album does have some other good songs that are also strong, melodic rock. Sniff 'n' the Tears is sometimes classified as a new wave band, but that's not really accurate. The occasional synthesizer bits spice up Sniff 'n' the Tears' music, but they don't dominate it. "New Lines on Love" and "This Side of the Blue Horizon" are both richly textured with various keyboards and guitars. "The Thrill of It All" has a dark and mysterious feel due to Roberts' sly vocal style. "Looking for You" isn't as brooding, and the warm keyboard solos are enjoyable. Roberts, an accomplished painter, created the lifelike, photograph-quality cover painting for Fickle Heart and the band's subsequent albums. However, Roberts dissolved the Fickle Heart lineup and formed an entirely new version of Sniff 'n' the Tears for 1980's The Game's Up. -AMG

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Sniff 'n' The Tears - Fickle Heart - 1978

The Luxury Liners - Overbored - 2003

The Luxury Liners` blend of sunny guitar crunch and drop-dead gorgeous melody will have critics scrambling for comparisons to legendary power poppers and modern-day alt-rock heroes. The Liners, however, aren`t trying to evoke any ghosts; they`re just doing what comes naturally, creating towering, euphoric rock that will crawl up one side of you and down the other. This is the Liners` 3rd release and their best of the lot. The Luxury Liners` melting pot sound is complemented by their lyrical acumen and influences reminiscent of everyone from the Beatles to the Gin Blossoms, from the Superdrag to Weezer, and from Big Star to Coldplay. Accessible enough to be marketable, yet utterly and completely unique, The Luxury Liners fit right into the eclectic musical landscape happening today. -NotLame.com

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Three Hour Tour - B Side Oblivion - 2007

It's been too damned long since we have heard new music from this semi-legendary Midwestern power pop outfit,~but Darren Cooper and the crew have arrived with the mighty B Side Oblivion, which is sure to stand tall as one of '08's finest pure pop efforts.~ Co-produced by Adam Schmitt and Cooper (and "inexpensively recorded and engineered by Adam Schmitt in his basement home studio," according to the sleeve notes), BSO is chock full of the sort of hyper-melodic wonderfulness that brings to mind such titans of the genre as Matthew Sweet, Velvet Crush and - reaching even further back - The Byrds. (The marvelous guitar breaks on the title track alone positively reek of McGuinn and Co., circa '66).~ Cooper's tunes are pensive and thoughtful,~but still have the proper instrumental kick (led by an array on spiky, thick guitar sounds, all played by Cooper) to avoid any hint of wimpiness.~ The glorious "Lady Named Caroline" is an immediate classic, but the aforementioned title track, the moody "Be There Soon" and the pretty, longing "A Girl That I Once Knew" ain't far behind.~ Bonus: BSO features the instrumental talents of Schmitt and Velvet Crush's Paul Chastain on bass and percussive assistance from two of the best in the biz: Brad Elvis and Ric Menck.-[John M. Borack] amplifiermagazine.com

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Three Hour Tour - B Side Oblivion - 2007

The Knack - Get The Knack - 1979

From being a popular LA club act (an outgrowth of the Sunset Bombers, who released one single), the Knack got to the big time with the help of proven producer Mike Chapman, relying on the arguable strengths of Michigan-born singer/guitarist Doug Fieger's lascivious songs to carry the band. And carry them they did: "My Sharona" and "Good Girls Don't" both became monster hits. Fieger was no timeless tunesmith, but he had plenty of drive and confidence, and all it took was incredible, perfect timing and savvy marketing to lead listeners to overrate what were, essentially, routine skills. Most of the quartet (guitarist Berton Averre, drummer Bruce Gary and bassist Prescott Niles) had toiled as session musicians for years (Fieger, for one, was secretive about his age — nowadays he admits to having been born in 1953, which makes him all of 26 at the time), and they knew their way around studios. Get the Knack was recorded live, fast and cheaply with minimal overdubs. -[Ira Robbins / Michael Sandlin] Trouser Press

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The Knack - Get The Knack - 1979

Automat - Automat - 2007

Hailing from London, England, Automat have just released one of the best albums you'll hear this year. Their material pulls together all the best elements of pop both past and present resulting in a dazzling set of clever, diverse, melodic and infectious songs that carry the definite stamp of class...

The album’s opening salvo ‘I Don’t Mind’ is a clear statement of intent, proclaiming loud and proud that hooks, harmonies and powerful riffs are this bands stock and trade. These sentiments are echoed on ‘Sleep’, ‘A little Sign’, ‘I Don’t Know You At All’ and thoroughly nailed home on the epic Round And Round. Lovers of Big Star/Badfinger – esque pure pop songs aren’t left out of the equation either, ‘Not This Time’, ‘Alright’, ‘Long Way To Go’ and the too catchy to be believed “Comeback Special’ more than cover that end. As if that wasn’t enough, the band have included with ‘Whatever Happened’, ‘Everything I Wanted’ and “Now And Then’ some of the most heart achingly beautiful songs you will hear not just this year but ever. -NotLame.com

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Automat - Automat - 2007

The Windbreakers - Time Machine (1982-2002) - 2003

While their friends, contemporaries, and collaborators R.E.M., Let's Active, the dB's, the Rain Parade, and the Bongos all managed to score major-label deals and (at least) gain healthy cult followings, the Windbreakers seemed fated to be the great band that time forgot — while Tim Lee, Bobby Sutliff, and their various bandmates made a handful of brilliant albums (in particular A Different Sort and Electric Landlady), beyond jangle pop obsessives and a handful of tuned-in rock critics they labored in obscurity and never found the wider recognition they richly deserved. But anyone who wants proof that the Windbreakers' lack of popular success was never a matter of the quality of their work need look no further than Time Machine (1982-2002), a superb 20-song compilation that skims the cream from the band's catalog and adds two newly recorded tunes as icing on the cake. In a genre that demanded a clever melodic sense, both Lee and Sutliff had talent to spare as tunesmiths (as well as genuinely impressive gifts as guitarists), and they weren't afraid to delve into the darker waters of romantic disappointment and emotional turmoil in their lyrics (especially Lee, on the brilliant minor-key tunes "Changeless" and "You Never Give Up," and on Sutliff's gorgeous "Stupid Idea"). But even at their least cheery, the Windbreakers made music that boasted a soaring and life-affirming melodic beauty, and this material has stood the test of time exceedingly well. (The two new songs, recording during a brief 2002 reunion, thankfully show that Lee and Sutliff are both still in musical fighting shape, and they fit right in with the rest of the material.) While a couple cuts suffer from minor sonic glitches suggesting poor tape storage, musically Time Machine (1982-2002) never disappoints for a moment, and old fans looking for a trip down memory lane as well as younger pop enthusiasts interested in great bands of the past should put this disc on their shopping lists pronto. -AMG

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The Windbreakers - Time Machine (1982-2002) - 2003 pt1

The Windbreakers - Time Machine (1982-2002) - 2003 pt2

The Plimsouls - Everywhere At Once - 1983

After their two initial Planet Records albums, the Plimsouls took the major-label bait and signed on with Geffen Records. Everywhere at Once, their first Geffen album, has mixed results. While the change to a major label did have a profound impact on the band, it wasn't always for the best. While Jeff Eyrich's somewhat heavy-handed production did take a little air out of their performance, the end result is far less clinical than other major-label mainstream rock records of the day. Everywhere at Once does contain the Plimsouls' greatest recorded achievement, "A Million Miles Away," which packs all of the passion and punch of some of John Lennon's finest recordings with a wonderful power-driven Byrds-like arrangement. Other standouts on this record include "Play the Breaks" which, while not quite as awesome as it is in a live performance (they were possibly the finest live band in Los Angeles in this period), still shines. -AMG

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The Plimsouls - Everywhere At Once - 1983

Shake Some Action! - Shake Some Action! - 2007

Named for a classic album by the Flamin' Groovies, Shake Some Action! is a band from Seattle, WA, steeped in the influences of classic pop from the '60s through the '90s. Shake Some Action! was formed by singer, guitarist, and songwriter James Hall, an Australian émigré who earned a loyal cult following in the Pacific Northwest for his work with the band the Jeunes. While the Jeunes earned enthusiastic press in both America and the United Kingdom for a pair of self-released EPs, the band split up in autumn 2005, with most of their repertoire unrecorded. Hall decided to use the Jeunes' song catalog as the basis for a solo album, and retreated to his home studio, cutting a dozen tunes with Hall playing all the instruments, except for guitar leads contributed by former Jeunes member David Bos. After completing the album, Hall opted to release it under the group name Shake Some Action!, and then formed a band to play the songs at live gigs in support of the record. Hall and Bos became Shake Some Action!'s guitarists, while the rhythm section of bassist Gary Miller and drummer Chris Campbell was recruited from fellow Seattle popmeisters the Scheme. Indie label Satellite 451 released Shake Some Action!'s self-titled debut in early 2007. -AMG

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Shake Some Action! - Shake Some Action! - 2007

The Romantics - The Romantics - 1980

At its best, the Romantics' self-titled debut album sounds like the greatest album Shel Talmy never produced. The Detroit band's British Invasion-style power pop may not have been an especially original creation, but it was good enough that no one with a taste for high-voltage hooks would ever dream of complaining, and as a meeting of mid-'60s style and late-'70s volume and passion, it's all but flawless. The original songs, written by guitarists Wally Palmar and Mike Skill and drummer Jimmy Marinos, are a glorious pastiche of period pop styles (think the Kinks and the Easybeats with a bit of the Hollies thrown in for melodic appeal) played with a hard-stomping energy and a genuine love for the vintage style that doesn't reek of nostalgia. The production by Peter Solley is simple but smart enough to put both the hooks at the energy up front where they belong, and the Romantics never had a set of tunes this strong again; "What I Like About You" richly deserved its status as a hit single, and "When I Look in Your Eyes," "Tell It to Carrie" and "Girl Next Door" would have followed it up the charts in a just world. the Romantics didn't exactly reinvent the wheel with this album, but they sure knew how to make it roll, and for sheer party enhancing energy, this album is hard to beat. -AMG

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The Romantics - The Romantics - 1980

Jordan Zevon - Insides Out - 2008

Jordan Zevon is best known to music fans as Warren Zevon's son: he played on several of his dad's albums; helped produce Warren's final disc, The Wind; and has performed some of his father's songs on a pair of tribute albums. But Warren Zevon fans expecting Jordan's first album on his own to be a sonic chip off the old block are in for a surprise — Insides Out is an accomplished and impressive debut, but it follows a musical path a great deal different than the trail Warren Zevon blazed. The Beatles are a far more recognizable influence on Insides Out than the elder Zevon, and Jordan's smart, energetic pop tunes suggest that Elvis Costello, XTC, and Fountains of Wayne get heavy rotation on his personal playlist; the tunes are well-crafted, hook-laden pop with rich, buoyant keyboards, sharp guitar accents, and lyrics that balance wit with a keen observational eye. While "American Standard" reflects a bit of the same cynicism that was Warren's trademark, the upbeat melody adds a joyful irony to the song that's smart and engaging, and his homage to the ultimate teenage girl ("Camila Rhodes") and the romantic puzzlement of "Home" and "This Girl" show that Jordan has a voice that's very much his own. At the three-quarter mark, Jordan includes a performance of one of his father's lesser-known tunes, "Studebaker," and it's not until then that his vocal resemblance to Warren comes to the fore; elsewhere, Jordan wisely pursues a sound and approach that stand comfortably on their own, and his quick-witted, classicist's approach to pop reflects that the guy took his sweet time honing his talents before making his way to the recording studio. For fans of smart pop, Insides Out is an unexpected delight and the calling card of a major talent to watch. -AMG

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Jordan Zevon - Insides Out - 2008

Moon Martin - Escape From Domination - 1979

Craig Leon produced the Ramones, Lisa Burns, Willie Alexander and the Boom Boom Band, and other groups in the mid-'70s during the new wave movement. This album by Moon Martin was recorded mostly at Suntreader Studios in Sharon, VT, as was the work Leon did with Alexander and Burns. Eleven originals and one cover all fall within the two minutes and 40 seconds to three-and-a-half minute compact range for the singer's essays. "Rolene" and "Dreamer" have charm, and Martin keeps things interesting with a Henry Gross-type vocal which falls somewhere between John Denver and Elvis Costello. Craig Leon's production is thin, but it works well enough for Moon Martin to get his point across. "No Chance" is an interesting song of love that isn't gonna happen, personal lyrics with new wave power pop sensibilities. As Phil Spector took the Ramones a step further than Craig Leon, Martin's music as heard here seems like it was tailor-made for cult status. In the hands of a singer/producer like Robert Palmer, Martin's material charted, as was the case with "Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)," a song from his previous disc, Shots From a Cold Nightmare. Radio was not enamored of the brittle guitar and compressed drum sounds many of the '70s' artists were saddled with. Even the rendition of Fontaine Brown's "Bootleg Woman" has this high-end sound, but guitarist Jude Cole, bassist Dennis Croy, and drummer Rick Croy provide tight accompaniment to the modern-day Buddy Holly-style musings. "The Feeling's Right" has that Nick Lowe feel; it's just too bad this excellent song - AMG

Mediafire

The Mercies - The Mercies - 2007

The group's self-titled debut is sharp and tight, with choppy guitar that adds to what would typically be more fluid pop lines. The herk and jerk gives it plenty of hip shake appeal and the addition of strings, toy piano, and various electronic treatments adds dimension and texture. This is a tremendously cohesive body of work with some cuts still rising above. "You Can't Stop Me Now" could easily get my vote for song of the year. And though there is little reference to more stock rock tones, this is still a rock 'n' roll record with an inside cover commanding it to be played "at maximum volume.-Rochester City News

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The Mercies - The Mercies - 2007

The Actual Facts - The Actual Facts - 2005

Stomping garage-pop from Brooklyn, NY, by way of Essex, England.

The Actual Facts offer you advice and information you can trust, such as how to end an abusive relationship, how to treat a black eye, or what to wear on your first day of prison. Their dedication to the task of rocking your insides cannot be underestimated. -MP3.com

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The Actual Facts - The Actual Facts - 2005 pt1

The Actual Facts - The Actual Facts - 2005 pt2

Wreckless Eric - Wreckless Eric - 1978

Wreckless Eric's eponymous debut is a ragged, endearing collection of crude rock & roll. In a way, crude doesn't even begin to describe Eric's music. A muddle of scratchy guitars, pounding drumming, and snarled, indecipherable vocals, the record is pure, primal garage rock in the old-fashioned sense. Although Wreckless Eric has the demeanor of a punk, his music is straight-out rock & roll in the old-fashioned sense — there's even saxophones and organs popping out of the mix. What makes Wreckless Eric such fun is its combination of catchy hooks, spirited playing, and downright rudeness. Only a handful of songs are fully formed, and those — "Whole Wide World" and Ian Dury's "Rough Kids" — are punk-inflected pub rock classics, pure pop songs in every sense of the term. The remainder are off-kilter, idiosyncratic pop songs — about everything from "Personal Hygiene" and "Waxworks" to "Telephoning Home" and "Brain Thieves" — performed with sloppy, drunken abandon. Too punk for pub rockers, too straightforward for punk, and too weird for everybody else, Wreckless Eric's debut album is one of the small gems of the punk era.-AMG

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Wreckless Eric - Wreckless Eric - 1978

The Everyday Things - Lighten Up, Francis - 2005

Produced by Spongetones leader Jaime Hoover, the classic refrains of The Beatles ring crystal clear all over The Everyday Things` awe-inspiring debut, "Lighten Up, Francis". Clear, readily identifiable echoes of timeless bands like The Plimsouls, The Beat(Paul Collins), The Romantics and 20/20 are enough reason to drop everything right now and listen to the soundbites below. But remember the movie "That Thing You Do" and those insanely catching numbers The Wonders, the fictional Beatles-inspired mop top band, were playing? Well, praise be to the pop heavens, The Everyday Things remind us The Wonder, as well as Barry And The Remains and The Zombies(and, yes...The Spongetones` "Beat And Torn"). This British-Invasion power pop done as preciously and gloriously as can be done, pop fans. -Not Lame

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The Everyday Things - Lighten Up, Francis - 2005

New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too - 1998

The more things change in music, the more they stay the same. The alternative rockers of the 1990s may have caused so-called corporate rockers like Poison and Bon Jovi to become less visible, but at the same time, the worship of 1970s baby boomer culture was alive and well among post-baby boomers. In 1998, one of the most memorable examples of 1970s-flavored music came from the New Radicals. Although Radicals singer/leader Gregg Alexander was quick to espouse a left-wing point of view, Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too doesn't beat listeners over the head with a sociopolitical agenda. Nor is the CD an exercise in angry 1990s angst rock. Rather, Alexander's band is a congenial and highly melodic throwback to the rock and blue-eyed soul of the early to mid-'70s. Alexander's vocals have a very Mick Jagger-ish quality, but while the Rolling Stones were a rock & roll band that occasionally dabbled in soul and funk, the Radicals favor pop/rock that is consistently mindful of classic Northern soul. Hook-happy offerings like "Jehovah Made This Whole Joint for You," "Flowers," and "Mother We Just Can't Get Enough" give the impression that Alexander holds the Stones and the artists of Motown Records in equally high regard. Without question, Brainwashed was among the more promising releases of late 1998. -AMG

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New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too - 1998

707 - 707 - 1980

The best of 707's albums, their self-titled debut wasn't much different than its album-rock comrades of 1980, except 707 had a nice guitar-pop touch to their sound, as in their moderate hit and album opener, "I Could Be Good for You." The rest of the album maintains the first track's momentum for the most part, and is ultimately quite enjoyable. -AMG

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707 - 707 - 1980

Hoodoo Gurus - Magnum Cum Louder- 1989

1987's Blow Your Cool! found the Hoodoo Gurus adding a considerable amount of polish to their production and toning down their trademark humor in a bid for a wider audience. But in the United States, it didn't pay off; Blow Your Cool! opened few new doors for the Gurus, and they were dropped by Elektra Records. Thankfully, 1989's Magnum Cum Louder found them newly contracted to RCA Records and sounding like their loyal fans loved them to sound — loud, hooky, and rockin' out with a smile on their collective face. The album's opener, "Come Anytime," was the Gurus' most irresistible pop song since "Bittersweet," and "Another World," "All the Way," and "Baby Can Dance (Pts. II-IV)" proved they hadn't used up all their good hooks in one place. Meanwhile, those wanting something stronger got their fix with a handful of top-shelf rockers, most notably "Axegrinder," "Glamourpuss," "I Don't Know Anything," and "Death in the Afternoon." The high wackiness of Hoodoo Gurus classics like "Hayride to Hell" and "Dig It Up" is still missing from Magnum Cum Louder, but the overall tone is much more relaxed than Blow Your Cool!; Dave Faulkner seems to be having a fun with the songs here, especially the mock-pompous "Axegrinder," the smirking "Glamourpuss," and the baseball saga/music biz metaphor "Where's That Hit." The Hoodoo Gurus also went back to producing themselves, and the audio is full but uncluttered, with a roomy, natural sounding mix that flatters Brad Shepherd's guitars and Mark Kingsmill's drums more than the slicker, sterile sound of Blow Your Cool! Magnum Cum Louder proved that the Hoodoo Gurus knew better than anyone how to make a great Hoodoo Gurus album, and it marked a welcome return to form for the band.-AMG

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Hoodoo Gurus - Magnum Cum Louder- 1989 pt1

Hoodoo Gurus - Magnum Cum Louder- 1989 pt2

Rockpile - Seconds of Pleasure - 1980

During the late '70s, Rockpile was the touring band for both Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe. Like Edmunds, the band was passionate about traditional rock & roll. Like Lowe, the band played with a reckless, trashy abandon. Driven by the powerful rhythm section of drummer Terry Williams and Lowe's bass, guitarists Billy Bremner and Edmunds were free to spit out crushing rock, blues, rockabilly, and country licks. With their fierce live energy and unpretentious rock & roll, the band fit easily into the post-punk new wave at the end of the decade.
Although they only released one album as a group — 1980's Seconds of Pleasure — the band provided support for most of the albums Lowe and Edmunds recorded in the late '70s. After the rushed release of Seconds of Pleasure, the band toured one last time before splitting apart, largely due to mismanagement. All of the members continued to occasionally collaborate with each other throughout the '80s. -AMG

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Rockpile - Seconds of Pleasure - 1980 pt1

Rockpile - Seconds of Pleasure - 1980 pt2

The Spongetones - Oh Yeah! - 1991

One of the most underrated power pop bands of the '80s, the Spongetones released several albums of effortlessly catchy guitar pop that captured the feel of '60s British Invasion pop with remarkable accuracy and innocent charm. While they never received much critical or commercial attention, their music has aged much better than most power pop of the era (late-70s early-80s) and among specialists, they're highly revered not only for their studio prowess but also for their spirited live shows. They are one of the few bands to carry on past the "skinny tie" fad into the '90s gracefully — not as strict revivalists but as something unique. The band, comprised of Steve Stockel (vocals, bass), Pat Walters (vocals, guitar), Jamie Hoover (vocals, guitar), and Rob Thorne (drums), began as a covers band in Charlotte, North Carolina in the early '80s. They signed to the Ripete label in 1982 and released their first full length, Beat Music the same year, following with the Torn Apart EP in 1984 — the latter featuring esteemed guests, Don Dixon, Mitch Easter and REM on hand claps. Stoeckel temporarily left the band, returning in 1991. By 1987, it seemed the Spongetones wanted to distant themselves from their revivalist reputation, leaving Ripete in favor of the independent Triapore and recording probably their most experimental and most un-Spongetones album, Where-Ever-Land. The album, produced by Don Dixon, flirted with garage rock, psychedelia, and the more fashionable jangle pop — all in all it marked a more muscular and harder edged approach. The experiment failed for the most part and was short-lived. The band signed to Vinyl Records (owned by power pop icons the Shoes) and found a true home in 1991.

The Spongetones return after a long absence with 1991's Oh Yeah! They effectively pick up where they left off in the '80s with their infectious Beatlesque power pop. Easily their best songwriting, and a good place to get acquainted with the band. -AMG

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The Spongetones - Oh Yeah! - 1991

Pete & the Pirates - Little Death - 2008

First things first: there'll be no 'aarrrs', 'm'lads' or references to wooden legs and scurvy, if you please. Pete & the Pirates may have a nautically-themed moniker, but cheap cliches are the preserve of those with little originality or flair - something that this Reading band are thankfully bristling with. Besides, P&tP deserve better, quite frankly. Why? Well, because they've released one of the best bloody albums you'll hear all year, that's why.
Although they've been knocking around the London scene for the past few years, having released several EPs on ace indie label Stolen Recordings (on which frontman Tommy Sanders also released a brilliant album via his Tap Tap handle last year), Little Death is the quintet's debut full-length release. A 35-minute-long collection of brief, guitar-based indie-punk-poplets, the Gareth Parton (of Go! Team fame) -produced album may sound like your average British indie at first - but go away, clean your ears out, and then come back and revel in the sheer brilliance of this record.
What sets Pete & the Pirates apart from their peers is their knack for brevity in quality; not a single track here outstays its welcome (are you listening, Los Campesinos!?). Sanders' voice, too, is a beautiful thing, capable of soothing (Moving, Humming, She Doesn't Belong) and skewering (Knots, Dry Wing) with equal poise. There are songs here that will clatter and warble their way into your heart - most notably the brilliant Mr. Understanding and the Shadows-like Bright Lights - while Come On Feet is simply the epitome of the perfect sub-three minute indie-pop song. -[Lauren Murphy]

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Pete & the Pirates - Little Death - 2008

Panic! at the Disco - A Fever You Can't Sweat Out - 2005

The state of pop-punk/emo in 2005: it's hip to be self-aware. "Dear studio audience," Panic! at the Disco vocalist Brendon Urie quavers in "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage." "I've an announcement to make/It seems the artists these days are not who you think." He goes on to shout out, "Applause! applause!" His lyrics also say he's the narrator, but that's for debate, because later on A Fever You Can't Sweat Out Urie hoots about meeting the press and his band being a "wet dream for the webzines," so who's worrying about stardom now, the narrator or Panic! at the Disco? With Fever it's clear that the MySpace revolution has come full circle — no longer just a convenient promotional tool, the site is now something to sing about. Writing music that webzines actually want to cover should be more important that assuming they will and then obsessing over it. But bands like Panic! at the Disco don't see that. On Fever they fill the gaps between their formulaic guitars and warbling urgency with painstakingly layered vocals, trumpet, vocoder, and weird breakdowns of rickety piano or synths. This is a band in love with making a record — making a statement — but there's nothing unique inside, neither in their formula nor the vaunted and sticky production. Panic! at the Disco's name doesn't even ring true — the guitars, keyboards, and bittersweet vocals of the Panic Division ring close enough to cause real identity problems. -AMG

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Panic! at the Disco - A Fever You Can't Sweat Out - 2005

Silver Sun - Disappear Here - 2005

Disappear Here is an album that is built to be enjoyed in the classic Silver Sun style. This is how pop music should be made; ten tracks and it`s all over in exactly thirty minutes as the band adhere to the three-minute template of the perfect pop record. It`s impossible not to get that adrenalin rush you get from hearing boisterous guitar pop catchier than a dose of chicken pox. You just can`t help but to want to dance to this record. Nowhere is this more evident than on the first single taken from the album, `Bubblegum`. As the album opener this sets out the Silver Sun manifesto in three perfect minutes. The guitars crunch gloriously, while the melodies forcefully implant themselves in your brain. By the time the `na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na` section kicks in it`s sugar-coated power-pop heaven.. opefully the world will be ready this time around for Silver Sun`s brand of high energy power-pop and this album will see the band back in the spot-light in 2005. As James Broad advises in the sleeve-notes, `the way to enjoy this? - play it loud.-Americana-UK.com.

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Silver Sun - Disappear Here - 2005

My Brother Woody - It's a long way from that sort of thing you were raised - 2007

My Brother Woody is the creation of Irish songwriter Michael Cleare. The band name comes from the name of a song by The Free Design. "Warm indie-rock awash with the summer harmonies of late 60s pop culture, their début is proving to be quite a pleasant indulgence. Described before as The Beach Boys meets Teenage Fanclub, the material is buoyantly harmonic, yet more often than not remains delicate in delivery. The album opens in an elegant and delectably frail manner with 'Another Wave Of Harmony' before leading into the confident and uplifting brass sounds of 'Wish I Was A DJ', injecting quite a jazz-pop lift to that Beach Boys summer vibe. Elsewhere the album is nicely poised between dippy and melancholic moods, and is quite a triumph of indie-pop!" - Frequency-Ireland.blogspot.com "Full of infectiously catchy melodic sounds with a real emphasis on the summery pop sound, it has a real 60's pop feel to it with lots of great vocal harmonies and some lovely mellow brass soundsstrategically placed in their superbly written catchy pop songs!" - Road Records "This record does a few things to me: One thing it does is make my toe tap. That immediately gets my vote. Great grooves all over the place. And secondly: It feeds my power pop and songcraft jones like no one's business! What if Dennis Wilson sang with The Pernice Brothers and the songs were co-written by Pernice, Paul Westerberg of The Replacements, Paul Weller (circa Style Council), Crowded House, and arranged by Brian Wilson and Sufjan Stevens? It would be My Brother Woody. This band is standing tall in the classic tradition of great Dublin pop bands (Pugwash and The Thrills to name two in a city packed with amazing pop bands). This record is pop with a capital 'P', and shows a lot of work and dedication to the art of songwriting. The arrangements are mature and subtle and the lead vocals are strong and sure. If you like your music catchy, filled with pop, meaningful, and with a lot of soul, then this is for you!" - [Nelson Bragg ] Kool Kat Musik

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My Brother Woody - It's a long way...- 2007

Jellyfish - Bellybutton - 1990

Including lead singer/guitarist Andy Sturmer, bassist Jason Falkner, and keyboardist Roger Manning, the San Francisco band Jellyfish released their 1990 debut Bellybutton to critical raves. Despite the kudos and some play at video outlets, the album failed to make much of a commercial impact. It was truly unfortunate because Bellybutton, despite obvious influences, was a breath of fresh pop air. "The Man I Used to Be" kicks off the album as a catchy song about domestic failure wrapped in nautical metaphors. The single "The King Is Half-Undressed" is a slice of effervescent power pop whose melody runs counter to the lyrical theme of loneliness. In fact, behind the bounce and breeze of Bellybutton's engaging songs is a recurring theme of melancholy and longing like "She Still Loves Him," with its stirring vocal harmonies and a blistering guitar solo, and the punchy "All I Want Is Everything." Better yet is the second chance the singer delights in on the joyous "Baby's Coming Back," which is accentuated with handclaps. Delightful. -AMG

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Jellyfish - Bellybutton - 1990

The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema - 2005

Canadian indie-rock supergroup led by Carl Newman (previously of Zumpano and Superconductor), the New Pornographers produce totally over-the-top power pop, saturated with nearly every exciting trick in the rock songbook. Stop-start turns, Beach Boys harmonies, squiggly synthesizers, fuzzy guitar chords, layer upon layer of sound — the New Pornographers pack songs with maximum pop pleasure. No matter that Newman came up with the band name before he learned that Jimmy Swaggart once called music "the new pornography": their music offers an obscene amount of fun. Primary songwriter Newman is joined by Dan Bejar (who leads the excellent Destroyer), alt-country singer Neko Case and three other Vancouver indie-scene vets in this side-project that rapidly turned permanent after the accolades that greeted Mass Romantic.

While the band's first two albums could be considered uniform to a fault (though it’s hard to fault a formula that works so well), Newman, Case and Bejar seem to have agreed to free their individual personalities more for Twin Cinema. The result is a more challenging and dynamic album. Newman's new direction here is reminiscent of the shift his former band Zumpano took on their second album, Goin' Through Changes: while the off-kilter time signatures still abound, the melodies are subtler and the production (by Newman alone) is less overwhelming. Bejar’s three songs are less of a departure, but his standout is a duet with Case on "Streets of Fire," a song which first appeared on a Destroyer album more than a decade earlier. (So much for his don't-look-back mentality and the Pornographers' determined submersion of individualism). For her part, though, Case seems uncomfortable taking the reins, and the two songs on which she sings lead are tinny and plodding, with mannered vocals and none of the raw power that made "Letter to an Occupant" and "The Laws Have Changed" so irresistible. She seems much more comfortable providing warm harmony vocals on a third of the songs, which would be fine if she hadn’t already set the bar so high. - [Steve Klinge / Ira Robbins / John Proctor]AMG

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The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema - 2005 pt1

The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema - 2005 pt 2

The Real Kids - The Real Kids - 1977

The Real Kids were one of Boston's earliest new wave bands; their debut album is full of dynamite tracks that take the trashier aspect of the Rolling Stones and couple it with the high-power guitar approach of the Ramones. Frontman (and onetime Modern Lover) John Felice not only provides tough guitar and distinctive lead vocals, he has a knack for writing clear, infectious melodies. Spin "All Kindsa Girls," "She's Alright" or "My Baby's Book" for proof. -Trouser Press

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The Real Kids - The Real Kids - 1977

Sugarcult - Start Static - 2001

Sugarcult's debut disc is a quasi sugar-coated power pop album with punk overtones and a healthy dose of self-effacing humor. Escapism, skepticism, and a devil-may-care view of the world around them are the primary themes that weave their way into the lyrics on this high-energy stripped-to-the-bone collection by this frisky So-Cal quartet. As evidenced in the fiery anthem "Stuck in America," vocalist Tom Pagontta joyfully proclaims "everyone's talkin' 'bout blowing up the neighborhood/all I ever wanted to do was get away." "Saying Good-bye" is a pathos-filled paean of teenage heartbreak with an explosive chord progression so familiar that documenting it would seem like an accusation of plagiarism, which, in rock & roll of this nature, is an exercise in futility. "Bouncing Off the Walls" is yet another joust at the perils of romance, only this time the protagonist dips into his parent's cocaine stash to relieve the pain. On Start Static, Sugarcult has mastered the don't-bore-us-get-to-the-chorus approach to near perfection.-AMG

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Sugarcult - Start Static - 2001

DB Cooper - Buy American - 1980

I know very little about DB Cooper, but I do know it is a gem. They hailed from Santa Barbara, Ca. Warner put out this record with little or no support, and features a talented US band whose members included Jon Chapman(drums and backup vocals), Roger Heath (guitar and backup vocals), Robby Scharf(bass and backup vocals) and Ric Streeter(guitar and backup vocals). Backup Vocals on "Forever Rock 'N' Roll" by Jeff (Pranks) Foskett.With an Elvis Costello flavor and maybe a hint of the Iron City Houserockers thrown in DB Cooper is a must have for any Power Pop Fan. There was a minor label release EP (Every Man a King) from earlier in 1980.

From digivinyltal.blogspot.com

DB Cooper - Buy American - 1980