David Mead - The Luxury Of Time - 1999

By virtue of his debut, The Luxury of Time, David Mead seems to have digested a wide scope of pop music through the years. Mead writes slick, sophisticated, and at their best, timeless sounding pop songs that seem to be rooted as much in the tradition of Gershwin and Porter as they are in the music of Lennon and McCartney or Elvis Costello. The elegant 'She, Luisa' and 'While the World is Sleeping', a sweet, romantic shuffle featuring former Hank Snow steel guitarist Kayton Roberts, are as captivating and refreshing as you could hope, while the affable 'Sweet Sunshine', is pure, escapist pop. These, along with tracks such as the melancholy Landlocked and the lovely Breathe You In, gives Mead plenty of room to showcase his wide vocal range and exquisite falsetto. Don't think that any of this implies saccharine tendencies or a lack of substance; Mead can be as tough musically and lyrically as he can be gentle, romantic and lush. Cuts like the irresistible rocker 'World of a King', the troubled 'Touch of Mascara' and the cultural caveat 'Robert Bradley's Postcard' can be both uncompromising and searching. Though sporting a somewhat glossier sound, The Luxury of Time fits nicely alongside the works of such artists as Freedy Johnston and Ron Sexsmith as the touchstone for the '90's new crop of young writers.-AMG



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Johan - Johan - 1997

The first album by the Dutch pop quartet Johan didn't make a lot of noise outside the Netherlands, which is a shame because its mix of indie-guitar nervousness, power pop hooks, and retro-pop sophistication is absolutely terrific. Singer-guitarist Jacco de Greeuw sings the instantly catchy tunes in flawless unaccented English, in accordance with the grand Europop tradition, and lead guitarist Remco Krull fills the songs with just-so one-note solos and Wedding Present-style strummy riffs. The songs, all originals with the odd and unexpectedly perfect exception of a suitably psychedelic cover of Aphrodite's Child's "It's Five O'Clock," are uniformly solid, and the simple, straightforward production keeps things relatively unadorned, with the exception of a moody cello on "Swing" and layered, breathy overdubbed harmonies on the trippy "Life on Mars" (not the Bowie song). An unpretentious debut with few weaknesses.-AMG



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Army Navy - Army Navy - 2006

In the tradition of the Posies and Teenage Fanclub, Army Navy crafts energized, melody-driven blasts of power pop. Vocalist Justin Kennedy launched the group upon his move to Los Angeles, having left Seattle after playing alongside Ben Gibbard (the future frontman of Death Cab for Cutie) in the band Pinwheel. With the help of bassist Benjamin Gaffin and guitarist Louie Schultz, Kennedy began shopping his new material around California, eventually piquing the interest of producer Adam Lasus. The group decamped to Lasus' studio to record The Fever Zone with iconic drummer Pete Tomas (of Elvis Costello & the Attractions fame) serving as a temporary drummer. Missouri native Douglas Randall climbed aboard upon the album's completion, allowing the group to play shows alongside the Arctic Monkeys and Wolfmother in support of the record.-AMG



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The Hotwalls - The Hotwalls - 2007

The Hotwalls deliver! Dubbed "the prom kings of indie rock," this fiery Detroit combo dishes power-pop perfection with a coveted degree of style, precision and craft. With a name inspired by poor electrical grounding in their former practice space, The Hotwalls appropriately serve as a conduit, transmitting energy and a welcome audible buzz. There's an awesome originality in these songs, informed by stunning displays of instrumental mastery and the band's profound diversity of musical influence, with shared adoration for The Pixies and The Beatles.
The Hotwalls' eponymous debut, released in early 2007 (Detroit's Finest Records), rolls out eight tracks of jangle, jump, punch and pop. The album unearths a rich depository of soul in Detroit rock 'n' roll that lies deeper than the tired "garage" genre. By approaching every song as if it was a single, The Hotwalls graciously spare its audience from substandard filler. Their synergy on stage, and in the studio, is as obvious as their unadulterated joy in song. Ladies and gentlemen, this is The Hotwalls. -CD Baby



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Scot Sax - Scot Sax - 2001

After fronting both Wanderlust and Bachelor Number One, singer/songwriter Scot Sax issued his self-titled solo debut in 2001. In many ways, it's the second Bachelor Number One record; in fact, the first two tracks were both originally released on movie soundtracks as Bachelor Number One songs. Those two songs are also going to be the most recognizable songs to casual listeners: there's "100 Girls" from the movie of the same name and the sorta-hit "I Am the Summertime," which landed on the soundtrack to the teen comedy American Pie. Listeners familiar with those tracks will have a good idea what's contained within the rest of the album: well-written, catchy pop music that doesn't quite adhere to strict conventions. What makes Scot Sax's solo debut so entertaining is that he makes fairly challenging pop music; whether it's the string-spiked "Please Disregard" or the Dylanesque ballad "Tomorrow Hurry Up," Sax rarely conforms to a basic guitar/bass/drums format. Breakbeats, guitar pop, a little hip-hop styling, and soulful acoustic ballads all make appearances, and Sax's pinched vocals can be at once heart-wrenching or confident, but are always uncommon. That's surprising since he's signed to Not Lame Records -- a label that focuses entirely on the fairly classicist power pop genre -- but Scot Sax's solo debut is a refreshingly curious diversion from standard guitar pop. -AMG



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that dog. - Totally Crushed Out! - 1995

An appealing concept album about crushes and puppy love, Totally Crushed Out! is full of tight punk-pop and pretty ballads. Tracks like "Ms. Wrong," "Silently," and "One Summer Night" capture the giddiness of first love with their three-part harmonies and sweet melodies. Totally Crushed Out! is cute and clever without being too cutesy or precious, and almost as memorable as a first crush.-AMG



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The Confusions - Trampoline - 2002

The Swedish indie pop band the Confusions comprised singer/guitarist Mikael Andersson-Knut, guitarist Patrik Engstrom, bassist Magnus Jonsson, keyboardist Zarah Edstrom and drummer Mattias Lofstrom. The group debuted in 1993 with "Split!," one half of a split single recorded with the band Funny Farm; a tour followed, after which the Confusions issued the EP Forever, scoring a hit with the track "All Dressed Up." Teaming with producer Arvid Lind (better known as a member of Popsicle), they recorded the full-length Being Young in 1995; the Cardigans' Peter Svensson helmed the follow-up, 1996's Everyone's Invited, which launched the hit "Steroid Hearts." Six-O-Seven, also produced by Svensson, followed two years later. After a four year silence the group returned in 2002 with a new producer, Pontus Frisk, and a new album, Trampoline.-AMG



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The Sherbs - Defying Gravity - 1980

Australian pop group the Sherbs was formed in 1980; its previous incarnation, Sherbet, was among the most successful Aussie bands of the 1970s, scoring a series of hits including "Child's Play," "Slipstream," "Cassandra," "Life," "Summer Love" and the chart-topping "Howzat." The Sherbs' lineup reunited singer Daryl Braithwaite, guitarist James Harvey, bassist Tony Mitchell, keyboardist Garth Porter and drummer Andy Sandow, all of whom teamed in Sherbet; following the release of their debut LP I Have the Skill, Harvey left the group, and was replaced by guitarist Tony Leigh for 1981's Defying Gravity. After issuing the 1982 mini-LP Shaping Up, the group mounted a farewell tour under the Sherbet banner before dissolving a year later; Braithwaite later enjoyed a successful solo career.-AMG




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Collin Wade Monk - Oops! I Rocked - 1994

Collin Wade Monk can combine wildly divergent imagery such as lost love and deerhunting to create soul-piercing alchemy. He was a musical attraction around the mid-South in the late-80's to mid-'90s, first with "Rev. Collin Wade Monk and the Bongo Fury" with Sam Baker who is now a member of Lambchop. Barnburner shows, great reviews and an unreleased album with Memphis shaman-producer, Jim Dickinson live on in the minds of fan. Later Collin Wade Monk and The Ladyfingers featuring Will Kimbrough, Mike Grimes and Tommy Myer rocked the house hard enough to get an all-expense-paid trip to Los Angeles to play for Geffen records. Kimbrough, Grimes and Myer split off to form The Bis-Quits with Tommy Womack. Collin Wade Monk made two albums "Oops! I Rocked" with the remnants of The Ladyfingers and "winkygroovercookieprim" (produced by Brad Jones) with Luther and Cody Dickinson who later found fame as The North Mississippi Allstars. -CD Baby



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Idle Wilds - Dumb, Gifted and Beautiful - 1995

Pennsylvania's Idle Wilds play gorgeous pop music that draws a time line directly from the Beatles to Big Star — and in doing so, the band draws attention to itself. The melodies on the Big Hit Records EP reveal singer/songwriter David Gray (no, not that David Gray) to be a pop imagist on a par with Tommy Keene or Marshall Crenshaw — though his themes wallow more in dark self-pity than giddy optimism. "Freakin'" is a hooky Matthew Sweet-style tune; "All the Wrong Reasons" locates its melody and arrangement on the Left Banke; "You're Cool" evokes classic Illinois melody-makers like Pezband and Off Broadway. All the songs are near-perfect, and Big Hit Records is not to be missed by even casual fans of power pop.The quartet's full-length debut, Dumb, Gifted and Beautiful, mixes a slew of fresh originals and new versions of some of the EP's best songs. Repeats include the chorus-pushing "Crying on the Inside" and the heartstring-pulling "Surrounded," as well as "Freakin'." Excessive use of guitar feedback sometimes shrouds the hooks, but Dumb, Gifted and Beautiful — recorded at Ardent Studios and produced by John Hampton — is generally as good as earthy pop music gets. -Touser Press

The Makers - Rock Star God - 2000

A vainglorious, aggressive concept album, Rock Star God is far and away the Makers' best record. With Michael Shelley's snarl recalling vintage David Johansen, and the band ripping into a sleazy set that could have been the soundtrack for Rocky Horror II, the album consummates their identity as born-again glam rockers while showing remarkable artistic growth. Deeper and more textured than Psychopathia Sexualis, it experiments with fresh instrumentations and effects, adding strings, piano, and various eccentric touches to a smokin' hard rock base. In the process, the Makers produce their tightest batch of songs and considerably broaden their appeal. "Sex Is Good Food" and "Better Way Down" are as raunchy and fun as anything released in the '70s, while "God's Playing Favorites" is a depraved gothic prowl worthy of Iggy Pop. Not to be pigeonholed by their bad boy image, the second half explores more introspective thoughts, with the yearning "Texture of a Girl" and Byrds-esque "Give Me Back Yesterday." One of the best records of 2000.-AMG



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