Happiness Factor - Self-Improvement? - 2001

Cranking out heavily caffeinated pop tunes with a super-sized chaser of smirk and attitude, the Happiness Factor sound as if they're firmly in touch with their inner punk on their debut album, Self-Improvement? Fronted by tunesmith Salim Nourallah, the Happiness Factor are hooky as all get-out on these tunes, with a melodic sense that suggests the Cavedogs or the Flashing Lights after a can or two of Red Bull, but Nourallah's often witty, sometimes caustic lyrics and Paul Averitt's crunchy guitar figures throw a healthy dose of rock & roll into the mix that cuts through any treacle like a knife through Cheez Whiz. While Rip Rowan's by-the-numbers production doesn't do much for the band's energy, the songs are good and the players know how to bring 'em across, especially on "Gonna Be a Rockstar," "I Want You But I Don't," and the suitably cynical closer, "Everything's a Lie," while "Hold" gives Nourallah a chance to show he can convincingly make with the mushy stuff, too. Any band with a song like "Rock 'n Roll Pimp" would seemingly be playing Judas by reaching for the Big Time, but Self-Improvement? suggests that there might be room there for the Happiness Factor, assuming they don't run out of coffee (or whatever their stimulant of choice might be) along the way. -AMG

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KOOL KAT CELEBRATES RECORD STORE "WEEEKEND" 2012

Hello Everyone!

This Saturday, April 21, marks the fifth annual "Record Store Day" at independent record stores throughout the US and the rest of the world. It is a day that retailers hope will draw both loyal and new customers to celebrate the independent record store and all that it has to offer.

Record Store Day celebrations have become a highly anticipated event in the independent retail community, and they certainly are as well here at Kool Kat! We are once again proud to be joining our independent brothers and sisters for this annual celebration!

Though we're not a traditional "brick and mortar" retailer like the ones referred to above, we do share that same passion and enthusiasm for music that they do (and, at the end of the day, isn't that what it should be about?). So, in support of the "indie" guys like ourselves (and, as a giant "Thank You" to you, our loyal customers), we have once again decided to participate in the festivities and offer our customers another "Virtual Record Store Day" on Saturday. And, just like we've done the past four years, we're extending it to be a "Virtual Record Store Weekend" as the below-outlined sale will run on Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd!

• "RECORD STORE WEEKEND" RUNS ON APRIL 21 & 22. 
•  ONLY ORDERS PLACED ON THESE DAYS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR: 
• 10% OFF all NEW CDs listed on the Power Pop/Alt Country Online Store. 
• 20% OFF all USED CDs, MAGAZINES, AND IN-STOCK VINYL listed on the Power Pop/Alt Country Online Store. 
• Sale does NOT include April 23 New Releases or Pre-Order titles) 
• Discounts will be applied at the time your credit card is charged. 
• Paypal payments will be refunded accordingly. 

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have about the promotion. Here's to another successful "Record Store Day" and to hoping you'll find something fun at Kool Kat in the process!

As always, thank you so much for your continued support!

 Best,

Ray Gianchetti
KOOL KAT MUSIK

Paul Bertolino - Where the Buildings Hit the Sky Out Now!

And it is only 7 bucks! Highly recommended by PPO!

Paul Bertolino is a behind-the-scenes musician's musician from Berkeley, California... a short-list Bay Area session player who has done time fronting one of San Francisco's toughest garage-soul outfits The Sleaves. - Paul Koehler

• Released 17 April 2012
• Produced by Paul Bertolino and Adam Sullivan
• Enigineered by Adam Sullivan at Great Magnet Recording
• Arranged by Paul Bertolino and James Oterreau 

The dB's - Falling Off The Sky due June 12th

Get ready! Power-pop legends the dB's will be releasing their first full length album in 25 years. It’s also the first in three decades to feature the band’s original lineup of singer/songwriter/guitarists Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey, bassist Gene Holder and drummer Will Rigby, the same lineup that recorded the beloved early-’80s classics Stands for deciBels and Repercussion. It is due to be released June 12, 2012 on Bar/None Records

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The Merrymakers - No Sleep 'til Famous - 1995

The Merrymakers is an appropriate name for this Swedish trio. There's no despair on their debut album No Sleep 'Til Famous. The record is bursting with bright melodies, crisp acoustic guitars, shiny harmonies and a sunny demeanor. The trio can pull off a number of different styles, sounding like an infectious blend of the Beatles, the Hollies and Eric Carmen, tempered with a dash of swirling psychedelia à la ELO. They may still be developing a signature style, but the variety of styles and number of catchy melodies makes No Sleep 'Til Famous a promising debut in its own right. -AMG

The Rooks - Listen Now! From the Shelves of Soundscape Studio - 2002

The Rooks gained a cult following among power pop fans in the 1990s with a style drawing its main inspirations from the Beatles, Big Star, and the Replacements. Leader and co-founder Mike Mazzarella (vocals, rhythm guitar) formed the group in New York with drummer Patrick Yourell in 1990 after their previous outfit, a Connecticut band called the Broken Hearts, dissolved. An early incarnation of the Rooks featured Mazzarella's friend and fellow power-popper Richard X. Heyman, as well as Heyman's wife Nancy on bass and guitarist Michael Fernbach. However, this lineup was short-lived, and several demos were recorded with guitarist Kristin Pinell (also of the Gripweeds); Mazzarella had intended to record one album only, but Pinell convinced him to make the unit a full-time operation. Yourell left the group in 1992 and was replaced by Jim Riley, while the bass slot was filled by Annmarie Gatti. This lineup completed the Rooks, which was released in 1993. Yourell rejoined the band in 1994 for an Eastern European tour, and the Rooks signed with Not Lame Recordings that fall, also adding Anne Benkovitz on bass. The band split an LP with Twenty Cent Crush, contributing nine songs to the release titled A Double Dose of Pop! in 1995, and that year also released the more melancholy EP Chimes. The Rooks returned in early 2000 with Wishing Well on Not Lame Recordings. -AMG

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Cooler - Oh Happy Day - 2001

Lead singer Mark Ritcher's voice and singing are the icing on the band's musical cake; or, rather, the fire to their gunpowder. His voice is made for this sound. Amidst the maelstrom of lead guitarist Jeff Goebel's attack in the first song, "Girl's Night Out," they throw in some sirens as if to announce that Cooler Has Arrived. Unnecessary and excessive? No, it adds to the fun!

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Radio NewYork International - Dave the Boogieman with Barry's 4th Anniversary Show

8:00pm It's Dave's 4th Anniversary show on 11L Radio NewYork International

Tommy Stinson of The Replacements and Guns & Roses Guest,  Barry and Dave spin covers of tunes you know by artists you may not know covered the tunes........ Plus Aaron's reviews - www.PowerPopahoic.com

Listen live @ www.johnlightning.com/webcast tonight and every other week at 7:30pm  (till 11pm ) NYC Wednesday (9-11pm)

Need a player to hear the show? www.winamp.com, ITunes or IPhone all work fab..

Imperial Teen - Seasick - 1996

Anyone expecting Faith No More's fractured art weirdness was in the wrong place with Imperial Teen, but those with an ear for attractive, quietly wry pop/rock that didn't give a care for being alternative in the '90s' marketable sense will find Seasick an enjoyable debut. If anything, "Imperial Teen" itself sets the scene at the start with its distinctly Velvet Underground-circa-third-album chug, lyrics softly sung directly into the mic, a bit of feedback fire here and there, and bemusing lyrics discussing everything from gay identity to the band's name itself. Things aren't always so relatively polite, with more immediately aggressive songs cropping up and vocals often taking a stronger turn. However, their spirit and sass is more trashy fun rock with glam/punk roots than, say, Seattle-based fog or incipient nu-metal hash, though there is definitely a Pixies vibe on songs like "Blaming the Baby" and "Balloon," among others. Partially this is due to the constantly traded-off male/female vocals; though Bottum is doing most of the lead singing (though the credits acknowledge all four members doing just about everything), Perko is right there with him. Then there are the moments where the guitars fire up more along with some of the screaming -- one can go on, but it's refreshing to get a sense that the bandmembers learned this directly from Surfer Rosa rather than Nevermind, for instance. Bottum's eye around gender and sexuality defines the lyrics without overtly ruling them (thus a song like "Butch," with lines like "the prince wants to be a queen"). In the end, Seasick is in many ways the lost Breeders album after Last Splash -- brash, sharp-edged, taking no crap, and having good fun while doing so. -AMG

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The Apples in Stereo - Her Wallpaper Reverie - 1999

Her Wallpaper Reverie is the Apples in Stereo's finest effort to date -- the band's most overtly psychedelic record, it's also their most experimental, achieving a near-perfect balance between candy-colored popcraft and musique concrète-influenced interludes. In a sense, the disc is a response to the grand ambitions of fellow Elephant 6-ers Olivia Tremor Control and their likeminded Black Foliage album, but the Apples' integration of Beatlesque melodies and experimental noises is much more seamless; not only are Her Wallpaper Reverie's songs the best Robert Schneider's yet written, but they're produced with a new richness of detail -- from the wonderfully Lennon-esque "Strawberryfire" to the Kinks-ish "Ruby," the music positively shimmers. -AMG

Removed at the request of the copyright holder
Get a copy for yourself here

Trolley "I Woke Up"

Trolley's "I Woke Up" was chosen as "coolest song in the world" by Little Steven's Underground Garage in January. Since then, he's played the song seven weeks in a row on his show!

Taking a little time off...

Longtime readers of PPO will likely recall that I take a vacation every now and then. That time is now. No Secret Saturdays, no posts, no music, no nothing for a while. Sorry!

Look through the archives while I am away, I bet there is something you missed. Also feel free to leave comments suggestions or what ever comes to mind.

Feel free to email me but I will be slow to respond to all of your e-mail questions so please have patience.

As always, thanks to everyone out there. Without all of you, I wouldn't still be here.

See ya!

Bill Lloyd - Feeling the Elephant - 1987

Bill Lloyd's first solo album was actually released in 1987, predating the Nashville native's association with Radney Foster in the mainstream country act Foster and Lloyd. However, at that time, it appeared on the tiny Boston indie Throbbing Lobster, just as that label was breathing its last. Thoughtfully, Atlanta's DB Records picked up Feeling the Elephant after Foster and Lloyd's commercial breakthrough and reissued it in a new cover with slightly improved sound. Good thing, too, because Feeling the Elephant beats the pants off of Foster and Lloyd's fine but annoyingly slick albums. Recorded as (mostly) one-man band demos between 1983 and 1986, the ten songs on Feeling the Elephant range from Big Star wistful jangle ("This Very Second") to Marshall Crenshaw roots pop ("Lisa Anne"), with side trips into the funky rock of "I Wanna Sit and Watch the Credits Roll" and the ghostly psychedelia of "Everything's Closing Down." It's hard to believe that this wasn't originally recorded as an album, because there's a flow and organic unity to these well-sequenced songs that makes Feeling the Elephant a more satisfying listen than most power pop albums. The slightly new wavish, Let's Active-like title track and the ultra-catchy jangle popper "Nothing Comes Close" are particular highlights, but this is a power pop joy from start to finish. -AMG

Review: Tommy Flake @ The Flatiron, Greensboro NC - You can't make this stuff up

Photo by Allen Martin

They had to twist my arm. I heard about Tommy Flake (aka Randy Seals) performing at a local bar and, while I loved his latest CD, Second Skin, it was Friday night as I was tired from a rough week's work.

Some friends dragged me downtown to The Flatiron, a local watering hole and dive bar. I hadn't been there in a while and soon discovered that, despite my friends' assurances, it was still pretty much the dump I had remembered.

They'd made the whole thing up.

Photo by Allen Martin

Standing alone with his guitar, Seals started the evening off right with an excellent cover of Cheap Trick's "Auf Wiedersehen". Any reservation I had about dragging myself out on a Friday night were now completely gone. A little rough around the edges by design, their buzz-saw guitars and driving
rhythms took the crowd through some favorites like "Just Where They Want To You", "Life Remains", "Miles From Over", and "Collapse", all from his latest LP, Second Skin. Matty Sheets' bass helped drive things along with David Pike's drums and Mikey Roohan's (aka "Driveway") harmonica flourishes. Imagine combining Cheap Trick's pop sensibilities with the edginess of Foo Fighters and you've got the idea of what Tommy Flake are all about.

While I enjoy hearing stuff I'm familiar with, it was the brand new material that was most impressive. I imagine we'll hear "Dream Being", "The Mend", and "Please (Don't Wake Me)" on a forthcoming release. They were some of the better songs in a very impressive set, so let's hope so.

There is something great about dive bars, something that makes the experience special. Everyone kept referring to "Driveway". As it turns out, that's the name band member Mikey Roohan has gone by most of his life. And so I had to ask. "What self respecting adult goes through life with the name Driveway?" I got my answer from someone at the bar, and it was one I hadn't expected.

A veteran of the local music scene and former band mate of Roohan's had quite a story. Apparently, back in the day when Greensboro was as at it's musical peak in the 80's, Roohan and the band would play a few sets and retire to a one of the guys' homes to have a few too many drinks and celebrate a successful show. One morning they woke up to find Roohan missing. Not knowing where he could be, they wandered out into the front yard only to find Mikey face down in the driveway, passed out from having overdone it the night before. From that moment on he was referred to as "Driveway".

You can't make this stuff up. But I digress...

When you consider where Tommy Flake aka Seals came from, his new music is particularly  impressive. Having started his career as the drummer who replaced Brad Elvis in The Elvis Brothers, a
late 80's radio ready power pop band signed signed to Portrait, he cut his teeth on polished melody driven pop. His next band, The Beatifics, were of similar ilk and equally impressive for their ability to write melodies that work their way into your psyche. After a few more stops, musical and otherwise, Seals has come out the other end of the tunnel with a unique blend of his learned pop sensibilities and an edgy anxiety that gives his sound an urgency. Its well thought out and yet spontaneous.

The latest CD from Tommy Flake, Second Skin, is available as a download  here. Check out the Tommy  Flake website and find out if their coming to a dive bar near you. And, if the new music isn't a good enough reason to get out to seethem at a venue near you, then...

I'll make something up.

This guest post is written by Richard Rossi, a blogger, illustrator and joke writer from Greensboro NC. You can find his childrens books at amazon.com and on his website, orangemen44.com.

New Baby Woodrose single and video out today

Baby Woodrose will release their new album Third Eye Surgery April 16th. Dandelion has been chosen as the second single from the album and it’s quite different from the spaced out sounds otherwise found on the album. Dandelion is a sweet psychedelic pop song and it is also a duet between Lorenzo Woodrose and the beautiful young Danish singer Emma Acs who released her debut album Champagne in 2011.

Dandelion is released online via iTunes, Spotify, TDCplay, Amazon as well as all the other usual suspects, today March 19th. Check out the new video out for the song. The video is made by Adam Olsson.

<iframe width="400" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7RVthVrwauA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The La's - Timeless Melody from deleted vinyl

This is the deleted version of Timeless Melody ripped straight from the vinyl test pressing acetate in 1988. It got pulled from release.

Most articles, books etc. list this as being produced by Jeremy Allom but the producer is in fact Mike Hedges.

A later, differently mixed version appeared in 2010's Callin' All box set.

This has never seen a formal release.

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The Orgone Box - Orgone Box - 2001

Sheffield based multi instrumentalist and songwriter/producer Rick Corcoran, who plays nearly every instrument here, is the only member of the Orgone Box. He reportedly used four eight-track tape machines, a 32-channel mixing desk, three guitar amps, a half-dozen effects-laden guitars, and laid down guide drums to a click-track during the initial home-recording sessions. Later, during four days of overdubbing at a mansion called "the House in the Woods," Corcoran was aided by a couple of friends, drummer Tam Johnstone (ex-the Green Tambourines, the General Store) and bassist/keyboardist Tim McTighe, who provided "orchestral arrangements" on a Roland MC300. The result, of course, is that the Orgone Box has that identifiable studio sheen that low-budget self-produced solo efforts of this ilk often have, where the drum/bass rhythm tracks are purposefully simplified in the early stages of recording to easily allow for sonic layers to be added above. Even so, unlike most albums that are built this way, brick by brick, from the foundation to the penthouse, the more you listen this CD, the more you realize the Orgone Box is a stylish triumph of substance over simple revisionist psych-pop. Corcoran was evidently inspired by listening to his favorites from the original 1967 era -- the Fabs, Butterfly-era Hollies, early Pink Floyd are a few that come to mind -- and "informed" by later albums released by the Dukes of Stratosphear, Robyn Hitchcock, and Oasis, but he doesn't seem to be too interested in ripping off any of his precursors. On the second track, "Anaesthesia," Corcoran even lets listeners know that he's "not into psychedelia/I've got a psychedelic mind...whatever," probably meaning that his music simply pours out of him whenever he hits "record," without him having to "psychedelicize" to get into the mood. Each track abounds with effective Lennon-esque vocals, ringing Byrds-ian 12-strings, phase-shifting guitar solos, and mellifluous multi-tracked vocal harmonies, all swirling amid confectionery pop melodies. The collective result resembles a fantastic Baroque pop construct of Sgt. Pepper-y proportions, the kind of record that headphones were invented for. -AMG

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David Myhr - Soundshine Pre-order now at Kool Kat!!

ACCEPTING PRE-ORDERS NOW FOR AUTOGRAPHED COPIES!! WOW!!! David Myhr took his first steps into the music business with power pop legends The Merrymakers. After too many years of silence it was time to make his debut as a solo artist. The songs on "Soundshine" are representative of everything he stands for: melodic, well crafted pop music with a heart. If a thread of timelessness runs through The Beatles, Wings, Crowded House, Jellyfish, Fountains of Wayne, and The Feeling, his music appears at several places along that thread – sometimes even simultaneously. It’s also easy to hear that his music has sprung from the same Northern indie pop soil as bands like Popsicle and The Wannadies. The record is chock-full of fantastic pop songs presenting one masterful melody after the other along the way, delivered with tasty guitars, lovely hooks, gorgeous harmony vocals, and pop lyrics that actually say something. David stands for talented and intelligent and melodic pop music at its purest. This album is centered around the songs – and what songs! ”I love that tingling down the spine when I hear a great song – when superior craftmanship meets the magic. I constantly strive for that that with my own songs”, says David. He writes because he wants to, and because he has to. His goal is to make others feel the way he does when he’s moved by a great song. ”If making music leads to interesting things happening and meeting great people, that’s enough for me. The fact that the record industry has been proclaimed dead is liberating in a way, because everyone is free to make music that they genuinely like!” Although the name of the album is "Soundshine", it could just as well have been titled "For The Love Of Melody". We'll go out on a limb and proclaim that this very well will be a Top 5 (if not #1) contender for 2012's year-end "Best Of" lists!

To pre-order, simply click here

The Hazey Janes - Hotel Radio -2006

A Scottish band that totally lives up the the hype and will amaze many of you. This UK only import is the real deal, a rich and original fusion of traditional folk and country rock, and American power-pop reminiscent of Big Star, The Jayhawks and Velvet Crush but also the UK style of Cosmic Rough Riders, has defined the bands sound as energetic and uplifting. That is all over the place here. Listening to the bands three-part harmonies will bring smiles to Not Lame Land. This one of the best pure pop bands to come off the U.K. Island in the last year (2006), make sure you check this one out! -Not Lame

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Zero Hour Records is going digital

Zero Hour Records has decided to make some releases available on iTunes . So right now you can get the Devin Hill "Star" album with his second album "Wayout Lane" to follow. Both will be on iTunes as they were released. Zero Hour will be releasing a new Devin Hill mini album on iTunes as
well in the coming weeks, WOW!  Also available is the Bleached Black "A Wrist Slashing Restrospective" which hasn't been available since 1985/1987. All the tracks have been remastered and sound great. They have included 12 bonus tracks on iTunes so there's 29 tracks all up. A great listen if you are into Power Pop with an edge. Don't forgetThe Dangtrippers from Iowa, their first album Days Between Stations is a must have and it's on iTunes too! This one  hasn't been available since 1989.

Dw Dunphy - Your Saturday Sins music video

Music video for "Your Saturday Sins" featured on the release Reliquary, coming soon from Secret Decoder Records

Bill Lloyd - Boy King of Tokyo Out now!

Bill Lloyd has a new album available now on ITunes and through his website
billlloydmusic.net.  Just got mine yesterday and I can tell this will be in my rotation for a long time!

From Bill LLoyd:

"Hello friends, fans and followers of my musical endeavors..

As you can see from the video above, Radney Foster and I have reunited to make the first album we've done in twenty years. Here, we are doing the title cut called, "It's Already Tomorrow" and it sure feels that way. Doing another project together came out of a renewed bout of co-writing songs. The process was great fun and the reaction has been overwhelming. We were able to record the album as a combo with Keith Brogdon on drums (who plays with Radney on the road) and Tom Petersson (who plays bass  with Cheap Trick). We got a few other friends like Sam Bush, Lloyd Green and Beth Nielsen Chapman to add their talents in a few spots and we had ourselves a new record!

While we're no longer on RCA Records like the old days, we released the cd on our own imprint called "Effin' Ell Records". With so many record stores having closed and major chains decreasing their music sections, we very much appreciate all the folks who found and ordered  "It's Already Tomorrow". You'll be able to find it  right here on my refurbished website:  http://www.billlloydmusic.net. Please take a few minutes to look around. We're also thankful to the stores that continue to carry our record in stock." -Bill Lloyd

Nerk Twins - Either Way - 1997

This obscure jangle-pop duo has made a fine album that is, unfortunately, almost impossible to find, but well worth the effort. Out of thirteen songs, nine are gems. The disc opens with the sublime "What Does It Take?," and an ode to unrequited love that grabs you gently by the scruff of the neck and runs off with your heart. "Either Way" is an ode to actual requited love with a chord progression that Lennon and McCartney would have been proud to write. "2 Women" is a twisted country song about being in love with a schizophrenic, disguised as a song about a menage à trois. The Twins (whose real names are Jeff Murphy and Herb Eimerman) sing with a sweet wistfulness that never gets cloying, even at its sweetest. Everywhere is a cockeyed humor that never rests on mere quirkiness -- it's impossible to detect any irony in the sappy "I Love Jamaica," and "Ugly" features the classic line "If you weren't so ugly I'd ask you out," followed two minutes later by the tag "...is what she said to me." -AMG

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HotSocky - HotSocky - 2003

Formed in 2001 on Manhattan's Lower East Side, HotSocky's mission is to make rock'n roll fun again. By combining infectious melodies, raw guitar-drive and over-the-top stage presence, HotSocky stand out as the premier act in today's New York City rock scene. The band's stripped down power-pop incorporates crunching staccato guitars which give way to big, hooky choruses that inevitably stick in your head for weeks.
Singer/guitarist Lattimer (formerly of Thin Lizard Dawn) creates the group's loud and creamy pop gems. "It's all about capturing beautiful accidents," he claims, flashing a wit and charm that also distinguishes HotSocky from other New York bands. Breathing life into these timeless wonders, Lattimer runs his semi-hollow bodied Gretch guitar through a Marshall stack, smoothly giving his intricate creations the illusion of three-chord pop songs.
Dynamic guitarist, Jerry Stereo, offers a thick layer of tone on his Guild Star-Fire Six and deftly gets the party started. Whether it's jumping, spinning, or just blasting away in his rocker stance, pounding out the power is what Jerry does best, both live and in the studio.
Throw in the booming, steadfast rhythm section of Adam Stahl and Chad Royce, and you've got a colossal rock foundation cradling Lattimer's addictive, soaring melodies. -CD Baby

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Mark Kleiner Power Trio - - 2002

A power pop trio of the highest order, this group is intent on thriving on bubblegum pop riffs and cavity-inducing harmonies, particularly on "Beautiful Slide" and "Tivoli Park." Although this is Mark Kleiner's album in the fact he wrote most of the lyrics, the supporting cast of drummer Kurt Dahle and bassist Pete Mills is just as important in carrying the album's message of good times and fun. Some of the numbers work much better than others, notably "Love Tonight," which throws a slight curveball into the mix by opening with a piano lead and Kleiner's falsetto in the proceedings. "Fell in Love With the Girl" also evokes a British Invasion influence and a Paul McCartney tinge on the vocals. Only on the pretty "Birth to Blue" does the band stray into a soppy, melodic piano hook for its payoff, but it seems to work regardless over the lengthy track despite the lyrics being clichéd. The cover version of "Baby It's You" is another highlight of the album's conclusion. None of the tracks particularly stand out, but the album as a whole has several great gems on it. -AMG

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Ultimate Fakebook - Open up and Say Awesome - 2002

While This Will Be Laughing Week relied on three-chord riffs, Ultimate Fakebook's Open up and Say Awesome switches up the magnitude for a fresh punk-pop approach. The band is tight, far more than they've ever been, and the energy is infectious. Frontman Bill McShane is quick-mouthed, and songs like "Before You Leave" and the twangy cool of "Inside Me, Inside You" mosh around the likes and losses of love. "Wrestling Leap Year" is oddly similar to the riveting guitar rock of Killing Joke while showcasing some of Ultimate Fakebook's best work. Ultimate Fakebook is more like Weezer's second cousin -- not sappy enough to be emo, not angry enough to be post-grunge. Open up and Say Awesome is a pure rock record, decadent in the rawness of it all. -AMG

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Baby Woodrose - New single online today

Baby Woodrose have just finished recording their 6th studio album entitled Third Eye Surgery and release is set for April 16th. All Baby Woodrose albums have a different vibe and with Third Eye Surgery they have made their space rock album. For the first time Lorenzo Woodrose integrate the heavy psych of his side projects Dragontears and Spids Nøgenhat with the fine song writing of Baby Woodrose.

No matter how much the fuzz guitar is wailing or the echo machine is tripping, there’s always a good song hiding beneath the rumble. Several of them clocks in at 6 minutes so there are only 9 songs on Third Eye Surgery. Songs like Nothing is Real and Love Like a Flower have an Eastern flavour thanks to the sitar of Vicki Singh while Just a Ride sounds like a trip to India in more than one way.

Even though the central songs on Third Eye Surgery like Waiting for the War, Bullshit Detector and the title song are very spaced out there are also a few tunes that sticks out. Dandelion is a sweet and melancholic psychedelic pop song and is also a duet with Emma Acs while Honalie is a dreamy ballad that makes time stand still. Almost.

Third Eye Surgery has been recorded in the Black Tornado studio in Copenhagen and is engineered by Anders “Evil Jebus” Onsberg and produced by Lorenzo Woodrose. The artwork is made by German artist Kiryk Drewinski who has worked with the band several times before and also did the artwork for the demo collection Mindblowing Seeds and Disconnected Flowers released in 2011. LP is gatefold as usual.

Nothing is Real has been chosen as the first single and it is available on iTunes today.

The Andersons - Separated at Birth - 1998

The Andersons are somewhat of a late-'90s power pop supergroup; featuring Derrick Anderson of Chewy Marble and Bob Anderson of Martin Luther Lennon, the band gained a substantial cult following with its colorful 1998 debut Separated at Birth. The gag here is that the three bandmembers, or three "Andersons" -- Bill, Bob, and Derrick -- are all brothers despite looking nothing alike. (Bob is pudgy and long-haired, Bill looks like your basic "indie kid," and Derrick, who is the only black member of the group, is pensive and literate.) The Andersons experienced a slow but steady rise to power pop stardom after the release of this album. Following its 1998 release, positive press and the band members' links to other, more familiar power pop acts led to a large curiosity factor that caused many to seek them out. In 2000, the band was one of the headliners at the annual International Pop Overthrow festival, a collection of dozens of like-minded power pop bands. All of this helped propel sales of Separated at Birth, making it more than just a footnote of power pop. Given how many fans warmed to the band in the few years following the album's release, it's not hard to tell why the Andersons became a power pop favorite. Driven in part by two anthemic numbers early in the running order ("The Truth Is Out" and "Retro Girl"), the album sets its claws in immediately and they are rarely loosened throughout. Derrick Anderson is the group's primary singer, and his throaty yet warm vocal is as distinctive as it is inviting. At first the songs contributed by the other two Andersons seem weaker, but the large picture with this release is that the diversity of its 13 tracks is why they are so engaging. There are some pop culture references sprinkled throughout, from Emma Peel's hair in "Retro Girl" to the iconic love of "(I'm in Love With A) TV Girl" and the chronicle of road rage in the album's closer, the rocking "Big Trucks and Old People." At times, the production does seem a bit muddy and too bottom-heavy, but on repeat listens it only seems to sew the album up more and contribute to the warm familiarity of the disc as a whole. -AMG

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The Explorers Club are Checking into "The Grand Hotel"

Imagine if Marc Eric recorded a second album.... Well this is it. The Explorers Club, after a long dry spell, have just released their follow up to Freedom Wind and it is stellar. Rich melodies with intense, dense harmonies and incredible lyrics, The Grand Hotel is a true "Wall of Sound". You have to hear this one for yourself! The production is clean and the arrangements inventive and lush.

For anyone wondering where all the great vocal groups have gone, look no further than The Explorers Club.

The Grand Hotel is available  today at Amazon for the ridiculously low price of $4.99.

The Explorers Club - Run Run Run (Exclusive First Listen!) by expclubmgmt

The Explorers Club
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The Merrymakers - Andrew's Store - 1997

Andrew's Store assembles the Merrymakers' long-out-of-print early singles, dating back to 1992 and 1993; although the group's Swedish retro-pop is still in its formative stages, there's no denying the promising catchiness of songs like "Magic Circles," "Nobody There" and "I Won't Let You Down."  -AMG

New track from The Brigadier

Here's a track from The Brigadier's forthcoming 5th album, 'Do you want me too?' It is pretty sweet. Looking forward to hearing the rest of the album.

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Do you want me too by the brigadier

Joey Molland - This Way Up - 2001

Joey Molland's group Badfinger was one of the great power pop bands of all time. Before the Raspberries, the Dwight Twilley Band, and other tunesmiths found the magic of energetic car radio melodies, Molland and crew led the way. This Way Up continues that work and is one of the best solo discs that ex-members of the Beatles never made. It bears repeating -- This Way Up contains the essence of what was great about those early solo Beatles albums, not surprising because Molland played on some of them. The surprise is that a sideman from those sessions has created a mini-masterpiece rivaling, and on some songs equaling, those classic and important recordings. As good as Molland's power trio is live, why it doesn't perform originals onstage the way they are presented on this disc is a mystery. Molland is an excellent guitarist, and in concert he can veer off from the hit material and rival Pat Travers. That isn't always what his audience wants -- what his audience wants are the pretty guitar lines and vocals in a song like "The Bust," a slice of the stuff that made everyone into Badfinger fans, still alive and well and current. This is a very, very excellent recording, make no mistake about that. From the opening track, "Mirrors," to the bounce of "Happy," and from the cool John Lennon-ish "This Must Be Love" to the final production, a moody and melancholy "Isn't That a Dream," 13 perfectly constructed songs by Molland do more than just carry on a tradition -- they combine to give proof that this style of music is still so very vital. -AMG

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Roger Joseph Manning Jr. - The Land Of Pure Imagination - 2006

Sounding like the "lost" Jellyfish album, the record is produced by Manning and features the artist playing all the instruments on this tour-de-force. Solid State Warrior is a dazzler, a stylish, and intricately orchestrated slab of transcendent Pop, imbued by Manning`s keen artistic vision, sublime songwriting chops and blazing instrumental virtuosity. Opening with the hazy psychedelia of "The Land Of Pure Imagination" (a ringer for inclusion on the Charlie & The Chocolate Factory soundtrack), the record unfolds like a towering musical tree of riches, each branch displaying a newfound exploration of sonic wizardry and clever songcraft. Manning bats .1000 on the record, each track rewarding the listener with each successive listen. -Not Lame

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Seven Long Years - Chained to your love is now available on Bandcamp!

The opening moments of "Don’t Break My Heart In Ink" make it very clear that 7 Long Years, the first solo project of Eric Knoxx (The Ratboys, Thee Martian Boyfriends) , is a Psychedelic/Dream Pop explosion . Layers of sound are stacked one by one until the songs are so full they have nowhere to go but outward in all directions, and holds true for most of Chained To Your Love. It's percussive, but pleasingly melodic cover to cover. It's not "all-sound-all-the-time", though. Song writer Eric Knoxx does however leave a little breathing room throughout the entire album, which is good. You'll need to catch your breath.
In all, what you’ll find on Knoxx’s latest release, is a sound that pays homage to psychedelic and pop rock of the 60’s that’s embraced an up-to-date feel to achieve its enthralling sound. The good news is that you can download it now on Bandcamp, the bad news it that it is not available on CD yet. -Curty Ray, Power Pop Overdose

Superpop Paste(swe) - Superpop - 2001

Thomas Johansson and Mikael Frithiof met for the first time in 1995 at a local music store in Halmstad. After becoming better acquainted, they discovered that they both lived on the same street, just a few doors away from each other.

Thomas needed a guitar solo on one of his songs. That particular song turned out to be the first one Thomas and Mikael worked on together, and Paste(swe) was formed.

Mikael and Thomas share many influences, from The Beatles to Depeche Mode. In the early days, their sound resembled, synth-orientated, melodic, industrial guitars, with distortion on both instruments and vocals. To some extent, this sound is recognisable on the EP Wired. After removing the distorted vocals, the music leaned more in the direction of catchy pop.

In 1997, they decided to record their own album, but since money was a major issue, they settled on the EP Wired, which features five songs. This release was supported by local record label, Silver Records. All the music on Wired was recorded in Thomas' studio in Halmstad. Shortly after the EP was released, Mikael moved to Stockholm, leading to a pause in their mutual work. The project was forced to rest for a while.

In the year 2000, Paste(swe) tied up all the loose ends, and recorded and released their first full-length album, Superpop. Part of the album was recorded in the Halmstad studio, and part in Stockholm. Superpop gained lots of interested and Paste(swe) received various distribution deals worldwide. -CD Baby

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The Bottles - The Bottles - 2006

Born in a basement in the woods of New Hampshire, The Bottles are about having fun making music. Yeah, some of the themes are heavy at times, but then, so are the times. The important thing is that it was FUN being heavy on occasion while writing these songs. We are Beatles fans all (hence the name The Bottles). The main ingredients to our misguided musical sense are humor (dark or otherwise), harmony, melody, and energy. The kind that only comes when four people who really enjoy making noise together do what they do. Give it a listen. We think you'll agree.
The Bottles are: Shoanie Semco - vocals, Jim Spilios - guitar/vocals, Don Semco - bass/vocals, and Chris DuBios - drums.


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Interview with Tommy Flake - Getting under his second skin

Rich Rossi has kindly allowed PPO to share this interview with Tommy Flake . Presented here is the second half. For the first half head over to the fabulous Orangemen44.com site and get it!


You spent significant time in two cities known for great power pop, Champaign Ill (Cheap Trick, Shoes, Material Issue) and the Minneapolis MN. (Prince, Replacements, Blow Pops). How did these scenes influence you, if at all ?

Well, Cheap Trick was a huge influence as well as Prince and the Replacements. The Elvis Brothers, Last Gentlemen, Farmboys, Hum, Menthol, Didjits, The Bears, Pop The Balloon, and That's Rentertainment (not a band - a store that rented records and had several musicians that recommended bands to me - Jeff Merritt (owner of Parasol Records and That's Rentertainment), Paul Chastain, and Steve Scariano) were all influences from Champaign. BTW, Three of those bands included Adam Schmitt. In MPLS, besides the before mentioned: Bands like The Honeydogs, Vena Cava, Rex Daisy,
The Hang Ups, and Polara. I would say these bands and artists influenced my music as much as all the other great bands I came up listening to.

You've opened for some of music's luminaries including Throwing Muses, Primus, Smashing Pumpkins, and Material Issue. Any favorites? Anyone you care to forget?

Cheap Trick, Primus, The Elvis Brothers, Pop The Balloon, The Tarbabies among others that we opened for early on in my experiences were influential to me as a drummer due to the amazing drummers in those bands (Bun E. Carlos, Herb, Brad Elvis, Rick Menck, Dan Bitney- now in Tortoise).

Lets say you're flying over the Pacific accompanied by the other guys in one of the bands you've toured with. Your plane goes down on an uncharted island. In order to survive you have to eat one of the guys in the band. Which one would you sacrifice and why?

Well, the band was Hot Glue Gun it would have to be Mike Clayton since when I was in the band it was really the two of us with different bass players all the time. Peachfuzz- Ken - he looks tasty. The Beatifics - I would say Chris cause I would need him to stop coming up with harebrained ideas of what we were going to record on the next record instead of ideas to get us off the island. The Elvis Brothers - Graham would be eaten because he would be the best preserved and most likely to annoy me to death. Pinnipeds - I would have to eat my cousin Drew since he's the only other member. Clip the Daisies - I would eat Dan since he was the biggest of us and probably held the most amount of THC. Phyllis - I would have to pick Dave - again for sheer mass. Tommy Flake - I would have to eat myself I guess. (I'm leaving out quite a few bands, but there are too many to list here and I really need to get back to work).

Having toured for several notable bands, I'm betting you have a humorous story or two. Can you share one?

Definitely, my best Rock n Roll story is when I opened for Cheap Trick in the Elvis Brothers. We were in our smallish dressing room and Robin walked in. I was 19 and had grown up listening and loving this band and now Robin Zander was talking to me. He invited us to their dressing room. I take a seat on the couch in there and moments later Bun E. walks in with a brief case, sets it down on the coffee table and opens it up. Inside, the only contents were: a box of kleenex, a cartoon of cigarettes, and about an ounce of weed with pipes in the pen holders. If that weren't enough, when they went out to play in the outdoor amphitheater, he had a window unit air conditioner right behind him on full! I didn't think that my love for him could get any bigger...


You can order Tommy Flake's latest LP as a CDR from Kook Kat Musik HERE or download it at CD Baby HERE.

Dead Leaf Echo - "Kingmaker" (Premiere)

NYC-based dream pop act Dead Leaf Echo have released their new single, "Kingmaker."  The song is four minutes of shimmering, Cocteau-esque bliss rock that's sure to make any shoegazer feel waves of cool nostalgia wash over them.
"Kingmaker" was mixed by legendary 4AD producer John Fryer, and is the first single from the band's forthcoming debut LP. The song is available on 7-inch via Custom Made Music, backed with exclusive track "I Belong." The first 100 people to order the 7-inch will receive limited, hand-screened copies. Check out Dead Leaf Echo's official site to see a preview of how the hand-screened art will look.
A 7-inch release party for "Kingmaker" will be held at Spike Hill in Brooklyn on February 4, where Dead Leaf Echo, Apollo Heights, Her Vanished Grace, and Washerwoman will all perform live. Perfect Prescription DJs Stephan C and Voidsong spin between bands.
Take a listen to "Kingmaker," and check out Dead Leaf Echo's tour dates below.

Kingmaker by Dead Leaf Echo

Tour Dates:
02/04 - Brooklyn, NY - Spike Hill ("Kingmaker" 7-inch Release Party)
02/09 - Chicago, IL - Darkroom
02/10 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
02/11 - Columbus, OH - Ace of Cups
03/07 - Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery
03/08 - Washington, DC - Velvet Lounge
03/09 - Chapel Hill, NC - Nitelight
03/10 - Atlanta, GA - TBA
03/11 - New Orleans, LA - TBA
03/12 - Houston, TX - Dean's
03/13-17 - Austin, TX - SXSW