Emitt Rhodes - Emitt Rhodes - 1970

Most cult heroes are cult heroes by design. Either his or her music is too esoteric to be accepted by the mainstream, or his or her personality too erratic or weird for most people to understand or tolerate. In either respect, the artist usually has sought out selective rather than widespread acceptance on purpose. The cult audience, in turn, is grateful for the opportunity to feel superior to all the stupid, smelly legions of idiots who make up the majority of the music-buying public.
Then there's people like Emitt Rhodes, who's a cult hero for no good reason whatsoever. Far from obscure, his music is loaded with melodic charisma, that essential ingredient that makes you want to hear some records over and over again. Often called a musical dead ringer for Sir Paul McCartney, Rhodes is really the Macca we all wish Macca would be: an incredible pop tunesmith without all the gooey sentimentality and overflowing cuteness. The crown jewel of Rhodes' small body of work is his self-titled debut album. Released to critical acclaim and modest commercial success in 1970, Emitt Rhodes has since taken on mythical status among power-pop and '70's rock aficionados. The album is a tour-de-force: just like McCartney on his first solo album, Rhodes played all the instruments and sang all the vocals himself. But even more impressive are the songs. Only 20 years old at the time, Rhodes had already absorbed the best of '60s rock and matched it. Lennon/McCartney certainly weren't writing songs the caliber of "Somebody Made for Me" or "With My Face on the Floor" at that age. This precocious, good-looking kid should have been unstoppable.-[Steven J. Hyden]Perfect Sound Forever

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Emitt Rhodes - Emitt Rhodes - 1970

Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers - 2003

Fans waiting for Fountains of Wayne to finally quit goofing around and release a sonically experimental, brooding collection of "serious music" are just going to have to keep waiting. Luckily, the number of their listeners hoping for anything besides another infectious batch of sunny singalong numbers from Adam Schlesinger, Chris Collingwood, and company is probably about the same as the number of people waiting for the White Stripes to record a smooth jazz record. On the mind-numbingly charming Welcome Interstate Managers, Fountains of Wayne do what they do best. And while they reinforce their reputation as the reigning deities of uptempo, big-guitar pop/rock with feel-good anthems like "Mexican Wine," "Bright Future in Sales," "Stacy's Mom," and "Little Red Light," they also continue their proud tradition of mellow yet equally tongue-in-cheek tunes. While their debut album had "Sick Day" and "You Curse at Girls," and Utopia Parkway featured "Prom Theme" and "The Senator's Daughter," Welcome Interstate Managers introduces "Fire Island," a plea to be left home alone when the parents go on vacation, and "All Kinds of Time," perhaps the best (and first) musical interpretation of a slow-motion football replay ever recorded. But the bouncing acoustic guitars of "Hey Julie" are definitely the high point. This time, the one flaw may simply be that the group doesn't know when to say when. Their two previous releases closed with lazy ballads, and this time they build to a perfect finale with "Fire Island." Unfortunately, they follow it with four more songs that add little to the quality of the album. Still, CD players were made with skip buttons for a reason, and too much material is usually preferable to too little. Even without the last four tracks, Welcome Interstate Managers had more than enough pitch-perfect melodies and smile-inducing lyrics to make it a defining album for the summer of 2003. And if that's not your thing, well, maybe some winter they'll finally put out that somber record you've been waiting for.-[Mark Vanderhoff] AMG

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Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers - 2003 pt 1

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The Singles - Better Than Before - 2003

The Singles are a well-dressed foursome of guys barely in their twenties who hail from garage rock central U.S.A., better known on the map as Detroit, MI. They don't have much in common with the others bands on the scene except for a lot of energy in their approach and a healthy respect for the past. Instead of looking to the Stooges or the blues for inspiration, the Singles look to classic pop sources like the Beatles, the Who, the Kinks, Buddy Holly, and the Flamin' Groovies (bass player Dave Lawson even resembles Groovie guitarist Cyril Jordan circa 1976) for their inspiration. Main Single Vince Frederick writes unswervingly snappy tunes and delivers the chirpy vocals with just the right amount of teenage angst. The tracks alternate hard-charging beat rockers like "No More Places (Left to Go)," the Buddy Holly-channeling "See You Again," and the tambourine-shaking "He Can Go, You Can Stay" with sensitive beat ballads like "Waited So Long" (which has a monster guitar solo by Will Yates), "Since You've Been Gone," and the lilting "There's Nothing Wrong When I'm With You." Better Than Before rushes past in a blur of melody, harmony, and energy without a single weak song, and thanks to Jim Diamond's clean but not sterile production the record sounds live and alive. While the Singles have a way to go before they match their idols, their debut record gets them off on the right foot. Fans of power pop, guitar pop, garage pop, and just plain pop should check these kids out. They may not be better than before, but they are better than a lot of today. -AMG

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The Singles - Better Than Before - 2003

Chris von Sneidern - Big White Lies - 1994

After serving (unrecorded) stints with such Bay Area pop stalwarts as Flying Color and the Sneetches, Syracuse, New York native Chris Von Sneidern unleashed Sight & Sound, the first of his remarkably beautiful pop masterpieces, in 1993. Using his guitar and pen to fashion pretty, Badfinger-esque songs — the desperate "Bad Black Lonesome," the Merseybeat homage "Annalisa," the moving, lilting "Life Start Living" and the frightening, Big Star 3rd-like "Never Again, My Love" to name just a few — Von Sneidern imbues the album with unparalleled pop vision and sheer melodic genius. A near-perfect beginning.
Big White Lies is every bit as strong as the debut; the dozen songs include a well-placed cover of Bread's "Everything I Own" alongside such lovely originals as the summery "Roll On," the dreamy (natch) "Dream Away" and the slightly more forceful "Hard Again." Von Sneidern has a definite gift for both songwriting and arranging; unobtrusive little touches include the exotic percussion on the catchy title track and Bryan Higgins' sweet french horn flourishes (à la the Beatles' "For No One") on "Here I Go." The whole package (purportedly the first to contain interactive CD-ROM liner notes) is an essential pop treasure from one of the most talented auteurs to come along in ages. -[John M. Borack] Trouser Press

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Chris von Sneidern - Big White Lies - 1994 pt1

Chris von Sneidern - Big White Lies - 1994 pt2

The Quarter After - The Quarter After - 2005

Between them, singing brothers Dominic Campanella and Rob Campanella have been at least an adjunct member of just about every band in the axis between the Brian Jonestown Massacre, Beachwood Sparks and the Tyde. Unsurprisingly, the self-titled debut by their own band works that circa-'67 L.A. sound, with heavy echoes of the pre-David Axelrod the Electric Prunes, Buffalo Springfield, and various other half-forgotten exemplars of the sound, minimizing the country-rock inflections of Beachwood Sparks (only notable on the Neil Young-like "Mirror to You") or much of the slightly unhinged experimentalism of the the Brian Jonestown Massacre. For a little less than half of the album, the brothers, along with bassist David Koenig and drummer Nelson Bragg, do a pretty good pastiche of Sunset Strip psychedelia, kicking up a particularly lysergic head of steam on the self-explanatory "One Trip Later." The problem is that the other half of the album, nearly a full thirty minutes, consists of three endless acid-guitar jams that don't justify their overextended length; the most frustrating one is the nine-minute "Taken," which cooks up a good old-fashioned freight train momentum and then blows it on a flaccid and seemingly endless solo. At about four-and-a-half minutes, it would be the best song on the album, but at nine-minutes-and-16-seconds, it's a prime candidate for the forward skip button. With an editor and a bit more emphasis on Love than the Quicksilver Messenger Service, the Quarter After may really have something. -AMG

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The Quarter After - The Quarter After - 2005 pt1

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The Merrymakers - Bubblegun - 1996

By this point in their career, it seems as if the duo of Anders Hellgren and David Myhr should have four or five acclaimed releases under their belts and be household names in the world of pop music. Bubblegun, however, is only the Merrymakers' second full-length album (and their first in the U.S.), though they have been making unabashedly joyous and pretty pop since 1991. Their first album, No Sleep 'til Famous, brought the comparatively innocent and clear-eyed pop of the '60s into the '90s via a sophisticated and clean production. The band does the same on Bubblegun, crafting a set of songs that sound as if they could all be singles. Undoubtedly, many of them would have been hits in the era from which they glean their influences, but the Merrymakers are not a retro act; they simply write gorgeous, catchy pop songs that are universal, transcending both time and place. Very rarely anymore do choruses explode out of speakers and simply envelop the listener with pure pleasure as do songs such as "Saltwater Drinks," "Troubled Times" and "Superstar." The songs, though they are incredibly melodic and crisply produced, are not in the least vapid. There is an edginess to many of the tracks, and lyrically, the Merrymakers do not shy away from difficult themes: "Monkey in the Middle" and "Superstar" deal with fading fame while the theme of lost love is all over the album ("April's Fool," "Sad," "Ms. Demeanour"). Never, though, does this cause the music or listening experience to drag or grate. Former Jellyfish frontman Andy Sturmer helps out on production on a few songs (and co-wrote a couple cuts), and he is a perfect match for the band. Since this is the band's first American release, Big Deal has added a bonus to the package: a second CD containing five songs from their first album. Those songs have a slightly more trippy feel to them but shine just as brightly as the songs on the first CD. It makes for a virtually flawless pop album: in a perfect world, Bubblegun would make the Merrymakers a household name. -AMG

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The Merrymakers - Bubblegun - 1996 pt1

The Merrymakers - Bubblegun - 1996 pt2

The Wonder Stuff - The Eight Legged Groove Machine - 1988

Like the Buzzcocks with the irony meter turned to 11, or a much less sweet-natured version of the so-called "blonde pop" bands of the time (Primitives, Darling Buds, etc.), the Wonder Stuff's debut album is a crisply recorded batch of buzzy little two-minute guitar pop songs. What made the Wonder Stuff different was the arrogant brashness — bordering on megalomania — of singer/songwriter Miles Hunt. Hunt's lyrics, typified by song titles like "No for the 13th Time," "Give Give Give Me More More More," and especially "Astley in the Noose" (a scathing condemnation of Stock-Aitken-Waterman-brand dance pop focusing on the insipid but basically harmless Rick Astley) are cutting and sarcastic; what saves the group is the fact that they never actually tip over into mean-spiritedness. The fact that the album's title is entirely descriptive helps considerably as well. Not a one of these songs is less than catchy and memorable, and the best, like "Rue the Day" and "Some Sad Someone," are outstanding. The Eight Legged Groove Machine is to be taken with a rather large pinch of salt, but it's a most enjoyable listen. -AMG

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The Wonder Stuff - The Eight Legged Groove Machine - 1988 pt 1

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The La's - The La's - 1990

Unlike other Britpop groups emerging around the same time, The La's took cues from '60s beat, rather than psychedelia, new wave or punk. On its lone album, the distinctive Liverpool quartet — which favored acoustic guitars and folky harmonies but delivered taut electric rock as well — echoes groups like the Hollies, Searchers and Beatles. Lee Mavers writes profoundly tuneful songs with thoughtful words and sings them with a skilled mixture of pop allure ("There She Goes" is an absolute gem) and pub-band sturdiness ("Failure" is an odd bit of garage punk). Beyond melodic assets, the La's make good, independent-minded use of rhythm as well. "Liberty Ship" has the seafaring tempo to match its lyrical metaphor, while "Way Out" pairs a measured drum/rhythm-guitar beat with double-time lead figures; "Freedom Song" uses the oompah swing of a Kurt Weill number. But that was all the troubled band could manage. Mavers has since made himself scarce, although "There She Goes" regularly pops up on movie soundtracks to convey the exhilaration of young love.- [Ira Robbins/Gary Graff] Trouser Press

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The La's - The La's - 1990

The Nice Boys - The Nice Boys - 2006

In a perfect world, the Nice Boys wouldn't exist, and the fact that they do is a triumph of the D.I.Y. punk spirit in the face of almost inconceivable tragedy. The roots of the Nice Boys lie in the Exploding Hearts, a young power pop band from Portland, OR. Formed in the early 2000s but spiritually influenced by the late-'70s British power pop scene of the Buzzcocks and the Jam, the Exploding Hearts released an extremely promising debut album, Guitar Romantic, on Dirtnap Records in the spring of 2003. Sadly, while touring in support of the album, the Exploding Hearts' van rolled on Interstate 5 outside of Eugene, OR, on July 20, 2003, killing singer Adam Cox, bassist Matt Fitzgerald, and drummer Jeremy Gage.The sole surviving member of the Exploding Hearts, guitarist Terry Six, spent quite some time convalescing before beginning his next project. Joining with guitarist Gabe Lageson and bassist Colin Jarrell, both formerly of a minor Portland power pop act called the Riffs, Six formed the Nice Boys in late 2004, largely abandoning the punky side of the Exploding Hearts in favor of a jangly, harmony-rich take on '70s Anglocentric power pop (think of the Records, the Motors, and the Yachts), with the three members dividing the songwriting about equally. With Six temporarily doubling on lead guitar and drums and taking the lead vocal role, the trio recorded the 2005 single "You Won't See Me Anymore" b/w "Lipstick Love," releasing it on the small Portland indie Discourage Records in the spring of 2004. Adding drummer Alan Mansfield and the studio-only keyboardist Brian Lelko, the Nice Boys released their self-titled debut album on Birdman Records in August 2006.-AMG

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The Nice Boys - The Nice Boys - 2006

Tommy Keene - Songs from the Film - 1986

In what seemed like an attempt by Geffen to make a "big" pop record and endear Keene to an audience wider than critics and a small cult of discerning record buyers, renowned producer Geoff Emerick (Elvis Costello, Beatles) only succeeded at rounding the edges, thus stealing the spark from Keene's performance. The drums are buried in the mix and Keene's distinctive vocals obscured behind a wash of studio processing, but fortunately, Keene's talent shines through in memorable songwriting and biting guitar solos. "In Our Lives" and "Goldtown" are classic Tommy Keene melodic power rockers, while "The Story Ends" stands among his best Beatlesque ballads. But the infectious "Places That Are Gone," which opens side one, sounds awkwardly sped up and doesn't come close to matching the quiet intensity of the version that appeared as the title track of the 1984 Dolphin EP. The story has it that Geffen rejected the original Songs From the Film sessions, produced by T-Bone Burnett and Don Dixon, to make this record, although the label at least momentarily came to their senses and released tracks from those sessions later that year on the excellent Run Now EP. [Geffen's 1998 CD reissue of Songs from the Film includes the Run Now EP, plus four previously unreleased songs: "Take Back Your Letters," "We're Two," an alternate full-band take of "Faith in Love" and a live cover of the Flamin' Groovies' "Teenage Head."] -AMG

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Tommy Keene - Songs from the Film - 1986 pt 1

Tommy Keene - Songs from the Film - 1986 pt 2

The Waxwings - Low To the Ground - 2000

Mere words cannot describe the heaven of this record. Gathering up everything that is great about pop music -- inventive melodies, soaring vocals, crunchy, snarling guitars in a lush production -- the Waxwings debut record is one of the best releases of this (or any other) year.
Imagine what sort of records Brian Wilson would have made if he had been chasing the Stones and Syd Barrett instead of McCartney and the Beatles, and you will have an idea of the band's sound. From the rush of "Keeping the Sparks" to the summoning beauty of "It Comes in Waves", Low to the Ground arrives like cool rain on a hot day.
This is the way records should be made -- great playing and singing of songs written, not sampled, adapted or otherwise stolen -- all in a work that shows something new, something deeper on each listen. Not unlike label-mates Velvet Crush, The Waxwings set high standards. For a band to do this on their first shot out of the barrel is frightening indeed. Take the coins from a dead man's eyes and buy this record.-[James Mann] Pop Matters.com

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The Rooks - The Rooks - 1993

There have been countless Beatles imitators over the years, but few artists have demonstrated the ability to build on the group's tuneful legacy with enough originality to add their own twists and shouts. New York's Rooks, led by the immensely talented Michael Mazzarella, is one of the rare exceptions.
The Connecticut-born writer/singer/guitarist/producer gets able assistance on The Rooks from bandmates Kristin Pinell (lead guitar/vocals, the same role she fills in the Grip Weeds), Annmarie Gatti (bass) and Jim Riley (drums), as well as guests like the Grip Weeds' Kurt Reil, Richard X. Heyman and drummer Patrick Yourell (who had previously played with Mazzarella in the Broken Hearts). The Rooks' bright, '60s-influenced pop packs a real wallop, both musically and lyrically. Easy faves are the stately ballad "Steeplechase," the unashamedly Beatlesque "Night Writer" and the swirling "Reasons."-AMG

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The Rooks - The Rooks - 1993

The Grays - Ram Sham Bo - 1994

Ro Sham Bo was an interesting experiment, and it remains one of the curious, off-the-path milestones of '90s pop. Four accomplished musicians disillusioned with being in rock bands formed the Grays based on utopian ideals: all members contributing songs, recording together and fleshing out each other's ideas, and playing each other's instruments when it fit certain songs, so no one was the true "leader." In practice, however, the members' strong personalities clashed and brought the project to an end soon after the recording of Ro Sham Bo. It's a very eclectic pop record, stemming from the fact that the different songwriters bring distinct styles to the table. Buddy Judge and Dan McCarroll's tunes tend to be more rhythmically focused jams, like "Everybody's World" and "Is It Now Yet," while Jon Brion and Jason Falkner stick to ultra-cool '70s-style pop/rock, Brion's harmonic melancholy on "Nothing Between Us" contrasting with Falkner's unabashedly catchy jubilation on "Both Belong." But everyone seems to have input into each track, and the result is a nice musical stew, none of the ingredients outshining the others in contribution to the overall taste. Although they weren't able to align musically for more than this one record, all members' attentions seem very focused on fully realizing the tunes on Ro Sham Bo. The instrumentation is thick and hearty, sometimes with four or five overlapping guitar parts and keyboards propelling a song toward its climax. Splashes of psychedelia (backwards tape loops, oddly distorted vocal harmonies) accentuate some of the later tunes, and Falkner displays some rare vitriolic screaming on "Spooky."-AMG

The Webb Brothers - Maroon - 2000

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the sons of Jimmy Webb ("The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress") have an affinity for emotional bombast and Baroque flourishes. Their second album is full of soaring choruses and orchestral backdrops that might as well have been inspired by Tunesmith, Webb the Elder's giant treatise on the art of song. Less predictable are the steps the brothers take toward forging their own distinctively contemporary voice. Their subject matter is the lifestyle of carefree (and careless) swingers, and they capture it in spare, acidic lyrics that are almost the opposite of their father's grandiloquence. "Fluorescent Lights" is typical: "It's three in the morning she's lovely/But ugly to me/In fluorescent lights we'd be sickening to see." "All the Cocaine in the World" takes the strategy to an extreme. It's built on a single line, repeated in pretty harmony: "All the cocaine in the world/Can't bring back the girl." While the themes remain constant, musical styles fly fast and furious. Jangly guitar and kitschy synthesizers power "Summer People," horns and rolling piano take over for the cha cha "Intermission," and "Fluorescent Lights" is a strings-heavy waltz. The eclecticism, along with the jaded, wasted character of the lyrics, makes Maroon a cousin to Rufus Wainwright's Poses, another breakthrough album by a second-generation songwriter. The marriage of sophisticated, catchy melodies and cynical sentiments also brings to mind the work of Joe Pernice. That's impressive company for a couple of young talents still skulking in the shadows of "MacArthur Park."-AMG

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The Webb Brothers - Maroon - 2000 pt 1

The Webb Brothers - Maroon - 2000 pt 2

Gigolo Aunts - Flippin' Out - 1994

This Boston foursome have a varied approach to power-pop; lead guitarist Phil Hurley appears to have mastered hard rock (the catchy "Bloom"), moving ballads (the title track), and pop songs ("Mrs. Washington," a close parody of "Mrs. Robinson") with an ease that gives this album its consistency. Dave Gibbs' sugar-sweet vocals and backing harmonization are the perfect accompaniment. -[John Bush] AMG

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Gigolo Aunts - Flippin' Out - 1994 pt 1

Gigolo Aunts - Flippin' Out - 1994 pt 2

Someloves - Something Or Other - 1989

The Someloves' sole album is esteemed by some power pop aficionados as one of the genre's best records, getting ranked in the Top Ten of a list of the greatest such albums in a 1999 issue of Goldmine. Power pop fanatics might be even more prone than other special-interest fans to zealously champion items non-specialists might find of average quality, but even taking that into consideration, it seems such praise might be overly generous. Something or Other is a well-done, confident power pop record, heavy on strident, assertive chords, vocal harmonies, bright ringing guitars, and upbeat romantic lyrics. It's not, however, a strikingly original entry in the field, bearing obvious traces of some of key Someloves' songwriters Daryl Mather and Dom Mariani's admitted influences, like Big Star and Dwight Twilley. At times it sounds rather like a more indie pop-oriented Tom Petty as well, particularly in the vocal delivery. The production (with overdubs and mixing done at Mitch Easter's studio) is more layered and nuanced than many such releases, and if this kind of music had been a very commercial style around the globe in 1990, there seems little doubt that these guys could have sold a good many records. It didn't, however, leaving this as something primarily of appeal to power pop cultists, many of whom remain unaware of its existence, the Australian group being pretty obscure on an international level. The entire album has been reissued on one of the two discs in the double-CD compilation Don't Talk About Us: The Real Pop Recordings of the Someloves 1985-89, whose second disc assembles a bunch of non-album singles and previously unreleased items not found on Something or Other itself.-AMG

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Someloves - Something Or Other - 1989

The Sonnets - Mystery Girl - 2007

Think of The Beatles. Got that thought? Now kill George and add some modern day funk and better guitar work and you have the Sonnets. They have a feel like The Hives, Interpol, The White Stripes, or any number of other Bealtes era tribute bands. The thing that sets them apart from the rest is their upbeat rhythem and snapping vocals. An interesting band...they have found their sound and they're sticking to it."- IRA Music Review

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The Sonnets - Mystery Girl - 2007 pt 1

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Galaxies - Here We Go! - 2008

With all the Power of Pop and all the Edge of Rock, the Galaxies music is a unique mix of melody, harmony, beat and full-out fun that really rocks!! Each member brings with him a knowledge and love of 60’s Pop, 70’s Rock, and today’s energy and excitement! It all starts with the great songs of Bobby Cox. A talented singer, guitarist and composer whose time on stage has made him a gifted performer. Underneath it all is a foundation cemented by Charlie Molinari’s powerful and driving backbeats and Will Macgregor’s impeccable bass playing. Skills they honed from playing hundreds of live shows. In the studio they produced, arranged, edited and mixed this album with one thought in mind: Right foot down! Together these guys play songs that you just can’t get out of your head!

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Galaxies - Here We Go! - 2008

Swag - Catchall - 2001

Swag were conceived as a fun side project by various musicians known primarily for their roles in other bands (particularly Ken Coomer of Wilco, Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick, and Robert Reynolds of the Mavericks). And, unlike some such ideas, they do actually sound like they're having fun on this pastiche of/homage to vintage '60s and '70s pop/rock styles. It's a diverse program of originals in that mold, sometimes taking cues from straight-ahead guitar power pop with ringing guitars, sometimes from fey McCartney-esque late-'60s acoustic pop-psych ("Near Perfect Smile" and "Different Girl"), sometimes from Remains-like mid-'60s organ rock guitar crunch ("Please Don't Tell"), sometimes from early Elvis Costello ("Eight"), and even from Cheap Trick themselves ("Ride," which even has a Cheap Trick reference in the lyrics). It's not the type of thing which is bound to impress listeners with wallfuls of original '60s pop/rock and '70s power pop to serve as comparisons, but it's better than the norm for such things, and well-executed. Four of the 12 songs on the band's debut full-length disc were previously released, but eight make their first appearance here.-AMG.

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The Toms - The Toms - 1979

Years before home computers, ADAT's and Pro Tools, guys like Tom Marolda were in thier basements or bedrooms trying to cram all the sounds in thier heads onto Tascam 4/8 track reel-to-reel decks. That he came up with such a classic gem of a LP is a credit to his talent and his inventiveness with now-primative equipment. The Toms S/T ranks right up there with Todd Rundgren's "Something/Anything", Emitt Rhodes debut LP, and The Shoes classic "Black Vinyl Shoes" as one of the best homemade DIY Power Pop albums of the 1970's. The songs are airtight, Tom's playing is enthusiastic and all-out fun, and the punchy compressed production despite some murkiness makes many punk/new wave recordings of the late 70's done in professional 24 track studios sound lifeless and boring.-Billy G. Spradlin - Jangle Radio On Live365.com

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The Toms - The Toms - 1979