Monday Featured Artist - The Three O'Clock

One of the brightest lights of new American pop psychedelia, LA's Salvation Army debuted with an album that was liable to inspire young bands all around the world to join in the fun. The trio's melodies have the ethereal quality of a young Syd Barrett; the music is a blend of all the most colorful '60s sounds, showing the influence of such groups as the Byrds, Move, Hollies, Music Machine and others.

Following legal action by the real Salvation Army (concerns over musical competition?), the group changed its name to the Three O'Clock. (Three years later, Frontier cleverly repackaged the original album as Befour Three O'Clock.) The five songs on Baroque Hoedown have poppier vocals and equally engaging music. The addition of ex-Quick/Weirdos drummer Danny Benair also brought the quartet a harder edge. Don't miss their cover of the Easybeats' "Sorry."

Sixteen Tambourines is even better — an incredible full-length collection of chiming, memorable power pop tunes played and sung as if each track were likely to get played on every radio station coast-to-coast. Slick and inventive production by Earle Mankey delivers the songs (most co-written by guitarist Louis Gutierrez and bassist Michael Quercio) in utterly engaging style. Best numbers: "On My Own," "Jet Fighter," "And So We Run." Absolutely charming and remarkably memorable. (The CD includes Baroque Hoedown and some bonus tracks.)

In 1985, the Three O'Clock signed to IRS and released their second album. Arrive Without Travelling isn't quite as delightfully twinky as its predecessor, but it does contain enough characteristically lightheaded material ("Her Head's Revolving," "Simon in the Park") to maintain the group's standing as preeminent paisley popsters.

Ever After saw Gutierrez exit the group (he's now in Louis and Clark), to be replaced by Steven Altenberg without any major changes in the group's sound or direction. Shortly after its release, the group parted ways with IRS, spent some time in legal limbo and then signed to Paisley Park. Apparently, Prince had heard and liked them (not too surprising, since Around the World in a Day draws on many of the same influences as Three O'Clock's records), though they'd never actually met. With Jason Falkner replacing Altenberg and Ian Ritchie producing, the group recorded Vermillion, their most interesting and varied album to date, which includes Prince's (sorry, Joey Coco's) "Neon Telephone" — just right for them — a lead vocal apiece by Falkner and keyboardist Mike Mariano (both great) and Quercio's six-minute ballad, "Through the Sleepy Town." Three O'Clock broke up later that year, with Quercio going on to form Permanent Green Light. - (Trouser Press)

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L.E.O. - Alpacas Orgling - 2006

Alpacas Orgling is the sort of record that drives people who dislike the contemporary power pop underground scene absolutely out of their heads with rage. If those three letters look familiar, that's entirely by design: LEO is an unabashed re-creation of the sound of vintage late-'70s Electric Light Orchestra on an indie rock budget. The album's mastermind is Boston-based power popper Bleu McAuley, with key contributions from Mike Viola (formerly of the Candy Butchers), Papas Fritas' Tony Goddess, Andy Sturmer of Jellyfish and members of Hanson, Chicago (!!) and Self. The ELO lifts are subtle but unmistakable, with direct nods to tunes like "Telephone Line" and "Mr. Blue Sky" mixed in with bits that cleverly nod to Jeff Lynne's creamy pure pop goodness without actively ripping him off. It could possibly be the most clever album-length evocation of an established band's sound since the Rutles. "But that's all it is, right?" sneer the non-believers. "It's nothing but a baldfaced ripoff of the sainted Jeff Lynne, and with a silly album title besides!" Well, there's little defending the goofy album title other than the fact that it's fun to say, but here's the thing: Alpacas Orgling knocks McAuley's polite, pedestrian solo albums into a cocked hat. In fact, with the possible exception of Papas Fritas' unjustly overlooked second album, Helioself, a lost indie pop treasure of the late '90s, Alpacas Orgling is the single best album any of its major participants have ever taken part in. And yes, that includes the hugely overrated Jellyfish, a band much more interesting in concept than in practice. Given the self-limiting task of channeling their own pop sensibilities through those of an earlier generation of craftsmen causes all concerned to step up their game: the songs are gorgeously arranged, with instantly memorable melodies and lyrics generally far less pretentious than the sort of claptrap Jeff Lynne himself often came up with. Of course, the most logical next step is for McAuley, Viola and company to take the lessons learned from this project back to their primary careers, but as long as one is clear on the album's artistic intentions and is willing to approach this kind of wholesale imitation on its own playful level, this is an album any true lover of '70s AM radio pop fluff should treasure. -AMG

The Gruesomes - Cave-In! - 2000

Overshadowed by the reunions of the Guess Who and the Grapes of Wrath, Canada's other favorite G-band got back together in 2000, and it's just like old times. Gruesomes' reunion album is everything earlier albums were: turbo-charged garage rock done extremely snottily (who would have it any other way?). If maturity has dulled the edges of the Gruesomes, it's not really evident here. Put on the go-go boots and get ready to rock, children. This may not be deep, but it's a heap of fun. -AMG



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Paul Steel - Moon Rock - 2007

2007 debut album from an amazing young multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter who simply has a keen penchant for writing the kind of song that really sticks in your mind. This album was recorded at home with Tony Hoffer (Beck, Kooks, Fratellis) in a DIY tradition of classic pop like that from Super Furry Animals or Elvis Costello. A limited pressing that he sold at his early gigs managed to get into the hands of several musical heavyweights and Steel earned plaudits from the likes of XTC's Andy Partridge, The High Llamas' Sean O'Hagan and Brian Wilson collaborator Van Dyke Parks.


Mediafire

Zuckerbaby - Zuckerbaby - 1997

Zuckerbaby got their start in the early '90s, first performing under the name Calliope. Members are lead singer/songwriter and guitarist Andy Eichhorn, bassist Brian Doss, guitarist and singer Reed Shimozawa, and drummer Wayne Stadler. In 1998, Doss left the group, and bassist Ted Koti was brought in to fill the empty spot. He was later replaced by bassist Ed Teigs. Drummer Kurt Dahle temporarily stepped in when Stadler took a short break.
The group started out performing at small gigs to gain experience and fans. Soon, Zuckerbaby was doing opening spots for major acts across much of Canada. As word of mouth spread and the band's fan base grew, the music world began to take notice. In 1996, Mercury Records signed the group to a recording contract. Zuckerbaby entered the Sundae Sound Studios and began work on their debut album, a self-titled offering that hit the market in 1997 with 12 pop/rock tracks. Three singles came from the album: "Shampoo," "Andromeda," and "Heavy." Positive reviews and music videos rotating in top spots on MuchMusic helped boost the group's popularity. A few of the other songs on the superb debut are "Venus," "Clouds," "Twice as Hard," and "Bellybutton Queen." -AMG




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The Thrills - Teenager - 2007

As the title of their third studio effort plainly indicates, the Thrills have grown up significantly since the release of their last album, Let's Bottle Bohemia, in 2004. In retrospect, they'll admit that more than a year's break was needed between the release of their multi-platinum debut So Much for the City and its follow-up; their commercial prospects took a dive, and the youthful optimism which shone through their early work as bright as the Pacific Coast sun was broken beyond repair. Their music still recalls a uniquely American stable of songwriters -- Buffalo Springfield, the Beach Boys, Jackson Browne -- but it's no accident that the influence of Manchester idols the Smiths has emerged more strongly than before. Winding Johnny Marr-like guitar lines add a sense of melancholy to the brighter sounds of piano, acoustic guitar and mandolin, while the rhythm section has beefed itself up considerably, rendering the opening paring of "The Midnight Choir" and "This Year" among the most aggressive tracks in the band's repertoire. Frontman Conor Deasy has finally repaid the faith placed in him by longtime fan Morrissey, reaching a level of introspectiveness and brutal honesty scarcely imaginable on previous albums. "Should've Known Better" sounds as if it could have emerged from Neil Young's Tonight's the Night sessions, as Deasy repeatedly proclaims "I envy your youth" to the backdrop of slide guitar and sparse, unyielding piano chords. The album was recorded in a converted morgue in one of Vancouver's most deprived neighborhoods -- at the suggestion of R.E.M. -- and the image of youthful idealism meeting cold reality is too perfect to ignore. It's a good thing too; adversity has brought out the best in the Thrills, and Teenager can stand as the group's crowning glory to date.-AMG




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The Blue Van - The Art of Rolling - 2005

Growing up in rural Broenderslev, Denmark, Steffen Westmark (vocals/guitars), Søren V. Christensen (Hammond organ), Allan F. Villadsen, and Per M. Jorgenson (drums) were inspired by the classics -- Cream, Kinks, Pretty Things, Them -- and they used that hard R&B, primal rock influence to drive the revivalist sound of the Blue Van. The combo moved to Copenhagen in 2003 and scored gigs at rock festivals like Spot 9 and Roskilde. That exposure helped land them a deal, and a five-song EP was soon recorded in Hamburg, Germany. The raucous full-length The Art of Rolling was issued stateside by TVT in April 2005, and the Blue Van hit the road that summer for a tour with Hot Hot Heat. The guys followed up with Dear Independence on Halloween 2006, supporting the record as openers on U.S. dates for the Electric Six. -AMG




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Bicycle - Bicycle - 1999

Bicycle's 1999 self-titled debut mixes bouncy pop melodies, quirky lyrics, heavy guitars and hip-hop beats into 14 entertaining and catchy sonic collages. Songwriter Kurt Liebert's sample-friendly, sunny songwriting style is definitely radio-friendly; songs like "Daisydunes.com" and "Bionic" are more complex than Sugar Ray but less baroque than Beck; "Electrolux," "Fingerpainting" and "View of the Valley" hint at an affection for power-pop. As he tours several different styles of music within each song, Liebert wisely keeps the running time short - most of the tracks are under three minutes - so no particular side of Bicycle wears out its welcome.-AMG




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The Adventures of Jet - Muscle - 2003

The Adventures of Jet is a Dallas, TX based band that got together back in 1998 when their former band, Bobgoblin folded. Their debut CD called Part 3: Coping With Insignificance managed to get noticed all the way to Germany and ended up on a lot of top of 2000 lists. Muscle marks a return for the band with even juicier power pop sounds complete with synthesizer. The synth is nice for a couple of tracks but I find that it get on my nerves after a while with it's whininess. The band writes decent pop tracks and keeps an unlikely theme of muscle cars as the album's central tone. "Fairlane", "Run Charger", "Drag", and "Flaming Ghost" give you an idea of what the songs are called. It's hard to pinpoint any outstanding tracks because they all start to sound the same with the synthesizer in the mix. A suggestion to the band would be just to use the instrument in the odd chorus rather than throughout the entire album. The songs are well written but the genius is hidden. -musicemissions.com




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Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee - 1990

Formed in 1990 by keyboardist, producer, and composer Patrick Leonard and the late singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Gilbert, the Los Angeles-based Toy Matinee was known for its polished and carefully arranged pop/rock ditties. A studio savvy duo who were comfortable with collaborations, Gilbert had also joined forces with Sheryl Crow, Michael Jackson, and Tina Turner, while Leonard has worked with such pop luminaries as Elton John, Madonna, Roger Waters, and Jewel. With Special Edition, the band's self-titled 1990 album is re-released along with a 28-page booklet and four additional "bonus" tracks: Kevin Gilbert's "Blank Page" and demo takes of "Last Plane Out," "Things She Said," and "There Was a Little Boy." "Last Plane Out," the CD's opening track is -- like most of the band's songs -- characterized by diatonic vocal harmonies, a tight rhythm section, blues guitar riffs, and a hook-heavy chorus. With "Turn It On Salvador," a song dedicated to Salvador Dali and immersed in appropriately surreal lyrics, Julian Lennon chimes in with backing vocals in a section that sounds particularly Beatlesque. Sal's Clarinet Trio -- Jon Clarke, Jon Kip, and Donald Markese -- closes "Turn It On Salvador" with a swinging melodic phrase that compliments Leonard's concordant piano passages. The band's songs are mostly unique, though shades of a Pink Floyd ballad can be heard at the beginning of the band's self-titled track, and Steeley Dan-sounding chord progressions are undeniably present on the album's seventh cut, "The Ballad of Jenny Ledge." All in all, this Toy Matinee re-release offers thoughtfully constructed and exceptionally played pop/rock songs alongside a number of slightly derivative songs that have a bit too much of that teased-out 1990s hair band aura. -AMG



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Checkpoint Charley - Songs One Through Twelve - 2005

Do you think vocal based powerpop a la Jellyfish, with more guitardriven rock such as The Tories and Marvelous 3 sounds like your cup of tea? Then you should put out an invitation to a huge tea party, 'coz L.A band Checkpoint Charley has the cookies. How could anyone resist the City Boy smelling 'Cardiac Arrest'?! or the beachparty rocker 'Bellyfish'?!......the list of good songs never ends....But you can play them over and over again without getting tired of hearing them. Listen to the Jelly-harmonies on 'Smile' or the bombastic 70s rock a la Elton John and Queen on 'Mother Veronica'- melodic heaven! A must for any melodic rock fan! -Kaj Roth, Melodic.net




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The Interpreters - Back in the U.S.S.A. - 1997

This trio is from Philadelphia? Back in the U.S.S.A. was actually recorded in London, and every band who this jacked-up pack of power pop punksters hints at appears to be British, both of old and recent vintages. Their older 7" single (the B-side of which, "Dogskin Report," is included here) was produced by mod legend Shel Talmy, the man behind the desk for the early smashes by the 1964-1966 Kinks, Who, and Easybeats (among others). So it's not surprising that the Interpreters pay tribute to one of Talmy's biggest hits by filching the signature riff of "My Generation" for the opening of "Ironic...Blowout." But far from a revival of that high-octane sound and style -- though there is a little first-two LPs Jam, Purple Hearts, and Jolt to the songs -- the hyper-pogo brand on display, sometimes with jazzy horns, actually places this band closer to a cross between Supergrass and Bis, if the latter could play better and wrote catchy songs, and if the former had even more outrageous teen energy. With many a song and surge reminding one of Supergrass' "Strange Ones" or "Caught By the Fuzz," only with less nasal singing, these folks are perhaps the happiest bunch of snot-nosed kids here. Since they slot in well with the faster songs of Elastica or 3 Colours Red, they'd be leading the louder, harder end of the otherwise ridiculous Brit-pop scene if they were from Mayfair, not just recorded there. Ron A. Shaffer and the band's production are both American; cranking smackers such as "She Took It Shy" and the excellent, more restrained closer "Today and Every Day" hit one in the nose like an old Zero Boys, Kraut, or Shattered Faith LP: real punchy, real roaring, and real clean. -AMG



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Power Pop in the Twenty-First Century

New York, Los Angeles – January 8, 2009

Times are changing, that is for sure, but you can still hear great live music the way it used to be in the good old days, and now you can hear it in the comfort of your own home. John Wicks and Paul Collins have teamed up to bring their music to you in the Living Room House Concert format. Both John and Paul made their mark years ago in the burgeoning power pop scene of the late seventies and early eighties. On opposite sides of the pond, they created and formed bands of lasting impact and quality. John Wicks, founding member of The Records, will always be remembered for Starry Eyes, a classic among classics and Paul’s work with The Nerves and The Beat have stood the test of time with Power Pop hits like “Hanging on the Telephone”, “Rock and Roll Girl”, and “Don’t Wait Up For Me”. Both John and Paul are active performers who are regularly out there tearing it up on stages in this country and abroad. After exchanging emails from coast to coast they finally met up at one of John’s live shows in Spain. A friendship developed and now for the first time they have joined forces to make their music available to you in this intimate and informal setting. Both artists are superlative songwriters and the acoustic guitar is their instrument of choice to create with. This is not a watered down version of what you would see if they were performing with a band behind them, and they both do. This is an up close and personal look at two performers who love music and have dedicated the major part of their lives to it. These two gentlemen have seen and done a lot and as performers they love to share, so stories would abound of all their exploits over the years coupled with an evening of fantastic songs.

For additional information regarding John and Paul’s 2009 Living Room Concert Tour, please go to http://www.johnwicksandtherecords.com .

If you’d like to see John Wicks and Paul Collins perform in YOUR living room, email martinitimerossi@gmail.com (Attn: Rick Rossi) with your location, date you would like to have the event, and phone number where you can be reached. Every serious inquiry will receive a response with available dates and applicable performance fees.

Andy Stochansky - Five Star Motel - 2002

Pop troubadour Andy Stochansky aims for the heart, soul, and mind on the captivating Five Star Motel. Atmospheric, reflective, and emotionally charged, Stochansky's vocal style warrants favorable comparisons to Jeff Buckley, Bono, and Francis Healy. Via arrangements that employ seductive drum loops, Mellotrons, strings, horns, shimmering acoustic guitars, and subtle rhythms abetted by tranquil vocal harmonies, Stochansky creates a postmodern pop/rock gem steeped in introspection. The moody orchestral backdrop on "One Day" certainly owes allegiance to George Martin and Brian Wilson, and cuts including "Stutter," "Clay Pigeon," and "Mavis Said" resonate with somber beauty by way of linear melodies that melt over the backbeat. "Wonderful (It's Superman)" is the lone alternative rock anthem tossed in for good measure. Stochansky is an artist to keep an eye on and, in all probability, Five Star Motel is a record that will stand the test of time. -AMG

Teenage Fanclub - Songs from Northern Britain - 1997

No longer the brash, slightly grungy flavor of the month they were in 1992, Songs From Northern Britain finds Teenage Fanclub's trio of singer/songwriters -- Gerard Love, Raymond McGinley, and Norman Blake -- addressing adulthood and responsibility with a bright optimism that sets them apart from many of their contemporaries. From the cheeky yet heartfelt title to the gorgeous cover photographs taken by the band with photographer David Milne in the Scottish Highlands, Songs From Northern Britain is ostensibly a concept album about home and love. Much like the Byrds, the Eagles, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young identified themselves with Los Angeles and Topanga Canyon, Teenage Fanclub has become intrinsically linked to Glasgow and rural Scotland. On "Planets," Blake sings, "We're going over the country/And into the highlands/To look for a home." Similarly, on "I Don't Want Control of You," one of the most beautiful affirmations of fidelity in a relationship, Blake writes, "Everyday I look in a different face/Feelings getting stronger with every embrace." The overall effect is a feeling that the members of Teenage Fanclub are happy with who they are and who they love and see these notions as universal ideals. Musically, the album is more arranged than past releases and delves further into a folky, acoustic sound that fleshes out their Big Star fascination with some sweet harmonies à la the Byrds. There is even a slight bit of country twang mixed into these eminently hummable songs. This isn't to say that Teenage Fanclub has gone completely acoustic, though, as "Planets" features the sonic rush of a Moog synthesizer and fuzzy electric guitars rock pleasantly throughout much of the album. While Songs From Northern Britain may be too gentle and subtle for those listeners not willing to give it more than one spin, it is a resolutely beautiful album that will most likely stand as Teenage Fanclub's masterpiece. -AMG



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