Stratocruiser - 'Suburban Contemporary'

I guess I belong to the school of thought that says writing about music is like dancing about architecture - I find it quite difficult to describe music using 'mere' words ... though it might be easier if I just used a list of adjectives, rather than trying to construct actual sentences! Having said that, I'm also finding it tricky to describe so many powerpop albums without over-using buzz-words like 'hooky', 'catchy', 'melodic' etc. Maybe the answer is to simply recommend each album and leave folks to go listen for themselves and decide what it sounds like!

Anyway, today's choice is, ah, yep, catchy stuff. I'd say it's a powerpop staple: if you collect the genre and don't have this album, you really do need it. There isn't a bad track on here. The mood is mostly uptempo and upbeat, ranging from the more gentle sound of 'Blue Sparkle Daydream' to the driving rock of 'J'aime Suis Mouvais'. I can hear elements of Crowded House on some tracks, Wondermints on others. If by chance you're still not convinced, I'll just add that Robbie Rist not only played on the album, he also did most of the mixing.

The official site is here, and the Myspace profile here. For my money 'Surburban Contemporary' is their best album, but their other recordings all have merit and get plenty of play in my house. Try all the usual suspects for buying choices: NotLame, CD Baby, Amazon, eBay etc.

Admiral Twin - 'Creatures Of Bread & Wine'

Another 'must have' for powerpop fans. They cite all the usual powerpop influences on their Myspace; plus there's a distinctly 60s flavour to 'I'm Talking 'Bout Me', and 'Already Gone' has shades of The Beach Boys about it.

My vote for the best track goes to 'Wait For The Bang', a catchy, brimming-with-confidence song that I would use to demonstrate what powerpop is to someone unfamiliar with the term. Another highlight is 'On & On', which hooks you instantly. Not only is it a great track, it also has the distinction of being the only song I've ever come across that mentions Cair Paravel - that alone gets them brownie points!

They've released four albums and two 'Christmas EPs', and there's a new album in the works. More info at their official site, and look for their recordings at NotLame, CD Baby, eBay and Amazon.

What's New Pussycat?

Nothing new on the blog front for a while, simply because I'm not at home very much these days! This is an odd day off in the middle of a 6-week jaunt, so reviews aren't likely to resume till mid-November.

The title is a nod to the fact that I'm on tour with Cosmic Rough Riders, who are supporting Tom Jones around the UK!

Easterly - 'Easterly'

If I were to make one very small criticism of this album, it would be that it fades a little towards the end ... however it might just seem that way to me because there are two exceptionally strong songs near the beginning! The tracks in question, 'Blister' and 'Wicked Conversation', are alone worth the price of the album, and would be a pretty hard act for anyone to follow. 'Blister' is an upbeat number, a great melody rolling over a riff that makes me think of Fifties music. The other outstanding song, 'Wicked Conversation', is deceptively gentle and pretty - deceptive because you almost don't notice the bittersweet lyrics. In fact that seems to be an Easterly trademark - soft and sweet disguises unhappy introspection. Ironically, just after I typed the previous sentence, I looked at the band's Myspace profile - they describe their music as "Misery meets harmony -- I'm sure you've heard of it." Obviously I'm getting their message loud and clear!

You can buy the album, or the Japanese version with bonus tracks, from Not Lame; the regular version can be picked up used and new on eBay and Amazon. According to their Myspace, a follow-up to this 2004 debut is in the works; no doubt updates will appear there and/or on their official site.

Big Kid - 'All Kidding Aside'

A real treat for a powerpop fan like me! I could make all the usual comparisons, but I'll stick to just two: Jellyfish and The Beatles. There's a fairly equal mix of upbeat numbers and slower ones; for me it's the faster songs that stand out.

Whenever I hear 'What Can I Do' I find it impossible not to bounce in my seat in time to the music! That's one of my acid tests for music - if I feel the urge to dance to it, it gets my vote every time. My pick for top track has to be 'She Won't See Me', which is - to be completely frank - as catchy as f*ck. One of those peachy perfect powerpop songs that comes along every now and again.

Have a listen at their Myspace, and buy their albums (the other one is called 'You Must Be Kidding') at CD Baby, Not Lame, etc. Once again, there's a similar name out there - these powerpoppers from San Diego are not to be confused with an outfit called Big Kid Band who make music for kids to singalong to. Mind you, children might love singing along to this album - I do!

Spring - 'Cornered'

Spring are a fairly recent 'discovery' for me, courtesy of Myspace. This is their latest album, which opens with the catchy rocker 'Clipped Wings', before moving on to the slightly country-flavoured title track. 'Ursa Major' falls somewhere between The Beatles' 'Blackbird' and an early McCartney solo number, while other tracks hark back to 70s riff-laden rock. Much of the time though, they're not a million miles away from Crowded House, Teenage Fanclub, or - my own favourite band - Cosmic Rough Riders.

Their songs all have strong melodies, which earns them huge brownie points in my book, and I'm delighted to use my two favourite musical descriptions here: 'catchy' and 'hooky'. And there's even more good news - for the first time in my blog, I'm writing about a band that's still making music! You can listen and buy on the Spring website and on their Myspace; if you look for the albums on Amazon you need to find the right Spring - these guys are from Leeds in England, and their albums are called 'Cornered', 'Circle Cake', 'Four' and 'Anytime Now'. Go ahead and give them a listen - you won't regret it.

Gimme Some Truth

Some friends in the music business told me earlier this year that 7" singles were 'the new black' - record stores were clamouring to stock them, they were selling like hot cakes.

Say what?

I can't be the only person in the world who hasn't needed a record player for some considerable time - I know I'm not because most of my friends either don't have one anymore, or if they do, it isn't working. To be honest, I gave up buying physical singles (CD or vinyl) a couple of years ago except in the case of a couple of favourite bands. Most singles are on albums anyway, and I download any decent b-sides digitally.

But now my favourite bands are releasing vinyl singles, so I bought a small record player just so I could hear them. And being blonde, it took me ages to figure out why the music industry is so keen on vinyl ......

.....

...

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BECAUSE YOU CAN'T PUT IT IN YOUR COMPUTER AND RIP IT.

Well, ok, some people can hook up their record players to the pc and use software to capture the recording, but let's face it, it's a pain in the behind even if your computer happens to be anywhere near your record player.

I should make it clear I'm not taking a swipe at musicians here - I believe most of them get just as raw a deal as music fans.

I'm SO not a fan of the music industry.

Bronco Bullfrog - 'Oak Apple Day'

An article on Wikipedia defines powerpop as being "characterized by strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are kept to a minimum, and blues elements are largely downplayed." That's an excellent description, and Bronco Bullfrog are a perfect example of a great powerpop band.

The same article goes on to credit Pete Townshend with coining the term 'power pop' in a 1967 interview. Bronco Bullfrog wear their influences proudly on their sleeves - The Who, The Beatles, The Byrds, and just about every other class 60s band you can mention - but they don't sound like imitators. They just sound like a band who took a wrong turn in their time machine. If they'd been around in the 60s I'm certain they'd have hit the bigtime - but then again, I can't work out why they didn't have better success in this day and age.

'Oak Apple Day' is my personal favourite of their albums, but I recommend them all. The band is just as at home with a haunting ballad as they are with an uptempo romp or a psychedelic hippie-trip. Highlights for me on this album are the pedal steel on 'Sunday Wheeling', and the fabulously tight lyrics of 'Wrong Things Right' - a bouncy song about romance gone wrong.

Unfortunately Bronco Bullfrog have gone the way of too many great bands and split up. Try Heyday Mail Order, Not Lame, CD Baby, Amazon, and eBay for their albums - and be aware that they are nothing to do with the British film of the same name!

Happening for ... love?

Every day, but especially today, I wish for peace. For everyone.

If I ruled the world, I'd have John Lennon's 'Imagine' piped from every radio and PA today.

Or maybe 'Happening For Love' by John Power (The La's / Cast), which includes these thought-provoking lyrics:

"Do you think the wars that you wage with such velocity across our lands have anything to do with the words that are written by the prophets of man? You see, I can't believe it's true that you'd think of sabotaging the name of love, and hijack all philosophy ... in the name of your Gods."

Indeed.

Einstein's Sister - 'Humble Creatures'

If you read reviews of this band, the same comparisons come up time after time: Squeeze, Elvis Costello, The Beatles, Crowded House, Jellyfish, XTC. You won't hear any disagreement from me.

The album starts with the catchy upbeat 'Dandelion Heart', which sets the tone - but it's not all bouncy powerpop. There's the brief and quirky 'Big Brother Eye', the rock'n'roll sound of 'This Won't Be Home Someday', folky 'Something True', plus 'Come On Pariah' and 'Beloved Infidel' which come more under the heading of ballads. Just over half the album though does consist of real powerpop gems. Fab Four devotees will love the Beatlesque 'Mermaid Parade', complete with 'Penny Lane'-style trumpets. My favourite track is 'Solar Circle Girl' (I even use that name as an online ID in some places!). It's a pseudo-reggae pop song with a gorgeous melody, a fabulous counterpoint in the last verse, and - for those that care about such things - a cracking bassline to boot.

I believe that Einstein's Sister are no longer together, but I'd be delighted if someone could tell me otherwise. Their albums, including a Japanese-only compilation, can be bought from Not Lame, CD Baby, plus there are new and used copies on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and eBay.

Reason to blog

The main reason I started this blog was to 'showcase' some of the albums I own. I'm often told that my CD collection is unusual/obscure/nerdy (choose one) because only a small percentage of it is by 'mainstream' artists. I enjoy reading reviews of new releases by other bloggers (especially Powerpopaholic), and rather than trying to do the same as them, I'd like to spread the word about some of my favourite albums.

So this will mostly be a music blog, but I reserve the right to bang on about other stuff from time to time!