Best Releases of 2009

1) The Tripwires - House To House
2) Valley Lodge - Semester at Sea
3) Young Fresh Fellows - I Think It Is
4) The Leftovers - Eager to Please
5) Willie Nile - House of a Thousand Guitars
6) Greg Pope - Pete (EP)
7) The DomNicks - Hey Rock N Roller
8) Bruce Springsteen - Working on a Dream
9) Kyle Vincent - Where You Are
10) Cheap Trick - The Latest

Hangin' With The Power Pop Elite

Okay, the picture to the left is really blurry, but take my word for it. That's me and Matthew Sweet. Today's post is brought to you by the letter "S", as in Syd and Susie. Let me explain.

A couple of weeks back I went to Carrboro to see Matthew Sweet and Suzanna Hoffs of the Bangles perform songs from their "Covers 2" release. I'm actually quite the Bangles fan and have always liked Matthew Sweet's work as well. A friend gave me the heads-up on the show. What I hadn't realized was that he was playing bass for "Syd and Susie", as they are calling themselves on this tour.

Dennis Taylor of John Wicks and The Records is an incredible talent, as anyone who was at the show can attest. Little did I know that Paul Chastain would also be performing with them, adding not only his expert guitar but this vocal support as well.

It was a fantastic show, one I would highly recommend. But what was noteworthy was the after show happenings. The Bangles manager, John Calucci, stopped by to say "hello" earlier in the show and make sure I had a good seat where the acoustics were best. What an absolutely great guy. After the show Dennis waved me into the back room to say "hi" to Matthew and Suzanne. I'd never met them before and, having been bitterly dissapointed in meeting some of my musical "heroes" in the past, I'd become a bit cynical. A good friend of mine, showbiz veteran and very funny comic, Lord Carrett, once said to me "Sometimes your heroes are not what you expect them to be". Truer words have never been spoken, but fortunately in this case they didn't apply.

I had the opportunity to speak with Paul Chastain first. I've always been a HUGE Velvet Crush fan (Teenage Symphonies is one of my most played CDs) and had a great conversation with him. He's friendly and approachable and shared a story with me about arriving at Mitch Easter's studio to record the record. I hope I tell this right....He asked Mitch why there was a large cable leading out to the corn field in back of the studio, to which Mitch replied "That's where we recorded Micheal's (Stipe) vocals", presumably for REM's Gardening at Night. A great guy with great stories, that's all I can say.

Dennis then brought me in to meet Matthew and Suzanna. Matthew was sitting down on a couch in a darkly lit make-shift room, complete with half-working lamps and a fridge full of Coke (or diet Coke, I'm not sure). He was approachable and talkative. We spoke about numerous things from his website to the next recording. The real interesting information came when Mitch Easter walked in. I had always admired Mitch's work but had never met him. I had to pinch myself to make sure it was real. Matthew Sweet, Suzanna Hoffs, and Mitch Easter in the same room....with me! Mitch and Matthew started to speak about the next record so after eavesdropping a bit I took the opportunity to excuse myself and say "hi" to Suzanna.

A few immediate observations....my first thought was, how does such a big voice come from such a small person? Secondly, I thought "she hasn't aged a bit". It was a darkly lit room, but there was no mistaking the fact that she still looks, well, fantastic.

I commented that I thought the show was really fun. That's the best word for it, fun. There were some gaffs, what with it being the first show of the tour, but Suzanne and Matthew have a repore that always puts you on their side, like we're all friends and all in this together. And we, the audience, couldn't get enough of it. When I shared this thought she seemed genuinely surprised and modest. How refreshing!

My sincere thanks to Dennis Taylor and John Calacci, two VERY talented, wonderful people, who have a way of making everyone they deal with feel special.

In closing, here's a photo I took of Mitch Easter and Suzanna Hoffs. Again, the room was very dark, so I apologize for the bad quality of the photo...also, my cell phone takes shi**y pictures. In closing, if you can catch these two on this tour, DO SO. It's wonderful people doing a wonderful show.

92 Degrees, an overlooked classic

If your a fan of Shoes, you'll like these guys even more. Not quite as tame as Shoes but with a similar knack for catchy hooks and multi-layered harmonies, these guys produced a debut that I still listen to often. On the Black Vinyl label and produced by Jeff Murphy, it's consistent with the Chicago power pop sound of bands like Shoes, Material Issue, and Cheap Trick...with a lot more in common with Shoes than the later two.

The band consists of Mike Galassini on vocals and bass,
Steve Steffens on lead vocals and guitar, and Dane Svoboda on drums.
Standout tracks include: I've Been Thinking of You, I'm Telling You Now, Sharon Won't, In Her Glow, and She'll Never Know. If you should find this in teh cut-out bin of your local Wal-Mart grab it. It's a keeper.

Nu Look From An Old Dog

If you're familair with North Carolina pop, you know Don Dixon is a giant among giants. Even if you're not familiar with North Carolina pop, you know Don Dixon's work. He's produced hit records for the Smithereens and Marshall Crenshaw among other. I was amazed at what a soulfull voice he has when I last saw him in concert.

His new record (which is actually over a year old) is a collection of pieces written by himself with several contributions from other NC luminaries. You'll hear songs by Jamie Hoover (Spongtones) and Hollsapple/Stamey (dB's) as well as Dixon's originals. There's also a few old blues covers that are really outstanding.

This disk comes highly recommended to anyone who's taste straddles the line between pop and soul. If that's you, pick this one up right away.

PS-Don Dixon performs in Winston Salem NC tonight at The Garage. If you're in the neighborhood don't mess it.

House of a Thousand Guitars...Thanks A Million!

I must admit that I've never been a Willie Nile fan. I'd heard very little of his music and I was under the impression that he was nearly a Dylan / Springsteen knock-off. Boy, was I wrong. Someone sent me the latest release (thanks, Gary!) and I figured that it couldn't hurt to give it a listen. House of a Thousand Guitars is nothing short of a top notch pop record.

I never thought of Willie Nile as pop. I doubt if he does. This collection of songs runs the gamit from protest songs to anthems, to introspective pieces...and they're all outstanding. But I'm a pop guy so it's those songs that I focus on. While you may think of Nile in terms of Dylan like protest songs or Springsteen like social commentary, this guy writes pop hooks that stick like bubblegum. You can't ignore it. The irresistible "Her Love Falls Like Rain" makes me think of Tom Petty, who's songwriting has as much in common with Nile as anyone else in my estimation. In fact, had the Traveling Willburys done this song we'd all be hearing it on the radio as it would be in constant rotation. The anthemic "Give Me Tomorrow" is likely about the hope and promise of a new administration in Washington (a viewpoint I do not share, by the way) but one can't deny how catchy this song is, with a hook that will grab you and carry you away until you find yourself shouting along "Give me tomorrow, nah, nah, nah, Give me tomorrow, nah nah nah, Give me tomorrow nah, nah nah, right now". Great stuff. Nile and power pop mutually exclusive? I think not! Give "Magdalena" a listen and tell me you couldn't see the Romantics doing that number. With another undeniable hook you simply cannot escape, you'll be humming this one for days. In short, go out and buy this CD. It's an order.

Charlotte Pop Festival 2009...Well Worth It

I traveled two and a half hours for the much anticipated Charlotte Pop Festival, and my experience was nothing of what I had expected. Firstly, the festival is done in cooperation with the city and takes place at Freedom Park, a gorgeous piece of real estate. Beautiful lakes and foliage surround you, and it's so very well kept. Parking is easy as everything is well organized and directed by the police officers on duty.

Although there were a lot of kids particularly around the stage where the bands play, it's a family friendly atmosphere with food vendors throughout serving everything from chicken kabobs to italian sausage to soft-serve ice cream.

Now to the important stuff, the music. I arrived about the time Scott's Garage went on, and they were a pleasant surprise. I had come primarily to see the Jellybricks and The Singles, so I wasn't prepared for the "lesser" bands (and I use that term VERY loosely) being so good. They had the requisite guitar jangle and the harmonies were good, everything one expects from a good power pop band. Things got off to a great start, then it started to POUR down rain. I ran for cover but still caught a glimpse of several other bands, one of which really stood out. The Star Explodes were excellent. It was raining so hard you could almost hear the rain hitting the sidewalk more-so than the sound coming from the amps, but The Star Explodes produced a full sound and had great songs. Check these guys out when you can.

The torrential rains forced the end of the show at that point. I never got to see the Singles or the Jellybricks (The Singles seem to have been removed from the roster for the day). Still, it was time and travel well worth it. Next year, I'm in for the full three day festival package.

Spain doesn't only have great food......

Here's a new release on the best power pop label in Spain, Rock Indiana, by a band called Collection 2....I think. I've only had the chance to give this two or three listenings, and I always hate bands who attempt to sing in something other than their native language...but these guys are GOOD. If I were to describe them in a word, it would be "Jangly Ramones". Okay, so that's two words. Wise-ass. The disc starts out with guitars a janglin' on the Plimsouls / Paul Collins influenced She Said She Loves Me, what would have been a natural single. Beat Me Up could be a Ramones out-take if it weren't for the guitars (which I LOVE), and the beginning of The Swing Time made me think I was about to hear the Ramones doing Needles and Pins (Remember that one?). All in all, a very nice effort.

Pleased To Meet Me....uh, You.

Hey folks, this is my first post, so please be gentle. The title of this post has nothing to do with The Replacements, I just needed a way to say "hello"... Anyway, I thought I'd start this blogging adventure with a post about a disc I really like. But then I'm not a writer by trade, so I figure I'll begin by borrowing a couple of reviews from some writers I really admire, John Borrack and David Bash. By the way John, I really enjoyed your history of Power Pop book (available thru Not Lame) and David, I really dig that black hat. I'll put links to their respective sites as soon as I figure out how.

Here's what these guys had to say about Chewy Marble's "Modulations"...

After a long hiatus, pop whiz kids Chewy Marble are back in the
game with Modulations. Brian Kassan still writes wonderful tunes,
Stu Forman still sings them with an understated grace and pop stalwarts
such as Nelson Bragg, Jim Laspesa and Don Mogill lend instrumental support.
The addition of Kassan as an alternate lead voice lends power to obviously
heartfelt compositions such as "Hey Dad," a love letter to Kassan's late
father, and "Somewhere Else," a scathing breakup song.

--John Borrack

On their third album, "Modulations", you'll find much of the kind of hooky,
melodic power-pop that has made Chewy Marble a fan favorite. The band also
expands their horizons a bit as songwriter Brian Kassan takes on lead vocals
on several of the tracks, giving the band a darker, more introspective side.
This is an album that could end up as many fans' favorite Chewy Marble disc
because of the varying hues.

--David Bash

Thanks to John and David. I'll try to be a bit more original with future posts. I hope to post often with news and reviews about new music you won't ordinarily hear on the corporate airways (in other words, you're not likely to hear any American Idol grads here....not that there's anything wrong with American Idol, mind you).