The Power Pop Desk:

I'd have to say anything by The New Pornographers for some good power pop.

(cf. The New Pornographers, Let's Active)

Huge recommendation to The Loud Family. Aimee Mann and Stephin Merritt love them - you should, too!

Streaming preview of the Smithereens-cover-the-Meet The Beatles album due out next month. I'll definitely be buying.
http://kochstreams.hostcentric.com/smithereens/
According to Wikipedia, the Smithereens have an album of new material for release next year too.

I kinda miss the early Smithereens stuff. I agree with tbtb that the 11 album was rather overproduced, but still had some crazy catchy tunes on there. I read somewhere (can't remember where exactly) that the band went on some kind of living room tour where you could get them to play in your house.....I don't know if that's genius or incredibly desperate....

foetusized said:
Streaming preview of the Smithereens-cover-the-Meet The Beatles album due out next month. I'll definitely be buying.
http://kochstreams.hostcentric.com/smithereens/
According to Wikipedia, the Smithereens have an album of new material for release next year too.

Their debut album is a classic; Especially For You is a favorite of mine.

Key tracks are:
Behind The Wall Of Sleep
Blood And Roses

The second album Green Thoughts was a bit of a sophomore slump, songwriting-wise; the third album 11 has been discussed above. The later albums are also good (I like them all), but the debut is prob'ly the place to start.

Oh, they are also a great live band (seen them twice), and there's a nifty 6 song Live EP from the same time frame as their debut, with the above two singles and a cover of The Seeker.

Gravity Won't Get You High (2006)



I haven't been able to get this album out of my head since I got it late last week. I admit up until then I'd heard a few of The Grates songs on the radio, but since I use it as an alarm clock I'm sleepy and don't pay attention to who they are. Once I realised all these great catchy songs were by the same band I had to get the album.

Thankfully it's not just the case of a band having a few good songs and the rest is crap. There aren't any discernable "album tracks" here, each one is catchy and different but still hold together by Patience Hodgson's wonderful voice. She has that rare knack of being able to sing with frantic energy and still sound like she's smiling, which makes the whole album feel fun.

Sure, the lyrics probably don't hold up to close examination, but it is a pop record above all else! They serve their purpose in providing the quirky imagery necessary to make this kind of music work, and give the singer something to oscillate her voice over. If you expected something that would give you great insight into life, you're at the wrong desk. ;)

Track Picks:
Hard, to narrow it down to three, but I'll go with the first three that stuck in my mind and made me want to get the album.
Lies Are Much More Fun
19-20-20
Science Is Golden

As you may notice, the whole album is streamable on demand on last.fm. Woohoo!

From the J-Pop Desk.

Rock Animals (1993)



I picked this up for very little money in 1996, and it has to go down as the bargain of the year. There are 11 tracks, none of which could be considered fillers. These girls may have a well-earned reputation for rocking the roof off, but there are ballads here as well. So in short, a well-balanced album that you can (and probably will) play over and over until a room-mate tries to kill you with a spoon.

Never mind the boredoms.

Choice Cuts:
Tomato Head
Little Tree
Cobra Versus Mongoose

Pick Of The Week:

Drop Out With The Barracudas (1981)



My short & sweet review: So you think summer is too far away? Well think again. A primary example of British power pop (more so than jangle pop) with your casual surf and garage influences. It is interesting to note that this was recorded for EMI, which obviously didn't know what to do with the band so they dropped them.

The album is a concept album in that it offers listeners 'two sides of the Barracudas': the 'Down Side' and the 'Up Side'. The 'Up Side' showcases the band in a romanticized surfer mode, more specifically California 1965. The Beach Boys type harmonies, references to The Standells, The Byrds and The Seeds, building up to the epic 'I Wish It Could Be 1965 Again'.

The 'Down Side' sees the band in a more introspective mood. They are stuck in London 1980 and yearn for 1965 when life was more optimistic and positive and if you were in California, young, white, into music, fast cars and a surfer it was the best time ever. Songs like 'Violent Times', 'This Ain't My Time', 'I Saw My Death In A Dream Last Night' and the cover of 'Codeine' only intensify their (fun) paranoia and sense of need for something, some better place.

Choice Cuts:
Surfers Are Back
I Wish It Could Be 1965 Again
Violent Times

Track Pick Trail:

Mega City Four - Scared of Cats



Album: Sebastopol Road (1992)

( 001 | 002 | 003 )

Mega City Four - Iron Sky



Chosen by Cylob.

The Wannadies - Yeah (1999)



Chosen by Cylob.

Place albums.

Can't really best this:


Redd Kross deserve a mention. This is a pretty good rec: