quote:

Originally posted by LinnTate:

quote:

Originally posted by philosopherEric:
Roger Manning has done a few things (The Moog Cookbook, Imperial Drag) but I've not liked them.

Hey, pE, check out his new on for this year, The Land of Pure Imagination. I've been spinning it for almost two months and am liking it lots and lots. I don't know why it's received so little attention. Outside of an interview on the Rhinocast earlier this year, I've not heard boo about it.

I think it's not getting much attention because it's been out for a while. He released it as a download-only album in late 2004 or early 2005. I got a copy from flem_snopes (where have you gone, buddy?) in March of 2005. I listened to it a few times, and liked some of it (some of it was a little too cutesy), but then forgot about it. I'll pick it up and revisit it.

.

Ah! I seem to remember reading that it was out in a slightly altered form in Japan, so that would explain it.

I also saw a copy sitting on a radio program director's desk today, so it may be that they're only just getting around to promoting it to radio and the press.

Check to some of it being a tad on the cutesy side. I like it a lot, but I've been in a pretty sunshine pop kind of place lately.

And, yeah, where are you f_s? We miss you!

Now Playing: "I Will Follow You into the Dark Death Cab for Cutie Plans

"Wish It Would Rain" is quite a nice little song. I'm liking this more now than I did when I first listened to it last spring.

I recently started following the Audities mailing list again after taking some time off and was rewarded today with this tidbit.

Chris Stamey and Mitch Easter have gone back into the studio for Collector's Choice to produce the definitive look at their seminal power pop band, The Sneakers, consisting of tracks from their 1976, Don Dixon-produced EP 'The Sneakers', their 1978 LP 'In the Red' and their 1992 “reunion” record, 'Racket', plus three unreleased bonus tracks, all (except the debut EP) remastered and/or remixed for superior sound.

It looks like they're taking orders, though allmusic.com has it listed for a late January 2007 release. I would really not like to wait that long.

Joy!

Now Playing: "Hungry Like the Wold" Duran Duran Rio

Would you consider The Durocs power pop?

Did they make more than one album?

"Hog Wild" is a great song.

quote:

Originally posted by LinnTate:
And, yeah, where are you f_s? We miss you!

Hey gang, I'm back! Anybody wanna listen to some Fiery Furnaces?

Ooooooh, I'll bite...

Who are you? What have you done with f_s?!!

Good to see you again, mister. What've you been listening to this year?

Now Playing: "Harmonise" Herbert Scale

One of my favorite power pop labels is JAM records in Michigan. I recently did an order with Jeremy (the J in JAM) and picked up some great albums. A new/live Jeremy album and dvd as well as new stuff from the Tor Guides, Phil Agnoti, Spinning Jennies (best of) and two cds from the Lolas. I haven't listen to all this yet but the Lolas Doctor Apache is a real knockout, almost on par with their instant power pop classic, Silver Dollar Sunday. I can recommend this album for jangle rock fans and those who loved the Merrymakers/Left Banke sounds. JAM releases may not be as well known as those on Not Lame but they're all high quality and not a lame album in the catalogue.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmyc:
1)Power pop, to me, is:

Great hooks, harmonies, totally upbeat, and a lot of energy. I think it is empotionally honest as well. Lesser forms can cross into bubble-gum, but the good stuff is never wimpy.

2) Artists: Posies, Posies, Posies. I guess Dear 23 is not for everyone but it is one of my top-5, all-time.

Teernage Fanclub is amazing, too. Every album is solid and usually has three or so particularly great songs. I defnitley agree with Grand Prix, also check out "Songs From Northern Britain," especially closer "Speed of Light."

...I should have added "power chords" to that, as well. See: Live at Budokan

I just got my copies of Mike Viola's Just Before Dark and the Candy Butchers' Making Up Time: Early Recordings 1994-1998 in the mail today.

I bought the Viola record (on vinyl) a few months ago because it was going to be a vinyl-only release. When you bought it on vinyl, you got a free pressed-disc copy of the album on CD with no artwork. Then they released it in a digipak last month. I was a little annoyed by the ploy (I wouldn't have bought the vinyl had I known the CD would get a wide release) but I decided to suck it up and re-buy it. The Candy Butchers collection sweetened the deal.

Topping things off, buying them from Mike's site also netted me a CD-R copy of Viola/Butchers rarities.

Hi, Crazed just gave me the heads up about this thread, and I just finished reading the whole thing (I'm a confessed lover of Power Pop) so I thought I would jot some things down.

quote:

Originally posted by philosopherEric:

1. What is power pop? How do you differentiate from other genres? What are the artists you think are power pop artists?

While I believe that Power Pop actually arrived in the 70s, I think all of Power Popdom has it's roots in the three B's of the 1960s (Beatles, Beach Boys and Byrds). However, that's not nearly enough. What about the 50s influence of Buddy Holly and pre-war Elvis (Dave Edmunds)? Or the Girl Group sound of the 60s (Blondie)? Or classic R&B (The Nerves)? Really tough to peg it down but here's what I look for:

Mandatory: Hooks, melody, guitars (I'll make an exception for Ben Folds), sing-along choruses, power chords, harmony background vocals, and simple verse-chorus-verse structure as discussed in the thread above.

Optional but recommended: Hand claps, boy-girl vocals, boy-loses-girl theme or boy-wants-girl theme (preferably with said girl's name in title of song).

I've been putting together a compilation of my own for the past few weeks called: "The Birth of Power Pop--The 1970s." So far I've got about 60 artists and songs represented (not all of the artists are considered Power Pop but I think the songs I've chosen certainly qualify). So I have been struggling with differentiating certain styles of Pop. In particular, the difference between Glam and Punk, which have many of the same qualities I look for in a good PP song. I can't put it into words, it's just a gut reaction: "Yes this fits!" or "No that would be better on some other type of compilation."

When I think of Power Pop, I immediately think (in loose chronological order):

Badfinger, Big Star, Raspberries, Cheap Trick, Flamin' Groovies, Shoes, 20/20, Romantics, Records, Real Kids, The Knack, Tom Petty, Dwitght Twilley/Phil Seymour, Stamey/Holsapple, Nick Lowe/Dave Edmunds/Rockpile/the Rumour, The Nerves, Jack Lee, Paul Collins, Plimsouls, the Toms, Barracudas, Replacements, Bangles, Spongetones, Hoodoo Gurus, Smithereens, Lemonheads, Cavedogs, Material Issue, Richard X. Heyman, Matthew Sweet, Teenage Fanclub, Superdrag, Pernice Brothers, Sloan (actually I forgot Sloan yesterday!), Posies, Velvet Crush, Fountains of Wayne, Brendon Benson. . . That's a good representation, I think.

quote:

2. What are your favorite power pop artists and records?

As for my favorite Power Pop artists and records there have been lots of good posts already. I'll try to fill some holes (most of these will be from the 70s since that's what I've been working with lately):

Emmit Rhodes, Emmitt Rhodes (1970).
The Shivvers, Lost Hits from Milwaukee's First Family of Power Pop: 1979-82 (2006).
Joe Jackson, Look Sharp! (1979) and I'm the Man (1980).
Greg Kihn, Greg Kihn (1976) and Greg Kihn Again (1977).
Off Broadway, On (1979).
The Last, L.A. Explosion! (1979).
Squeeze, Cool For Cats (1979).
Dwight Twilley Band, Sincerely (1976) and Twilley Don't Mind (1977).
Phil Seymour, Phil Seymour (1980).
The Real Kids, The Real Kids (1977).
Tom Petty, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (1976) or pretty much any TP release!
The Diodes, first two albums conveniently on one CD: Tired of Waking Up Tired: The Best of the Diodes (1998).
Chris Bell, I Am the Cosmos (1982).
Flamin' Groovies, All three of the Chris Wilson era albums (1976-1979).
The Boys, Alternative Chartbusters (1979).
The Hudson Brothers, Totally Out of Control (1974).
The Rubinoos, The Rubinoos (1977).
The Scruffs, Wanna Meet the Scruffs? (1977) and the unreleased until 1998 follow-up Teenage Gurls.
The Barracudas, Drop Out With the Barracudas (1981).
The Tourists, The Tourists (1979).
Grin, 1 + 1 (1972).
Nick Lowe, Jesus of Cool (1978).

Just because most of these were released in the 70s, don't think that I dismiss anything after 1979. Nothing could be further from the truth. If this stirs up some more discussion I'll be back for my 80s and 90s picks.

quote:

3. Are there seminal power pop bands or records you don't like?

Not really, but I haven't heard all of them (I still haven't heard the self-titled Paley Brothers album from 1978). It did take me awhile to appreciate The Three O'Clock, but then they were a little more paisley-pop, weren't they?



np: The Tories, "Not What It Appears"

quote:

Originally posted by Maximum Jack:
The Scruffs, Wanna Meet the Scruffs? (1977) and the unreleased until 1998 follow-up Teenage Gurls.

Been listening recently to the latest Scruffs release, Pop Manifesto. Not as instant classic for me as the Scruffs albums mentioned above but still an awesome listen loaded with great hooks. I hope it's not another long wait before Stephen Burns & company comes up with their next power pop offering.

In my search to find some sort of image of Paul Collins and Peter Case together I came across these nifty little videos:

"Walking Out on Love"

"Hanging on the Telephone"

Hey there, MJ-
Is that Jack Lee with Peter and Paul? Any idea when/where this thing was shot?

My vote is yes, that's Jack. The notes at the video site say: Paul Collins & Peter Case, 2 of the original members of The Nerves perform their classic tune "Hanging On The Telephone" which was later a hit for Blondie. Performed at an instore at Antones Records in Austin, TX during SXSW 2007.

Actually, the way I understand it, Jack Lee has had no part of any Nerves reunions. I I'm not sure who's playing with Peter Case and Paul Collins at this instore, I LOVE the drums though.

My remark was based on the fact that I thought the guy who sang "Hanging on the Telephone" in the video was named Jack, but I guess he actually said, "Pretend I'm Jack."

If anything, he sounded like a cross between Case and Gary Busey doing Buddy Holly.

Hey all -

Doug here from The Sun Sawed in 1/2. Wanted to give some advance notice that The Sun will be playing a show in St. Louis at the Duck Room (Blueberry Hill) in University City on Saturday September 1, 2007. We expect to be one of only 2 bands that night so we'll have a chance to stretch out and play a nice long set. Ken Kase opens and will be playing with us as well.

Also wanted to let you all know I've joined 2 bands in Chicago:

I'm playing guitar, writing and singing some tunes with The Webstirs (www.myspace.com/thewebstirs), a long running Chicago melodic pop outfit recently revitalized with a smoking young rhythm section featuring Jordan Kozer on drums (original Redwalls drummer) and Charles Short on bass. We just completed a six song demo and hope to take the tunes into the studio soon ... watch the myspace page for details.

I'm also playing bass and singing backup with Dad Factory (www.myspace.com/dadfactory), a messy garage pop outfit co-fronted by Chicago playwright Brett Nevue and ex Love Kit frontman Rich Sparks. There's a 4 song demo EP posted at the myspace page - my fave is 'Fight The Spider of Love!'

Cheers!

What happened to Tim (Fresh Mowed Lawn)?

Tim is doing well living in Colorado and will be in St. Louis for the show. I was in CO recently and played a show with Fresh Mowed Lawn up the mountian from boulder and we had a blast playing SS.5 and FML tunes. I know he's got some new tunes working, but I'm not sure what the ultimate destination will be for them...

quote:

Originally posted by mark f:
What happened to Tim (Fresh Mowed Lawn)?