ALBUM REVIEW: SHANE ALEXANDER – BLISSALBUM REVIEW: SHANE ALEXANDER – BLISS
Background
Bliss is American singer-songwriter Alexander’s sixth album. The self-produced album was recorded in his own Buddhaland studio in Ventura County, CA.
Tag: USA
Power of Pop Interview – essence.Power of Pop Interview – essence.
Essence photographed in San Francisco, CA December 23, 2015©Jay Blakesberg
Art is life. Certainly a truth that singer-songwriter essence (her real name) adheres to. On her new album – Black Wings – essence digs deep into her personal experience to create emotionally resonating material. Intriguing, no? We thought so and thus, via email, we endeavoured to find out more.
ALBUM REVIEW: BRAIN CIRCUS – S/TALBUM REVIEW: BRAIN CIRCUS – S/T
Background
Brain Circus is the solo project of Brian Curtis, best known as part of The Oohs, Retro-Pop masters! 30 years in the making, Curtis performs every sound heard on Brain Circus.
ALBUM REVIEW: WYATT BLAIR – POINT OF NO RETURNALBUM REVIEW: WYATT BLAIR – POINT OF NO RETURN
Background
Record label founder. Recording wizard. Power pop maestro. Wyatt Blair is a man of many disciplines. His debut full-length, Banana Cream Dream, immortalized his love of all things sweet and solidified his place as one of LA’s top tunesmiths.
ALBUM REVIEW: COTTON MATHER – DEATH OF THE COOLALBUM REVIEW: COTTON MATHER – DEATH OF THE COOL
Photo credit: Valerie Fremin
Background
Highly acclaimed 90s Pop Underground faves Cotton Mather returns with a new album after an absence of 15 years! Death of the Cool contains singer-songwriter Robert Harrison’s pure pop meditations on Chinese philosophy – in particular, one song each for each hexagram (or reading) of the I Ching! How 60s can one get?!?
ALBUM REVIEW: KEN SHARP – NEW MOURNINGALBUM REVIEW: KEN SHARP – NEW MOURNING
Background
Produced by Fernando Perdomo (Todd Rundgren/Jakob Dylan) and Ken Sharp, this record (Sharp’s fourth album and first in nine years) showcases musical contributions from Rick Springfield (“Burn & Crash”, “Satellite”), guitarist Wally Stocker of The Babys, bassist Prescott Niles of The Knack and keyboardist Jimmy Waldo of New England alongside the team of Perdomo and gifted musicians Rob Bonfiglio (Wanderlust/Wilson Phillips) and Ritchie Rubini (The Caulfields).
ALBUM REVIEW: ESSENCE – BLACK WINGSALBUM REVIEW: ESSENCE – BLACK WINGS
Background
A sixth-generation San Francisco native, award winning singer-songwriter essence has been immersed in art and music since childhood. And yes, her birth name really is ‘essence’ – she was raised by quintessential flower children, her parents being two free spirited bohemian artists from the Haight-Ashbury ‘Summer of Love.’ Black Wings is her 2nd album.
ALBUM REVIEW: THE LEES OF MEMORY – UNNECESSARY EVILALBUM REVIEW: THE LEES OF MEMORY – UNNECESSARY EVIL
Background
The Lees Of Memory — which features erstwhile Superdrag frontman John Davis & guitarist Brandon Fisher, along with drummer Nick Slack — recently released its sophomore LP, Unnecessary Evil. The new album, a follow up to the band’s 2014 debut Sisyphus Says, once again saw them working with Grammy-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz and his team at Rock Falcon Studios in TN.
ALBUM REVIEW: HENRY CHADWICK – GUEST AT HOMEALBUM REVIEW: HENRY CHADWICK – GUEST AT HOME
Background
Henry Chadwick is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer.
ALBUM REVIEW: HELIOTROPES – OVER THERE THAT WAYALBUM REVIEW: HELIOTROPES – OVER THERE THAT WAY
Photo credit: Matthew Cylinder
Background
Heliotropes is comprised of founding member/songwriter/vocalist Jessica Numsuwankijkul, along with a rotating cast of collaborators, including drummer Gregg Giuffré, bassist Richard Thomas, and guitarist Ricci Swift, who are all featured on Over There That Way.
ALBUM REVIEW: LOOK PARK – S/TALBUM REVIEW: LOOK PARK – S/T
Background
LOOK PARK is Chris Collingwood’s first album outside of Fountains of Wayne, recorded in collaboration with legendary producer Mitchell Froom.
ALBUM REVIEW: TWINS – SQUARE AMERICAALBUM REVIEW: TWINS – SQUARE AMERICA
Background
TWINS is a family band, rooted generations deep in the rich history of Iowa music. Brothers Harper & Joel Sires handle the songwriting and vocal duties, along with their cousin Luke Sires on drums. Devin Ferguson — bass guitar and vocals — has been playing with the Sires brothers since he was 16 years old and rounds out this rock and roll quartet’s uniquely American sound. TWINS has accepted its mission to Save Rock & Roll. And it couldn’t come at a better time.
ALBUM REVIEW: THE SLANTS – SOMETHING SLANTED THIS WAY COMESALBUM REVIEW: THE SLANTS – SOMETHING SLANTED THIS WAY COMES
Photo by: Anthony Pidgeon/Redferns
Background
The Slants are known as the first all-Asian American dance rock band in the world. The band was founded by Simon Young (also known as Simon Tam) in 2006 in Portland, Oregon.
ALBUM REVIEW: THE JEKYLLS – THE ONE I WANT, THE ONE I NEEDALBUM REVIEW: THE JEKYLLS – THE ONE I WANT, THE ONE I NEED
Background
Formed in Denver, Colorado in the summer of 2011, The Jekylls have been making quite an impression on their local music scene, having supported a number of national acts.
ALBUM REVIEW: TWIN PEAKS – DOWN IN HEAVENALBUM REVIEW: TWIN PEAKS – DOWN IN HEAVEN
Photo Credit: Daniel Topete
Background
Twin Peaks was formed by four young Chicago natives (vocalist/guitarist Cadien Lake James, guitarist Clay Frankel, bassist Jack Dolan, and drummer Connor Brodner) in the early 2010s. The band have so far earned a solid reputation for its garage punk sound.
ALBUM REVIEW: MAX JURY – S/TALBUM REVIEW: MAX JURY – S/T
Background
Just 23 years old, Max Jury is firmly of the “old soul” stereotype, channeling the kind of music made decades before his birth – country, soul and classic pop-rock that energised and excited music fans during the 60s and 70s. After releasing well-received and critically acclaimed singles and EPs, Jury finally releases his debut eponymous album.
ALBUM REVIEW: BRASS BED – IN THE YELLOW LEAFALBUM REVIEW: BRASS BED – IN THE YELLOW LEAF
Background
Hailing from Louisiana, Brass Bed started out in the mid-2000s parlaying the influence of 70s power pop into sophisticated music. Now pared down to a trio (Christiaan Mader, Jonny Campos and Peter DeHart), In the Yellow Leaf is the band’s fourth LP.
ALBUM REVIEW: WILLIE NILE – WORLD WAR WILLIEALBUM REVIEW: WILLIE NILE – WORLD WAR WILLIE
Background
A classic rock ’n’ roll devotee who is a little under the radar outside his native New York. A latecomer to the recording game, he released his debut LP at 32 years old in 1980. World War Wille is Nile’s tenth studio album since.
ALBUM REVIEW: THE HIGH VIOLETS – HEROES AND HALOSALBUM REVIEW: THE HIGH VIOLETS – HEROES AND HALOS
By J Quigley
Background
The band formed from the ashes of legendary Portland favourite, the Bella Low, who played regular gigs with other local psych bands like The Dandy Warhols. After the Bella Low breakup former members Clint Sargent (lead guitar, vocals), Luke Strahota (drums/percussion) and Violet Bianca Grace picked up the pieces from the band’s crash and formed The High Violets in 1998. Current lineup includes Kaitlyn ni Donovan (vocals, guitar) and Colin Sheridan (bass guitar) with Heroes and Halos being the band’s sixth release after a six year wait.
ALBUM REVIEW: WHITE DENIM – STIFFALBUM REVIEW: WHITE DENIM – STIFF
Background
White Denim is an American four-piece rock band from Austin, Texas. Known for their musical eclecticism, the band’s sixth full-length album was co-produced by Ethan Johns (Paul McCartney, Laura Marling) and has been described by the quartet as a return to its frenetic rock band roots.
ALBUM REVIEW: EUREKA CALIFORNIA – VERSUSALBUM REVIEW: EUREKA CALIFORNIA – VERSUS
Background
Hailing from Athens, Georgia, Eureka California is a self-described ‘catchy garagey rock and roll band’. Eureka California has existed in some form or fashion since 2007, but closer to this version since 2010 viz. Jake Ward – guitar/vocals & Marie A. Uhler – drums. Versus is the duo’s third LP.
SINGLE REVIEW: SOLARFLAIRS – SPIRIT OF JOHNNYSINGLE REVIEW: SOLARFLAIRS – SPIRIT OF JOHNNY
Discovered via Twitter – a power pop band that incorporates the BIG MUSIC of the 80s, kinda like The Knack mashed up with U2.
ALBUM REVIEW: THE WILD FEATHERS – LONELY IS A LIFETIMEALBUM REVIEW: THE WILD FEATHERS – LONELY IS A LIFETIME
Background
Formed in 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee around the talents of Ricky Young, Joel King, and Taylor Burns, all of whom had served as lead singers in their previous bands, the Wild Feathers came together out of a shared love for all things Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, the Band, and the Allman Brothers.
ALBUM REVIEW: LIONLIMB – SHOOALBUM REVIEW: LIONLIMB – SHOO
Background
Lionlimb is Nashville native Stewart Bronaugh’s recently resurrected project. Originally started in 2010, the project was put on hold as Bronaugh worked as a day laborer in Chicago and San Francisco before making his return to the Midwest. It was then that he began collaborating with drummer Joshua Jaeger.
ARMY NAVY – THE WILDERNESS INSIDEARMY NAVY – THE WILDERNESS INSIDE
Here’s another album that fits Power of Pop’s criterion of POP with POWER! LA trio Army Navy’s third LP is chock full of unforgettable tunes allied with a 90s alt-rock sensibility that is always refreshing in this post-punk-revival obsessed times. In that respect, Army Navy (Justin Kennedy – Lead vocals, Guitar/Louie Schultz – Lead guitar, Vocals/Douglas Randall – Drums, Vocals) succeed wildly.
The agenda is straightforward enough, as tracks like the jangly “The Mistakes”, the driving shoegazy “Crushed Like the Car”, the Fannnies-imbued “Waiting to Win” and the unabashedly retro “World’s End” attest. Uncomplicated arrangements enhance the memorably melancholy pop melodies that make The Wilderness Inside essential listening for fans of gorgeous 90s alt-rock and especially good old fashioned power pop!