Category: Power Pop (Page 11 of 17)

Third Eye Blind: Ursa Major

September 23, 2009 /


RIYL: Eve 6, Matchbox Twenty, Better than Ezra

It’s amazing to think rock band Third Eye Blind has been around since the mid-‘90s, but they have as their debut was released in 1996 and spawned not only some of their biggest hits, but some of the best songs of the decade in “Jumper” and “How is It Gonna Be?” as well as lesser known beauties like “Motorcycle Drive By.” But this was a case of setting the bar so high, that there was no place to go but down. And while Third Eye Blind is, according to press materials, one of the most sought-after college campus touring acts and also uses technology to further their career, they seem to have lost the focus on the one thing that matters – making good music. On their latest album and first release in six years, Ursa Major, Stephan Jenkins and company deliver a new batch of songs that are really somewhat dull and lifeless. It’s not that the band lacks energy, it’s that the songs make them sound like they are going through the motions. “Don’t Believe a Word” has elements that made “Semi-Charmed Life” a hit, and “Sharp Knife” has flashes of the band finding that sweet spot. But when Jenkins sings “Let’s Start a Riot” in the opener, “Can You Take Me,” it has all the impact of a cotton ball hitting the ground. And “One in Ten” and “Monotov’s Private Opera” are wussy, bland and really kind of annoying. The early stuff from Third Eye Blind was hooky and had so much raw emotion that you couldn’t help but get sucked in, but Ursa Major will suck you in and spit you out before you even finish listening. (LABEL: Mega Collider)

Third Eye Blind MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Power Pop, Rock

The Shazam: Meteor

September 23, 2009 /


RIYL: Cheap Trick, Raspberries, the Knack

The Shazam have never been shy about baring their retro influences. After all, when you take your name from the title of one of Brit Rock’s great cult classic recordings – specifically, the seminal set by the Move – there’s no hiding that unbridled devotion. This is a band that’s effectively blended their penchant for power pop variety with a hint of psychedelic suggestion, holding firm to their ‘60s sensibilities at every interval.

This time around however, the Shazam alter their palette ever so slightly, veering away from the more lumbering aspects of their sound in favor of a more straight-ahead approach, displaying a clear unabashed exuberance that finds each track a veritable sonic extravaganza. That’s due in large part to producer Mack, whose aptitude for amplitude was nurtured behind the boards with Queen, Billy Squier, Black Sabbath and ELO. Indeed, this is the most opulent effort in the Shazam’s five-album history, but given it’s been six years since their last effort, Tomorrow the World, it also seems appropriate the group should reassert themselves with such singular bravado.

While ringleader Hans Rotenberry can be credited for steadfast stewardship, drummer Scott Bellew, the band’s other remaining mainstay, also deserves nods, specifically for anchoring the propulsive rhythms and non-stop momentum. Songs like the aptly titled “So Awesome,” the sprawling, Beatlesque “Don’t Look Down,” the searing “NFU” and the radiant rocker “Hey Mom, I Got the Bomb” maintain a feeling of giddy euphoria, turning Meteor into the Shazam’s most exhilarating album ever. (New Boss Sounds 2009)

The Shazam MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Power Pop, Rock

Jupiter One: Sunshower

September 21, 2009 /


RIYL: The Silver Seas, The Shins, The Feeling

Not to be confused with Jupiter Rising, the California duo who received a rather harsh, but fair, beatdown from our own Jason Thompson in 2006, this New York indie pop quartet brings the hooks by the truckload on their sophomore effort Sunshower. The heart of a late ’70s pop band beats at their core – check the cymbal ride, handclaps, and Moog solo in the super-cool “Simple Stones” – but they’re not hiding behind a gimmick. They’re like an American version of the Feeling, comfortable in the present but having more in common with rock bands of the past. “Flaming Arrow” would have fit perfectly on the Silver Seas’ album High Society (itself a brilliant modern-day slice of AM radio heaven), while the power popstastic “Anna” sounds like a lost song from an ’80s soundtrack (starring John Cusack, of course), and “Lights Go Out” recalls a more restrained Foo Fighters.

What this means is that Sunshower will be adored by soundtrack supervisors around the world, but will need a “Garden State” moment in order to break the band into the mainstream. This isn’t right or fair, but this is the music business we’re talking about; half the bands that sell millions don’t deserve it, and vice versa. Sunshower is one of the vice versas. (Rykodisc 2009)

Jupiter One MySpace page

Alternative, Artists, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Power Pop, Rock

Mutemath: Armistice

September 18, 2009 /


RIYL: Power Station, Wire Train, Gomez

When the members of New Orleans-based rock band Mutemath were beating their heads against the wall with the new material they had written as the follow-up to their stellar 2006 debut, the band almost broke up. The songs just were missing something, and they all knew it. Instead of channeling their energy into a bitter divorce, though, Mutemath enlisted the help of producer Dennis Herring (Modest Mouse, The Hives, Elvis Costello), who told them to start over again and write some new stuff. They did, but they did so with an angry passion they lacked before the near-breakup, and the result is a powerful set of new tunes called Armistice. Singer Paul Meany may be one of the best rock vocalists you know nothing about, but that should hopefully change with this groundbreaking album. Right from the start with “The Nerve,” Meany and his band mates symbolically pay tribute to their own rebirth, with the gang vocal chorus shouting, “Set it on fire!” The layers of guitars and strings, slapping bass and tasty drums all mesh well with Meany’s vocals in a way few bands manage to these days. But just like the band’s debut, Armistice has twists and turns and variations in style and texture – especially on the electro-funk of “Backfire” or the title track to the alt-pop beauty of “Pins and Needles” or “Goodbye” to the Goo Goo Dolls-ish “Lost Year.” Whether or not the band does feel like it lost a year, they sure did gain back their self-respect and have delivered one of the best rock records of the year. (Warner Brothers 2009)

Mutemath MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Power Pop, Rock

The Clean: Mister Pop

September 17, 2009 /

There’s always been a hint of a Pink Floyd fixation in the Clean’s efforts; the title of their 2003 live album, Syd’s Pink Wiring System being but one indication. On their new album, the New Zealand ensemble – which celebrated their 30th anniversary this past year – make further bows to those psychedelic forebears in ways that leave no doubt as to both their references and reverence. Make no mistake, Mister Pop also lives up to its title’s billing, but given the glassy-eyed chants of “Are You Really On Drugs,” the psychedelic stirrings of “Asleep in the Tunnels” and the celestial send-ups of instrumentals like “Loog” and “Simple Fix,” the band’s cosmic inclinations remain all too evident. Happily, the Clean can still rock – or, shall we say, romp – with songs such as “In the Dream Life You Need a Rubber Soul,” “Tensile” and “Back in the Day,” conveying a distinctly appealing and infectious sound that clings just as mightily to those aforementioned pop precepts. When taken in tandem, Mister Pop provides a strangely surreal serenade. (Merge 2009)

The Clean MySpace page

Artists, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Power Pop, Psychedelic

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