Category: Power Pop (Page 16 of 17)

Popdose’s Top 100 songs of the past 50 years: less vomit-inducing than Billboard’s list

November 24, 2008 /

It started as a simple “can you believe this?” post and soon morphed into a battle cry. Billboard announced their all-time songs of the Billboard era, and Chubby Checker’s “The Twist” topped the list (the song actually topped Billboard’s singles chart twice), followed by such timeless classics as “Smooth,” “How Do I Live,” “Macarena,” “We Belong Together” and “Un-Break My Heart.”

The Popdose staff, needless to say, was not amused.

And so, we (ESD writers David Medsker, Will Harris, Jeff Giles, Michael Fortes and Mojo Flucke, PhD are all Popdose contributors) set off to create our own list, one that would surely be just as flawed as Billboard’s list – women and non-whites are woefully underrepresented – but would have infinitely better taste. In the end, I think our list is a grand example of our extreme whiteness, but also a damned fine list. I’m still pissed that “The Air That I Breathe” didn’t make the cut, though.

To view Popdose’s Top 100 songs of the past 50 years, click here.

Alternative, Americana, Artists, Blues, Dance, Lists, Metal, Pop, Power Pop, R&B, Rap, Rock, Songs, Soul

Kyle Andrews: Real Blasty

November 14, 2008 /

Kyle Andrews spins a sound that’s decidedly left of center, a sonic surge marked by giddy melodies, techno-tinged rhythms and an effusive enthusiasm that freely tugs at the parameters. Recorded, produced and played almost entirely under his own aegis, Real Blasty, Andrews’ sophomore set, delivers on all its name implies, an all-out, go-for-broke, no-holds-barred slab of indie invention. Opening track “Sushi” ups the ante from the get-go, an ebullient shout-out that provides perfect incentive for a dalliance on the dance floor. That breathless, kinetic pace is sustained throughout, but it’s especially pervasive on songs like “Polar Bear,” “Tennessee Torture Dream” and “Put Your Hands Up,” the latter a standout by virtue of its elated call to arms. There are occasional moments of reflection as well – the appropriately dubbed “Take it to Heart” being the most notable – but overall, it’s Andrews’ insistent approach that leaves the most emphatic impression, a dizzying collision of rock, racket and weirdness. Next time around Andrews may want to consider reigning himself in, at least to allow his listeners to catch a collective breath. Suffice it to say, Real Blasty is positively explosive.

Kyle Andrews MySpace page

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

Social Code: He Said, She Said

October 31, 2008 /

There’s something that’s different from most power pop and Warped Tour fare when it comes to Canadian rock band Social Code. On the band’s debut US EP, He Said, She Said, Social Code sets itself apart from the pack a bit with a lot of guitar-driven energy and with Travis Nesbitt’s raspy vocal (think Hawthorne Heights and Fall Out Boy having a child). The title track is the kind of stuff that will give record labels and radio programmers a collective wet dream. But Social Code is just paying the bills with that and with the catchy but slightly grating “Beautiful.” That’s because the best tracks here are “Perfect Grave” and “The Shortest Line.” The former has a dark, melody-driven approach ala the Goo Goo Dolls, and could launch this band into superstardom if the right people hear it. Love it or hate it, this genre is still here to stay for a while, and Social Code is worth keeping your eyes and ears on. (LABEL: Fifth Season Music)

Social Code MySpace Page

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

Army Navy: Army Navy

October 10, 2008 /

I am going to say something Army Navy will love, followed by something that will make them want to kill me. Army Navy’s self-titled album is a dandy collection of jangly pop rock that will have fans of Robyn Hitchcock and Teenage Fanclub jumping for joy. Singer Justin Kennedy has a delicate but steady voice, and his melodies are instantly hummable. Now for the part that will make their blood boil: they’re a power pop band, which is usually the kiss of death for a band’s commercial prospects. Still, who knows: Jack’s Mannequin’s first album was a power pop record, and they’re doing just fine, thank you. That said, Jack’s Mannequin never wrote anything as dreamy and harmony-laden as “Dark as Days” or “Slight of Hand,” the latter of which just scored a spot on the soundtrack for “Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist.” Will Kennedy’s connection to Ben Gibbard (they were both in the band Pinwheel) carry Army Navy over the power pop barrier? God, we hope so. We understand the bias against power pop – most of the bands that play it admittedly suck – but Army Navy deserves better than that. Here’s hoping they get it. (The Fever Zone 2008)

Army Navy MySpace page

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

Andy Bopp: This Guitar Kills Singer Songwriters

October 10, 2008 /

To paraphrase an old expression, this Bopp apparently never drops. Taking leave of his day job at the helm of the Myracle Brah, and his sometime side project Love Nut, Andy Bopp ups the ante on multi-tasking via a solo sojourn ironically dubbed This Guitar Kills Singer Songwriters. The result is a 12-song set that sounds more like a batch of demos, all sung solo but with earnest and engaging intent. Fleshed out, the tunes would find a fit with his usual power pop motif, but stripped to their essence, they draw distinct similarities to early Todd Rundgren, Jason Falkner and the Posies’ Jon Auer, both in amplitude and attitude. Like them, Bopp tends to dwell on heartfelt platitudes and downcast emotions, especially as evidenced by the despairing “Broken,” a wistful “If You Go Away” and the lo-fi pair “Good Day to the Night” and “Hearts of Fire.” Indeed, the high standard Bopp sets as a singer/songwriter should dissuade this guitar from engaging in any malicious mayhem. (Rainbow Quartz 2008)

Andy Bopp MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Power Pop

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