Tag Archives: power pop

Album review: THE DIVINE COMEDY – Office Politics

Posted on June 3, 2019 by jason

DC Records [Release date 07.06.19] Never one to do things by halves, Neil Hannon and the Divine Comedy return with a double album, three years after their last album ‘Foreverland’. As the album’s title suggests it has a loose theme … Continue reading →

Album review: ULYSSES – On Safari

Posted on April 28, 2019 by jason

[Release date 21.06.19] Ulysses released their first album in 2002 and since then they have been building up a loyal and growing following, along with some positive reviews in the music press. Ulysses consist of Luke Smyth (vocals, guitars), Jimmy … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged 70's rock, album, funk, glam rock, Jellyfish, melodic, On Safari, pop rock, power pop, Psychedelic Rock, review, rock, SPARKS, The Beach Boys, Ulysses | Leave a comment

Album review: CATS IN SPACE – Daytrip to Narnia

Posted on February 5, 2019 by jason

Harmony Factory [Release date 08.03.19] Album number three already from these groove filled Cats In Space who since their last album ‘Scarecrow‘ have been touring with the likes of Status Quo and Deep Purple, plus their own headlining tour. In … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged 10CC, 70s music, album, Andy Scott, Cats In Space, disco, ELO, Greg Hart, melodic, pomp rock, pop, power pop, Queen, review, rock, Sweet | Leave a comment

Album review: DAN MIRALDI – Alphabet City 2 AM

Posted on November 6, 2018 by jason

Facebook [Release date 07.09.18] Get Ready To ROCK! has been around sixteen years now, almost as long as I have been reviewing, and over that time I am always surprised and delighted at the many musical discoveries I have made along … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, Alphabet City, Alphabet City 2 AM, Butch Walker, Dan Miraldi, Kyle Vincent, melodic, pop rock, power pop, review, rock 'n' roll | Leave a comment

Album review: THE PEAWEES – Moving Target

Posted on November 3, 2018 by jason

Rum Bar Records [Release date 14.09.18] The Peawees hail from Italy and have been playing their infectious brand of rock ‘n’ roll meets garage rock & power pop for over twenty years. They have toured with the likes of the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, garage rock, Moving Target, New Wave, power pop, review, rock, rock 'n' roll, rockabilly, the Peawees | Leave a comment

Gig review: THE FEELING – Academy, Oxford, 1 November 2018

Posted on November 2, 2018 by jason

The Feeling - WATCHET FESTIVAL - 27-28 August 2016

The Feeling roll into Oxford to play the penultimate date on their ‘Twelve Years and Home’ tour, which sees the band play their debut album ‘Twelve Stops And Home’ in its entirety and in track list order. The Feeling have … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Academy, Dan Gillespie-Sells, gig, melodic, melodic rock, Oxford, pop, pop rock, power pop, review, rock, The Feeling, Twelve Stops And Home | Leave a comment

Album review: SEMISONIC – Feeling Strangely Fine

Posted on October 22, 2018 by jason

UMC [Release date 09.11.18] Semisonic’s classic album ‘Feeling Strangely Fine’ gets the twentieth anniversary make-over that sees the album released on deluxe edition CD and digital, as well as a limited edition gold vinyl pressing, which marks the first time … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, Reissues | Tagged 20th Anniversary, classic album, Dan Wilson, Feeling Strangely Fine, pop, power pop, re-issue, review, Semisonic, Steve Perry | Leave a comment

Album review: GIN BLOSSOMS – Mixed Reality

Posted on June 27, 2018 by alanjones

Cleopatra Records [Release date: 22.06.18] Back in the late ‘80s, early ‘90s I was turned on to the jangling guitar sound of American “college radio” by my discovery of two bands – REM (before they hit paydirt) and The Gin … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, college rock, Gin Blossoms, Mitch Easter, Mixed Reality, power pop, R.E.M., review | Leave a comment

Album review: SMASH FASHION – Rompus Pompous

Posted on June 10, 2018 by jason

Electric Pudding Recordings [Release date 13.07.18] It has been a long wait since Smash Fashion gave us the power pop-tastic treat that was their debut album ‘Big Cat Love’. Now they are back with their new album, the gloriously titled ‘Rompus … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged 70's rock, album, David Bowie, melodic, Mike Garson, pop rock, power pop, review, rock, Roger Deering, Rompus Pompous, Smash Fashion | Leave a comment

Album review: BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY – Strange Men, Changed Men (The Complete Recordings 1978-1981)

Posted on May 31, 2018 by jason

Cherry Red [Release date 27.04.18] Bram Tchaikovsky left The Motors in 1978 after playing on their 1977 debut album. Born Peter Bramall, he’d been christened Bram Tchaikovsky by fellow Motor, Andy McMaster. This new 3CD set collects all three albums … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, Reissues | Tagged Andy McMaster, box set, Bram Tchaikovsky, Cherry Red, melodic, Mike Oldfield, Nick Garvey, pop rock, power pop, review, rock, Strange Men Changed Men, The Motors | Leave a comment

Album review: DEATH BY UNGA BUNGA – So Far, So Good, So Cool

Posted on April 9, 2018 by jason

Jansen [Release date 06.04.18] I reviewed Norway’s Death By Unga Bunga’s last album ‘Pineapple Pizza’ back in 2016, which was an enjoyable mix of Cheap Trick meets garage rock. Now on the band’s fifth album they bounce back with another … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged Biters, Cheap Trick, Death By Unga Bunga, garage rock, pop punk, pop rock, power pop, review, rock, So Far So Good So Coo, Thin Lizzy | Leave a comment

Album review: CATS IN SPACE – Cats Alive!

Posted on February 21, 2018 by jason

Harmony Factory [Release date 23.02.18] Cats In Space had a busy 2017 live-wise, supporting the likes of Thunder (where this show was recorded at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena in March), Deep Purple and Status Quo, along with festival appearances at Cropredy … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged 10CC, 70s music, album, Cats Alive!, Cats In Space, classic rock, ELO, live, pop rock, power pop, review, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: CHEAP TRICK – We’re All Alright!

Posted on January 4, 2018 by jason

Big Machine Records [Release date 16.06.17] Cheap Trick really are in a purple patch in their career at the moment, with 2016′s ‘Bang, Zoom, Crazy…Hello’ a real return to form and even their Christmas album wasn’t too shabby. ’We’re All Alright!’ is the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, Cheap Trick, classic rock, pop rock, power pop, review, Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, rock, We're Alright! | Leave a comment

Album review: BARENAKED LADIES – Fake Nudes

Posted on November 14, 2017 by jason

UMC [Release date 17.11.17] Barenaked Ladies, a band you have to be careful when Googling particularly with this latest album title… Barenaked Ladies have deservedly won many awards in their native Canada – 8 Juno awards to date – for their harmony filled pop songs, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, Barenaked Ladies, Fake Nudes, folk, indie, pop, pop rock, power pop, review, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: PUGWASH – Silverlake

Posted on October 27, 2017 by jason

Lojinx [Release date 25.11.17] Pugwash, the brainchild of Thomas Walsh, was a band until earlier this year when he disbanded it and went back to Pugwash being a solo project. However, on this album he finally managed to work with friend and fellow … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, ELO, Jason Falkner, Jellyfish, pop, pop rock, power pop, Pugwash, review, rock, Silvertide, Thomas Walsh, XTC | Leave a comment

Album review: THE LEN PRICE 3 – Kentish Longtails

Posted on September 7, 2017 by jason

JLM Recordings [Release date 22.09.17] The Len Price 3 are now on this, their fifth album and not a band I have heard of previously, however if you like punk, pop rock and mod chances are you will need this … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions, Interviews/Rising Stars | Tagged album, Kentish Longtails, mod, pop rock, power pop, punk, review, The Len Price 3 | Leave a comment

Album review: PICTUREHOUSE – How Do I Explain How This Came To Be?

Posted on July 10, 2017 by jason

Vinyl/digital release This album is not so much a best of more a collection of songs, some previously unreleased, that PictureHouse recorded between 1995 and 1998. There are twelve songs in all, with a couple drawn from the ‘Shine Box’ (1996) and ‘Karmarama’ … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, Dave Browne, How Do I Explain How This Came To Be, PictureHouse, pop, pop rock, power pop, review, Shine Box | Leave a comment

Interview: WILLIE DOWLING – THE DOWLING POOLE

Posted on April 23, 2016 by jason

The Dowling Poole have released their second album, ‘One Hyde Park’, another glorious collection of pop gems recalling greats such as XTC, the Kinks, ELO and the band’s own unique twist. Here Jason Ritchie chats to Willie Dowling who gives … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged ELO, Honeycrack, interview, Jon Poole, One Hyde Park, pop, power pop, rock, The Beatles, THE DOWLING POOLE, Willie Dowling, XTC | Leave a comment

Album review: THE DOWLING POOLE – One Hyde Park

Posted on March 14, 2016 by jason

369 Music www.thedowlingpoole.com [Released 08.04.16] The Dowling Poole’s 2014 debut album ‘Bleak Strategies’ easily made my year end top 10, so this new album has a lot to live up to. Based around the duo of Willie Dowling (Jackdaw4/the Grip/the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged 10CC, album, Beatles, Jon Poole, One Hyde Park, pop, pop rock, power pop, review, THE DOWLING POOLE, Willie Dowling, XTC | Leave a comment

Album review: IAN DANTER – Second Time Around

Posted on January 18, 2016 by jason

Cherry Red [Release date 25.09.15] I enjoyed TalkSport’s (he also subs in at Planet Rock and is the drummer in Kiss tribute band Dressed To Kill) Ian Danter’s debut album ‘Prove You Wrong’, released in 2013 and here is the … Continue reading →