Tag Archives: power pop

Album review: GIN BLOSSOMS – Mixed Reality

Posted on June 27, 2018 by alanjones
GIN BLOSSOMS - Mixed Reality

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 →

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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 →

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

Posted on May 31, 2018 by jason
BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY – Strange Men, Changed Men (The Complete Recordings 1978-1981)

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 →

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

Posted on April 9, 2018 by jason
DEATH BY UNGA BUNGA – So Far, So Good, So Cool

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 →

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Album review: CATS IN SPACE – Cats Alive!

Posted on February 21, 2018 by jason
CATS IN SPACE – Cats Alive!

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 →

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

Posted on January 4, 2018 by jason
CHEAP TRICK - We

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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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Album review: THE LEN PRICE 3 – Kentish Longtails

Posted on September 7, 2017 by jason
LEN PRICE 3 - Kentish Longtails

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 →

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

Posted on July 10, 2017 by jason
PICTUREHOUSE - How Do I Explain How This Came To Be?

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 →

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Interview: WILLIE DOWLING – THE DOWLING POOLE

Posted on April 23, 2016 by jason
The Dowling Poole - One Hyde Park

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 →

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Album review: THE DOWLING POOLE – One Hyde Park

Posted on March 14, 2016 by jason
THE DOWLING POOLE - One Hyde Park

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 →

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Album review: IAN DANTER – Second Time Around

Posted on January 18, 2016 by jason
IAN DANTER - Second Time Around

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 →

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Interview: CATS IN SPACE

Posted on September 24, 2015 by jason
Cats In Space - Too Many Gods

Cats In Space are a new band featuring band members who’ve played with the Sweet, T’Pau, Ian Gillan and Arena. They release their debut album, ‘Too Many Gods’ on October 30th via Cargo Records and we catch-up with Greg Hart … Continue reading →

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Album review: CATS IN SPACE – Too Many Gods

Posted on September 21, 2015 by jason
CATS IN SPACE - Too Many Gods

Harmony Factory www.catsinspaceband.com [Released 30.10.15] Cats In Space are a new band who have a serious love of all things 1970′s soft rock/power pop. You can tell this from the band’s various members who are from bands with a 70′s … Continue reading →

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Album review: THE RADIO SUN – Heaven Or Heartbreak

Posted on September 2, 2015 by jason
THE RADIO SUN - Heaven Or Heartbreak

MelodicRockRecords [Release date 25.09.15] Second album by the Aussie pop/melodic rockers the Radio Sun (formed from the ashes of the excellent Square One) and again they have former Danger Danger vocalist Paul Laine helping out on production, co-writing four songs … Continue reading →

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Album review: NELSON – Peace Out

Posted on May 28, 2015 by andynathan
NELSON - Peace Out

Frontiers Records [Release Date 15.05.15] I was beginning to wonder if Nelson’s excellent comeback album Lightning Strikes Twice was also to be their swansong as a recording entity, but nearly five years on the immaculately coiffed twins are back with … Continue reading →

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Album review: THE CRUNCH – Brand New Brand

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Davoski

Cargo records [release date: 30.04.15] With this second outing, The Crunch has become a bit more than a side project for a bunch of seasoned punk stalwarts who only got together for a book launch. Headline tours, film premieres and … Continue reading →

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Gig review: THE DOWLING POOLE – 12 Bar Club, London, 19 September 2014

Posted on September 20, 2014 by jason

The Dowling Poole (not a Drowning Pool tribute band as one of my work colleagues thought!) were climaxing a short but sweet acoustic tour with this gig tonight at the 12 Bar Club. My first time in this venue which … Continue reading →

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Quick plays: NEOPERA, GRAMERCY ARMS, KNIFEWORLD

Posted on July 27, 2014 by jason

NEOPERA – Destined Ways earMusic www.neopera.com [Released 21.07.14] Neopera were formed by guitarist Jorn Schubert (Dark Age) in 2010 and the line-up includes Gamma Ray’s Dirk Schlächter, along with two operatic styled vocalist Nina Jiers (soprano) and Thorsten Schuck (baritone) … Continue reading →

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