Tag Archives: power pop

Gig review: THE VAPORS Album Launch – The Water Rats, London, 27 February 2025

Posted on March 7, 2025 by jason

The return of Guildford New Wave Power Popper’s The Vapors in 2016 after thirty-four years away from the scene was cause for celebration amongst the sharper observers on the scene. Best known for the iconic hit ‘Turning Japanese’ and their … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 27 February 2025, Album Launch, Dave Fenton, London, New Wave, pop rock, power pop, review, Steve Smith, The Vapors, The Water Rats, Wasp In A Jar | Leave a comment

Album review: THE VAPORS – Wasp In A Jar

Posted on February 11, 2025 by jason

Website [Release date 28.02.25] The Vapors formed back in 1978 and readers of a certain vintage will recall the band’s biggest hit, ‘Turning Japanese’, released a mere 45 years ago! They split in 1981, reforming many years later in 2016 … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Dave Fenton, New Wave, pop rock, power pop, punk pop, review, The Vapors, Wasp In A Jar | Leave a comment

Feature: Baker’s Dozen – Librarians With Hickeys

Posted on December 7, 2024 by jason

LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS - How To Make Friends By Telephone

Librarians With Hickeys are an indie pop rock duo consisting of Ray Carmen and Mike Crooker. Here both of them choose an eclectic Baker’s Dozen… Ray Carmen (in more or less no particular order) 1. Paul McCartney – Maybe I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES | Tagged alternative, Bakers Dozen, feature, indie, Librarians With Hickeys, Mike Crocker, Paul McArtney, playlist, pop, pop rock, power pop, Ray Carmen, Robyn Hitchcock, rock, XTC | Leave a comment

Album review: LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS – How To Make Friends By Telephone

Posted on November 8, 2024 by jason

Big Stir Records/Bandcamp [Release date 08.11.24] Librarians With Hickeys are an indie pop rock duo consisting of Ray Carmen (vocals, guitars, drums) and Mike Crooker (vocals, bass, organ, piano, keys). They released their debut album in 2020 and this is … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album review, Byrds, How To Make Friends By Telephone, indie pop, Librarians With Hickeys, melodic, pop rock, power pop, REM | Leave a comment

EP review: BARBARA – Happy Days

Posted on April 28, 2024 by jason

Website [Release date 22.05.24] Barbara are Henry & John Tydeman, songwriting brothers from Brighton and have played music together since they were children. They started the band proper in 2020 and decided on the name ‘Barbara’ because they wanted a … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged 70's pop, Barbara, baroque pop, chamber pop, disco, ELO, EP, Happy Days, melodic rock, Paul Weller, pop, pop rock, power pop, review | Leave a comment

Single review : KURT FROLICH – Another Heartbreak

Posted on April 7, 2024 by brianmc

Golden Robot Records [05.04.24] Single release from Kurt Frolich, vocalist with Riley’s LA Guns. It has only a passing resemblance to the music of his parent band. Doesn’t make him a bad person, of course. In fact … The first … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged Kurt Frolich, LA Guns, power pop, review, single, The Raspberries | Leave a comment

Album review : NEW GUITARS IN TOWN Power Pop 1978-82 (3 CD Set)

Posted on February 10, 2024 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date: 16.02.24] By the late seventies, a genre that had blossomed in the Sixties was rediscovered by a new generation of teenagers. And so the legacy of the Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Who and others skipped … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Beach Boys, Beatles, Boomtown Rats, boxset, Elvis Costello, Feargal Sharkey, post-punk, power pop, The Jam, The Undertones, THE WHO | Leave a comment

Album review : Looking For The Magic (American Power Pop in The Seventies 3CD boxset)

Posted on November 16, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date 17.11.23] American Power Pop In The Seventies found what it was looking for numerous times. Something of a cliché, but you could almost stick a pin in the chronologically curated tracklist of this 3 CD anthology … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Alex Chilton, Andrew Gold, Badfinger, Carly Simon, Ian LLoyd, Linda Ronstadt, power pop, review, seventies, the Knack, Utopia | Leave a comment

Gig review: KATRINA LESKANICH- Half Moon, Putney, London, 28 September 2023

Posted on October 4, 2023 by andynathan

Now only really remembered for two major singles, in the second half of the eighties Katrina and the Waves were one of my guilty pleasures. Their sixties inspired guitar based sound stood out among the then dominant synthesisers in the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Darren Loveday, gig, Half Moo, Katrina and the Waves, Katrina Leskanich, Nicki French, pop rock, power pop | Leave a comment

EP review: THE LICKERISH QUARTET – Threesome Vol. 3

Posted on May 15, 2022 by jason

Lojinx [Release date 20.05.22] The Lickerish Quartet – ex-Jellyfish members Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (Beck, Imperial Drag), Tim Smith (Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Finn Brothers) and Eric Dover (Imperial Drag, Slash’s Snakepit, Alice Cooper) – release their third … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged ELO, EP, Jellyfish, pop rock, power pop, review, rock, Supertramp, the Lickerish Quartet, Threesome Vol. 3 | Leave a comment

EP review: ANDY PARTRIDGE – My Failed Songwriting Career Vol. 2

Posted on May 15, 2022 by jason

Ape House [Release date 8.4.22] Following on from 2021’s excellent first volume, here are four more gems from Andy Partridge’s post-XTC period as a songwriter for hire. This is a great addition to what is building into a fascinating series. … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged Andy Partridge, EP, My Failed Songwriting Career Vol. 2, power pop, quirky pop, review, songwriter, XTC | Leave a comment

Quick plays: TAYLOR YOUNG BAND, AUTUMN’S CHILD

Posted on December 14, 2021 by jason

TAYLOR YOUNG BAND Mercury Transit Handrawn Records [Release date 08.10.21] Taylor Young drummed for the likes of The O’s, Young Heart Attack and Polyphonic Spree. Now he takes on the role of band leader and is joined by guitarist, vocalist … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, AOR, Autumn’s Child, Deep Blue Something, melodic rock, Mercury Transit, Mikael Erlandsson, pop rock, power pop, review, Taylor Young Band | Leave a comment

Album review: PEPPERKID2 – Adventures In Pepperland

Posted on November 16, 2021 by jason

Website [Release date 12.11.21] Pepperkid2 is the brainchild of FM’s keyboardist Jem Davis. Joining Jem is Mike Dyer (Grand Slam) as the main vocalist/co-writer. Also appearing on the album is Dyer’s fellow Grand Slam band member guitarist Laurence Archer, along … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Adventures In Pepperland, album, Cats In Space, FM, Grand Slam, Jellyfish, Jem Davis, melodic, pop rock, power pop, review | Leave a comment

Album review: VARIOUS ARTISTS – Rockets Of Love! Power Pop Gems From The 70s, 80s & 90s

Posted on June 24, 2021 by jason

Big Beat / Ace [Release date 25.6.21] Power pop collections are never going to be top sellers, so it’s encouraging to find Ace’s Big Beat imprint following up 2019’s “Come On Let’s Go” and last year’s “Girls Go Power Pop” … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Cheap Trick, compilation, Josh Rouse, pop, pop rock, power pop, review, Rockets Of Love!, the Knack | Leave a comment

Album Review: EXPLORERS CLUB – Rarities Vol 1

Posted on February 4, 2021 by brianmc

Gold Star Recordings [Release date 05.02.21] Explorers Club dropped two acclaimed new albums last year (To Sing And Be Born Again/Explorers Club). We reviewed both. In their own way they proved that Sixties Pop is timeless. Jason Brewer, the band’s … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Explorers Club, Gold Star Recordings, Jason Brewer, melodic, pop, power pop, Rarities Vol 1, Retro Pop, review | Leave a comment

Album review: THE GOLD NEEDLES – What’s Tomorrow Ever Done For You?

Posted on January 30, 2021 by jason

Jem Records [Release date 19.02.21] The Gold Needles are onto album number three that features nine new original songs plus three covers including The Hollies ‘Have You Ever Loved Somebody’ and The Beatles ‘If I Needed Someone.’ Formed in 2015, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Larry Fast, melodic, pop rock, power pop, review, the Gold Needles, What’s Tomorrow Ever Done For You? | Leave a comment

EP review: THE LICKERISH QUARTET – Threesome Vol. 2

Posted on January 10, 2021 by jason

Stranger Danger [Release date 15.01.21] The Lickerish Quartet return with their second four song EP. The band comprise ex-Jellyfish members Roger Joseph Manning Jr, Tim Smith and Eric Dover and like the much missed Jellyfish, they carry on that band’s … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged EP, indie pop, indie rock, Jellyfish, melodic, pop rock, power pop, review, the Lickerish Quartet, Threesome Vol 2 | Leave a comment

Album review: PICTUREHOUSE – 1999 Live in Dublin

Posted on November 28, 2020 by jason

Website [Release date 27.11.20] Ahhh live music we miss you so and even someone like me who isn’t normally a big fan of live albums has been playing a lot of live tracks this year. So when of the many … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 1999 Live in Dublin, album, David Browne, indie pop, indie rock, melodic, PictureHouse, pop, pop rock, power pop, review | Leave a comment

Album review: CATS IN SPACE – Atlantis

Posted on November 19, 2020 by jason

Harmony Factory [Release date 27.11.20] On new album, “Atlantis”, it seems the new CIS line up, with vocalist Damien Edwards replacing Mark Pascall, has largely abandoned the iconoclastic tone of its predecessor, “Daytrip To Narnia” That of course, is down … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 70's rock, album, Atlantis, Cats In Space, clasic rock, Damien Edwards, glam rock, Greg Hart, melodic rock, pop rock, power pop, review, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: VARIOUS – Girls Go Power Pop!

Posted on August 31, 2020 by jason

Big Beat/Ace [Release date 28.08.20] Ace (via their Big Beat imprint) follow 2019’s impressive “Come On Let’s Go” power pop collection with a new 25 tracker. This time, compiler Dave Burke varies the theme by focussing on female-fronted acts. As … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Ace Records, album, Girls Go Power Pop!, Go-Gos, melodic, pop rock, power pop, review, The Bangles, The Runaways, various | Leave a comment

Album review: JOEY MOLLAND – Be True To Yourself

Posted on August 26, 2020 by jason

Omnivore Recordings [Release date 16.10.20] As the sole surviving member of the classic line-up of Badfinger, Joey Molland’s pedigree in power pop circles is second to none. Over the years he has regularly produced solo albums, notably “After The Pearl” … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Badfinger, Be True To Yourself, Chicago, Joey Molland, Julian Lennon, melodic, Micky Dolenz, pop rock, power pop, review, Ringo Starr | Leave a comment

Album review: ENUFF ZNUFF – Brainwashed Generation

Posted on July 10, 2020 by jason

Frontiers Records [Release date 10.07.20] There was a time Enuff Z’Nuff’s lineup seemed to go into an endless revolving door spin, but now, with founding member Donnie Vie apparently leaving for good, Chip Z’Nuff has assembled a solid, talented line … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Beatles, Brainwashed Generation, Chip Z'nuff, Donnie Vie, Enuff Z'Nuff, melodic, pop rock, power pop, review | Leave a comment

EP review: THE LICKERISH QUARTET – Threesome Vol. 1

Posted on May 25, 2020 by jason

Lickerish Quartet/Label Logic [Release date 15.05.20] The Lickerish Quartet formed in 2017, featuring former Jellyfish members Roger Manning Jnr. (Imperial Drag), Eric Dover (Slash’s Snakepit, Alice Cooper, Imperial Drag) and Tim Smith. All three of them toured in support of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged Cheap Trick, ELO, EP, Jellyfish, melodic, pop rock, power pop, quirky pop, review, SPARKS, the Lickerish Quartet | Leave a comment

Single reviews: THE DARKER MY HORIZON, MILTON HIDE, ALLAN CLARKE, CWF, THE LICKERISH QUARTET

Posted on May 3, 2020 by jason

THE DARKER MY HORIZON Carpe Diem Another band utilising their lockdown time wisely are the Darker My Horizon, who made the video with help from their fans with all proceeds going to the NHS charities. Nice riff-tastic tune with lyrics … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged Allan Clarke, AOR, classic rock, CWF, folk, Jellyfish, melodic rock, Milton Hide, modern rock, New releases, pop, power pop, review, rock, singles, the Darker My Horizon, The Hollies, the Lickerish Quartet, Toto | Leave a comment

Album review: SQUIRE – Get Ready To Go!/September Gurls

Posted on February 9, 2020 by jason

Hi-Lo Records [Release date 26.10.19] Squire formed around the time of the Mod revival in the late 70’s and were fronted by Anthony Meynell. They went on to release five studio albums, before relocating to the US in 1985 and … Continue reading →