Category Archives: power pop

OWSLEY – Owsley

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As well as being a member of The Semantics with Zak Starkey (who recorded just one album, which gathered an exclusively Japanese release), throughout the 90s, Will Owsley was a hard working session musician.  His extensive session work eventually funded a home studio, where he recorded this self-titled debut.  It first came to my attention back in 1999, when my friend Rich – a massive Jellyfish fan – raved about it.  I was immediately struck by its opening track’s marriage of punchy rhythms and power pop hooks.

That opening track, ‘Oh No The Radio’, is an almost perfect representation of the edgier end of the power pop spectrum.  Driven by its chiming guitars, it features pleasing key changes alongside some wonderful Beatle-inspired harmony vocals.  It’s a great example of the type of power pop Sugarbomb would become cult figures for at a similar time – it’s late 90s brilliance only equalled by Jason Falkner’s ‘Author Unknown’ (a fantastic track which opens his otherwise maddeningly inconsistent ‘Do You Still Feel’ album) and ‘Pretty Pictures’ by Blinker The Star (whose ‘August Everywhere’ featured a couple of power pop gems, but otherwise remained an ordinary – if well executed – indie-rock style release).  ‘Oh No The Radio’ ensures Owsley’s debut demands instant attention – a tongue in cheek lyric helping things along the way.  The Cars-esque rhythm guitars used during ‘I’m Alright’ display another all too obvious influence, but these in turn are contrasted by a rather rockier chorus.  Interestingly here, the chorus style is comparable to the best moments of Ty Tabor’s Jughead project, although this Owsley album was released some three years previously.

A re-recorded version of a Semantics track,‘The Sky Is Falling’ comes complete with a serious amount of layers and overdubs, it’s off-kilter qualities evoking ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ era Beatles and Jason Falkner’s stronger works.  Once again, it uses a vocal style which evokes Ty Tabor and while most of the track uses a very much a tried-and-tested formula, the end result is great.  ‘Sentimental Favorite’ takes things down a notch.  Owsley’s lead vocal is suitably heartfelt, but it’s the addition of the multi-tracked backing harmonies which give the track its real spirit.  The electric piano and altogether softer arrangement may call Crowded House to mind for some listeners, those more in the know will realise this is a dead ringer for those Christian power pop champions PFR (whose long-time producer Jimmie Lee Sloas would also work with Owsley at a later date).

Although comparisons are unavoidable, most of this album is far punchier than most of Jellyfish’s best work.  However, ‘Sonny Boy’ driven by a bouncy piano and a marching-on the-spot rhythm has a strong Ben Folds plays Jellyfish quality, which is likely to gain approval from anyone looking for power pop in a more purist form.  (it’s also worth noting here that Folds had been an original member of The Semantics; it’s likely Owsley recorded this as a homage to Ben’s late 90s musical direction).  Likewise, ‘Uncle John’s Farm’ also comes close to genre perfection with its fantastic use of staccato piano and harmony vocals.  Again, any Beatle-isms, Todd Rundgren or 10cc influences are hard to miss.  ‘Zavelow House’ steps things up with a slightly rockier edge. There are hints of Matthew Sweet here too; in fact, this album has been compared elsewhere to Matthew Sweet, but rather negatively.  That’s unfair to Owsley in the extreme: as much as I love Matthew Sweet, this album manages to remain so much more consistent than many of Sweet’s works, despite remaining somewhat derivative of other artists. ‘Zavelow House’ also employs a couple of retro synth solo which would make Greg Hawkes of The Cars proud. 

There are Beatles influences abound during the slow ‘Coming Up Roses’ (another track with roots in Owsley’s Semantics days).  The chiming guitars during the verses have a slightly discordant quality and vocally Owsley settles somewhere between a tuneful Lennon-ism and the aforementioned Ty Tabor.  A string break midway adds an extra layer, but there’s a feeling that despite some top notch ‘na na na’s, it’s all a little by-numbers.  Another reflective number, ‘Good Old Days’ works far better, with excellent use of acoustic guitar and harmony vocals – it’s another track which would have been perfectly suited to PFR and could fit snugly onto either of their ‘Great Lengths’ or ‘Goldie’s Last Day’ albums.

Rather surprisingly upon its release in 1999, this debut did not go unnoticed, as so many similar releases had previously – it received a Grammy nomination for “best engineered album”.  So many years later, it’s an enjoyable and surprisingly enduring album which deserves repeated listens.  Given the Grammy nomination and quality of the material on show, it surely deserves to be better known.  If you’re a power pop fan, Owsley’s debut certainly won’t give you any great musical surprises, but regardless of its by numbers nature it’s fab.   The belated follow-up album ‘The Hard Way’ (released in 2004) has its moments too.

Despite the feel-good nature of his arrangements, our story ends on a downbeat note: In April 2010, Will Owsley took his own life.   He was clearly a man with great potential and highly respected by other musicians.  If you own either of the Owsley discs, make sure you give them a spin every so often.  Make sure they get heard by others who may enjoy them and help keep Owsley’s memory alive.

May 2010

TALLY HALL – Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum

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Welcome, ladies and gents, to ‘Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum’, bought to you by a bunch guys better known for the colours of their skinny ties than their names. Collectively, the guys in ties are Tally Hall – a power pop/college rock ensemble from Michigan.

The opening number ‘Good Day’ (winner of the 2004 John Lennon Scholarship Competition) brings many classic power pop influences to the fore: take Ben Folds’s piano, Jellyfish’s knack for a catchy melody and Sugarbomb’s instant pop-friendliness, add a twisted barber-shop choir of multi-tracked vocals, and essentially, you’ve got what makes up the heart of this opening track and the main thrust what drives the handful of good tracks on the album. ‘Taken for a Ride’ recalls the stompy elements of ELO’s ‘Mr Blue Sky’ (as well as utilising the Sparky’s Magic Piano vocal noises) and despite my abject hatred of most of ELO’s work, have to concede that this works well. The slow section near the end of the song reminds me of The Polyphonic Spree, which is especially pleasing.

‘Greener’ makes excellent use of spiky rhythm guitars and occasional Cars-style keyboards; the chorus isn’t quite as hooky as some of the other material, but once again for power pop connoisseurs, it ticks enough of the boxes. The slower ‘Just Apathy’ is the album’s most mature piece of songwriting; its style of adult pop is far more in the Ben Folds camp, but even so, is still very much welcomed among the power pop elements here. Another great number, ‘Two Wuv’, features a riff that sounds like ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’ coupled with an arrangement which sounds like a Weezer cast-off. Bass-led verses with obsessive lyrics eventually give way to a chorus with multi tracked vocals. A sugary hook completes the picture during this slightly wrong ode to Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. This tale of unrequited love with a major quirk brings me nicely onto the rest of the album’s tunes.

In addition to the bits of power pop goodness, the band have recorded another half a dozen songs which are so annoying I’m almost at a loss for words. It’s hard to know with the album’s quirkier stuff whether Tally Hall are playing things for laughs or not – and I really hope they are. ‘Welcome To Tally Hall’, mixes bad rap elements with a casio keyboard – think Barenaked Ladies meets Hot Action Cop and you might have some idea where we are. The multi tracked vocals on the chorus sections are quite pleasing, but it’s not enough to stop me reaching for the skip button most of the time. ‘Banana Man’ is a Harry Belafonte inspired calypso, complete with funny vocal (look, if it’s not Harry Shearer doing this on the soundtrack for A Mighty Wind, it’s not happening, okay? And you can keep your banana). The mid section goes a little Barenaked Ladies again, but if you haven’t tried to claw your ears off by that point I’d be surprised. ‘The Bidding’ offers one of the worst misfires, matching an R‘n’B style vocal (that’s the 21st century soul/dance rubbish ‘n’ bollocks, as opposed to rhythm and blues) with occasional bursts of rock guitar. I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to hear ‘Haiku’ ever again, either – Hawaiian inspired calypso music which sounds like a blatent Barenaked Ladies rip off was one of the last things this experience needed.

For those looking for excellent examples of power pop, ‘Marvin’ offers a handful of really great songs; likewise for those who like albums with surprises (I’m trying not to use the word novelty here) then it’s a museum of musical curios. This album has been likened to Brian Wilson’s ‘Smile’ elsewhere on the net. That’s a little bit of a lazy comparison; where ‘Smile’ acted as a musical soundtrack to one man’s well-documented breakdown, ‘Marvin’s’ is has far fewer sinister undertones. …But that’s not to say it’s necessarily fun.

A frustrating album, indeed: it’s novelty elements are sure to frustrate all but the most tolerant of power pop fans, and yet those who appreaciate Tally Hall purely on a quirky, superficial level probably won’t appreciate the quality of songcraft featured during the album’s two or three great tunes. What were they thinking? More importantly, what were Atlantic Records thinking when they picked this up three years after it was first released and then added new bits and smoothed out the edges? Surely a waste of time and resources…

I would have much preferred it if they’d concentrated on making more music in the vein of ‘Good Day’ and ‘Two Wuv’. If they had, this album could have been a power-pop classic.

April 2010

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Shake It Up!: American Power Pop II (1978-80)

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There’s a whole world of power pop out there. For every band which made the big time, there are dozens of also-rans. Some of the first wave of power pop’s finest unsung heroes can be found on Rhino’s power pop anthologies. The first volume, ‘Come Out And Play’ features stuff from 1975-78, and as such, features some of the more famous names – Cheap Trick, Chris Bell, Flamin’ Groovies, The Real Kids, and more besides. This second volume catches the tail end of that wave, featuring an almost equal number of gems, even if some of the names aren’t quite as famous.

Kicking off this second anthology, The Cryers’ ‘Shake It Up (Ain’t It Time)’ is sugary, but all familiar with a strong hook. It has a solid arrangement with chiming guitars and handclaps. It’s all very much in the same mould as The Rubinoos and The Romantics, and as such, doesn’t break the mould, but provides some taut power pop that’s more than enjoyable. Things shift into a higher gear with Shoes, whose harmony driven ‘Tomorrow Night’ really shows why they were stars on US MTV in its formative years. Armed with a big chorus and music that rivals ‘Shake It Up’ era Cars, it is a  excellent tune, with the guitars a bit more to the fore. ‘Tell That Girl To Shut Up’ by Holly & The Italians will probably be familiar to most people reading this, as it was covered by Transvision Vamp in the late 80s. This original version is almost identical to that rather more familiar cover, save for perhaps a little more finesse in the vocal department. It would have been nice to hear something different by these guys – although with the album having had a CD reissue, it remains one of the easier things from this compilation to obtain.

Equally as good, The Rubinoos’ ‘I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend’ has plenty of harmony vocals, handclaps and a monster chorus. It ticks all the boxes and manages to be as infectious as most power pop should be when done this well. Pretty much unknown in the UK, people in the US will undoubted be familiar with this band and especially this song. The same goes for The Romantics, who’s ‘What I Like About You’ is a staple of some radio stations. Off Broadway drop in with ‘Stay In Time’, which is made from solid stuff, with more than a nod towards early Joe Jackson. Best of the bunch, though, is ‘You Got It (Release It)’ by Pearl Harbour and the Explosions. Worthy successors to the Cheap Trick throne, Armed with a sharp chorus and brilliant harmonies that draw from the post-punk and new wave, it’s a mystery how these guys got ignored. This is power pop gold. ‘I Thought You Wanted To Know’ by Chris Stamey & The Db’s, as you’d expect from a band with Mitch Easter connections, wear their Big Star influences proudly. Filling a couple of minutes with a huge retro jangle and equally sizable chorus, this track (alongside the Pearl Harbour) makes this CD a worthy addition to the power pop fans’ collection.

More so than the first volume, there’s stuff here that isn’t earth shattering too. ‘The First One’ by ex-Blondie man Gary Valentine shows Flamin’ Groovies influences (it’s when going through the many power pop compilations out there, it becomes obvious that they were seminal band), going for an older sound. It often manages to be likeable, but isn’t memorable in the long term. Both tracks by The Beat [aka Paul Collins’ Beat – not to be confused with the ska-pop band The (English) Beat] offer two songs which are above average power pop fare, but even with ‘Work A Day World’s sense of bounce, it never reaches the heights of the genre’s best. For power pop lovers in the US, Collins reached cult hero status, of course, so any feelings that his material on this comp is average will surely stem from it being up against stiff competition, as opposed to a reflection on his own talents.

‘I Like Girls’ by The Know (written by the aforementioned Gary Valentine) is appalling: relying on a thin sentiment, thrown together arrangement and truly bad lyrics. This is the epitome of really bad ‘good time’ music. There’s not even enough depth to embarrass the listener with a bunch of stuff about fast cars, which would usually be the thing. The track by Prix is pretty bad too. There’s not a lot wrong with the music, but the singer’s voice carries a rather irritating, odd whine. Also in the forgettable category are both tracks by Tulsa based 20/20; one of their songs sounds like a really terrible version of The Flamin’ Groovies, while the other nods towards The Cars but lacks any of that great band’s charm or song craft.

Despite being a little hit and miss, the great bits of this collection are strong enough to recommend the disc as a fine collection filler, but since this is out of print, it mightn’t be so easy to track down. For those willing to do the leg work, though, some enjoyment will be guaranteed, especially if played in tandem with the earlier (and superior) ‘Come Out And Play’.

August 2007

TOMMY TUTONE – Tommy Tutone

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Originally formed as Tommy and the Tu-tones, but later settling on the shortened Tommy Tutone name, in the US, these guys are probably hailed as one of the great one hit wonders, their anthemic ‘8675309/Jenny’ (from their second record) remaining a popular chorus driven radio favourite. This self-titled debut (originally issued in 1980) on the whole seems to have aged quite well. Unlike some of the bigger power pop bands, like Flamin’ Groovies and Pezband, TT didn’t opt so much for the retro sound and 60s harmonies, appearing at the time to be more in line with their new-wave contemporaries, so that might be why it feels such a surprise to hear something which still has spark.

The lead track and single, ‘Angel Say No’ marries early Cars style rhythm guitar work with a nod to Phil Spector in the drum depot, a catchy enough chorus replete with typical power pop harmonies. At the time it was only a minor hit in the US. You can only wonder why, as it sounds pretty good these days (equal to, or if not better, than a lot of the stuff on the Rhino power pop comps, reviewed elsewhere on this site). Was it a lack of marketing that meant this slipped through the cracks, or was it a saturated market? After all, on the surface, Tutone offer very little that many other bands of a similar ilk were pumping out at the turn of the decade. ‘Cheap Date’ on the other hand, is far less obvious. The time signatures aren’t quite where they seem to be, the finger-clicks and other overdubs add nothing and leaves everything to the chorus, which features vocals which seem a little out. The cod-reggae leanings were very popular with post-punk and new wave bands at this time, but clearly they’re not something which feels natural here.

‘Girl In The Backseat’ is pretty solid. While not living up to the promise of ‘Angel Say No’, still offers a quirkiness somehow reminiscent of mid 70s Rick Derringer. While not quite first rate power pop, it has some pleasing guitar work and an unashamed over-egging in the backing vocal department, which proves, while they never had enough courage to go full-on pomp in an Earth Quake style, they were never quite as post-punk as bands like The Real Kids. ‘The Blame’ is a winner. Following on from the slightly poppier feel of ‘Angel Say No’, it’s Tommy Tutone at their best. Here, the balance between catchy song writing, simple musicianship and final arrangement is near perfect.‘Rachel’ is solid also – in the old teen tradition, songs about girls seem to score highly! A similar mix of vocals to the other good stuff here, it’s something these guys should have concentrated on and the handclap overdubs just set things off nicely. While on the whole there’s little else to add with regard to ‘Dancing Girl’, the guitar sound in the closing part is noteworthy in it’s new wave approach, not far removed from the style played by Andy Summers on The Police debut, ‘Outlandos D’Amour’. ‘Fat Chance’ dates the album a little, as they attempt the slightly more retro sounding power pop, but the 80s keys and production values make this feel a little fake. Whatever the Flamin’ Groovies special ingredient for making albums sound really 60s was, it’s missing here. Not that they’re musically that similar, but being reminded of doo-wop homage ‘In Your Letter’ by REO Speedwagon doesn’t help.  It’s probably their ‘well meaning and fun’ ideal which that’s off-putting!

There’s nothing memorable in the long term as ‘8675309/Jenny’ on this debut, but mostly it’s a solid listen, one which (as already stated) has weathered the passing years remarkably well. It’s currently available on CD with ‘Tutone 2’ as a 2-on-1 CD: With that in mind, if you only know ‘Jenny’, it might be time to check them out.

October 2007

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Come Out & Play: American Power Pop Vol 1 (1975-78)

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I kid you not when I tell you this selection of pure gold nuggets and curiosities from the USA’s first wave of post 60s power pop makes for pretty much essential listening. Taking their cues from The Byrds and Big Star, a whole suave of bands paid homage to their heroes and opened new musical avenues in the process.
Kicking off with (now) well known ‘Shake Some Action’ by Flamin’ Groovies, you might know what to expect. There are plenty of 60s influences here and while possibly one of the best known tracks to be included as part of this collection, it’s not the best by any means. That said, it’s still good and very representative of this bands mid-late 70s stuff. ‘Wayside’ by Artful Dodger has a more contemporary 70s feel and much less garage sound. If you don’t know these guys and like Cheap Trick, I have a feeling they’re worthy of investigating. Sadly, to the best of my knowledge (and at the time of writing this) their three albums are out of print and have never been issued on CD, so that’s about all I can say about them. I’d really love to hear more, so if anyone can shed any light, that’d be great.
I was never a great fan of Billy Squier, but have often thought I should check out his old band Piper, purely on the strength of their song here. ‘Can’t Wait’ is great pop, but as you might expect, has rockier guitars than some of the other bands here. It took me quite a while to appreciate how good this track is, as I’ve never been especially fond of Squier’s vocals, but its quirky musical arrangement has a complexity which makes it stand out more than some. That’s all relative though; don’t expect kitchen sink complexity of a Todd Rundgren standard. This CD offers two cuts by The Nerves, fronted by future Plimsouls man Peter Case. The first, ‘Hanging On The Telephone’ will be familiar to all, having been covered by Blondie who made the song a hit, despite not changing its arrangement in the slightest. The almost punky energy still makes this two minute song as vital as it was back in the late 70s. The second Nerves track, ‘When You Find Out’, is pure straight-up 60s R&B. Wearing influences clearly on their sleeves, this honest tribute to The Zombies and The Yarbirds is equally essential listening.
‘The Summer Sun’ by the almost legendary Chris Stamey is also very strong. It’s another sixties inspired song (as with most of this wave of power pop), with a strong chorus and vocal melodies. The over all arrangement doesn’t veer at all from very familiar territory. For a better example of what this man can do, check out ‘(I Thought) You Wanted To Know’ from ‘Shake It Up: American Power Pop Volume II’ [reviewed elsewhere on this site]. Cheap Trick, like the Flamin’ Groovies, will require no introduction. ‘Southern Girls’ is from their ‘In Color’ album; a classic of the power pop genre – maybe even a bona-fide classic in its own right.
I must be missing something here. I’ve read in a few places before that The Scruffs’ album ‘Wanna Meet The Scruffs’ is a classic. Based on the track here, The Scruffs leave me feeling somewhat underwhelmed. Musically, it sounds fine – a little Big Star, a little Pezband, but vocally it grates. The singer’s voice is strong, but has a slightly odd croony tone, like the vocalist from Prix, but not quite that bad. This is one of the few tracks here which I find myself skipping regularly, alongside The Names, who don’t do much for me for pretty much the same reasons.
Upon its single release, ‘Christi Girl’ by The Flashcubes supposedly wasn’t bought by many people. Some sources have claimed that it could be found in bargain bins in many of New York’s record stores. The song itself isn’t that bad. It has more than a nod to Gary Puckett rather than Big Star, which makes me think that had anyone actually heard it at the time, it may have reached a slightly broader audience than some power pop releases. Having missed out on success the first time around, The Flashcubes re-united in 1993 and recorded new material. You can read more about them at their official website.
After a twee intro, ‘All Kindsa Girls’ by The Real Kids is a cult classic. Showing the energy of the Flamin’ Groovies but less of an obvious sixties influence, this song has a proto-punk energy and as with The Nerves, should appeal to those who never quite understood the classic Ramones raw dumbness. As for this compilations title cut, performed by The Paley Brothers, one can assume they were either deathly serious or going for full sugar-overload with a knowing wink. There are handclaps, Phil Spector inspired glockenspiels, and a general infectiousness that’s as annoying as it is entertaining. It’s like hearing ‘Sugar Sugar’ by The Archies given a dusting down by mid seventies pop genius. I love it. I hate it. I love it.
Closing this compilation is the haunting ‘I Am The Cosmos’ by Big Star man Chris Bell. There’s a definite uneasiness to parts of this recording. While not obviously bleak like some of the songs from Big Star’s ‘Third’ (recorded after Bell’s departure, interestingly), and despite ringing guitars and a full band arrangement, there’s something in this song that’s a little unsettling It sounds like a man with the world on his shoulders, not quite beautiful, never ugly, always fragile. Not a fist-in-face cry for help, but it comes as no surprise that after leaving Big Star in Alex Chilton’s hands 1972, Bell attempted suicide a few times. He would eventually die in a car accident in 1978. ‘I Am The Cosmos’ is up there with the best of the Big Star stuff and can be easily found elsewhere on the ‘Big Star Story’ compilation CD.
This CD, issued by Rhino in 1993 is now out of print. You owe it to yourselves to try and track one down.
August 2007