Back in 2012, Scandinavian retro-pop outfit Rooni released their ‘Pilot‘ EP, an enjoyable collection of songs that really brought out the best in vocalist Gustav Nilsson‘s talents. Aside from Rooni’s stand-alone single ‘Ambulance’ (released sometime the year before), the new material from Rooni was arguably the best that Nilsson had ever committed to tape.
Tag Archives: power pop
New Mark Bacino single ‘Not That Guy’
Power pop legend Mark Bacino breaks a long silence today with the release of a new single, ‘Not That Guy’, a self-depreciating number that bounces like the love child of ELO and Farrah.
TOMMY AND THE ROCKETS – Beer And Fun And Rock ‘n’ Roll
Although a new band for 2016, Tommy And The Rockets is a collaboration between two familiar faces – multi-instrumentalist and sometime Hitchcocks member Thomas Stubgaard and New Trocaderos songwriter Michael Chaney. Between them and their love for good old fashioned power pop and garage rock tunage, their debut release ‘Beer And Fun And Rock ‘n’ Roll’ results in some lean, mean and no-frills nuggets. The album’s ten tunes, each clocking in at three and a half minutes or less, are the kind that John Felice would have killed to have had the foresight to have written in ’77.
PATRICK BOUTWELL – Hi, Heaviness
Singer-songwriter Patrick Boutwell is best known for being a member of alt-rock band The Brother Kite. For his 2016 solo release, he takes a side-step from some of the noisier and spikier aspects of his band work to increase the focus on some good, old-fashioned power pop, but without losing too much of the grit. Although the title ‘Hi, Heaviness’ may suggest an inward looking approach, the nine tracks on the album are largely concerned with a brighter outlook, helped no end by most of its tracks being awash with a clean toned guitar. Obviously, the power pop, Posies-esque influences should be enough for some of you to seek out this recording immediately, while for those already familiar with The Brother Kite, there are chunkier elements that provide a link with the past. He’s got both ends covered…and with ease.
HECTOR AND THE LEAVES – Little Bee EP
London based singer-songwriter Tom Hector has an old spirit. On this, his third EP, his music has a dreamy quality, resurrecting sixties pop and sunny attitudes, replayed through a sort of nineties filter. It results in four tunes that might appeal to fans of the Beach Boys or The Feeling, yet at the same time he presents material that holds on to a slightly woozy attitude that might just catch the ear of those who’ve followed the solo career of The Bluetones’ Mark Morriss.