Following several EPs, new-wave revivalist Kurt Baker released his first full-length LP ‘Brand New Beat’ at the tail-end of 2012. It’s half hour of tunes recalled strong links with Joe Jackson, Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello and often felt musically familiar, but was not any the less enjoyable for wearing its influences so obviously. The sessions also yielded a truckload of extra material; ‘Want You Around’, an upbeat number featuring Dan Vapid, provided the lead track of a 7” EP (and also appeared as a bonus track on the French CD pressing of ‘Brand New Beat’), backed with three cover tunes, including a spot-on version of Billy Joel’s ‘Sleeping With The Television On’. Discounting these four recordings, Baker was still in possession of an album’s worth of other tunes, most of which were collected on this 2014 release.
Tag Archives: power pop
JIM BOGGIA – Fidelity Is The Enemy
Following a stint as a jobbing songwriter and working with and/or supporting well-known singer songwriters Juliana Hatfield and Amanda Marshall, power pop performer Jim Boggia delivered a storming full-length debut in 2001. ‘Fidelity Is The Enemy’ takes in many moods during its old fashioned created- for-two-sides-of-vinyl-length forty two minutes. Every one of those moods is as fully realised as the previous, showing Boggia to not only be a strong songwriter, but an arranger of some confidence.
THE PAUL & JOHN – The Inner Sunset
A band comprising two pop loving friends John Moreman and Paul Myers, the knowingly named The Paul and John bring some power pop gold on ‘Inner Sunset’, a collection of tunes written over a three year period. Fans of the rockier end of the genre will hear traces of many old favourites on this disc – Roger McGuinn, Alex Chilton, touches of Nick Lowe and even Soul Asylum…and, yes, a nod to them Beatles – but as with most acts ploughing a similar musical path, the homages are loving. Taking those influences and melding them with some great hooks, The Paul & John are almost guaranteed to please.
ABSENT FRIENDS: The Russians
Around the same time Mark Bacino released ‘Queens English’, over in Boston, singer-songwriter Scott Janovitz was working with his band The Russians. Their sole album ‘Crashing The Party’ was well received by the power pop community in 2010, but never followed up. What happened?
THE JEANIES – The Jeanies
Trading in 60s garage rock for the sounds of late 60s guitar-pop, The Jeanies are a band from Brooklyn featuring vocalist/guitarist Joey Farber, sometime member of Greasy Hearts. The ten numbers making up their debut full length represent a celebration of power pop’s golden age – songs brimming with innocence, chiming guitars and feelgood intents.