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THE ACTION
Rolled Gold (Reaction) www.parasol.com TOP
The Action is the great lost mod band from the 60s. Signed by Beatles
producer to Parlophone in 1965, they released some well-received singles
but never managed a full-length LP before they morphed into Mighty Baby
in late 60s. Rolled Gold represents several demo recordings
assembled by the band but never fully realized for one reason or
another. Thanks to the patronage of Ric (Velvet Crush) Menck and
Parasol, these demos are now available in the USA. Revealing an eclectic
approach that blends equal parts of beat music, psychedelic folk-rock
and R&B, these 14 tracks more than survive the Spartan 'lo-fi'
recording quality to deliver an obscure classic rock moment. A |
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THE FAGS
(Idol) www.idol-records.com TOP
This 5-track EP will appeal to all fans of powerpop, garage rock and
anyone who has fond memories of 70s AM radio. Decked out in skinny ties,
this trio has quite unashamedly nailed its powerpop credentials to the
mast. With the melodic, power chording crunch of superior material
("Hitman," "List" & "Ms Take"), The
Fags EP is a 'no-brainer' acquisition for regular Power of Pop
visitors. A |
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MELLO CADS
Soft as a Rock (Franklin Castle) www.franklincastle.net TOP
Campy & kitschy perhaps but you cannot (and should not) dismiss the
superlative talents (e.g. Linus of Hollywood, Wondermints' Probyn
Gregory. Negro Problem's Nelson Bragg & Paul Williams) contributing
to this marvelous assimilation of all that is wonderful about soft-pop
that head cad Dave Ponak and cronies have concocted. Mix in Bacharach,
Wilson, Spector, Webb & voila! A heady brew, shaken but never
stirred! A |
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TANDY The
Lowdown 1997-2002 (Gammon) www.gammonrecords.com TOP
An excellent introduction to the twangy delights of roots rockers Tandy
awaits in this compilation collecting material from Tandy's 3
self-released LPs. A healthy dose of folk, blues and rock permeate
Tandy's work. Singer-songwriter Mike Ferrio recalls the vocal styling of
the Boss now and then but is not in anyway indistinct in his delivery. A
surprise bonus arrives with the poignant cover of America's "Sister
Golden Hair" -- now, that takes guts, folks! A |
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H.A.D.
Primo de la Rocket Suit (Right Mind) www.hadmusic.com TOP
After a couple of well-regarded EPs, Washington-based H.A.D. deliver a
superior full-length that nails their reputation as a forward-looking
widescreen pop band that evokes the magnificence of peers like The
Flaming Lips, Wilco, Jayhawks & Grandaddy. Songs like the transcendent
"She's North," delicate "Policemen and Planes,"
folksy "Fish," jaunty "Carpool" and punky
"Gregg Anderson, the band and me" declare a new shining star
in the indie pop constellation. A |
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DEAD KENNEDYS
Mutiny on the Bay (Manifesto) www.manifesto.com TOP
I'll skip the bit about the legal action between Jello Biafra and his
erstwhile band mates which resulted in this and the following 4 CDs.
Suffice to say that anyone who loves punk would be aware of the DK
legend. This album represents the first 'official' live release of this venerated
band. Ranging from 1982 - 1986, these recordings provide a vivid
snapshot of the DK live beast. All the classics are covered --
"Holiday in Cambodia," "California Uber Alles" and
"Moon Over Marin" - and delivered in dynamic sound and
performances. Get it, whatever your politics. B |
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DEAD KENNEDYS Plastic
Surgery Disasters (Manifesto) www.manifesto.com TOP
No Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables re-issue for some reason as
the Manifesto program starts with DKs' full-bloodied follow-up to their
boisterous debut. Hyper-kinetic and constantly in your face, Biafra and
co are in fine form as they race through definitive hardcore punk gems
as "Government Flu," "Terminal Preppie,"
"Winnebago Warrior," "Moon Over Marin" and
"Hyperactive Child" are venomously spat out in machine gun
spurts. Also includes the In God We Trust EP. Classic. A |
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DEAD KENNEDYS Frankenchrist
(Manifesto) www.manifesto.com TOP
By DKs' third album, it was clear that Biafra's rants were intelligent
and thought-provoking as the rest of the band fought to keep up and by
and large they did. That said, despite the presence of "Goons of
Hazzard," "MTV - Get off the Air" & "Stars and
Stripes of Corruption" the DKs were beginning to run out of ideas
and the album would marked a slow but steady descent from previous
heights. B |
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DEAD KENNEDYS Bedtime
For Democracy (Manifesto) www.manifesto.com TOP
Whilst one cannot accuse the DKs of going out with a whimper, they did
with less than a bang. Formula began to creep into the musical scheme of
things and Biafra's rants started to border on inane hectoring -
provided you could understand what he was singing without the benefit of
a lyric sheet. Ah, the perils of strident hardcore punk - check out the
scathing "Chickenshit Conformist" for Biafra's spot-on
prescient commentary on where punk would ultimately head. Gone but not
forgotten. C |
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DEAD KENNEDYS
Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death (Manifesto) www.manifesto.com TOP
A "Greatest Hits" retrospective seems incongruous for any punk
band (considering the original ethos of the genre), let alone the DKs,
but there you go as this compilation served to signal the end of an era
for these punk pioneers. Featuring the faves (eg. "Police
Truck," "California Uber Alles" etc) on the first half
and live tracks on the second, this 17-track collection is a fine
introduction to this ground-breaking combo. A |
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X At
Home With You (Morphius) www.morphius.com TOP
Not to be confused with LA's X, these Aussie punk pioneers are mentioned
in the same reverent tones as contemporaries Radio Birdman & The
Saints. This reissue of their 1985 first comeback album is everything
you ever loved about punk rock with the emphasis on 'rock.' Combining
the visceral energy of Iggy & the Stooges, MC5 & the New York
Dolls - there is no bubblegum quality about their tunes, instead the
focus is on impact. And in this respect, X delivers in spades! B |
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MICHAEL
WHITMORE SOME'TET Juggling
the Thing of a Thing of a Thing (Catgut Trust) www.trueclassicalcds.com TOP
Intriguing offering from nylon guitar-wielding Mike Whitmore and his
collective - some have already mentioned Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen and
Mark Eitzel in comparison. However, I would suggest that Whitmore is
more aligned to the modern neo-progressive movement (e.g. Porcupine
Tree, Spock's Beard) than is readily evident. Stimulating cerebral rock.
B |
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OXES
Oxxes (Monitor) www.monitorrecords.com TOP
I hesitate to call this 'instrumental math rock' even though that's what
it blatantly is. Best description I can come up with is 'post-rock
Rush'! Not for all tastes, obviously but you've got to admire the
gumption to fashion music this obtuse yet bizarrely appealing. Like a
car crash almost. Ignore the false hype about rejected covers and like.
Concentrate on the music and you'd do fine. B |
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VOLUMIZER
Gaga for Gigi (Mint) www.mintrecs.com TOP
Buzz-saw punk rock with a three-guitar attack? How uncool, eh? Not if
these guitarists (Jade Blade, Rodney Graham, Bill Napier-Hemy) are veterans
in the scene surely! Whatever, Vancouver's Volumizer reminds us why the
best punk succeeds in the same way that powerpop does - tuneful vigor
that never goes out of style in songs like "I Promise You,
Thomas" & "What's Your Problem?". B
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OASIS
Heathen Chemistry (Sony) www.oasisinet.com TOP
Shocking! Has Oasis become a democracy?! Here are the facts - principal
songwriter Noel Gallagher only contributes slightly more than half of
the tracks here (admittedly the better songs - eg. the psychedelic
"The Hindu Times" & the glam-imbued "Force of
Nature") and this album marks the recording debuts of guitarist Gem
Archer (ex-Heavy Stereo) & bassist Andy Bell (ex-Ride/Hurricane #1),
songwriters in their own right. More significant perhaps is the
surprising growth of singer Liam Gallagher as a tunesmith - the poignant
"Songbird," the Lennonesque "Born on a Different
Cloud" & the raucous "Better Man" - proves that the
junior Gallagher is more than just a mouthy lout. Not the classic the
1st two albums undoubtedly were but Heathen Chemistry certainly
atones for the travesty that was Be Here Now - but only just. B
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MARYKATE O"NEIL
(71) www.71recordings.com TOP
O'Neil takes REM-inflected alt-folk rock and infuses an astute grasp of
powerpop aesthetics. She is also wise enough to surround herself with
primo back-up: Jill Sobule, Brad Jones, Dennis Diken et al make
significant contributions to this fine debut. And if these names are
familiar to you then chances are you are going to dig MaryKate O'Neil.
B |
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VARIOUS
Indie Rock Unites Vol. 1 (Firetone) www.firetonerecords.com
www.jdrf.org TOP
All proceeds go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation - do you
need another reason to get this? You do? Well how about a couple of
great songs from the likes of Poster Children, The Figgs, The Churchills,
Frisbee, Push Stars, Kitty in the Tree, Waxwings and more - several
being previously unreleased. Great indie rock and for a good cause too.
Support! B |
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THE CHEVELLES
Girl God (Zip) www.ziprecords.com TOP
Perth's pop darlings The Chevelles raise their candy-coated heads to
bless powerpop fans with more of that sun-kissed Californian (Beach
Boys) guitar rock by way of Memphis (Big Star) and Glasgow (Teenage
Fanclub). The method doesn't bear repeating but...melodic delight,
crunchy guitars & an irresistible beat all add up to powerpop
heaven. C |
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DAVID HARLOW
The Brief History of (Bloodred) www.davidharlow.com TOP
Six tracks is all you get here but the main attractions are the classic
70s rock promise of power balladic "Far Away," midtempo nugget
"Lay Me Down to Sleep" & cheery "Winona." The
other three come across more like acoustic demos and it's not clear if
Harlow intended them as such though "Katy's Gone Away" &
"Kindness in Carbondale" stand up fairly presented in such
austere fashion. C |
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SALOON
"(This is) What We Call Progress (Darla) www.darla.com TOP
Angular indie pop that shows faint leanings towards post-rock's jazzy
constructs. This Reading combo utilizes Amanda Gomez's sweet larynx
& an eclectic instrumental palette to good effect. Elements of
baroque pop ("Bicycle Thieves"), breezy soft-pop ("Le
Weekend") & smooth jazz-rock ("Make It soft) surface. A
Stereolab reference would not be amiss. C |
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STATICLAND
9 Volt Sandbox (Self-released) www.mp3.com/staticland TOP
Sincere and earnestly crafted pop-rock is probably the most honest
description of this album I could muster. Nothing particularly
ear-catching but it is clearly obvious that Patrick Newman and Matt
Arthur invested blood, sweat and tears into the production and
performance. Vocals need work, though and you cannot escape the
conclusion that this is more perspiration than inspiration. A fair
start, nonetheless. C |
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SWEEP THE LEG JOHNNY
Going Down Swinging (Southern) www.southern.com TOP
You know you're in for something different when the opener's called
"Sometimes My Balls Feel Like Tits" and sounds like the
unlikely alliance of prog and punk! The rest of Going Down Swinging may
be too angular for pure pop tastes but for anyone likes a little
adventure in their rock diet, this hyper-kinetic quintet certainly fit
the bill. Tread cautiously though. C
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NAIVE ART
Naive (Self-released) www.mp3.com/naiveart TOP
Back in the 80s, I found electronic music (synth-pop, if you will) to be
a breath of fresh air. Nowadays, with some exceptions, I find it
terribly repetitive and boring. This Singaporean outfit is in danger of
turning into a parody of Depeche Mode & even though it sounds fairly
authentic & well put together, its crucial lack of meaningful tunes
is a total letdown. Back to the drawing board, guys! D |
