“Weez” On! Rozwell Kid’s “Unmacho” puts us squarely back in ’94 with a soon-to-be-classic hook
First off, watch the video below then “Like” the band as quickly as possible:
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Done that? Good … bring on the 90s nostalgia!
Afew repeats and I’m wanting to dig out my copy of the Blue Album along with my other favorites from the era, including some Marcy Playground, Harvey Danger and … nah, I’ll just go to Bandcamp and rock out to the rest of Unmacho, which includes the blisteringly good two-minute track “Van Man,” which deserves a video as ridiculously cool as the one they’ve made for the title track. That and the album’s opener, “Bonehead,” which showcases there’s more under the hood than just aping Rivers Cuomo. A quick stream suggests there’s not a dud in the bunch, which is more than a good reason to like them on Facebook and then buy a copy to blast with your windows down all summer.
THIS ONE TIME ON BANDCAMP: Boxed Wine
For 110 seconds it’s possible to listen to “Waste Your Time” and imagine you’re hearing the second-coming of They Might Be Giants’ John Flansburgh, as this band does the exact opposite of wasting our time. This is a tasty pop nugget which gets in your head and then blows the doors off the place, insisting you hit repeat and let the earworms take up permanent residence. The remainder of the band’s Boxed Wine EP does a solid job proving the band is capable of being retro-pop chameleons, but they’re hard-pressed to top the first track. “Molly” does show signs of capable Fountains Of Wayne-esque songwriting chops, and the five songs here stick to the “show, don’t tell” model, never overstaying their welcome. Boxed Wine, hailing from New Jersey (“It’s not as bad a place as you think …”) seem well on their way to creating a template for power-pop creation which is likely to make them household names if they play their cards right. Hear them here first!
ALBUM REVIEW: The Golden Seals – “Increase The Sweetness”
Year of the Album — #080
The Golden Seals – “Increase The Sweetness” (2011, Zunior)
The Golden Seals leaves its most obvious influences unnamed, but if you believe one thing you read today, it should be that Increase the Sweetness is the best thing to happen to contemporary pop since Fountains of Wayne and Ben Folds Five made indie-pop cool again.
If you’re a fan of indie and power pop music, you’re going to love what the Golden Seals have done on their latest album, Increase The Sweetness. Check out the full review at PopMatters.
ALBUM REVIEW: The Perms – “Sofia Nights”
Year of the Album – #073
The Perms – “Sofia Nights” (2011, Hugtight Records)
Like an alliance between Weezer and Fountains of Wayne, Winnipeg Manitoba’s own Perms arrive here in 2011 to bring good old fashioned power pop back to the masses! “Make It Through” sounds like a long lost Blue Album gem, getting the album off to a particularly solid start, and the hooks just keep coming as Shane and Chad Smith front the band with reckless abandon. “You I’m Thinking Of” could be a candidate for pop single of the year if it had any chance of getting radio play, but lack of exposure won’t stop you from singing along with the chorus by midway through the first time you hear it. The album doesn’t overstay its welcome, taking a half hour to get in, rob your brain and get out again before anyone realizes the band blew the safe. These guys are masters of the elemental pop song, melding the best of what made alt-pop in the nineties great with the DIY aesthetic which is central to making it in 2011. These songs are as good or better than anything mainstream you’ll hear the rest of the year, and Sofia Nights is one of those albums you’ll be glad to brag about to friends. It’s a real winner, and deserves to have more folks in the pop blogosphere talking about it.
ARTIST TO WATCH: The Well Wishers
Jeff Shelton, formerly of Spinning Jennies fame, pushes power-pop into a new decade with his Well Wishers.
Tonight I submit for your approval three of the best power-pop songs to come out so far this year. Jeff Shelton, formerly of the Bay Area pop act Spinning Jennies, is working with a loyal collective of like-minded contemporaries, he brings nearly two decades and ten albums of personal music experience into the mix, proving that he knows sunny pop music like few others still recording today. These three songs are up on Soundcloud as works in progress, part of an upcoming album due out in early 2012. All three are prime examples of what sets this guy apart from the rest of the pack, and why this is already my most anticipated indie album of the coming year so far. Give ‘em a listen, I dare you not to fall under the spell these well-wishers are spinning.
FOR MORE INFORMATION — Find the band on Facebook, or check out more music on MySpace.
ALBUM REVIEW: Fountains of Wayne — Sky Full of Holes
Album Review
Fountains of Wayne – “Sky Full of Holes” (2011, Yep Roc Records)
Reviewer: Matthew Sanderlin
Everyone who owned a radio between 2000 and the current day has likely heard “Stacy’s Mom.” And while that snarky, little masterpiece of a pop tune is still brilliant and timeless in its own right, Fountains of Wayne is much more than even a hit like “Stacy’s Mom” allows.
Sky Full of Holes, the troupe’s fifth official studio album, is a gorgeous collection of strikingly memorable power-pop songs. And while the Fountains have always featured brilliant compositions and melody coupled with infinite wit, Sky Full of Holes is (somehow) easily their greatest project to date, one of 2011′s best releases.
Fountain leaders Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger are the modern-day Lennon/McCartney, and that’s no exaggeration. Their uncanny ability to craft satiating singles and high-caliber pop tunes has gone nearly unmatched throughout the past decade– And though I rarely agree with the publication,Rolling Stone‘s decision to name Fountains of Wayne “‘the voice’ of Generation X upon the collapse of Nirvana” is more than fitting.
Sky Full of Holes exemplifies this “voice” even more aptly than even culturally relevant hits such as “Valley of Malls” and “Someone to Love” did previously. Two off-beat entrepreneurs attempt to overcome the waning economy in “Richie and Ruben,” the hardworking American gets an admirable nod in “Workingman’s Hands,” the overly-produced synth-pop of the the 2010′s era is astutely parodied in “Someone’s Gonna Break Your Heart,” and the album’s poignant finale (“Cemetery Guns”) is a military-themed requiem for the ages. In a nutshell, Sky is 2011′s own personal soundtrack.
Not only is the lyrical material relevant, but the musical material is supreme in all respects. Production is crisp, but far from overdone (sample “Acela” for the greatest balance of raw and smooth). Arrangements are full, colourful, and appropriate (see “A Dip in the Ocean,” “Radio Bar,” and “Someone’s Gonna Break Your Heart” for the prime of the prime examples). And the melodies and harmonies seem effortless, yet completely flawless. “Cold Comfort Flowers,” “Firelight Waltz,” and “Action Hero” are the most noteworthy exemplifications, though all thirteen tunes are rich in the melodic department.
Basically, Sky Full of Holes is a must-own. Power-pop at its best, and one of the best of the year. Don’t miss it.
Power-Pop fans rejoice — The Posies return with first album in five years!
According to their PR folks at Rykodisc, veteran power-pop band the Posies are returning this fall with their seventh studio album, Blood/Candy, due out September 28th. It’s the band’s first official release since 2005′s Every Kind of Light, so there’s a great deal of buzz building out there for the new material. For those of you who are so inclined, you can check out four of their songs from previous albums on their MySpace page. And, if you’ve got a taste for something new, check out the lead single from the album, “Licenses To Hide,” as a full legal download!
The Posies – “Licenses To Hide” (MP3 Download)
Beyond that, for those of you within range of one of these US shows, seems like a can’t miss chance to catch a great act live:
Blood/Candy NYC Album Release Show
Sept. 23 Thu @ Rock Shop, Brooklyn, NY
2010 U.S. Tour Dates w/ Brendan Benson
Nov. 5 Fri. @ Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI
Nov. 6 Sat. @ Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL
Nov. 7, Sun @ Southgate House, Newport, KY
Nov. 9 Tues. @ The Majestic Theatre, Detroit, MI
Nov. 10 Wed.@ Outland Live, Columbus, OH
Nov. 11 Thu. @ Mr. Small’s Theatre, Millvale, PA
Nov. 12 Fri. @ Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, NY
Nov. 13 Sat. @ The Highline Ballroom, New York, NY
Nov. 14 Sun. @ The Trocadero Theater, Philadelphia, PA
Nov. 16 Tues. @ Royale, Boston, MA
Nov. 17 Wed. @ 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
Nov. 18 Thu. @ Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC
Nov. 19 Fri. @ Exit/In, Nashville, TN
Nov. 20 Sat @ The Loft, Atlanta, GA
Nov. 21 Sun. @ Minglewood Hall, Memphis, TN
Nov. 24 Wed. @ Granada Theater, Dallas, TX (No Brendan Benson)
Nov. 26 Fri. @ La Zona Rosa, Austin, TX
Nov. 27 Sat. @ The Argentum, Houston, TX
Dec. 1 Wed. @ Gothic Theatre, Englewood, CO
Dec. 3 Fri. @ Club Nokia @ LA Live, Los Angeles, CA
Dec. 5 Sun. @ The Independent, San Francisco, CA
Dec. 8 Wed. @ Aladdin Theater, Portland, OR
Dec. 11 Sat. @ Showbox at the Market, Seattle, WA
