Can we talk about power pop?

[paolozzi]

I am hugely into Redd Kross at the moment. Can anyone recommend me some more great power pop 90s rock?

Here's a few Redd Kross songs if you haven't heard them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSyTqxUmP1w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6teoeHq6pig

[Paaaaul]

Frosting On The Beater by The Posies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM1U78RLChY

[paolozzi]

For some reason I've always glossed over the Posies. Maybe I shouldn't.

[Paaaaul]

That album is great,but everything else I've heard by them is much weaker.

[Kane Jones]

Teenage Fanclub are pretty good. Bandwagonesque and Grand Prix are both great albums. I do prefer 70s and early 80s power pop like The Raspberries, Big Star, The dB's, Shoes etc. but it was nice to see the revival in the 90s. That Posies album mentioned above is also a gem. Oh and try Material Issue.  Their International Pop Overthrow album is very good indeed.

[samadriel]

Fountains of Wayne are pretty great.

Sink to the Bottom

Stacy's Mom

Hackensack

Hey Julie

[Kane Jones]

Fountains of Wayne are pretty great.

Sink to the Bottom

Stacy's Mom

Hackensack

Hey Julie

Gah, of course. Actually one of my favourites! How did I forget? I suppose it's because they're still around. All their albums are brilliant. Even the Out Of State Plates B-side compilation was better than a lot of bands best of singles collection. Fuck, do those boys know how to write a memorable tune.

[holyzombiejesus]

There's a similar thread been recently started over on Teenage Fanclub's message board and someone posted this mix thing, which I've shamelessly stolen...

Power Pop Mix Part 1 (2009)

01 Queen Of Hearts - bobby emmett
02 Girl After My Own Heart - roger klug
03 Bird Using Bird - the resonars
04 There's A Light - reno bo
05 All Of A Sudden - telekinesis
06 Welcome To My World - tony cox
07 Don't Ask Me Love - the madd
08 Don't Worry Marie - el goodo
09 Willing Reason - cheap star
10 Anymore - outrageous cherry
11 Damn! - gidgets ga ga
12 Tell Me When It's Over - joe pernice
13 Love Is Real - bobby emmett
CODE: SELECT ALL
http://www.mediafire.com/?xyhiummzyy1


Power Pop Mix Part 2 (2009 unless noted)

14 Hi-Hat - roger klug
15 World Apart - the resonars
16 Cruel Girl - red button (2007)
17 Dark As Days - army navy (2008)
18 The Strawberry Blonde - mike viola (2008)
19 Crashpad Number - marc carroll (2004)
20 Malaysia - mayflies usa (2001)
21 Solar Sister - posies (1997)
22 Password - cotton mather (1997)
23 Demoted - prima donna (2008)
24 You Really Bring Me Down - the antennas
25 Jupiter Optimus Maximus - the tomorrows
CODE: SELECT ALL
http://www.mediafire.com/?mgmidjyajuy

Has anyone checked out the power pop compilation - Titan: It's All Pop! -  on the ace Numero Records?



They've just reissued loads of Shoes albums too. I wasn't that taken with most of the stuff on the compilation but did like Gary Charlson's Not The Way it Seems.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaQBQLdmhc8

Anyway, you can listen to bits of the whole compilation here...

http://www.numerogroup.com/catalog_detail.php?uid=00754

[daf]

Sugar - Favorite Thing :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsAyegnKWI4

Bubble Guppies - Sun Beautiful Sun :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkpYRq-eXf4

[doppelkorn]

I don't understand this genre, although I do like it. Questions arise, such as: why aren't Weezer considered to be emblematic of power pop?

[doppelkorn]

I've checked out most of the stuff in this thread and now I understand even less of what it's supposed to be.

Music with traditional verse-chorus-verse structures and guitars?

[Kane Jones]

I've checked out most of the stuff in this thread and now I understand even less of what it's supposed to be.

Music with traditional verse-chorus-verse structures and guitars?

Pretty much. I'd say Beatlesesque song writing, arrangements and vocal harmonies with crunchier guitars. I'd put Weezer in the power pop bracket. I'd also shove Cheap Trick in there, especially their marvellous 'In Color' album.

[paolozzi]

I've checked out most of the stuff in this thread and now I understand even less of what it's supposed to be.

Music with traditional verse-chorus-verse structures and guitars?

Yes, I suppose. For me it's always a bit of tongue-in-cheek nonchalance flopping around with jangly guitars.

Some good suggestions in here, ta.

The Muffs are more punky, but they have some really good power poppy songs too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqGcQ0bs2fo&feature=youtube_gdata_player
For some reason that video has different photos of a model throughout.

[doppelkorn]

I'd say all Britpop fits in there too, by the sounds of it?

[lazarou]

Yes, I suppose. For me it's always a bit of tongue-in-cheek nonchalance flopping around with jangly guitars.

Some good suggestions in here, ta.

The Muffs are more punky, but they have some really good power poppy songs too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqGcQ0bs2fo&feature=youtube_gdata_player
For some reason that video has different photos of a model throughout.

In a more power-poppy vein, Kim from the Muffs was involved in a short-lived side project with Cub's Lisa Marr that produced some fantastic stuff (like All About You and Sidewalks for two) that I heartily recommend at any given opportunity. Wonderful stuff.

[Kane Jones]

Anyone heard the Tinted Windows album? It's a collaboration between Adam Schlesinger from Fountains Of Wayne, Bun E Carlos from Cheap Trick, James Iha from Smashing Pumpkins and.. *ahem* Taylor Hanson from Hanson. It's actually a pretty good power pop album; lots of sunny, catchy, melodic sing-along three minute tunes.

[cosmic-hearse]

The Plimsouls - A Million Miles Away

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIxgBMNhsKU


The (Paul Collins) Beat - Rock & Roll Girl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cEvEUKN4Fw


The Shoes - Tomorrow Night

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9DfyEiw6yM


Poerpop's a tricky one to delineate, as you have the earlier, Beatles obsessed ballads & harmonies of Big Star, Badfinger, The Raspberries et al, the you have the later stuff which overlaps with punk, new wave & even mod revival to a large degree (The Buzzcocks, Nick Lowe & The Chords are popwerpop-ish).

[Kane Jones]

The Knack - Get The Knack is a good power pop album. Ooh, and The Records first couple of albums are ace. The track 'Starry Eyes' is an oft-covered gem from their debut.

And of course, Matthew Sweet.  His 'Girlfriend' album is great, as is '100% Fun'.  Really good stuff.

[doppelkorn]

Is this a power pop song?

The Jags - Back of My Hand

[boki]

I'd say so, but I wouldn't really consider myself an expert in these matters.  Anyway, I've popped in, having seen them live last night to make sure Eureka Machines get a mention.  Here's their pop song 'Pop Star'.

Any love for Marvelous 3 while I'm here?  I went through a phase of listening to 'Math And Other Problems' on a daily basis a few years ago, might have to give it a re-visit.

[Ray Le Otter]

I bought this album cheap the other year and to be honest, if the contents are anything to go by I understand what make a power pop song even less now.



I mean look at the tracklist.

1. Queen - Killer Queen
2. The Knack - My Sharona
3. The Undertones - Teenage Kicks
4. The Proclaimers - I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
5. New Radicals - You Get What You Give
6. The Thrills - Big Sur
7. The Dandy Warhols - Bohemian Like You
8. Fountains Of Wayne - Stacy¹s Mom
9. Jellyfish - Baby¹s Coming Back
10. Paul McCartney And Wings - Jet
11. Electric Light Orchestra - Rockaria!
12. Pilot - Magic
13. The Move - Fire Brigade
14. The Easybeats - Friday On My Mind
15. 15 The Beach Boys - Fun, Fun, Fun
16. The Knickerbockers - Lies
17. T.Rex - Metal Guru
18. Supergrass - Grace
19. Hal - Play The Hits
20. Todd Rundgren - I Saw The Light
21. The Babys - Isn¹t It Time
22. The Kinks - David Watts
23. Crowded House - It's Only Natural
24. The La¹s - There She Goes
25. The Rutles - Shangri-la

And that's just CD1. Queen? No. Jet? The Proclaimers? Certainly not.

CD2 is a bit better.

1. The Jam - Start!
2. The Cars - My Best Friend's Girl
3. XTC - Senses Working Overtime
4. Squeeze - Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)
5. Cheap Trick - I Want You To Want Me (Live At The Budokan)
6. Blondie - Hanging On The Telephone
7. The Vapors - Turning Japanese
8. The Only Ones - Another Girl Another Planet
9. The Motors - Airport
10. Nick Lowe - Cruel To Be Kind
11. Big Star - September Gurls
12. Joe Jackson - Is She Really Going Out With Him?
13. Wreckless Eric - Whole Wide World
14. Sniff ¹N¹ The Tears - Driver¹s Seat
15. Martha And The Muffins - Echo Beach
16. Bangles - Going Down To Liverpool
17. Any Trouble - Trouble With Love
18. Brinsley Schwarz - (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love And Understanding
19. The Rubinoos - I Think We're Alone Now
20. The Records - Heart In Her Eyes
21. The Raspberries - Go All The Way
22. The Barracudas - Summer Fun
23. Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone)

I'd reckon about a third of these could be classed by purists as "power pop".

[Hank_Kingsley]

The Posies certainly started off with that very melodic, Big Star, Raspberries, Cheap Trick, sound. But if you listen to Amazing Disgrace, that's a ROCK album. They're also acknowledging their punk/hc influences on tracks like 'Grant Hart' (obvs) and 'Everyone is a fucking liar'.

I think you've got several distinct threads of powerpop, the classic Beatles/Nilsson influenced sound of Big Star/Raspberries. Then you've got the new-wave stuff like The Knack which is a little punkier, a little bit Elvis Costello, but very much about melody still. Of course, you've also got the jangly pop of the paisley underground bands as well, I think some of those bands come into the powerpop fold. It's a broad church (where do The Church fit in?).

The late 80s and early 90s acts all seemed to take a bit from all of the above. I think Matthew Sweet from Girlfriend on (his first two proper albums are very overproduced, drum machines, some good songs but all a bit...cloying) typifies the sound, he got a bit fuzzier on Altered Beast and 100% Fun- I think there was a big influence from the 'alternative rock' scene on Sweet and The Posies too.

Anyway, if you're really interested I think the Yellow Pills compilations are quite good. Bucketful of Brains is a good, very long running, zine which covers powerpop/paisley/jangle/psych and all sorts of good stuff.

My 'powerpop' album picks (no particular order):

Jellyfish- Bellybutton
The Grays- Ro Sham Bo
Matthew Sweet- Girlfriend
Big Star- Third/Sister Lovers
The Posies-Amazing Disgrace (not their most popular but my personal fave)
Cheap Trick- In Color
Golden Smog- Weird Tales (country tinged)
Velvet Crush- Teenage symphonies to God

On a more recent tip, well, The New Pornographers are pretty much a perfect powerpop band aren't they?

[cosmic-hearse]

The Shake Some Action comps are very good - definitely more 70s/80s skinny tie than Todd Rundgren/Emitt Rhodes:

http://www.discogs.com/label/Shake+Some+Action+%282%29

[Kane Jones]

Oh yeah, I forgot Jellyfish. I really like their Spilt Milk album.

[paolozzi]

Eureka Machines

I'm not really into them but I enjoyed seeing the sights of Leeds in that video.

If I remember correctly, the singer was previously a one-man-band called Robochrist. He was shite:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQvs6mv2_hk

[Don_Preston]

Big Star- Third/Sister Lovers

An interesting one. It's so skewed and mad that I wouldn't really label it as 'power pop.' Even on the covers and upbeat songs, where the intent may have been there to recreate the 'Big Star sound' it's nicely fucked up and left-of-centre.

[sirhenry]

Just listening to the Tinted Windows album for the first time and quite enjoying it. For the first minute of Kind of a Girl it sounded very much like an early Supergrass[nb]Who should probably be in the 'Hyped and died' thread[/nb], which is no bad thing.

eta: This album is making me into a bloody wine-taster: "I can hear a dash of Supergrass, a soupçon of Rich Kids, wheelbarrows of Cheap Trick, hints of Fountains of Wayne....". I like it, but I'm not sure it's distinctive enough to keep coming back to.

[Kane Jones]

Just listening to the Tinted Windows album for the first time and quite enjoying it. For the first minute of Kind of a Girl it sounded very much like an early Supergrass[nb]Who should probably be in the 'Hyped and died' thread[/nb], which is no bad thing.

eta: This album is making me into a bloody wine-taster: "I can hear a dash of Supergrass, a soupçon of Rich Kids, wheelbarrows of Cheap Trick, hints of Fountains of Wayne....". I like it, but I'm not sure it's distinctive enough to keep coming back to.

Oh yes, it's utterly disposable. Damned catchy though, and a 'must listen' if you're a Cheap Trick, Fountains Of Wayne and Smashing Pumpkins fan. Which I am, of course!

[kngen]

Thrill at the awesomeness of the Exploding Hearts - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LMNTNaTlZ0 - and then reel at the cruelty of their untimely demise

[lazyhour]

If Neil were currently posting he'd be all over this thread. Looks like I'm going to have to recommend Jason Falkner in his absence. He's recorded a few brilliant LPs (playing all the instruments himself, at least in the early days) and I listened to the Can You Still Feel album pretty solidly for about two months when I took it on a whim from the Sussex Uni radio station bin in 1999.