Spring Forward Soundtrack: Power Pop

Since they haven't been posted yet, and since this one's on my Rushmore:



ml1 said:

https://soundcloud.com/bigradiomusic/vincents-song

I'm a big fan!

And if ml1 can do it, so can I...

"Just like a three-chord song...you may not like me now, but you'll be humming me later." grin

https://www.reverbnation.com/mungers/song/6819822-youll-be-humming-me-later


I'll finish my plug for Game Theory with the first album by The Loud Family, their name after reforming in 1993 and maybe leader Scott Miller's most solid effort with enough hooks to fill a Russian trawler.


The whole album for those who dare







This is one of my favorite threads in a long time. I'll start by agreeing R.E.M. isn't PP, but to me straight ahead rock. But for those who enjoy slapping labels on things, myself included, some consider them the fathers of jangle pop, a PP offshoot. If that's your thing, or want the go to place for band info, it's Allmusic.com..

http://www.allmusic.com/style/power-pop-ma0000002793

Essential AV Club primer that starts great then turns into an unfocused jumble, without due credit to Game Theory as a PP standout.

http://www.avclub.com/article/a-beginners-guide-to-the-heyday-of-power-pop-1972--86527

The Replacements and The Reivers are also JP, not PP. The Reivers are one of a kind, best country influenced rock band ever. Too wistful and personal to be PP. Saw them at The Bottom Line in May 1989, and the Mats at one of their infamous Summer '87 Beacon Theater "concerts".

So here goes some more of my faves, some mentioned by others, filling in founders and followers...











One of the tastiest chestnuts ever..





Always thought of this as the sequel to "Another Girl Another Planet"..


And (partly) Montclair's own..





And of course, Jason Falkner (ex Jellyfish) has The Grays connection along with Jon Brion. Good mention TOT.

Train_of_Thought said:

.



So much resistance to R.E.M. I stand by the idea that they were informed by and advanced the genre in some but certainly not all or most of their music.

Curious: where is the line between PP and JP? A key-change chorus?

Long ago when the Internet was younger, there was a web site that diagrammed groups and songs and linked them in 3D. You could click on a song and see how it connected to similar music and where it fit in the musical universe. Was it a music genome project? Does anybody remember the name or whether it still exists?

Thank you for the Sonic Youth.


I'm a huge huge fan of the Mats and Westerberg and I have a broad and flexible definition of PP (jangle/chiming guitars not mandatory) but I'm not sure Mats would label themselves as PP, at least not in their prime. Comically noisy obnoxious punk knock offs in their early albums, they gradually became more melodic over the years as Westerberg's songwriting skill comes to the fore. I still wouldn't call what for me are the best, top of their game albums, "Let it Be" and "Tim," PP. Too muscular, too raw, too "rock" though wonderful wonderful wonderful melodic stuff in there.



j_r said:

Curious: where is the line between PP and JP? A key-change chorus?

As someone who'd put The Who ahead of even the Beatles as a power pop influence, I need to hear something that says "power" to me, whether it's the drums, a guitar break or just the kick of the tempo. I can't always put my finger on it: the jangly "Queen of Eyes," yes. "Driver 8," as much as I love it, no. Something like this leaves me leaning both ways:



Train_of_Thought: How could I have forgotten "Sheila"? Thanks for the memory of this outdoor concert bill I saw back in the day: the Producers, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, U2 (first U.S. date on their "War" tour, IIRC) and Rundgren.


I'm only about half way through page 2 of the clips and feel a visit to the ER for a massive insulin infusion coming on. Still, I'll be selling my house and moving into this thread until further notice. Best ever.


Truth be told I could overload this thread with scores of killer tracks that measure up to the same musical standards delivered in my kickoff post. I've spent years and years prospecting for great bands and artists that can write hook-laden hard-edged pop. It's a labor of love. I've gone from word of mouth to pouring over fanzines to club gigs to modern day algorithms that Spotify churns out. It's all added up to a sizable collection of ear candy.

Yet, I'm thrilled to be introduced to new things here! All part of the process!

bub said:

I'm only about half way through page 2 of the clips and feel a visit to the ER for a massive insulin infusion coming on. Still, I'll be selling my house and moving into this thread until further notice. Best ever.



The question is: Did any of us have dates in high school?


Weather-related, and otherwise.



DaveSchmidt and cuethesun...Respect. Thx.


Dave:

Not having dates in high school is a strong leading indicator of one's attachment to PP and its spirit of adolescent yearning.



Train_of_Thought said:

DaveSchmidt and cuethesun...Respect. Thx.

Same here.

bub said:

Dave:

Not having dates in high school is a strong leading indicator of one's attachment to PP and its spirit of adolescent yearning.

oh oh At least two no's, then.


Speaking of the current weather, let's hear it for Canada. Sloan has become one of my all-time favorite bands, but I've already played that card, so here are these guys -- with their advice on getting dates:



The purveyors of the music had the teen years girl problem too. This from an old Paul Westerberg interview:

With my friends, I always felt a little out of place. . . . . There was stuff I wanted to tell them that they would laugh at when I tried to explain it. They’d say, ‘Guys don’t talk that way.’ And I was afraid of girls, which is another thing guys aren’t supposed to talk about. So I wrote songs instead.


How to power up a top 40 pop nugget from the 60s, Chapter 1:





bub said:

How to power up a top 40 pop nugget from the 60s, Chapter 1:

Looking forward to additional chapters.


I think you can just say "Hey Bulldog."


FYI -- Nick Lowe is playing at City Winery June 9 and 10


I had the fortunate opportunity to play the guitar Marshall is playing in this video



ml1

how did that happen?


ml1

Delayed reaction. Saw Lowe on a double bill with the above clipped Robyn Hitchcock about 5 (10?) or so years ago. No bands, just each guy singing and playing a guitar. Hitchcock was good but Lowe was amazing. What a voice! It really comes out more on the kind of music he plays now than on the old pop/rock stuff, as much as I love the latter.


I concur on Nick Lowe and his amazing voice, now more than ever. This one's off-topic, but since they're both mentioned above, here are Yo La Tengo and Lowe at a show I saw in Brooklyn in 2015.



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