I saw Ramones a few times in the back half of the ‘80s.
This was in my late teens and early 20s when loving a band meant trying my hardest not to miss a show whenever they came through Los Angeles. Soul Asylum was another band that I saw multiple times during the same era, along with The Replacements. I remember all those gigs being totally mindblowing (although my memories are admittedly blurry).
In my 30s it was definitely Wilco. I’d venture a guess that Ryan Adams or Jason Isbell filled that slot in my ‘40s. And In my ‘50s it has been Robyn Hitchcock.
It helps that Hitchcock continues to release fantastic new music 40+ years into an amazing career, including his latest single “I Am This Thing.”
I first fell for his ‘60s-influenced psych pop when I retroactively discovered The Soft Boys, dug into his early solo albums, and later fell for Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians in real time. I first saw him live in the early ‘90s when he performed an acoustic set at a small European benefit show.
I have seen him live three times in the last few years and I just bought tickets for his next LA tour stop in May. I might be getting up there but my devotion to the artists I love remains the same, even as my concert attendance in general has slowed down.
And it always starts with the music, like the 10 recent tracks below. Give them a spin, click the reviewer links, and check out our comprehensive Spotify and YouTube playlists. If you like what you hear or have other recent songs or have others to recommend, join the conversation in the comments.
“The D’Addario brothers reach deeper into their personal, curated wonderland of sunny 60s textures on ‘I Just Can’t Get Over Losing You.’ Two minutes that feel gorgeously rich in colour and emotion—and, as is their way, they make it all look so damn easy (masking the painstaking care that invariably goes into such listenable, satisfying pop songs).”—Polly Glass, Louder
“‘Short Fuse’ feels right out of 1964 (‘(He’s got a short fuse) And it’s yesterday’s news / (He’s got a short fuse) And I’ve got no excuse’); we’re into early The Who territory here.”—Rosy Overdrive
“The Dollyrots continue to deliver great rock and roll, and ‘Attention Span’ is a perfect single for our times, and the hook will get you even if you have a short attention span.”—Aaron Kupferberg, Powerpopaholic
“Opening cut “Old Routine” pushes some dissonant guitar work to the forefront but the vocals are pure power pop in a Liz Phair kinda way.”—Dennis Pilon, Poprock Record
“‘Lazy Hearts’ is perhaps its purest pop song to date. It's a total earworm. I'm not sure it's humanly possible to create a song catchier than this one—this tune is like caffeine for the soul! You could be having the worst day ever, and then this song comes on, and suddenly your possibilities are endless and your hopes are bright.”—Lord Rutledge, Faster and Louder
“It makes sense learning that standout ‘Boy Toy’ was the first track her and producer Dan Molad recorded for the record …The buzzsaw guitars and exhaustive pianos engulf her as she howls, ‘I’ll be your boy toy,’ this dizzying new wave sound matching the slick, sunglassed close-up on the album cover.”—CJ Simonson, Merry Go Round
“‘Autopoiet’ revels in its ‘60s Psych Pop vibe and just listen to those harmonies on the West Coast rock of Play With The Wild.”—Don Valentine, I Don’t Hear A Single
“I’d describe the sound as somewhere in-between Guided By Voices, Liquid Mike and The Undertones. The first two tracks, ‘Dust On Your Halo’ and ‘New Pose’ are propelled by catchy melodies and memorable choruses.”—Richard Rossi, Power Pop News
“Ready to break the bank for the next breakout band from the Netherlands? Meet Sick Shooters, four dudes from Utrecht (members of bands like No Brains, Spurn, and Ultragoblin) who love their ’70s power pop (Nerves!) as much as their ’90s garage punk (New Bomb Turks! Reatards! Oblivians!), yet probably sound more like a classic late ‘70s pop punk band (Buzzcocks! Damned! Undertones!).”—Niek, Add To Wantlist
“From its first moments the record rolls through the bedrock of glam-scented power pop, capturing the coy elasticity of Sweet, the rock candy whimsy of Milk n’ Cookies, and boundless energy of Colors. The best power pop always has a ripple of vulnerability running through it.”—Andy, Raven Sings The Blues
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Thank you kindly, SW! See you in May 🙏
Daniel Romano, terrific!