Call it whatever you want:
Guitar pop.
Pop rock.
Power pop.
Indie rock.
Indie pop.
Jangle pop.
Pop punk.
Garage rock.
It’s all hooky rock and roll to me.
What’s your favorite track from the list below?!
Join the conversation in the comments.
10 Recent Tracks and Music Reviewers/Publications
“There’s a happy-go-lucky feel to Sonny & The Sunsets’ new single ‘Waiting’ that just drags you up out of the chair and makes you want to get moving. The strummed-out acoustic guitar at the intro feels like the intro to a Kinks song you never knew existed until the Vibrato heavy organ synth slightly modernizes the sound.” —Glide Magazine
“Hit play on this single and drink up all those Pugwash-isms you’ve been missing. This is first-rank wistful, spring-breeze-in-your-hair pop rock. Walsh conjures elements of Brian Wilson and Jeff Lynne here but mostly you’re just going to hear that classic Pugwash sound.” —Dennis Pilon, Poprock Record
“Sarah takes the lead for the EP’s two middle songs, the snotty surf-punk of ‘Tough Love’ and the sneering garage-punk swagger of ‘Sick Inside,’ both of which back up their energy with inspired performances from the band.” —Rosy Overdrive
“Chaney’s blazing guitar and swooping vocals evoke his heroes Bob Mould and Harry Nilsson in equal measure, delivering a slyly loving tribute to an animal companion which, like its subject, is instantly adorable despite (or perhaps because of) its teeth.” —Big Takeover
"‘Three Days’ is about two people who get together and after only three days don't quite share the same expectations, delivered with Simons' signature songwriting wit. The track is already a live favorite in the NYC music scene and on its way to being a new downtown anthem.” —Michael Major, Broadway World
“This is the pop sound of my formative years, when pop music still had bravado and bite, when it was shot through with rock energy and alternative grooves, grooves built out of dexterous bass lines and buoyant beats rather than some sampled slice of another artist’s work.” —Dave Franklin, Big Takeover
"‘First Sight,’ the A-side cut, is another smash hit of powerful pop meets classic rock n' roll. The track comes out blasting with three hard-driving guitars and a beat that's impossible to resist. And when that ‘Tonight! Tonight! Tonight!’ hook comes in, you'll be residing in Sing-Along City!” —Lord Rutledge, Faster & Louder
“The Cowboys newest single, ‘The Sultan of Squat,’ is a glorious return that shows Bloomington's finest rock 'n' rollers pouring collective blood, sweat, and tears into a sound equal parts then and now.” —Joe Massaro, Paperface Zine
“On the four-song Buddy System EP, the band utilizes a winning combo of slacker vibes, crunchy power pop guitars, and ’90s alt pop sensibility all reeled in with razor sharp hooks. Fans of Fountains of Wayne, LVL UP, and 2nd Grade should take note.” —Add To Wantlist
“Laced with self-deprecating humor and a slacker charm, ‘Trendsetters’ is both a bile spattered break-up song and a tempestuous takedown of those with holier-than-thou ideologies.” —Ian McDonnell, Backseat Mafia
Guitar Pop For Now People—Part 1
Guitar Pop For Now People—Part 2
Guitar Pop For Now People—Part 3
Guitar Pop For Now People—Part 4
Guitar Pop For Now People—Part 5
Guitar Pop For Now People—Part 6
Remember The Lightning—A Guitar Pop Journal
A new semi-annual music journal featuring some of today's best music writers on modern guitar pop, and talented modern artists on the music/genres that inspire them.
Exclusive contributions:
James Goodson (of Dazy) on Being Power Pop-Adjacent
Annie Zaleski on the Beths
Mo Troper on Chris Bell's "I Am The Cosmos"
Rob Nesbitt (of the Suitesixteen) on the Exploding Hearts
S.W. Lauden on the Whiffs (Our debut cover models!)
Mary E. Donnelly on Sloan
John M. Borack on Juniper
Paul Myers on Tinted Windows
Mike Randle on Popsicko's Off to a Bad Start
David Laing on Power Pop's Country Roots
PLUS: Custom Cover Art By Brian Walsby
Some new ones for me! Looking forward to digging in.
P.S. Rosy Overdrive rules.