Outside of everything Tommy Keene wrote, The Kids Are Alright is the greatest power pop song EVER! Personification; hook, melody, jangly guitar, and the harmonies. It’s perfect! 😢 (makes me cry)
In the event that you have yet to mention Enuff Z'Nuff...
Allow me to mention Enuff Z'Nuff. The album Strength in particular. A power pop band that had the unfortunate timing to break at the height of Hair Metal. And, from Chicago - adding to the rich power pop history of a great city.
Awesome piece, brother! Reminds me a lot of the early days of our friendship when we used to discuss powerpop a lot. Lately, I've been revisiting a lot of the early 'aughts Memphis and Detroit bands, like Reigning Sound, Outrageous Cherry, Black Lips, the Fondas, etc. I felt like those bands during that period were more aligned with powerpol rather than the fading garage fad. Did you ever hear "Impossible Dream" by The Rubs (aka Joey Rubbish) ? Lisa B. turned me on to it a few years ago. I think it may be one of my favorite powerpop albums of all time.
If it does not have the spirit of Entwistle & Moon in the engine room (melodic bass lines and explosive drumming) then it is effete guitar pop. Bram Tchaikovsky and The Raspberries are good examples. Sex Pistols and their run of incendiary hook driven singles also come to mind.
Dan, you're costing me some cash here brother! I didn't have a clue about the Power Pop moniker until I kept hearing about Chilton and Big Star in regards to it, probably read up on it in Mojo in the 90's. I thought oh, well I have all the Cheap Trick, The Knack, Who, Cars & a lot more of it but shame on me, I only knew the Raspberries radio hits, what a crusher "Ecstasy" is, can't believe I've missed that one, so very Who. Thanks for the Bram reminder, the other two new to me, again thanks. I had some clutch midwestern power pop in The Shoes, pretty sure I learned about them from a Creem or RS review, so nice when there weren't so many 'catagories' to consider, I had no clue about 'power pop' I just liked it, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz-rIrx_Z60
especially the drum breaks in the chorus' on this one - gets me every time.
Outside of everything Tommy Keene wrote, The Kids Are Alright is the greatest power pop song EVER! Personification; hook, melody, jangly guitar, and the harmonies. It’s perfect! 😢 (makes me cry)
So great!
The Who could do a lot more than make noise and wreck their instruments...
So glad you mentioned Off Broadway
In the event that you have yet to mention Enuff Z'Nuff...
Allow me to mention Enuff Z'Nuff. The album Strength in particular. A power pop band that had the unfortunate timing to break at the height of Hair Metal. And, from Chicago - adding to the rich power pop history of a great city.
For sure! They get brought up a lot in power pop conversations.
Outstanding selections and commentary. (I'm not surprised)
Neither was I!
Awesome piece, brother! Reminds me a lot of the early days of our friendship when we used to discuss powerpop a lot. Lately, I've been revisiting a lot of the early 'aughts Memphis and Detroit bands, like Reigning Sound, Outrageous Cherry, Black Lips, the Fondas, etc. I felt like those bands during that period were more aligned with powerpol rather than the fading garage fad. Did you ever hear "Impossible Dream" by The Rubs (aka Joey Rubbish) ? Lisa B. turned me on to it a few years ago. I think it may be one of my favorite powerpop albums of all time.
https://therubsaretrash.bandcamp.com/album/impossible-dream-lp
Great picks, Dan! "Crash" is an all-timer.
I love to see others who love this genre!
Plus, "The Kids Are Alright" was covered by power pop master Matthew Sweet along with Susanna Hoffs on their first Under the Covers album.
"Girl of My Dreams" is great.
If it does not have the spirit of Entwistle & Moon in the engine room (melodic bass lines and explosive drumming) then it is effete guitar pop. Bram Tchaikovsky and The Raspberries are good examples. Sex Pistols and their run of incendiary hook driven singles also come to mind.
Dan, you're costing me some cash here brother! I didn't have a clue about the Power Pop moniker until I kept hearing about Chilton and Big Star in regards to it, probably read up on it in Mojo in the 90's. I thought oh, well I have all the Cheap Trick, The Knack, Who, Cars & a lot more of it but shame on me, I only knew the Raspberries radio hits, what a crusher "Ecstasy" is, can't believe I've missed that one, so very Who. Thanks for the Bram reminder, the other two new to me, again thanks. I had some clutch midwestern power pop in The Shoes, pretty sure I learned about them from a Creem or RS review, so nice when there weren't so many 'catagories' to consider, I had no clue about 'power pop' I just liked it, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz-rIrx_Z60
especially the drum breaks in the chorus' on this one - gets me every time.