This two part series was original published in Remember The Lightning—A Guitar Pop Journal, Volume 4, the final installment of our sadly defunct print zine series, in 2024.

DID YOU MISS PART ONE? 👉🏻🔗 You can find it RIGHT HERE.

The Scene That Never Was (Part 2)

A Partially-Witnessed History of Michigan Power Pop

By

Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground: 2000-2010

Perhaps the Fletcher Pratt couldn’t make said fire because it was being fueled by someone else. Admittedly, I’ve written about 10 billion words (just guessing!) without mentioning “The Jack White of It All.” But the time has come. If we’re going to talk Michigan guitar music, we have to talk about Detroit’s garage rock boom going into the early 2000s.

By the turn of the Millennium, the music industry was basically losing its damn mind. Teen pop was huge, pop punk and emo began to land on MTV, Fred Durst was still around, and pretty much any local band that could scrape together a few hundred bucks could release a CD. Traditional rock wasn’t selling, so marketing execs did their best to create a “rock revival,” pushing bands like the Strokes, the Vines, and the Hives. They struck gold when they found a face for the whole thing: Detroit-native Jack White and his band with his “sister” Meg called the White Stripes.

Similar to my statement about the Stooges and MC5, I’m not here to educate you on the history of Jack White and the White Stripes. That’s been done. But what I am here to do is describe the musical climate in Detroit and Michigan around this time, and how many of the Mitten State’s best bands were impacted by the seemingly overnight ascension of the Von Bondies, the Demolition Dollrods, the Go, the Sights, and more.

I reached out to Dave Shettler, former drummer of Moods For Moderns, one of Detroit’s best power pop groups of the early 2000s, to ask him about this weird line in the sand that was being drawn between the garage bands and, well, everybody else.

“I remember being at a party in Woodbridge [Note: A neighborhood in Detroit where lots of Detroit rockers lived on the cheap] talking shit and saying ELO was the greatest band, had the best records, etc…and everyone was just like, ‘No way, man, it’s either the Stooges or the MC5,’” Shettler said.

He went on to say that: “Jack White lit me up one night when I was DJing on a Sunday at the Garden Bowl [Note: Part of the Majestic Theater complex, home of the famous Magic Stick, and another regular gathering place for Detroit rockers to drink cheap beer]. He didn’t like my vibe: 19, wearing sunglasses and playing T. Rex and ELO at The Garden Bowl? Boxed my ears pretty bad, so there wasn’t a good vibe from that scene.”

Beyond The Garage Gates

While the leather-clad Detroit garage rockers looked great in NME and certainly captured the attention of starved rock fans across the globe, a parallel path was being carved out for more melodic pop-leaning bands to coexist across the state.

For many bands living outside of the garage gates, this was probably a frustrating time in some respects, but for my money, it was also one of the most fruitful and exciting times to be a band from Michigan—no matter the sound.

Weir, who had graduated from Spindle at this point and started a new, similarly-minded band in Tiny Steps (with whom I played drums for the first couple of years) recalled that it “was pretty electric” around that time.

“Even though Tiny Steps clearly didn’t fit into the garage thing, we were able to play meaningful shows and have a great time. The whole city had bands going seemingly 24/7, and it was awesome. It didn’t matter where you went there was always a friendly face, and 50/50 chance of catching some excellent music, genre be damned. I was just glad to be there.”

For power pop specifically, there were tons of releases coming out of the state, including Listen Up! by the Brendan Benson-affiliated Mood Elevator, the jangle-forward Low To The Ground by Waxwings (lead by Dean Fertita, who now plays with Queens of the Stone Age, the Raconteurs, and the Dead Weather), the Sloan-y Loud and Clear by Moods for Moderns, the Cheap Trick-esque Light Em Up by the Fags (featuring John Speck of Hoarse), and The Handbag Memoirs EP by the baroque pop band Pas/Cal. Include other bands like the Beatles-inspired the Singles, the Motown-ish pop of Ann Arbor’s Saturday Looks Good To Me, the intelligent indie of the Recital and New Grenada, the polished pop of the Prime Ministers and Starling Electric, the new wave-y Nice Device, and the ragtag sounds of Porchsleeper, Lansing’s Cheap Girls, and the OffRamps, and all of a sudden, yeah, it seemed like there was maybe a scene for guitar pop around here after all.

By the end of the decade, my mid-2000s band Thunderbirds Are Now! (we were doing a post-punk, Devo-kind of thing) had basically run its course, and I had moved on to a new band. In 2007, I teamed up with Cleveland-expat Liz Wittman (who was playing with the twee-ish but still power-poppy Kiddo) and started Friendly Foes. Somewhat sheepishly, I have to acknowledge that if there was a power pop scene, at least in Detroit, Friendly Foes were at the center of it…but writing about your own thing is weird, so I’ll leave that to Nick Piunti.

“When I first heard Born Radical by Friendly Foes I was blown away. I had to find out more about this band, and I became quite a fan.”

Thanks, Nick!

The other reason I’m including this is because out of Piunti’s fandom, we also became friends and collaborators. And it was through that friendship and collaboration that opened a window into the next decade and a half of a handful of Michigan artists doing their best to keep the Midwestern power pop flame alive.

Born Radical: 2010-Now

We’re now in the homestretch of this epic journey into Michigan music history, and if you’ve made it this far—holy shit, you’re a bigger nerd than I thought.

By 2010, Friendly Foes had packed things in, after one record and a few EPs. I loved playing in that band, but my attempts to regain or surpass the same “success” Thunderbirds Are Now! had in the previous decade—with a completely different sound, mind you—never really materialized. (We did get one really nice Pitchfork review, though!) Rather than be discouraged, I turned my focus towards continuing to write songs in the same vein as the Foes, and in 2011 put out my first solo record, called Ryan Allen & His Extra Arms. I played all of the basic instruments on the record (bass, drums, guitar, vocals) and then had guests come in and play things I couldn’t like cello, keys, sax, and more (hence the “Extra Arms” part of the name).

Around the same time, the Michigan pop scene had evolved into a mixture of old and new faces making new sounds. The early part of the decade saw stellar releases by bands such as the Belly-ish Betty Cooper; II, by the local super group Copper Thieves (which imagines what the first Rick Springfield album would have sounded like if it was recorded by Thin Lizzy); Chris Richards, Andy Reed, and Keith Klingensmith’s the Legal Matters (of which Hotpress said, “Fans of the Rubinoos, Fountains of Wayne and Matthew Sweet will savor every note”); the Kinks-meets-GBV style rock of the High Strung’s 13th album ¿Posible O’ Imposible?; and a handful of heavy pop records by a band I played in called Destroy This Place (imagine Fugazi covering the Replacements).

Hooky Bands From All Ends Of The State

As the decade sprawled on, hooky bands from all ends of the state were producing diverse and high-quality records. The list is too long, but it has to include: South Dakota by Love Axe (a band that started in Mt. Pleasant, but then relocated to Oakland, CA, headed by my college roommate Chris Hatifield); the Big Lack EP by Ann Arbor’s fuzzy, Supedrag-esque Minihorse; The Electric Company by Caleb Dillon’s long-running Starling Electric (of which Pulp said, “[Dillon] still loves the Byrds’ riffs, the Zombies’ chamber-pop arrangements, the Beach Boys’ harmonies, and Guided By Voices’ maddeningly succinct lo-fi pop genius”); Swish by Lansing’s Hüsker Dü disciples the Plurals; Groan by early Teenage Fanclub-loving fans Singing Lungs (from Grand Rapids), and the jangle-heavy How Far by Deadbeat Beat (“You Lift Me Up” might be one of my favorite songs to ever come out of this state).

As the following decade kicked into gear, so did Michigan bands like the Pop Project, who finally released their nine-years-in-the-making opus Do Go On, Major Murphy out of Grand Rapids, who dropped Access (“In The Meantime” was one of my favorite songs of 2021), the Waiting for The Click EP by Lansing’s the Stick Arounds, and Mutt House by, well, Mutt House—headed by Teddy Roberts (the drummer of emo-leaning rock band Tigers Jaw), who gives Jellyfish a run for their money with layered vocals and bashed-out pop rock.

I should probably mention that somewhere amidst all of this (2017, to be exact) my solo project had morphed into the full-fledged band Extra Arms. So far we’ve made four high-energy, obnoxiously melodic records that I’m super proud of. In 2024 we released RADAR, and people have had some really nice things to say about it.

Which brings me back to my friendship with Piunti.

The Michigan Mafia

At some point, a few blog writers picked up on the fact that there’s a handful of Michigan dudes—we’ll call them “power pop lifers”—that are not only still carrying melodic rock’s torch, but seem to help one another in one way or another. This group has been dubbed “The Michigan Mafia,” and many of them I met through Piunti.

Who is in this mafia? Glad you asked: along with the aforementioned Piunti (who has carved out an impressive catalog of music made with his collaborators in the Complicated Men) and Chris Richards (who himself has released a number of great records with his band the Subtractions since 2009), you’ve got Andy Reed (who fronted the Haskel’s back in the day, is a Legal Matter, and produces tons of records at his home studio); Donny Brown (a great songwriter and ex-drummer of the Verve Pipe); Keith Klingensmith (another Legal Matter and purveyor of Futureman Records); Tom Curless (who formerly recorded as Your Gracious Host, and now fronts his band the 46%, and makes great pop in the vein of Tommy Keene); Todd Wicks (who, since the demise of the Prime Ministers, has made two ‘80s-rock inspired EPs with his band All Over The Shop that deserve your attention); Jeremy Porter (who after relocating downstate from up north in Marquette, has played with Chutes & Ladders—who opened for Green Day!—SlugBug, and the OffRamps, before starting Jeremy Porter and the Tucos in 2010); David Bierman (former Junk Monkey who is still making his Minneapolis heroes proud with his band David Beirman’s Overdrive), as well as bands Popular Creeps (also big Minneapolis punk fans), and Royal Scene (featuring former 19 Wheels guitarist Scott Owens, morphing a former Replacements cover band into one capable of writing tightly-wound originals).

These bands share members, production assistance, record labels, collaborate on songs, and occasionally play shows together. All live in Michigan, weirdly. I’m also a member of “The Michigan Mafia” and it’s really nice to be grouped in with folks who still believe that loud guitars, hooky melodies, bashing drums, and some clever lyrics can be the cure for what ails ya.

Small Giants: What’s Next?

Somewhere up there (many, many words ago) I essentially asked the question: “Does Michigan have a power pop ‘scene’?’” To be honest, all signs point to…maybe? Obviously, there’s a long line of bands from this state that believe in melody over all else, but as I peeled back layers of the onion, I never got a clear picture of it ever being a true scene. Instead, the real story is that in almost every era discussed, bands that could be considered power pop were integrated into a larger, genre-agnostic scene that featured bands of all kinds; power pop bands played with punk bands, classic rock bands, and—gasp!—even garage bands.

Alongside all of the power pop lifers that are still making new music (like the Happy Accidents’ Paul Einhaus, who has re-emerged and released the endearing and mesmerizing i drunk from a ditch in 2024), bands like Twin Deer (who come to power pop by way of Alvvays); Shadow Show (who make groovy, ‘60s pop with an avalanche of swirly harmonies); Danny VanZandt (who imagines what Weezer would sound like fronted by Stephen Malkmus); the that dog-y Pony and Heavenly Sweetheart (who I am claiming as “Michigan” due to being just across the Detroit River in Windsor, Canada); my brother Scott’s band Big Mess (who have returned from a long hiatus to release the brilliant Wilco/Beach Boys mash-up …from Sheldon Hall to Westland Mall); and the warm, fuzzed-out, GBV-esque sounds of Idle Ray (fronted by Fred Thomas of Saturday Looks Good to Me).

And I can’t leave out Liquid Mike, the Marquette band fronted by postal worker Mike Maple, whose undeniably catchy Weezer-meets-Guided by Voices anthems have landed them features in Rolling Stone, opening shifts on big-time tours with the Wonder Years, the Menzingers, and Joyce Manor, and a slot on the lineup for 2024’s Riot Fest in Chicago (headlined by Fall Out Boy, Beck, and fuckin’ Slayer, dude). Listen to any of the newest releases by these bands, and I think you’ll agree that Michigan power pop is in good hands, and something worth remembering for a long time to come.

[Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published in 2024, just as Detroit-based power poppers Mod Lang were coming together. I’m sure they would have gotten a mention if their excellent debut album, Borrowed Time, was released. So, I’m giving them the final word. Cheers to the future of Michigan power pop in all of its forms, and thanks to Ryan for the amazing 2-part guest post! —S.W. Lauden]

Ryan Allen lives in the suburbs of Detroit and makes music with various outfits, including Extra Arms, Big Life, and Speed Circuit. He fancies himself a prolific songwriter ala Bob Pollard, except less talented, but also younger. Check out Ryan’s Substack interviews.

Share

Looking for a place to start your Michigan power pop journey?

Ryan curated a “Michigan Power Pop” playlist on Spotify to get you going. Buckle up, and prepare to be smitten by some rock from the Mitten.

This two part series was original published in Remember The Lightning—A Guitar Pop Journal, Volume 4, the final installment of our sadly defunct print zine series, in 2024.

The Scene That Never Was (Part 1)

A Partially-Witnessed History of Michigan Power Pop

By

My memory is shit or it’s amazing. Some days I can’t tell.

Some memories will be fragmented; others will be crystal clear. But, I tell myself, “This is what happens when you’ve lived multiple lives between the walls of when you were born and however old you are now.”

This is how I remember it: It’s 1996. I’d just gotten my driver’s license, and was already loading my Discman with catchy and loud guitar music (Sloan, Weezer, et al.) to crank while I drove my blue Mercury Sable around town. When I used the heater, it smelled like pancakes for some reason; but it was my car…my new sanctuary to go and discover a world I was only reading about in magazines alone in my room, pining for some gateway into a cooler existence.

At some point that year I had befriended these two goofy guys named Dave and Karl (no idea how…c’mon memory!). Both Dave and Karl seemed to be connected to a corner of indie rock I was still learning about; they talked about Polvo, Tortoise, and the Make-Up with the same enthusiasm I had for the bands I discovered on my own. I figured I should hang out with these guys so I could add to my precious CD wallet, and upgrade the soundtrack in my Sable.

Since I was the guy with the car, Dave asked if I would drive us out to Ypsilanti—Michigan’s Brooklyn to Ann Arbor’s Manhattan—to The Green Room, a short-lived DIY coffee shop/music venue to see the Make-Up and openers Arab on Radar. Even though I hadn’t heard either band yet, I jumped at the chance to witness what would essentially be my very first “punk show.”

After a short stop at a thrift store (to buy our “show clothes,” I guess?), we arrived at the small space on Michigan Ave. downtown. I’ll spare you most of the details, but I will tell you that the singer from Arab on Radar shoved the microphone up his ass, and the Make-Up put on an amazing show of herky-jerky soul that my brain didn’t fully comprehend at the time (you can actually watch the entire set on YouTube).

The whole thing blew my mind. Welcome to the rest of your life, Ryan.

Where All The Kids Meet

So, where am I going with this and what the fuck does it have to do with Michigan and power pop (indeed, what the title of this article promised)? Well, we had so much fun at the show that we went back the next night; but this time instead of hipster-approved national touring acts, a local band called Spindle was playing. Spindle was fronted by a jittery, floppy-haired guy named Eric Weir, a disciple of all the same pop-infused rock I was feeling drawn to around this time, like Superdrag and Thrush Hermit.

Detroit’s Metro Times once said, “Spindle stands out with an engaging honesty and feeling which drives the hooks and melodies” and from my recollection, that statement holds true. I’m pretty sure they are one of the first local bands I ever saw, and they were awesome. The kind of awesome that made me think, “Wow, there are bands from around here playing the kind of music I like. Maybe I could do that, too?”

I recently texted Weir to ask if he remembered playing this show. He didn’t. Like I said, my memory is shit, so maybe I just imagined it? Either way, I count this as the moment I realized that Michigan might have a space reserved for the kinds of bands that favored melody and harmony over sheer grungy aggression or playing your instrument like a caveman.

You Go In The Opposite Direction

Turns out, according to Third Man Records’ and Dirtbombs drummer Ben Blackwell, I was wrong.

“I’m unsure if there’s a true Detroit or Michigan power pop strain,” Blackwell told me over email. “I think that the folks from Michigan who were doing power pop were teenage guys that grew up seeing the Stooges and MC5 at the Grande Ballroom [Note: An undeniably important, now shuttered Detroit music venue that hosted all the heavy hitters, from Janis Joplin to Pink Floyd]. They saw just the most amazing punk and hard rock at their most formative moments and...how are you gonna ever compete with that? How do you top it? You go in the opposite direction.”

That singular statement poses an interesting question: Does Michigan have a power pop scene? Is there something connecting the music made in the Great Lake State—the state where I have lived my entire life—with what was going on in places like Los Angeles, New York City, and Cleveland in the ‘70s and ‘80s? And if the answer is “yes,” what makes it unique? If the answer is “no,” well, then why the hell not?

Spindle couldn’t have been on an island by themselves in the ‘90s, could they? Let’s see for ourselves.

Search And Destroy:1960-1979

In order to answer these questions, I needed to go back to the start: the “pre-power pop” days of the ‘50s and ‘60s, before high harmonies met high gain. Truthfully, the foundation of what might possibly make up a Michigan power pop scene or sound has been well documented already. So, I don’t need to tantalize you with the history of Motown, nor do I need to impress upon you just how important Alice Cooper, the Stooges and MC5 are to the musical history of this state. You fuckin’ know this shit, and if you don’t you probably shouldn’t be reading a niche power pop magazine only available on Amazon.

That said, I would be remiss not to mention cornerstone Michigan artists such as the garage-y the Pleasure Seekers (featuring a young Suzi Quatro and her sisters) or the good time R&B of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. I also can’t not mention the impact of Flint’s Grand Funk Railroad, Ann Arbor’s the Rationals, or even the “Silver Bullet” man himself, Bob Seger; all laid the brickwork for others to come and stand upon. Throw in late ‘60s and early ‘70s groups like SRC, the Frost, the Rockets, and Sonic’s Rendezvous Band—a veritable super group of legends from MC5, the Rationals, and the Stooges—and the power pop pump is primed.

I should also mention what was going on nationally around this time. Pete Townsend is said to have coined the term “power pop” in 1967 to describe the melodic racket the Who were making. Not too long after, other Beatles-and-Who obsessed, guitar-wielding warriors started to appear throughout the ‘70s. These are bands you know: Raspberries, Badfinger, Cheap Trick and Big Star. Blackwell, a writer himself, said of power pop, “I best heard it described once as ‘Bands trying to sound like Big Star’ and I like that. Even if it’s not perfect, it works for me. To me, the signifiers would tend to be an awareness of punk rock without ever really succumbing to it.”

So, the formula is there. Rock music was happening in Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Flint, and by the mid ‘70s power pop was seemingly having a moment, too. With all that said, there must have been, like, a scene…right? Like I said, I wasn’t there, so I asked Matt Smith of the “possibly power pop” combo Outrageous Cherry to weigh in.

“The first underground band I saw play live in Detroit in the late ‘70s was a group called Master Cylinder, who had a pop vibe. There was also a band called Straight Up who made a 45 back then…very influenced by Badfinger. I always tell people that all the bands from the late ‘70s Detroit punk scene at Bookies [Note: Bookies Club 870, a historic punk/new wave venue that hosted everybody from locals Destroy All Monsters to the Dead Boys and the Police] were trying to sound like the Flamin’ Groovies, which I think is true. The Flamin’ Groovies seem to have had a huge influence on these Detroit musicians, in the same way that all the ‘60s Detroit bands were influenced by the band Them. I wonder if the Flamin’ Groovies’ 45 ‘Shake Some Action’ is what started the whole power pop thing?”

Okay. So, there’s some evidence there, but I should point out that I’d never heard of any of the bands Smith mentioned (aside from the Groovies, obviously) which may slightly prove a point. It doesn’t seem like there was much of a national presence for power pop-adjacent bands from Michigan, nor did it seem like there was much camaraderie aside from the occasional Flamin’ Groovies-obsessed locals opening for the Damned or Johnny Thunders when they came to town.

Even bands like the Torpedos (of whom Metro Times said, “Played in tune, which distinguished them from so many other punk bands of the era.”), the Sillies (who put out a killer single called “No Big Deal” in 1979), Sky (featuring a pre-Knack Doug Fieger, that released two LPs in the early ‘70s), and Dwarf (featuring Nick Piunti, who recorded the kick-ass single “Gotta Get Louder” b/w “I Won’t Be Back” in 1975, when he was around 15 years old) flew under the radar. Fieger, who moved to LA to start the Knack in 1977, told the Intermittent Signals podcast in 2010 that he didn’t even know his band was power pop. “We did have an idea of forming a band influenced by the Who and the Kinks—our two main influences. That was the idea, but nobody called it ‘power pop’ in the beginning.”

Talking to Piunti about those days gives me the impression that it was equally a great time to be a power pop band and a difficult one as well; one that might require following in Fieger’s footsteps and splitting from Michigan to get noticed.

“[Dwarf] started in 6th grade, and our first show was our talent show. We played gigs at junior high school dances, then high school dances,” Piunti said. “By the time we got going it was like ‘Beatlemania,’ with young girls screaming. We were always writing songs and recorded our first single in 1975. We continued to grow (kinda) and write and record until we finished college. We eventually changed our name to the Take, moved to LA and could not compete with the hair metal scene. It wasn’t our bag and didn’t try to make it ours. The band disbanded after two years in LA without making much of a bang.”

Someday, Someway: 1980-1990

By the end of the ‘70s, with the Beatles long gone and the Stones flirting with disco on Some Girls, bands and artists like Cheap Trick, Elvis Costello & the Attractions, the Nerves, Nick Lowe, and Dwight Twilley seemed to pick up the torch, marrying British Invasion-era signifiers (namely harmonies and songs about girls) with something more dirty, distorted, and energetic—pre-dating, or perhaps coinciding with, punk. And you know what? People liked it. A lot. (Cheap Trick At Budokan is three times platinum, for cryin’ out loud)

Developing parallel to power pop and ‘80s new wave was the American and British underground, with bands like R.E.M. and the Smiths leading the charge. By the mid-‘80s, sounds had splintered all over the place and guitar pop bands were taking inspiration from everywhere, forming micro-genres along the way including the ‘60s-inspired, psychedelic sounds of the Paisley Underground and groups like the Rain Parade, to the more rough-and-tumble, glass-throated laments of Paul Westerberg and his band of beautiful drunks, the Replacements. Indeed, rock’s spectrum had widened, and Michigan wasn’t about to be left out of the party.

Much like what was happening nationally, a few Michigan power pop acts had their own flirtation with stardom, namely the Romantics with hits like “What I Like About You” and “Talking In Your Sleep,” and a bespectacled, Buddy Holly-loving guy from the small town of Berkley named Marshall Crenshaw (“Someday, Someway” is still pop perfection). As Outrageous Cherry’s Smith was keen to remind me, the Romantics were on American Bandstand in 1980 (a “major moment in Detroit power pop history,” he claims). A few years later, Crenshaw actually played his idol Holly in the 1987 hit movie La Bamba (which was also the first time I saw nude breasts in my life). Needless to say, big time stuff.

But like all musical movements, there’s usually something bubbling under the surface that is even more exciting than what’s going on above ground. And even though it could hardly be called a “scene”—according to Chris Richards (he of Hippodrome, Chris Richards & the Subtractions, and the Legal Matters), something was happening.

Richards told me via email, “When we started in the ‘80s, we were inspired by the southeast jangle scene (the dB’s/R.E.M./Let’s Active) as much as the Paisley pop scene (the Church/the Three O’Clock), as well as where it started with the Beatles/Who/Kinks.”

About the local scene, Richards says, “I certainly don’t remember a lot of power pop bands in the mid-‘80s when we started—as it felt Hippodrome (my first real band) shared many a bill with pop leaning rock bands. Bands I recall loving were Static Alphabet, Orange Roughies, Dancing Smoothies, and a few more my addled brain cannot remember.”

So, once again I feel like I’m getting somewhere and—BAM!— somebody is like, “Dude, there was no scene.” That said, I would be remiss to not mention some of the great pop music that was coming out of Michigan at this time. You have the aforementioned Orange Roughies, who were on a similarly jangly wavelength as Material Issue, and Junk Monkeys, fronted by David Bierman, who gave Soul Asylum’s Dave Pirner a run for his money. Richard’s assessment of his own work in Hippodrome is essentially spot-on, and their song “The Girl You Met Yesterday” is the best song Psychedelic Furs never wrote. Toss in the garage-y pop of Hysteric Narcotics—who’s “Wild As Soul” is 13th Floor Elevators with Attractions-style organ—and you’ve got worthy local equivalents of the cool kids’ club. Hell, even Detroit native Chad Smith (later of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame) got to put as much gated reverb on his snare as he wanted in his pre-Peps, Plimsouls-esque band Toby Redd.

Be My Satellite: 1990-2000

By the end of the ‘80s, MTV had a full stranglehold on the youth of America. All the while, college radio stations were playing more and more obscure music and the punk underground was being built on the backs of aggressive hardcore bands like Black Flag and Minor Threat. Dance, pop, and R&B music was still driving the charts, and a hard version of poetry and rhythm called rap was starting to bubble up to the mainstream. You had groups as diverse as Public Enemy, Milli Vanilli, and U2 all sharing the public’s consciousness. What I’m trying to say is that this shit was primed for what happened next.

1991 hit, and like frazzled, bratty angels sent from the heavens to kill hair metal, Nirvana arrived and blew the damn barn doors off. Disintegrated them, in fact, and the world was never the same. With the success of this ripped-and-stained band from Seattle, rock music was big fuckin’ business all of a sudden, and the record labels immediately started hunting for the next big, loud, melodic thing. In the wake of Nevermind, a newer new wave of guitar bands began popping up like daisies: bands with names like Superdrag, Jellyfish, Sloan, the Posies, Teenage Fanclub, Velvet Crush, Weezer, and, like, 10 million more. To paraphrase what Superdrag’s John Davis told Metro Pulse in 2005, they all seemed keen on combining Beatles melodies with Dinosaur Jr. guitar. And guess what? Like the rest of the country, lots of Michigan-dwelling bands heard these groups and said, “Sounds awesome. Sign me up!”

Back then, I was fully dialed in to my local alt rock radio station, 89X, which debuted on May 13, 1991, and played everything from the Cure and the Cult to some of the more obscure Canadian indie bands of the day, like the Jale, Hardship Post, and Pure (due to being stationed across the Detroit River in Windsor, Canada). They also had specialized programming, including “The Homeboy Show”—hosted by DJ Kelly Brown—where they played local acts. This is where I first started to hear about bands with names like Daddy Long Legs, Breach, and a quirky, jangle-pop band called the Happy Accidents, who had a nerdy pop vibe that fit right in with the Weezer-leaning Generation Blue geek rock that was happening at the time.

“The Homeboy Show” quickly became a resource, and soon I was finding out about other local bands that dug crunchy guitars and impassioned harmonies just as much as I did.

One such band was called the Fletcher Pratt.

“[The Fletcher Pratt singer/guitarist] George Dubber and I began jamming with other middle school friends in St. Clair Shores, back in 1989,” singer/guitarist Stephen Palmer said via email. “Fletcher Pratt grew out of a four-track cassette project called Big Moss, which George and I started in high school in 1993. Big Moss was our version of a Lennon-McCartney-esque collaboration—big surprise. Our tastes also leaned towards current acts like Urge Overkill, Dinosaur Jr., Smashing Pumpkins, Matthew Sweet, Lemonheads, R.E.M., and other power pop bands. At that time, we were blissfully unaware of Guided by Voices or Sloan, who would later become major influences.”

Honestly, I’m not sure if I first heard the Fletcher Pratt on the radio or if I saw them play live (there’s that bad memory again), but either way, they were doing exactly the kind of music that I wished my scrappy band was doing—clear, ringing Rickenbackers, with loud, Keith Moon-style drumming, referencing all the best ‘90s power pop bands, but also British Invasion/mod sounds and styles, in just the coolest way.

They were also playing with my Canadian heroes; I saw them open for Sloan, the Inbreds, the New Pornographers, and more. Listen to songs like “Electrocute!” and “Satellite” and tell me this isn’t the shit. But similar to Richards and Piunti before him, Palmer found it hard to figure out where they fit in.

“When we first attempted to play shows, we didn’t know any bands in Detroit. We had no idea how to go about getting a gig other than calling the venue and asking whoever answered if we could book a show. In those days, it was all about draw: ‘Can you draw?! …how many people?!’ We played coffee houses and occasional ‘audition nights’ at certain bars that would give you a weekend slot if you did okay on a Wednesday. The notion of building a bill with other bands never occurred to us because we had no idea you could do that. We were 18 or 19—we couldn’t actually get into bars. We actually thought ‘TBA’ was a band and marveled at their ability to land so many gigs, sometimes at different venues in the same night.”

That’s a funny joke, of course, but also the Midwestern naiveté of the ‘90s—where information was hard to come by, yet the world seemed to be moving faster all of a sudden—is maybe part of the formula for what makes a Michigan power pop band tick. Maybe “not fitting in” (either out of not caring or being oblivious) was the thing that connected these bands, in some way.

While the Verve Pipe and Sponge were making national waves with alt rock singles “The Freshman” and “Molly,” lesser known bands were making noise all over the state. For instance, Lansing—home of Michigan State University—produced radio-ready rock (think Stroke 9 or Marvelous 3) in the form of bands like 19 Wheels and Fat Amy (weirdly featuring future The Bachelor star Bob Guiney). In 1996, a kid from Royal Oak named Brendan Benson linked up with former Jellyfish member Jason Falkner and wrote and released a power pop masterpiece in One Mississippi (on Virgin Records, no less).

And bands like Hoarse (lead by John “Speck” Liccardello, later of the Fags and HiFi Handgrenades, who were signed to RCA), the Numbers (lead by Kenny Tudrick, who later played with the Detroit Cobras and Kid Rock), and the Atomic Numbers are all regarded as absolutely essential power pop of the era. Listen to songs like Hoarse’s “Diamond” or the entirety of Atomic Numbers’ Electromotive—a band Metro Times said “manage to retro-fit the grand pop sounds of yesteryear (think Badfinger, Elvis Costello) into a walloping, brainy whole of post-modern rock ‘n’ roll”—and it’s hard to understand why these bands weren’t touring with Foo Fighters or some shit.

Still, there’s an amazing treasure trove of bands from this era to check out, including the aforementioned, bubblegum-meets-psych songwriting genius of Matt Smith and Outrageous Cherry, the New York Dolls/Ramones, cross-dressing glam-pop of the Trash Brats (basically the Exploding Hearts well before they existed), the Buffalo Tom-style melodic rock of Grayling, the youthful mod-rock of the Jam/Supergrass/Buzzcocks-obsessed the Sights, and the indie leaning art-pop of Cloud Car (featuring John Nelson, who I now play with in the band Speed Circuit).

So, what’s the deal? Why weren’t bands like the Fletcher Pratt and their peers huge?

Palmer explained: “We never drew more than 80-100 people at our peak and just didn’t appeal to people en masse. We had a ton of help along the way in terms of great gigs with bigger, national acts, [but] we just couldn’t make fire…”

YOU’RE HALF WAY THERE…KEEP GOING!

Ryan Allen lives in the suburbs of Detroit and makes music with various outfits, including Extra Arms, Big Life, and Speed Circuit. He fancies himself a prolific songwriter ala Bob Pollard, except less talented, but also younger. Check out Ryan’s Substack interviews.

Share

Looking for a place to start your Michigan power pop journey?

Ryan curated a “Michigan Power Pop” playlist on Spotify to get you going. Buckle up, and prepare to be smitten by some rock from the Mitten.

Do power poppers dream of millions of streams?

That was the odd question running through my head as I assembled this 40-song playlist. I’m sure many of them do since that’s how mainstream musical success—along with YouTube views and TikTok virality—is often measured these days. Radio (in it’s various forms) hasn’t gone anywhere, but digital metrics get all the attention.

Except maybe in power pop, a nostalgia-fueled musical universe populated by hook loving nerds with hearts pumping to a British Invasion backbeat. When we talk about all of the shoulda-been-hits and devastating commercial failures this sub-genre has delivered since the early ‘70s, we’re most often talking about illusive radio hits.

So it would make sense that these ‘60s-influenced artists would still be dreaming and singing about hearing their song on the radio, the way Dwight Twilley did in his 1986 track “Radio”:

On the radio, the radio
We’re gonna be on the radio
Tell everybody that you’ve ever known
That you’re gonna be on the radio

At least that’s what I assumed.

I had a lot of momentum in the early stages thanks to a sturdy foundation of Elvis Costello, Cheap Trick, Teenage Fanclub, Sloan and Ramones, but getting to my self-imposed goal of 40 songs was tricky—especially when trying to weave in artists from the past decade.

Even with my loose genre definitions, there weren’t as many modern options as anticipated (a different story if this was a country or hip hop playlist). Somehow The freakin’ Guess Who was an unexpected exception with their excellent 2018 song “Playin’ on the Radio,” as well as “This Ain’t A Radio Sound” by The Speedways and, of course, “Radio Punk” by Bad Nerves.

My faulty memory was another challenge.

There are plenty of power pop pop/adjacent songs from the ‘70s/‘80s and ‘90s golden eras that mention radio, but not as many with that specific word in the title (self-inflicted problem, I know). The Modern Lovers “Roadrunner” is probably one of the greatest proto-punk odes to radio that doesn’t mention that medium in the title.

I happily clawed my way to 40 songs, and even left off a couple of pretty obvious tracks that I’m guessing some of you will point out in the comments. In the end, this might be one of my favorite themed playlists simply because it forced me to explore artists and deep album cuts I haven’t spent as much time with. I hope you dig it too.

So…turn on, tune in, and pop out.

What “Radio” Power Pop Songs Would You Add To The List?

Leave a comment

If Spotify Is Your Thing, Please Give This Playlist A Like, Save, Share…

Hate Spotify? Here’s A YouTube Version Of The Same Playlist…

Power Pop Radio on YouTube

Previous Themed Playlists

Share

My Collage Store On Etsy

I’m not going to claim that a lot of people have asked how to purchase my collages outside of LA…but a few people have. For them and anybody else who might be interested, I have opened an Etsy store. Currently only shipping in the U.S. until I get my head around all of this. Greeting card packs featuring select collage images will be posted in the next few weeks. —> Coulter Collage Etc.

It’s safe to say that my core musical tastes were still forming in 1986.

My insatiable teen appetite for new songs and artists had me exploring every corner of the expansive rock universe. I never totally lost that innocent hunger for pop thrills, but my tastes definitely narrowed throughout my 20s and 30s (and I consequently became more of judge-y jerk about music for a while there).

But in 1986, my mixed tapes were just as likely to include They Might Be Giants’ “Don’t Let’s Start” as The Primates’ “I Ain’t Like You” (or even Poison’s “Talk Dirty To Me”)—intertwined with all of the new pop (Bangles, Prince), punk (Descendents, Ramones), and college/alt rock (PIL, fIREHOSE, Tom Waits) I greedily devoured.

These days I like to think that I’m closer to the music lover I was way back in the mid-’80s.

Sure, I spill a lot of ink about power pop and adjacent genres, but get in the car with me when I’m running errands or commuting to work and you’ll find that I’m always on the hunt for diamond’s in the rough from various musical genres.

In the end, I’m still a sucker for pop hooks—whether buried under distorted guitars, delivered as a stadium anthem, jangled on a 12-string, or laid bare on an acoustic.

Any song that gives me goosebumps, for whatever reason, will get repeat listens.

I think a lot of that goes back to my voracious appetite for new music during those formative high school years.

Many of the albums below were a revelation for me back then, while others clicked for me later in life. That’s a beautiful thing about music, it will be there waiting when (and if) you’re ready for it.

Maybe some of these albums do that for you too.

What’s Your Favorite Album From 1986?

Leave a comment

1. REM—Lifes Rich Pageant

Released by IRS Records in July, 1986

“Suffused with a love of nature and a desire for man-kind’s survival, the LP paints a swirling, impressionistic portrait of a country at the moral crossroads, at once imperiled by its own self-destructive impulses and poised for a hopeful new beginning.”—Rolling Stone

“Lifes Rich Pageant is R.E.M.'s first transition album, one that builds on the innovations of their early releases while hinting at the territory they would cover on Document and Green.”—Pitchfork

2. Concrete Blonde—Concrete Blonde

Released by IRS Records in August, 1986

“Concrete Blonde shows a band with dark, if not actually gothic, lyrical and musical directions. If anything, they’re closer to punk. Napolitano was composing odes to her city of residence, most of them seething, showing a woman on the verge of packing her shit and getting the hell out.”—Pop Matters

“At the time of release, it was rockers like ‘Still in Hollywood’ and ‘True’ that captured attention and radio play. But there’s an enduring emotional resonance to the balance of the album that keeps it compelling.”—Spectrum Culture

3. Soul Asylum—While You Were Out

Released by Twin/Tone in November, 1986

“For sheer energy, Soul Asylum rarely sounded as sharp and fully engaged as they did on While You Were Out.”—AllMusic

“Live, these guys impress with their tunes, energy, and performance. Here, you get a well-crafted pop LP. I know the Hüsker Dü comparison is uncool, but it’s so obvious, along with a Replacements touch, that I gotta do it. Power pop.”—Maximum Rockandroll

4. The Smithereens—Especially For You

Released by Enigma in July, 1986

“A wonderful record, an un-fancy set of memorable songs—‘Alone at Midnight,’ ‘Strangers When We Meet,’ ‘Time and Time Again’—that reflect both DiNizio’s sour view of romance and the quartet’s sincere fandom for a number of great bands of the ’60s—the Beatles, Searchers, Who and Kinks.”—Trouser Press

“Especially for You is delightful not only because of this New York quartet's ingenious grasp of song construction, but also for its wry perspective on revivalism.”—Rolling Stone

5. The Pandoras—Stop Pretending

Released by Rhino in February, 1986

“Stop Pretending effectively plays tough with stereotypes about ‘60s bands and girl bands, putting Pierce and her cohorts on top.”—Los Angeles Times

“While maintaining the ‘60s fixation and playing up the brash-hussy stance, Stop Pretending features stronger playing and a harder-rocking edge (there’s no reason why ‘In and Out of My Life (In a Day)’ shouldn’t have been a hit), suggesting that the Pandoras aren’t as hopelessly mired in historical fetishism as one might assume.”—Trouser Press

6. Tommy Keene—Songs From The Film

Released by Geffen in February, 1986

“Keene's talent shines through in memorable songwriting and biting guitar solos. ‘In Our Lives’ and ‘Goldtown’ are classic Tommy Keene melodic power rockers, while ‘The Story Ends’ stands among his best Beatlesque ballads.”—AllMusic

“As a musical artifact, Songs might be the long sought after missing link between Big Star and Paul Westerberg's solo work, or even a harbinger of times to come when '80s alternative and pop music would collide head on.”—Pitchfork

7. Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians—Element Of Light

Released by Relativity in October, 1986

“Whether he happens to be praising prawns or chronicling a disintegrating mental state, Robyn Hitchcock is, first of all, an astonishingly gifted songwriter.”—New York Times

“Element of Light, Hitchcock's second studio album with the Egyptians, remains one of his finest moments and offers a convincing argument for his talents as a pop craftsman.”—AllMusic

8. Hüsker Dü—Candy Apple Grey

Released by Warner Bros. in March, 1986

“This is the album that combines the supersonic soar of Flip Your Wig with the full-grown vision of New Day Rising.”—The Village Voice

“Candy Apple Grey has certainly thrown Hüsker Dü devotees for a loop with its striking studio clarity and zigzag pacing—from sonic meltdowns like ‘Crystal’ to Hart's sing-along aggro pop (‘Sorry Somehow,’ ‘Dead Set on Destruction’) and Mould's stark acoustic musings (‘Too Far Down’ and ‘Hardly Getting Over It’)...”—Rolling Stone

Check out the whole X/Z Song Trader series.

Steve’s Perspective 

Cover versions of beloved songs are tricky.

It’s a balancing act for artists earnestly attempting to pay homage while adding their own spin. Musicians who stay too faithful to the original run the risk of pale imitation; those that stray too far in the wrong direction might inadvertently disrespect the chosen artist. (Never mind those intending to offend.)

Many take the stripped down approach with covers, distilling the song’s very essence. Johnny Cash probably did this best with his heartbreaking rendition of “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails. More daring artists rework the material in their own image, keeping just enough of the original DNA to make it recognizable. Devo’s cover of “Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones is a perfect example of this approach.

And then there are covers that—to my ringing ears—are in a category all their own, including Dinosaur Jr.’s genius 1989 reimagining of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven.”

It’s interesting to think that both bands were considered “alternative rock” in the ‘80s.

The Cure got their start in the late ‘70s post-punk and goth scenes, but had become more of a mainstream pop band by the time they released “Just Like Heaven” in 1987. The beloved track was the third single from their platinum album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me and the first of their songs to be a Top 40 hit in the U.S.

The band that became Dinosaur Jr. got their start in the east coast hardcore punk scene in the mid-’80s before coming to epitomize the jagged edge of indie rock later in the decade. With a sound that mixed ‘70s heavy rock and Neil Young-esque vocals, ‘80s punk and a healthy dose of noise, they helped set the stage for the alt rock revolution that exploded in the ‘90s with bands like Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins.

I was in college and already a Dinosaur Jr. fan when I first heard their Cure cover. It was originally recorded for a compilation during the sessions for their 1987 album Living All Over Me, the same year The Cure single was all over alternative rock radio. I remember thinking the Dinosaur Jr. version was a send up at first because it seemed too incongruous with their sound to be sincere—but quickly changed my mind.

Dinosaur Jr. is clearly having fun with this track.

Especially on the backing vocal for “I kissed her HAIR” and the half time sludgery of the chorus—but in my opinion it’s a magical cover because they obviously respect the stellar songwriting and totally lean in. “Just Like Heaven” has been covered many times, but Robert Smith himself has said that the Dinosaur Jr. version is a favorite:

“J Mascis sent me a cassette, and it was so passionate. It was fantastic. I’ve never had such a visceral reaction to a cover version before or since.”

I’ve heard The Cure version of this song come up on a few of your playlists, so I was curious if you’ve ever heard the Dinosaur Jr. version. Maybe I shared it with you?

This kind of playing against genre by covering a pop song was pretty common for indie rock bands in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but I wonder how somebody your age perceives it now that genres have essentially been erased by streaming.

Did you think it was parody, or do you hear the sincerity too?

Lucy’s Perspective

Honestly, I was kind of skeptical of this version, mostly because I’m so partial to the original.

Upon closer examination, I really like the way that they reshaped the sound of the song. It feels almost like a slightly distorted record in a way that is super fun.

The song itself is so classic sounding that you can tell the original melody is still embedded into this more alternative cover, even with other instruments and distortion playing over it. I think that is what makes this so unique, the song itself sounds totally different, while still capturing the allure of The Cure’s original.

My favorite thing about this version is that it is not even necessarily more upbeat.

It still feels somewhat poppy, but it has a little more spirit to it. Similarly, Robert Smith has such a melancholic voice, almost similar to The Smiths, whereas J Mascis has a more honest (raw?) voice. I think that is where the sincerity of this version comes in. Even though there are some bits that feel somewhat parodical, his earnestness ensures that the song does not come across as a joke in any way.

It also feels kind of hilarious the way that the song ends so abruptly. Something about being in the middle of what feels like a bridge and then all of the sudden the song just ends is so reflective of this version in its entirety.

All in all I actually really enjoyed this version of the song! More than I thought I would, for sure.

I definitely could hear the sincerity in the lead singer’s voice, among all the distortion. I don’t think you have ever played this cover for me before or really anything from this band, but I do know and really like a few of their other songs through friends.

I love that you picked a song you know I love in a different version. It’s exciting to find a happy medium between our own musical preferences!

What’s Your Favorite Cover Song?

Leave a comment

Lucy’s Next Song Choice

“Who’s Lovin’ You” by Jackson 5

Welcome to the 40th installment in our long running series.

If you’re new around here, once a month (for 40 freakin’ months?!) we round up a handful of recent guitar pop tracks that we discovered thanks to some of our go-to music reviewers. Each song is posted along with a blurb and link to the review.

Over time we’ve also created two running GPFNP playlists—one on Spotify and one on YouTube. You can find both options at the bottom of the page.

Any good scene is a thriving eco-system where talented artists deliver the songs, and dedicated music reviewers help spread the word. Let’s support all of them.

Give the 10 tracks below a listen and be sure to click thru and read the reviews that helped point me toward the great stuff.

What Are A Few Of Your Favorite Tracks Below?

Leave a comment

“‘Might See You There’ is anchored by another catchy guitar riff, while the chorus features male and female vocals harmonizing. In lieu of a bridge, the short song features pounding piano in the outro, adding another layer to the track.”—Chris Conaton, Popmatters

“This EP is short and sweet with three songs clocking in at a total of six-and-a-half minutes. If you grew up on early '90s college radio, this band will be speaking your language.”—Lord Rutledge, Faster and Louder

“Reducing Mod Lang to their influences would be a crime. Mod Lang’s songs are vibrant and catchy, as fresh feeling and yet as eternal as a surprising breeze.”—Joe Bonomo, No Such Thing As Was

“What ultimately defines the album is its balance between reflection and immediacy. Stoltz engages with themes of artistic identity and personal evolution without allowing them to become burdensome.”—James Broscheid, The Big Takeover

“After making my #2 album of 2025, The Gnomes have returned for a chaser, and these guys are firing on all cylinders here.”—Aaron Kupferberg, Power Popaholic

“They end with a version of ‘Playing Bogart’ by the short-lived new wave group 23 Jewels. ‘Playing Bogart’ is as fun as anything else on Softjaw, which makes sense—they are clearly a band who understands good power pop, then and now.”—Rosy Overdrive

“So far my favorite single is ‘Black Site,’ with its Todd Rundgren guitar riffs and sticky melodies that will have you singing things like ‘I’m glad we spent time together / now that time is almost over’ with a smile on your face.”—Jami Fowler, The Alternative

“‘How You Gonna Get Even’ is guitar pop of the highest quality, a great pop song for all times. Rural France’s lyrical wit and strength often gets overlooked, the pen is as mighty as the sword.”—Don Valentine, I Don’t Hear A Single

“They effortlessly transition into the bright, melodic clarity of The Lemonheads with the standout ‘Donna’s Song,’ where jangling guitars and infectious hooks shine through the fuzzy haze.”—JanglePopHub

“The album is the result of two years shaped by challenge, creative block, and rediscovery, following the end of a stagnant long term relationship, Matt Scottoline explores growth, online dating, and eventually the impending experience of fatherhood.”—Northern Transmissions

Remind The Algorithm That RTL Exists!

Share

YouTube GPFNP Playlist

YouTube—GPFNP Playlist

Spotify GPFNP Playlist

A Note From : Folks notice that I only give good reviews. All this music comes from the heart. That’s what power pop is. Nobody pays these guys. They’re lucky to book a gig at International Pop Overthrow. A handful of bands make a living at it but for all of them, it’s a labor of love. If I hear a record that doesn’t click for me, I don’t review it. Mike’s Newsletter.

Bona Fide by The Honeymoon Stallions (Kool Kat)

The Honeymoon Stallions are a power pop trio that unabashedly mines the great tradition of The Beatles, The Shazam and a thousand other bands. They carry a whiff of the canyon too. Lead singer and guitarist Andy Goldberg wrote the songs and leads his sinuous retro-‘60s conga line from triumph to triumph.

“Kiss Me Quick” is a perfectly constructed lyrical ode to classic ‘60s, the British Invasion, The Knickerbockers, Barry & The Remains. Pedal steel on “Daily Dose” would elicit cheers in Bakersfield; sounds like something Crosby, Stills and Nash could sing. “Under the Moonlight” hits the sweet spot. This is pure power pop, but I heard the contours of Martha and the Vandellas’ “Heatwave” in the changes and hook. “Got My Eyes On You” is another mid-tempo charmer. These guys don’t have to stomp to stick. “Coming Around Again” has one foot in roots rock, gleaming with Gary Hood’s sweet harmonica.

I always laugh when someone posts, “There’s no good music anymore.” They just don’t know where to look. Every year I say it and every year it’s true—this has been one of the greatest years in pop/rock history. You just have to know where to look.

Everything Must Go! by Star Collector

This Vancouver-based quartet excels at stadium ready, fist-pumping pop/rock highlighted by Tony Kerr’s extraordinarily in-your-face bass—often with reverb—and Steve Monteith’s soaring guitar. Lead singer Vic Wayne wrote the lyrics and collaborated on the melodies, mostly with Monteith.

The arena rock title track would raise the dead. It’s a Cheap Trick-like performance although they don’t sound like Cheap Trick. Wayne sings over drums only on “Queen Bed” until that bass weighs in like a nine hundred pound gorilla. “Shining Example” is also the place for bass. Kerr’s bass gives Star Collector a unique sound; well, that and the songs themselves, all of which are built like the Golden Gate Bridge. The bass comes all fuzzed up on “Heavy On You,” more delightful with each appearance. “The Best Thing” is Byrds-like power pop. It just builds and builds to the wailing guitar of “Shakedown The Breakdown.”

We’re comin’ through
We’re comin’ through
We’re comin’ true

You can practically see fifty thousand fans with fists in the air. Star Collector lets you down easy with “Your Version of Me.”

Someday’s A Long Time by The Glimmer Stars (Rum/Bar)

The Glimmer Stars formed in 2000. Twenty-six years later they release this improvised explosive device rife with glam overtones, thanks to lead singer Mini Mendez’ voice. He sounds like a cross between Jeremy and Bowie, but always his own man. “I Don’t Wanna Let You Go Tonight” detonates in your face, sinking hooks everywhere. “Run Away” and “I Need To Know” both feature that first/fourth chord progression endemic to rock and roll but the other songs don’t.

“Autumn Girl” has a chorus that sounds like barking dogs, only musical. “Love, Madeline” builds tension with each chord, a slow burn that erupts. The line “I want to know” pops up in both “Snow In Hell” and “Maybe.” “Snow In Hell” has a massive fat bottom bass and throbbing drums. “Maybe” is completely different.

No weak songs. Their effortless, exhilarating songs must be a gas in person.

It’s All Good, Sugar… by The Greenberry Woods (Big Stir)

How often does a thirty-seven year old band get back on its feet and release an aural bouquet, bursting with melody and harmony? The Greenberry Woods formed in 1989 in Maryland. And here they are with one of the best albums of the year. The Woods begat Splitsville, a great power pop band in its own right whose Beach Boys inspired The Complete Pet Soul is a masterpiece. And then Splitsville released Mobtown last year. It’s almost too much. But it’s not.

The jangle starts with “Summer Song” and never lets up. Shaped like a Marshall Crenshaw song, the vocal packs a punch on “Waiting ‘Round For Something To Go Wrong.” “Whenever You Want Me Too” is sunny, upbeat, and timeless. “Lame Love Letter” recalls Swinging Steaks. The pensive, beautiful “Very Good Year” jumps to the 4^th in the first stanza. “On the Day We Drowned” is timeless, gorgeous, held together by elegant strings. “That Won’t Make You Love Me” reminds me of The Shazam. “That Girl” sounds like an Elvis Costello song, only better.

The record is redolent of Midwestern positivity—The Hawks, Fools Face, Shoes. It doesn’t matter where they’re based. Outstanding.

Sharing, liking, and commenting are great ways to help spread the word.

Share

S.W. Lauden’s Collage Store

I’m not going to claim that a lot of people have asked how to purchase my collages outside of LA…but a few people have. For them and anybody else who might be interested, I have opened an Etsy store. Currently only shipping in the U.S. until I get my head around all of this. Greeting card packs featuring select collage images will be posted in the next few weeks. —> Coulter Collage Etc.

I published an earlier version of this essay after seeing Robyn Hitchcock live in 2023. I saw him again last night, renewing my awe for this psych pop troubadour.

Listening to a Robyn Hitchcock album is like entering a series of magical realms.

A melodic white rabbit, he draws music lovers in with ‘60s pop hooks and playful song titles that often deliver us into swirling psychedelic spheres populated by ghosts, anthropomorphized insects, dark literary icons, and the odd balloon man.

Whether strumming an acoustic or backed by the jangling guitars, grooving bass, and pounding drums of a world-class band, Hitchcock delivers his surreal lyrics with the ease of a crooner and the menace of a macabre storyteller. All of that while occasionally writing some of the most heart-wrenchingly earnest love songs ever.

It would be an amazing trick for any artist to pull off on a couple releases, but Hitchcock has done it consistently across 20+ studio albums. And he’s still writing and recording some of his most vital material almost 50 years into a stunning career.

There are many paths music lovers can take to reach Hitchock’s magical realms.

Punk/post punk with the The Soft Boys; fantastical singer/songwriter threaded throughout much of the solo work; world-class psych and pop with The Egyptians; and authentic elder statesman via his varied and inspiring output in the last decade—all built on a swirling foundation of ‘60s influences ranging from The Beatles and Bob Dylan to Syd Barrett, The Byrds and beyond.

Once you’ve arrived, you’re in for a unique experience where nothing is quite what it seems, and the well-trodden musical paths that drew you in become Escher-esque staircases into the mind of a singular musical icon.

The lyrics from his recent single “I Am This Thing” sum it up nicely:

I say what? I say words!
I love the music of the Byrds
I grew from seed, a fleshy seed
I am alone in thought and deed

Although I’d loved his music since the mid-’80s, I didn’t see Hitchcock live until 1993.

Watching him perform a solo set from the lip of the stage in a packed Prague beer hall was mesmerizing. That’s the night I officially went from casual Robyn Hitchcock fan to disciple—and I’ve remained devoted ever since.

These days, I count two of his albums among my all time favorites—Underwater Moonlight by The Soft Boys, and Fegmania! by Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians. A couple standout releases from the 2000s include Goodnight Oslo by Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3, his self-titled solo album from 2017, and Shufflemania! from 2022.

But you can pretty much jump in anywhere and find more than a few songs that will blow your mind—and many that will take you on a kaleidoscopic journey through the magical realms created by a living musical legend.

My Hitchcock awe was once again renewed during his LA show at Zebulon last night.

There were many specific songs I hoped for, but the unpredictable set lists are part of the fun when seeing him live; he’s got a deep, dark well of material to pull from—including many covers—and the between song banter never disappoints.

I’ve seen two previous tours at Zebulon featuring San Francisco’s Kelley Stoltz as the opener and Hitchcock’s drummer. He switched things up this time around with fantastic opening sets from Emma Swift and Jeremy Fetzer, who both did double duty backing Hitchcock during his set. Hitchcock’s band also included the rock solid rhythm section of bassist Todd Bolden and drummer Patrick Berkery.

The crowd was treated to a career-spanning set starting with solo takes on “Raymond Chandler Evening” and “I Often Dream of Trains.” Full-band highlights included “So You Think You’re In Love,” “Autumn Sunglasses,” “Madonna of the Wasps,” and back-to-back Soft Boys favorites “Insanely Jealous” and “I Wanna Destroy You.”

The band ended their set with an encore of “Dear Prudence” and “All Along The Watchtower” before Hitchcock and Swift’s guitarist Luther Russell closed the night by wandering the crowd with acoustic guitars for a spirited Beatles singalong.

A fitting end to another perfect night of exploring Robyn Hitchcock’s magical realms.

Share

Five More From Robyn Hitchcock

“I Wanna Destroy You”

“Mad Shelley’s Letterbox”

“Cynthia Mask”

“Madonna of the Wasps”

“My Wife and My Dead Wife”

It’s funny that a “Me” themed playlist was a team effort.

Last weekend I posted an aggregated list of the various playlists I’ve assembled over the last couple of years. At the end of that post, I asked what my next playlist should be and subscriber delivered:

How about a playlist of songs with the word "me" in the title? Lots of songs are self-referential. A few ideas—"Don't Wait Up for Me Tonight" by The Beat, "Nothing to Me" by Tinted Windows, and "Precious to Me" by Phil Seymour.

Not only is that a great idea, but the three songs he suggested are right in my wheelhouse, giving me a head start. Remember The Lightning might not have the biggest subscriber list on MusicStack, but I’m confident in saying that the readers and commenters who stick around are my people.

I love power pop—and all of the adjacent sub-genres under the greater guitar pop umbrella—but there’s no denying that it’s often a self-centered style of music.

In my opinion, this is a feature and not a bug. What is power pop if not a universe teeming with (mostly) brokenhearted boys-of-all-ages licking their wounds and pining away over their romantic fixations? In that way, “Me” has been a powerful lyrical weapon for many British Invasion-obsessed songwriters over the past 60 years.

I was absolutely spoiled for song choices while putting this playlist together. It got so overwhelming that I briefly considered splitting this one into two installments (I arbitrarily cap these playlists at 40 songs to keep things interesting for…me).

In the end, I decided to let readers flesh the “Power Pop Me” playlist out in the comments. Make sure to include song links with your suggestions.

Leave a comment

If Spotify Is Your Thing, Please Give This Playlist A Like, Save, Share…

Hate Spotify? Here’s A YouTube Version Of The Same Playlist…

POWER POP ME on YOUTUBE

Previous Themed Playlists

My Collage Store On Etsy

I’m not going to claim that a lot of people have asked how to purchase my collages outside of LA…but a few people have. For them and anybody else who might be interested, I have opened an Etsy store. Currently only shipping in the U.S. until I get my head around all of this. Greeting card packs featuring select collage images will be posted in the next few weeks. —> Coulter Collage Etc.

What an incredible year for guitar pop.

I went into this certain that Weezer’s Pinkerton would top my list, but the more I researched the further it slid. Although I was neck-deep in new music back then, I’m even more blown away by the quality and sheer quantity of great releases in retrospect.

Don’t get me wrong, Weezer’s misunderstood masterpiece is still one of my favorite ‘90s albums—I just started to wonder if it ultimately qualified for this list. If anything, Pinkerton is exactly the moment when the LA geek rockers briefly abandoned the poppier sensibilities that propelled the Blue Album onto the charts two years earlier.

Although Pinkerton certainly does offer a few moments of undeniable pop bliss…

The collection of artists/albums below also breaks my streak of indulging in “willful obscurity” with these lists.

Not all of the artists below topped the charts, or even made a dent in the mainstream, but most will be very familiar to RTL subscribers. I’ve definitely published posts about Guided By Voices, Sloan, Descendents, and Fountains of Wayne in the last few years.

Rounding out this installment in the sporadic “album birthday” series are two acts from the UK—Sleeper and Ash—as well as the major label debut from beloved Tennessee alt rockers Superdrag, and celebrated power pop underdog Chris Von Sneidern (subject of the 2010 documentary Why Isn't Chris Von Sneidern Famous?).

There are two other notable omissions that would have made this list a little too long. Can you guess what they are? What other guitar pop albums from 1996 would you add?

Join the conversation…mind your manners.

Leave a comment

1. Guided By Voices—Under The Bushes Under The Stars

Released by Matador Records in March, 1996

“Imagine if you can, that somewhere in a parallel dimension there is a vault of classic tunes. Perfect, memorable, untouched tunes - pop, rock, folk-inflected - just waiting to be heard.”—NME.com

“Robert Pollard writes the best melodies around, and his lyrics are consistently breathtaking in their surrealistic beauty.”—Entertainment Weekly

2. Superdrag—Regretfully Yours

Released by Elektra Records in March, 1996

“An emotional excursion fueled with sugary vocals, dynamic arrangements, and psychedelic guitar flourishes.”—Entertainment Weekly

“In the glut of grungy power pop bands that flooded the mid-'90s, it was pretty easy to write off Superdrag as ‘just another rock band.’ The difference is that Superdrag is essentially a pop band, as Regretfully Yours proves.”—AllMusic

3. Sleeper—The It Girl

Released by Indolent Records in May, 1996

“Sleeper’s second album, The It Girl, is a stronger effort, suggesting that lead singer/songwriter Louise Wener could develop into a distinctive talent.”—AllMusic

“By giving her fashion victims a political niche and laying out her urban malaise for autopsy, Wener matches her bounce with sheer cunning.”—Los Angeles Times

4. Chris von Sneidern—Go!

Released by Mod Lang Records in March, 1996

“After the slightly overstuffed Sight and Sound and Big White Lies, the new emphasis on streamlined material is refreshing…”—AllMusic

“With ensuing releases, Von Sneidern displayed a growing maturity and variety to his music.”—PopMatters

5. Ash—1977

Released by Infectious Records in May, 1996

“Ash take a cinematic approach to their songs, throwing in elements of power pop, glam, post-Nirvana grunge, and post-Oasis rock.”—AllMusic

“This the perfect album to bring back all those memories of early Moshing experience, crop tops and countless cold showers.”—Drown in Sound

6. Sloan—One Chord To Another

Released by Murderecords in June, 1996

“It's full of back-to-back hits as far as I'm concerned; each member's contribution is distinctive and equally powerful.”—Chart

“Few power pop records of the '90s are as infectious and memorable as One Chord to Another.”—AllMusic

7. Descendents—Everything Sucks

Released by Epitaph Records in September, 1996

“Everything Sucks was quite possibly the most polished and well rounded Descendents record and while it got mixed reviews initially, the album stands as a solid release.”—PunkNews

“Take this out of its surrounding context and this was and is a prime Descendents album. All the humor and heart-on-sleeve showcasing one could hope for are here.”—AllMusic

8. Fountains Of Wayne—Fountains Of Wayne

Released by TAG Recordings in October, 1996

“Despite the awful band name, these guys kick ass.”—Pitchfork

“Jason Falkner recently walked this way (and got good notices) and the Lemondheads sometimes do, too, but Fountains Of Wayne are a cut above them.”—Sydney Morning Herald

Share

The Speedways are back with a great new single, a new guitarist, and a new album on the way.

The London-based quartet—now featuring American ex-pat Dan Spagnolo in the role most recently filled by Conor Lumsden (Music City)—has unleashed three albums with a fourth, The Magic Comes & The Magic Goes, in the works. Each release features stylistic nuances, but the band’s addictive core sound is built around high energy melodic pop rock, big guitars, a dynamic rhythm section, and hooks for days.

Their latest release is the punchy single/video for “Luna,” part of a delayed double A-side with “I Shouldn’t Have Tried To Leave Without You,” a track that arrives later this month. Both songs will be available on 7-inch vinyl in June.

“We’re working with (producer) Jez Leather again. He’s been working with us since Radio Sounds and always seems to understand our vision and was excited to work on more new music together. He insisted that we were crazy to make ‘Luna’ just a B-side and suggested that it’s actually the A-side and that we should make it longer,” bassist Adrian Alfonso told me for the band interview below.

A lot of The Speedways magic comes from the band members’ commitment to their shared musical vision.

I was lucky to catch a show on their brief West Coast U.S. tour a couple of years ago and was impressed with how they brought the songs to life for a sweaty club set. There’s an attention to detail in both the recorded and live material that is born of deep music fandom and lifelong allegiance to the tattered guitar pop flag they wave.

“It’s very important to us that the band exists legitimately,” vocalist/guitarist Matt Julian said. “I only wanna do it if people wanna hear it.”

I caught up with Matt, Adrian, and Dan to discuss the new line up, find out about the latest singles, and get a peek behind the scenes at their next album.

The Speedways Interview

The new single tracks sound amazing! Can you tell me a little about how they were recorded?

Matt Julian: Cheers! Yeah, we’ve been working on this album for about 18 months now. “Visiting Hours” was the first taster and here we are a year later with the follow up single! It’s tough to find the rehearsal time, studio time, and money to get everything done as efficiently as we’d like.

Back in February we went in the studio and recorded 6 or 7 songs. “Luna” was originally pencilled in to be a B-side, mainly because it’s so short, but once we started working on all the songs “Luna” just kinda charmed us. Our producer Jez loved it and encouraged us to flip the 45 and make it the A-side. We’ve compromised and gone with a double A-side single.

Everything was recorded in the same studio and under the same conditions as the “Visiting Hours” session. We usually do 3 or 4 takes of a song and pick the best one. Everything else like vocals, percussion, acoustic guitar, keys etc.. are done with Jez at the Dynamite Jet Saloon.

This time we’ve gone a bit less busy with overdubs so that things are cleaner perhaps. They’re fun songs to play though, so recording was pretty easy.

Why was ‘Luna’ the single to lead with this time around?

Adrian Alfonso: We didn’t have Dan as a guitarist when we started working on these tracks to get them studio ready, we all individually had to step up a bit in terms of playing going into this. We like to record the rhythm tracks live together and in the same room to get that classic glued sound with everything bleeding into each other a little.

We’re working with engineer Ed Deegan at his studio Gizzard in east London. It’s all vintage gear and a decent live room. We had 11am ‘til 7pm booked and the plan was to get 7 songs recorded towards the new album and a b-side. We got all the rhythm tracks done by 2pm. Then as usual we went to Jez’s home studio to do the vocals and any overdubs.

We turned up at Jez’s place and he told us he had re-cut “Luna” which changed the arrangement and increased the length by adding a final chorus ending and we all unanimously agreed that it should be the first single from this session instead.

Any special guests on ‘Luna’?

Adrian Alfonso: Immediately after that live tracking session I found a Danelectro 12-string and it got used on “I Shouldn’t Have Tried to Leave Without You.” I recorded some vocals over the chorus and I wasn’t really feeling a falsetto part, but when we listened back it didn’t feel quite right, so we asked Mary Blount (Baby Shakes/Disket) to sing that part and it’s exactly what we felt that part needed.

Since we had Conor sing on “Visiting Hours” we felt it would be good to include another member of The Speedways extended family to guest on this. Mary is like a sister to us, the Baby Shakes have been there for us since day one of the band, they were all front and centre at our first ever live gig in 2018, would always push to have us play with them any time they were in London, and when we toured the East Coast she lent her guitar to Matthew.

So we feel like this track tells a story in more ways than one. Both lyrically and also in the production it tells a bit more about where the band started, has been, and is currently at.

To my ears, “Luna” really captures the core Speedways sound (including a little nod to “Kisses Are History” from Radio Sounds). Would you consider this one a return to form after your more stylistically diverse 2024 album Talk Of The Town?

Matt Julian: I think it’s a return to the love songs and pop sensibilities of the early stuff for sure. It’s a difficult one for me personally because I wrote it for my ex-fiance (when we were still together). It’s called “Luna” because we met at the ‘Luna Fest’ in Portugal. It’s a positive and optimistic love song. Maybe the first one of those I’ve ever written, a celebration of the day we met.

It’s obviously bittersweet now, which is why we made a fun video. I want everyone to enjoy this song the way I originally intended. It’s one of my favourites regardless.

Adrian Alfonso: The songwriting on this album is basically all Matt, I might give some melody and arrangement or instrumentation ideas here and there, but I barely consider that songwriting.

I feel like Matt and I see eye to eye more on direction and production ideas and now I have the space to bring ideas and see them come to life. There’s been a lot of rediscovering our old favourite songs and bands during the last year with Conor, so there’s ‘60s pop and ‘50s rock and roll influence too.

As far as a ‘return to form’ goes, I feel like this is the most “us” record we’ve ever done.

“I Shouldn’t Have Tried To Leave Without You” drops later this month. Why was this the right track to pair with “Luna” for the new single?

Matt Julian: We wanted two catchy choruses so that the single felt immediate and familiar. Having Mary Blount sing with us gave the song a real lift. I asked if she’d like to do it and within a week we had the final mix down and ready to go! She absolutely nailed it.

Like Adrian says, the Baby Shakes have been part of The Speedways story since day one so it’s a really cool thing to have done. We’re spoiled for choice with the next single. The album is packed with hits!

The Speedways also have a new lead guitarist. How did you connect with Dan Spagnolo (formerly of Pittsburgh’s The Spectres)?

Matt Julian: He answered our instagram ad. He really knew his stuff and had all the references and influences down. I think he’d seen us play a few times too which is great because he obviously had a good idea of what we’re about.

We had very few people in the UK contact us about the position actually and it’s no real surprise that Dan’s an American living here—90% of the applicants were from Japan, Europe, and the US (Kepi Ghoulie even offered his services which was cool…but we needed a UK-based guitarist, of course.)

We’re lucky to have Dan on board! It’s worked out great so far.

Adrian Alfonso: Honestly, Dan’s response to our ad made all of us feel like he understood what the band was about. He fell right into the first song like he’d been playing with us for a while. His own personal touches—which showed his character—felt exactly like what the band had been missing. And generally, as a person, he’s very easy to get along with and had a good sense of humour about just how ridiculous it is to be in a band.

Dan Spagnolo: I moved to Cambridge from Pittsburgh in early 2024, which effectively put my prior music project of the last 10 years on indefinite hiatus. After a bit of an intentional pause from music, I started to miss it in 2025 and began looking into picking it up again—whether it was starting a group in Cambridge or joining a fully-fledged group somewhere.

As a power pop nerd, I had already been familiar with The Speedways for several years, and had even caught a set of theirs a few times more recently, notably at their gigs opening for Protex and The Exploding Hearts. At some point I had also added a bunch of London music/DIY/booking folks on Instagram in an attempt to discover gigs to attend, and probably around that time I added Adrian on Instagram through his work with Heatwave Magazine.

I saw The Speedways’ open inquiry for a new guitarist on Instagram, and, likely after some liquid courage, sent them an email response. Despite the fact that it seemed like a mutually good fit, I wasn’t expecting much as I didn’t know any of the guys personally! Of course, I’d seen them around at their London gigs and such but I never really got around to chatting them up as I was always running post-gig to catch the train back to Cambridge.

When did you actually meet members of the band?

Dan Spagnolo: At some point after the band responded and set up a rehearsal date—but before the rehearsal—I finally got to chatting with Adrian at a show I had attended to catch up with a friend from my Spectres’ touring days, Chris Kramer (from The Lemons, and Slushy, who was filling in on guitar for the excellent Clickbait [Chicago]), who turned out to be one of several mutual connections of ours.

At our first practice (officially the “try-out”) I finally met Matt and Kris, and of course they’re great guys and we got along immediately too. The first batch of songs they’d asked me to learn went over so well, even though my fingers felt a bit numb from nerves! I think Kris had even said it was sounding gig-ready after one run-through. I figured the guys would take a few days to chat amongst themselves before I heard back, but we went for pints at the Finsbury after rehearsing and it was decided then and there that I’d made the cut!

How does Spagnolo’s garage rock background fit into The Speedways evolving sound?

Matt Julian: It’s cool, yeah. It gives us a nice drive and he can play lead guitar really well so it helps with that side of things. He’s big into the power pop stuff too, of course, so he totally gets what we need on the songs. We’re all big music fans and record junkies and like all kindsa stuff so we all bring a ton of influences to the table.

Dan Spagnolo: After a bit of a reset from playing music I think I intentionally wanted to try something in a bit of a different direction, and was exploring playing or writing more power pop stuff, as well as indie pop of the more twee persuasion, and even a KBD-style project (I have some rough Covid-era 4-track demos on Bandcamp to that effect!). So I don’t know that I’ll be purposefully bringing The Speedways in any sort of garage-y direction, but of course my guitar style that I’ve developed over the years may sneak in as I integrate further into the band. There are some influences that The Spectres had in surf, country, etc. that I’m not sure I’ll find too much use for here, but definitely the whole girl group, wall-of-sound, and even doo-wop / early blues I’ve previously used will find a lot of common ground with the sound The Speedways have already cultivated.

And, of course, it’s all rock and roll music at the end of the day so the baseline Beatles/Kinks/Stones/Who/Faces influence can be seen as a common ground. I don’t think the genres are too dissimilar as a whole though, I mean you have the Flamin’ Groovies who have quite successfully explored both genres in different eras of their band.

I see that you are ramping up live shows again. Have you performed the new single tracks yet? How are they going over with crowds?

Matt Julian: We played a 3-piece show a couple of weeks ago and did a few new songs including “Luna.” I think it’s definitely gonna be a live fave once people know it.

Dan makes his debut earlier than we initially planned with a show at the Electric Ballroom in Camden in May, after that we have a few dates/fests from June through to September.

It’s gonna be great to start playing shows with Dan and mix the set list up a bit. We’ve been rehearsing stuff like “Telephone Lies” that we’ve never played live before, plus a couple of ‘deep cuts’ from Regular Summer which will be nice too. It really does feel like a new start.

Dan Spagnolo: I’m looking forward to my first batch of gigs with the band! The new single tracks are rehearsed and ready for audiences’ ears.

Adrian Alfonso: Having practiced “Luna” with Dan, we’ve amped up the 3-part vocal arrangements so we’re really excited to debut them “properly.”

I know you’re working on a new album. Are “Luna” and “I Shouldn’t Have Tried To Leave Without You” a good snapshot of what fans can expect from the next release?

Matt Julian: I think so, yeah. It’s a very poppy album. Lots of short catchy songs and singalong choruses. Lyrically it’s typical Speedways. There are a few things on the album that we haven’t done before so I’m sure people will enjoy that side of it too.

I already have an idea of the running order and the way it’s gonna flow. I’m really impatient though, I want it to be out now.

Dan Spagnolo: Thinking about the album as a whole, these singles may actually be a pretty good preview of the overall sound on this record, but I think there are also quite a few diversions and surprises.

I was lucky to catch The Speedways live when you came to California a couple years ago. Any plans to tour the U.S. again?

Dan Spagnolo: I don’t think that there are any plans, but of course I’d love to bring the band back to the US some day. Since they’ve done an East Coast and West Coast tour in the past, perhaps a Midwest/Southeast/Rust Belt tour might be fitting? There are direct flights from Heathrow to Pittsburgh, think about it guys! It is harder than ever to get over though, with rising costs across the board, but as long as there’s an audience it’s something we’d consider, I’d say.

Adrian Alfonso: I would love to go back in theory, we have some tremendous friends out there, most of our Bandcamp orders are in the US and there’s some fantastic bands we’d love to play with, plus I have family out there that I’d like to see.

But the reality is…well we’ve all seen the news. My first experience of flying out there by myself I got strip searched and my baggage examined by a border agent in open side room along the main corridor where loads of people could see as they walked past. Not exactly a warm welcome...

Honestly, unless we get a fest offer that deals with a proper visa for the three of us non-Americans, then I’m not sure I’d be comfortable taking a risk traveling there anytime soon.

Matt Julian: I mean, yeah, of course we’d love to play in the US again, but it’s tough. If the new album does well and people are into it I guess anythings possible. Like I said earlier about making the new record, I want people to want us. It has to be legitimate.

Everything we do has to mean something.

Share

The international guitar pop scene is having a moment and Reza Matin is right in the heart of the action.

The talented multi-instrumentalist is guitarist/vocalist for LA-based Uni Boys—with longtime partner in crime, Noah Nash—while doing double duty as The Lemon Twigs drummer. Matin was already a fan of the prolific New York duo of Brian and Michael D'Addario when their former bassist brought the two bands together in 2022.

“Michael offered for Uni Boys to come to NYC and record so we took him up on it. Noah and I had just written enough songs for an album (Buy This Now!) and were looking to record them on tape but there weren’t any fully analog studios in LA that we could afford so it timed out perfectly,” Matin told me for the interview below.

“Around that time I was invited to jam with them for fun and there seemed to be a real connection forming since we all had such similar tastes in music and had no trouble playing our favorite songs together instantly. They flew back home to NYC after and called me a few months later to ask if I’d join the band.”

The Lemon Twigs and Uni Boys both have fantastic new albums out this year, together showcasing Matin’s many musical talents.

The two releases—Uni Boys’ self-titled album (Curation Records) and The Lemon Twigs’ Look For Your Mind! (Captured Tracks)—are noteworthy guitar pop releases that speak to the genre’s worldwide momentum these days. It’s an expanding universe that Matin hopes will continue on its current trajectory.

“More and more bands are popping up with a few of them getting some recognition. I’d love for all these bands to live in one city and form a real scene. Since everyone is so spread out I feel it’ll take a little while longer until a real scene starts to take off. I hope it happens sooner than later,” Matin said.

I caught up with Matin by email between tours with Uni Boys and The Lemon Twigs to talk about both bands, get a little insight into his musical history, discuss his songwriting, and find out what’s next.

Share

Reza Matin Interview

Can you tell me how and why you were drawn to music as a kid?

Reza Matin: I’m honestly not sure why I was drawn to music as a kid. I remember my Dad taking me to Guitar Center frequently when I was young and that helped spark my interest in playing guitar and drums a bit. He was never really a musician but knew how to play the Persian instrument Santoor.

I was naturally drawn to playing drums and guitar from a relatively young age, probably around 6 years old, but didn’t have a drum set until I was 17. I remember drumming on empty coke cans with chopsticks for fun. My parents bought me a guitar when I was young, but I only played it for a couple years pretty infrequently before giving it up entirely until I started high school.

Meeting Noah Nash and Artie Fitch (Uni Boys) helped spark my interest in music again. We met right before high school started and bonded through skateboarding. They were already playing guitar and drums together which inspired me to buy a bass and start a band with them.

Were there specific artists or genres of music that caught your attention?

Reza Matin: As far as specific artists or genres go, I can’t recall anything notable during my childhood. My music taste was all over the place my whole life until I was around 14. That was when I started listening to a lot of punk records, which eventually led to glam, power pop, psych, garage, etc. The only good music I liked as a kid was ABBA because my parents would play their ABBA Gold CD from time to time.

How did you make the transition from your earlier musical tastes to the guitar-based pop rock you play in Uni Boys and The Lemon Twigs?

Reza Matin: The transition happened naturally. Ever since my obsession with music began in high school I have been continuously looking for new obscurities to listen to through buying records and digging for music online as often as I can. Uni Boys has gone through a few musical phases since we started because we’ve been playing together for so long now. From heavier stuff to prog to glam to power pop and so on.

Noah and I have always been listening to the same music and showing each other new music since we became friends. We’ve managed to continuously grow in the same direction together musically which I’m very grateful for. It’s been the same with Michael and Brian since we became friends too.

My music taste directly correlates with the songs I write, though my songs rarely ever sound like the songs I’m trying to emulate. I used to let that bother me, but now I see it as a positive.

What are some of your favorite Lemon Twigs songs to play live?

Reza Matin: My favorite songs to play right now are “You’re Still My Girl,” “I’ve Got A Broken Heart,” and “I Just Can’t Get Over Losing You.”

How did Uni Boys first get connected with The Lemon Twigs?

Reza Matin: Uni Boys first got connected with The Lemon Twigs through Daryl Johns who used to play bass in The Lemon Twigs and now plays bass in Mac Demarco’s band. Michael and Daryl had heard about us, then Daryl moved to LA and came to a show which led to our friendship with him.

I had been “internet friends” with Michael for years prior to this but we didn’t officially meet till 2022 when Uni Boys played a show at Permanent Records in LA and Michael and Brian happened to be in LA hanging out at a bar nearby called Footsies. Daryl introduced us to them and we hit it off.

Have you done any recording as The Lemon Twigs’ drummer?

Reza Matin: Yes! The first studio recordings I did with The Lemon Twigs were two Raspberries covers that we did for a tribute record called Play On. I’m also playing drums and singing some harmonies on five of the songs featured on their upcoming LP Look For Your Mind! that will be out soon. We tracked the instruments together live which was a great experience since it allowed for creative freedom and spontaneity.

Do you think playing with The Lemon Twigs has influenced your own songwriting?

Reza Matin: I would definitely say that we’ve had an influence on each other, so yes. There aren’t any songs on the new Uni Boys album that have a specific Lemon Twigs influence, but the music that we both listen to and share with each other has definitely influenced our songwriting.

Also, spending as much time together as we do has a lot to do with us influencing each other as well. Michael, Brian, Noah, and I all have distinctive styles in my opinion, so each song sounds unique in its own way to me.

What was it like working with Paul D. Millar on your new self-titled Uni Boys album?

Reza Matin: Working with Paul was a great experience! We produced the album together, though Paul was responsible for the engineering aspect of the record. He was able to help us achieve some really cool sounds on this record and did an excellent job mixing and mastering it as well. I really think that we did the songs justice this time and Paul helped tremendously with making that happen.

Uni Boys played some recent shows with Daniel Romano’s Outfit. Who are some other current bands you discovered while touring the world?

Reza Matin: Daniel Romano’s Outfit is great, one of the best live bands I’ve seen and truly the friendliest people. Very grateful to tour with them!

Some other new bands I’ve discovered through playing shows are The Umbrellas, Tchotchke, Josephine Network, Brower, Dagger Polyester, Alley Girl, Sharp Pins, Mod Lang and many more. I’m sure I’m forgetting a bunch! This one doesn’t count since I helped form the band, but since I don’t play in the band currently, I of course have to mention Billy Tibbals as well in terms of new bands to look out for.

If you had a time machine, what would you tell your 15 year old self about your music journey so far?

Reza Matin: I would give my 15 year old self some reassurance and motivate him to continue songwriting and playing music in general since my journey has brought me many great experiences and new friendships. Music has helped me through my darkest moments and is the reason for all the good that has happened in my life thus far, apart from my family.

Some of the highlights for me have been playing with some of my favorite artists like Milk N Cookies, Chris Stamey from The dB’s, Paul Collins from The Nerves and The Beat, Flamin Groovies, and more!

What’s next for you?

Reza Matin: I’m not entirely sure at the moment. I have a lot of songs fully written but have yet to record them since I’ve been so busy touring. I plan to make a solo record when I get back home and record it on tape at Billy Tibbals studio, but it might end up becoming another Uni Boys album…who knows?!

Share

More Recent Interviews

I listen therefore I am.

Some of my earliest memories are tied to songs. It started with the pop radio hits of my childhood but became an obsession when my cool older brothers gave me a crash course in heavy metal and hard rock as a tween.

Music soon became my identity. The discovery of punk—and the acquisition of a drum set—led to deep dives on every guitar-driven genre I could find on the radio dial and in the record store aisles. I studied album liner notes, read about my favorite bands (and their favorite bands) in magazines, tuned into staticky college stations and Sunday night speciality programs, watched countless music videos, and went to shows.

I also traded carefully curated mix tapes with friends and girlfriends. We’d spend days scouring our collections for the perfect combination of songs, supplementing them with borrowed vinyl and cassettes from other music lovers when necessary.

Putting those tapes together (or mixed CDs in the ‘90s) often felt like the most important thing in my small but growing world at the time. That intensity has mostly diminished in the streaming era, but I managed to recapture some of the old magic the past couple of years by making a series of themed power pop playlists.

The seed for the idea was planted by this Lame-O Records collaboration I did in 2023.

Creating random themes somehow turned the endless choice on streaming platforms into a fun game.

I wasn’t just putting together playlists, but looking for songs with specific words in the titles. My faulty memory usually gets me to 10-15 tracks before I have to start doing some research which ends up being a great way to (re)discover music.

Then, just to keep things interesting, I arbitrarily cap my playlists at 40 songs which means paring the track list down. From there I execute multiple, minute tweaks to the song order before making them public on Spotify and YouTube.

Power pop is an overarching theme, but my definition of the genre remains loose—especially as it relates to these playlists. If a song has the right energy and hooks, and sounds good between the tracks before and after it, that’s good enough for me.

If you’re new around here or if you missed any of the playlists I’ve created, I thought I’d put them all together in one place. Happy listening!

What Should My Next Playlist Theme Be?

Leave a comment

More ( and MORE!) Power Pop Playlists!

No discussion of ‘90s power pop is complete without mention of The Greenberry Woods.

With a sound at times reminiscent of The Beatles, Raspberries, and Big Star, The Baltimore quartet’s music was a perfect complement to alt rock contemporaries such as Teenage Fanclub, Matthew Sweet, and The Lemonheads. They signed to Sire Records and released their debut album Rapple Dapple in 1994, making their mark with radio-friendly single “Trampoline.” That was followed by Big Money Item in 1995, featuring lead off track—and, to my ears, should-have-been hit—“Love Songs.”

Then, just as suddenly as they had burst into the consciousness of melody-loving alternative music fans, the band left their label and called it quits. Twin brothers Matt and Brandt Huseman went on to release several albums as Splitsville (with multi-instrumentalist Paul Krysiak), while Ira Katz formed Wonderfool and C.L. Blake.

⚡️💥 VIDEO PREMIERE: “The One That Makes You Happy”

Thirty years later, The Greenberry Woods are back with a fantastic new album that picks up right where they left off.

It’s All Good, Sugar… (Big Stir Records) was launched with lead off single “Whenever You Want Me Too” combining chiming guitars, a pulsing mid-tempo groove, and an impossibly hooky chorus. That song, combined with lead off track “Summer Song” and second single “The One That Makes You Happy,” is a great introduction to an album that’s sure to have power pop fans doing backflips in the record store aisles.

“Some of the songs on the album date all the way back to the recording of Big Money Item. I think I can speak for Brandt that we tend to compartmentalize the songs we write. So while we’ve definitely released GBW sounding tracks with Splitsville and on our Stereo Twins album, we’ve also held on to some of them for this eventuality,” Matt Huseman told me for the interview below.

The 2026 line up of The Greenberry Woods features the Huseman brothers and Katz, as well as Krysiak and drummer Joe Parsons. When asked why 2026 was the right moment for a new album, Katz replied: “If we don’t do it now, then when?”

I caught up with Huseman and Katz by email to discuss It’s All Good, Sugar…, get the story behind the new video for “The One That Makes You Happy,” and find out if they plan to tour behind this exciting new release.

What’s Your Favorite Greenberry Woods Song?

Leave a comment

Matt Huseman and Ira Katz Interview

Congrats on the great new album! Tell me a little about how It’s All Good, Sugar... was written and recorded.

Ira Katz: It started a few years ago when I reached out to Paul Krysiak and Joe Parsons and asked them to work with me on a new EP as it had been a while since I released any new music. During Covid, I fooled around a bit with Logic and home recording, and I started to get comfortable with that so I figured I’d record it myself with their help. Matt and Brandt heard about the project and thought it might be a good time to finally work on another Greenberry Woods record. I did as well. They both had a lot of songs, several of which I had already heard.

The entire album was recorded either in my home studio or at Paul’s. We mixed and mastered at Paul’s as well. We had to take our time because we were all busy with other things…

In many ways it feels like you picked up right where you left off in the ‘90s. Was that intentional, or more a function of the kind of music you naturally make together?

Ira Katz: I definitely think that is a function of the music we all like and naturally make together. We’ve all released separate projects where the music is different from The Greenberry Woods. And I think that each of us would enjoy working on someone else’s project.

But, when it comes to GBW, there is an “identity.” And while we will experiment with songs like “On The Day We Drowned,” ultimately, it will sound like us.

You announced the new album with the single “Whenever You Want Me To.” Why was that the right track to lead with?

Ira Katz: There are at least 6 songs on this record that we believed could be singles. So we left it in the hands of our label Big Stir Records, who have been great. They consulted with a few folks and put together a plan. Perhaps we’ll be releasing singles through the rest of the decade…

The second single from It’s All Good, Sugar... is “The One That Makes You Happy.” Was there a specific inspiration for that song?

Matt Huseman: Yes, but I assure you it’s not about my wife. In my head the lyrics are actually about the music business, but I’d prefer to leave them open to interpretation. I definitely wanted the song to have noticeable scene changes between the rock and shoegaze parts, which I think we did a pretty good job of once Ira came up with those drone guitars in the chorus.

Can you tell me a little about the concept for the “The One That Makes You Happy” video?

Matt Huseman: I just wanted to subvert expectations for what one might expect to see based on the music. I love the Beastie Boys, so I wanted that element in there. We’re also OK not taking ourselves too seriously, although we’re serious about our music. Hopefully, all of that comes through in the video. Our friend—and former roommate—Brendan Finnerty let us use his bar, Idle Hour, to film in. If you’re ever in Baltimore, you should check it out. As you can see in the video, it’s dope.

I love how you wear your Elvis Costello love on your sleeve with the tracks “Very Good Year” and “That Girl.” Would you consider him a major influence? Who else?

Ira Katz: If you are a guitar pop songwriter, you will eventually find Elvis. He is one of the best to ever do it. I wouldn’t consider him a major influence other than loving his music and appreciating that he is a master at his craft. I happened to be strumming the acoustic when “That Girl” started to take shape. I thought, well, this is an Elvis Costello song. And, since he hasn’t written one like this in a very long time, I’m going to do it. I hope he likes it!

As far as other influences, it all starts with The Beatles and goes from there. If I hadn’t heard “A Day in The Life” when I did, my life would be completely different.

Matt Huseman: I hear more Bob Mould than E.C. in “Very Good Year,” but I’m not trying to yuck your yum.

Any plans to tour for the new album?

Ira Katz: We have our record release show on June 5th in Towson, MD at the Recher. This is one of the best venues in the area. We’ve also discussed putting together a small tour of Spain where we have fans. We sold our van about 32 years ago, so there’s that…

I’m not sure about a tour per se, but I’d be happy to do a few house parties that require a little travel. They’re intimate and will definitely have folks there that know our stuff.

What would I be listening to on the stereo these days if I jumped in the tour van with The Greenberry Woods?

Ira Katz: Well, I bet somebody would have on a podcast, another perhaps a meditation.

But if you listened in on my Apple Music there would definitely be Wilco and The Jayhawks in the queue, the album These Roads Don’t Move by Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar. I’m on a huge Lemonheads kick, Guided by Voices, oh and there’s this guy in Philly, Barney Cortez…his song “T-Shirt Salesman” is great power pop.

Matt Huseman: We’d definitely be listening to podcasts. But music-wise, I’m digging The Corner Laughers new album, Concerns of Wasp and Willow. They’re our label mates on Big Stir, and they’re lovely. I also love Balloon Balloon Balloon by Sharp Pins, which sounds like early Guided By Voices with the ‘60s pop cranked to eleven. And I want to shout out an album called Faded Days that Paul turned me on to. It was released in 2017 by a band called Actual Wolf, and I think it’s incredible.

Share

More Recent Interviews

There are many ways to discover new music, but one of my favorite methods is playing live myself.

There’s something about discovering songs and artists in a club setting that amplifies the experience. I don’t get behind the drums as much as I used to, but every time I do there are great tracks blaring from the PA system between sets—or, even better, the other bands on the bill blow my mind.

That happened earlier this month when my ‘90s band Ridel High played a show with two LA bands featuring talented multi-instrumentalist Daniel Brummel of Ozma. He plays guitar and sings with Sanglorians, a band that always delivers live, and he’s now also drumming for Too Short Pants.

Brummel sounded great behind Jean Alexander’s crunchy alt pop songs. Too Short Pants’ impressive set included covers of Weezer’s “El Scorcho” and Rivers Cuomo’s “I Was Made For You.” (Both performed with Cuomo in the crowd. No pressure, TSP!)

A long way of saying: If you haven’t a hit a local club show in a while, I highly recommend it.

Beyond that, there are a handful of reviewers that I rely on to keep me in the loop on up-and-coming bands and recent releases. I don’t do reviews myself, so I consider many of these writers and publications (um…) critical for keeping Remember The Lightning from slipping into full-on nostalgia mode.

Check out the 10 recent tracks below and be sure to click the reviewer links. Music scenes—even online music scenes—are living/breathing ecosystems that require our active involvement. And don’t forget to explore our comprehensive Guitar Pop For Now People Youtube and Spotify playlists.

What Are Your Favorite Tracks Below?

Leave a comment

“The Sideshows are Rich Ragany and Simon Maxwell teaming up with the beyond-legendary Sami Yaffa to play real-deal rock 'n' roll for diehard romantics, beautiful losers, and true believers.”—Lord Rutledge, Faster and Louder

“Another return is Italian band Radio Days with a new album coming soon, and we get a new single to start. ‘I Won’t Give Up’ is a blast of energy, glad to have them back.”—Aaron Kupferberg, Powerpopaholic

“The Risk of Happinness is a quartet of killer songs, again sitting happily between rock drive and pop infectiousness, kicking off with the title track, which is a poised and near-perfect, not to mention a reminder to take chances, after all, what’s the worst that can happen…happiness?”—Dave Franklin, The Big Takeover

“‘The Perfect Cure’ is much darker, very Goth and built around an hypnotic guitar riff and pounding bass. ‘Antigravity’ is pure early ‘80s post punk. Yet both ‘Summer’ and ‘Rubber Kitten’ show how accessible the band can be, great guitar pop.”—Don Valentine, I Don’t Hear A Single

“With Luminary, The On & Ons give us a 14-track collection of pure guitar-pop Australian style. Following 2025’s Come On In, the band refines their signature sound—jangly guitars, effortless hooks, and warm vocal harmonies—into something even more consistent and memorable.”—Richard Rossi, Power Pop News

“The Freebies are an exciting new L.A. quartet. Their two-song debut carries that sun-soaked California glow, but there’s also a trace of time spent lurking around the local punk scene while digging through stacks of ‘60s girl group 45s.”—Add To Wantlist

“Manchester’s The Guest List have a restrained demeanor on their recent single ‘Something Real,’ the vocal a laid back contrast to the bright lead guitar lines. At least until they get to the chorus where the vocals flare out with a bit more melodic vitality.”—Dennis Pilon, Poprock Record

“Every song on this album is so poppy and infectious that really any of them could’ve been a single; Reinhart’s production makes everything sound clear, from Gregory’s tuneful singing voice to the power-poppy guitars, while still having a raw charm to it. With all these aspects, it absolutely lands as the band’s most accessible album yet.”—The Alternative

“The band blisters into a sneered and swaggered brand of glam-punk that leans into the bigger than life expectations draped on the name. The A-side ties some twang into knots, hip-checking power pop and setting the velvet stage for the vamping on the flip.”—Raven Sings The Blues

“‘Face of Smiles’ opens the album with an irresistible guitar riff, setting the stage for an automatic power pop hit that, along with the slightly-garage-rock-tinged title track, is just rousing enough for a one-two punch.”—Rosy Overdrive

Remind The Algorithm That RTL Exists!

Share

Guitar Pop For Now People—Official Playlist

If Spotify isn’t your thing…

YouTube—GPFNP Playlist

This is the second installment in a group ode to Ramones self-titled debut album released 50 years ago this month. MusicStack writers chose one song each and wrote about it. If you missed Side A earlier this week, you can find it here.

Ramones self-titled debut album arrived on April 23, 1976. Rock and roll would never be the same.

“While Ramones were almost comical in their uniform jeans and leather jackets, the minimalist urgency of their three-chord, take-no-prisoners approach was as serious as a heart attack. This new-fangled ‘punk rock’ was just what the doctor ordered,” wrote about hearing Ramones for the first time thanks to his older brother.

Fifty years later you can still experience that urgency on each Side A track, from the album-opening one-two punch of “Blitzkrieg Bop” and “Beat On The Brat” all the way through to foreboding closer “I Don’t Wanna Go Down To The Basement”—every short, sharp track in between further cementing this collection’s undeniable legacy.

“Like The Beatles did, the Ramones defined popular music for their own generation by mixing all their influences (with a heavy nod to comic books) and gave us a new twist on the rock and roll we already knew,” wrote in her Side A ode.

The urgency only increases on Side B of Ramones.

That has always been an important part of Ramones often imitated, but never duplicated formula—just when you think there can’t possibly be any gas left in the tour van’s tank, they jam the pedal to the floorboard and peg the speedometer.

Their 22-year career was a masterclass in underdog victories. Track after track, album after album, Ramones dared self-important critics and high-minded music fans to underestimate them because of their simplistic song structures and cartoonish uniforms—only to prove them wrong again and again.

Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, and Tommy never became mainstream rock stars (much as they might have wanted to), but they are absolute legends—which is more than you can say for many chart-topping, flash-in-the-pan acts from 1976.

It all started with the self-titled debut album released 50 years ago this month. Below are seven MusicStackers writing about Ramones Side B (starting with little old me).

What’s You Favorite Track From Ramones?

Leave a comment

Loudmouth

By

My heavy metal-loving older brothers took me and a couple of my neighborhood friends on a camping trip when I was 13 or 14. We stopped at a music store on the way out of town, we teens choosing one cassette each to soundtrack the weekend. I grabbed Ramones, which quickly got vetoed each time I tried to slide it into the stereo of our sketchy borrowed camper. Welcome to early ‘80s Ramones fandom!

“Loudmouth” perfectly encapsulates the band’s core sound—buzzsaw guitars, breakneck tempos, and repetitive, dumbed-down lyrics intended to shock. The fact that it is the first song on Side B might be the only thing that sets it apart from the other 13 tracks, at least for the uninitiated (an effect compounded in the streaming era when all the tracks run together in a continuous onslaught of pure poppy punk bliss).

But Ramones fans live in the nuances. Listen on repeat and “Loudmouth” almost becomes the eye of the album’s perfect sonic storm. On one hand, this song prints like a reprisal of “Blitzkrieg Bop” or “Chain Saw” while telegraphing later tracks such as “Havana Affair” and “I Don’t Wanna Walk Around With You.” And then there’s the outro fade which adds :45 seconds to a song that could have easily ended at 1:30.

Everybody else on that long ago camping trip seemed to hate Ramones, but I’d found my music. Good thing I brought a Walkman with me. I’m still listening 50 years later.

Havana Affair

By

The Ramones were never actually a dumb band. They were cosplaying dumb. They were sneaky smart. Like, genuinely clever. People hear “gabba gabba hey” and they check out. That’s on them.

Enter “Havana Affair.” It’s the B-side to “Blitzkrieg Bop,” and on the surface, it sounds like every other Ramones song—fast, loud, gone in two minutes. But when Joey opens his mouth and you realize this song is a full CIA confession from a Cuban banana farmer. A banana farmer…who now works for the U.S. government. And he’s happy about it!

“Hooray for the U.S.A.!” That’s the whole joke, and it’s devastating.

The bass line hits like a blackjack. The fuzz-tone guitar riffs arrive fast and disappear faster. Joey Ramone delivers his mock-Latino deadpan straight to your skull. No apologies. No explanations. The man understood the assignment and buried the ideology six feet deep beneath the melody.

Ramones dropped an imperialism critique dressed up as a bop, and nobody even noticed. Incredible. Completely incredible.

Listen To My Heart

By

I grew up in small American towns in the ‘70s and ‘80s, so my childhood jukebox was entirely filled with Top 40 country and rock. I lived in a world where The Sex Pistols were unknown and, if I had heard of them, I probably would’ve thought their band name was just the title of a Roger Corman drive-in exploitation film.

Why did I know about Roger Corman but not The Sex Pistols? Because my father loved movies and, despite our poverty, he’d purchased one of the first commercially available VCRs in the ‘70s. There was no parental guidance in our home for any form of art so my siblings and I were soon watching Corman flicks about biker gangs, serial killers, and women in prison. And we also watched Roger Corman’s film, Rock ‘N’ Roll High School, for the first time. It’s a rebel flick that revolved entirely around Ramones music and mythos. The band was new to me and I danced along to the title song with no awareness that I was listening to a worldwide cultural revolution. I only knew that it was revolutionary to me.

And then, some months later, I was wandering my hometown, Wellpinit, on the Spokane Indian Reservation, when I heard Ramones blasting from the ramshackle home of the Andrews brothers, the coolest cats on the rez. They were listening to that first, self-titled Ramones album that featured, among all the classics, a lesser-known song called “Listen to My Heart,” a punk ballad whose obsessive, repetitive, and broken-hearted wail instantly had me yearning for Dawn, my unrequited love. She was the most beautiful Indian girl in the world and she would never dance with me.

I learned two lessons that day, neither of which I would fully grasp until years later. One, punk music could also be pop. And two, songs about broken hearts are among the punkiest.

53rd & 3rd

By

The sweat and piss and filth steaming up from the corner of “53rd & 3rd” in Manhattan was a long way from the tree-lined, bubblegum-paved streets of Forest Hills. Dee Dee arrived in that middle-class Queens neighborhood at 15, already carrying a morphine habit picked up as an Army brat in Cold War Berlin, and it wasn’t long before he was hustling in Midtown to feed it. 

His harrowing backstory anchors the bratty fun of the rest of the album with something rawer: a street poet’s confession dressed up in a two-minute buzzsaw. The song ends with the narrator stabbing a john to prove he isn’t queer. With the bridge delivered in Dee Dee’s voice scraped off the sidewalk, anything less would have felt like fiction.

Let’s Dance

By

I chose this because it’s 1 minute 51 seconds, which is 34 seconds shorter than Chris Montez’s original. And it still has time for an instrumental break in the middle. And at the end of the instrumental break there’s a faint echo of the organ riff from the Montez version.

This is too fast to dance to, and Joey sounds as if he wants to get the song over before the girl has a chance to say, “Yer askin’?” (Non-Brits, look it up.) I can’t imagine Joey dancing. He’s too tall.

It’s the Montez version that starts with a count-in: “One two, one two three.” But the Ramones version starts—and drives onward—with Tommy’s drums.

Should I even compare them? Montez comes from another time. 1962. And also, in England, 1972, cos “Let’s Dance” was reissued and got top ten again. A lot of early ‘60s stuff got reissued in the early ‘70s. Probably because there wasn’t much happening in music… until the Ramones happened.

And I chose this because there was nothing like the Ramones ‘til the Ramones happened. But there were things that inspired the Ramones. And that’s why their cover versions are inspired too.

I Don’t Wanna Walk Around With You

By

Do you remember your first Pop Tart? They were a magical creation—breakfast alchemy. You just needed a toaster and a few minutes. The songs on the first Ramones album were like that, only it was a turntable instead of a toaster.

When was the last time you ate a Pop Tart? I think I outgrew them, or times changed. Now, just the thought of eating one is enough. I can imagine the variety of flavors, taste the pastry crust, the molten insides, without having to actually go through the rush and crash.

It’s kind of the same for me with Ramones. I can remember how unlike any experience I’d ever had before it was to listen to their first record, over and over. It was compulsive, addictive. I was living in a new world.

Is it okay to admit I haven’t listened to them for years? To mark the 50th anniversary of the release of that first album, I played a track just now: “I Don’t Wanna Walk Around With You.”

It was all the things I remembered: tight, basic; loud and fast. Obviously I had to dance around the room. But what elevates it to art, beyond stylized junk food: the kernel of self-doubt. Acknowledgement of a human dilemma—if I don’t wanna walk around with you, why you wanna walk around with me?

There goes my Pop Tart theory. Ramones were never pop tarts.

They were bagels.

Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World

By

There’s a scene in The Last Critic where music writers Robert Christgau and his partner Carola Dibbell are asked to describe Ramones’ “Rockaway Beach” while it plays in the background. “They say ‘rock’ a bunch of times, but really it’s a song about having fun in Queens,” Christgau says (paraphrasing). Dibbell agrees, adding that the band “took all the elements and distilled them down.”

During the moral panic of the early ‘90s, it was fun to watch groups like the PMRC lose their minds over songs such as “Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World.” Simple profanity was enough to set off sirens, but here was a song that actually used the word “Nazi.” That was radioactive stuff back then! What Tipper Gore and co. never understood was the art of nuance—of pastiche. Not everything should be taken literally, and with Ramones, that went double.

They’re all gone now, but I’d like to think they’d find the irony of an airline using “Blitzkrieg Bop” hilarious. At its heart, “Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World” is a love song—or rather, a pop song about love.

Ramones were never the punk band everyone thought they were—or wanted them to be. For one thing, you can dance to these tracks. They loved pop music and set out to make pop songs in their most elemental form. Whether they were singing about having a good time in Queens or celebrating love in all its messy simplicity, they were pretty good at it. And if that gave some people the vapors? Well, that just proves they were doing exactly what they set out to do.

Share

We’ve Done This Before. We’ll Probably Do It Again…

Ramones released a perfect debut album 50 years ago.

It is not hyperbole to say that this 14-song collection—clocking in at a tidy 29 minutes—changed the face of rock music. The album influenced early punks including The Damned, The Clash and Generation X, and helped create the pop punk blueprint maximized by bands ranging from Descendents and Shonen Knife, to Screeching Weasel, Green Day, The Donnas, and the entire Ramonescore music subgenre.

“Doing an album in a week and bringing it in for $6,400 was unheard of, especially since it was an album that really changed the world. It kicked off punk rock and started the whole thing—as well as us,” Joey Ramone said in Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk.

Pretty impressive for four lovable losers from Queens—Joey and his brudders Johnny, Dee Dee, and Tommy—who all took the Ramones surname and dawned the distinctive band uniform showcased on the iconic album cover shot by Punk magazine’s Roberta Bayley. Ramones, a core part of the ‘70s CBGB scene, went on to have a 22-year career producing 14 studio albums, a few live releases, and non-stop touring that culminated with a farewell performance in Hollywood on August 6, 1996.

Ramones stepped onto the world stage with their self-titled debut from Sire Records on April 23, 1976.

“I saw our first album for the first time at Alexander’s, probably the day it was released…There it was. It was cool, sort of like the first time I heard myself on the radio. I also knew we had another coming out and that it had to be better. It was like one-upping ourselves each time. The albums became a constant quest to make it better,” Johnny Ramone write in his autobiography, Commando.

Five decades later all four original Ramones are sadly departed, but they’re still inspiring kids to pick up instruments and music writers to pick up pens. Below is a collection of esteemed MusicStackers who each chose a favorite Side A track from this groundbreaking album to celebrate its 50th anniversary. (Side B arrives this Friday!)

What’s You Favorite Track From Ramones?

Leave a comment

Blitzkrieg Bop

By

I was 15 years old when the big one dropped. Google places the date as a short time after April 23, 1976, when Ramones self-titled debut hit the shelves in Toronto, Canada. I was already a young guitarist in a suburban garage rock band, and up until then, our band practice set lists had largely consisted of hits by Kiss, Cheap Trick, and Alice Cooper, plus a few easier to play early selections by hometown heroes, Rush.

But that spring, my older brother Peter, who had previously brought all the Led Zeppelin records into our home, blew past me in the hallway of our townhouse, seemingly in an angry mood. With a new album under his arm, he ran up the stairs and slammed his bedroom door. Suddenly, the neighborhood resonated with a now-familiar chant; “Hey ho, let’s go…”

While Ramones were almost comical in their uniform jeans and leather jackets, the minimalist urgency of their three-chord, take-no-prisoners approach was as serious as a heart attack. This new-fangled “punk rock” was just what the doctor ordered. Peter emerged from his room all revved up and ready to go, and so were we all. What we wanted, we didn’t know but we did know one thing; “Blitzkrieg Bop” wasn’t just the start of an album, it was a steam-heated call to arms, and a bend in the river of rock and roll.

Things would never be the same.

Beat On The Brat

By

I chose “Beat Is On the Brat” from Ramones’ debut. Well, that’s how the pinheads at ABC Records have it misspelled on Sire’s yellow label. Seymour couldn’t make the label leap to Burbank’s Warner Bros. soon enough!

The second reason this is a must-have if you’re a Ramones vinyl completist is just that: The lads’ first two albums were printed and pressed by and on two labels: ABC and Warner Bros, when Sire, mercifully, switched distribution majors shortly after Leave Home was released.

Formed in 1974, Ramones recorded their self-titled debut in seven January days in 1976 for a paltry, but necessarily skimpy $6,400. Through ABC Records, Sire released the album on April 23, 1976. I had just turned 21, and was on-air in commercial FM rock radio at Houston’s KLOL-FM101, and no, the program director did not see fit to add Ramones to the main control room library for on-air play!

According to author (Ramones, 2005) and English professor, Nicholas Rombes, ‘twas Joey who conjured up the threatening tune, as he recounted for author Rombes: “I lived in Birchwood Towers in Forest Hills with my mom and brother. It was a lower-class neighborhood, with a lot of trashy lower class women who had horrible brat kids who were obnoxious.”

“There was a playground with women sitting around and a kid screaming, a horrible kid just running around rampant with no discipline whatsoever. The kind of kid you just want to kill. You know, ‘beat on the brat with a baseball bat’ just came out. I just wanted to kill him.”

Judy Is A Punk

By

The Ramones perfected the art of pithiness from the very start. Clocking in at just 90 seconds, “Judy Is A Punk” is a wild short story starring the spirited duo Jackie and Judy—a punk and a runt, respectively—who join the Ice Capades after heading to Berlin. We don’t get additional details, but it’s easy to fill in the blanks and imagine the spirited pair’s other adventures.

Musically, “Judy Is A Punk” illustrates the Ramones’ deft merging of eras. One 1975 demo of “Judy Is A Punk” is ragged surf-rock with a girl-group twist; the final version possesses more punk heft, as if these early influences have been supercharged. Even this early on Joey Ramone is the perfect narrator, emphasizing certain syllables and livening up the dynamic duo.

In the end, the song is delightfully prescriptive: As the song winds down, Joey warns us, “Third verse, different from the first” as the story takes a turn. Now we learn Jackie the punk and Judy the runt are skipping off to San Francisco to join the Symbionese Liberation Army.

Unfortunately, their fate doesn’t look good—but such is life in the ragtag mid-1970s.

I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend

By

If you can imagine (or remember) listening to the radio in 1976 when Saturday Night Fever and disco were all the rage, the Ramones was an alien yet familiar awesome gust of fresh air!

The Ramones, as Clem Burke (aka Elvis Ramone) always said, “are our Beatles.” Like The Beatles did, the Ramones defined popular music for their own generation by mixing all their influences (with a heavy nod to comic books) and gave us a new twist on the rock and roll we already knew.

While The Beatles dipped their toes big time into Motown and soul music, the Ramones avoided that, favoring bubblegum, girl groups, surf music, and defined their own brand of power chord hard pop with the guitar stylings of Johnny Ramone—hard, fast power chords except for that touch of girl-group pop on my fave track, “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.” The mid-tempo ditty with the single repeated verse/chorus and obligatory “oooh” transitions in between stands out among the loud, fast, nihilistic true punk rants with a chiming guitar and harmonious background vocals.

Chain Saw

By

I loved horror movies way before I ever fell in love with punk rock, so I recognized the Ramones as kindred spirits as soon as I heard “Pinhead,” whose lyrics (and “Gabba Gabba Hey” chant) were clearly inspired by Tod Browning’s 1932 horror classic Freaks. And when I picked up their debut LP during my junior year of high school, “Chain Saw” further cemented our film-nerd bond with a shout-out to Tobe Hooper’s blood-soaked 1974 masterpiece Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which was pretty much my favorite flick at the time.

One of the fastest songs on Ramones (and at 1:55, the album’s fifth shortest), “Chain Saw” is good goofy fun, but it’s never actually been one of my Ramones favorites. And yet, even though the industrial buzz at the beginning sounds suspiciously like a circular saw—as opposed to anything resembling Leatherface’s trusty Poulan 245a—I’ve always had a soft spot for the track. If nothing else, it at least confirmed to my teenage self that if I ever met Joey and asked him, “You like head cheese?”, he would totally get the reference.

Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue

By

If “Glue” isn’t the briefest song on the Ramones’ debut, it might be the most succinct. Maybe the most urgent. It’s desire, driven by ennui, framed as a rallying cry and delivered with astonishing single-mindedness and impressive velocity.

That may be why, for most of my life, “Glue” struck me as comedic. How could anything so brazen be taken seriously? But gradually, I began to hear it as pointed commentary on a society that stultifies you such that you’ll risk your health to relieve your ennui and feel something, anything. I’m not alone in hearing that, right?

This has always been the brilliance of the Ramones: their ability to deliver short, sharp shocks of punk rock with such enthusiasm that you might find yourself willing to entertain the worst possible behavior imaginable. Like starting a band that advocates glue sniffing and brat beating. I ask you: What could be more life affirming and rewarding than that?

I Don’t Wanna Go Down To The Basement

By

There are a lot of things to be afraid of in the dark. This is especially true in 1982. I’m a thirteen-year-old paper boy. Dogs. Spider webs. Creepy houses that are even creepier when the lights are off. All of it scares me.

My protection is a knock-off Walkman that burns batteries and eats tapes. I listen to Devo, Pat Benatar (shut up) and the Ramones. I’m obsessed with the Ramones.

“I Don’t Wanna Go Down to the Basement,” the last song on Side A, has this mournful quality I can’t shake. Whatever is lurking in the basement isn’t named. It’s just a feeling, but one I know because I feel it out there in the dark.

A gate with a tricky latch. An enclosed porch draped in shadows. A long flight of rickety stairs that let the weird people inside know I’m coming.

This song has a message and that message is: nope. It helps me deal with the shit I don’t wanna deal with—like school, my parents—and it starts with this fucking paper route because the only thing worse than what’s waiting for me out there is facing it when the song is over.

Share

The Rallies’ excellent new album is sure to hit the sweet spot for fans of ‘60s-tinged jangle pop.

Produced by Johnny Sangster—who has worked with Mudhoney, Young Fresh Fellows, and the The Posies, to name a few notable collaborations—the 11-song collection deftly blends big hooks with sunshine-y melodies.

“The album title No Better Time came about from a line in the song ‘This Time.’ The phrase can be used to refer to the past or to the present, which we thought was interesting. Is it a fond memory of days gone by, or an encouraging message in this day and age? Either one works, so we’ll leave that up to the listener to decide,” Steve Davis told me for the interview below.

No Better Time expands the Seattle quartet’s musical approach, while staying true to their core influences.

“We’ve really tried to expand our sound each time we make a record. When we were recording No Better Time, we pushed ourselves to find an expanded variety of song styles, and ended up with everything from the widescreen open road sound of ‘This Time’ and keyboard-heavy ‘You Never Knew’ to the bouncy ‘Comes and Goes’ and delicate acoustic ‘Open Your Mind,’” bassist Ben Heege said.

I caught up with Davis and Heege by email to discuss the writing and recording of No Better Time, explore a few of the standout tracks, and find out how the new songs are going over in their live sets.

Share

Steve Davis and Ben Heege Interview

The new album sounds great! Can you tell me a little about how it was written and recorded?

Steve Davis: So as far as writing, I have my stockpile of recorded demos that I share with the bandmates. They’re mostly cellphone recordings of song ideas that I’ve come up with, just my vocals and acoustic guitar. Look for them someday included on The Rallies Anthology compilation.

So anyway, the ones that get the best band feedback we’ll try out together and decide if we want to pursue recording. The song selection is mostly a democratic approach, and that was pretty much the case for this entire album. There was just one exception, “You Never Knew,” that I had to lobby extra hard to get on the album and I’m glad I did!

Ben Heege: As far as recording, we’ve been working with producer Johnny Sangster, he runs his own studio and is very hands-on, engineering at the mixing board and working with us to flesh out arrangements and the sound palette on his huge selection of vintage gear. We’ll usually grab a solid rhythm track with drums and bass and basic guitar, then start filling in the landscape with some tasty overdubs and harmony vocals...sometimes it’s hard to stop adding new ideas! Steve usually records his guitar and vocals in the same take, and you can hear the immediacy and emotion coming from that approach.

Given that history with Johnny Sangster, did your sound or approach change at all between the last album and the new one?

Ben Heege: Johnny (who can play pretty much any instrument) encouraged us to find the right dynamic blend to best serve each track we recorded. Rallies fans are going to find familiar voices and rocking guitars, but also a few surprises, sometimes all in the same song.

Was “time” a running theme on this new collection?

Steve Davis: There wasn’t really a conscious effort to have “time” as a theme for our album. But in retrospect it’s easy to see how one might feel time kind of weaving its way through these songs.

Ben Heege: There are a few running themes going on in the record, one that comes to mind is searching: for connection, for love, for understanding and justice. The lyrics may not talk about it explicitly, but we feel like a lot of people do—that we’re living in some turbulent times and many things are headed in the wrong direction...we did talk about whether the title No Better Time feels a little ironic given the state of things, or maybe it’s a reminder that there’s no better time than now to lean into caring, and love, and being true to yourself. We think listeners will pick up on that.

One song on the record, “I Believe,” even sneaks in a reference to Nick Lowe’s “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding,” which is a sentiment the whole band agrees with.

“I Believe” is a bit more driving than the opening track. I can really imagine that one sounding great live. Is it part of the current set list? How is it going over with crowds?

Ben Heege: “I Believe” and other new tracks like “Love” have been going over great at our shows. Because we play regularly around Seattle, we see a lot of the same faces from show to show, and we try to mix it up a little so the longtime fans can hear the material they’re already familiar with while getting a touch of newer stuff as well. As the No Better Time album comes out, we’ll pull in more of that new material and we think people are going to like how they sound on stage.

“Comes And Goes” is a great slice of ‘60s pop. What is it about ‘60s music that speaks to you?

Steve Davis: Regarding influences, I have always been a fan of ‘60s Brit pop, and so a fan of any band that was part of the UK invasion. And since The Beatles led that invasion, they’re on the top of my list!

I grew up in the ‘70s listening to AM radio and absorbing all that wonderful pop music coming through the airwaves. It was also a time when even more singer-songwriters were getting airplay, and that too became a big influence on me. Overall, I dig pretty much any group or artist that writes melody driven music, power pop rock.

“Love” is a real standout track. What was the inspiration for that one?

Steve Davis: The melody for “Love” had been in my head and in my demos stockpile for quite a while. And I had gone back to it several times over the years trying out different arrangements and lyrics, but never quite felt like it reached the sentiment I wanted. It wasn’t until a couple years ago when my mother had a serious life-threatening health issue that it became apparent to me what I wanted this song to say.

The album ends with the more contemplative “If Only.” Why was that the right note to end on?

Steve Davis: Coming up with the song order on this album did take quite a bit of time. And part of that song order involved tempo variation and where to put slower songs. I believe that was a big part in “If Only” ending up as the album ending song. In response to whether it’s “the right note to end on,” one takeaway for me is throughout the song the lyrics keep delivering a yearning message to relive a moment, “If only from this feeling, that’ll be alright.” So, in that sense of leaving the listener longing, maybe “If Only” is the perfect song to end with, a reason to hit the repeat button.

Ben Heege: That song is a great representation of the whole band putting a song together. We had been playing with the idea of using a co-lead vocal on one of the new songs, and singer Steve and lead guitarist Brian worked out the core of the verses on two acoustic guitars. Then Ben had a bass line melody idea to support the quieter intro verses, and drummer Lee filled out the rest of the song by bringing drums in at just the right moment to hit maximum drama. It’s definitely styled like a classic rock ballad, so if you own a cigarette lighter, here’s your chance to wave it in the air!

If I got in the tour van with The Rallies, what would I be listening to on the stereo?

Ben Heege: Hard to know where to start answering this question since we do appreciate a spectrum from 50+ years of rock and roll. Our sound is definitely influenced by classic harmony rock like Badfinger and Raspberries and also ‘90s-and-beyond groups like long-timers The Jayhawks and Fountains of Wayne. For more recent stuff, there’s so much great local Seattle music being made around, our friends The Riffbrokers, Planets in the Ocean, and The Tripwires have all released excellent records in the last year or so.

Share

S.W. Lauden On The ‘Born Too Late’ Podcast

I Kinda Love That They Post The Podcast On Bandcamp

I had a fun chat with Josh and Jay over on the Born Too Late podcast. I think it was supposed to be an interview (and they did ask some great questions), but it quickly turned into a music writer roundtable. We discuss negative reviews, keeping up with new music, and—of course!—power pop. Listen on Apple.

Check out the whole X/Z Song Trader series.

Lucy’s Perspective 

When trying to come up with a song for this week, I initially thought of a few that have been in my queue rotation for the past couple of months.

“Thrown Down” by Fleetwood Mac, “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure, and “Lone Star Lake” by Waxahatchee came to mind. But more than all of those, the song that continues to pop up in my shuffle and one that I hardly ever skip, is “I’m A Believer” by The Monkees.

Honestly, I do not know very many songs by The Monkees since my reference for them as a group comes mainly from initially hearing Lorelai Gilmore talk about them in Gilmore Girls (and a few of their songs I discovered separately). However, this song has been playing in the back of my mind for months.

I’m not sure what inspired this kick, but I am definitely not complaining. The feelings evoked by listening to this song are very whimsical and fun, mimicking how I felt when I heard it for the first time.

I believe the movie Shrek was the first place I heard “I’m A Believer,” although in the film it is covered by Eddie Murphy.

While a somewhat hilarious place to have learned about this track, having the association with the person I was when I watched Shrek for the first time every time I listen to “I’m a Believer” is part of what makes it so special.

From the very beginning of the song, it feels uplifting and exciting in a way, beginning with some sort of organ, I believe, that makes it sound almost like a Beach Boys song, or more beachy rock. As soon as the vocals begin, there is a soft, sweet melody, and the rest of the song unfolds.

My favorite part of “I’m A Believer” is definitely the chorus (probably because it’s 50% of the lyrics), mainly because of the sweet message.

I love the recurring idea that love was always just out of reach, never called, never presented itself, until he saw her. And from there, the rest was history! The whimsical instruments complement the lyrics perfectly, ensuring that the whole song feels just like a fairytale.

Overall I think it is such a sweet, timeless, fun song to put on under any circumstance. I wonder how you feel about it? Or maybe The Monkees as a whole? Do you have other songs by them that you prefer?!

Steve’s Perspective

I love how you evoke nostalgia here without using that word.

Your Shrek association (“the person I was when I watched Shrek for the first time”) and the fact that you first discovered The Monkees through Gilmore Girls—a TV show that had been off the air for a decade when you first got obsessed with it as a tween—really underscore the nostalgic powers of music.

Growing up in the ‘70s, my experience of The Monkees was similar in some ways. The TV show the band was originally created for only aired from 1966 to 1968. Ancient as I am, that still predates even my existence, but the show aired endlessly in local TV reruns when I was a little kid and I absolutely loved it, especially songs such as “Last Train To Clarksville,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” and “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone.”

In a way, the formation of The Monkees can be viewed as a case of instant nostalgia since it was partially based on The Beatles’ earth-shattering success in early ‘60s.

But by the time The Monkees hit the airwaves in 1966 (creating their own kind of Beatlmania), The Fab Four had already moved on from their mop top era to release the groundbreaking albums Rubber Soul (1965) and Revolver (1966). That left a musical void that The Monkees were very successful at filling with a string of chart-topping hits—initially written by professional songwriters and mostly performed by world-class studio musicians—including “I’m A Believer,” penned by Neil Diamond.

Then the four members of The Monkees understandably decided that they wanted to be taken seriously as musicians, transforming from a made up TV act into a real-life band (sort of like Pinocchio becoming a “real boy”). I think some of the music actually written and performed by The Monkees is great, including “Randy Scouse Git” from their album Headquarters (1967). Their 1968 movie Head is psychedelic and surreal.

The Monkees may have started out as a “fake band” (which is a funny concept when you consider how so many pop bands have been meticulously molded and manufactured over the decades), but they soon proved themselves to be a “real band” that really broke up in the early ‘70s before staging reunions starting in the ‘80s.

The Monkees’ music from both eras is still fantastic 60 years later, in my opinion.

On a side note: I appreciate how your generation discovers music.

Growing up when that mostly happened on radio, MTV, and a few movies, I experienced a lot of gatekeeping. On the flipside, music-obsessives like me and my friends put a lot of energy into finding the kinds of albums and artists we wanted to hear, which created it’s own kind of subculture (and led to more great music).

Streaming services and social media definitely have many serious issues that society needs to deal with, but one positive side effect is that music from every era and genre is constantly swirling around. I think that’s an incredible environment for somebody, like you, who truly loves music—especially if it led you to The Monkees!

Thanks for the great song choice, and the trip down memory lane.

Go Ahead, Tell Everybody!

Share

Steve’s Next Song Choice

“Just Like Heaven” by Dinosaur Jr.

Conor Lumsden knows a thing or two about power pop, but his relationship with the genre is complicated.

He’s the long-time drummer/singer/songwriter for Dublin’s The Number Ones, a one-time hired gun for Paul Collins (The Nerves, The Beat), and he did a stint as The Speedways guitarist, among many other musical accomplishments. These days, he fronts the band Music City which released its stunning debut album in February.

“I think power pop is some of the best music ever made…and some of the worst music ever made. My old boss Paul Collins put it this way, ‘There is nothing worse than a bad power pop song,’” Lumsden told me for the interview below.

“I was trying to stretch out on Welcome to Music City without ‘doing a thing,’ and I hope there’s enough variety in the songs to warrant people coming back to them and not getting bored.”

Mission accomplished.

Tracks like opener “It’s Alright,” “When The Day Comes By,” “Pretty Feelings,” and “The Conversation” easily demonstrate Lumsden’s power pop pedigree. In other moments—including the infectious “Do I?,” one of the first Music City songs he wrote—Lumsden veers into more roots-y singer/songwriter territory, without sacrificing the hooks and melodies that provide the sturdy foundation of his core sound.

“I think the over-refreshed, sad-Catholic mode of a Paul Westerberg or Shane MacGowan is my natural inclination, compared to, say, the more optimistic side of things in a song like ‘Pretty Feelings,’” Lumsden said. “In ‘Do I?’ I was leaning on the influence of those heroes mentioned above, as well as Kris Kristofferson, Tom T. Hall, and Roger Miller, who is a big one for me.”

I caught up with Lumsden by email to discuss the long road to releasing Welcome To Music City, his evolution as a songwriter, fatherhood, future touring plans, and when excellent handclaps turn out to be uncredited ass claps.

Share

Conor Lumsden Interview

I’m loving your new album. Can you tell me a little about how Welcome to Music City came together?

Conor Lumsden: Thank you for loving it! Thank you to anyone who has taken the time to listen.

Welcome to Music City came together over a loooooong time. The live recordings were done really quickly, I was determined to get the tracking down as fast as possible in order to catch that sweet spot where the band are just about to get comfortable playing the songs (that’s usually around the third take, class!)

I didn’t really have the benefit of having all the players at hand to rehearse much or jam it out, so I had to do it like a punk Steely Dan and call in the troops from far and wide to do a solo here or a backing vocal there. After the live tracking was done, I obsessed over the small stuff that most people don’t actively notice, but that overall makes the album sound like it does.

I studied a lot of audio engineering to try to get my head around how certain sounds are recorded, and I had the help of some very talented people to put it into action.

“It’s Alright” is one hell of an album opener. What was the inspiration?

Conor Lumsden: I wanted to open the album as if you were being rudely awoken from a dream. A “stepdad’s alarm clock” is where you wake from drinking too much and the alcohol wears off before the sugar and you wake in a panic because reality is sitting on your chest like a demon. I wanted it to be about that and trying your best to be ignorant and keep going as you were going. Musically, I wanted it to feel like going downhill in a shopping trolley, which is how much of my life has felt.

I kind of love that the credits for that song include “handclaps.” Why is that an important part of your recordings?

Conor Lumsden: You have to give credit where credit is due. The right handclap can completely lift a song. It’s usually a great reviver when you’ve been laboring over a particular instrument or vocal take—you set up the mics, go in with whoever is in the studio, and get to move around a bit more and get the blood pumping.

It’s great because it’s pretty low-stakes compared to other parts of a recording, but if someone claps offbeat you have to go back to the start, so it’s this amazing feeling of making the song sound better while also trying to remember the pattern and not laughing or melting into a trance and fucking it up. Way better to have three people doing that and having a laugh than using a sample or something.

(I just remembered that “It’s Alright” is actually not handclaps but is in fact ass claps, but the contributors didn’t want the credit.)

“Little Favour” is a really beautiful song. I love the orchestration and vocal harmonies. Is that the arrangement you envisioned when you first wrote the song?

Conor Lumsden: The idea with that song was not to go for maximum impact and instead have something that isn’t trying to grab your attention. Whatever was the opposite of what power pop is.

I wrote the song after being a film extra on this Jimi Hendrix biopic that had André 3000 in it. There was this career extra really putting his all into his—I guess you can call it a performance—he was just walking by a window, but he was really doing the rounds with the crew members trying to get a speaking role.

The arrangement was brought to life by two very important friends in my life, the siblings Ailbhe and Fiachra. It’s the first time they’ve actually played on a song together, and I love that. Fiachra did some keyboards and Ailbhe did the string arrangement. I used to play in bands with both of them separately, so having them play on this meant a lot to me. The elaborate arrangement aggrandising this quite pathetic ambition of a film extra wanting to get a speaking line was the contrast that either makes the song sadder or funnier, depending on how you look at it. Is this guy a hero or a fool?

It made me think a lot about how it is to pursue any kind of grand dream you have in life and how you often feel simultaneously like a complete hack and a misunderstood genius who hasn’t been given enough of a chance.

“Pretty Feelings” (along with “Do I?”) is one of the first tracks you released under the Music City band name. It sounds really great in the context of the new album. How do you think you’ve evolved as a songwriter since it was first released in 2018?

Conor Lumsden: I think my songwriting is better in that I understand music more and can get to where I want the song to go with less turmoil—but the rare moments of inspiration are what matter more than how effectively you can elaborate on them. Songwriters with a capital “S” would argue with that, but I feel like you can always tell the difference.

Those two songs are very heart-on-the-sleeve. They say directly what I was feeling without really tapping into anything else, which is all well and good, and for a song called “Pretty Feelings,” what more could you expect? But I’d like to think I’ve moved on a bit from that without getting into drippy song-poetry or having the lyrics get in the way of the song as a whole.

There are a few songs on the album that you can listen to on a surface level, but that have a bit more meat underneath if you really listen.

You’ve been in some of the best modern power pop bands (The Number Ones, The Speedways, et al.). What is your relationship with genre in general, and power pop in particular?

Conor Lumsden: I’m really drawn to the strength of a melody above everything else, and that leads me down a certain path musically. If power pop is rock music with pop hooks boiled down into a highly concentrated syrup, catchy melodies played by an energetic rock band with guitars up front, then as an idea that sounds good to me!

I like it a lot less when it’s done as a genre exercise. The problem with genre writing is that when the music and lyrics are preprogrammed and trite, it might as well be AI. There are people who can use clichés in places with a wink and a nod and it works, but there’s a lot of music out there where I’m not sure they get the joke and are the musical equivalent of an Austin Powers impressionist.

Lyrics don’t have to be literature. They can be silly, they can mean nothing, and still be incredible—but don’t ruin a song by slapping some meaningless stock phrases over it.

Overall, though, I don’t think people should be restricted by genre. It’s always great to stretch out. I started “It’s Alright” with the blues trope “Woke up this morning...” though I’m not sure if that qualifies as genre switching.

I love Jonathan Goes Country, or that song by The Streets, “Fit But You Know It,” it almost sounds like “Gordon is a Moron.” Steely Dan have all those jazz ambitions, and I absolutely love them. Those writers are all smart and have real feeling. I guess it comes down to if someone is a good artist or not!

I’ve had “The Conversation” on repeat lately. What came first when you wrote that one—the guitar line, or the chorus hook?

Conor Lumsden: The intro guitar part came first. I was playing around with something I learned from listening to Bob Mould play in Hüsker Dü, where you have a sort of drone thing in the chords, where some notes stay the same and the rest of it changes. It’s not as full-on as how it started, but that’s how it started.

Then I did the verses and the chorus arrived. It’s the simplest arrangement on the album: two guitars, bass, drums, and vocals. Anything I tried adding after that took something away. I tried some Rhodes, Wurlitzer, some Oberheim synth pads à la Jeff Lynne, but it just sounded right as it was.

It was also the hardest song to mix, I think for the same reason the arrangement is so simple. You have to make the right choices when you only have a few crayons in the box.

Interesting. I wouldn’t have teased out the Hüsker Dü influence (but might be one reason I’m drawn to it). In a world of endless layering and editing opportunities, is simplicity becoming a lost recording art?

Conor Lumsden: If you’re gonna steal, you have to cover your tracks! One thing I notice about reviews a lot these days is that people only really discuss how something sounds, but not really much about what’s underneath. There’s a lot on the form but not as much on the content, which is a shame. It’s fun to listen to bands and be able to pinpoint where the guitar sound came from but even more fun to notice where the influence comes from under the presentation!

Layering is one of the beautiful capabilities about recording, but yeah I think it makes it harder to make better choices about arrangement. Most of the great bands pre home recording had to work out where each instrument fits in a song by playing together and that doesn’t necessarily mean simple but it meant they knew where the guitars sit or how hard the drummer should play or how the dynamics should be in real time in real space rather than designing that sound in a studio and relying on the mix for something to sound the way it should. Those bands often sound incredible live too and they can pick up any old guitar or play on any stage and it will sound like them. Some of the really simple arrangements and recordings still sound better than the 24/48/96 and now ∞track studios had the capability to do. I think there’s only so much room on a recording, so even if things are layered, something needs to come down for something to come up. Then again a wall of sound where everything bleeds into one another is a fabulous thing.

How do you know when to resist temptation?

Conor Lumsden: I think you know you’re doing it wrong when you are adding more and more layers to cover up a bad song or performance. I like intricate recordings as much as simple ones, but once you’re serving the song, then you can do no wrong. When on a session you may want to get to use a certain instrument or piece of gear just to use it, but you’ll find out pretty soon if the song agrees with you on that!

I saw you did a short tour around the album’s release. Any future tour plans for Music City?

Conor Lumsden: We had a baby boy right before the album came out, so combined with this Moby Dick of an album, it was the two biggest things I’ll ever do happening at once.

The release was a lot of work. Even if most of the work on the music was done before, the artwork was a lot of effort, and to add to the workload we decided to do an exhibition of cover photographer Timothy O’Connell, designs by City Rocker Eddie Kenrick, sculpture by Blaine Hurdle, posters by Raissa, and all the props we made for the back cover at The Social in London, where the launch gig was. That put a lot of pressure on us.

So taking a small break from touring so that I can be close to home for a bit makes sense. My partner Raissa is incredible, and there’s a huge likelihood I’d still be obsessing over minutiae to this day if it wasn’t for her insane hard work and help in getting the album to where it ended up.

I love nothing more than playing to new people, though, and the band is shit-hot, so we’ll be back out as soon as possible. Feel free to get in touch, people!

A debut album and your son arriving at the same time is a potent combo. Congrats. Does it feel more like a milestone or a crossroads?

Conor Lumsden: It sure is! It feels like both, to be in love and to start a family is such a lucky thing to get to experience. Finishing this album exactly how I wanted makes me feel like sisyphus finally getting the boulder over the hill! And of course with both family and music you have to keep them both fed and watered or they get away from you.

My main goal now is to give them both all I can give without neglecting the other!

Share

More Guitar Pop Interviews