Summer Singles Roundup.

Cliff Hillis-Seven Sisters. New music from Cliff Hillis is always a treat, and his latest single may not be the upbeat power pop he usually traffics in, it's a beautiful melancholy ballad featuring Louis Clark Jr. (of The Orchestra) on cello.

iTunes



Starbelly-Love Song 26 (feat. Roger Joseph Manning Jr.). And if a new Cliff Hillis single isn't enough, here he is with Starbelly and special guest Roger Joseph Manning Jr. "Love Song 26" is a classic Beatlesque mid-tempo number which features Manning on piano, backing vocals and orchestration.

iTunes



The Top Boost-Tell Me That You're Mine/Early Morning Days. And as we continue to thematically link the current single to the one before it, this Vancouver duo had their 2019 EP produced by Roger Joseph Manning Jr. This time around, the guys trade in their classic pop stylings for Sweetheart of the Rodeo-era Byrds on "Tell Me That You're Mind" while "Early Morning Days" has a more lush countrypolitan sound. An interesting but welcome departure.

iTunes



Dungeon of Skeletons-Valencia. Some of you may remember Justin Kline from earlier last decade. He's been quiet for a while but is back with his band Dungeon of Skeletons. Despite the death metal-sounding name, "Valencia" is more of the bright pop Kline was known for as a solo artist and it's a great summer track.

iTunes



Empty City Squares-Parmenides/History Rhymes. Big Stir Records has been bringing us some great power pop singles the last few years and the latest from Empty City Squares, whose 337 was one of the pleasant surprises of 2019, is a double-sided single which is "thinking man's pop" as it's literally about a thinker, the philosopher Parmendies. But don't worry, these are catchy tunes, not ponderous navel-gazing.

Buy at Big Stir (scroll down)



Bryan Estepa-Weight in Gold/Subject to Change. Like Cliff Hillis above, Bryan Estepa has been one of most consistently excellent power pop artists of the past 15-20 years and fresh off his grabbing of the top spot in 2019's year-end list on this site he has two new tracks that are, uh, worth their weight in gold. "Weight in Gold" is a sweet, subdued track that gets by on charm and melody, while "Subject to Change" is more classic Estepa with its big, catchy chorus.

iTunes



Ryan Allen-Hope and Control/Feeling Alright?. Ryan Allen is back with more of his heavy power pop (but without his Extra Arms this time) on a couple of new tunes. "Hope and Control" is classic Allen while "Feeling Alright?" has a glam sound. Proceeds from this single are going the Black Lives Matter Foundation, so check it out.

Bandcamp

Weekend Roundup.

Justin Kline-Doormat EP. A couple of weeks ago, I posted about the availability of Justin Kline's new EP on NoiseTrade, but at that time I really hadn't had a chance to give it much of a listen. Now that I have, it warrants more attention as it's a cinch to end up on my year-end best EP list. Doormat marks a return to power pop form for Kline, whose last release Cabin Fever Songs was enjoyable but more acoustic-based. The tinkling piano and crunchy guitars of the title track open things in highly catchy fashion reminiscent of Jellyfish; "I Wanna Feel Normal" boasts a sprightly McCartneyesque melody; "Mr. Victor" could be a lost late 60s/early 70s Kinks track, and the kinetic "Drop the Ball" doesn't drop the ball at all with its dictionary-defined power pop. The only knock I can make against this is that it's only 4 songs, but it's a clear case of quality winning out over quantity.

CD Baby | iTunes

The Bottle Kids-Such a Thrill. Kool Kat is probably the top power pop label & online store out there these days, and they're just as supportive of old school power pop as they are new acts. So it's a natural for them to be releasing the new CD from The Bottle Kids, who are a 2013 act but have an old school power pop feel. This shouldn't be too surprising as the band is essentially singer/songwriter Eric Blakley, who was the lead guitarist on Paul Collins' most recent album. There are a lot of parallels to Collins' sound here, as well bands like The Rubinoos and The Plimsouls, especially in skinny-tie power pop-sounding tracks like "Kissing You" ("who's k-k-kissing you?), "Yes You Can" and the title track. Blakley does like to mix it up a bit, though - "I'm in Love With You" is an epic power (pop) ballad that's George-Harrison-meets-Eric-Carmen, and "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" is jangly, Red Button-style 60s pop. But it's the rave-ups that dominate, and be careful, because the chorus of "Careful What You Wish For" will get stuck in your head, and "Clap On" finds Blakley singing the lyrics as fast as guy from Reunion's "Life is a Rock". Everything old is new again.

CD Baby | iTunes | Kool Kat

New Justin Kline EP.

Favorite of the site and all-around good guy Justin Kline has a new EP out, titled Doormat. It's available from NoiseTrade, which means you can download it for free but you can also do the right thing and throw him a few bucks so he can keep making these EPs.

Help Justin Kline help kids at Christmas.

Passing this on from Justin Kline:

Hey there, Justin Kline here with a favor to ask…

My new Christmas song "Once a Year" is available for digital download via NoiseTrade… and 100% of the proceeds will benefit TOYS FOR TOTS... (or you can download it for free too)

Happy Holidays,
Justin Kline

Midweek Roundup.

The Blood Rush Hour-Shrink. Now here's a pleasant pop surprise. The Blood Rush Hour are a four-piece Welsh band led by Robert DiStefano, and Shrink is an effervescent piece of British pop that channels Jellyfish and XTC. Opener "The Way Back Home" with its piano-and-horns backing as well as the buoyant "Delme" bring to mind fellow Brits The Feeling, while the frenetic back-and-forth stylistic shifts of "Into the Fire" and "My Life With the Omni One" have a Bryan Scary-meets-Jellyfish vibe. Elsewhere, "The Trauma Factory" and "Gone (Where Nobody Can Find Me)" show their appreciation for pre-Beatles British pop, and "The Tale of Sir Lancelot" along with closer "Show Me Your Self" also effectively show off their pop chops. This is an impressive a power pop debut as I've heard in the last couple of years, so don't shrink from picking this one up.

CD Baby | iTunes

Justin Kline-Cabin Fever Songs. Taking a break from his usual peppy pop tunes, site favorite Justin Kline is back with a lower-key, contemplative effort this time around which nonetheless shows off his gift for melody. The lo-fi, largely acoustic version of Kline sounds quite a bit like Elliott Smith or Connor Oberst, and the opener "Nighttime Girl" is an irresistible slice of folk/pop. Despite the lack of a "big" sound, "Your Mystery" manages to get the toes tappin', and "Carol Lynn" is a gorgeous number that would have fit in perfectly as a change-of-pace on one of his previous albums. A perfect album for a rainy Sunday afternoon.

CD Baby | iTunes

EP of the Day,7/18/10: Justin Kline-Triangle

A few months back, I related the tale of how Justin Kline's recordings were stolen and he needed help to finish his new EP. Many of you helped out, and your generosity has resulted in another fine release from the man who gave us our top EP of 2008.

Triangle boasts four new tracks, and it's a worthy successor to Six Songs. "Baby, You're a Mess" leads off with pure pop goodness, with a melody and backing track that could have come from a 70s Saturday morning cartoon, and I mean that in a good way. Word of warning: don't leave the house or car with this song being the last you heard because it will monopolize your brain. The lilting, waltz-like "Please Go Away" will be a highlight for Jellyfish fanatics, and "Allison, We Cannot Be Friends" is another power pop gem. The near-ballad "Coffee Song" closes the proceedings out in baroque fashion, providing you the FDA's minimum daily requirement of "ba ba ba" backing vocals.

The EP is available digitally, and it might just be the best $3.96 you spend this year.

Listen/buy at Bandcamp | iTunes

Justin Kline could use your help.

Normally I don't post these kind of things, but Justin Kline's EP was my favorite of 2008, and he's a good guy who could use some help. I'll give him the floor:

Hey there. This is Justin Kline. Recently, my new album was stolen when a robber broke into a nashville studio I was recording at. Totally sucks. They stole all the gear too. I had a rough mix of only 2 songs from the album...

It was a follow up release to my Six Songs EP. I have a kickstarter project to raise $1200 to release 2 songs on a 7" record. The rewards that go to donators are pretty entertaining...

Free Justin Kline EP!

It's getting to be that time of the year again as I compile the year-end CD and EP lists. So it's fitting that Absolute Powerpop's #1 EP of 2008, Justin Kline's Six Songs, is now available for free through Noisetrade. And in the more-good-news department, he should have a new EP available any week now, which will also be available free. Get Six Songs here:

EP-alooza!

Three high-quality EPs to check out:

Sofa City Sweetheart-Sofa City Sweetheart. Sofa City Sweetheart is LA's J. Lopez, and his self-titled debut EP is a melodic marvel. The sound here is reminiscent of John Lennon, Elliott Smith, Jon Brion and independent poppers like Plasticsoul and Adrian Whitehead. "Good News for Jackie" is right out of the Brion playbook, and "Maria" is pure pop bliss with a bridge that sends the song to another level. "Julia (We Never Wanted You)" sounds like Elliott Smith in his Beatles phase (think "Baby Britain", and the breezy melody of "Sunflowers" begs for the whistling break about 2/3 of the way through. "The Magic Umbrella" completes the EP with its own magical mystery tour of sounds. Look for this one high up the year-end EP list.

CD Baby | MySpace | Listen at iLike

Justin Kline-Six Songs. Back in 2006, a group called The Heartstring Band put out a quality EP titled Aurora Songs Vol. 1, which to my surprise upon looking back at this site's archives was never mentioned here. I'll correct that oversight now, and note that the frontman of that band was Justin Kline, who now has an EP of his own out, and it's a leap forward for him. This is one of those EPs that jumps out of your speakers and grabs you by the lapels (or shirt collar) - as soon as you hear the chorus of "All I Need", you know you're in for a ride full of pop goodness. "Heart Attack" brings Roger Joseph Manning Jr. to mind (Kline has a somewhat similar voice), and "How I Became The Wind" recalls Manning's band (Jellyfish) as well as the aforementioned Adrian Whitehead. The influence of Jeff Lynne is at work in "Kaledioscope", while "Singing in the Air" and "Sunshine" close things out with more flawless power pop. An outstanding solo debut.

"Heart Attack" mp3 | MySpace | Listen at Lala

Paul Spencer & The Maxines-Either Sunset or Sunrise. Rounding out our trip of primo EPs is another artist that I've been remiss to mention on this site: Paul Spencer & The Maxines. They've put out a couple of no-nonsense, hard-poppin' garagey discs, most notably last year's Cut The Jive. Here they take a sonic left turn as the EP is largely acoustic and Americana-influenced. One of the bands they've been compared is to the Replacements, and they compare opener "Whatever Forever and Ever" to the Mats' "Answering Machine". It does have that same acoustic-punk quality to it, while "Sunny Town for Shady People" has a Tex-Mex feel to the proceedings. "Clara Bow" is a real stunner - an ode to a 1920s silent film star complete with a tasteful string section. Spencer breaks out the Rickenbacker on "Hurry Up & Wait", a Latin-tinged number, and the EP closes with "The Man With The 30 Second Memory" a 1:16 ditty that leaves you wanting more.

CD Baby | MySpace