Two for Thursday, 8/11/11

Tony Cox-On the Way. After a successful and well-received debut in the power pop community with 2009's Unpublished, Tony Cox is back with On the Way, and he's topped himself in the process. As with Unpublished, Tony enlists pop utilityman Nigel Clark (who can be heard with Dodgy, The Offbeat, and his own solo disc) on vocals, and the combination is another winner. Opener "We'll Get High" is a perfect pop confection, a slice of 60s-pop with a hint of soulfulness. "Hold Me Angeline" is reminiscent of Clark's work in The Offbeat, while "The Way" evokes The Association with a Nuggets-styled sheen. And "Curse of Love" could pass for a lost Zombies classic. This could the album of the year for those who love 60s-styled sunshine pop.

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Rollo Time-Victims of the Crown. It's Rollo Time again, as this Chicago-area band returns with the followup to their 2007 self-titled debut. Once again, they show a great facility for melding classic rock and power pop, and that's apparent right off the bat with "You Can Talk" and "Sick and Tired", a pair of tracks that will appeal to fans of bands like The Shazam and Superdrag. "Eyman Prison" tells the story of a frustrated prisoner (of a real Arizona prison) to a power pop beat, while the midtempo janglers "Madeline Says" and "I Can't Believe This Day" are also standouts.

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Some quick takes.

Brett Mitchell-Falling Apart at the Seams. Mitchell's third album is a great leap forward from his still-fine previous work, buoyed by help from fellow Michigander Andy Reed (a name that should be familiar). This is first-rate singer-songwriter power pop, from the rollicking title track to the insanely catchy "I Used to Think of Her" to the rocking "Dead End Lover" to the clever "You Could Be My Hat". CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Acquiesce-Patiently Waiting. This NYC band takes its name from an Oasis b-side and shares that band's sound as well. Patiently Waiting is their latest EP and all 5 tracks are winners, and aside from the Oasis influence there's some Superdrag and Stereophonics in here as well. CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

David G. Moore-Never the First to Jump. Debut EP from this Massachusetts singer-songwriter will appeal to fans of David Mead, Neil Finn, Jon Brion & the like; "All I Have is Time" is a pop gem, and "Alive" is a driving rocker that will stick in your head. CD Baby | iTunes

Rollo Time-"You Can Tell" and "Sick and Tired". I featured this band's self-titled debut back in 2007, and they're back with a pair of singles from their forthcoming album Victims of the Crown. If you enjoyed the debut, you'll want these, especially considering "Sick and Tired" is currently a free download at CD Baby. iTunes

CD of the Day, 9/11/07: Rollo Time-Rollo Time

You've put in a hard day at work. You've finished fixing dinner. You've put the kids to bed. Now, it's Rollo Time.

OK, apologies to the Miller Brewing Co. aside, any time is Rollo Time if you're a fan of classic power pop in the vein of Superdrag, The Shazam, Splitsville and various other bands whose name starts with "S" (even though they start with an "R"). Hailing from the rather depressingly-named Downers Grove, Illinois, the Rollos deliver the kind of disc that rewards power pop fans for waking up each day and asking "what's new and exciting out there?".

Opener "Maintenance Free" is a Superdrag-styled opener that throws in enough left-field touches (i.e., the break at the 2-minute mark with just the lead singer and piano) to make it something more than cookie-cutter stuff. Meanwhile, "Float Down The River" has such an infectious beat and melody that your foot will still be tapping 5 minutes after the song is over. "Travel The World" rocks out with a bit of Cheap Trick attitude, and "Don't", "Cut Me to the Quick" and "Only If You Wanna" make a fine trio of rockers. Closing out the disc on a quality note is the trippy "Moth & Butterfly", which is most definitely NOT a Heart cover.

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