Walty-Walty EP.

How long has it been since we've had new music from Johnny Walter a/k/a Walty? I'll just say the last time I featured him on this site, the link at the bottom of the post was to his MySpace page (and I was referencing what Bruce at Not Lame had to say about him*). For those who understandably don't remember Walty or missed him circa 2007, he has an agreeably pleasing singer/songwriter power pop sound and the new EP will not disappoint those who enjoyed him the first time around. The chunky rocker "I'm in Love With Everything" starts things off a bit goofy in the lyric department, and "Chinese Disco" (which actually has a disco beat) could have been a minor regional hit in 1978. Walty hits his stride with "Old Friend", a great tune steeped in classic power pop that might just be a bit meta considering how long it's been for him. Elsewhere, the midtempo "Only One" channels Neil Finn and closer "Underground" is a catchy straight-up rock track. An enjoyable EP where all the songs don't sound the same.

iTunes



*Speaking of Bruce Brodeen, although he closed up Not Lame many moons ago he's continued to stay active in the power pop scene with Pop Geek Heaven. However, he's now finally retiring for good, and I'd just like to say that he was one of the inspirations for this site and for all of us who write about power pop and keep the flame alive. I'm not sure anybody's done more to bring contemporary power pop to more ears than Bruce, and I hope that whatever he does next is something Extremely Highly Recommended.

Friday roundup.

I have several discs I've been meaning to mention, so I'm going to clear them out today via blurb rather than full review.

Yusuf-An Other Cup. Those of us who love 70s soft rock have great news: The Cat is back! Cat Stevens, n/k/a Yusuf Islam, as many of you know, has returned to a secular sound with An Other Cup, and in many respects it's like he never left. Recommended tracks: "In The End", "One Day at at Time", the cover of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" (a rather appropriate track given his ability to stop Transatlantic flights). Sample and watch a video at Amazon.

Walty-Let It Out. Walty is San Fran's John Walter, and this is his second disc, which comes down somewhere between singer/songwriter pop and power pop. Bruce at Not Lame described his first disc as "Sounding like a lost great Swedish pop band from the 90`s(think early Merrymakers, Beagle, The Grass Show) combined with the more modern sounds of Phantom Planet and Rooney after listening to lots of Crowded House and Split Enz", and this is more of the same. Standout tracks: "Coverband" (a sly reference to Walter's own work in the 80's cover band Tainted Love), "2 Lovers", "Motorcycle Ride". CD Baby | MySpace

The Hard Left-The Avant-Garde Sounds of The Hard Left. The Hard Left hail from Minneapolis, and they have the garage power pop sound the area is known for (i.e., The 'Mats). This release is an 8-track, mini-CD that's all killer, no filler, with the top tracks being "Lover Girl", "Who's She Gonna Turn To?" and "Take It Out on Me". They're graciously streaming the whole disc at their site, and it's available for purchase at Not Lame and Kool Kat. If Steve Van Zandt isn't featuring these guys on his Underground Garage, it's probably because he hasn't heard them yet.