The two Best EP's from 2011

The year flew by mostly because it was a very, very busy one. I am going to post the PPO Top Ten shortly but until then I want to highlight the years two best EP's.





Additionally the Baltimore based band The Seldon Plan gave us my favorite song of the year that never made it to disc. Cant get enough of it.

Merry Christmas from friend of PPO Kris Rodgers!

Kris Rodgers Music
Kris Rodgers Bandcamp

The Cowboys - How the West Was Rocked - 1982

The Cowboys were part of a sizzingly, pre-grunge power pop scene that included such bands as the Moberlys and The Heats (originally the Heaters). One of the most popular bands of the era, the Cowboys opened for such national acts as the B-52s, Billy Idol, X, Split Enz and Tina Turner and performed at such clubs as Astor Park, Baby O’s and Hall of Fame.

In 1981, the Cowboys recorded the single “Rude Boy” and followed up with an EP in 1982. The band’s first full-length album, “How the West Was Rocked,” came out in 1985. But the group never found national fame it deserved. The Cowboys, also known for such songs as “Girls Like That” and “Jet City Rockers,” broke up in 1986. Fisher attributed the group’s demise to disagreements among band members and a reluctance to take out-of-town gigs that might have provided valuable exposure.

Ripped from vinyl @ 320

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Clark - Two Of A Kind - 2005

Clark sounds like the late-great Swedish pop band Beagle with a bit more edge. Also, bands like Avion/Tories, the first album from The Elms, Switchfoot and the commercial side of modern pop are were they slot nicely. Fans of occasionally pumping guitar pop and moving pop balladry, all with sparkling vocals and hooks tripping over each other will dig Clark. These are smashing rock-solid songs with deft and irrepressible charmvocals) -Not Lame

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The Wellingtons - Keeping Up With The Wellingtons - 2005

Australian import and boy is this going to have tongues wagging we hope. This one is classic Not Lame territory. Sounding like a squeeky clean version of The Shazam in many spots, but also a long list of classic pop sounds familiar to the Not Lamer: Bleu, the Churchills, Ike, The Argument and Sun Sawed In 1/2. There`s plenty of "Bellybutton"-era Jellyfish slipping in here, too. The 10 perfect pop nuggets here are ridiculously catchy throwing dream harmonies and hooks all over the place. Each song is melodic and memorable because they are sweetly wrapped up with arrangements that keep it all both fresh and accessible. "Keeping Up With The Wellingtons" is a stunningly well-rounded, consistently hook-driven affair, w/ power pop melodies exploding in every corner of each song. - Not Lame

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The Holidays - The Holidays - 2001

In 2001 The Holidays spent just one day was spent recording the instruments (2 guitars, bass and drums), another day spent with the voices, and a couple more mixing it. People in Portland began to hear the buzz about the band and later in 2001 The Oregonian wrote up a fantastic review of the album. Influenced by such acts as The Posies, Jeff Buckley, and Sunny Day Real Estate, The Holidays expand on the approach of alternative rock. The Holidays blend their influences with their original ideas to the point that they become an incredible mix of indie and classic rock with jazz inspired chord changes to create artful pop music.-CD Baby

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Ciao Bella - 1 - 1997

Ciao Bella's self-titled album strikes a lovely balance between 60s pop touches and the semi-futuristic pop the March label usually deals in -- portions of the record do pretty much the same thing the Olivia Tremor Control's Dusk at Cubist Castle do ("How Low"), but the chirpy collages and Beatlesque harmonies of this aesthetic are tempered by big guitar sounds and modern organ usage that give Ciao Bella an entirely different tone. -AMG

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A little present from Herb Eimerman

The Shoes Christmas comp "Yuletunes" came out 20 years ago this season....i just got around to doing a video for my track.  peace...herb eimerman





Grab the rest of Yuletunes over at the great Power Pop Criminals site and be sure to thank Angelo!

James Michael - Inhale - 2000

James Michael, who bases his fan club in Owasso, OK, really touches the epicenter of the working man's rock & roll soul. Inhale is a passionate, dreamy, uplifting, and gut-wrenching performance. With his first major release, Michael goes forward with his shimmering born-to-be-a-rock-star presence and uncanny songwriting craftsmanship. Critics in Los Angeles have dubbed his vocal harmonies and stage presence hauntingly similar to the late Kurt Cobain. Yet, it is Michael's sincerity and openness to creative expression both lyrically and melodically that make this debut album special. "Maybe I should cut us both some slack/Maybe I should cut me out completely and try to get you back," sings Michael as a statement of desperation and longing in the dense and dynamic "Slack." "January" is a poignant and colorful song of triumph, detailing Michael's triumph of life and musical success after experiencing many years of horrific bands that took him nowhere. While his music has now made it to mainstream record shops, he's certainly not going to wait around for success to come to him. -AMG


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The Cowboys - Jet City Rockers - 1998

The Cowboys were, like The Heats, a fixture on the Seattle rock/pop scene for the first half of the 80`s and you can feel the sweat and the heat of the clubs as they bash out adrenaline-filled rockabilly and rock-fueled pop that`s like a Flying Color/Blasters meets The Moberly party! Or what The Clash might have sounded like if they grew up in the mid-West (even tho The Cowboys are from Seattle, they have more in common with The Suburbs than The Sonics!). A really cool collection -Not Lame

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