RAIDERS OF THE LOST HOOK - VOL 4 (2010)

In 1978, Greg Shaw wrote in the Powerpop special issue of Bomp: "Any way you look at it, Powerpop began with the Who (...and the Easybeats...). Their approach to songwriting was solidly pop - every song was short, catchy, hook-filled, built on bright, uplifting major chords, and they never shied away from those all-important "la la la's".

After the 3rd volume (2008!!!, it was a long long time ago) focusing on 90's power pop gems, this fourth volume compiles some of the best of the 70's-80's genre era, some bands might be new to you, but the hooks are here and stand the test of time.

Click on pix for details

VARIOUS - IPO VOL 1 (1998)

International Pop Overthrow (or IPO, as it has affectionately become known) is a pop music festival which has been held for the past eleven years in Los Angeles. IPO has been also held for various years in Chicago, New York, Boston, San Francisco, Vancouver, and Toronto, as well as in Liverpool, England (at the world famous Cavern Club)!

The story began in 1998 with the very first IPO album, "compiled by pop impresario David Bash, organizer of the IPO event in August 1998, this CD is one of the most consistent pop comps out on the market...that in a market full of great comps! Featuring music from the best of the Power Pop scene. 20 songs total and about as good as a representation of power pop with emphasis on the POP!. Consistently magical and worthy of pantheon status". Bruce Brodeen

Click on pix for details

THE PPC WINNERS
















Here are the final results.

1. The Ultimate Power Pop Guide
2. Tributes or not Tributes
3. Brian Wilsonesque: The Pocket Symphonies To God

4. Raiders of The Lost Hook
5. Tributes to The Fab Four
6. The B.G. Collection
7. Meet The Beatlesque
7. Powerpop To The People
9. The Advent Wall of Sound
10. The Christmas Collection
11. The Interstate Battle
12. Summer Songs

Thank you for all the votes.

VARIOUS - THE BAM BALAM EXPLOSION VOL 7 (2000)

Volume 7 was the ultimate volume of the Bam Balam Explosion series. It collected bands from the Mallorca area in Spain. Served by J. from Spain.

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VARIOUS - THE BAM BALAM EXPLOSION VOL 6 (1999)

Penultimate volume of the Bam Balam Explosion collection. This very highly recommended compilation focused on European (Sweden, Norway, Finland, France, and more) power pop combos.

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SKY (1970-1971)











Links removed: Don’t Hold Back and Sailor’s Delight have been released online, worldwide, on April 12, 2011, on the Zen Records label. The albums will also be available on burn-to-order CDs through Amazon’s CreateSpace division, complete with the original artwork. But no release yet of a Sky Bombers reissue

Doug Fieger: "I grew up in Detroit, yeah. I had a band called Sky, which I have a funny story about. I wrote a letter to the producer of The Rolling Stones and Traffic and Blind Faith, a guy named Jimmy Miller, when I was in high school. I said if you're ever in Detroit, come and hear my band. He answered the letter and came to my house and signed us. A week after I graduated from high school, he took us to London and we recorded our first album. About six months later, he took us back and we recorded our second album and it was pretty great. That's how I got into show business. I was seventeen years old. That band broke up unfortunately and it took me a number of years before I put The Knack together." More info on AMG.

Special note: None of the rips "Don't Hold Back (1970)" (mp3, 256) and "Sailor's Delight (1971)" (mp3 , 192) provided here are mine, i got them some months back then and are posted here for historical purposes only. One link for both albums.

Don't Hold Back (1970)
Goodie Two Shoes / Take Off & Fly / Rockin' Me Yet / I Still Do / Make It In Time / One Love / There In The Greenbriar / How's That Treating Your Mouth, Babe / Homin' Grounds / Feels Like 1,000 Years

Sailor's Delight (1971)
Make It Tight / Don't Work Nobody / Let It Lie Now / Taking the Long Way Home / Come Back / Bring It on Back / Tooly / Sing For Me / Low Down

THE SUNSET BOMBERS (1978)
After the break up of Sky, Doug Fieger moved to Los Angeles. It was there that he became part of the Sunset Strip proto-punk scene. He became bassist of The Sunset Bombers, a group which included Brandon Matheson (later of The Rubber City Rebels) on drums, Rick Armand on guitar,and Nick Armand on vocals. The Sunset Bombers were signed to Ariola Records America and put out one, self titled album in 1978. And yes, they covered the Radio Stars classic "Dirty Pictures".

Special note: Once again, this is not my rip, but a 192 mp3 rip with no artwork.

Songs

Baby It's You / Let's Drive Tonight / Suicide Kamikaze Girls / Gimme Some Lovin' / Guitar's Paradise / Drag Queen / B.F.D. / I Can't Control Myself / Dirty Pictures / Rockin' Forever

DOUG FIEGER - R.I.P. (August 21, 1952 - February 14, 2010)

THE PPC VOTES (see on the right column)

Over the past few years, i made quite a few compilations and i'd like to know your opinion about the bunch of the powerpop stuff provided here. Each collection focused on various themes, a few ones have been completed and are now closed (The Ultimate Power Pop Guide, The Beatles Tributes, The B.G. Collection...) some others will have (i sincerely hope so) further volumes if the blog is still alive and well.

COCKEYED GHOST - KEEP YOURSELF AMUSED (1995)

Consisting of singer/songwriter/guitarist Adam Marsland, bassist Rob Cassell, and drummer James Hazley, Cockeyed Ghost first made itself heard with the release of 1996's "Keep Yourself Amused", which was acclaimed by the music press and even hailed by New York Press as the "finest debut album of the rapidly aging year." The band promoted the album through two national tours including one opening for Shonen Knife.

Songs
About Jill / Disappear / At the Bookstore / Dirty Bastard / Keep the Sun / Call Me Charley / Married Yet / Using You / Dogs That Say No / Banished / The Lonely Ball

PARANOID LOVESICK - MOLLY (EP) (1995)

Rick McBrien, guitarist and vocalist for Cleveland's Paranoid Lovesick, died in 2003 of a apparent heart attack. A native of Detroit, Rick was one of the founding members of Paranoid Lovesick. The band was heavily influenced by The Byrds, The Raspberries, and Teenage Fanclub. After starting the band in 1994 with singer/songwriter/guitarist Bill Stone, the band released a 6-song EP entitled "Molly" in 1995 on Revolting Eye Music. Although the band had recorded 2 full length CD's since then, a rotating door of rhythm sections players and various problems kept the band from reaching it full stride. The band was able to contribute to various compilations (specially the "Badfinger Tribute") even as shows became fewer and fewer.

"Suburban Pop Allegro" and "Tuxedo Avenue Breakdown" can be purchased from CDBaby

Songs
Big Star / Perfect Timing / Universe Boat / Bliss / Thingmaker / Velvet

SUPERSCOPE - GENERALLY ELECTRIC (1995)

A fashion of heavy guitar riffs and power-pop harmonies became a part of Superscope's sound upon their formation in 1994. Combining the chemistry of Shane Bolton (drums), Kevin Borruso (guitar/vocals) formerly with Joe Algeri & The Stonemasons , and Gerry McAvoy (bass), Citadel Records first captured the trio's pop-metal hybrid on their 1995 debut of "Generally Electric" produced by Dom Mariani. But after contributing to two Bomp Record compilations in 1996 - "Windmill" on "Pop On Top" and "Windmill" on "Laugh While you Can" - Superscope took a six month hiatus while playing under the moniker of Reuben Kinkaide. Following their return in 1997, Spinning Top Records followed with the release of the 1997 EP "Popping Crease". They finally released their debut full length album "Torpedo" in 2002.

Songs
Home & Away / Replacement / Windmill / Dead / Cow / Constipate

VIVA SATURN - SOUNDMIND (1992)

After the first 12" EP (1988) and tightened up to a four-piece, the unprolific Viva Saturn finally released its debut album several years later, sounding like a slightly more energized West Coast version of Luna with mild shoegazer tendencies (and, in the memorably dispirited "Haven't Felt Like," a dusty '60s piano-pop affect). Firm songwriting and crisp drumming holds "Soundmind" together, as Roback's dreamy singing (supported by such guests as Barbara Manning, Chris Cacavas and Matt Piucci) and the layers of languid guitar could easily float apart into shapeless reveries. A remarkably calm and pretty record that masks its aggression in a delicate mix, the perplexing "Soundmind" soothes as it sears. Trouser Press

Songs
Still She Waits / Love the Sugar / Believe / Haven't Felt Like / Soundmind / Suicidal Lamb / Raised / Better Get Your Nerve / Paradise / Mermaid / Waiting for the Train

THE NEIGHBORS - POWER POP ART (1996)

After "Welcome Wagon" had been released, new songs were written, crappy jobs were attended to. Bass player Scott McKnight recorded the band on four-track (or was it an 8-track?). The outcome was "Masterpiece" tape, musically God-like but commercially ignored. Time passed and in 1989 The Neighbors split up. In 1996 the spanish label Bam Balam released a compilation of the first two LP's + the "Masterpiece" unreleased album.

Here are some notes by Scott McKnight
"The original band mixes of "Welcome Wagon" were shelved by Upside (the record company) in favor of mixes supervised by Upside. In some ways the Upside mixes were considered superior. In some ways, not. The tunes from "Welcome Wagon" and "Famous Potatoes" which appear on the Power Pop Art CD were remixed for that CD using mid-'90s gear rather than the mid-'80s gear used originally. The mixes of "Welcome Wagon" tunes on the CD are closer to the band's original vision than those that appeared on the album, as released. Not all of the tunes from "Welcome Wagon" and "Famous Potatoes" appear on the CD. Good luck finding the CD."

Special note: You'll need both parts of the rar to unpack the folder.

Songs (1 + 2)
Shadow Of A Fool / Valerie / Make It Alone / Running Away / You Like A Good Rumble / Will You Ever Come Down / I'm Right / Comeback / I Don't Wanna Say Bye-Bye / Two Ninety Eight / Hole In Your Life / Burst Your Bubble / Buckets / Somebody Else's Shoes / Everyone's Got One Lovin' Tonight / Gave You Up / Heaven / Coffee / Welcome Wagon / Inside & Out / Adolescent Fears / Sick As Fish / Hang Around / How Fun / Bus Song / I'd Go Crazy / Dig / Jennifer / Melt Me Down / Greatest Hits