What are some of the better examples?
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:24 (twelve years ago) link
You can't go wrong with Redd Kross Lady In The Front Row
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea37UX-EQZY
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:25 (twelve years ago) link
Flop, Whenever You're ReadyPosies, Frosting on the BeaterSloan, Twice Removedlots of ppl consider Sugar, Copper Blue as powerpop...it's great as well...
― excitebikable boy (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:26 (twelve years ago) link
Urge Overkill, Saturation...?
Another really excellent album is Myracle Brah, Life On Planet Eartsnop. That record is criminally underrated.
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:28 (twelve years ago) link
Brendan Benson - One MississippiSloan - One Chord To AnotherThe Posies - Amazing DisgraceJellyfish - Bellybutton
(xpost)
― some dude, Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:30 (twelve years ago) link
i always want to get more into power pop, especially 90s era stuff, but so much of it doesn't have enough crunch or personality to really draw me in
― some dude, Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:31 (twelve years ago) link
Matthew Sweet (Girlfriend, Altered Beast, 100% Fun)
― Sugabans (rip van wanko), Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:33 (twelve years ago) link
i should really get some of those, every time i hear a Sweet single on the radio i still rock the fuck out
― some dude, Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:34 (twelve years ago) link
Supergrass - I Should Coco
― unmetalled world (wk), Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:34 (twelve years ago) link
Also, Guided By Voices was basically power pop at times
― unmetalled world (wk), Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:35 (twelve years ago) link
early/mid 90s Supergrass was pretty great imo
― Sugabans (rip van wanko), Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:36 (twelve years ago) link
Gin Blossoms - Hey Jealousy, Til I Hear It From You
― ginny thomas and tonic (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:36 (twelve years ago) link
were any of the Material Issue albums any good?
― excitebikable boy (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:37 (twelve years ago) link
"Little Whirl," "Gold Star for Robot Boy," "Motor Away," definitely.
― clemenza, Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:37 (twelve years ago) link
xp (was totally gonna list New Miserable Experiences next?)
also search a multitude of Teenage Fanclub albums...
yeah, International Pop Overthrow is solid xxp
― Sugabans (rip van wanko), Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:38 (twelve years ago) link
it's so tempting to start rattling off all the alt/indie bands that "actually" might as well have been power pop but i feel like that inevitable line of discussion should be held off as long as possible
― some dude, Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:38 (twelve years ago) link
I think we're still comfortably within the powerpop parameters
― excitebikable boy (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:45 (twelve years ago) link
Some dude you shld definitely get at least girlfriend. I need some sloan
― just sayin, Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:46 (twelve years ago) link
Also, that Flop album, which I really love...
― excitebikable boy (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:51 (twelve years ago) link
really the Posies stuff where they're doing really pretty harmonies but the guitars are just ROARING and the drums are Keith Moon insanity, that's some of my favorite shit ever, i wish i knew of 10 bands just like that.
― some dude, Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:53 (twelve years ago) link
As I've gotten older I have less patience with the verse-chorus-verse rigidity of lots of power pop, even Cheap Trick's; I rebel against the Well-Constructed Pop Song when I hear too many of'em at a time.
― ginny thomas and tonic (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:55 (twelve years ago) link
Orange Humble Band's "Spindizzy," Paranoid Lovesick's "Molly," Small Factory's "Hopefully," Yuji Oniki's "Cover," Ammonites' "Missing You," Beekeepers' "That Girl," Blur's "You're So Great," Carl Rusk's "Everyone," Dentists' "Chainsaw the Horse," Fudge's "Girlwish," Fuzzy's "Flashlight," Jellystone Park's "Consider Me Gone," Rocketship's "The Love We Could've Had," Seaside's "Completely," Sneetches' "She Does Everything for Me," Tiger Trap's "My Broken Heart," Urge Overkill's "Back on Me," Fat Tulips' "Nothing Less Than You Deserve"...I love this stuff.
(I didn't realize till now that the Sneetches song was a Zombies cover.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acsnrKbY6pQ
― clemenza, Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:55 (twelve years ago) link
Matthew Sweet's Altered beast; also how much Teenage Fanclub have you been exposed to, sd?
― excitebikable boy (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:57 (twelve years ago) link
A while ago, on a different power-pop thread, we got into the whole crunch-vs.-jangle thing. I said jangle, xhuxk said crunch, we called the whole thing off.
― clemenza, Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:58 (twelve years ago) link
Velvet Crush - Teenage Symphonies to GodCotton Mather - Kontiki
I really should buy Twice Removed some day, One Chord To Another is the only Sloan album I have.
― Gavin, Leeds, Thursday, 19 May 2011 22:02 (twelve years ago) link
i have maybe heard one Teenage Fanclub song a decade ago. i am vaguely opposed to non-American power pop but i probably should give them a fair shot.
― some dude, Thursday, 19 May 2011 22:05 (twelve years ago) link
A bunch of albums on here I need to get already...you think Liz Phhair counts (I've beem walking round thinking about how she's the Prince of power-pop for the last couple of weeks now...)
― excitebikable boy (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, 19 May 2011 22:08 (twelve years ago) link
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 19 May 2011 21:28 (38 minutes ago) Permalink
The wtf band and album names made me check them out on youtube. I like.
― The hoppiest hop hopper now with xtra hops (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 19 May 2011 22:09 (twelve years ago) link
In my ltd exposure to TFC I find them to be right in between Posies & Dino Jr.
― excitebikable boy (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, 19 May 2011 22:10 (twelve years ago) link
Google Star Sign & Sparky's Dream for starters, s dude
― excitebikable boy (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, 19 May 2011 22:11 (twelve years ago) link
Does Wilco "Box Full Of Letters" count?
― billstevejim, Thursday, 19 May 2011 22:21 (twelve years ago) link
i am vaguely opposed to non-American power pop
!? That's so weird. I always think of power pop as either being British bands, or American bands who really really want to sound like they're British.
― unmetalled world (wk), Thursday, 19 May 2011 22:49 (twelve years ago) link
One of my favorite underrated power pop joints:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8kwPdsZ1Cg
― Captain Hyrax (Phil D.), Thursday, 19 May 2011 23:00 (twelve years ago) link
"really the Posies stuff where they're doing really pretty harmonies but the guitars are just ROARING and the drums are Keith Moon insanity, that's some of my favorite shit ever, i wish i knew of 10 bands just like that."
^^^^^^^^^ this. That's why seeing them live is imperative.
― Captain Hyrax (Phil D.), Thursday, 19 May 2011 23:01 (twelve years ago) link
I think these might be power pop but they're def all 90s and I love em..
Sloan - Pen Pals / Underwhelmed / Good In EveryoneTeenage Fanclub - Alcoholiday / Everything FlowsG.Bloss - Hey Jealousy / Found Out About YouPosies - Dream All DayAsh - Girl From MarsSupergrass - Lose ItThe Pursuit Of Happiness - She's So YoungWeezer - Suzanne
― billstevejim, Thursday, 19 May 2011 23:05 (twelve years ago) link
Was thinking maybe the whole 1st Weezer album...
Others to check out: Negro Problem, Loud Family, Lemonheads, Veruca Salt, Darling Buds, Jellyfish's 2nd album, Spilt Milk
― excitebikable boy (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, 19 May 2011 23:32 (twelve years ago) link
First La's albumMaybe the Chills?
― excitebikable boy (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, 19 May 2011 23:33 (twelve years ago) link
Oh, and Dramarama. A must-hear for power pop fans.
― Shart Shaped Box (Phil D.), Thursday, 19 May 2011 23:36 (twelve years ago) link
― unmetalled world (wk), Thursday, May 19, 2011 6:49 PM (47 minutes ago) Bookmark
well, i love the 60s/70s british bands than power pop bands all are generally aping, but as far as contemporary bands go, there's not a lot from the UK i really enjoy, power pop included (although i did really like Supergrass's 2nd album).
― some dude, Thursday, 19 May 2011 23:38 (twelve years ago) link
I don't know if I'd consider this power pop but there's a lot of questionable stuff here already imo. I loved this whole album at one time. LOL mid-late 90s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2S6OfhYWmI
― \(^o\) (/o^)/ (ENBB), Thursday, 19 May 2011 23:41 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaMrivLS8bU
― \(^o\) (/o^)/ (ENBB), Thursday, 19 May 2011 23:43 (twelve years ago) link
Letters to Cleo?
― \(^o\) (/o^)/ (ENBB), Thursday, 19 May 2011 23:45 (twelve years ago) link
lol pre vitamin c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHGhYqAgwh4
― \(^o\) (/o^)/ (ENBB), Thursday, 19 May 2011 23:47 (twelve years ago) link
wow that song/video/entire thing is a hell of a lot worse but funnier than I remembered
― \(^o\) (/o^)/ (ENBB), Thursday, 19 May 2011 23:48 (twelve years ago) link
maybe throw The Muffs in the mix?
― Sugabans (rip van wanko), Thursday, 19 May 2011 23:50 (twelve years ago) link
no, I might sb myself for that. Power pop is a yearning thing.
― Sugabans (rip van wanko), Thursday, 19 May 2011 23:51 (twelve years ago) link
I was going to suggest them but I wasn't sure?
― \(^o\) (/o^)/ (ENBB), Thursday, 19 May 2011 23:52 (twelve years ago) link
Hell yes Letters to Cleo, especially their last album "Go!" which avoided the grunge-isms ofnthe first two records and was straight ahead power pop, including some keyboard contributions from Greg Hawkes of The Cars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCwvQDos_sg
― Shart Shaped Box (Phil D.), Thursday, 19 May 2011 23:55 (twelve years ago) link
Just listened to it again, and yeah.
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Friday, 20 May 2011 01:32 (twelve years ago) link
Baby Lemonade, Exploring Musicthat dog, Retreat from the SunWilliam Pears s/t
These three were the pinnacle of '90s powerpop from what I've heard.
― Dodo Lurker (Slim and Slam), Friday, 20 May 2011 02:35 (twelve years ago) link
Second the recommendation of the Loud Family from upthread a bit, though someone looking for "power pop" in the strict hooky, jangly sense might find them a bit erratic and noisy at times. Brilliant, though.
Best straight power pop band of the decade, not yet mentioned: Too Much Joy. All four of their 90s albums are fantastic.
― jer.fairall, Friday, 20 May 2011 04:05 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvbZ3lsT5nw
The Connells!
― theskysgoneout (Jason Pitzl-Waters), Friday, 20 May 2011 04:11 (twelve years ago) link
Polara!
http://clipvideohd.com/polara-source-of-light-26276
^ This song is incredible to me.
― Wacky Way Lounge (Evan), Friday, 20 May 2011 04:47 (twelve years ago) link
7" versions of the following:Hula Hoop - "Midget Love" (you'll love this, kornrulez)Triple Fast Action - "Revved Up"
― john. a resident of chicago., Friday, 20 May 2011 12:46 (twelve years ago) link
Dambuilders, "Shrine"? I can't decide.
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Thursday, May 19, 2011 9:28 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
An old band of mine opened up for them at the Grog Shop in Cleveland back in 1996. Nice folks.
― Shart Shaped Box (Phil D.), Friday, 20 May 2011 13:02 (twelve years ago) link
from 1990, one of the greatest power-pop albums of the decade:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNrWZBzP6_I&feature=related(Material Issue's Jim Ellison was in a very early lineup of Green in the 80s)
― shake it, shake it, sugary pee (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Friday, 20 May 2011 13:12 (twelve years ago) link
<3 <3 <3 <3 that first Polara album! thx for the vid! Evan; "source of light" is great (as is "taupe" & "letter bomb" & "squelch")
― excitebikable boy (Drugs A. Money), Friday, 20 May 2011 13:16 (twelve years ago) link
wonder if this counts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcU7kz8nVhU
― excitebikable boy (Drugs A. Money), Friday, 20 May 2011 13:17 (twelve years ago) link
An even better Gigolo Aunts cut:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=387u-Q7XBx4
― Shart Shaped Box (Phil D.), Friday, 20 May 2011 13:19 (twelve years ago) link
Man, Boston really was ground zero for 90's power pop, wasn't it? Almost forgot about Fuzzy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTmIiYcd3Ow
― Shart Shaped Box (Phil D.), Friday, 20 May 2011 13:22 (twelve years ago) link
yall remember For Squirrels? their grungy '85-REM/skatepunk hybrid album Example got a lot of exposure after their lead singer died in a car accident. This was the big single from the album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBbl3RpgNN4&feature=fvwrel
― excitebikable boy (Drugs A. Money), Friday, 20 May 2011 13:59 (twelve years ago) link
― excitebikable boy (Drugs A. Money), Friday, May 20, 2011 9:16 AM (45 minutes ago)
Yes! Though that album has some cheesy moments from what I remember. Like some shameless synthetic horn use.
― Wacky Way Lounge (Evan), Friday, 20 May 2011 14:04 (twelve years ago) link
made it all that much greater imo
― excitebikable boy (Drugs A. Money), Friday, 20 May 2011 14:06 (twelve years ago) link
my introduction to power pop was probably from The Adventures of Pete & Pete
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY_3uxzkoV4&feature=related
I miss the 90s obsession with sunny suburbs. Every music video took place on someone's lawn.Happy times for me.
― Wacky Way Lounge (Evan), Friday, 20 May 2011 14:37 (twelve years ago) link
i could hang out in this thread all day :)
― excitebikable boy (Drugs A. Money), Friday, 20 May 2011 14:54 (twelve years ago) link
bad timing with work crunch and a 90s power pop thread! Shite!
― skip, Friday, 20 May 2011 15:16 (twelve years ago) link
Dambuilders! Polara!
I love this thread!
― jer.fairall, Friday, 20 May 2011 15:27 (twelve years ago) link
This is the grey area, I know, but I think some of the riot girl stuff made for great power-pop: Bratmobile's "Richard," Mary Lou Lord's "Some Jingle Jangle Morning," Bikini Kill's "False Start," a few Scrawl songs. Some wouldn't call it power-pop; for me, it's the quiet, yearning side alluded to above.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgNdIdMqEcY&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=activeactive
― clemenza, Friday, 20 May 2011 17:37 (twelve years ago) link
Velvet Crush - In The Presence Of GreatnessSneetches - 1985-1991
― Brooker T Buckingham, Friday, 20 May 2011 18:09 (twelve years ago) link
Holsapple and Stamey's Mavericks was alright.
― Sugabans (rip van wanko), Friday, 20 May 2011 18:12 (twelve years ago) link
Whale's Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe!
― wabi sabi, Friday, 20 May 2011 21:04 (twelve years ago) link
Minor 90s single that kind of sounds like Oasis but it still gets in my head:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ8VhWN2oD8
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Friday, 20 May 2011 21:09 (twelve years ago) link
Three O'clock's Michael Quercio's 90s band Permanent Greenlight definitely belongs here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ac-M5GSGIU&feature=related
― excitebikable boy (Drugs A. Money), Friday, 20 May 2011 21:11 (twelve years ago) link
just to explain a couple of the iffier names suggested in this thread so far
The Best 50 Powerpop Albums according to RYM
― pax raggetta (Drugs A. Money), Monday, 23 May 2011 15:00 (twelve years ago) link
x-posts Yeah I love Bikini Kill a hell of a lot but I definitely wouldn't include them here.
― \(^o\) (/o^)/ (ENBB), Monday, 23 May 2011 18:09 (twelve years ago) link
x-post - Some off that list are so good like - Brendan Benson: Lapalco - amazing <3 <3 but not 90s
― \(^o\) (/o^)/ (ENBB), Monday, 23 May 2011 18:11 (twelve years ago) link
― wabi sabi, Friday, May 20, 2011 5:04 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark
ah thread's over isn't it
― Waluigi Weingoomba (some dude), Monday, 23 May 2011 20:11 (twelve years ago) link
i figured you'd gotten fed up way before that lol!!!
― pax raggetta (Drugs A. Money), Monday, 23 May 2011 20:53 (twelve years ago) link
yeah I just heard that Hobo Slobo song; this is what Chumbawumba is like without the snooty politics, huh?
― pax raggetta (Drugs A. Money), Monday, 23 May 2011 20:59 (twelve years ago) link
Just to clarify: Bikini Kill in general, no, not even close. But that one song, "False Start," to me you can make a case for that. It's got all the rudiments of power-pop.
― clemenza, Monday, 23 May 2011 21:04 (twelve years ago) link
if the thread is over, is it okay if I just post Lil Markie youtubes until I leave work
― I HAVE ISSUES (DJP), Monday, 23 May 2011 21:06 (twelve years ago) link
Weird. "False Start" sounds really familiar. Must be something I taped off the Carleton station when I was in high school.
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Monday, 23 May 2011 21:20 (twelve years ago) link
That Permanent Greenlight song is fantastic!
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Monday, 23 May 2011 21:26 (twelve years ago) link
how can fountains of wayne not be here?
― so come right back, we have count dracula and we have adam rich (Hunt3r), Monday, 23 May 2011 21:28 (twelve years ago) link
never heard a FoW song I really liked tbh...def belong here though
is Ivy powerpop?
― pax raggetta (Drugs A. Money), Tuesday, 24 May 2011 14:04 (twelve years ago) link
no just pop
― so come right back, we have count dracula and we have adam rich (Hunt3r), Tuesday, 24 May 2011 14:07 (twelve years ago) link
red dragon tattoo is pretty ace powerpop imo
mavericks referenced above is more chamberpop
― so come right back, we have count dracula and we have adam rich (Hunt3r), Tuesday, 24 May 2011 14:09 (twelve years ago) link
Try "Amity Gardens" or "Troubled Times" from Utopia Parkway. Never quite fell in love with FOW the way others did,.but most of that album is top notch.
― jer.fairall, Tuesday, 24 May 2011 14:10 (twelve years ago) link
If I had to choose one favorite FOW song from the 90s it would be Red Dragon Tattoo but Utopia Parkway has a bunch of great tracks, especially Troubled Times, The Valley of Malls, Go Hippie, and Amity Gardens. Then again they are one of my favorite bands...
Cotton Mather's Kontiki is a very up-and-down listen but its up moments are just about perfect. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsE1AM5-KHIAlbum's easily available for download/preview with a Google search.
Surprised not to see the Grays mentioned here - a short-lived band that involved both Jason Falkner and Jon Brion. And of course every Jason Falkner album is worth getting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvGXlgokjs4
― skip, Tuesday, 24 May 2011 14:31 (twelve years ago) link
I've never heard anything by the Grays, but I came across their name once or twice in The War Against Silence; I'll bet they're really good aren't they?
― pax raggetta (Drugs A. Money), Tuesday, 24 May 2011 14:35 (twelve years ago) link
YouTube code (to reduce embeds): EE-znePV0UQ
Weird that they have their own Vevo channel. RS links are active here: http://powerpopoverdose.blogspot.com/2008/04/grays-ram-sham-bo-1994.html
― skip, Tuesday, 24 May 2011 14:40 (twelve years ago) link
The Grays one and only album is fantastic, if you can still find it. I think I got it around 97-98 and it was a struggle to get ahold of a copy even then. But, you know, this is the internet, so...
― jer.fairall, Tuesday, 24 May 2011 15:06 (twelve years ago) link
I thought that Cotton Mather record was pretty fantastic too, even if it's been a good decade since I've spun it.
― jer.fairall, Tuesday, 24 May 2011 15:07 (twelve years ago) link
Kontiki has a sense of pacing and restraint that's rare in a lot of power pop albums, which often plow away with one head bopper after another, perhaps sprinkling in a a slowish country track here and there. Or maybe the band just enjoys the sound of slow tracks. Either way, it really heightens the impact of a song like Password or My Before and After, which is not on YouTube for some reason.
― skip, Tuesday, 24 May 2011 15:15 (twelve years ago) link
i really like powerpop and falkner, but i didn't like the grays. it seemed kind of flaccid and rembrandts-y iirc.
― so come right back, we have count dracula and we have adam rich (Hunt3r), Tuesday, 24 May 2011 15:26 (twelve years ago) link
^reminded me of this Christian rock CD my mom got me when I was in high school; band was called 'pfr'
― pax raggetta (Drugs A. Money), Tuesday, 24 May 2011 15:31 (twelve years ago) link
thanks to this thread i was reminded i have sloans 'pretty together' in the archive.
not heard this in years.
sounds wonderful.
other additions of worth : superdrag
fucking loved'em, and one of my first experiences of using the web to track down releases that never reached the UK.
― mark e, Monday, 14 April 2014 20:09 (ten years ago) link