Power Pop Lives….In Sweden?

Power pop is an enduring musical style that still has many loyal fans, including current acts like Fountains of Wayne, Tinted Windows, OK Go & The Smithereens. It draws its influences from the 1960s sound of groups like The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks, The Beach Boys and The Byrds. The initial wave of power pop occurred in the 1970s and early 80s, when acts like Big Star, Cheap Trick, Badfinger, The Cars and Todd Rundgren were in their heyday. And for every well known group like The Raspberries or The Knack, there were many one hit wonders & cult favorites like The La’s, The Plimsouls, The Records or The dBs. There was even some crossover with the burgeoning punk & new wave movements, with musicians like Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, The Romantics, Squeeze and The Jam releasing music with at least one foot in the genre.

In the 90s and early 2000s, power pop had something of a renaissance: Artists like Matthew Sweet, Jellyfish, Fastball, The Rembrandts and Marshall Crenshaw recorded great retro pop records during this period. One of the best albums from this era is 1997’s Bubblegun, the second album by Sweden’s The Merrymakers. The duo of Anders Hellgren and David Myhr write songs that sound fresh, but would fit comfortably into the eras of their many influences. It's an excellent release, following up their 1995 debut No Sleep Til Famous, another great power pop record.

There are great melodies and killer pop hooks here, with wall-to-wall jangly guitars & sweet harmonies. Songs like April’s Fool (with it’s almost Abba-esque keyboards), the Squeeze-like A Fine Line, and the beautiful ballad Adore (which sounds like a Crowded House outtake) are some of the highlights. Superstar is swirling, fast & percussive; Troubled Times is another sweet love song with excellent lyrics; the McCartney-ish Monkey in the Middle and the bouncy, upbeat Under the Light of the Moon are also standouts. This is an album that demands repeat spins on your CD player, iPod or music system, and grows on you with each listen. You can hear influences in their sound from bands as diverse as Queen, R.E.M., The Hollies, The Beatles and XTC.

While The Merrymakers didn’t make much of a splash in the U.S., they did have their fans, including Andy Sturmer, best known as the leader of power pop masters Jellyfish. Sturmer had heard & liked some of the bands earlier music, so he offered to collaborate on songwriting and production work for the album. He plays drums on the record as well. In a way, Bubblegun became kind of a summit meeting of the power pop elite. If you’re a Jellyfish fan, you’ll appreciate the record even more. Sadly, the album is the last release to date by the band, but David Myhr has just released his solo debut, Soundshine, and if the single Got You Where He Wanted is any indication, it will be another retro pop classic.

Bubblegun is available at online outlets like Amazon and the iTunes store. Some versions of the album come packaged either with a few bonus tracks or an additional disc containing 5 songs from No Sleep Til Famous and they are also worth a listen. Stay tuned in the future for more coverage of classic & current power pop, and thanks for reading.

Here are links to April's Fool https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbOp3QQW4-U and Monkey in the Middle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_3NZF9A2As from Bubblegun.

The Descendants: Family Loyalty, Life & Love in Hawaii

George Clooney has had a remarkable run of performances in recent years, in films like Michael Clayton, Up In The Air and The Ides of March. He’s added another fine acting job to that list. In 2011’s The Descendants, he plays Matt King, a Hawaii-based lawyer whose wife Elizabeth is in a coma after a boating accident. This leaves Matt to take care of their two daughters, Alexandra and Scottie. He’s been something of an absentee father, and now has to cope with their behavior (they’re both acting out at school), and deal with them as a parent in ways he didn’t previously.

He is told Elizabeth will never wake up, and he’ll have to make a decision regarding unhooking her from life support. In an emotional conversation with Alexandra, Matt learns his wife was having an affair. He’s shocked to find his family life & his world was not as well ordered as he thought. Matt decides to track down the man she was sleeping with, to confront him, and to give him a chance to visit Elizabeth. He’s also dealing with a larger family issue: he’s the trustee of a large portion of land the family owns, and the group is trying to make a decision on whether to sell it and make a huge profit.

As the story unfolds, we see all the emotions come to life in Clooney’s face, as he deals with these issues. You really feel this character’s journey as he comes to a new understanding about his family, and his life. It’s a quiet, understated performance, quite unlike the cool characters we’re used to seeing in movies like the Ocean’s films and Out of Sight. The rest of the cast is superb as well, with Shailene Woodley a standout as the older daughter, Alexandra. There’s also good work from Robert Forster, Judy Greer and Beau Bridges in supporting roles.

The film is directed by Alexander Payne (Sideways, Election) and he unfolds the story slowly, focusing on the characters and their relationships. The Oscar winning screenplay is by Payne, Nat Raxon and Jim Rash, based on the novel by Kari Hart Hemmings. The beautiful Hawaiian locations and authentic music score add a great deal of atmosphere to the movie. This is a sincere, well-acted comedy drama that is truly one of the best films of 2011. It’s a movie that sneaks up on you a little, and will resonate with you after you watch it.

The Descendants is alternately funny & heartbreaking, and has some real truths to impart about life & family. It’s one of my favorite films of 2011. In this writer’s opinion (with all due respect to the other nominees and winner Jean Dujardin), Clooney deserved the Best Actor award for his role. The film is now available on DVD and Blu-ray with an assortment of extras that include interviews with the cast & crew, though the Blu-ray features more extra content. Highly Recommended.

Covers Gallery IV – Tribute Album Edition

The latest set in my series honoring covers is drawn entirely from tribute albums:

1.    Opelousas (Sweet Relief) – by Maria McKee from Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams. McKee’s transcendent version of singer-songwriter Williams’ song is one of the highlights of the album.

2.    #9 Dream – by R.E.M. from Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. The alternative rockers do a nice, dreamy cover of John Lennon’s solo hit.

3.    Poor Poor Pitiful Me by Jackson Browne & Bonnie Raitt - from Enjoy Every Sandwich: The Songs of Warren Zevon.  Browne & Raitt pay tribute to the late, lamented Zevon with this energetic reading of a song made famous by Linda Ronstadt’s version.

4.    Yesterday Once More - by Red Kross from If I Were A Carpenter. The power poppers re-do The Carpenters hit, emphasizing the melancholy inherent in the song's lyrics.

5.    Raining in My Heart - by Graham Nash from Rave On Buddy Holly. Pretty, stripped down version of the Buddy Holly tune by Nash. From one of two star studded Holly tributes released in 2011, the other being Listen To Me: The Songs Of Buddy Holly.

6.    You Won’t See Me - by Dar Williams from This Bird Has Flown: a 40^th Anniversary Tribute to The Beatles’ Rubber Soul. One of the best songs on this tribute to a classic Fab Four album.

7.    Tush - by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. Grace & the boys get the groove right on this cover of the ZZ Top hit, from ZZ Top: A Tribute From Friends.

8.     Deuce - by Lenny Kravitz from Kiss My A**: Classic Kiss Regrooved. Fantastic version of the Kiss song, also featuring Stevie Wonder.

9.    Girls Talk - by Dave Edmunds from Songs Of Elvis Costello: Bespoke Songs, Lost Dogs, Detours & Rendezvous. Edmunds’ hit cover leads off this eclectic album of Costello classics by a variety of artists.

10.  Washable Ink - The Neville Brothers - from Love Gets Strange: Songs of John Hiatt: There are several Hiatt tribute albums, but this out of print disc from Rhino has an excellent lineup of musicians and songs, including The Neville Brothers funky take on this tune.

11.  Encomium: A Tribute To Led Zeppelin: Tangerine - by Big Head Todd & The Monsters. Moody, folk-inflected version of the Led Zeppelin III track.

12.  I Want You from Inner City Blues: The Music of Marvin Gaye. Madonna’s smooth, sensual reading of the Marvin Gaye hit.

13. Gypsy Woman – Bruce Springtseen’s excellent take on the Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions classic, from All Men Are Brothers: A Tribute To Curtis Mayfield.

14. You Got Me Floatin' - P.M. Dawn’s psychedelic/r&b version of the Jimi Hendrix tune, from Stone Free: A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix.

15.  Burn Down the Mission - Phil Collins' emotional cover of the early Elton John tune, from Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs Of Elton John & Bernie Taupin.

16. The Chain by Shawn Colvin, who does right by this Fleetwood Mac classic on Legacy: A Tribute To Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours.

17.  Fat Bottomed Girls - by Antigone Rising from Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen. The all girl rockers get it on with their version of the hard charging Queen hit.

Bonus Track: Sugar Sugar - by Mary Lou Lord & Semisonic from Saturday Morning Cartoons’ Greatest Hits. One of the best tracks on this wonderful collection of cartoon themes & songs from shows like The Archies, Scooby Doo & The Flinstones. A real treat for baby boomers.

Don’t Beware Clooney’s “Ides of March”

The Ides of March (2011) is a savvy political drama with some razor sharp performances. George Clooney (who also directed) stars as Mike Morris, the Governor of Pennsylvania, who’s competing against Arkansas Senator Ted Pullman for the Democratic Presidential nomination. His campaign managers, Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling), seem to be making all the right moves. Morris appears to be a candidate with good sense and integrity. Both campaigns are trying to get the endorsement of North Carolina Senator Franklin Thompson, who controls 356 convention delegates, which could help secure the nomination.

Pullman’s campaign manager, Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti), calls Meyers and asks him to come to a private meeting. Against his better judgment, Meyers attends. What follows is a series of political games, deceit and schemes; that simple meeting sets a series of events in motion that can’t be stopped. As the story moves forward, we get a behind the scenes look at the wheeling & dealing that goes on behind the scenes of the campaign. As he begins an affair with an intern, Meyers learns there is more to the candidate he admires than he first thought.

Gosling is very good as Meyers, the idealistic young man who believes in the system (and his candidate), but may lose that belief by the end of the story. Giamatti and Hoffman are excellent as the opposing campaign managers, who are like two prizefighters circling the ring, or maybe two con men looking to see who’s best at the game. Clooney is very effective as Morris, using his star power & charisma to great advantage in the role. The fine supporting cast includes Jeffrey Wright as Senator Thompson, Marisa Tomei as a reporter covering the campaign, and Evan Rachel Wood as the intern with whom Meyers has an affair.

The well-written screenplay, based on the play Farragut North by Beau Willimon, is by Grant Heslov, Willimon & director-star Clooney. This is a smart, expertly directed political film. It holds up a mirror to the process we use to elect our officials, and the people we choose to run for office. The reflection we see may be a little cloudy, but it makes for an interesting, informative drama. The Ides of March is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.

Drive: A Stylish, Pulsating Thriller Races To The Finish Line

Drive (2011) is an action film that re-energizes its’ genre, and at the same time pays homage to its roots. Ryan Gosling stars as a movie stunt driver, who does side work as a wheelman for small-time heists. He has very specific rules about what he will and won’t do when he operates as a getaway driver. He lives a quiet life, mostly keeping to himself, and working as a mechanic with his mentor, Shannon (played by Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad), who also arranges his jobs. Things start to change when he meets Irene (Carey Mulligan), a neighbor who’s raising her young son while her husband is in prison. The two form a bond, and we start to see the human being beneath the hard shell the Driver has built around himself. Their scenes together are some of the best in the film.

Irene’s husband is released from prison early, and returns home. When the Driver (he’s never named in the film) attempts to help him execute a small heist to pay off some crooks he got involved with in prison, things spiral out of control. From then on, it’s a race against time as the villains are out to get the Driver, and are hunting down Irene & her son. The Driver must step outside the confines of his normal existence, and try to help them survive the threat his actions helped create. He's a man who has scruples, despite the nature of his work.

The style of the film recalls movies like Point Blank (1967), Bullitt (1968) and To Live & Die in L.A. (1985). The Tarantino-esque violence creates a contrast with the cool, neo-noir look of the film. This is a world that can erupt into brutality at any time, where even making the right choice has consequences. Gosling’s character recalls such iconic antiheroes as Steve McQueen’s Bullitt and Clint Eastwood’s The Man With No Name; loners with their own moral code who say little, but allow their actions to speak for themselves. The film is based on the novella by James Sallis; the taut, effective screenplay is by Hossein Amini. Director Nicolas Winding Refn combines elements of samurai movies, film noir, and classic action films with a truly modern sensibility. The stunning cinematography is by Newton Thomas Sigel, who also worked on The Usual Suspects (1995) and the first two X-Men films.

The mix of cinematic style, haunting music (score by Cliff Martinez, and some well chosen songs, including "A Real Hero" by College, featuring Electric Youth) and excellent performances unite to create an action movie with an existentialist feel. There are quiet moments of real emotion and character amid the car chases and violent action. A perfect example is the understated scene where Standard, Irene's husband, talks about how the couple met. The entire cast is fantastic, with Ron Perlman (Sons Of Anarchy) & Albert Brooks, in a far cry from his usually comedic roles, in good form as the villains. Gosling is excellent as The Driver, and Mulligan is luminous as Irene. This is an action movie with a very human story at its center. Drive is one of the best movies of 2011. Highly recommended.

Covers Gallery III

A third collection of covers, remakes & assorted re-inventions. Feel free to post comments or your own suggestions below.

1. The First Cut Is The Deepest by Rod Stewart from A Night on the Town. Rod covers the Cat Stevens classic; one of the best tracks from this era (1976) of his career.

2. Jimmy Loves Maryann by Josie Cotton. Cotton puts a New Wave, modern rock spin on the Looking Glass hit from the 70s, on her album From The Hip.

3. Positively 4^th Street by Simply Red from Home. Excellent cover of the Bob Dylan tune, with wonderful vocals by lead singer Mick Hucknall.

4. Refugee by Melissa Etheridge from Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled. Slowed down, emotion-packed version of the Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers classic, well-performed by rocker Etheridge.

5. This Land Is Your Land  by Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings from Naturally. The Woody Guthrie anthem gets a little soul, courtesy of Brooklyn’s own queen (and kings) of funk. This version was used in the opening credits of the film Up In The Air.

6. A Hard Day’s Night by Ella Fitzgerald. The one and only Ella swings The Beatles. A live cut featured on Ella in Hamburg.

7. Hard To Handle by The Black Crowes. Chris Robinson and his band mates rock the groove on this Otis Redding song; from their debut album, Shake Your Moneymaker.

8. Raspberry Beret by Hindu Love Gods. The late, great Warren Zevon and R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, Bill Berry & Peter Buck rock out on this version of the Prince tune, from Hindu Love Gods.

8. Billie Jean by Chris Cornell from Carry On. Another re-invention of a Michael Jackson classic, this time by the former Soundgarden frontman.

9. Istanbul by They Might Be Giants from Flood. TMBG energetically re-do The Four Lads tune from the 50’s.

10. You Can’t Hurry Love by Phil Collins from Hello, I Must be Going. Before recording an entire album’s worth of Motown covers in 2010, Collins released this cover of The Supremes hit back in 1982.

11. Smells Like Teen Spirit by Tori Amos from Little Earthquakes. Tori takes Nirvana’s grunge anthem and performs it in her own unique style.

12. Time After Time by Eva Cassidy from Time After Time. The late singer’s beautiful version of the Cyndi Lauper song was released in 2000.

13. Life on Mars? by Seu Jorge from The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou soundtrack. Brazilian singer Jorge performs the David Bowie song (as well as several other Bowie classics) for Wes Anderson’s 2004 film. Jorge also played the role of Pelé dos Santos in the film.

The Force Is With Charles Ross

How many of us get to do work we really love, and have fun doing it? Charles Ross does. He's the creator of the show One Man Star Wars Trilogy, which he performed Friday night at Fairfield University's Regina Quick Center. It's a funny, inspired 75 minute ride through the original films (Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi) with Ross performing all the roles, doing sound effects, and even both sides of the battle scenes. He has an endless supply of energy, running around the stage, changing voices & characters at the drop of a hat, doing sections of the musical score, and occasionally interjecting some additional comments and humor into the proceedings. And he does it all without any sets, costumes, props or co-stars.

It's clearly a labor of love for Ross, a Canadian born actor who's been touring with the show for 10 years. Ross drove from Canada to California to visit George Lucas, and get his permission to do the show. After an off the cuff performance of the trash compactor scene from Star Wars, Lucas gave his blessing. Ross has done the show on four continents, and in 180 cities, including Dubai. If you grew up watching the original trilogy, or became a fan over the years due to the countless re-releases of the films on video or in theaters, you'll really enjoy his affectionate (and hilarious) take on the saga.

It's a unique, funny, and amazing experience. You truly have to appreciate his inventiveness, energy and sense of humor. The show is part genius, part spoof & part fanboy appreciation, but it all comes from Ross's love of these movies. The audience at the Quick Center was roaring with laughter & applauding constantly, and so was I. By the way, Ross also does a One Man Lord of the Rings show, which he'll be performing Off Broadway later this month. Charles Ross took his love of the Star Wars saga, and turned into a successful, enjoyable theatre piece. If you're a Star Wars fan, I recommend checking out One Man Star Wars Trilogy.

Here's a link to a brief clip where Ross explains the genesis of the show, and does a performance of the trash compactor scene:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw7uEVhakck