Power Pop Review Takes to The Airwaves

Yes it's been a long time - it always is - you're probably fed up with the excuses - but this time we have something new & tangible

We have taken our blog to the airwaves and have begun a programme we are calling 'Utterly Timeless'. This affords us the opportunity to feature material which will mix the present with the past to demonstrate that even if you love the pop's golden history of the 60's & 70's there is still much to love (perhaps even more than ever before) about the music of today. Not the commercial claptrap of glossy talent shows, the manufactured boys & girls who over emote in bland, sterile unison - but music that exists in that netherworld below the corporate surface but deserves a dalliance with your lugholes.

Along with our colleague Steven Bate, Mr Qwerty & Debra 47 bring you sumptuous tracks and introduce the new and the interesting in a light-hearted but seriously engaging environment. Steve will also chip in with a little politics to keep us slightly edgy.

Here's our maiden show with playlist

Podcasts will be available soon if you miss the cast or to enable playback of every nuance.

1st Show – Deemed Show Zero - September 3^rd 2014

01. Pearlfishers - Even On A Sunday Afternoon

02. Ron Sexsmith - Believe It When I See It

03. Robert Vincent - Demons

04. Sara Lowes - Back to Creation

05. Cousteau - Last Good Day of the Year

06. Pearlfishers - Jelly Shoes

07. Richard Snow - Middle Class Girl

08. Explorers Club - Forever

09. Kontiki Suite - Hollywood

10. Dom Mariani & The Majestic Kelp - Turn Up The Sun

11. Beck Hanson - Morning

12. Bee Gees - In The Morning

13. Crosby, Stills Nash, & Young - Teach Your Children

14. Karima Francis - Again

15. Autumn Defense - Sentimental Lady

16. Glyn Bailey & The Many Splendid Things - Fleetwood Man

17. Fleetwood Mac - Hold Me

18. Big Head Todd & The Monsters - Hey Delila

19. Halfway - Dropout

20. Graham Parker -Temporary Beauty

21. Squeeze - Up The Junction

22. Lenny Kravitz - American Woman

23. Grip Weeds - Salad Days

24. Fountains of Wayne - Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart

25. Singles - Summer

26. Sly and the Family Stone - Hot Fun In The Summertime

27. Candie Payne - Why Should I Settle For You

28. Diane Dane - My World Is Over

29. Dusty Springfield - Anyone Had A Heart

30. Aislers Set - Hit the Snow

31. Booker T. and the MG's - Time Is Tight

32. Meters - Cissy Strut

33. Boz Scaggs - Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl

34. Billy Joe Armstrong & Norah Jones - Long Time Gone

35. Glen Campbell - Sing

36. Drive By Truckers - Shit Shots Count

37. Deadstring Brothers - Can't Make It Through The Night

38. Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Women (Alt Take)

39. Daddy Cool - Eagle Rock

40. Rocket Bureau - Along Comes Sam

41. Raspberries - I Can Hardly Believe You’re Mine

42. Flo & Eddie - Afterglow of Your Love

43. Who - I Can't Reach You

44. Not played owing to equipment error: Cousteau - Last Good Day of the Year

Listen to 'Utterly Timeless' Live [Wed 7-10pm UK TIme]

If you like what you hear, please seek out the artists and purchase their recordings directly or from valid sources.

PowerPop Review's Very Best of 2013 Albums – Part 1

As with many recent years there has been an over abundance of phenomenal music being made despite the fact that a large percentage of it is not being heard via commercial outlets. Those of us who have had rock music as the backdrop of our lives will continue to seek out the music we love despite the forlorn state of the music industry. On a positive note there are more places to discover music than ever before be it via sites like Soundcloud, Bandcamp, CDBaby, eMusic, independent music blogs & streaming music services.

This best of list reflects those particular albums that need to be heard. I had hoped for the list to be posted much sooner than this but I wanted to make sure that it was an accurate summation of those albums that were truly loved in addition to the ability of holding up in future time.

Hope some of you reading this list will fall in love with a musician and/or band's music, seek out their output and support them either by purchasing their music or seeing them perform.

Breaking with tradition, Mr Qwerty & I are publishing our best of lists separately for 2013 – this is mine.

Debra47

Gary surveys the tip of the Top Ten

Top 10 in no particular order

01 Eric Barao - Eric Barao

02 Dark Ocean Colors - Close Enough to See

03 Ulysses - Kill You Again

04 Shake Some Action - Full Fathom Five

05 Jacco Gardner - Cabinet of Curiosities

06 Split Sofa - Coloured Dream

07 Corin Ashley - New Lion Terraces


08 Groovy Uncle / Suzy Chunk - One Vowel Away From The Truth



09 Electric Soft Parade - Idiots


10 Mothboxer - Three

PowerPop Review's Best of 2013 - The Next Ten 

And the next ten:

11 Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs                                                - Under the Covers Volume 3


12 Grip Weeds - Inner Grooves


13 Chris Stamey - Lovesick Blues


14 Contrast – A Sinister Flick


15 Stephen Lawrenson - Obscuriosity


16 Resonars- Crummy Desert Sound


17 Mikal Cronin – MC11


18 Schnauser - Where Business Meets Fashion


19 Michael Mazzarella -Love In Laureltide Green


20 House Of Love - She Paints Words In Red

PowerPop Review's Best of 2013 - The Rest

And the rest:

21 Ex-Norwegian – Crack

22 And The Professors – Our Post Mortem

23 Hot Nun – Hot Nun

24 Jo Dee Purkeypile – Messenger

25 Autumn Defense – Ten Full Paces

26 Beachwood Sparks – Desert Skies

27 Elephant Stone – Elephant Stone

28 Wiretree – Get Up

29 Robert Vincent – Life In Easy Steps (De-luxe issue)

30 Higher State – The Higher State

31 Sadies – Internal Sparks

32 The Green Pajamas – November

33 Steve Cradock – Travel Wild Travel Free

34 Brendan Benson – You Were Right

35 Nines – The Nines

36 Grapes of Wrath – Good To See You

37 Richard X. Heyman – X

38 Alfa 9 – Gone To The Ground

39 Any Version Of Me – We Are You

40 Dom Mariani and the Majestic Kelp – Turn Up The Sun

41 8 x 8 – Azalea's Room

42 Dutch Barn – Didn't Suit Me Anyway

43 Brother Kite – Model Rocket

Radio Days - Get Some Action

This is Pop - Yeah Yeah!

Italian Pop Punks Radio Days have regrouped, remodelled and refashioned themselves as something radically different to their original mid 2000's blueprint. The catchy appeal and trademark precision is still strongly evident, but they've blunted the edges of their Ramonesque short snappy pop, relaxed the razor-sharp edges and endings, and replaced it with a purposeful nod, if not march, to a early Merseybeat.

In an attempt for wider appeal to a bigger audience the band have almost wiped the slate clean of the shake 'em up of old and settled for an altogether sweeter and cosier approach - sure you can't blame them - obscurity doesn't pay the bills - but it takes some adjustment. Especially if you revel in their previous identity where they would mix excellent covers like The Beat's 'Rock and Roll Girl' with stellar originals like 'Brand New Life'.

Of course Beatle references have always peppered their work, but perhaps there's a bit more work-a-day Formost & Swinging Blue Jeans than there is Fab Four. Having said all that, there's no denying that their most serious bid for crossover appeal pulls no punches in its clear intentions. Title track and potential single 'Get Some Action' proudly proclaims in its refrain “Yeah yeah yeah yeah ye-ah, one direction, get some action, now” blatantly mixing its Fabs and its cheesy boy bands in one delicious sing-a-long chorus. Certainly the video promoting the same pulls out all the stops – it looks expensive yet not wasteful – it's cutely modern but with retro styling – so maybe it's time for some proper success?

Bandcamp | CD Baby | FaceBook | Twitter

Just Got Back – Examining The Booty

One of the first things we do when we get home from each IPO festival is unzip the suitcases and have a look at the booty. Well not the very first thing but after a cup of tea and a contemplate, the delay in coming down from the high of a week of solid good pop music is certainly eased and extended, and maybe relived a little by taking it all in...

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Out come the clothes, the toiletries and whathaveyous, we burrow down and retrieve every last item – a bevy of CDs which says you have been watching and listening to all this...

We spread out the booty and have a good ol' gaze at what a week of wall to wall music looks like. The CD's are a good gauge of our favourite artists this last week - representing those on the basis of how and what they performed - sufficiently motivating us to prompt parting with good money to further explore the artist and as a memento of the event.

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It's not totally foolproof as there are some for whom no CD's are currently available or we've already purchased the same in advance, however we'll deal with that later. There are others of course who may put on an amazing show but you know that can't be captured on a record and truth be told you'd never listen to the record a second time if you did buy it, so unfortunately these artists lose out.

Anyway, on to our first batch in no particular order other than the way they came out the suitcase, these are the physical CD's we have:

First Row:

Charlestons - Out From The Blue EP

Amazing Kappa - Rodeo Lokomotive

My Buddy Moose - Shine Shine Shine

Dark Ocean Colours - Dark Ocean Colours (Mark Mikel)

Kaela - The Vultures Begin To Sing EP

Second Row:

The Seasongs - Out of The City

Peter Marchant - Peter Marchant EP

Ivan Mudd - Spaceminister

Ulysses - Kill You Again

Mothboxer - Frequency (2011) Mothboxer (2010) 3 (2012)

Third Row:

The Plastic Pals - Good Karma Cafe

Adam Marsland - The Owl & The Full Moon

The Temponauts - The Canticle of the Temponauts

Ben Jones – Retrospective and Echobox

Fourth Row:

Rogue Frequency - Foetal Upon Tiles Part 1

Rogue Frequency - Spat Out By Machines

Dave Rave And The Governors - Ash Tray Makeup

Robert Vincent* - Life In Easy Steps

The Carousels - Sweet Northern Light

Fifth Row:

Rogue Frequency** - Spat Out By Machines

Rogue Frequency** - Foetal Upon Tiles Part 1

The Plastic Pals - Turn The Tide

Boomin' - Original Junkie

Marty Graveyard - Summer Holiday

Mothboxer - Geen (2007)

Sixth Row:

Grip Like Vice - Demo

Thomas McConnell - Stop in the Shade

The Beat Movement - The Warning

Bruise - Little Victories

Fast Camels - Ken's Sad Vice (Single)

CD Notes: * Yes that's right two copies of Robert Vincent, one for a friend we'll be taking to the USA who we know will appreciate his dulcet tones. ** Yes and two copies of Rogue Frequency too, one set we bought and then later got freebies from the band who asked us as fans to pass on to approving friends – we have!

Our Second batch consists of albums we've downloaded since getting home because one of the following reasons 1) we couldn't buy the physical CD as the band hadn't supplied any 2) it was 'only' available as a download 3) it wasn't yet released or 4) demand had outstripped supply and the record 'sold out'.

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Downloaded Albums

Delaplanes - Gypsy Blood

Soupaczar - Ordinary Quite Contrary

Magma Brain - Mystery EP

Typewriter - Indian Love Call

Dark Ocean Colours - Close Enough To See (Mark Mikel)

The Grande - Bleaker Street

Our third and final batch is not quite as comprehensive as we'd wish, because there's more but we wanted this to be a relatively short post so this batch consists of albums which were available to buy from the merchandise table but we already owned a copy and weren't about to buy any more.

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Already Nailed (owned)

Fast Camels - The Magic Optician

The Junipers - Paint The Ground
Kontiki Suite – On Sunset Lake

Ulysses - Everybody's Strange

Dave Rave - Live With What You Know

Steed - A Curious Case of Countless Clues

Kelly's Heels - Playing Into Your Hands
Monkeeman – Jumping On The Monkey Train

Dark Ocean Colours - Patches & Patterns (Mark Mikel)

The International Pop Overthrow is largely a free festival where Promoter David Bash gives 130+ bands the chance to showcase their stuff in 30 minutes bites over a full 8 day week! Most play twice giving the audience two opportunities to see them strut their stuff. By buying the artists CD's we feel it is the least we can do to show our appreciation and to give a little back to the bands themselves. In most cases the CD's are around a fiver, though some are somewhat more, this rarely rises above a tenner. This money goes directly to the artists, no middle man, no extra record company or distributor costs – it feels good – it feels right!

The merchandising table is where it all happens, and central to the system which puts your money where your mouth might be. Manned by Jason it's an essential part of the IPO experience from IPO t-shirts in all sizes to the growth area this year: 'Vinyl'. Yeah lots of bands sporting good old fashion vinyl which is admirable. You can't blame young musicians for wanting to put out a proper record in 2013 can you?
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This has been a prequel or an introductory post in preparation for the report back from the event itself which will follow shortly.

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* Click Here to Sample These Albums

*  ...And These One's Too

Have a listen to some of the tracks that reflect a taster of the very best from a selection of the bands mentioned above. If any of the songs grab your attention make sure you search further for the musicians music and support them!!

If you want to investigate these artists further ,their wares are available from all the usual sources, including eMusic, CD Baby or by contacting the bands on their own web sites or respective Facebook pages.
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IPO Liverpool Preview May 2013

In absence of our usual regular review of last year's Liverpool International Pop Overthrow event we offer instead a preview of some of the very best bands and artists who are appearing this year who we've seen previously and need to see again. Additionally we provide song links to some of the artists who are new to us who we look forward to seeing for the first time.

Boomin' weave pop, punk, rap, bubblegum & reggae into a heady, infectious mix of frankly outstanding proportions. They are a young, loud and irreverent tour de force, they deserve the world at their feet and if it isn't theirs yet we'll be demanding a steward's enquiry. Debbie reckons they sometimes recall the New York Dolls, which is only part of it – their Chocolate is pure pop perfection, their Buckeroo is totally different but not far behind. Once seen live, they cannot be forgotten, which is why we're back for more.

The Fast Camels from Scotland come from a long line of psyche inspired Celts who know how to inject their pop with that extra fun and inspired elementals. You might detect some early Syd inspired Floyd, but we could of course not comment.

With an impressive discography Kelly's Heels demonstrate an impeccable record of superior and intelligent songwriting with more hooks than a curtain manufacturer. Singer/Guitarist Bob Kelly might come on like the Jason King of Pop, but truth be told he wouldn't be out of place with Glen Tilbrook, Harry Nilsson or Pete Townshend as songwriting bed fellows. The band are no slouches either with inspired musicianship and vocal support in the shape of a Mr & Mrs who were born to Bass & Drum.

Italy's Temponauts are interesting cross-over of garage and pop which remind this writer of the Only Ones – not a bad comparison I hear you say – you'd be right! You must hear their new single 'Elsewhere' which is simply marvellous!

We've seen Robert Vincent grow from an interesting and extra special singer songwriter into somebody the industry is starting now to notice and not before time. It can only be a short matter of the same stuff before his star is catastrophically ascendant.

The Grande blew me away the first time I saw them – country rock complete with aching songwriting, delivery and pedal steel as authentic as any southern US bar band but with that English edge that sets them apart. Can't wait to catch them again this time.

The Junipers are that rare beast, beautifully understated intelligent pastoral pop and roll that engages everytime and always surprises. What they do appears so effortless, but in its absolute beauty and deft delicacy we know this cannot be. We crave the Junipers!

The Carousels like the Grande are that rare commodity - an authentic slice of Americana by way of the British Isles. Also from Scotland like so much good Rock and Roll, in the tradition of class acts like Stealer's Wheel and the Sutherland Brothers the band delivers one Dylan tinged gem followed by a Byrdsian referred cadence, one after another and make it their own.

Ulysses are one of those acts that you can't get enough of. We've seen them 6 or 7 times and are totally hooked on their mixture of Spirit meets Move acid pop mixed with Glam & Glitter, spiked Hendrix rock trio fuzz wah madness. Following their two successful tours with California rockers Rival Sons their new album is a revelation and confirmation of their unadulterated greatness – stadiums can only be just around the corner of country estates in the shires!

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Over 130 bands and artists will join together in celebration of IPO thronging this week. It began yesterday but things really start to sizzle today (Wednesday) and grows even hotter towards the weekend. Here are a few links to tantalise which will hopefully prod you into further investigation. We've mixed some of the bands illustrated here with a few who will be new to us and some established. Don't be a four sided equilateral: be there!

• The International Pop Overthrow Track Taster

We Interrupt Our Normal Programming

We interrupt our normal programming to bring you an exclusive...

I can't remember who it was, but it may have been Ricky Gervais, who whilst DJ'ing a show on BBC Radio announced that he was going to do an album review of lets say 'Thomas Leer's Scale of Ten'

“But that's not current” says a sidekick
“Doesn't matter” responds Ricky
“It's ancient” adds the sidekick
“Still relevant though” asserts Ricky


I always liked that reasoning and remembered it, and that's the thinking behind this new occasional series in the blog - during certain moments when the mood appears - we're gonna throw in the odd record which for whatever reason we feel, hasn't got the exposure it should have, so we're gonna highlight it. So what's first? Well, when we began Powerpop Review we prepared a number of reviews that for one reason or another - most likely one of those long delays which if you've stayed with us for any time will just feel like business as usual - we didn't publish as intended.


This then is one of those. We've not added or subtracted hardly anything from it, so please act like it's 2007 in this instance. If you're good we'll add a postcript at the end just to bring things up to date. Here goes then with a well deserved and second bite of the cherry for David Doll...
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David Doll - Headsets For Jets [Not Lame] (2007)

David Doll is a man out of step with current trends - and 50 plus years after the birth of rock 'n' roll it's difficult in the post-millennium era to say what is - but this album is more 'now' than most trendier fare you're likely to meet in 2007.


With the looks of a younger, slightly less nerdy, not so aggressive Elvis Costello — but with the similar intelligent knack for writing hook-filled noirs of modern life - David Doll's cracking melodies and workaday lyrical vision paint him as an everyman for the naughties and beyond.

What might make you doubt this is Doll's clear affection for the past: echoes of the Beatles, Beach Boys, the Monkees, Squeeze, Bowie and Jason Falkner are heard in abundance on "Headsets For Jets". Yet this is not mere pastiche or retrograde fumbling — this is songwriting of the classic kind — and try as one might, you can't deviate from the blueprint laid down by the great and good of the 60's and 70's. That is just craftsmanship and Doll makes it fresh, exciting and very much his own.

Nowhere is Doll's connection with the regular Joes heard better than on "Sleep" which recounts the kind of insomnia which hits many of us sometime in our lives. "I Don't Mind" demonstrates the numbness the end of an affair can result in a strange kind of empty indifference, which is deeply unpleasant but oh so common.

"Comeback Special" recalls The Monkees "Saturday's Child" crossed with the Bay City Rollers without actually sounding like the original reference. Short closer "Independence Day" reminds this writer of those epilogue tracks like "Her Majesty" or "You're Welcome", again without a hint of facsimile. David is just very professional and although new to the game, knows how to pace and construct a perfectly formed album.

There's not one ounce of spare, no also-rans, no filler, no half measures or short-change. Every track is a potential single and each leaves you wanting more. The albums' 12 tracks are lean and hungry and never outstay their welcome. Like a tuned athlete they deliver killer punch after punch.
Prior to this release, David made just one EP, so I think his time has come. In a kinder, better and fairer world David Doll would be massive and your contemptuous, dime a dozen karaoke fodder would be nowhere. Even given the real harsh world we all inhabit, perhaps there is space for some of David's talent — I do hope so.
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On release it seems the album suffered from somewhat of an identity crisis in that an attempt to relaunch the act as a band called Automat resulted in in a number of different sleeves surfacing to dress the brilliant contents. I don't know the precise reason for this, (the track selection remained the same) but I'd love to know more, so if you have any information, we'd be most grateful. Of the new dressings I think my favourite is this one you see here left - a brilliant shellac 78 pastiche.

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As a postscript 5 years on I'm sorry to report that like so many other brilliant independent Powerpop releases, David's album did not ship the units it deserved to catapult him and his band to widespread fame and appreciation. Also he seems to have disappeared off the radar in the intervening five years save a newer track we located on Soundcloud from 2008 which indicate that Mr Doll has lost none of his songwriting prowess.

Found Again


This track plus two others that can be heard on MySpace and appear to come from an album called 'Stephen's Bargain Store'. What became of this, and indeed what David and Automat are doing now we don't know, the my space site information seems quite old - we would love to be assured he's still doing it and that we've not heard the last of the man and his band.

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We can't even tell you where to buy a copy of the album as it seem to be out of print. You could ask Bruce Brodeen as it was his Not Lame label that had the good sense and taste to put the album out, but Bruce wrapped up Not lame a while ago. He now runs PopGeek Heaven so you could ask him there. Certainly do all you can to secure a copy of this fabulous record, even if you read it here for the first time 5 years after the original event!
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Marjorie Cardwell – In Another World

The Dreams of Not An Everyday Housewife

Diagnosed with a brain tumour earlier this year, singer/songwriter Marjorie Cardwell unleashes her début album ‘In Another World’, this month – naturally partially cathartic but more than this, the album explores a number of musical and lyrical pastures with support from heavy friends and family members. Firmly planted in a singer/songwriter territory, it recalls styles from the past but never seeks to imitate. The record maintains interest throughout, deftly produced and decorated to demonstrate a collection of compelling material.

 

I listened mainly via iPod, but without a playlist which tended to destroy the original programming so I kick off with Track 2 'All Over The World'. This is good but the intended opener:'Hole In My Head' is stronger and addresses Marjorie's trauma head on (so to speak) – without being sombre, in fact hopeful and full of love for those around her, or maybe something beyond? I like the nice production touch of the 'beep beep' hospital monitor which floats in towards the song's close.

Marjorie's singing definitely possesses folky origins and whilst clear and very competent has a pervading ordinariness which as I'm unable to indicate who she might resemble in any comparison, somehow makes her delivery both unique and refreshing in its unpretentious, honest, and open style.

Given her ordeal you might expect a warts and all, bruised and scarred deliverance of material but instead we get an open, reflective, mature view on her life, her husband and love ones which may well uplift the listener as it seems to have done the artist.

The best song for me is 'Not On Your Own' where the melody, harmonies and hook unite to produce the album's most memorable song – this in the old wind-up days would be the single.

Truly a family affair, the record features significant contributions from the laid back DC Cardwell (his 'I Am Still The Same' sparkles on all fronts from his 2010 album 'Some Hope') plus son Samuel on beautiful lap steel and Korg synth.

David (DC) and Marjorie have collaborated on the production which is gentle, intimate and multidimensional without ever being cluttered – in fact quite a joy to the ear.

If I had a criticism it would be more vocal harmonies – when they do appear like on 'Not On Your Own' their strengths lift the whole song and give it an extra edge I feel is absent on some of the other material, making some songs somewhat distant.

I flippantly refer and misquote the Glen Campbell/Chris Gantry classic: The Dreams of An Everyday Housewife in my sub-title to this piece. What I really meant, to further misquote is to suggest that Marjorie in her ordeal conjures the suggestion of Not The Diary of An Everyday Housewife, but in many ways just the opposite: The Diary of an Edwardian Lady but fast forwarded to 2012 perhaps?

Although In Another World succeeds on all kinds of levels, it's very much a feminine album and the words have a poignancy and importance which I suspect will connect more with one half of the population than the other male half. However, it's very accessible and I wouldn't want to dissuade any reconstructed modern man from sampling its delights.

[Available from Madcar Records as a digital download or as CD with two bonus tracks.]

Saturday's Alright For Continuing

Just to add to the confusion of Power Pop Review's arse about tit presentation, we now finish our Saturday night review from 2011 with three bands we enjoyed immensely but left out from the main review yesterday for no good reason other than we thought the post was long enough. Included is both one of ours and IPO head honcho David Bash's perennial favourites The
Mellowmen for which we wanted to make this separate post.

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Saturday Part 2

When seeing Radio Days, for the first time, it's their visual impact which makes an impression: - four skinny guys, skinny ties, head to toe in black threads topped off with a line of three white guitars – it's impressive. We'd seen the band before but that image from seeing them the first time remains with you for future encounters and psychologically nails the brand as I'm sure they absolutely aware.



The band from Milan (Italy) are a heady mix of The Nerves, The Romantics, and 'Wicked' era Jeff Dahl. In fact they touch all the crunchy Power Pop bases from yesteryear and add a few of their own. Every song is chock full of clean rich harmonies and sharply tailored beginnings, middles and ends. Indeed such is the exactitude of the way these guys play and deliver their material, that for those of us who remember the Prog era with affection, appreciate the rhythmical underlining, criss-cross interplay, false endings and shear precision that you'd be forgiven for imagining you were hearing 'Yes' finishing 'Yours Is No Disgrace' rather than a bunch of pop upstarts from Italy making sure that you'd not forget them.

Always cool with their choice of appropriate powerpop covers, Radio Days this time did a great turn with Elvis Costello's 'Pump It Up' which is tailor made for their urgent exasperating delivery. We were most taken with own song 'My Little Baby' which evokes a 50's throwback more than any other song I've seen them do before.

Lastly, getting close to drummer Paco Orsi for a photo maybe is not for the faint-heated as this powerhouse is maybe the loudest percussionist I've heard on a Matthew Street house kit – phenomenal.
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We've seen The Mellowmen every year since their debut at IPO in 2007. Consistently they have been our favourite artists at the festival for each year for a number of good reasons:

1) In Andreas Nyberg the band possess a remarkably gifted singer/songwriter who although takes his lead from 60's/70's songwriting, it's only because this period represents pop songwriting at its very pinnacle and sets the bar by which all others are measured – he and the band are far from derivative though and very much make the Mellowmen sound unique.

 

2) They put every ounce of their skill and sweat into each performance – never once producing a lackluster saunter when a frantic gallop is the order of the day.

3) There's no doubt that every member loves what they do and enjoys it at a level I've seen few other artists achieve in performance. Often they seem almost trancelike taking themselves and us to a different place.

4) Their material and rendition of the same is impeccably written and performed but they never lose sight that this is serious fun – they always bring a smile and delight to the faces of their audience and leave you with a show to remember.

On this occasion it was unfortunate but it seemed the band were only in town for one night and had to leave straight after their performance owing to commitments back home in Sweden. This doesn't show in performance nor in the excellent new material they are airing tonight for the first time: 'There Will Be Rain' is a particularly strong contender in its lilting and soaring beauty.

The band haven't released a new record since 2006's superb 'Tomorrow's Sound Today' (revamped in 2007 with 2 extra tracks for the US market). They also left Rainbow Quartz Records in recent years as the label didn't appear to be doing a heck of a lot for them. Meanwhile Andreas Nyberg has been involved with other musical ventures back home. Whilst it's great to see them back at the IPO doing what they do superbly well, we can't help but feel a certain frustration for the guys as somebody seems to applying the brake and it's not the band. You can't blame the public, but somehow you want to get hold of the world at large and say stop listening to that karaoke drivel and cop an ear of this – it's proper music – and you'd love it if only there was the kind of exposure that these chaps deserve!

It was a complete chance thing. I was trying to get a picture of the Mellowmen, but somebody kept obscuring my view. As they moved out of the way I couldn't help but readjust my focus as I noticed sat down in front was IPO organiser David Bash and his partner Rina Barfield sharing an intimate moment whilst his particular favourites,  The Mellowmen, launched into another scintilating number.

OK, that's the rant over, meanwhile the Mellowmen deliver two exceptional sets this day, just as if everything in the world is fair and lovely and really we shouldn't get so upset – this is only music we are talking about – nothing too important eh people ;)

Deb was overjoyed to receive a new promo from the band in the shape of a two tracker sampling both the aforementioned 'There Will Be Rain' and the groovy 'Driving on 5' as guitarist Johan kindly jumped off the stage and thrust the prize in her hand. We look forward to when these and other new songs form the backbone of their next record, as would the rest of the world, if they only knew it!!

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Spanish pop band Octubre had brought along a legion of loyal fans from their homeland and sharing the performance of the band in their company certainly heightened the experience more than it would otherwise be.

Often when we've seen a Spanish audience at the IPO in May in previous years they are bundled up in wintertime clothing, but this season's unprecedented warm spell saw them suitably attired like the rest of us in teeshirts and shorts. In fact the band's lead singer/guitarist was uncharacteristically literally dripping from every pore – but then that's the Cavern's deserved sweat drenched reputation for you.

Most songs are sung in Octubre's native language and addressed their loyal supporters in the same, eliciting plenty of cries of approval and recognition from those in the know.

Much of what Octubre present is of the medium-paced pleasant pop/rock variety, but title track from their latest album 'Todo se lo lleva el viento' seemed to stand out with its rising melody and excellent strong block harmonies.

Despite the heat the band put on a good fun show with plenty mock Status Quo guitar pose formations. We purchased 3 CD's and look forward to getting them home for the recorded appreciation of what Octubre are about in the studio.
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For your Your Further Appreciation:

Radio Days - www.facebook.com/RadioDaysPowerpop and
www.radiodays.it/

Mellowmen - www.myspace.com/mellowmen

Octubre - www.myspace.com/octubremusic