Power Pop Rules!

[WolverineSyr]

I know a lot of people here are very into the Synth stuff, and maybe define New Wave solely by that sub-genre. I think one of the more overlooked styles here is the whole Power-pop movement.

One of the first times I heard the phrase was when Clem Burke called Blondie a power-pop band. I wouldn’t pigeonhole them to that genre, but they certainly produced some great pop songs (I’m Always Touched By Your Presence Dear, Pretty Baby, Slow Motion,) as did a lot of the punk groups like the Buzzcocks, Other Ones, Skids, the Undertones and others. I was intrigued by it all – made me want to sing along, dance like a maniac, and I finally appreciated guitar-based music. I love a good hook, a fast song and ringing/jangley guitars. That poppy stuff seemed to make a perfect bridge to new wave, and it made me more open to the other genres at the time.

Probably the first true power-pop groups that I heard & helped me fall in love with the genre were the Romantics, Plimsouls, and the Kings. It also helped that the local music scene in Syracuse was totally focused on power-pop – The Flashcubes, Screentest, Natives, 145, Tearjerkers, etc. That only fostered my love of the genre and of local/live music.

Having spent time at the Outpost & the hub, I’ve discovered some great groups I otherwise would never have heard – Any Trouble, Reducers, Neighborhoods and especially, the Nerves and Jack Lee. (I am blown away by the Nerves, talk about a supergroup – Jack Lee, Paul Collins and Peter Case (later of the Plimsouls.)
I also just discovered the Brains. I had only been familiar with them as the original performers of Money Changes Everything – there was a lot more to them than that – Asphalt Wonderland is an incredible song.

I know I’m not the only one who loves power-pop – what are your thoughts on the genre, and recommendations? Any lost treasures? A list of our favorite groups or songs? I know there are some hardcore fans here, I (and the other fans) would appreciate it, as I’m always looking for this stuff!

[Frau_Blucher]

Fabulous post Wolver. There's nothing eloquent I could add. I think everyone should hear the elemental original version of "Hanging On The Telephone":

http://s46.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0EFH ... TCY6F47ZNG

My favorites were mostly from the LA scene, The Plimsouls and 20/20 foremost. The latter even played at my high school while I saw the former at places like UCLA frat parties. The very late 70s and very early 80s were certainly a great golden age of power pop. The NWO has turned me on to other greats like The Shoes and Bram Tchaikovsky. Even The Knack and Cheap Trick had a few tricks up their sleaves. And Otters turned me on to the fact that it never really disappeared either with tons of good underground pop throughout the late 80s and 90s - I just can't remember many of their names. I hope he chimes in.

[WolverineSyr]

I do like Jack Lee's/Nerves original Hanging on the Telephone, but more as a compliment to Blondie's. Blondie's is a little more aggressive, more punk than pop. It's also the first song of theirs I really fell in love with. In a round-about way, I guess I owe a lot of my love of this genre to him though because of that song.

If we're going to share some elemental Jack Lee - here's his original version of Come Back & Stay:
http://s47.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=39IS ... QNNLHNP68S

It's a lot grittier than Paul Young's cover, and I love it!

I was always suprised that of the 3 guys in the Nerves that Jack Lee was the one who didn't meet wider fame. He was a great songwriter and had a great personable voice. I'm glad he's making money though from the royalties of Hanging on the Telephone - I hear a very cool version in a cellphone commercial now.

[SomebodySomewhere]

[quote]I know I’m not the only one who loves power-pop – what are your thoughts on the genre, and recommendations? Any lost treasures? A list of our favorite groups or songs? I know there are some hardcore fans here, I (and the other fans) would appreciate it, as I’m always looking for this stuff![/quote]

Get thee copies of The Rubinoos' self-titled '77 album and '79's "Back to the Drawing Board." Pronto! You won't find a better power pop gem than this...

http://s40.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1WOD ... CXOMB1HWNX

[waukena]

I'm glad to see this thread. There's so little seperation most of the times between band genres. Everybody gets lumped in as 'New Wave' whether they were Post Punk, Power Pop, Synth Pop, or truly New Wave...it's my biggest complaint with a band like OMD...they're synth pop, like Ultravox or New Order for the most part. And I'm sure I'll catch crap for that with the 'on your knees' attitude around here for that bunch. But I digress...

Good power pop for me has exactly the elements you describe. I'd suggest:

The Pole Cats. They weren't around long but they were good. Although they might fall into British rockabilly, they were pretty poppy.

Monochrome Set...one again, they might be 'New Romantics' but I think that's just a subset of Power Pop...

I'd put The Jam in here too, especially their later work...

Replacements, power pop at it's best imo...

a couple more...

CS Angels
Husker Du, especially the later stuff when their sound got really polished.
Aztec Camera
Violent Femmes
The Records
The Chords
Stone Roses
The Beat
Moondogs (great Irish band nobody's ever heard of...)
The Shoes

and I'd toss Dwight Twilley in here just for shits and giggles...

[Otters Walk Among Us]

The weird thing about power-pop for me is that it's either great or unlistenable, with no in-between. Also, you know which one it is immediately. A specific song cannot grow on me, it either has "it," or it doesn't. The hook isn't going to get better with 10 listens, either you've hooked me, or I'm swimming away.

[i_like_lectric_motors]

Marshall Crenshaw
dB's
Hoodoo Gurus
Matthew Sweet
Sloan
The Posies
Teenage Fanclub

[WoodlandParkPunk]

The Plimsouls were Gods. Really liked the Shoes, 20/20 and Red Rockers.

[MARV]

New Order, a synth pop outfit? "For the most part"? Uh, no. I think some people need to give just a passive listen to Movement. And Power Corruption & Lies. And Low Life. And Brotherhood. Republic, Technique, Get Ready and Waiting For the Sirens Call. Blue Monday and Bizarre Love Triangle may have propelled them into the historic stratosphere of commercial musicalia but we can get past that. Come on, the band that rose form the ashes of Joy Division?

New Order are an amalgamation of inter genre splicing and crossover. OK, you may get off your knees now [:p]


<a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/cetaceans/index.cfm">I dig whales.</a>

[plagiarism]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Otters Walk Among Us[/i]
<br>The weird thing about power-pop for me is that it's either great or unlistenable, with no in-between.
[/quote]

Amen. Power pop is my favorite type of music, but I rarely buy more than 1 CD of any given artist. There's 2 or 3 songs that have *it* and 8 that don't, and are unlistenable. That's not a good ratio, so I go on to the next one. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

My favorite groups not already mentioned are Fountains of Wayne and Blake Babies/Juliana Hatfield.

[waukena]

[quote][i]Originally posted by marvymarv[/i]
<br> historic stratosphere of commercial musicalia [/quote]
an interesting way of saying synthpop.
[quote]
OK, you may get off your knees now [:p]
[/quote]
It isn't me down there hoping to catch a splash of Barney goo dude...

[MARV]

[quote][i]Originally posted by waukena[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by marvymarv[/i]
<br> historic stratosphere of commercial musicalia [/quote]
an interesting way of saying synthpop.[/quote]

No. A way of saying chart blockbuster.

[quote]
[quote]
OK, you may get off your knees now [:p]
[/quote]
It isn't me down there hoping to catch a splash of Barney goo dude...
[/quote]

LOL, I can't even dignify this sort of low brow, imbecilic "commentary" with any retort. So I'll just get to the point: what the fuck is wrong with you? Why always in such a bad, grumpy mood? Why not make some more well crafted and intelligent posts? Most of us like discussion, maybe learn a thing or two.

<a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/cetaceans/index.cfm">I dig whales.</a>

[SomebodySomewhere]

[quote]Blake Babies[/quote]

Speaking of them, The Mysteries of Life had one indelible power-pop revival classic. Stupidly not pushed as a single by their label, RCA.

http://s42.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0NE2 ... 4V9BHH9PRX

[MARV]

Some of the music my parents played was The Everly Brothers and the Beatles as I was growing up. So these old school power popsters will always hold a special place for me. When I started getting older, The Jam's A Town Called Malice was big for me. The Romantics What I Like About You, of course. Yeah, that Blondie number is awesome btw.

<a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/cetaceans/index.cfm">I dig whales.</a>

[bpdp3]

Awesome topic, one of my favorite genres - - won't bother re-praising the groups already mentioned.

only slightly off-topic...would you guys characterize Pezband as powerpop? To me they were just on the fringe, one foot in powerpop territory, the other in Bay City Rollers territory (and that's not knocking the Rollers).

Material Issue one of the 'newer' groups in this vein.