Scroll down for the latest releases by Jordan Oakes/a new Yellow Pills compilation (YES!-ed.), Kaiser Chiefs, John Davis, Idlewild and Spoon

Various Artists:
Yellow Pills: Prefill

(Numero Group)

numerogroup.com

Jordan Oakes has done it again. The St. Louis writer managed to play a big role in rekindling interest in classic power pop, first with his xerox fanzine, named after the classic 20/20 song (the reason I picked up my first copy of the mag, oh so many years ago), and then four essential compilations on Big Deal.

As Oakes explains in the lengthy and well-written liner notes, when he was approached by Numero Group (an exclusive Chicago reissue label) to do another Yellow Pills compilation, he noted that there were many other folks now chronicling the contemporary power pop scene. So Oakes cast his gaze backwards to bands from the seminal era of power pop - the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. The master archivist has now rescued, for power pop lovers everywhere, a treasure trove of fantastic tunes from a superficially more innocent era. Yes, this is another essential compilation.

All of the hallmarks of classic power pop are here, both in terms of the music and the lyrical themes. This is a broad generalization that doesn't apply to every track on this disc, but essentially, these bands were building on the work of The Raspberries, Dwight Twilley Band and Badfinger. Of course, you can also hear some Beach Boys, Flamin' Groovies and, an aspect that seems to have ebbed from contemporary power pop, good old fashioned ‘50s style rock and roll.

Mixed amongst the expected paeans to the pain of love (whether falling in love or falling out of love, love so often being pleasure teetering on the abyss), are simple celebrations of music and the usual teenarama. Which is why tracks like The Toms' "(I Wanna Be A) Teen Again" and "I Need That Record" by Tweeds are not just frothy pop tracks. They are vitamin enriched frothy pop tracks.

"Teen Again" is particularly perfect. The song is a Raspberry-flavored, Beach Boys drenched piano based tune, and it strikes a balance between nostalgia and regret. The music makes the notion of going back to high school days seems acceptable, yet the spare lyrics reveal that perhaps the desire to head back is more due to dissatisfaction with adult life. This is a definitely a song that is not what it appears to be.

Meanwhile, "I Need That Record" is a record collector's anthem, and its sentiments are best expressed in a self-reflexive style like power pop. This energetic guitar rocker captures the giddy joy of trying to find that rare slab that will change your life, for three minutes, and then again, after you put the tonearm back at the start.

Oakes uncovers three slabs o' pop that will please dyed-in-the-wool power pop fans. There's a swell unreleased Shoes track, "Like I Told You", which shows that they had a surplus of great tunes in their early days. Oakes includes an LMNOP track -- Steven Fievet's quirky take on power pop has aged quite well. And "Long Time Away" by Brat sounds like Artful Dodger -- and no wonder, Brat is what Artful Dodger was called before getting signed. The other coup for Oakes is the inclusion of three tracks from Jon Brion's old band The Bats, the best of which is the piano pop of "Mr. Peculiar".

While a lot of this music aspires to major label quality sound (remember, this was back in the days when power pop bands really thought they could be big), there are some raw rock moments. The Colors' "Growing Up America" verges on punk with its speedy tempo, and it has a nice new wave vibe. The Speedies' "You Need Pop" is a primitive power pop concoction, with a simple tune, performed with plenty of pep. Verging on garage rock territory, The Kids' "Hey Little Girl" is in the same vein as the early music by The Last.
The big star (!) of this disc is The Toms, who have three tracks on here. In addition to the aforementioned "(I Wanna Be A) Teen Again", the songs "Sun" and "House of Horrors" are likewise terrific. These two cuts reveal The Toms as being a bit ahead of their time, introducing some sophistication to the power pop mix. "House of Horrors" has a decided John Lennon influence, and a slightly dissonant guitar line that fit in with the burgeoning new wave/post-punk scene. On "Sun", The Toms seem to be foreshadowing bands like Cotton Mather and Splitsville.

This collection is an embarrassment of riches. It is a welcome return to the scene for Oakes, both as a compiler and a writer. Indeed, let me reiterate how wonderful his liner notes are. While there are many fine writers who have chronicled power pop over the past couple of decades, no one holds a candle to Oakes when it comes to combining sharp observations with true style. May his return be lengthy and not fleeting.

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Kaiser Chiefs
Employment

(B-Unique/Universal)

universalrecords.com

They appear to making these adorable British pop bands on an assembly line, carefully putting together elements of classic British punk/new wave era artists into something just a bit more contemporary. These bands are showing that the late-‘70s and early-‘80s were a fine time for music, and that good catchy songs never go out of style for long. Before I dole out comparisons to bands that were playing when the Chiefs were either mere notions or crawling on the carpet and spitting up on mum's shoulder, I will make one modern comparison -- these guys sound at times like a more rocking Dogs Die In Hot Cars. Just had to say that.

Wisely working only with producers named Stephen (Harris and Street), the Chiefs are a rocking pop band that follows in the footsteps of The Kinks, XTC, The Wonder Stuff and Blur, with clever lyrics and hooky songs with quirky and sarky bits popping up from time to time. The band justifies its existence with one killer classic track, the single "I Predict a Riot".

One of my complaints about so much modern pop is that artists don't always go the extra mile. A good hook can make a song, but you can make a song with more than one good hook, and moreover, one that builds hook upon hook, resulting in absolute irresistability. That's what the band did here with "Riot." The song comes in on a delicious lead guitar bit, which sets up the rollicking Madness-like rhythm. The verse melody is drawn out, and the verse builds a little tension, before the hooky bridge. The chorus is simple and memorable. After the second chorus, there is essentially a second bridge leading out. This is a great example of following one hook with another. The song is giddy with some mirthful menace.

Now, it would be a lot to ask for a band to do that song after song. It is more the norm just have a good chorus. Like on "Oh My God", which contrasts the subdued pensive verse with an excitable chorus -- it's as if Ricky Wilson is trying to play it cool in the verses, but the chorus reflects the true feelings of panic. This is followed by "Born to Be a Dancer", a song that starts with a steady piano pulse and light bass guitar. When the lead guitar line comes in, we're in classic Brit pop territory, turf trod upon by The Zombies and Blur. Yet again, the chorus is big and expansive, as it seems to come out of nowhere, and it flows so well out of the verse. The song takes another turn when it leads to a creative instrumental break, with guitarist Andrew White infusing more drama into the proceedings.

Other past Brit greats seem to have inspired the Chiefs. "Time Honoured Tradition" sounds like a twist on the twangy side of Adam and the Ants, well suited to segue into "Los Rancheros" or "Ants Invasion". Both Wilson's vocal and Nick Baines's keyboard line make "What Did I Ever Get You?" sound like some lost Terry Hall/Fun Boy Three composition. Then there's the fizzy "Na Na Na Na Naa", a dead ringer for first album era Supergrass.

In making these comparisons, let me make it clear that The Kaiser Chiefs are on par with those of whom they remind me. They even show some facility for lyrics, and they are particularly good at melding their wordplay to the rhythm of the song. They do this the best on the perky opener "Everyday I Love You Less and Less", a pulsing, bopping number with Wilson singing in a clipped Andy Partridge style, explaining how he no longer cares about his ex: "I can't believe that you and me did sex/since everyday I love you less and less/it makes me sick to think of you undressed." The happy tone of the music makes this seem more humorous than bitter.

So here we have another group of bright young lads, who've learned well from their record collections. This is bouncy pop music and quite a bit clever. While clearly building on the past, the songs and sound are fresh for these guys and it makes for an addictive listening experience.

Idlewild
Warnings/Promises

(Parlophone)

parlophone.co.uk

The fourth album by this Scottish quintet continues the band's increasing emphasis on quieter melodic songs, pushing the still formidable rock power out of the limelight a bit more. The good news is that the band's solid basic melodies on song after song, combined with Roddy Womble's empathetic and tuneful vocals make for a fine listening experience. The bad news, if that's the right phrase, is that the more spacious textures give the lyrics a greater prominence, and Womble's words have not matured on par with the music. His cryptic pronouncements offer an illusion of depth and thoughtfulness that rarely transpires.

Oh, from time to time he comes with a decent line, like: "this is the kind of town where everyone knows each other/and everyone hates that they know each other" (from "Disconnected"). But more often it's along the lines of "you are an opportunity/without an opportunity" (from "I Understand It"). It's not that I'm against lyrics that aren't direct, but this is more like cleverness (that's not that clever) to disguise an absence of something to say. This doesn't undermine the uplift and power of Idlewild's songs, yet it can keep them from soaring as high as possible. The lyrics are just far away enough from being crap to ruin everything. Heck, even though "I Understand It" has lots of other empty phrases, damn, the song has sharp playing, a great melody, two hooks and builds to heated conclusion. It's good.

But not as good as "El Capitan", a song that manages to be low key and mid-tempo, yet it still feels like an anthem. The song starts with a delicate piano part, quickly moving into the primary melody, which is sweet and wistful. The chorus then comes into bloom -- it's not rocking, but it steps up the intensity of the song. This chorus is a fine illustration of how Womble's reserved vocals contrast with the urgency of the music in a way that is emotionally gripping -- this guy never oversings. The bridge is the most guitar oriented part of the song, and the use of dynamics, when the bridge ends cold and goes back into the solo piano part, is outstanding. It's on songs like this where it is clear that for all of their association with the brutal guitar power of bands like Nirvana and Husker Du, Idlewild probably shares as much kinship, if not more, with the classic British pop-rock of The Smiths, The Jam and The Stone Roses.

Of course, none of those bands (well, maybe The Jam) could rock like Idlewild, and as Idlewild progresses, it's nice to see that they can still rock even as their sound becomes more controlled. This is evidenced on "I Want a Warning". The control comes here from the steady work of the rhythm section, as drummer Gavin Fox and bassist Colin Newton play a simple but irresistible groove. Meanwhile, guitarists Rod Jones and Allan Stewart try to maintain the same decorum, but keep breaking out thick slabs of chords and squonking leads. The middle instrumental break features both guitarists, one playing a variation on the main lead guitar part, while the other just makes a blissful racket. Fans of the past two albums will also be pleased with "The Space Between All Things", which, at its foundation, almost sounds like a Scottish folk song, and the single, "Love Steals Us From Loneliness", which, in its verses, sounds like it's a slight variation on Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sounds of Silence", heading in a bit of a different place in the swooping guitar fueled chorus.

Meanwhile, as stated above, the overall mellower approach is justified by the strong compositions. One thing about Idlewild is that they have already developed a style that makes their melodies almost always instantly identifiable as Idlewild and no-one else. That certainly true on swell songs like "As If I Hadn't Slept", the primarily acoustic "Not Just Sometimes But Always", which features string accompaniment, and the superb closer "Goodnight". "Goodnight" is Idlewild at its warmest (which means extremely warm), with minimal accompaniment for the first two verses, Womble sounding great, leading into an enveloping instrumental break featuring Womble and guest vocalist Inara George harmonizing, leading into an ethereal folk-rock guitar solo, and ending with Womble and an acoustic guitar. Why they decided to tack on a hidden bonus cut is beyond me after such a wonderful album closer.

To say that this isn't as good as Idlewild's last two albums is unfair, because, after all, how many albums are that good. While I think that the band had more room for growth, it is safe to say that this album cements their reputation as one of the best bands in the world.

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John Davis
John Davis

(Rambler)

johndavismusic.com

While music is not competitive per se, for decades, there have been some nice friendly arguments for true fans -- Elvis v. Buddy Holly, The Beatles v. The Stone, Led Zeppelin v. Black Sabbath, Ramones v. The Sex Pistols, The Replacements v. Husker Du, and so on and so forth. A new one may be brewing -- which power pop artist turned Christian rocker is better: former Smoking Pope Josh Caterer and his band Duvall, or ex-Superdrag frontman John Davis?

I'll leave that argument for other fans, critics and theologians. All I can say is that Davis certainly makes a strong case for divine inspiration. He has arguably penned some of the best tunes of his career. Some of the ground covered here will be familiar to Superdrag fans, as Davis has not left his power pop moves behind. But Davis goes beyond the tried and true, introducing a sublime Beach Boys influence on some tracks, and a gritty, bluesier side on others.

In fact, the blues rock numbers may be more shocking than the religious conversion. Not that Davis has ever shied away from rocking, but he's never done so in such an earthy manner. Davis breaks out his noisy guitar on "Have Mercy", a song that is as immediate as its main guitar riff is lacerating. The blues has traditionally been the best music for lamenting and bemoaning, and while Davis is looking for mercy from Jesus, the familiar music acts an acknowledgment of transgression. Davis is turning the ‘profane' into the spiritual. This is followed by the slower "Tear Me Apart". This song is a natural follow up, with Davis having received mercy, now leaving his life in his creator's hands. The song builds on its basic chord progression, in a manner similar to some of John Lennon's forays into blues rock. Davis moves the blues into the church on "Jesus Gonna Build Me a Home", which is not too far away from straight R & B oriented gospel. There's a small melodic hook in this piano centered song which is so typical of Davis's work, and it's great to hear it in a somewhat different musical setting.

This number hints at the true strength of the album, which is the ballads. Davis invests so much in these quiet numbers, both in terms of musical inspiration and...inspiration, I suppose. The penultimate track on the disc, "Lay Your Burden Down" is another piano based number, featuring string accompaniment. The song is a mini-epic with intriguing chord changes and an intense vocal performance. The song hints at Neil Finn in a contemplative mood, mixed with a little Paul McCartney, in a testifying mode. On "I Hear Your Voice", Davis shows off a strong Beach Boys influence, with a splendid vocal arrangement at the end. Then there's the most daring number on the album, "The Kind of Heart", an atmospheric song with a vast sonic pallette, using various acoustic and electronic instruments to create lovely textures, with Davis singing one of his most angelic vocals. This song is a touching devotional, with Davis articulately expressing his wonderment at the sacrifice of Jesus.

As I said before, the album has a few songs that, but for the lyrics, could be Superdrag numbers. "Salvation" is Beatles-tinged pop, while "Nothing Gets Me Down" and "Too Far Out" are just good power pop. Obviously, Davis is going to gain some fans who had never heard his music before, and lose a lot more from his old band's days. And I'm sure he doesn't care. Even if you can't abide by music that explicitly deals with Christianity, you should at least be able to appreciate the utter sincerity involved here.

I'm a big Superdrag and I'm not a churchgoer. I see no difference in digging Davis's music than being moved and entertained by a Mahalia Jackson hymn or one of Johnny Cash's religious tunes. However, I may not sing along too often. If Davis wants to focus on his Lord, as long as I can hear his great melodies and riffs and his passion, I'll probably come along for the ride (realizing that he hopes his music would touch me, and others like me, more deeply). My biggest hope for Davis is that he can raise the lyrical bar as he goes along. On this first Christian disc, I'm fine with his plaintive direct words. But as he goes on, I hope he can find ways to sing about his faith that aren't just reiterations, as he digs deeper to explain his truth. Based on his excellent past, it's the least for me to expect.

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Spoon
Gimme Fiction

(Merge)

mergerecords.com

Britt Daniel and percussive partner-in-crime Jim Eno are back with more sly and spare indie pop-rock. On their last effort, Kill The Moonlight, the band melded the more sophisticated musical approach of their breakthrough third LP, Girls Can Tell, with the pithier songwriting found on the first two Spoon albums. This sent critics and fans ga-ga, for the most part. However, I found the last album to be sparse rather than spare -- as decent ideas went underdeveloped, and slight melodies and hooks were not so much minimalist as incomplete.

On this disc, Spoon is more successful. The R & B groove orientation that surfaced on some tracks on Girls Can Tell is further exploited here. While I still think that there are times Eno could play more forcefully to sell the groove, there are some numbers on here that are vaguely funky, and quite enjoyable. Indeed, "I Turn My Camera On" is inches away from becoming a full-fledge disco number in the vein of The Rolling Stones' "Miss You". Maybe part of the reason I say this is that Daniel sings in a soft falsetto, while the bass, drums and guitar play a mild funk riff in unison. The band really locks in, and with just a dollop of melody, this song is simply cool. Cut from similar cloth is "Was It You?". This song works an even subtler groove, which may be a little bit undernourished to sustain its five minute length. Nevertheless, the spare hooks work effectively. A couple keyboard parts just stick in the brain.

Even when not so explicitly funky, there's subtle R & B groove permeating most songs. "The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine" has a film noir/spy movie ambience, as the simple rhythm is built on with a couple of corresponding simple melodies and other basic embellishments, such as a brief piano part, a guitar fill and some string accompaniment. This is serious stuff folks. The tense pop is alleviated slightly by a string driven instrumental break that is somewhat pastoral. Like a lot of Spoon songs, it doesn't appear to have any true meaning, but for its three minute duration, it feels like it does.

There are quite a few songs that are just good pop, with some of the minimalist vibe found on the last album, but played more expansively. The interplay between the primary instruments (drums, piano, guitar) is excellent, as each instrument often is placed like a piece in a puzzle. Songs like "The Beast and Dragon, Adored" and "Merchants of Soul" show how simple ideas can, through a smart arrangement, still be layered, intelligent and catchy.

The band even adds a few new wrinkles. "Sister Jack" is a straightforward jangly rock song, with beds of pleasant guitars and a sunny hook. A nice springtime tune. On "They Never Got You", the song starts off like an early-80's Prince track, mixed with Electric Light Orchestra (think "Strange Magic") and The Cars -- it's fizzy and new wavey, and even has a handclap interlude. And "I Summon You" is a jaunty acoustic number, that sounds relatively innocent.

Though I didn't like the last LP, I can see how it fits within the evolution of this band. This album seems to graft the lessons learned last time with the fuller pop sound that Daniel had visited before. With the subtle emphasis on the funk and R & B elements, it just gives Spoon more musical dimension. While most of this is just ear candy for indie fans, it's fun and addictive, and isn't that what pop is all about?

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