Best Power Pop Songs of All Time?

Put this song twice.

brendan benson - tiny spark
lemonheads - confetti
teenage fanclub - neil jung

You should put some Shoes on there, and don't forget Material Issue's "Valerie Loves Me" on there. (BTW, Jim Ellison was a member of Green for awhile back in the day, though I don't think he played on Elaine.) You might as well put on some early Posies and Smithereens, too.

Yo La Tengo - Bitter End
Magnapop - Lay it Down

see also: "September Gurls," "In The Street," and "Back Of A Car."

why not some current: The Exploding Hearts - 'I'm a Pretender', The Star Spangles - "Which One of the Two Of Us Is Going To Burn This House Down"

Second (or third) the Big Star suggestions

"Can't Hardly Wait" by The Replacements.

Sounds a lot like it to me.

Like all Posies albums, it falls about after the first five songs.

1. The Who: I Can See For Miles
2. Nazz: Open My Eyes
3. Badfinger: No Matter What
4. The Raspberries: Go All The Way
5. Todd Rundgren: Couldn't I Just Tell You
6. Blue Ash: Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her)
7. Big Star: September Gurls
8. Dwight Twilley: I'm On Fire
9. The Flamin' Groovies: Shake Some Action
10.Pezband: Baby It's Cold Outside
11.Cheap Trick: I Want You To Want Me
12.Fotomaker: Where Have You Been All My Life
13.The Rubinoos: I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
14.The Records: Starry Eyes
15.The Knack: My Sharona
16.Shoes: Too Late
17.20/20: Yellow Pills
18.The Romantics: What I Like About You
19.Phil Seymour: Precious To Me
20.Rick Springfield: Jessie's Girl
21.Marshall Crenshaw: Someday Someway
22.The Plimsouls: A Million Miles Away
23.The Spongetones: She Goes Out With Everybody
24.The dBs: Love Is For Lovers

Of course Big Star--Back of a Car and the inevitable September Gurls are essential; also In the Street and When My Baby's Beside Me

The Move have to be in there somewhere too:
Flowers in the Rain; Wild Tiger Woman; Wave Your Flag and Stop the Train; Omnibus; Hello Susie; Fire Brigade

Easybeats are pretty proto-powerpop too:

Sorry; Remember Sam; Bring a Little Lovin'; Friday on My Mind; Heaven and Hell; Wait a Minute.

Cheap Trick--If You Want My Love

Diesel Park West--All the Myths on Sunday, the greatest Big Star rip ever

Records--Teenarama

Pursuit of Happiness - "Shes So Young"

Jellyfish - "The King Is Half Undressed"

Big Star - "Daisy Glaze"

Elliott Smith - "Son Of Sam"

Sparks - "Amateur Hour", "Tips for Teens"
Cheap Trick - "Surrender"

I'm quite sure you guys know this band. But I thnik we don't speak a lot about it. "Only Forever" is a wonderful album, one of my favorite of the 90s.

That's all I wanted to say :)

Liquor Giants...just from the s/t album:
Chocolate Clown
Fake Love
100 Dollar Car
Awful Good
Hideous Pleasure
Here
Jerked Around
All I Get

Gawd, how did Ward Dotson go so ignored?!?

A non-complete list of some of the best from the Yellow Pills comps...

The Rock Club - Time Will Tell on You
The Flashcubes - It's You Tonight
Chris von Sneidern - Call Out My Name
Kyle Vincent - Just a Matter of Time
Shoes - A Thing of the Past
Black and Blonde - Just in Time
John McMullan - Taking Me Somewhere
The Beat - I've Always Got You on My Mind
DM3 - Show You
Jason Falkner - My Home Is Not a House

Anyone like Adam Schmitt?

Another Girl Another Planet - Only Ones
Marie Provost - Nick Lowe
Peace Love & Understanding - Elvis Costello
Remember the Lightning- 20/20
September Girl - Big Star
No Matter What - Badfinger
I Think We're Alone Now - Tommy James
Let It Be Me - Dum Dum Girls
Take the Cash - Wreckless Eric

Dum Dum Girls???

Cotton Mather - the entire Kontiki album

Aww man, "Whippings and Apologies" by Sparks as well, totally righteous.

putting this here for future generations:

this video by THE COLORS never fails to make me happy (1980 power pop stuff if you ain't never heard them)

the stiv bators album is terrible/great.

need more 80s power pop:

Scruffy the Cat - My Baby, She's Alright
Let's Active - Every Word Means No
The Bongos - Bulrushes

The fucking Toms record is rocking my shit right now.

There was a cool book that came out a couple of years ago, "The Ultimate Power Pop Guide" which selected the 200 best power pop albums of all-time. If you google that name you'll find some industrious fellow took one song from each album and put together a series of compilations. Quite nifty! 200 power pop songs in a row is a bit much for me, though.

The Modernettes -- Little Girls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi0uz8JD9Aw

Elastica - Blue is one of my current obsessions.

Two drunk dudes were walking round the pub singing "Airport" by the Motors the other day.

Brendan Benson's "Tiny Spark" is a nugget-sized wrecking ball. Don't like anything else I've heard by him, but must have played "Tiny Spark" 1000 times in the past 3-4 years. That'd be on my alltime PP comp.

Brendan Benson's "Tiny Spark" is a nugget-sized wrecking ball. Don't like anything else I've heard by him, but must have played "Tiny Spark" 1000 times in the past 3-4 years. That'd be on my alltime PP comp.
--we can only flee in abject horror from yesterday's mistakes (staggerlee)

200 power pop songs in a row is a bit much for me, though.

Heresy!

200 power pop songs in a row is a bit much for me, though.

Heresy!

I picked up the MFSL of Marshall Crenshaw's self titled album and listened to that and Field Day a few times over the last week. Both albums left me kind of cold in the past and still do. "Too polished" are not the right words but something like that -- the guitar fills that are a little too canned, choruses that are a little bland. A band like the Rubinoos made some real clunkers but there's more heart in their music. Maybe it's his voice--I really liked Jaggedland, his 2009 album, where he sounds grizzled and older. That said "Whenever You're on My Mind" is pretty much perfect and "Cynical Girl" gets close.

MFSL is not really worth picking up but the bass is a little more pronounced.

http://open.spotify.com/user/jseraf/playlist/5TRkdCojkl2JpclHE949Mi

In the vein of The Toms:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg1m0T9hwRI

If you want Power Pop, you have to check out the excellent Elaine MacKenzie album by Green, crammed with yearning & screaming PowerPopSongs. Follow-up White Soul is excellent as well. If I would have to pick one song to include on your comp, it'd be "Don't Ever Fall In Love With Someone, As Long As You Love Someone Else".

― willem (willem), Friday, December 5, 2003 3:56 AM (7 years ago) Bookmark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNrWZBzP6_I&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia0uL2vK4dY&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEjutUbgpH8

No Tommy Keene mentioned yet? I'd go with Underworld, but the guy has literally dozens of (should be) classic songs.

"Places That Are Gone" is mixtape gold.

Monroes have amazing hair.

Re: that Mark & the Spies track ... I get what you are saying with the Toms comparison, but IMO that's a lame track, and not alone of late in its old-guy Beatles-ness. I would even put someone like Mike Viola in this category despite his arranging strengths (see this spotify playlist for a lot more http://open.spotify.com/user/roshjosenblum/playlist/62NZXrvkr91d8Ngl0jHfbD ). Too high fidelity? Something that pretty could use some grunge and hiss. Too far removed from the Beatles to know the difference between homage and inspiration? Or maybe it's just songwriting. The chord progressions in the verse and chorus are not only cheesy (forgivable) but boring (not forgivable). The reason hi-fi, poppy tracks by someone like Matthew Sweet tend to work and have replay value is that there is always something at least temporarily ugly and off. e.g. "I've Been Waiting" - there are dissonances everywhere. Of course they eventually resolve, but it's not like it's resonant major chord after chord. "Sick of Myself" is a pretty pat track but the guitar work is good and the lyrics add interest. Those guys should learn from the Toms and do some variations on "Sun" until they learn that dissonance is not necessarily a bad thing.

is this the thread where i mention some of the best power pop songs are probably hard salsa songs

NRBQ - "I Want You Bad", "Ridin' In My Car"
Teenage Fanclub - "Star Sign"
Nazz - "Forget All About It"
Del Amitri - "Roll To Me"
Nils Lofgren & Grin - "White Lies"
Lemonheads - "Into Your Arms"
Hollies - "Look Through Any Window"
The Who - "The Kids Are Alright"
Marshall Crenshaw - "Our Town"

And since virtually all power pop traces its roots back to the first two Byrds albums, I must mention "All I Really Want To Do", "Feel A Whole Lot Better", and "The World Turns All Around Her".

I'd probably go with "You're My Favorite Waste of Time" for Marshall Crenshaw. Amazing that, to my knowledge, he's only recorded that demo-y sounding take on it.

probably something by The Pillows

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNcy1RHDHhE

• the new pornographers, sing me spanish techno
• elo, don't bring me down
• sweet, fox on the run
• blondie, dreamin'
• exploding hearts, throwaway style

Great song I found on a compilation a few years ago--someone's put it up on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT7WNJmqn1Q

I wish she'd open her eyes.

"Ah! Leah!" by Donnie Iris.

Here's a real good one from the 90s. The band is Myracle Brah, the song is called Good Day To The Night. It's not on youtube but you can here a sample below. If you like power pop, it will be worth the 15 seconds.

http://www.pandora.com/myracle-brah/super-automatic/good-day-to-night

Another great one that should have been a hit. The Wake Ups, Nobody Slows. This isn't on youtube either but you can get a feel for it here. So so great.

http://www.amazon.com/Nobody-Slows/dp/B0015ELT3M

Can't find the Wake Ups, but that seems to be a Scruffs cover (or maybe vice versa).

Same band. Their real name is the Wake Ups but for some reason they were called The Scruffs, but not the Memphis power pop Scruffs of the 70s

Interesting...strange that they'd risk comparisons. I'm not that big on their song, but I love "Good Day to the Night." Will have to get hold of the whole album.

teenage fanclub - alcoholiday

This is especially good in the context of the album but one of my '90s favorites - Cotton Mather's Password:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsE1AM5-KHI

I love "Good Day to the Night." Will have to get hold of the whole album.

The album is called Life On Planet Eartsnop. Well worth searching out.

It occurred to me that this song really belongs on here. A lost classic, in my opinion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bDDAOJV1xU

Artful Dodger - most people would say "Wayside" but "Think Think" or "Honor Among Thieves" are even better IMO.
Dwight Twilley - "You Were So Warm"

Modern power pop that I think is really great: Title Tracks from Washington D.C.... The chorus on this one just blows up (ca. 1m 45s)!!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1J9AFDstKI

there should be a poll!!

entire Slow Wonder album by ac newman is great, first song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO4OY_pKKVc

I know very little about this band except this has been one of my favorite songs for the last two years. I'm pretty sure it belongs in this thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDk4INQoIcI

"The Laws Have Changed" by New Pornographers

I downloaded a compilation series a few years ago out of Australia, The Bam Balam Explosion--seven volumes, 22-24 songs each. I burned Vol. 1 last year, and didn't burn anything more; most of it was the kind of power-pop I don't care for (designated by Chuck Eddy as "crunchy" on one of these power-pop threads). Finally got around to burning the second volume, and even though it's more of the same, I like this a lot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXjkjFjXDfM

Could almost pass for mid-'60s Who, or at least the vocal could, one of the most Daltrey-like I've ever heard.

Will always be "Tonight" by the Raspberries

Pshaw. The best power pop song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbVdrnRm4R4

"Shakin' Street"'s great--was just reading Greil Marcus' review of Back in the USA not 30 minutes ago (just posted yesterday):

http://greilmarcus.net/2014/11/18/mc5-back-in-the-usa-051470/

On the "Nuggets" end of the power pop spectrum, we present: The Grip Weeds - "Astral Man"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGNjoEfKvbg

One more: "Love's Lost on You"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0utX0_i-ndA

The greatest power-pop album ever in the history of everything has just been reissued on vinyl:
http://www.lionproductions.org/pages/GREENLP.html

How about some Japanese power pop? Puffy AmiYumi - "Planet Tokyo". The whole album "Nice" is worth a listen for anyone into '70s/'80s rock pastiche (all of us). http://open.spotify.com/track/3c8QlMUMpzNjMOZnfoImjx

Having said Radio City is mostly not even remotely power pop, leading to a small chorus of hoots, I feel compelled to say what exactly power pop would be if not that! And yes, September Gurls strikes me as fitting. But songs with a lot of chugging weird rhythmic moves, screwy extra sounds, and audible pain - this describes the bulk of Radio City - don't seem to show up much in the later canon of songs people refer to as power pop.

If power pop means anything other than just a catchy form of "rock" then it should indicate super catchiness, uptempo excitement, a kind of smiling thing going on (that could be messed over by the actual lyrical content: BETTER!), not too many different parts in the same song (i.e. no, seriously, people listing Big Star's far-superior-trippy-bummer-to-roger-waters-era-pink-floyd "Daisy Glaze" as power pop: you wouldn't even call this masterpiece power pop if it were done by any other band).

People start power pop off with Beatles & Kinks & Who & Troggs which is almost cheating! Isn't that just "rock"? Nevertheless, "So Sad About Us" & "With a Girl Like You" do cross over into that super-catchy but still rocking-zone which I'm figuring is the hallmark. personally, I'd say some serious 60s/early 70s power pop examples are:

Beach Boys - Darlin
Grass Roots - Temptation Eyes
Boyce & Hart - I wonder what she's doing tonight
Bobby Fuller Four - I Fought the Law & The Law Won
Nazz - Open My Eyes (this one allegedly an example of 60s punk via nuggets inclusion)
Crabby Appleton - Go Back
Badfinger - No Matter What (if this ain't power pop the genre doesn't exist)

An obvious question --- well, obvious as soon as I ask it --- is the relationship between power pop and bubblegum. I'd say you can't stick a pubic hair between them in some cases: Yummy Yummy by the Ohio Express isn't just pop, and it isn't just powerful, it's the most obvious template for "Holidays in the Sun"

Another obvious question --- why isn't any black music called power pop? (was everything Christgau said about Trouser Press true?) If there is any black power pop then let me nominate "Apple Peaches Pumpkin Pie" by Jay & The Techniques (any excuse to praise that record!!) and "Fun" by Sly & The Family Stone (road-tested with a battalion of power pop fans who loved it). Just for starters, mind you.

There's plenty more lame genre arguments I can troll here but let me get into safer territory now: some examples of great power pop from the 'recognized power pop era' that I shouldn't get many arguments about, at least if you go and listen to them:

Sniff'n the Tears - Driver's Seat
Undertones - Hypnotized
Undertones - His Good Looking Girlfriend (2 undertones songs out of many candidates)
Buzzcocks - Everybody's Happy Nowadays
Monochrome Set - Martians Go Home
Altered Images - Funny Funny Me
The Adverts - Safety in Numbers (allegedly punk I know but Adverts is pretty pop & good for them)
The Vibrators - Baby Baby (ditto)
Shonen Knife - Bear Up Bison (Pretty Little Baka Guy version is more pop & less punk)

This is the best power pop song of all time:

DWIGHT TWILLEY - LOOKING FOR DA MAGICZ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xq0ykm_SrM

And this the second best:

CIRRUS EDDY - GET DA MSG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-Dtg295wVk

This is a storming piece of power pop imo, but might have flown under lots of people's radars through being on a metal album (warning: most pop thing on the record, which is 'only' a great sludge album elsewhere).

http://youtu.be/s7uokNi7qEw

The entire Adam Schmitt - World So Bright album is amazing. His second record is worth checking out too although it's a little darker/more disjointed.

weird why did it take me so long to hear about Emitt Rhodes?

reminds me a lot of the s/t Flame album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_YWc0RszxU

I don't care for them, but when I think of power pop I think of FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE

And why have XTC not been mentioned yet. This is one of the highlights for me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P1o3YRYBmY

No Game Theory or Loud Family? Ok then: "Nine Lives to Rigel Five," "24," "Erica's Word," "We Love You Carol and Alison," "Inverness," "Motion of Ariel."

LOVE the first Loud Family album. I'll add Take Me Down To Haloo to your list.

We're also missing some of the most popular songs that flirt with the genre:

PILOT - MAGIC

THE ROMANTICS - WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU

THE RUBINOOS - I WANNA BE YOUR BOYFRIEND

THE CARS - JUST WHAT I NEEDED

and I'm not if it qualifies but I see it dumped in several 'power pop' lists:

THE OUTFIELD - YOUR LOVE

Pilot "Magic" might have been the first power pop song I fell in love with, unless "Little Willy" by Sweet and/or "Jet" by Paul McCartney count.

The Romantics one I go for is "Talking in Your Sleep"

The Sun Sawed in 1/2 were almost as good as Jellyfish (and very similar in style) for a couple albums. too bad they never really took off. one of my favorites:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35-Na1Athas

Chumped's "Something About Geography"--I count it, most wouldn't.

http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Something+About+Geography/7aJL92?src=5

Last weekend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la-ll0dttXM

Who else has been playing Power Pop lately?
The Toms album is amazing.

"Tonight" by the Raspberries
The whole Singles Going Steady disc
"At Night" by Buffalo Tom

"And Your Bird Can Sing" -- The Beatles
"Dirty Water" -- The Standells
"When My Baby's Beside Me" -- Big Star
"Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah" -- The Wedding Present
"Echos Myron" -- Guided by Voices
"I'm Always in Love" -- Wilco
"The Bleeding Heart Show" -- The New Pornographers

crazy that only 3 tracks by Cheap Trick are listed here! i mostly know the first two albums so these are all just from those records:

"ELO Kiddies"
"Taxman, Mr. Thief"
"He's a Whore"
"Big Eyes"
"Downed"
"I Want You To Want Me"
"Oh Caroline"
"Southern Girls"

"Downed" is probably my favorite

I want to live on a mountain
way down in Australia
It's either that or suicide
It's such a strange strain on you

hearing this the first time unlocked some hidden level in my mind completing the gap between The Beatles and Nirvana

Wait a second, there's a list of great Cheap Trick songs from the first two records that omits Oh Candy? What the hell is going on?

help me list tropes of the genre. I'll start:

Jesus
superstition

This is the best power pop song of all time:

DWIGHT TWILLEY - LOOKING FOR DA MAGICZ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xq0ykm_SrM

― Moka, viernes 12 de diciembre de 2014 0:25 (three years ago)

This is still my answer.

Link has died so new link

https://youtu.be/Voa_7sLL7dQ

Ron Howard directed this made-for-TV film called Cotton Candy in 1978. That thing is the ultimate power pop movie!

This is the best power pop song of all time:

DWIGHT TWILLEY - LOOKING FOR DA MAGICZ

📹

― Moka, viernes 12 de diciembre de 2014 0:25 (three years ago)

This is still my answer.

Looking for the Magic is perfect. Adam the next two CT records are great too

On the Cheap Trick front, I saw Over the Edge for the first time tonight (in a theatre).

the next two CT records are great too

i've ordered Heaven Tonight and Dream Police both VG+ used vinyl for under $10

weird al does a surprisingly good cover of Hello There.
What's the best power pop song from a decidedly non-powerpop band?

Power Pop is probably not the first thing you think when you think NRBQ, but they had a number of great moments in that vein ("I Want You Bad", "Green Lights", "Me and The Boys" etc.).

Paperback Writer

A number of songs on the Ron Goedert solo album!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQDhavk4oh4

Is Hey Ya power pop or bubblegum?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF9DBXoBrNk

What's the best power pop song from a decidedly non-powerpop band?

Either 'Drill Sergeant' by N*E*R*D or 'Here Come July' by Scritti Politti

"My Sharona" for song structure alone.

Simon Turner - (Baby) I Gotta Go

Peace Love & Understanding - Elvis Costello

― ImprovSpirit, Friday, April 23, 2010 1:10 PM (eight years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this is the jam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ssd3U_zicAI

the beat - rock n roll girl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cEvEUKN4Fw

pure bliss

https://youtu.be/gkSy-6ij76k

help me list tropes of the genre. I'll start:

Jesus
superstition

pedophilia

Some later era cheese

DM3 - Road to Rome album

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlt545QqLBKV4GK9CjjTfZX2YzEpIsqoi

Lolas - Something You Oughta Know album

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOYnBR8tMVojkgcIMG53yG4S4-Hw9U0SE

The Candyskins - Never Will Forget You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT1jh97FsXI

Flashing Lights - Where Do the Days Go? Heard this one in between sets at a Sloan show but doesn't appear to be available streaming anywhere.

What's the best power pop song from a decidedly non-powerpop band?

California Boy by Lil B came to mind, but then I remembered that song was terrible.

controversial opinion: almost all of the 90s power-pop revival stuff is trash

not controversial, just rong

controversial opinion: some of the aor/power pop crossover stuff from the early '80s (balance, martin briley) is fucking good

i have a hard time getting past the production. what’s the best 90s stuff iyo?

jellyfish

also cotton mather

i think there’s something too formally dramatic and muso to make jellyfish powerpop for the most part and i really like both things. Jellyfish are just fucking awesome.

what’s the best 90s stuff iyo?

Red Kross, Lady in the Front Row & Jimmy's Fantasy

Sloan
The Grays
The Loud Family

Never could get into Jellyfish. Too close to psychedelia I guess.

I have a soft spot for Buffalo Tom, but never loved the Posies or the Gin Blossoms

(and I absolutely adore TFC but they transcend "power pop")

I love Buffalo Tom but never really thought of them as power pop. I suppose if jangle is a major component of the genre, they do have plenty of that.

Their 2018 album is pretty solid, btw.

The track listing for Rhino's Poptopia! Power Pop Classics of the '90s (released, rather prematurely, in 1997):

Matthew Sweet - "I've Been Waiting"
Jellyfish - "That Is Why"
Ride - "Twisterella"
Gigolo Aunts - "Cope"
The Rembrandts - "Rollin' Down the Hill"
Tearaways - "Jessica Something"
The Posies - "Solar Sister"
The Wondermints - "Proto-Pretty"
The Lemonheads - Into Your Arms"
Redd Kross - "Lady in the Front Row"
The Grays - "Same Thing"
The Rooks - "Reasons"
The Greenberry Woods - "Trampoline"
Velocity Girl - "I Can't Stop Smiling"
Velvet Crush - "Hold Me Up"
Zumpano - "The Party Rages On"
P. Hux - "Every Minute"
Idle Wilds - "You're All Forgiven"

I know a few of those artists but I honestly can't recall any of those specific songs offhand aside from "Same Thing."

the first jason falkner solo album is also top notch

there's a KEXP version of Twisteralla I've watched at least a dozen times, what a band what a song. (Wouldn't consider it power pop though??)

by the way he took the '90s off but the toms put another record out last year and it's fucking great

I saw the Sugarplastic once in the '90s - they seemed like an actual power pop band.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8HVyrkwc88

90s power pop I like (not in any order): Spongetones, Sneetches, Perspex Whiteout, Teenage Fanclub, Posies, Velvet Crush, Fountains of Wayne

didn't really like Buffalo Tom. Gigolo Aunts were OK

Velvet Crush's first two albums are essential
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqD6Z8KYUGw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHSMg0oGsII

I've never really been able to get into Matthew Sweet or Redd Kross bar a few songs here and there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKsxO9FfxLg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRHBMypKSFQ

Velvet Crush's first two albums are essential
📹

📹

Gentle Breeze ended up recorded again on the fourth album though

Could never get into Heavy Changes. Found them sometimes good but not so great after Teen Symphonies

Not mentioned and underrated: Chainsaw Kittens

Gentle Breeze ended up recorded again on the fourth album though

Could never get into Heavy Changes. Found them sometimes good but not so great after Teen Symphonies

It's a bit better than I remember it. Listening to Heavy Changes again today and it's just so bland, dunno what happened

I always post Mayflies USA on power pop threads becz their first two albums are some of my favorites from the '90s/'00s and they never got a lot of attention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dZhmS0zWwM

Frisbie! I remember buying that record based on a breathless review on salon.com

For me their bid for power pop immortality is Vertigogo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7v0y0o0kVc

"Might Be Right" by White Reaper might be in my all time top ten. Has any power pop song in recent years come close, or eclipsed it? I'd love to know.

powerbump

it's really, really good.

i'm gonna go looking for some recent tunes that i think are in the same ballpark. i'll be back!

that whole album (all 29 mins of it) kills imo, as does the previous one

In the meantime, this recently compiled mix by one of my favorite music websites is an absolute treasure trove of garage-y power-pop:

http://www.ravensingstheblues.com/mixtape-young-hearts-unite/

for recent stuff, I absolutely love the Number Ones (from Dublin), this is the lead track from their last single, they haven't released that much recently but are still active afaik:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svYD_siFuXw

this is my fave song off their album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeJdW9-urUk

they are a lot of fun live

I'm not sure if powerpop is exclusively a boys club, but this song by The Beths seems to fit the genre pretty well:

https://thebethsnz.bandcamp.com/track/lying-in-the-sun