Okay.
I’ve been gone for a few weeks and unable to get a lot of info up on PGH. Two simple reasons, really. 1. my regular work load(the stuff that pays the bills, which is not PGH) and 2. finishing up my latest300-page book, “Power Pop Prime – Volume One: The Pop Geek’s Guide To Awesome”, which will be shipping in a few weeks. (you can read about it, HERE).
All that does not mean that I have not been compiling news. As you will see below, FAR from it. So let’s get going, you power popper, you! 
ELTON DUCK – 99% of you going, “Whaatt?!?!” right now but Elton Duck was a important power pop band on the Los Angeles scene in the late 70s, who landed a major label deal, recorded an album and then..had the album shelved and they prompt’y disappeared. Greg Shaw in Bomp wrote about them and I had been looking for a copy of this album for a long time. About 10 years ago, I mentioned the band in passing to Robbie Rist and he goes, “I have a cassette of that – want a copy?”. Answer from Bruce: “I love you, Robbie.”. Anyway, finally, the lost album is coming out – it’s a Kickstarter program so here are the two links on the project. GET IT, okay?
Elton Duck – Kickstarter – HERE
Elton Duck – article on band – HERE
CHICAGO POWER POP – Great article on bands that are not unknown to most of us here at PGH but, nonetheless, it’s really cool to see article on some very important bands(Shoes, Pezband, Off Broadway, Material Issue). Go to THIS LINK to read it, but also make comments, ‘like’ it on FB and Tweet it out there – let the editors of this site know, it’s appreciated – and we’d like to see a followup!
FIX IT IN THE MIX blog – Been one of my favorite blogs the last 4/5 years and when you go there, you’ll see why. A deep ‘n wide and electic mix of all kinds of music(pop, rock, soul, etc.) in ‘mix-tape’ style. Truly awesome podcast-like shows that over an hour. New mixes (almost) daily – most of ’em pop-oriented. Fit In The Mix is the (great) work of fellow Pop Pioneer, Bruce Brown – GO THERE HERE and start smiling.
JASON FALKNER – No, nothing about any new album coming soon, but HERE is a link to some really cool videos, live-in-the-studio kind of stuff and…it’s really great!
BAD NEWS – ROBIN GIBB of The BEE GEES is grave, medical condition – CLICK HERE to get some info on the situation. HERE is the latest update on this health.
THE dB’s – HERE is a review of the newly release reunion album.
INTERVIEW with pop scribe and “Shake Some Action” author JOHN M. BORACK and BRUCE BRODEEN (Not Lame Recordings, Pop Geek Heaven) with Roch Parisien. We did this live Facebook interview back in November and it was a really cool as we took live questions from power pop fans on Facebook(something that is definitely cutting edge stuff and not done that often). Read the text and transcript of the interview – HERE. Roch is a Canadian-based rock journalist and consultant has a great FB page where he does a lot of very interesting interviews which will be of interest to most PGHers. “Like” his page – HERE (You can also explore transcripts from previous Facebook Music Interviews at the “Notes” tab at Roch Parisien’s Rocon Communications music chat page.)
BRENDAN BENSON – A new album coming and HERE is the story with details with what is going with the project and HERE is a review of it and how about another review at THIS LINK, too?
PARTHENON HUXLEY – ‘New’ Music! YES! Gotta love this. Info on the release HERE. Go ahead and order it and listen to samples (come on, you know you want it!) – HERE
CANADIAN POP MUSIC ENCYCLOPEDIA – Canadian music biographer Jaimie Vernon(no one, I mean NO ONE, knows more about the history of Canadian music, than Vernon!) just started to ship this week. This is what is up: “The print version of ‘VOLUME 1: A Thru K’ is an on-demand 398 page 8.5 x 11 formatted paperback containing discographies and biographies for more than 1,100 of Canada’s most celebrated major label and independent music acts spanning 60 years of Canadian popular music with a focus on Pop, Rock, Folk and Singer-songwriter genres.” Find out more and order a copy – HERE
RECORDS STORES – read THIS post for an interesting, contrarian view of the LACK of necessity of record stores and why. I empathize with the feelings on the article(and have experienced them many times in my 40 years of buying music at record stores) but I think the quality of service that the still-standing record stores provide is incredibly high and infinitely better than it was in the time frame of my experience. Here in Colorado, where I live, there is one of the best stores in the entire nation, Twist & Shout – walking into the place? TOTALLY, Music Geek Heaven.
On the other side of things, this past weekend’s National Record Story Day was a hit all over – an article on its success at THIS LINK.
MEN AT WORK FLUTIST DEAD – Sad. Crap with the music biz, resulted in despair, disconnection and he took his life. Info at THIS LINK. This, a few weeks after one of my favorite guitarists, RONNIE MONTROSE did the same thing(though, under different circumstances – HERE and HERE). Speaking of Montrose, there is a great 5 CD set of some of his best, early work – check it out HERE).
CLEANERS FROM VENUS, the 80s group of MARTIN NEWELL has a new 3 CD out on KOOL KAT MUSIK, that presents the first three Cleaners releases – “Blow Your Troubles Away” (1981), “On Any Normal Monday” (1982), and “Midnight Cleaners” (1982) (previously limited, cassette-only releases) – now remastered and making their CD debut! Get more info and order it – HERE
BLUR – This looks like it could be fun. A big ‘ole box set that goes overboard. Not sure I’ll bite as I have all of their material already that purchased as they came out, but for the hardcore fan, read about it HERE.
Let’s take a break and watch a video of The Len Price 3 on the roof of a building in Ireland. Enjoy!
BIG STAR – HERE is a link to a podcast AND info on an upcoming live tribute show covering “Third” (known to some as “Sister Lovers”) taking place in London, end of May. Gawd, what I’d give to make it to this one! Check out the musicians playing at this show.
TOMMY KEENE – Interview at awesome RockerZine site. Read it and dig deep into the site for more pop-friendly info and rocking info. HERE
BRAD BROOKS – He has a new album out(reviewed on this site) and HERE is a nice article on him on the POWER OF POP blog Brad’s home page is HERE. His excellent new CD is available at Kool Kat – HERE.
JONATHAN RUNDMAN has a ‘new’ album coming in June. It’s not ‘new’,actually, but a retrospective. Get the details and listen to soundbites from here at THIS LINK.
THE GRAYS – BUDDY JUDGE – Now, I know we all would love to see a Deluxe edition of the Grays’ long album, “Roo Sham Boo” and that may yet happen someday but Grays drummer, Buddy Judge has re-emerged after a 10 year absence with new music – check it out HERE. It’s one long tune, at Itunes. Info on Judge at THIS LINK.
CHRIS ETHRIDGE of the Flying Burrito Brothers has died. The story is HERE.
JIGSAW – You know the band as owners of the semi-classic “Sky High” song from 1974 but they released a whole bunch of albums during their time and if you go THIS LINK at the exciting new blog, ASH ON THE BEAT, you can download their ‘lost album’ along with 11 other cool tracks.
Time for another music break. THE HOODOO GURUS have some new music and below is a video from their latest, really cool song.
HERE is a link to THE HOODOO GURUS‘ latest single
TRANSLATOR – A surprise reunion and it will result in new music from the band. Read about the event HERE.
THE LEMONHEADS – Another one of those, uh, ‘new’ projects – this one a demos and rarities collection. Info at THIS LINK.
TODD RUNDGREN – A review of a very recent live show in San Francisco – CLICK HERE.
TIGER STRIPES – Very cool band I just came across that you should check out – HERE
SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES – listen to their entire new album, in advance of it coming out on Spotify. You do need to have an account to listen, though. If you don’t have one yet, well, really…you need to figure this one out. Listen HERE.
NELSON BRAGG(The Quarter After, The Now People, Cloud Eleven), has a new album coming out – find out the details HERE. Read a cool article on him at THIS LINK.
THE MONKEES – a deluxe version of “Instant Replay” has been released on Rhino that contains 3 CDs featuring 87 tracks including 58 previously unreleased recordings, backing tracks and a generous selection of stereo and mono mixes for both album and non-album cuts – more info at THIS LINK.
RICHARD BARONE(The Bongos) will be reissuing “Cool Blue Halo” as a box set. Get the details HERE.
MOTT THE HOOPLE – I’ve loved this band, unconditionally, since I heard the first notes of “All The Way From Memphis” in 1974 – ASH ON THE BEAT has a nice homage post on the band HERE.
NEW POWER POP RADIO SHOW – Liberty Finch and DJ Izzy spin powerpop, sunshine, bubblegum, garage, psychedelic, rock and more! Find where and when at THIS LINK.
MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS – positive news for the music biz? You decide – or at least, stay informed with some stats. HERE. More: Google Killed The Modern-Day Rock Star? “If you want to steal a song, Google is an absolutely fantastic place to start. The world of torrents and free mp3s is just a search away, all at a nice price. But is Google really the problem here, or is it merely a symptom of a far broader issue – one created by the entertainment industry?” – Read more – HERE.
“Breaking”(sic) News – A lame California-based, so-called ‘power pop’ band changes their name due to extreme political correctness. Sigh(and laugh) a bit at THIS LINK. I’m not even going to mention their old or their new name because they really need to do a gut check. Any band who has played around for years(as this one had) with the name that they had and just ‘deal’ with it, is gonna have a hard time making music with any authenticity. The old name was really quite clever and a damn good one, too. Really guys? I mean, REALLY? Grow a spine or move to Brooklyn you limpies, you’ll find a few dozen kindred spirits.
BIG, BIG JELLYFISH NEWS
So, big I’m just gonna post the whole press release because this one is COOL!
OMNIVORE RECORDINGS TO RELEASE JELLYFISH: LIVE AT BOGART’S JULY 3rd
ON CD, LIMITED-EDITION DOUBLE LP, AND OPEN-EDITION DOUBLE LP
FIRST OFFICIAL LIVE JELLYFISH ALBUM – EVER!
FEATURES 13 TRACKS INCLUDING FIVE PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED PERFORMANCES
RECORDED IN 1991 AT BOGART’S IN LONG BEACH , CA
ON TOUR SUPPORTING THEIR DEBUT ALBUM BELLYBUTTON
Los Angeles, CA – May 1, 2012 – Omnivore Recordings will release power pop band Jellyfish’s first official live album, titled Live at Bogart’s, on July 3rd. Recorded in 1991 in Long Beach, CA, with the band on tour behind their debut album Bellybutton, Live at Bogart’s features 13 tracks. Five of these tracks are previously unissued performances, while the others, initially appearing on b-sides and compilations, have been out of the marketplace for decades. Live at Bogart’s will be available on CD, first as a limited-edition (1,500 copies) double-LP on translucent blue vinyl, followed by an open-edition on black vinyl thereafter. The double LP release will include three sides of music, with a fourth side sporting laser-etched artwork.
They had the songs—tremendous songs, with melodies and arrangements that harkened back to an earlier time when pop music was ruled by bands like Badfinger, Cheap Trick, The Beach Boys, and Big Star. This live performance captures the band minus all the frills of studio trickery and clever visuals, proving once and for all that Jellyfish was not a dog-and-pony show. They were the real deal, equipped with phenomenal songwriting, playing, instrumentation, and harmonies. Even though the group lasted for only two albums over four years, their influence has been as profound as that of any of the bands that influenced Jellyfish in the first place—all part of a power pop tradition.
In January of this year, Omnivore Recordings released Jellyfish’s debut album Bellybutton and its follow-up Spilt Milk in 180-gram, colored vinyl limited-editions of 1,500 per title, making the only two full-length studio albums in the band’s short, storied history commercially available for the first time in the U.S. on vinyl. The limited editions sold out immediately, but are currently available in an open-edition on 180-gram black vinyl.
Formed in San Francisco by singer/songwriter Andy Sturmer and singer/songwriter Roger Manning, Jellyfish rounded out the initial lineup with guitarist Jason Falkner (The Three O’Clock, The Grays) and Roger’s brother Chris Manning on bass. Following Bellybutton’s support tour, Falkner and Chris Manning left the band due to creative differences and exhaustion from life on the road. Jellyfish’s next album Spilt Milk was created by Andy and Roger with help from then session men Jon Brion (Fiona Apple, Spoon, Kanye West), Lyle Workman (Beck, Todd Rundgren) and T-Bone Wolk (Hall & Oates). After one tour in support of the record, the group disbanded in 1994.
Jellyfish: Live at Bogart’s CD and 2LP track listing:
1. Hold Your Head Up (Argent cover)/Hello
2. Calling Sarah
3. The King Is Half Undressed *
4. I Wanna Stay Home *
5. Bye Bye Bye *
6. She Still Loves Him
7. Will You Marry Me
8. Now She Knows She’s Wrong
9. Baby Come Back (Player cover)/Baby’s Coming Back
10. No Matter What (Badfinger cover)*
11. All I Want Is Everything *
12. The Man I Used To Be
13. Let ‘Em In (Paul McCartney & Wings cover)/That Is Why
* previously unissued
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Finally, here’s some very, very cool news for all POWER POP BANDS – and FANS!
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Mobile Game Power for Power Pop Artists
Music Powered Games is bringing the power of mobile games to indie music marketing with their Music Monsters game app. Indie artists can now tap into the fan appeal of mobile games to promote their music and create game-based revenues. With two-thirds of US smartphone users regularly playing games on their phones, chances are very good that your fans are too.
The Music Monsters game creates gameplay from the song lyrics as shown in this video.
Music Monsters will be releasing in June and the game designers would like to have dozens great Power Pop artists with their very own Music Monsters game app when they launch. Here’s how you can participate.
They create a custom version of the game app for one of your songs and publish it in the Music Monsters game app at the App Store and at Google Play. You can then give a free demo of your game to your fans using the web links they provide. You can even have your entire audience download your game app for free in the middle of your shows. Once fans download the game to their phones, it becomes a great commercial for your music and game level. Fans can play your game level three times for free and then buy the game level for 99 cents to play more. We also give fans additional game content with each purchase as an added “reason to buy” your game level. The app also promotes the sale of your song at iTunes or wherever the song is for sale online. Plus, we give you a link to a YouTube video of the game level that you can also use to connect with your fans.
The app costs $200 and you will receive 100% of the revenue from sales of your game level until you recoup the $200. They split the revenue with you 50/50 thereafter.
If you want more info, send an email to indies@musicpoweredgames.com
