Alan Haber's Pure Pop Radio

There are songs and there are songs–in the here and now, we’re so digging the Davenports’ new one, “Don’t Be Mad at Me,” currently spinning in our rotation, that it’s getting in the way of our getting any work done. That’s a good thing, by the way. It’s like the new Beatles record has landed and, as the fade recedes, we start it up again and get into the gorgeous melody; the inventive, caressing harmonies; and that rockin’ guitar solo at the end. Pure bliss.

That’s what a great pop song does when all of the stars line up perfectly above: it takes you away or, more accurately, it reels you inside of itself and, in an instant, you’re there. Read our review here, if you missed it.

Meanwhile, “Don’t Be Mad at Me” isn’t the only song making us smile and thank the heavens that we’re in this business of writing about and broadcasting the greatest melodic pop music in the universe. Yes, it’s New Music Tuesday, and we’ve got a whole lot of great things to make you smile.

We begin as we dash and pray for surf, so to speak, with two releases each from masters of the Beach Boys form–folks who know how to craft the kind of sounds that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and shout, “Now that’s my kind of music!”

The Dukes of Surf | The Dukes of Surf and Surf, Love and Rock ‘n Roll JP, Fish and Jimmy, riding the crest of an infectious musical wave from their Honolulu, Hawaii base, are wowing us with their take on harmony-drenched, Beach Boys-styled songs with a dash of Chuck Berry and the Archies thrown in for good measure. Their top-notch albums are surfing home runs; fans of John Hunter Phillips (see below), Dana Countryman and Dave Caruso, themselves prime purveyors of melodic musical masterpieces, will find a whole lot to love here. So grab your surfboards, leave the hodads behind, and tune in to Pure Pop Radio to hear, in rotation, 15 songs from a group we’ve quickly grown to cherish: “Surf, Love and Rock ‘n Roll,” “Surfin’ in Hawaii,” “Coconuts,” “Fallin’ in Love,” “Baby Don’t Say Goodnight,” “Leilanai,” “Surf Crazy” (from Surf, Love and Rock ‘n Roll); “Waikiki,” “Island Girls,” “Heavy Duty Chevy,” “Doo-Bee-Doo,” “Summer of Love,” “Daydream,” “Shooby Doop Baby,” and “Sukiyaki” (from The Dukes of Surf). Surf’s up on Pure Pop Radio! Bonus: We’ve also added the very cool and catchy track, “Oli Oli Sun,” recorded for travel services company JTB Hawaii’s Oli Oli buses. Sweet!

John Hunter Phillips | It’s About Time and Diamonds on the Beach In 2014, John Hunter Phillips released what we called “the best Beach Boys album…from a man who’s not actually in the Beach Boys, but has sung on stage with the band.” That’s really all you need to know, other than we’ve got John’s two, earlier albums in hand and we’ve added a total of 17 songs from them to our playlist. As with the Dukes of Surf, John trades in Boys of Summer-styled tunes with rich harmonies, great melodies and a love for the kind of music that makes people smile all over the world. The new additions to our playlist include originals and covers: “You’re Never Alone,” “The Girl In the Rear-View Mirror,” “You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone,” “Heaven,” “Don’t Worry, Baby,” “Darlin’,” “Their Hearts Were Full of Spring,” “Let It Shine,” and “The Laughter of Your Voice” (from It’s About Time); “Do It Again,” “Labaina Aloha,” “Susie Cincinnati,” “God Only Knows,” “Marcella,” “Keepin’ the Summer Alive,” Rockin’ All Over the World,” and “Sail On Sailor” (from Diamonds on the Beach).

We go from the beach to the sunny shores of Austin, Texas for our next group of newly-added-to-the-playlist gems…

Kaliyo One of our absolutely favorite artists, Andrea Perry, whose latest album 4 was released in 2013 and is currently in rotation on our air, teamed up with singer and songwriter Sarah Sharp in October 2010. Together, they have written more than 50 wonderful, super melodic songs that were used in TV shows and ad campaigns. And now you can hear them too, as part of our ever-growing rotation of melodic pop songs living and breathing in the universe. From the Motown pop vibe of the vibrant “Drive” to the mid-tempo balladry of the gorgeous “Life is Perfect,” we predict you will be entranced. The great songs now being heard on Pure Pop Radio: “I’ll Be Yours,” “Life is Perfect,” “Maybe Someday,” “Deep Girl,” “Drive,” “Here We Go Again,” “If You Come Over,” “Let It Flow,” “Pieces,” “Shine,” “The One U Love 2 Love,” and “Trapeze.” Simply beautiful.

Adam Walsh | “Gentle on My Mind,” “Old Time River Man,” and “Rainy Day Woman” Talent quite obviously runs in the Walsh family. Adam Walsh is the nephew of Thomas Walsh, who fronts one of Pure Pop Radio’s favorite groups, Pugwash. Adam is mighty talented, as evidenced by the three tracks he recorded himself this month in his home studio. Acoustic guitars, banjo and that golden voice make these songs come alive. “Gentle on My Mind” was, of course, a big hit for Glen Campbell; “Old Time River Man” was written and recorded by John Hartford; and “Rainy Day Woman” was written and recorded by Waylon Jennings. Adam injects a pop sensibility into his versions of these classic songs; we’re proud to be featuring them in rotation. More please, and sooner than later.

New Sincerity Works | 44 Mike Tittel, who plays drums for our longtime musical pal Roger Klug’s Power Trio, comes out of the gate swinging with a great set of songs that “showcases pop melodies that meet Americana and ’80s new wave music in a raw, emotional mashup,” according to New Sincerity Works’ website. That works for us, but we’d want to add that these songs are infused with a strong sense of honesty, too. And, we should mention, Mike sounds like a distant cousin of Alex Chilton. So, curl up with the power pop of “American Beauty Works,” the driving force of the insistent, melodic “Nowhere Ohio,” and five more top-flight songs now playing in rotation: “Desperate,” “Photographs,” “Drunk for Nothing,” “Less Me, Less You,” and “The Next Time.” Power pop for now people, we declare.

Mark Britton | Odds and Sodd Set the melodic pop pot on the stove, stir in dashes of the Beatles, Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman and Eric Carmen and you get the wonderful songs of Mark Britton.  We’ve added a half-dozen delightful numbers to our playlist: the Beatles-ish “Hearts and Minds,” the Nilsson-esque “Sally Ann” and “Dear Rosa,” and three more captivating tunes: “Let’s Get Famous,” “Long Live Memory Lane,” and “Family Guy.” We’re thrilled to be acquainted and in big time love with Mark’s music. You, we predict, will be too.

Mary Caroline | Life on Earth Here’s a sweet surprise from Yellowknife in Canada’s Northwest Territories: Mary Caroline’s Life on Earth, a marvelous debut album that was waxed at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton, Ontario this past summer. According to Mary’s Bandcamp page, the album “is rooted in folk genre, with predominate acoustic guitar undertones, but ties in pop influences, such as synths, percussion and electric guitar leads.” That about covers it although, as you might expect, we hear the pop elements above all others. Mary’s voice is a beautiful, inviting instrument and her songs are golden. Prepare to greet these songs with open arms: “Such a Liar,” “Falling,” “Life on Earth,” “Songs of Winter,” and “Full Moon.”

That’s all for today. A terrific bunch of new adds to the playlist, we say, and we bet you will say the same. More new playlist adds coming later this week. Simply click on one of the Listen links below to hear the great melodic pop music we’ve got playing 24 hours a day on Pure Pop Radio.

Click here to download our app for listening on the go with Android and iOS devices!