Spins and Reviews | 09.05.17
By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio 
The Weeklings | “Paperback Writer” (Single, 2017)
Lefty, Zeek, Rocky and Smokestack huddle together and Weekling-ize the number one 1966 Billboard chart Beatles smash with an in-your-face-and-your-ears-too injection of contemporary immediacy, tight-knit harmonies, a surprising and smile-inducing…break, rhythmic whirligigs, Lefty’s spot-on Paul McCartney-esque bass runs, and a daring dose of Monkees derring-do for a rip-roaring, must-play-it-again-and-again two minutes and 47 seconds-long eargasm. I think that about covers it.
Where to Get It: Amazon, iTunes. Listen on Spotify
New Sincerity Works | Wonder Lust (2017)
Mike Tittel’s outfit sits on the fringe of where pop and rock meet for drinks on a Sunday afternoon, crafting inspired bellwether works fueled by a variety of influence. Alternative leanings meet pop songcraft meet a traditional rock and roll base on songs like “Find a Way Home,” an atmospheric mid-tempo ballad whose lengthy intro sets an emotional mood; “To Be Kissed Like That,” a lovely song that builds nicely and sports sensitive guitar lines; and the title number, a lively pop-rocker that sounds for all the world like U2, if Bono and company had more finite pop leanings. Tittel, aided and abetted by a more than able fellowship filled out by Roger Klug, whose singular pop-rock has been a Pure Pop Radio staple for two decades, Greg Tudor, Bob Nyswonger, Mike Landis, and Lauren Bray, has made a fine specimen, a record for dipping into for listeners inspired by the art of craft.
Where to Get It: The New Sincerity Works store
Poppermost | Songs for the Different (2017)
Las Vegas popsters stake their claim for top-flight regional melodism with a generous sampling of their wares and come up with a collection that soft pop fans are sure to love. A collection of previously-released tracks and new single “Let It Shine,” a Cowsills-worthy explosion of sixties and seventies pop with lovely harmonies, Songs for the Different glows with a multitude of period smiles, from the Free Design vibe of “Tracy” to the swinging, harmony-rich clapalong reworking of the Monkees’ “Tapioca Tundra,” originally released on the Monkees’ The Birds, The Bees and the Monkees album in 1968. Alex Oliver and Roy Rendahl’s sense of the power of song steeped in strong melodies puts them at the top of the soft pop class, making this album a must-listen-to experience.
Where to Get It: CD Baby
Pure Pop Radio’s signature shows, Alan Haber’s Pop Tunes Deejay Show, playing the latest and greatest melodic pop songs from today and across the decades, and Pure Pop Radio: In Conversation, the premiere Internet melodic pop talk show, air weekly on Pop that Goes Crunch Radio.
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