By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio Bill Lloyd | A Selection of Power Pop 1985-2020 – 15 Songs (Whole In One Records, 2021) Somewhere, somehow, there’s a person who thinks he’s come up with the most perfectly sensible and usable definition of the term power pop but, like the formulas for pantyhose that won’t … Read moreNew on Pure Pop Radio 4-14-21: Bill Lloyd Defines Power Pop With Curated Selection
By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio The Weeklings | “April’s Fool” (Jem, 2021) Really, truly, you just couldn’t–you just couldn’t have picked a better day to release this rollicking, very Lefty, Zeek, Rocky and Smokestack kind of tune, very Merseybeat-ish with a healthy dose of toe-tappery and a clever-beyond-compare aural allusion to a certain … Read moreNew on Pure Pop Radio 4-7-21: The Weeklings Fool No One, Astral Drive’s Summery Breeze, and Ken Sharp Creates Dreamy Miniatures
By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio Einstein’s Sister | “Begin Again” c/w “Standing Still” (Yummy Pop Tunes, 2020) Announcing the triumphant return of Einstein’s Sister, Moline, Illinois’ melodic pop powerhouse, drummer Marty Reyhons pounds his kick drum and tightly-wound snare while his cymbals swish through the air, awaiting the entrance of an expressive rhythm … Read moreNew on Pure Pop Radio 4-6-21: Einstein’s Sister Returns; Nelson Bragg Returns, too; Kai Danzberg Sings for You, and Aaron Lee Tasjan and Lilly Hiatt Sing Sweetly for Luck Reunion and Third Man
By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio The Sun Sawed in 1/2 | “Beaches in Bali” (2021)One of five songs to appear on Beaches in Bali, the first of three EPs being released this year by the vaunted St. Louis popsters the Sun Sawed in 1/2 (alongside “Dear Always,” “Dried Cherry Blossoms,” “Good King of … Read moreNew on Pure Pop Radio 2-24-21: The Sun Sawed in 1/2 is Beach Bound, Philip B. Price is in Lockdown, and Lee Feldman is On the Road
By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio Ken Sharp | “Hold Me, Touch Me” and “Mr. Make Believe” (2021)Despite never having been a member of the KISS Army, I remember greeting the simultaneous release on September 17, 1978 of four KISS solo albums with some measure of curiosity, even though I was a defiant non-fan … Read moreNew on Pure Pop Radio 2-17-21: Ken Sharp Kisses Paul and Gene, The Legal Matters Return, and Kenny Herbert Prescribes Love
By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio Terry Draper | Lost (2020)In dreams, captivated by the promise of a slate wiped clean, of the promise of better days, of being lost in a new world different enough from the old one to matter, of not having to look over your shoulder, you are safe, as … Read moreNew on Pure Pop Radio 2-4-21: Terry Draper’s Lost, Dave Caruso’s Radio-Friendly Radiophonic Supersonic and Astral Drive’s ’70s Rundgren Breeze, “Water Lilies,” Dazzle
By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio Although you probably won’t ever hear any songs by rocker Marilyn Manson on Pure Pop Radio, you will likely agree with a quote attributed to him. “Music is the strongest form of magic,” Manson is said to have uttered once upon a time. Good for Marilyn, we say! … Read morePure Pop Radio is Bursting with New, Magical Sounds
By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio Because there have been and continue to be fairly long periods of time without any posts in this space, I thought it would be a good idea to provide a short update on what’s new and happening, as the kids often say. First, more new and new-to-you melodic … Read moreWhat’s New? Lots.
By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio Bill Lloyd | Don’t Kill the Messenger (Whole In One, 2020) The relatively serene composure elucidated in the gentle repose of “The Kiss of the Summer Wind,” a warm musical hug of a song that closes Bill Lloyd’s latest long player, Don’t Kill the Messenger, heralds a change … Read moreBill Lloyd’s Latest is Another Winning Collection