reviews
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Reviews: 3.19.19: Gretchen’s Wheel Rides the (Nada) Surf, and Lannie Flowers’ Pop Waltz
By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio Gretchen’s WheelMoth to Lamplight: A Tribute to Nada Surf (Futureman, 2019) Listening to this new collection, a tribute to rockers Nada Surf, with less-than-zero knowledge of the band or its songs, turns out to be the smartest move I’ve made in awhile. Going in blind, I was able Continue reading
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Reviews: 3.15.19: Screen Test Shines Brightly, and Wes Hollywood Applies Some Lipstick
By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio Screen Test | Through the Past, Brightly (Northside, 2018) From the ashes of the Flashcubes came Screen Test; under that moniker, Gary Frenay, Arty Levin and Tommy Allen, honoring their influences, brought lightning and thunder to meaty original songs and covers. This compilation brings together seven newly recorded Continue reading
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Reviews: 3.14.19: Joe Sullivan’s Growing Up Schlockstar: Love and Attraction, and Armchair Oracles Hearts You
By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio Joe Sullivan | Growing Up Schlockstar (Futureman, 2019) Joe Sullivan’s Schlock Star was an obvious hit platter when it came out in 2014, partly because it was such a surprise and pure of spirit and joyful in song. It stood out among that year’s top releases because it Continue reading
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Reviews: 3.13.19: Wes Hollywood’s Dynamite, and Yorick van Norden’s Melody-Rich The Jester Sings
By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio Wes Hollywood | Dynamite (Kool Kat, 2019) From Chicago to your town, Wes Hollywood’s Kool Kat CD debut hits the ground running with a fun, zippy mix of tunes saluting the sounds of early Elvis Costello, Dave Edmunds, and sixties British Invasion bands. Two guitars, bass and drums Continue reading
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Reviews: 3.5.19: The Big Believe Meets Tania, Kenny Herbert is the Luckiest Man in the World, and the Well Wishers are Feeling Fine
By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio The Big Believe | “Tania Was a Truth Teller” b/w “Girl With Cassettes” (2018) A paean of four-on-the-floor Blondie in 2018? That’s the engine driving the intrigue-laced “Tania Was a Truth Teller,” the first of the two top tracks that make up The Big Believe’s late-2018 pop blast; Continue reading
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Win Something Cool from Pure Pop Radio!
By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio Or should that read somethings? Because we’ve burrowed deep into the Pure Pop Radio prize closet for a three-pack of melodic goodness on CD, and you can win. It’s Friday giveaway time, people! First up in our prize pack is Caper Clowns’ latest album, their sophomore collection entitled Continue reading
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Reviews: 2.14.19: Valentine’s Day Special: I Heart Bertling Noise Laboratories’ … into thin air
By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio Bertling Noise Laboratories | … into thin air (2019) Multi-instrumentalist Nick Bertling, who makes and records the noise in these laboratories, is a marvel. His previous work, covering favorite pop and rock songs on 2017’s A Little Touch of Bertling in the Night and waxing his own creations Continue reading
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Reviews: 2.7.19: Caper Clowns and Sons of Morning
By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio Caper Clowns | “Second to None” b/w “Verboten” (2019) The hits just keep on coming! The fourth single from Caper Clowns’ fantastic sophomore long-player, A Salty Taste to the Lake (one of our Favorite Records of the Year: Stars of 2018), is a double dose of delight. The Continue reading
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Reviews: 1.29.19: Rogers & Butler, and Coke Belda
By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio Rogers & Butler | Diana Dors (Zip, 2019) Edward Rogers teams up with Smash Palace’s Stephen Butler for a smashing four-song EP full of rock and pop swing, anchored by the pretty title song, a love letter to the English actress Diana Dors, “forgotten to the past.” Rock Continue reading
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- Adiós.
- Pure Pop Radio: In Conversation, Spring 2021, Episode Three: The Legal Matters Talk Chapter, Verse and Chorus
- Well Foraged, Three Musicians Talk Chapter and Verse (and Chorus) Tomorrow on Pure Pop Radio: In Conversation
- Found Foraging for Food in the Forest, Three Musicians Find Melody and Harmony Instead. In Conversation Has the Story
- New on Pure Pop Radio 4-14-21: Bill Lloyd Defines Power Pop With Curated Selection
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