Alan Haber's Pure Pop Radio is the archive for the premiere website that covered the melodic pop scene with in-depth reviews of new and reissued recordings, and a wide variety of features. We are now closed for new activity.
Spins and Reviews | 02.15.17 By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio
This week’s second batch of reviews of new and new-to-you songs and artists added to the Pure Pop Radio playlist kicks off with a powerhouse EP from the New Trocaderos. Take it away, Kurt, Geoff, Brad, Kris, and Rick:
The New Trocaderos | New Trox (2017)
Good golly Miss Molly, and you too Peggy Sue: When all was said and rocking, the New Trocaderos were left with a trio of terrific tracks that didn’t make the final cut for 2015’s Thrills and Chills long player. Those tracks make up this top-flight EP, which some folks, including me, might just peg as our favorite Trocs recordings ever. Which is really saying something, when you consider that pretty much everything these gentlemen have released hits the mark.
The catchy deets: “Come On Girl” tops a tasty pop and roll sundae with a Mick Jagger-meets-Joey-Ramone lead vocal and an out-of-left-field barrelhouse piano solo; “The Air” practically defines the idea of blues-pop, rolling out delicious sax and electric guitar lines in the first instrumental break, and a tasty Fats Domino piano run in the second. The cherry on top of this sundae is a deft mix of Everly-Brothers-meets-Ramones-meets-The-Cherry-Drops vocal harmonies atop a crunchy rock ‘n’ roll base.
Cheery, chunky and clearly clapalongable, New Trox is a must-get for your pop music collection. Play these songs at your next party and watch the dance floor shake, rattle, and roll!
Now playing in rotation on Pure Pop Radio: “Come On Girl,” “The Air,” and “You Broke My Heart”
The Nerk Twins | “Against the Grain,” “Eyes on the Prize,” “Everything Between,” and “Either Way” (Alternate version)
Herb Eimerman has distinguished himself with not only a series of wonderful, transcendent solo albums, but also as a member of the powerhouse world-spanning supergroup, the Britannicas. What some people may not know is that in 1997 he was one-half of super duo called the Nerk Twins. Eimerman’s partner-in-merriment was Shoes’ Jeff Murphy, who produced and engineered the set, titled Either Way. Tracks from Either Way still play in rotation on Pure Pop Radio, 20 years later.
A fun, alternate version of the title song from the Nerks’ one-and-only album appeared on the second volume of Stefan Johansson’s legendary Pop Under the Surface series in 1998. We’ve added that Nerks nugget to our playlist, along with three wonderful co-writes that didn’t make the duo’s album but appeared on the first three International Pop Overthrow compilations. The Byrdsian “Against the Grain” appeared on IPO Vol. 1; the jangly “Eyes on the Prize” appeared on IPO Vol. 2; and the gorgeous “Everything Between,” a pretty number sporting a delicious chord progression and equally delicious melody, appeared on IPO Vol. 3.
If you don’t know the Nerk Twins’ Either Way album, you can correct that situation by clicking here or here. Which you really should. Meanwhile…
Now playing in rotation on Pure Pop Radio: “Against the Grain,” “Eyes on the Prize,” “Everything Between,” and “Either Way (Alternate version)
Where to Get It:Amazon is probably your best bet for these out-of-print CDs.
Last night’s third edition of Pop Tunes, our new, weekly deejay show hosted by Alan Haber, contained more melodic pop goodness than you might imagine would be possible. But there it was, a host of catchy melodies that make up the soundtrack of your life!
Here’s what was played:
Set One: A Cappella and Just-About-A Cappella
The Housemartins | “Caravan of Love” from That’s What I Call Quite Good
Prelude | “After the Gold Rush” from After the Gold Rush
Jamie and Steve | “Blame It On Cain” from Beyond Belief: A Tribute to Elvis Costello
The Mighty Echoes | “I Think We’re Alone Now” from Love from Echo Park
Todd Rundgren | “Something to Fall Back On” from A Cappella
Set Two: Curtsy, Bow and Bow Ties
Muller and Patton | “Mary Lou” from Muller and Patton
Klaatu | “Cherie” from Sir Army Suit
The Beatles | “Piggies” from The Beatles
Set Three: New at Pure Pop Radio
Bertling Noise Laboratories | “Good Morning” from Matilda and 12 Others
The Bye Bye Blackbirds | “Let Your Hair Fall Down” (Single Track)
Jules Shear | “The Words” (Single Track)
Laurie Biagini | “Try Our Luck Today” (Single Track)
Dana Countryman | “Shari Girl, You’ll Always Be a Baby to Me” from Pop 3! Welcome to My Time Warp!
Set Four: Beatle Blast
Bonzo Dog Band | “I’m the Urban Spaceman” from Tadpoles
Set Five: More New Music at Pure Pop Radio
The New Trocaderos | “I’m So Bad” from Thrills and Chills
Tommy Lorente | “Un Certain Savoir Faire” (Single Track)
Herb Eimerman | “Believe that I Do” from Five Dimensional Man
One Like Son | “Summer Days” from Classic
Set Six: One and Done The Sonic Executive Sessions | “On and On” from Drink a Toast to Innocence
That’s the rundown on last night’s third edition of Pop Tunes. If you missed the show, you can listen again this Thursday at noon ET (9 am PT) and on Sunday at 3 pm ET (noon PT). Thanks for tuning in!
Alan Haber’s Pop Tunes is a cool deejay show playing the greatest melodic pop music from the ’60s to today. The show airs every Monday night at 9 pm ET (6 pm PT) on Pure Pop Radio, and repeats on Thursday afternoons at noon ET (9 am PT) and Sundays at 3 pm ET (noon PT). Please like us on Facebook by clicking here.
The New Trocaderos | Frenzy in the Hips | 2015 | A review by Alan Haber
They’re either coming at you with the force of a speeding locomotive riding atop a five-alarm fire, or they’re pushing out the beat at a bit of a slower pace with pop music on their minds. Either way, the New Trocaderos are taking no prisoners and that means you, baby!
Frenzy in the Hips, a collection of previously-released songs from EPs and “Luckiest Man in the World,” a new tune with the usual frenetic Trocs pedigree, is proof positive that this hybrid collective comprising Brad Marino and Geoff Palmer from the Connection and one of pop music’s greatest progenitors, Kurt Baker, is a force to be reckoned with.
Two of these songs, “Dream Girl” and “The Kids,” both fired up with great melodies, solid hooks and airplane-level propulsion, have spent time spinning at the exalted alter of Little Steven’s Underground Garage, where they were designated as Coolest Songs in the World–reason enough to let them loose in your own home.
Even if these tunes didn’t wear the cool song Crown, you would, as power pop fans, welcome them with open arms. The wild-and-wooly “Money Talks” gets arms and legs moving to the four-four-coming-off-the-floor beat. The Ramones-esque “Brain Gone Dead” is even more amped-up at somewhere in the neighborhood of a million beats per second.
Not everything here is taken at such a frenzy-riffic pace, however. “The Kids” wears its British Invasion clothes with dancing shoes and a strong melody. “Dream Girl” sounds like an Elvis Costello pop number driven by a Jackie DeShannon engine. “Real Gone Kitty” is a cool, 1950s-styled rocker injected with speed to spare and a ginormous-Jerry Lee Lewis-y piano break. The new song, “Luckiest Man in the World,” channels the early Who with appropriate Roger Daltry-ish vocals.
The Trocs’ secret weapon is one Michael Chaney, an attorney by day and pop rocker (and honorary Troc) by night. Chaney either wrote or co-wrote all six songs and shows that he is as important to this band as the force with which it delivers its wares to waiting ears.
Breathless, faster than Superman breaking land-to-speed records to save Lois Lane, and able to hit power chords on electric guitars with a single strum, the New Trocaderos take care of business with this fun, powerful disc. Turn it up to 11 and treat your neighbors to the sound of New. In fact, why not treat yourself right now? Check out “Luckiest Man in the World” right here:
[Frenzy in the Hips is a Kool Kat Musik exclusive]
It was inevitable, of course; we couldn’t possibly go too long without another round of adds to our playlist! Herewith, then, are some of the latest new songs and artists now playing in rotation on Pure Pop Radio.
Nick Piunti | Beyond the Static Nick Piunti’s smashing followup to last year’s 13 in My Head is another outstanding collection of melodic pop classics sporting great, catchy and hooky choruses and top-notch playing from, among others, Nick, the Legal Matters’ Andy Reed, and music pal Ryan Allen, from Ryan Allen and His Extra Arms. Melodic winners abound, from the oh-so-luscious “Heart Stops Beating” and the gorgeous “Quicksand,” which sports one of this album’s most delectable choruses, to the amazing “Six Bands,” about a gal who’s in “six bands, none of them good.” Hopefully, she realizes that she’s spinning wheels that won’t take her anywhere. Nick’s lead vocals are strong and assured and quite musical. One of the finest albums of this young year, and a surefire candidate for top honors in the best of 2015 sweepstakes. Outstanding stuff.
Smith and Hayes | People All Over the World Clay Smith and William Hayes’ third album continues along the sweet, melodic path set by Changed by a Song and Volume II. The duo’s latest musical missive is another mid-to-late period, Beatles-inspired trip down melody lane. We’re playing nine songs from People All Over the World, each one echoing the sound and spirit of John, Paul, George and Ringo and Smith and Hayes: “Slow Down,” “Know It All,” “Didn’t Want to Fall,” “Celebrate My Broken Heart,” “No War Man,” “Don’t Let Your Heart Break,” “Holding On to Love,” “Man in the Moon,” and “Something About Her.” Save a spot in your 2015 best-of list: This one’s a keeper.
Joe Sullivan | “Cheerleader” Fancy a clever, sweet, power poppy love song? Look no further than this newly-minted charmer from the man behind the glorious Schlock Star, one of our Favorite Albums of 2014. Joe marries a creative approach to lyrics with the ability to almost effortlessly craft a hooky melody and intricate harmonies that sing. Folks, make no mistake: It’s Sullivanmania all over again.
Baby Scream | fan, fan, fan and The Worst of… Juan Pablo Mazzola is so full of music that his latest release is a two-for-one, two-album package bursting with melody and harmony-drenched, classic pop songs. To our ears, Juan sounds a bit like Marc Bolan fronting Badfinger, whether he’s playing an original song or a treasured cover; his version of the Scooby Doo theme song is aces. We’re also playing, in rotation, “A Human Being on Mars,” “Everybody Sucks,” “Captain Hook,” “The Girl Next Door,” “Unicorns,” “In a Picture,” “20th Century Baby,” “Cruella De Vil,” and “The Concept.” Rock and pop on with Juan!
Willie Wisely | Parador On the occasion of this album’s 10th anniversary, Pure Pop Radio favorite Willie Wisely has released an expanded collection featuring the original song lineup and 12 additional tracks: two unreleased and 10 alternates. The result is a stereoscopic look at a great record in all of its forms. We’ve added nine tracks, including “Too Quick to Love,” “Stayin’ Home Again,” “Altitudes,” “Through Any Window,” “Freestyle,” “Too Quick to Love (Alternate Take),” “Erase Me (Alternate Take),” “Through Any Window (Live),” and an alternate take of the title track. Willie is one of melodic pop music’s biggest talents, and here is the proof.
The Galileo 7 | Are We Having Fun Yet? and Two New Tracks | Armed with a rock and roll attitude and keen pop smarts, the Galileo 7 deliver an enticing vibe that harkens back to the early sound of the Who. Witness songs such as the rocking and popping “Are We Having Fun Yet” and the garage stomper “Mine! Mine! Mine!” With melody and harmony always in hand, the band can take it slow as well as fast, as with the tuneful mid-tempo, cleverly-named ballad “Some Big Boys Did It (and then Ran Away).” In addition to the aforementioned songs, we’re playing three more present and future classics from 2010’s Are We Having Fun Yet?: “The Sandman Turns Away,” “Run Baby Run,” and the pumping “Can’t Resist.” We’re also playing, in rotation, the band’s new single which pairs the Who-like charger “One Lie at a Time” and the rocking “The God of Gaps.” The Galileo 7 has released two albums since Are We Having Fun Yet?; tracks from them are coming soon to our playlist.
The New Trocaderos | Frenzy in the Hips We’ve been playing four of the six songs on this newly-released EP for awhile. Our thirst for this pop ‘n’ roll super group remains at a fever pitch. Kurt Baker, and Brad Marino and Geoff Palmer from the Connection, create a musical fireball that produces fast and furious, punchy and take-no-prisoners tunes, two of which have been knighted as Coolest Songs in the World by Little Steven’s Underground Garage. Nice! So, exactly which power popping, rock and rolling songs are we spinning in rotation? How about “Money Talks,” “Real Gone Kitty,” “Dream Girl,” “The Kids,” and a hard-hitting power popper, exclusive to this EP, “Luckiest Man in the World.” Breathless fun!
The Explorers Club | All Aboard This five-song EP, recorded live on July 4, 2014 aboard the USS Yorktown in Charleston, South Carolina, shows one of pop music’s best bands in top form, with a punchy horn section in tow. Lovely versions of “Anticipatin’,” “Go for You,” and “Run Run Run,” all from 2012’s Grand Hotel; and delicious, note-perfect versions of the Beach Boys’ “Don’t Worry Baby” and the Zombies’ “Tell Her No” round out the track list. Now recording a new album, this band proves what so many fans already know: the Explorers Club can do no wrong.
Caddy | “Wherever You Go” Here is the second new song in less than a month from Caddy’s much anticipated, forthcoming album, The Better End. Caddy, aka Oslo, Norway’s Tomas Dahl, delivers an upbeat pop number with a mega-catchy chorus and a nifty saxophone break. It’s got all of the melodic pop food groups, kids! Sounds so good!
The Earthmen | College Heart Direct from Australia, this 1990s band gets its due with a lovingly-curated collection of classic cuts and four previously-unreleased, newly-recorded tracks. On the release docket for April 1, we’re spinning five terrific numbers from this album, including the beautiful, building ballad “The Reprise” and the catchy, upbeat “Whoever’s Been Using this Bed.” Also playing: “First Single,” “Personal History,” and “Blue Sky.” A great release from Popboomerang Records.
R. Stevie Moore and Jason Falkner | Make It Be The perhaps unlikely pairing of indie legend R. Stevie Moore and popster Jason Falkner delivers a quirky collection of songs, from which we’ve chosen two to feature on Pure Pop Radio: the Godley and Creme-era 10cc-esque “Sincero Amore” and “Play Myself Some Music.”
Colman | Play to Lose Produced by the legendary Mitch Easter and mastered by the equally legendary Greg Calbi, this collection mixes pop and elements of Americana to deliver a pleasing set full of melody and a whole lot of warmth. Three songs are spinning in rotation on our air: the single-worthy “Straight Face,” “Swing Low,” and the alluring “Three Chords.”
Mothboxer | “Hope the Light is On” A tasty bonus track appended to the just-released collection of three Mothboxer EPs, “Hope the Light is On” is a re-recorded version of a song originally recorded by Kid Galahad in 2004 (Mothboxer main man Dave Ody was a member). It’s the usual Ody opus: a top-notch melody and gorgeous vocal harmonies married to a catchy melody. It’s true, you know: Dave Ody can do no wrong, and here’s the proof.
That’s the skinny for today. More new adds to our playlist coming next week. Thank you for listening to Pure Pop Radio!
The New Trocaderos are Brad Marino and Geoff Palmer from the Connection and pop-rocker Kurt Baker.The New Trocaderos rock and pop!
Have you heard about the latest hot-rockin’ and poppin’ trio making the scene? It’s the New Trocaderos, kids, and they’ve just released their very cool first single. The New Trocaderos are Brad Marino and Geoff Palmer from the Connection, and pop-rocker Kurt Baker. Pretty cool, huh? “Money Talks” is a pounding, beat-driven rocker dressed in pop clothes that will turn your living room into a dance hall. Strap on your guitar and pound out the riffs along with the boys! “The Kids” takes the beat down a notch and places the esteemed Mr. Baker in front of the microphone for a trip down Elvis Costello highway, highlighted by cool, rocking guitar and a melody that only members of the Connection and Kurt Baker could deliver! These are two outstanding numbers that everyone will love!
Want to win downloads of these two great tracks? It’s easy to do! Simply plug your name and email address into the form below and type “New Trocaderos” in the Comment field. That’s it! We’ll pick five lucky winners at random on Wednesday, January 15 at 12 noon ET. Winners’ names will be posted on this site.
Remember: You’ve got to be in it to win it, so enter right away! Only one entry per person, please.
Now, get to it and get the New Trocaderos! Good luck!
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The New Trocaderos | New Trox (2017)
Now playing in rotation on Pure Pop Radio: “Come On Girl,” “The Air,” and “You Broke My Heart”
The Nerk Twins | “Against the Grain,” “Eyes on the Prize,” “Everything Between,” and “Either Way” (Alternate version)
Alan Haber's Pure Pop Radio 