Doug Powell - More (2000) Flac & mp3

For his third outing, Doug Powell follows much the same formula as with his first two albums: straight-ahead rock songs with a definite, pronounced pop leaning. Powell's influences are plastered all over this, from Jellyfish-like vocal harmonies to Todd Rundgren's brand of smooth pop and Cheap Trick-style guitar crunch. But thankfully, Powell does manage to mold the record into more than just a sum of its parts. The album's best songs -- the uppity rock of "Dinah Might," the soulful pop of "The Scent of a Rose," and the hard rock of "Empty V," amongst a few others -- are extremely well-crafted modern pop.

While not exceedingly commercial or adventurous, the devotees of verse-chorus-verse song structures and gooey background vocals will agree that not only is More catchy and memorable, but it manages to steer clear of potholes of derivation. With that being said, there are a few flaws that keep More from being a classic. The production is appropriately crisp but strangely tinny, and on the requisite mainstream music rant "Empty V," Powell appropriately gives the musical finger to MTV and their ilk. But the problem is that the listener is torn between believing whether it's appropriate commentary or a cranky old man who is upset that he never got his commercial due.

Maybe it's a little of both, but that assessment is probably a bit too harsh given the songwriting expertise displayed by Powell here and with his band, SWAG. And something does seem wrong if a song as infectious as "Rise" isn't all over mainstream rock radio. The true assessment, then, is that More is very much music by a pop fan who hates MTV, for pop fans who hate MTV. It can't be fairer than that.(allmusic.com)

Interesting pop/power pop album. Different arrangements who fits very well to the particular songs and a very good songwriting by Doug Powell. Also he's a very expressive vocalist. The productionis not made for winning any MTV awards. And that's the best what Powell had done for this fine album
Enjoy
          Frank     mp3@320
                        Flac 1         &    Flac 2        You need both Flac links!

Les Irresistibles - The Essential Hits Singles And More (Magic Records 2009)

Les Irrésistibles (The Irresistibles) were a boy band during the late 1960s and early 1970s, whose members were Americans living in France. The lineup consisted of lead singer Jim McMains on keyboards and rhythm guitar, his identical twin brother Steve McMains on bass, Tom Arena on lead guitar, and Andy Cornelius on drums.

The band formed in 1966 as The Sentrys, when the members were teenage classmates at the American School of Paris. They developed a following among the local American community by playing cover versions of contemporary hits. They came to the notice of recording scouts, and eventually signed with CBS, who marketed them as Les Irrésistibles. The arrangement included British carmaker Triumph as a corporate sponsor, and the company's TR5 roadster featured prominently in the group's first video and early publicity photos.

The band's first release and biggest commercial success was "My Year is a Day" (music by William Sheller and lyrics by Tom Arena), which came out as a single in 1968. The song spent several weeks at number-one on the French pop charts, and a French version by Dalida appeared as "Dans la Ville Endormie".(wikipedia)

This was a great sixties pop band who had outstanding great singles back then. They are nearly all gathered here. 25 tracks all.

Enjoy
         Frank     Flac 1   &   Flac 2   You need both Flac links!         mp3@320

Keith - Out Of Crank 1967 (Vinyl) Flac & mp3

"Sugar Man" leads off Keith's follow-up to his debut album. Written by Sandy Linzer and Denny Rendell, producer Jerry Ross seems to be pulling out all the stops. Out of Crank is a good Keith record, but not as strong as the album that preceded it, nor as listenable as his highly experimental The Adventures of Keith that followed this release. "Candy" feels like his hit "98.6" with a bit of show tune flavor. "Easy As Pie" also has that "98.6" vibe, producer Ross knowing a good thing and clearly trying to capitalize on earlier success. The cover of Spanky & Our Gang's "Making Every Minute Count" doesn't have the strength of the hit version, also on Mercury. Keith has a radio-friendly voice for pop, and he had enough edge to keep him from falling into the Brian Hyland/Tommy Roe zone of teeny bop. The Renzetti/Ross "There's Always Tomorrow" is one of the highlights, as is "Daylight Savin' Time," Ross knowing how to write a good hook. The verses are distinct enough but the chorus is pure "98.6." When you talk about typecasting, this album is a perfect example. Still, the sequel to Keith's biggest hit is great, albeit blatant. "Times Gone By" is a pleasant departure, co-written by Ross/Gamble, the team that composed Bobby Hebb's "You Don't Know What You Got Until You Lose It." Keith's own "Happy Walking Around" is his first original to show up on either this or the earlier recording, and it is the most innovative thing on this disc, a good indication of the substantial path he would set out on. "Be My Girl" by Spector/Sands is in the same style as the rest of this album, very pop, and nothing to be ashamed of.(allmusic.com)

To me all what Keith had released is very very good popsike. His music is completely underrated.
If you like sixties popsike/sunshine pop this guy is right for you. Five paisley button down shirts out of six for this album.

Enjoy
         Frank            Flac   &  mp3@320

Light Psychedelic/Sunshine Pop By Lisa Miller - Within Myself 1967 (2010 Sundazed) Flac & mp3

There's some sort of pop culture Rorschach test to be constructed around the question of whether a fan of esoteric '60s pop records would be intrigued or thoroughly repelled by the notion of an album of polished pop songs, with overtones of psychedelia and sunshine pop and starring a vocalist who was all of 11 years old when she did the recording sessions. But Lisa Miller wasn't an ordinary child entertainer; she cut some sides for Motown's VIP subsidiary when she was only eight, and by the time she turned 15, she was the voice of Mary Magdalene on the original recording of the Christian rock opera Truth of Truths (interesting casting, that).

Miller's first album, 1967's Within Myself, is a surprisingly solid and ambitious album from a performer of such a tender age; Miller had a strong, rich voice and sang with a confidence and technique that would be the envy of many artists three times her age. Truth to tell, Within Myself hardly sounds like the work of a little girl, and the slightly gimmicky arrangements on songs like "Mechanical Man" and "Fool on the Hill" (the latter Beatles' cover featuring a truly egregious Moog synthesizer) seem to add a novelty element to the reminder that we're listening to an 11-year-old kid, as songs like "I'll Hit a Lucky Streak" (in which she imagines what dating boys will be like) or "Be Like A Little Child" make clear. Within Myself was produced by Kay Lewis and Helen Lewis (respectively, Lisa's mother and aunt), who also wrote most of the songs, and though a significant share of the material and the arrangements could be politely described as dated (and who suggested that an 11-year-old should cover "White Rabbit"?), the studio band is bold and dynamic on all tracks and Miller's vocals more than keep up with them.

Canterbury Records, who financed the sessions and released Within Myself, went out of business within a few weeks of the album's release, and the majority of the small press run were used as promotional copies; it's hard to imagine how the album would have fared in the marketplace, given how mature and assured it sounds despite the artist's youth, but fans of vintage pop will find this a fascinating curio from a vocalist who didn't need the gimmick factor of her age to impress a listener.(allmusic.com)

This is no gimmick or bad joke this is a really good pop album and you will surprised about the presentation of the songs. The songs also are fine pop pieces with a fine orchestration and a really good band.
Have fun
               Frank    Flac 1   &  Flac 2
                          You need both Flac links!        mp3@320

The Ministry Of Sound - 1966 Men From The Ministry +1968 Midsummer Nights Dreaming (RPM 2005) Flac & mp3

The Ministry of Sound issued just one 1966 single while they were active. But they recorded several albums' worth of material within the space of about a couple of years, eventually bringing them to the notice of those who collect the small British school of '60s sunshine pop. Too, their history was quite complicated considering their small discography, as they were a studio outfit whose personnel included noted songwriter John Carter, although Carter was not the dominant member.

The core of the Ministry of Sound was the duo of singer/songwriters Robin Shaw and Micky Keen, who had first performed together back in the late '50s in Mick Everly & the Prophets. By the mid-'60s they were part of the house band of Southern Music Studios, and signed to Carter's publishing company as songwriters. They also recorded often at Southern Music Studios as Ministry of Sound, with Carter pitching in with songwriting, guitar, and some lead vocals. Songwriter Russ Alquist also sang lead on some tracks, as well as making some contributions as a writer, with Robin Shaw handling some of the lead vocal duties as well. Top British session drummer Clem Cattini and keyboardist Barry Kingston also recorded with them.

At least several dozen songs were recorded by the aggregation between 1966 and 1968, but the only two that found release were issued on the 1966 Decca single "White Collar Worker"/"Back Seat Driver." In common with much of the material with which the prolific John Carter was associated in the mid- to late '60s (with groups such as the Flower Pot Men and the Ivy League), it gave a British spin to the harmony sunshine pop of groups like the Beach Boys, the Turtles, the Association, and the Tokens, perhaps with a bit of the Four Seasons and Motown thrown in.

Some of it also drew from psychedelia in the sophisticated production, use of then-advanced instrumentation such as the Mellotron, songs that explored British characters and situations, and lightly trippy lyrics. It wasn't as good as their most obvious influences, but it was very smoothly recorded and sung, with pleasant if not indelible tunesmithery.

Although some of the songs they recorded were covered by British pop group Amen Corner and Australian singer Normie Rowe, the Ministry of Sound didn't get the chance to release any more records while they were active. They came to an end when Robin Shaw joined the touring version of the Flower Pot Men, with Keen, Carter, and Cattini continuing to focus on studio work.

In 2005, 35 of the tracks they recorded between 1966 and 1968 were issued on the two-CD set Midsummer Nights Dreaming/Men from the Ministry, most of them previously unreleased, though it did include both sides of their 1966 single.(allmusic.com)

Enjoy this british pop psychedelia
                                                     Frank   mp3 link1     &   mp3 link2       You need both mp3 links!                 The Flac link expire 2017-05-06     Flac

The First Ever With Dolby NR Recorded Album Is A Great Psychedelic Pop Work Of 1967!

Psychedelic pop band the Nova Local formed on the Chapel Hill campus of the University of North Carolina in 1965, comprising singer Randy Winburn, guitarists Joe Mendyk (formerly of the Warlocks) and Phil Lambeth, bassist Jim Opton, keyboardist Cam Schinhan, and drummer Bill Levasseur. The group honed its sound on the Chapel Hill fraternity circuit, and when Opton's Phi Mu Alpha house booked Chad & Jeremy for its annual charity concert, he suggested the Nova Local open the show. William Morris Agency representative Rob Heller accompanied Chad & Jeremy to the gig, and was so impressed by the Nova Local that he offered them a contract on the spot -- Heller soon negotiated a deal with Decca, and minus Lambeth (who resigned his duties to attend law school), the band traveled to New York City to record their lone LP, 1967's Nova I.

According to an interview Opton gave to U-Spaces, the album was the first ever recorded via the Dolby NR System -- two singles were released ("Games" and "Other Girls"), and the record was also issued in the U.K., but in April 1967 the Nova Local dissolved. When Levasseur's son Jason's band covered the Nova Local track "If You Only Had the Time" with his band, Life in General, on their 2000 album The Lovely, Lovely Singing, Bill played drums on the recording(allmusic.com)

Nova 1 is a very strong piece of psychedelic garage pop. It's not the kind of album which plays one nice clean pop song after another. Here you have to listen and suddenly out of all the things that happen on the record you find one pop gem after the next and the next . Here are some great pop candies gathered. But Attention: This are not the Spoonful or the Monkees (and god knows i love these bands)...this are the Nova Local.

Enjoy
         Frank                 FLAC     &     mp3@320

American Power Pop : Ed James - Meet Ed James (2000) Flac & mp3

Ed James...just a guy on a mission to write the perfect song. The son of classical and jazz musicians, Ed was exposed to various genres of music throughout his childhood, but it was rock that would ultimately attract him. Drums became his instrument of choice at a very early age. Ed says, "I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't play drums."

Soon, Ed became interested in composing his own rock and pop music, and began learning how to play the various instruments (guitar, keyboards, vocals, etc.) required to record his songs without the help of outside musicians. At the same time, Ed was studying the songwriting of the Beatles, as well as more contemporary pop & rock artists. Although he enjoyed performing in numerous cover bands throughout his high school and college years, Ed discovered that there was "something magical about writing and recording original songs - creating something from nothing."

After earning a degree in music, Ed relocated to North Carolina, where he began his musical career in earnest. Since arriving to the Charlotte area, Ed has appeared on numerous compilation and tribute CDs, including The Bam Balam Explosion IV USA Power Pop Compilation (Bam Balam Records), Pop Under The Surface (Yesterday Girl Records), Browser Barbarians (DMR Diversions), Unsound Series Volume 1: Pop! (To M'Lou Music), Burnt Marshmallows & Teeny Bikinis (Optional Art), Around The Universe In 80 Minutes - A Tribute To Klaatu (Bullseye Records), A Tribute To The Left Banke (Brobdingnagian Records), and Men In Plaid - A Tribute To The Bay City Rollers (Bullseye Records).

And now, Jam Records and Ed James Music have just released Meet Ed James...the very first solo CD by Ed James, featuring 13 power pop tunes, and displaying Ed's wide variety of musical influences and talents. Written, performed, and produced by Ed alone, but never sounding that way, Meet Ed James is a solo album in its truest sense.(cdbaby)

 

Ed's "Party At Joes" is is one of those great songs that used to make cruising in the car with the AM radio blaring a fun thing to do in the '70s. Probably the best song about partying since Brownsville Station sang "Kings Of The Party" many moons ago. Ed can also produce a great pop song. He shows his serious side with "Turn It Around," which has a chorus that would have made Queen (circa "Killer Queen") proud. Now folks, Ed recorded this pop masterpiece in his bedroom --- and he not only handled the vocals, but played all the instruments himself!(power pop music news) This guy is a very talented pop wizard and this is really Power Pop of the highest order, lol.  Enjoy and you know...you need both Flac links :-).   Flac1  & Flac 2          mp3@320

Irish Power Pop by Pugwash: Pugwash - Play This Intimately (As If Among Friends) 2015

At request by some people who want to see more of Pugwash stuff here i post today their 2015 album Play This Intimately As If Among Friends. To me personally it's one of her best...but...seriously i never heard a bad album by this guys :-) 4 1/2 Sterne von möglichen 5 für die Sternchenjäger aus Irland.

Next time someone tells you they don't make pop records like they used to, prove them wrong and point them in the direction of Irish pop celebrants Pugwash. Thomas Walsh and his bandmates have mastered the fine art of approximating classic pop and gentle psychedelia of the '60s and early '70s, and Walsh writes songs good enough to pass for covers of classic British acts of the era in dim light, mirroring their melodic splendor rather than reworking familiar cliches.

The group's sixth studio album, Play This Intimately (As If Among Friends), is not as rich in guest appearances from pop universe luminaries as some of Pugwash's previous album (of course, having Andy Partridge and Ray Davies pop by to do backing vocals is nothing to sneeze at), but in the truest sense this demonstrates just how talented this band is. By their lonesome, Walsh (on vocals, guitars, and various keyboards), Tosh Flood (guitars and keys), Shaun McGee (bass), and Joe Fitzgerald (drums and percussion) are capable of re-creating a number of musical worlds, from the clean but swaggering rock of "Kicking and Screaming" and the languid psychedelia of "We Are Everywhere" to the faux-exotica of "Clouds" and the country-folk charm of "Oh Happy Days," and while nearly everything here harkens back to another time and place, Pugwash make it sound fresh, immediate, and directly from the heart.

(And the production from Walsh and Flood is ideal and unobtrusive.) Some bands trade in second-hand nostalgia, but Pugwash have used myriad reference points from the '60s and '70s to create pop music that's beautifully crafted, fresh and thoughtful, and best of all, lots of fun. Play This Intimately (As If Among Friends) could use a few more uptempo rockers, but considering how good these 12 songs are, there's little real room to complain, and Pugwash prove that yes, some folks really are making 'em like they used to, and with the same skill and honest love of a good melody.(allmusic.com)

Have fun and a nice weekend
                                               Frank    Flac1  & Flac2  You need both Flac links!    mp3@320

SB's Power Pop Collection Vol.5 (20 Songs) mp3 & Flac

Hello Folks, here is the Power Pop Collection Vol.5. I know i'm a little late this month but for that it is now also in Flac format for the first time. Okidoki here is the songlist:

1 Welcome to the show - Ed James
2 Never grow up - Crusaders Of Love
3 Rain Clouds - Dot Dash
4 Show ‘Em Good - Cocktail Slippers
5 Little Red Light -  Fountains Of Wayne
6 We Never Should Have Moved To L.A. - Ryan Hamilton & The Traitors
7 Star cross'd - Earwig
8 These Are The People Who Live In My House - Eureka Machines
9 Watching The Sun Come Up - Ed Harcourt
10 Come Out And Play - The Paley Brothers
11 Mr Blue Sky - ELO
12  Not The Same - Diamond Hands
13 Show Me Your Love - The Chevelles
14 Working Girls (Sunlight Shines) - The Pernice Prothers
15 Diamanda - The Pearlfishers
16 Do Anything You Wanna Do - Eddie & The Hot Rods
17 Hanging On The Telephone - The Nerves
18 Let's Be Friends Again - The Cheeks
19 The Infinite - Dot Dash
20 Adrenaline Shot - Fred Abbott
21 My Last Heartbeat - Rick Springfield

This is the amended (and right) tracklist done by Anonymous. Thanks for your effort.
Frank

Hope you will enjoy
                                 Frank        Flac 1  & Flac 2 & Flac 3  You need all three Flac links!   mp3@320

Psychedelic Pop/21stCentury Sunshine Pop: Mark Wirtz Ear Theatre - Love Is Eggshaped - The Soundtrack (2005 Rev-Ola) Flac

One of the readers here wrote a few days ago Wirtz have a very british sound. And i think that's right. To me his music have a strong sixties feel under the surface of the songs. Wirtz make music for more than fifty years and had worked with a lot of great musicians. Wirtz  have a universal vibe and that makes his music so great for me.

Shure he had also weak songs sometimes in his works but that is a common thing for musicians with a lot output. If you are not familiar with Mark Wirtz give it a try.
One last word: I would love to see an album of Wirtz and McCartney together!

Enjoy
         Frank           NEW FLAC LINK
                                     

Power Pop by Double Naught Spies - Solid Goldfinger (2004 Wizzard In Vinyl, Japan) mp3

Double Naught Spies play pop-driven guitar rock heavily influenced by the Beatles and 1970s power pop bands. In that they're hardly unique; there were a bunch of bands within Los Angeles itself in the late 1990s that drank from the same well. Still, they purvey the form competently, with cheerful vocal harmonies and some reasonably clever lyrics that can go beyond the usual parameters of the love song.

Formed in the spring of 1996, the group includes former members of the little-known bands Atomic Boy and the Visionaries.(allmusic.com)

Fine melodic guitardriven Power Pop. This is a top notch album without fillers.Great songs and great arrangements make listen to the album to a real joy. Plus a great version of the Bay City Rollers ''I Only Wanna Be With You''.
Have fun
              Frank        mp3@320

Sorry, only mp3 :-(. If there is a kind soul with a Flac file please get in contact via email :-) .

Classic 90's Power Pop: Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend; Goodfriend 1991 (2006 Volcano) Flac & mp3

Girlfriend:

Matthew Sweet's third album is a remarkable artistic breakthrough. Grounded in the guitar pop of the Beatles, Big Star, Byrds, R.E.M., and Neil Young, Girlfriend melds all of Sweet's influences into one majestic, wrenching sound that encompasses both the gentle country-rock of "Winona" and the winding guitars of the title track and "Divine Intervention." Sweet's music might have recognizable roots, but Girlfriend never sounds derivative; thanks to his exceptional songwriting, the album is a fresh, original interpretation of a classic sound.

 Goodfriend:

 This rare promotional disc features alternate versions of most of the tracks from Girlfriend, plus two cover songs (the exception to the album concept being "Someone to Pull the Trigger," which is from the Altered Beast album). A home-recorded acoustic version of the normally crunch-heavy "Divine Intervention" shows up here as an appealing slab of amphetamine folk. Acoustic renditions of "Looking at the Sun" and "Winona" also work amazingly well. In addition, there are several live tracks, the cream of the crop being an appropriately bruised and searing version of Neil Young's "Cortez Killer" that features guest vocals by the Indigo Girls' Amy Ray. There are only a few minor missteps: for one, it's unnecessary to include two versions of "Girlfriend" (a live BBC radio track and a concert rendition), especially when neither comes close to the blistering guitar work by Robert Quine on the studio original. Also, the live version of the normally jangly "I've Been Waiting" is a bit too shaky to merit inclusion. Overall, however, this album stands on its own as an exceptionally strong work, and shouldn't be seen as strictly for Matthew Sweet fanatics.

  This came 2006 by Volcano released as a double disc edition. These both albums got the highest rate at allmusic from staff and readers i think i've ever seen. 5 stars out of five by staff and readers for girlfriend and four and a half stars for Goodfriend by staff and readers, too. WOW!!! My rating is six sweeties out of five and five sweeties + three-fourth sweeties out of six for Goodfriend. :-)

Maybe Sweet's best album he ever delivered.

Enjoy it
             Frank      mp3 & mp3@320   You need both links for mp3 and both for Flac!                            New Flac 1 &  New Flac 2