Did you know that the first Billboard #1 hit by a British band was a funky, sci-fi-inspired instrumental? “Telstar,” named after a satellite, has an earworm of a tune, transmitted through some sort of synthesize (Wikipedia says a “clavioline”). It boasts the vibe of a cheesy black-and-white alien movie, the type that would be featured on Count…
As I mentioned in my review of “Levels” by Nick Jonas, I am a fan of the Jo Bros. I think boy bands, in general, can make really appealing pop music. And I think Jonas Brothers, in particular, built a power pop sound, blending frothy pop hooks with rock instrumentation and dynamic harmonies. I considered…
NOFX is a band that, to quote S.T. Erlewine’s review of Punk in Drublic, is “a heavy, speed-addled, hook-conscious post-hardcore punk group.” Although their assault on the eardrums is a little relentless for my tastes, I have listened to a few of their albums to amusement. I also have a deep, abiding love for the band’s…
I have a joke I like to tell that my favorite Dylan song is “One Headlight”… written by Jakob Dylan, Bob’s son. (Okay, so it’s not much of a joke.) The Wallflowers are a rock band that are essentially a vehicle for Jakob Dylan. Their big moment came in the mid-’90s with the success of sophomore…
Who is Adam Schlesinger? Find out this week, as I explore some of my favorite tracks by the power pop savant. I mentioned in the first post of Adam Schlesinger week that I fell in love with Adam Schlesinger multiple times, independently, without realizing it. Never was that more true than for “That Thing You…
Who is Adam Schlesinger? Find out this week, as I explore some of my favorite tracks by the power pop savant. As if running two successful bands, and now a third, plus ghostwriting for plenty of pop stars and other musical projects, wasn’t enough, Adam Schlesinger is also part of one of the most ambitious…
Who is Adam Schlesinger? Find out this week, as I explore some of my favorite tracks by the power pop savant. As if Schlesinger didn’t already have enough on his plate (see tomorrow’s song for even more), he debuted another music project in late 2017: Fever High, ostensibly his third flagship band, after Ivy and…
Who is Adam Schlesinger? Find out this week, as I explore some of my favorite tracks by the power pop savant. In my first post of Adam Schlesinger week, I called Fountains of Wayne “his flagship project,” but really Schlesinger has had two signature bands, and Ivy actually came before Fountains. This fact also calls…
Who is Adam Schlesinger? Find out this week, as I explore some of my favorite tracks by the power pop savant. In 2009, power pop supergroup Tinted Windows formed and released their first (to date, only) album. The band has four members: Taylor Hanson on vocals, James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins on guitar, Bun E. Carlos…
Who is Adam Schlesinger? Find out this week, as I explore some of my favorite tracks by the power pop savant. The Click Five was a failed boy band from the mid 2000’s. They notched one minor hit before The Jonas Brothers swooped into capture the preteen girls demo. The Click Five’s debut album, Greetings from…