I’m not sure has anyone missed these power pop entries, but now there’s definitely time for another episode. Ex-Merrymakers David Myhr will play at Flavour of the Month (Pikku-Torre, Turku) on this friday 2nd of march. Before writing one last reminder about the upcoming show and focusing on his new excellent solo material, it’s time to celebrate the past and post a couple of songs by The Merrymakers. This Swedish pop group created two stunning albums in the 90s. No Sleep ’til Famous and Bubblegun are both amazing. Bubblegun is actually one of my all-time favourite power pop albums and Popsicle, The Wannadies and The Merrymakers will probably always the most influential Swedish bands to me. Here are Saltwater Drinks and April’s Fool from Bubblegun. Plus a promo clip for Bubblegun.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS5NZDRcia8]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tavZ7E-MetQ]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gozOb9aAmUU]

Cirrone from Italy was a big hit in the power pop world last year and most of my favourite power pop blogs featured Cirrone’s Uplands Park Road album on their year-end lists. For example the wonderful Powerpopaholic.com rated is as the best album of the year 2011. This beauty of an album has been playing in my headphones for the last week or so and I can fully agree with all of my favourite blogs. This is one hell of a classic power pop album. A bit of 70’s power pop like Badfinger or Blue and a bit of 90’s power pop things and a whole lot of catchy pop songs. Varies from great rockin’ pop songs to beautiful pop ballads and everything works. This album is again a perfect reminder that (power) pop music is still the sweetest form of art as far as I’m concerned. Simple things are often the greatest and I think Uplands Park Road would have hit my top 10 albums of the year list, if I had heard it in time. This has so many amazing pop songs that it’s almost ridiculous. I could just pick any song, but let’s go with the opener Here Is My Song. Listen to the whole album on their bandcamp.

Cirrone at Bandcamp

Greg Pope is a multi-talented guy. The power pop circles know him as an excellent pop singer-songwriter, but apparently he is also a film director. This latest album Monster Suit is actually the official soundtrack for the short film Giant Monster Playset directed by Mr. Greg Pope, but it works beautifully also as an individual piece of pop art and contains several fabulous pop tunes. For example this song entitled Soulless Heart is a slice of melodic pop heaven.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/26503539″]
 
Trailer for the movie Giant Monster Playset:

GIANT MONSTER PLAYSET, trailer from Greg Pope on Vimeo.

Greg Pope Website

There’s a new Matthew Sweet album Modern Art coming out on 27th of september and that’s a good reason to pick one of the greatest songs ever. Matthew Sweet is already a legend and he has written dozens of perfect pop songs. Especially in the early and mid-nineties he was in incredible form and released three pop classics Girlfriend, Altered Beast and 100% Fun. The newer material has also been mostly damn good, so I’m looking forward to the new album. I could keep this section alive with Matthew Sweet’s songs for a month, but if I have to choose just one, it’s got to be Sick of Myself from the album 100% Fun (released in 1995). If you want to hear more pop classics, Matthew has a great sampler at Soundcloud.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzQ8ef-RpQo]

Oh and this great song below is the first single She Walks The Night from the new album Modern Art.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/21180408″]
 

Oh #2: You can download a free Matthew Sweet live Ep from Noisetrade.

Matthew Sweet Website ]]> 3919