Review: Ben’s Diapers – Up In The Mountains, Deep In The Sea

Ben’s Diapers: Up in the Mountains, Deep in the Sea (Rhythm Barrel Records / Plastic Passion, 2010)

Ben’s Diapers released their latest album Up in the Mountains, Deep in the Sea several months ago in early 2010, and I’m rather ashamed that it took me this long to actually write a review about it.  Their focus is still on the country-tinged power pop and alt.country, but it does seem that the band is nowadays more than willing to make their musical scale a little wider and does throw a couple of curve balls to the prejudiced listeners in the process. However, the Elton John of the 70s playing borderline cheesy AM pop & piano ballads type of thing does work and add some nice versatility to the album. If that still sounded a little scary, here’s a quick antidote. Thank You Girls is a great rocker with a sing-along chorus in the vein of Cheap Trick.. or even early KISS.  These two examples were still in the minority and mostly Ben’s Diapers serves high quality pop music where the main ingredients are powerful playing, beautiful harmonies and catchy-as-hell melodies. And when a fair share of it is spiced up with some country flavours, this customer is definitely happy and ready to order more.

Listen to Radio Stations:

Ben’s Diapers Website
Ben’s Diapers at myspace

Continue Reading

Review: The Props – Mt. Karma

The Props: Mt. Karma (Prop Ranch Records, 2010)

The Props released their second full-lenght Mt. Karma a couple of months ago and it’s another good effort. They are heavily influenced by early Weezer and other 90’s rockin’ power pop and indie rock bands. I’m very much into that stuff and I do find the album enjoyable. The only major issue is that there’s nothing really drop-dead gorgeous on the album. It’s all good stuff, but the real killer tunes are missing and therefore it’s difficult to get extremely excited. Maybe it’s just the fact that there are far too few bands like this around and therefore one tends to hope that every new release would be the second coming of the giant pumpkin and can’t be totally happy with just good albums. In the end, Mt. Karma does contain a lot  of power chords, catchy choruses and good songs. That should be enough.

Picture

The Props at myspace

Continue Reading

Review: Pernice Brothers – Goodbye, Killer

Pernice Brothers: Goodbye, Killer (Ashmont Records, 2010)

Joe Pernice’s debut novel was quite enjoyable, but he is still better as a pop singer-songwriter. Ok, it might be that he won’t reach the sky-high level of Overcome By Happiness, World Won’t End or The Scud Mountain Boys stuff anymore, but he is still more than able to create beautiful and harmonic pop music. Goodbye, Killer is his latest album full of captivating pop songs. Sometimes a little folky, always highly enjoyable. This time I prefer the slower material over the rockers (not that there’s anything wrong with the rockers). Especially Not The Loving Kind, Newport News and End Of Faith are slices of melodic pop heaven. This is not Joe Pernice’s greatest work, but it sure is very very good album once again and every pop fan should introduce their heart, mind & body to the whole Joe Pernice back catalogue.

Picture

Pernice Brothers Website

Pernice Brothers at myspace

Continue Reading