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Preamble: No, this is not Powerpop. It's just brilliant music. A critic once wrote Nick Drake can change your life. This may not be right for everyone, but he may have a point there. Nick Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. When he was 20 years old he signed to Island Records and released three records there: Five Leaves Left (1969), Bryter Layter (1970) and Pink Moon (1972). Nick Drake suffered from depression (you'll recognize by his lyrics), especially the last years of his short life. Nick didn't like to perform live or be interviewed. There is even no known picture of the adult Drake. All that wasn't very helpful for his commercial success. None of its records had more than 5000 buyers at first release. After finishing his third record (Pink Moon), he stopped all musical work and  moved to his parents in Warwickshire. Nick Drake died from an overdose of a antidepressant on 25 November 1974 - he was only 26 years old (...

The second studio album by The Cry! is called Dangerous Game and will be released on March 1, 2014 (CD/Vinyl/Digital). The Cry! are Brian Crace (Lead Guitar, Vocals), Ray Nelsen (Rhythm Guitar, Vocals), Dave Berkham (Bass Guitar, Vocals) and  Evan "Maus" Mersky (Drums). The band's debut LP " The CRY! " received rave reviews from Rolling Stone, Maximum Ronk'n'Roll, and dozens of industry sources. With upbeat songs full of pure energy, catchy guitar riffs and harmonies The Cry! are a reminiscence to the 50s, 60s and 70s. But they are surely more than that! You'll instantly recognize their influences like The Beach Boys, Exploding Hearts and The Sweet. The band brings back Rock'n'Roll, Power Pop, Glam and Punk, which makes them timeless. Dangeous Game are 10 tracks - and 28 minutes of pure musical fun and Rock'n'Roll. Seventeen/Dangerous Game (single) by The CRY! There will also be a 10 track live reco...

Baby Scream is a project from Argentina led by Juan Pablo Mazzola - and to say it with his own words:  "Baby Scream…what is all about? A band from Argentina, weird chords, pop songs, Beatles, greatest friends, worst friends, a lot of comedy, a lot of drama, Fender gear, Marshall gear, a lot of cigarettes, red wine, Santa Monica beach, cheap recordings, fancy recordings, solo acoustic gigs, Hare Krishna musicians, a solo act from London, Power Pop, Cheap Trick, the winter, the spring, the summer, the fall, Identity Theft, really nice people, really fucked up people, late hours, life in general..." Juan Pablo Mazzola Baby Scream released Greatest Failures , their best-of collection in November 2013 (nice title for a best-of, is it?). Greatest Failures may be a great start for those who don't know Baby Scream (you can listen to the record below). If you even sligthly care for David Bowie, Bob Dylan, The Beatles or E.L.O. you really may like this record. ...

When you ask about the origins of the power pop genre, several bands have to be mentioned. One of the most important of them is Queen . Queen Logo Queen: John Deacon, Brian May, Roger Taylor, Freddie Mercury (from left to right) The 70s In 1970 Queen was formed, with its four members Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), John Deacon (bass guitar), and Roger Taylor (drums, vocals). May and Taylor had a band named Smile with Tim Staffell. In 1970 Staffell left Smile, Freddie Mercury (which was born as Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar) joined the band and they renamed it to Queen. Before their first record John Deacon was recruited. After the release of their first two records Queen and Queen II the band gained international success by Sheer Heart Attack in 1974 and especially A Night at the Opera in 1975. Bohemian Rhapsody (from A Night at the Opera) stayed at number one in the UK Singles chart for nine weeks and is the t...

By the end of every year there are traditionally the end-of-the-year-best-of lists of all these great music blogs around in the World Wide Web. These are the best way to see what I missed through the year. And every year I am surprised to find a gem in these lists. In 2013 one particular record surprised me a lot: Attic Lights - Super De Luxe . Attic Lights are from Glasgow, Scotland. Five years after their debut Friday Night Lights (2008) they released Super De Luxe in 2013. From the fulminant first track ( Say You Love Me ) to the final one ( Gabrielle ) Super De Luxe is a very coherent record. After several listens there is no bad or mediocre song on it. It's power pop in perfection. If you like Fountains of Wayne, Farrah or Nada Surf, you should give it a listen. Highlights: Future Bound, Say You Love Me, Gabrielle   www.atticlights.com