Kevin Mathews writes for Power of Pop in Singapore.

“And the public gets what the public wants but I want nothing this society’s got.”
Paul Weller, 1979.

You! Yes, you! What are you doing with that Britney Spears CD in your hands? This is the pop underground and you’re not going to find any of that mainstream, prefabricated, cynical marketing exercise crap in this column. No way, no how! But if you’re looking for the true alternative to all that passes for pop music in the new millennium, then you’ve come to the right place…


Couple
Listen to the Pop (Self Released)
www.couple.8k.com

I first came across Malaysian band Couple when leader Aidil got in touch with me from the UK (where he was studying law) and sent me CDs for review. All decidedly lo-fi affairs (in that distinctive Guided By Voices manner), but diamonds in the rough for sure. So recently, Aidil and company was in Singapore for a gig. We met up and he passed me Couple’s new recording, the 10-track Listening to the Pop (Self released) which is probably best thought of as a demo (the sleeve even declares “These songs are not mastered. No money.”) Musically, Couple is unabashedly power pop veering strongly towards an early Beatles/Beach Boys/Raspberries/Cheap Trick vibe that is high on melodic and harmonic content with songs like “Tentang Kita,” “My Beautiful One” and “The First Joy of the Day” guaranteed to light up the life of any power pop fan. Now if only some brave record label will give these guys a reason to record these gems properly!


Vinyl Candy
Pacific Ocean Park (Self Released)
www.vinylcandy.com

Finally! The American counterparts to Irish classic pop sensations The Thrills have arrived – boys and girls, I give you the wonderful sounds of Vinyl Candy with their gorgeous debut Pacific Ocean Park. From the moment the opening “Too Late” bursts from your speakers, you just know you’re in for a breezy open-top ride along the West Coast Super Duper Pop Highway where along the way, you’d be treated to sumptuous tunes (“Heather”), boogie rhythms (“Trans Am”) and dynamic performances (“Super Casa Nova”). With their nods to such 70s icons like the (Sunflower-era) Beach Boys, Rundgren, America, Bread, Crosby Nash Stills and Young et al, you’d be forgiven for thinking Vinyl Candy walked straight out of Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous movie! One of the feel-good albums of 2004.


The Butchies
Make Yr Life (Yep Roc)
www.yeproc.com

Oh, behave! The Butchies’ image will no doubt turn heads, but it’s their vibrant punk pop agenda that should be getting the attention. This power trio has delivered a strident musical statement with Make Yr Life (Yep Roc) where songs like “Send Me You,” “She’s So Lovely” and “Everything + Everywhere” make sexual orientation an obvious issue. But once again, it is their undeniable winning combination of guitar crunch and pop grace that should set them apart. And is it just me, or does vocalist Kaia Wilson approximate Chrissie Hynde’s lusty sneer almost perfectly? Works for me.


Sweet Apple Pie
Between the Lines (Not Lame)
www.notlame.com

Sweet Apple Pie demonstrates the sheer cosmopolitan side of the pop underground as this French quartet could easily be mistaken for an American band, which is probably the whole point. Between the Lines (Not Lame), their new album, has earned a US release and whilst it certainly makes all the right moves and hits all the right buttons (“Harder Than We Thought” is a smash and the 10cc evoking “Pray Before” is hilarious), the question of “Who are Sweet Apple Pie” remains nagging and relevant. I don’t know--maybe they’re trying too hard to impress--but there’s no identity or personality coming across here…almost power pop by the numbers. Not that Between the Lines isn’t enjoyable – it is – but sometimes, that’s just not enough. www.notlame.com


The Bobbleheads
Automatic Fun (PopPop)
www.bobbleheads.com

As the title of this column would suggest, yours truly is a big fan of the boy from Woking, Mr. Paul Weller. When I come across an album that seems able to effortlessly distill all the elements that make Weller so special, well…I’m sold. The bouncy music found on Automatic Fun (PopPop) from the Bobbleheads may not readily suggest the influence of The Jam or Style Council, but it takes one Weller fanatic to discern another and there is enough evidence here – the Motown rhythms on “#37 Bus,” the jaunty Kinks flavour on “The Possibility Song” and the heavy Sound Affects vibe on “Without” – to cause fans of the great man to sit up and take notice of the Bobbleheads.

Kiss N Ride
Someone Killed My Generation (Pop Goes the Vinyl)
www.kissnride.com

Okay, so I was not prepared for the stylistic shift that Kiss N Ride have taken on their new EP Someone Killed My Generation (Pop Goes the Vinyl). I mean, how did these Weezer acolytes transform into pop underground versions of Consolidated or Primal Scream? I applaud their boldness and conviction to take this step and to trumpet their political beliefs so vehemently with an electronic soundtrack underpinning every measure. It’s provocative to say the least. Not sure how traditional power pop fans are gonna take to the drum machines, let alone titles like “Whose Side R U On Anyway” or “The Last Train To Saintville”, but the big picture remains pop artistry and creativity and there’s no doubt that Kiss N Ride have taken a stab at it. Whilst there are times the approach does grate, overall this experimental EP is a qualified success.


Maryz Eyez
For All the Haters (Lostandproudmusic),
www.maryzeyez.net

Can I be cynical (please) about this Maryz Eyez disc ominously called For all the Haters (Lostandproudmusic)? Every fiber of my critical mind is screaming “Sellouts!” as the teenage angst-ridden punk pop wafts along like that irritating Busted or Simple Plan tune my teenage son raves about. But waitaminute--isn’t Jamie (Spongetones) Hoover involved with this project as a producer? Hmm. So it’s well produced, it doesn’t change the fact this is cookie-cutter pop of the worst kind. Does absolutely nothing for me. NEXT!

33 West
So Far Off To A Bad Start (Self released)
www.33westmusic.com

33 West included a list of bands they love--the reputations of which I have no clue. Good sign. So Far Off To A Bad Start (Self released) defies simple categorization – even better! Yeah, so the band throw in emo, latin horns, reggae, jazz, ska and erm death metal into their potent mix. Hah! And vocalist Andrew Gorski thinks he’s Pavarotti – well, maybe Freddie Mercury, then. Under normal circumstances, I would cringe at the mere whiff of ska punk but in the hands of 33 West, it becomes a means rather than an end. Roughly translated, this fine album is a great modern-day example of what art-rock looks like in the 21st century. Bravo indeed.

Tommy Rivers
Fountain of Youth (Not Lame/Jam)
www.notlame.com
www.jamrecordings.com

Save the best for last, I’ve often been told, and Fountain of Youth (Not Lame/Jam) may indeed be the pick of the bunch here. Tommy Rivers has been described to me as Keith Richards fronting Big Star and sure, I’ll buy that! Well, there’s precious little Big Star on display here but, hey--the loads of Keef references will keep all you nu-garage punks ecstatic. Me? I go for the world-weary rustic Gram-infused stuff like “Tryin’ Like A Fool” and “Already Know the Score” where hearts are worn on sleeves. The rest is good old fashioned good-times-boogie-rock ‘n’ roll which will never go out of style. Amen!

Glad you sat through that – there’s a whole bunch of things happening in the pop underground. Hopefully, we can cover the tip of the iceberg together every month. See you in thirty!