Category | Bloody Red Baron

Bloody Red Baron – May 2023 Reviews

Posted on 17 May 2023

MAY 2023 REVIEWS by Mike Baron THE ANDERSON COUNCIL: The Devil, the Tower, the Star, the Moon (JEM) Anderson Council has been around since ‘99. Their newest is my introduction to the band and now I’m a believer. Loaded with bridges and hooks, the Anderson Council is exemplary power pop, drawing on a half century of influences […]

Bloody Red Baron – April 2023 Reviews

Posted on 02 April 2023

APRIL 2023 REVIEWS by Mike Baron THE STAYAWAKES: Dogs and Cats/Living Together (Kool Kat) The UK based Stayawakes are masters of power pop dynamics, with shifting chords and compelling riffs, like a winding country road through hill country, with fresh visions around every corner. Listen the compelling riff on “No Shame.” The success of power pop depends […]

Bloody Red Baron – March 2023 Reviews

Posted on 27 February 2023

March 2023 REVIEWS by Mike Baron RANSOM AND THE SUBSET: Perfect Crimes Ransom and the Subset is a trio, but they sound like a rock symphony, sleekly sophisticated and relentlessly melodic. Brian Wilson/Burt Bacharach level genius. RanDair wrote the songs and sings like a straight-faced joker on “Perfect Crime,” the opener. Each hook comes as a […]

Bloody Red Baron – February 2023 Reviews

Posted on 11 February 2023

February 2023 REVIEWS by Mike Baron THE CLICK BEETLES: Emerald Green (Futureman) Mostly Dan Pavelich, with Van Dyke Brown on drums and guest vocals by Andrea Perry. Classic power pop with unexpected flourishes, such as Dan’s Chuck Berry/roadhouse guitar rising like a sounding whale. Byrdsian two-part harmony on “Natalie Would,” with an attenuated groove and a rich […]

Bloody Red Baron – December Reviews

Posted on 12 December 2022

December 2022 REVIEWS by Mike Baron JIM BASNIGHT: Not Changing (Precedent) Former Moberlys front man has dipped his pick in everything from punk rock to glam, but this career-defining collection is pure power pop with emphasis on great songs with hooks and bridges, somewhat reminiscent of Bill Lloyd, but sui generis in song structure and lyrics. The […]

Bloody Red Baron – November Reviews

Posted on 06 November 2022

November 2022 REVIEWS by Mike Baron GREG POPE: Rise of the Mythical Creatures (Octoberville) Greg Pope has been a monster on the power pop scene since releasing Popmonster in 2020. A sole proprietor, Greg does it all himself. Rise does not disappoint, continuing his string of melodic, indiosyncratic power pop, beginning with the “Love March” cadence of […]

BLOODY RED BARON – October Reviews

Posted on 10 October 2022

October 2022 REVIEWS by Mike Baron THE SUN SAWED IN ½ –  Before The Fall (Kool Kat) Sun has been around since 1990, but like the monsters in Alien, Splice, and Life, it keeps evolving, and now it has achieved its ultimate form. Unlike the monsters, it is dazzling, beautiful, irresistible, or as Aaron Kupferburg observed, “They have […]

Bloody Red Baron – August 2022 Reviews

Posted on 12 August 2022

August 2022 REVIEWS by Mike Baron KINGDOM OF MUSTANG: Into Beautiful Blue (Kool Kat) Like Marshall Crenshaw and John San Juan, Mark Roebuck’s songs are instantly identifiable due to his unique chord structure. Roebuck’s been creating brilliant power pop since The Deal, a 1980s power pop band that began his unbroken string of lush, melancholy and hopeful […]

Bloody Red Baron – July 2022 Reviews

Posted on 21 July 2022

July 2022 REVIEWS by Mike Baron DAVE SCARBROUGH: Happy Ever After (Futureman) One of those jaw droppers that come along every three or four months offering hope for humanity. Happy Ever After was recorded in Atlanta, Sweden, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota from whence Dave hails. Happy recalls Marshall Crenshaw’s first or Kurt Baker’s debut, one slam dunk after another. Traces of Nick Lowe and Greg […]

Bloody Red Baron – June 2022 Reviews

Posted on 21 June 2022

June 2022 REVIEWS by Mike Baron AMOEBA TEEN – Amoeba Teen (Big Stir) Amoeba Teen’s quartet formed in the nineties, bounced from label to label, released on Kool Kat and were picked up by Big Stir. They produce infections power pop reminiscent of Throwback Suburbia and The Stanleys, and their love for Jellyfish is evident on […]