DAREN SWEET
Last week, two bands I had not heard from in many years got in touch. First, VAN GO, who are featured in “Surprise Box #117) and then Daren Sweet from NAKED CHOLLAS re-surfaced.
Good times.
And , it turns out, he’s making music again and you can jump right in and find out what he’s up to!
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DOWNLOAD – “Great Big World” – HERE
(right click and ‘save as’)
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DAREN SWEET LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/
https://www.reverbnation.com/
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Daren Sweet, long time Phoenix, Arizona musical veteran branches out to record his own brand of Power Pop. “I was influenced by the late 70’s and early 80’s power pop bands” says Sweet. “I grew up listening to AM radio and later discovered bands like The Knack, The Romantics, The Beat, and Joe Jackson”. Playing guitar his whole life he has been in some sort of band since he was 13. Right after college Sweet put together the short lived Tempe band “The Gripweads”. “The Gripweads started as a mesh of punk, rock and power pop. Sort of a Ramones meets The Beatles”. The Gripweads cut their teeth in the Tempe clubs of the 90’s that saw many bands rise to stardom including the Gin Blossoms, The Refreshments and The Pistoleros. But just as the band was beginning to carve out its own niche it broke up. “Awe it was the usual suspects, growing up, getting jobs and having kids” laughs Sweet.
But his desire to play his own brand of pop music led him to form The Naked Chollas in 1996. “The Chollas were ahead of their time. We fit in with the Power Pop scene that was happening in LA at the time” says Sweet. With the release of “Let’s Go!” in 1998 The Naked Chollas had a minor hit with the song “Something To Believe In”. The song was at the top of the charts as the “Power Pop” song of the week on MP3.com for many weeks. The group also found success with the track “Come See Me” which was picked up my Mastersource Publishing and distributed to many TV shows, movies and commercials. 2002 saw the release of “Spitshine”. Although it did not have the commercial success of “Let’s Go!” it still found its way into the hands of power pop lovers all around the globe. By 2005 the original Naked Chollas lineup was gone and although the group continued to carry on that same power pop scene that burned so brightly had faded along with the band.
Although the Chollas continued to play Sweet had his own desire to create more power pop music. Although never the main writer with the Chollas, he branched out to finally write and record his own music. “I guess I am still carrying the torch for power pop music”, said Sweet. “Pop’s Three Minute Pleasures in my own statement and my own brand of power pop”. With the near perfect pop song “Great Big World, the rocking “Working Girl” to the soft ballad of “Runway” “Pop’s Three Minute Pleasures” aims to please all lovers of power pop music.
The Naked Chollas have reformed a few times with the original lineup and have played the “International Pop Overthrow” festival to rave reviews. Sweet continues to write songs and play locally in the metro Phoenix area. If you
re a pop lover be sure to check out the syrupy goodness that is “Pop’s Three Minute Pleasures”. I am sure it will hit the power pop sweet tooth in us all.
“Something to Believe”
Good stuff!