FIX IN THE MIX

Power Pop Prime Podcast – Volume 1 – Episode #2

“An Introduction to the Music in ‘Power Pop Prime-Volume 1’ Book”

hosted by Bruce Brown

DOWNLOAD – Fix It In The Mix – Power Pop Prime “Volume 1” book – Podcast #2 – HERE

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To Order  “POWER POP PRIME – VOLUME 1” Book – Click HERE

(NOTE:  this book is SOLD OUT – Sorry!  If you’d like to order it when a small re-pressing happens, please send an email to:  popgeekheaven@gmail.com )

To view other books in the “Prime” series – Click HERE

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Playlist:

Voice 1: This is indeed “Fix It In The Mix” and I am still your host, Bruce Brown, once again at the microphone courtesy of Bruce Brodeen of Pop Geek Heaven. Last time, we featured about a dozen songs from artists found in Power Pop Prime, Volume 1, just one of Bruce’s brilliant series of books focusing on the world of Power Pop music from 1995 to 2010, the years when Bruce’s Not Lame Recordings record label and mail order division was active. If you didn’t catch Episode One, download it now, so you don’t miss Love Nut, Cherry Twister, Cotton Mather and many other fine artists. We ended our inaugural episode with “Miss Demeanor,” by The Merrymakers, a song that Bruce confessed would be in his all-time Top 10 of Power Pop classics. So this time, we’ll start with a song that would be in my all-time Top 10. From the album The Sound Is In You, here’s The Grip Weeds with “Strange Bird.”

Song 1: The Grip Weeds – “Strange Bird” (The Sound Is In You)

Voice 2: Driven by the Keith Moon-inspired drumming of Kurt Reil and the slashing guitar of Kristen Pinell, that was The Grip Weeds and “Strange Bird” from The Sound Is In You, an album that’s so good, Bruce mentions it in both Volume 1 AND Volume 2 of Power Pop Prime. The Grip Weeds are one of the most remarkably consistent bands to come along during this era of Power Pop. And the same can be said for the St. Louis-based band The Sun Sawed In Half, which has just released a terrific new album called Elephants Into Swans via Bandcamp. They’ve also been putting their back catalog online in pristine, high quality digital. Our next tune is from an album you can expect to find there any day now.  With the title track of Mind Flip, here’s The Sun Sawed In half.

Song 2: The Sun Sawed in 1/2 – “Mind Flip” (Mind Flip)

Song 3: The Nines – “Days and Days” (Wonderworld Of Colourful)

Voice 3: That was The Nines, from Wonderworld of Colourful, one of the best AND best-named albums of 1998. And Steve Eggers’ band certainly qualifies as another group whose high quality has never faltered over the past 15 years.

Song 4: Martin Newell – “Goodbye Dreaming Fields” (The Greatest Living Englishman)

Song 5: Ross – “Son Of Joy” (Supersonic Spacewalk)

Song 6: The Pearlfishers – “Cherry Sky” (The Strange Underworld of the Tall Poppies)

Voice 4: We crossed the Big Pond for that three-song set. We just heard Scotland’s Pearlfishers with the Beach Boys-inspired “Cherry Sky.” Before that, it was Spaniard Juan Antonio Ross, or, simply, Ross, from his acclaimed album Supersonic Spacewalk. And opening the set was Martin Newell, a man whose albums put the lo-fi in lo-fi, both as a solo artist and part of loosely organized bands such as The Cleaners from Venus. That song was from Newell’s album The Greatest Living Englishman, produced by none other than Andy Partridge.

Song 7: Sugarplastic – “Radio Jejune” (Radio Jejune)

Song 8: Popsicle – “Hey Princess” (Lacquer)

Song 9: This Perfect Day – “Never Again” (Don’t Smile)

Voice 5: There’s a  double-shot of Swedish pop for you. Since consistency has been our theme today, This Perfect Day certainly ranks up there with Power Poppers who’ve boasted a sustained level of quality. That track was from their album Don’t Smile. Right before that was a band many of you probably heard on Bruce Brodeen’s last podcast, Popsicle. And tying us back to all things XTC was The Sugarplastic, a band that happily wore its Partridge and Sparks influences on its sleeve. The Sugarplastic is yet another band with a high quality catalog; and if you let your fingers to the Googling, you’ll find a very nice 2010 project called The Soviet League, which features the Sugarplastic’s Ben Eshbach.

Song 10: The Spongetones – “Infatuation” (Oh Yeah!)

Song 11: Wondermints – “Shine” (Wondermints)

Voice 6: Speaking of consistency, that was Wondermints from its self-titled debut album. And though the band has actually spent more time apart than together over the last 20 years, every project it put its hands to is fantastic. Besides the four albums that have escaped its clutches over the past two decades, the ‘Mints have been instrumental in the rejuvenation of Brian Wilson’s career, backing him in the studio and on stage. Before that we heard The Spongetones, which has now been together more than three times as long as the band it’s most often compared to, The Beatles.

And, that’s going to do it for today. I’m Bruce Brown and you’ve been listening to the “Fix It In The Mix” podcast, brought to you by Pop Geek Heaven. We leave you today with one of the true rarities to be found in Power Pop Prime, Volume 1. From its one and only album, Comets & Stars, this is Royal Crush, with “Rewind.”

Song 12: Royal Crush – “Rewind” (Comets and Stars)

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