The Beach Boys, "Endless Harmony Soundtrack," Capitol.

Being a huge Beach Boys fan, I was extremely excited when VH-1 aired a new documentary about the band. 'Endless Harmony' features lots of old footage and interviews I hadn't heard before. The CD is more of the same. Experienced fans know that unreleased Beach Boys material is usually nothing to get very excited about, with the obvious exception of the Smile material. However, this CD has plenty of interesting material for avid fans, making it a worthwhile purchase. My favorite track is the piano demos from the Smile era, featuring Brian talking about his ideas for 'Barnyard' and 'Heroes and Villians.' 'Soulful Old Man Sunshine' and 'Loop De Loop' are also pleasant unreleased tracks. The CD also features some unreleased live tracks of interest to fans and some alternate mixes and vocal performances of classic Beach Boys tunes.

The Dipsomaniacs, "Undertow," Face Down Records.

The Dipsomaniacs are a pop-rock band from the Trenton, New Jersey area that pay respects to The Replacements and The Who with a lot of fine melody mixed in, reminiscent of the Beatles or Badfinger. I've had the pleasure of playing several shows with the band and appearing on a compilation disc with them, the Face Down Records New Deal Complilation.

This is the band's third album and a welcome departure from the "made in the garage" sound of their previous CDs. With the help of a new engineer, Drew Mazurek, who worked with Baltimore's Love Nut, the album has an excellent and full production sound. The fact that band leader Mick Chorba wrote his best songs to date for the CD helps matters as well.

Undertow seems to have a childhood theme running throughout it. The tales of bullies, childhood sweethearts down the block and the perfect older brother really hit home and evoke memories of growing up. The music reminds me of Paul Westerberg at his most intense and tuneful moments, such as "Valentine" or "Never Mind" from Pleased To Meet Me. Pete Townshend seems to be a great influence on Chorba as well, and the band even recorded "Undertowverture," a mini-suite of melodic themes from the album obviously inspired by Tommy and Quadrophenia.

This is no typical local band, and in fact this CD ranks up there with my very favorite albums of the year. Definitely seek this one out and try to catch one of their live shows, they're lots of fun. My favorites on this one are "Krakow" (which has received some local airplay here in Philly), "Go" and "Get Off My Bike." The final track on the CD, "Almost Over," is also one of the finest and most appropriate closing tracks I've heard on any CD in a long time. For more information contact Face Down Records at www.facedown.net

Juliana Hatfield, "Bed," Zoe.

Juliana's Bed is the first album she released on her new Zoe label. It seems the public has lost enough interest in her that she was dropped from the majors. Supposedly she has been working on another album that was intended to be an important concept piece, and it shows. This album lacks focus and is nowhere near the peak of her ability. Nevertheless, it is a pleasant CD for Juliana fans, more rockin' girl pop that draws from 80's alternative stylings.

Robyn Hitchcock, "Storefront Hitchcock," Warner Brothers.

Storefront Hitchcock is a very cool album, especially for Hitchcock fans who have not been collecting his recent live shows. Robyn's acoustic concerts from the last few years have been fantastic, spanning his career with some new tunes mixed and plenty of insane "Hitchcockian" raving in between. Luckily for the average fan, he decided to document one of these shows on a commercial release and in the Jonathan Demme directed film of the same title.

This live recording is actually more rewarding than his last studio album, "Moss Elixir." That album feels strained and the arrangements are often too much for the songs. During his live shows, he strips everything down to the essentials, an acoustic guitar, great melodies, nonsensical lyrics and his wonderfully strange sense of humor. A must for Hitchcock fans. My favorite track is "Let's Go Thundering." The only bummer here is the exclusion of his acoustic version of "Balloon Man." Perhaps he left it off because many associate him with that song, but search out a bootleg for an acoustic version of it.

The Knack, "Zoom," Rhino.

When a classic band reforms, tours and releases a new album, expectations always run high. Unfortunately, hopes are often dashed by weak live shows and even weaker albums (listen to Justus by The Monkees if you can bear it). I had no idea what to expect when I heard about the Knack reunion and their brand new album in ‘98, "Zoom." But the minute I popped it into my CD player and "Pop Is Dead" came out of the speakers, I was covered in goose bumps. I was so excited I literally screamed out loud with joy. " Zoom" really is an exciting CD. A powerful collection of energetic pop, played quite well (especially the drumming by the legendary Terry Bozio) and produced almost perfectly. This album literally picks up where "Get The Knack" left off and takes the band's pop sound right into to 90s.

Don't be scared by the "straight into the 90s" stuff, because "Zoom" sounds unmistakably like classic Knack. There are hints of the Beatles, 70s pop like Badfinger and the Raspberries and the usual hint of rockabilly, a la Buddy Holly (listen to their cover of "Heartbeat" on "Get The Knack" and "In Blue Tonight" on "Zoom.") This is a must for any Knack fan. If you aren't one of the converted, check out "Get The Knack." It's one of the finest pop albums ever recorded and "Zoom" ain't far behind!

The Minders, "Hooray for Tuesday," SpinArt, Elephant 6.

I've found that most of the bands on the Elephant 6 label are a little too spaced out for me. The Olivia Tremor Control focuses on noises and weird interludes a bit too much. I don't know why, but Neutral Milk Hotel just wasn't my thing (which surprises many of my friends). The Minders are a different story. This CD sounds so much like a mid-60s pop record, you could tell an unwitting listener it was a long lost Kinks album, and they might believe you. The writing, playing and production style sounds like a mix between the Kink's "Village Green," The Beatles' "Revolver" and The Monkees "Headquarters."  There is one exception, a song that features electronic buzzes and blips, similar to the High Llama's Cold and Bouncy. This  CD is much more accessible than most other Elephant 6 releases simply because the songs are concise, tuneful and generally enjoyable. The title track sounds like a great out take from the Sgt. Pepper's album. My favorite is "Pauline," which sounds like a mid-60s, Kinks-meets-Beatles tune. A must for fans of true 60s pop, not the silly "psychedelic" label that gets slapped on so much crap these days.

Bob Mould, "The Last Dog and Pony Show," Rykodisc.

The rumors flying around when 'The Last Dog and Pony Show' was released suggested that Bob was turning his attention to acoustic-based songs and this would be his last 'electric' album. If that's the case, thankfully he left us with a solid album, reminiscent of his best work with Husker Du and Sugar. In fact, this is probably his best album since Sugar's excellent debut, "Copper Blue." The songs on the album are powerful, tuneful and emotional, like most of Mould's best work. The CD starts off with several great songs, including 'New #1,' 'Moving Trucks' and 'Taking Everything.' Other highlights include 'Skintrade,' 'Vaporrub' and 'Sweet Serene.' Mould incorporates quite a bit of acoustic guitar into the mix and colors it with his signature distorted electric sound. The album is very much like the last Sugar CD, 'File Under Easy Listening,' except the songwriting is much stronger. One major mistake on this album is 'Megamanic,' a useless foray into 'electronica,' complete with irritating samples and synthisized sounds. The song really has no place on this CD and sticks out like a sore thumb. Overall, this is a very satisfying Mould album, that will leave fans yearning for more electrified music if Bob eventually goes completely acoustic.

Pernice Brothers, "Overcome By Happiness," Sub Pop.

"Overcome by Happiness" was one of my favorite albums of summer ‘98. Soft, melodic, acoustic pop with occasional orchestration makes for a soothing yet memorable CD. The album really slows down toward the end, almost too much, but the first half provides some brilliant orchestrated acoustic tunes that really click: "Overcome by Happiness," "Crestfallen," and "Clear Spot." This is a great CD to mellow out to, but "Monkey Suit" always gets me up and singing.

Liz Phair, "Whitechocolatespaceegg," Matador.

"Whitechocolatespaceegg" is Liz Phair's slickest and best produced album to date. Naturally, many critics have eluded to its "commercial" sound, usually finding it an unwelcome departure from the erratic "indie" sound of the album's predecessors. I strongly disagree. It's probably true that her record company forced her to "commercialize" this album somewhat. Many early versions of the album's songs, with musical backing from members of REM, were rejected. However, "Whitechocolatespaceegg's" straightforward production brings forth what I like best about Liz Phair: her unique melodies, lyrics and pop sensibility.

Many of the songs ("Polyester Bride,: "Love Is Nothing," and "Only Son") shine within Scott Litt's clean production style. There are still great moments reminescent of her previous albums, such as the airy introduction of "White Chocolate Space Egg" and sparse electric guitar and drum arrangement of "Go On Ahead. " What strikes me most about the album is the progression of Phair's songwriting. On previous albums a handful of songs stand out above others, but "Whitechocolatespaceegg" is a solid effort from start to finish. For my tastes, the songs with lesser lyrical ideas are saved by compelling arrangements or feels. I'm always drawn in by music and melody before lyrics anyway, so this one is always my first pick when I feel like listening to Liz Phair.

Sloan, "Navy Blues," Murder.

Sloan is a fantastic live band. I really wasn't sold on the group completely until I saw them tour for Navy Blues. Fortunately they aren't that popular here in the US, so I saw them in the Khyber Pass in Philadelphia with about 70 other people and stood about 3 feet from the front of the stage. It was during that live show that the tunes on Navy Blues really hit home. Even on CD, Navy Blues is their best album to date with a lot of energy and great production. But what really wins in the end is the songwriting.

Sloan has come a long since their first CD on DGC. The first album I heard was "Twice Removed," which featured a few brilliant songs and a lot of filler. "One Chord To Another" was an improvement, but overall, more of the same. "Navy Blues" is consistent almost from start to finish. The band moves from mid-tempo keyboard based tunes that remind me of the Beatles and Wings ("Sinking Ships" and "Seems So Heavy,") to rocking guitar tunes that sound like 70s power pop with an edge ("She Says What She Means.") While the presence of four songwriters adds a lot of tension in the group according to interviews and the press, it certainly helps to make this CD varied and much more interesting. There are four distinct styles going on but they all seem to fit together well. Sloan really pulled all of their influences together on this album and managed to put their own stamp on the music. I highly recommend this one to power pop fans and even more highly recommend their live shows.

Superdrag, "Headtrip in Every Key," Elecktra.

Superdrag writes some fantastic power pop songs. Unfortunately, they have yet to release a consistant album, but 'Headtrip in Every Key' comes damn close. Superdrag is an amazing live band and most of the songs on this album work better on stage than on disc. In fact, singer John Davis' performance is so intense that you can't help being drawn into the music. All of this is not to say that their production style is lacking. On the contrary, this album sounds great for its power pop purposes. It is the arrangements that obscure the power of the melodies in many tunes. During their live show, things seem to be stripped down and the listener can actually hear the song for what it is

On a positive note, however, there are some unforgettable moments on this record that work beautifully. The album starts with a bang. The mesmerizing opening track 'I'm Expanding My Mind,'  jumps in the power pop bliss of 'Hellbent.' This second track sounds suspiciously like their breakthrough single 'Sucked Out,' but in the end stands on its own as a shoulda' been hit single. 'Sold You An Alibi' follows with a solid mystical-pop feel, leading into the album's decent first single 'Do The Vampire.' Much of the rest of the CD is hit or miss. 'Amphetamine' is an interesting song that sounds far superior on stage. 'Pine Away' is a fine pop tune remeniscent of The Las or early 90s Lemonheads and 'Shuck and Jive' is an enjoyable rockin' number. This band is certainly approaching the realm of excellent pop recordings but they haven't captured the intensity of their live shows on disc. It will be interesting to see what the band does next if Elecktra doesn't drop them in the meantime. The finest tracks here are some of the best power pop tunes of '98.

The Vandalias, "Buzzbomb!" Big Deal.

The Vandalias second CD, Buzzbomb is significant in its consistency and cohesive feel. Their debut Mach 5, while fantastic pop, is slightly disjointed and sounds as if the songs were thrown together from a variety of sessions. Buzzbomb is a complete and joyous power pop statement. The Vandalias are one of my favorite pop bands because of their intense energy on record and the way they simply throw out ridiculous lyrics that seem so silly, but fit perfectly with the music. You hardly notice the trite lyrics when you can't get their melodies out of your head. Buzzbomb is a wonderful pop album drawing from the power of the Raspberries and assorted 70s power pop bands, with a dash of sensitivity thrown in some songs. This one is just an all-around good time.

Brian Wilson, "Imagination," Giant.

Imagination is possibly the best work Brian Wilson has recorded since the late 1960s. The songwriting is strong, particular the music, which often sounds like early Beach Boys-styled pop with a hint of the more sophisticated Pet Sounds era ("She Says That She Needs Me.") Brian's greatest strength here is his voice. It's overdubbed to perfection, sounding better even than any Beach Boys album since the later 60s. Where Brian runs into trouble here, and on his self-titled debut solo album from 1989, is his tendency to go overboard with modern production techniques. "Brian Wilson" sounded too much like a an 80s pop album, and Imagination often sounds a little too much like Celine Dion's latest: typical 90s Adult Contemporary fare. Brian has also never been much of a lyricist, and in years past he has relied heavily on co-writers such as Tony Asher, Van Dyke Parks and even Mike Love. Unfortunately, there aren't any real heavyweights to be found here (read Jimmy Buffett) which hurts some of the lyrical content. However, even with its flaws, Imagination is truly a high point for Brian Wilson fans who still believe he's got something left in that crazy mind of his. Even if the papers are reporting he is too sick to finish his ‘99 tour, Imagination still leaves us with a fine album from an aging genius.

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