http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&category=genre&genreId=397&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rssTop Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody OnlinePower Popen720Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:39:17 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&category=genre&genreId=397&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40249&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Indie/Alternative Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:07:22 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.40249 art.40249 Wilco art.40249 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40249&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40249&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss A.M., veered toward the orchestral pop of Being There, and earned a Grammy nomination for Mermaid Avenue (an album of Woody Guthrie lyrics for which the band and Billy Bragg wrote music), before running toward a sunny, West Coast-inspired pop utopia of complex introspection with Summer Teeth. Upon parting ways with founding member Jay Bennett, Wilco independently released (after some wrangling with Warner Bros.) Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. It was with Foxtrot that Wilco succeeded at leaving any alt country vestiges behind, venturing into more moody, dislocated songwriting tangled up inside noise experiments and amputated guitar leads. Wilco's fifth album A Ghost Is Born continued to help the band search for their sound somewhere between sonic gambles and innovative production. Their sixth, Sky Blue Sky, came in the spring of 2007, sounding like a return to simplified guitar pop with sing-along songs that unfold and unleash stormy guitar solos courtesy of Nels Cline. Some songs even hint at a slight return to the band's twangy roots. - Eric Shea]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.954&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:30 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.954 art.954 Weezer art.954 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.954&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.954&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Weezer (Number 16), which came to be known as the Blue Album, could not have sounded more antithetic to the grunge-rock and pop-punk that was dominating modern-rock radio at the time; Cuomo was neither as cynical as Kurt Cobain nor as charmingly infantile as Billie Joe Armstrong, and the unapologetic riffs made it clear that he was more influenced by the likes of Heaven Tonight than Raw Power. Songs like "Undone - The Sweater Song" (Number 57, 1994) and "The World Has Turned and Left Me Here" sound like handwritten notes found at the bottom of a locker — the early musings of a colossally self-aware nerd. And while the album's best-known song, "Buddy Holly" (Number 2 Modern Rock, 1994) was bolstered by Spike Jonze's nostalgia-tripping Happy Days video, its success was due less to the Fonz and more to the song's chimerical young-and-in-love chorus: "Wooh-e-oooh, I like just like Buddy Holly/Oh-oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore." Weezer would sell more than 3 million copies, and a 2004 reissued edition includes several worthy B-sides.

Cuomo had originally intended for Weezer's follow-up to be a sci-fi rock opera called Songs from the Black Hole, but after recording a series of tracks by himself, he shelved the project in favor of Pinkerton (Number 19, 1996). Though it's since become a fan favorite and a bellwether for he late-'90s emo boom, Pinkerton was initially seen as a downer: Cuomo had undergone a painful leg operation after the Blue Album, and the new LP was packed with brutally honest songs about falling in love with lesbians and teenage fans living oceans away; the opening track, tellingly, was "Tired of Sex," and songs like "El Scorcho" (Number 19 Modern Rock, 1996), and "The Good Life" (Number 32 Modern Rock, 1996) were rife with frustration. The album takes its name from a character in Madame Butterfly, and the record is peppered with references to the opera. After a tour in support of the album — which failed to reach platinum — Sharp left the band to spend more time with his new-wave side project, the Rentals, while Cuomo dropped out of view altogether, prompting rumors that he had begun a Brian Wilson-like retreat from society (Cuomo left Harvard but returned again, earning his English degree in June 2006). Between 1997 and 2000, the band released only a handful of songs, including a cover of "Velouria" for a Pixies tribute album. But the band retained an ardent following on the Internet, as evidenced by the numerous threads about Pinkerton, which was quickly becoming a cult favorite.

In 2000, the band reformed for a string of shows on the Warped Tour, where Sharp was replaced by bassist Mikey Welsh, a former member of Juliana Hatfield's backing band. The live dates were a success, prompting a sold-out mini-tour and a new album, titled Weezer (2001), which debuted at Number 4 on the Billboard charts and retuned the band to its power-chord grandeur. With Ocasek returning as producer, the so-called "Green album" gave the band two of the biggest hits of its career: "Hash Pipe" (Number Two Modern Rock), and "Island in the Sun" (Number 11 Modern Rock), a lulling ballad that later wound up being covered for a tropical-resort ad. A few months after the Green Album's release, Welsh experienced a psychotic breakdown, and was replaced by bassist Scott Shriner.

Almost exactly a year after the release of the Green Album, Weezer delivered Maladroit (Number Three, 2002). Due in part to Cuomo's abundant songwriting output, many of the self-financed Maladroit tracks had already appeared in demo form on the band's Website, and the songs' early release spurred a public battle between the band and its label, Interscope Records. But neither the controversy — nor the inclusion of singles "Dope Nose" (Number 8 Modern Rock) and "Keep Fishin'" (Number 15 Modern Rock) — could prevent Maladroit, an album that paid homage to several of Cuomo's metal influences, from becoming a commercial misfire.

Weezer teamed with Rick Rubin for 2005's Make Believe (Number Two), an album that gave the band its biggest single to date: the Grammy-nominated "Beverly Hills" (Number 10, 2005) a sarcastic anti-fame rant that was misinterpreted by some as an ode to luxury branding. Longtime fans lamented that the Weezer responsible for Pinkerton was long gone, but "Beverly Hills" and the piano-plunking anthem "Perfect Situation" (Number 51, 2006) helped Make Believe sell more than a million copies in the U.S., and prompted an arena tour with the Foo Fighters.

In 2007, Cuomo released Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo (Number 163), a collection of demos that included songs originally intended for the long-jettisoned Songs from the Black Hole album. Weezer's sixth album, once again produced by Rick Rubin — and once again titled Weezer — was released June 3rd, 2008. The Red Album, as it's known, spawned the single "Pork and Beans," which came with a clever video featuring many YouTube stars. The band is reportedly prepping another album produced by Jacknife Lee for 2009. ]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4790&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Classic Rock Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:30 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4790 art.4790 Electric Light Orchestra art.4790 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4790&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4790&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61892&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Adult Alternative Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:38:15 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.61892 art.61892 Ben Folds art.61892 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61892&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61892&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Rockin' The Suburbs, in 2001. Continuing in a vein similar to his work with the trio, Folds excels at writing smart, slightly ironic pop songs with a love of melody, conjuring up memories of peak period Joe Jackson or even Todd Rundgren's less progressive pop moments. That Folds manages to sell truckloads of records without even touching a guitar might be his most remarkable achievement. - Jon Pruett]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4684&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Sun, 1 Nov 2009 12:39:52 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4684 art.4684 Cheap Trick art.4684 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4684&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4684&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss At Budokan made them superstars around the end of the '70s. Legendary hits such as "Southern Girls" and "I Want You To Want Me" bounced, rocked and rolled with electrifying fervor, helping to jump-start an American Power Pop scene that had stalled in the mid-'70s with the demise of Big Star and the Raspberries. Cheap Trick took those bands' supreme sense of melody and cranked the amps up louder than they ever did: "Surrender" remains the loudest catchy song -- and the catchiest loud song -- this side of the Replacements. The band has continued in the decades since, enduring a fallow, big-haired period in the '80s and widespread reverence in the '90s from younger bands wishing to carry on the Power Pop flame. - Eric Shea]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63230&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Indie/Alternative Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:39:06 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.63230 art.63230 Spoon art.63230 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63230&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63230&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss
Singer, guitarist and primary songwriter Britt Daniel formed Spoon — named for a song by the German experimental band Can — in 1993 along with drummer Jim Eno, guitarist Greg Wilson and bassist Andy McGuire. The following year, the band released a seven-inch EP, Nafarious, on the small indie label Fluffer Records. Spoon caught the attention of the larger indie label Matador Records, on which the band released its first full-length disc, Telephono, in 1996. The album was hailed by critics and fans of indie rock, and the band soon found itself being courted by the major label Elektra Records. The group’s 1998 Elektra debut, A Series of Sneaks, was an artistic leap for the band and that album, too, was championed by critics. But Sneaks didn’t sell as quickly as Elektra wanted, and the label abandoned Spoon just four months after the album’s release. Disheartened by Elektra executives Ron Laffitte, who had signed the band, and CEO Sylvia Rhone, Spoon wrote two songs questioning their ethics: “The Agony of Laffitte” and “Laffitte Don’t Fail Me Now.”

Spoon’s major-label woes didn’t stop Daniel and company from continuing to write and record, and in 2001 the band signed with North Carolina indie label Merge Records. Spoon’s first Merge album, Girls Can Tell (Number 46 Top Independent Albums, 2001), and its follow-up, Kill the Moonlight (Number 23 Top Independent Albums, 2002), both outsold the band’s previous two discs. When one of Moonlight’s tracks, “The Way We Get By,” appeared in the popular teen TV show The O.C., Spoon got a measure of mainstream attention. Gimme Fiction (Number 44 pop, 2005), the group’s highly anticipated follow-up, was three years in the making and wound up selling 160,000 copies. The next year, Daniel co-wrote the soundtrack for the Will Ferrell comedy Stranger than Fiction. Also that year, Merge reissued the group’s first album together with its 1997 EP, Soft Effects. When Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Number Ten pop, 2007) came out to raves, Spoon went on the late-night TV circuit, including an appearance on Saturday Night Live where they performed the single “The Underdog” (Number 26 Modern Rock, 2007) and “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb.” A second single, “Don’t You Evah,” reached Number 33 on the Modern Rock chart in 2008. ]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.15748398&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Alt Dance Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:55:12 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.15748398 art.15748398 Metro Station art.15748398 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.15748398&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.15748398&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Alternative Press and Teen Vogue and releasing their debut album on Red Ink. - Rachel Devitt]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.920&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Art & Progressive Rock Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:28:27 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.920 art.920 Todd Rundgren art.920 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.920&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.920&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Something/Anything?) to the more complex progressive rock of Utopia, which did gain Rundgren a devoted cult following. Through it all, this multi-instrumentalist has maintained a prolific sideline career as a producer; he must also be regarded as a pioneer of rock video, interactive CD, and Web-based music.

Rundgren began playing in a high-school band, Money, then went on to play with Woody's Truckstop in the mid-'60s (a tape recording of the latter makes a brief appearance on Something/Anything?). In 1967 he formed the Nazz [see entry], which, contrary to then-prevailing West Coast psychedelic trends, tried to replicate the look of Swinging London in its clothes, Mod haircuts, and Beatles-ish pop sound. In some ways the Nazz was ahead of its time, especially in terms of Rundgren's studio facility and the band's musical sophistication. But the quartet remained a local Philadelphia phenomenon, with one minor hit single, the original version of "Hello It's Me." The Nazz broke up in 1969, at which point Rundgren formed the studio band Runt and hit the Top 20 in 1971 with the single "We Gotta Get You a Woman."

By this time Rundgren had become associated with manager Albert Grossman, who let him produce for his new Bearsville label. By 1972 Rundgren had taken over production of Badfinger's Straight Up LP from George Harrison (who was involved with his Bangla Desh concerts) and had engineered the Band's Stage Fright and Jesse Winchester's self-titled 1971 LP, as well as produced records by the Hello People, bluesman James Cotton, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and Halfnelson (who later became Sparks). In 1973 he would produce the New York Dolls' debut LP, Grand Funk Railroad's We're an American Band, and Fanny's Mother's Pride.

For many, Something/Anything? (Number 29, 1972) is the high-water mark of Rundgren's solo career. On it he played nearly all the instruments, overdubbed scores of vocals, and managed to cover pop bases from Motown to Hendrix, from the Beach Boys to the Beatles. The album yielded hit singles in "I Saw the Light" (Number 16, 1972) and "Hello It's Me" (Number 5, 1973).

A Wizard/A True Star (Number 86, 1973), while in much the same vein, was more of a critical than commercial success. However, Rundgren's cult following was growing. In Wizard's liner notes he asked fans to send their names to him for inclusion in a poster to be contained in his next LP. As promised, 1974's Todd included that poster - with some 10,000 names printed on it in tiny type.

That same year Rundgren unveiled his cosmic/symphonic progressive-rock band Utopia, which gradually expanded his following to mammoth proportions. Utopia was a more democratic band, in which Rundgren shared songwriting and lead vocals with other members (from 1977 on: Roger Powell, Kasim Sulton, and Willie Wilcox). In the mid-'70s Utopia played bombastic suites with "cosmic" lyrics and used pyramids as a backdrop, but in the 1980s it returned to Beatles/new wave–style pop (Faithful [Number 54, 1976]). Despite some excellent music, the quartet never placed a single in the Top 40 or saw any of its 11 albums go gold. One of their songs, "Love Is the Answer," was a 1979 Top 10 hit for England Dan and John Ford Coley.

In 1975 Rundgren produced Gong guitarist Steve Hillage's L, on which Utopia played backup. A trip to the Middle East in 1978 led Rundgren to a brief flirtation with Sufism; that same year Hermit of Mink Hollow (Number 36, 1978) produced his first hit single in several years in "Can We Still Be Friends?" (a minor hit for Robert Palmer a year later). Rundgren also produced Meat Loaf's monstrously successful Bat Out of Hell. In 1979 alone he produced Tom Robinson's TRB Two, the Tubes' Remote Control, and Patti Smith's Wave; in 1980 he produced Shaun Cassidy's Wasp.

By that time Rundgren had taken a strong interest in the emerging field of rock video. By 1981 he had built his own computer-video studio in Woodstock, New York, and was making technically advanced surrealistic videotapes. In 1982 Rundgren embarked on a one-man tour, playing sets that were solo-acoustic as well as those in which he was backed by taped band arrangements, with his computer-graphic videos being shown also. He still concentrated on production (with the Psychedelic Furs, among others) and video art.

Utopia took an indefinite sabbatical in 1985. Sulton, in addition to recording on his own, has played with Joan Jett, Hall and Oates, Patty Smyth, and Cheap Trick. Powell, designer of a shoulder-strap keyboard called the Powell Probe, now engineers software for a computer-graphics firm, while Wilcox writes and produces. In 1992 the four reunited for a tour of Japan, captured on Utopia Redux '92.

The following year Rundgren went back out on the road as a high-tech one-man band to perform his unique new album No World Order. The world's first interactive music-only CD (available on Philips), it allowed listeners to reshape the 10 songs into an infinite number of versions. To hear the same version of a song twice, Rundgren claimed, users would have to play the disc 24 hours a day, seven days a week "well into the next millennium." Continuing in a similar vein, he then released The Individualist, an enhanced CD which paired each song with its lyrics, graphics, and video. At about that time he came up with the monicker TR-i (Todd Rundgren–interactive), to be used for his multimedia work. In typical fashion, though, his next move was to rerecord several of his old songs in bossa-nova arrangements on 1997's With a Twist...(which also featured Utopia bassist Sulton). That same year he was one of the few Westerners invited to play the Shanghai Festival.

Consistently fascinated with new technological developments, Rundgren created PatroNet, a Web-based service in which subscribers could purchase new songs after paying a yearly fee, in 1998. The 2000 release One Long Year collected some of the songs sold through PatroNet. That year he embarked on a tour in which he performed material from his entire catalogue in a power-trio formation that also included Sulton and drummer Trey Sabatelli. Rundgren toured solo and with Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band in the late-90s as well as produced Bad Religion's The New America and Splender's Halfway Down the Sky in 2000. An ongoing compilation, Todd Archive Series, included 11 different sets: The King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents in Concert, numerous full concerts, demos, and outtakes while Rundgren was alone, with Nazz, and Utopia, and a collection of Japanese-only rarities. In 2001 Rundgren played in the Beatles tribute tour, A Walk Down Abbey Road. In 2004, Rundgren released the political Liars on Sanctuary, making it his first rock album in thirteen years. In 2006, he assumed Rick Ocasek's duties in the Cars, henceforth named the New Cars. In September of 2008 Rundgren released Arena, which, with a surfeit of guitar-based rock and bombast, was something of a return to form. ]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4434&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss AOR Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:04:05 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4434 art.4434 Rick Springfield art.4434 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4434&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4434&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss General Hospital and the chart-topping singer of "Jessie's Girl," proving that juggling is a difficult sport best left to professionals. - Jessy Terry]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1124&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Adult Alternative Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:05:45 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.1124 art.1124 Crowded House art.1124 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1124&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1124&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Woodface made them as big in Europe as they were all along Down Under. While such lyrics as "the excess of fat on your American bones will cushion the impact as you sink like a stone" didn't endear them to the incoming Grunge generation, their music has held up over the years. Neil Finn has gone on to an equally rewarding solo career. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5614&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Alt Country Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:28:13 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.5614 art.5614 Old 97's art.5614 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5614&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5614&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Hitchhike to Rome to 1995's Wreck Your Life and 1997's Too Far to Care, this quartet of No Depression poster boys have recorded and played countrified Power Pop so fast and tightly wound-up, their music could give anxiety attacks to cowboys. Their Fight Songs LP took a detour from their usual rodeo clown soundtracks toward a more heartfelt and introspective collection of songs. These tunes juxtapose heavier emotional lyrics with the same up-tempo pace and speed of their previous efforts, although the hillbilly punk aesthetic of their first three records has almost vanished into thin air. - Eric Shea]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7681&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Baroque Pop Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:13:18 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.7681 art.7681 Of Montreal art.7681 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7681&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7681&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Cherry Peel. Over the next ten years and as many incense-and-peppermint-fueled albums, Of Montreal vacillated between a band and a Barnes solo project as it weathered the dissolution of its label, Kindercore, and a near-revolving door lineup as band members left, came back and got married. In 2007, Of Montreal released Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? and in 2008, Skeletal Lamping. - Rachel Devitt]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1424&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss New Wave Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:54 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.1424 art.1424 Squeeze art.1424 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1424&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1424&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss East Side Story (1981), produced by Elvis Costello, found the lads stretching out into country, Rockabilly, orchestrated pop, and Brit-soul -- the last of which led to their signature tune "Tempted," sung by then-keyboardist Paul Carrack. Things turned a bit sour from there, with the darkly experimental Sweets from a Stranger receiving mixed reviews and leading the group to temporarily disband. Since reforming in 1985, they've continued to crank out new albums which, despite having their moments, have lacked both the bite and the shelf life of their earlier work. - Will York]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.18290241&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Alt/Punk Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:40:23 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.18290241 art.18290241 The Maine art.18290241 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.18290241&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.18290241&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss The Way We Talk, a debut EP of catchy power pop influenced by '90s mainstream rockers. During the summer of 2008, the Maine found themselves neck-deep in the music business when they released their first full-length Can't Stop, Won't Stop while simultaneously partaking in the Vans Warped Tour and as openers on The Soundtrack of Your Summer tour. - Richard Iwanik-Marques]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.16527917&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:39:30 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.16527917 art.16527917 We The Kings art.16527917 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.16527917&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.16527917&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.127&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:54:30 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.127 art.127 Matthew Sweet art.127 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.127&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.127&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Girlfriend (1991), he turned loose two of the most innovative players to ever put pick to string, Robert Quine of the Voidoids and Richard Lloyd of Television. Looking over their shoulders, Sweet rounded out his own mastery of the instrument, subsequently playing all the guitar parts on his sixth full-length Blue Sky on Mars (1997). Sweet's concerts often feature the performer flanked by an arsenal of guitars -- using a different one for nearly every song, he evokes moods from jubilation to sorrow with pinpoint precision. With a deft hand and confessional lyrics, he scrupulously renders into song the entire spectrum of human emotion, from gushy sentimentality in "Girlfriend" to bottomed-out exasperation in "Sick of Myself." - Chad Driscoll]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43993&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Baroque Pop Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:05:58 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.43993 art.43993 Josh Rouse art.43993 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43993&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43993&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss This Perfect World. His work has drawn rave reviews from a variety of critical circles for its honest take on contemporary singer-songwritership, as well as for its relaxed, yet quietly edgy musical roundup of steady tempos, melodically supportive trumpet lines, gentle acoustic guitar strumming, and Rouse's wonderfully everyday vocals. Furthermore, his collaboration with Lambchop's Kurt Wagner proves his malleability -- their 1999 EP Chester saw the Nashville pair co-write five songs to excellent results. Fifteen years from now, Rouse could very well wield the same stylistic importance on the next generation of folky singer-songwriters that his influences have had upon his own work. - Charles Hodgkins]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.243&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:54:26 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.243 art.243 Fountains of Wayne art.243 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.243&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.243&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss about guys who live in the suburbs and worry about love. Their self-titled debut was a breath of fresh air, sounding completely contemporary while making classically structured pop rock -- think of a sunnier Matthew Sweet. Their 1999 album Utopia Parkway takes you on a tunnel-of-love tour through strip malls and highway off-ramps with songs that manage to fall somewhere between vitriol and sweetness. In fact, Fountains of Wayne pour a lot of smarts into their dumb pop songs. Key member Adam Schlesinger is also a member of the equally poppy but more melancholy Ivy. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1025&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:19:47 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.1025 art.1025 The Smithereens art.1025 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1025&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1025&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5698&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Adult Alternative Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:56 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.5698 art.5698 Soul Asylum art.5698 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5698&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5698&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Grave Dancers Union in 1993 that they started to find the national fame for which they had so long worked. The band's hit singles -- "Someone to Shove," "Runaway Train," and "Misery" -- rode the pop charts for a brief window, but were somewhat overshadowed by lead vocalist Dave Pirner's relationship with actor Winona Ryder. The group continues to tour, recently releasing Candy from a Stranger. The tracks offered here are from the band's arguably strongest period, its mid-‘80s tenure on Twin Tone. At that time, the Minneapolis triumvirate of Husker Du, Soul Asylum and the Replacements seemed almost unbeatable in the "alternative" pantheon.]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.23319079&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:49:13 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.23319079 art.23319079 Hey Monday art.23319079 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.23319079&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.23319079&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.705&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Adult Alternative Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:19:20 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.705 art.705 The Cardigans art.705 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.705&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.705&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55667&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Indie Pop Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:42:38 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.55667 art.55667 Sondre Lerche art.55667 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55667&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55667&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Faces Down, when he was just 16. Often compared to the orchestral pop stylings of such masters as Burt Bacharach, Lerche's music manages to bend string orchestrations into a whole new indie realm, especially with the addition of his warm and beguiling Scandinavian-accented vocal chords. After touring with Beth Orton (and appearing onstage with boyhood idols A-ha), he released his debut in the U.S. to much acclaim -- Rolling Stone placed it in their 50 Best Records of 2002. He fulfilled the promise of his debut with 2004's Two Way Monologue, a work of lush baroque pop featuring the High Llamas' Sean O'Hagan, who contributed much of the string and horn section charms. At age 25, Lerche surprised everyone with his third album, Duper Sessions, a collection of straight-ahead jazz standards (and a few originals) backed up by the Faces Down Quartet. Like his previous blend of '60s pop, the record is another innovative example of how a Norwegian indie crooner successfully smooches the hand of a cool classic sound. For 2007's Phantom Punch, Sondre Lerche toughened up with a lean, garage rock sound yet his melodic songs still held centerstage. - Michele K-Tel]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.69211&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Brit Rock Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:25:37 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.69211 art.69211 Paul Weller art.69211 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.69211&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.69211&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Wild Wood in 1993 his career and reputation rebounded, he was re-embraced by the fickle British public and press, and he's only strengthened his position with such fine albums as Stanley Road (1995), Illumination, (2002), and the acoustic career retrospective Days of Speed (which includes updates of Jam and Style Council cuts). Driven, hardworking, and undeniably talented, Paul Weller has released consistently strong and relevant material over the course of four decades. It's hard to think of another artist in pop with a similar track record over an equal span of time. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2040&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Adult Alternative Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:04:54 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.2040 art.2040 Semisonic art.2040 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2040&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2040&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.13989839&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Indie Pop Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:15:59 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.13989839 art.13989839 Coconut Records art.13989839 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.13989839&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.13989839&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Rushmore and The Darjeeling Limited. But even before making it in Hollywood, Schwartzman was the drummer and songwriter for California indie band Phantom Planet. Forming a one-man-band was therefore a natural transition for the budding performer. As Coconut Records, he brings a similar carefree stoicism that has made his characters on screen thrive. Influenced by '60s Beach Boys, the Beatles and modern West Coast indie popsters like Weezer, Schwartzman plays nearly every instrument on his self-written and -recorded 2007 debut Nighttiming. He followed it up with by 2009's Davy. - Stephanie Benson]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40330&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Indie/Alternative Sat, 20 Jun 2009 09:07:12 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.40330 art.40330 Hot Hot Heat art.40330 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40330&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40330&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Scenes One Through Thirteen), but things changed for Hot Hot Heat when guitarist Dante DeCaro joined in early 2001, at which point they dropped the synths and moved towards a more stripped down rock 'n' roll -- if persistently pop -- sound. "We've basically brought together four categories of influences: classic Beatles and Stones; punk-rock; the whole singer/songwriter era, and anything contemporary worth listening to," explains Bays. This change of direction was followed by the release of debut EP Knock Knock Knock on Sub Pop in 2002 and, later the same year, LP Make Up The Breakdown, produced by Jack Endino (the knob-twiddler on Nirvana's Bleach). Shortly after the album's release, the band signed with Warner Music. In 2004, having completed the recording of their second album proper, Elevator, DeCaro left Hot Hot Heat to be replaced by Luke Paquina, formerly of San Francisco's the Stradlers. The band went on to release Happiness LTD. in 2007. - Jamie Dolling]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.39305&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Indie Pop Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:28 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.39305 art.39305 New Pornographers art.39305 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.39305&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.39305&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5836&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:39:16 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.5836 art.5836 Badfinger art.5836 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5836&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5836&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Let It Be-era Fab Four. Guitarist Pete Ham's bluesy tones underscored his vocal harmonies, sung in a passionately English timbre with bassist Tom Evans and guitarist Joey Molland. Paul McCartney discovered the band in 1968, and promptly signed them to the Beatles' Apple Records label. Their first hit came in 1969, the memorably catchy "Come And Get It." The two Badfinger hits featured here came from the band's third LP, Straight Up, produced by George Harrison and Todd Rundgren. Ham took his life in 1975, Evans took his in 1983. Molland continues to tour under the Badfinger name. - Eric Shea]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7240206&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Indie Pop Thu, 1 Oct 2009 11:36:01 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.7240206 art.7240206 Dr. Dog art.7240206 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7240206&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7240206&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Toothbrush and Easy Beat, the Philadelphia outfit exhibited a knack for refined melodies and classic composition that's far more in debt to Tin Pan Alley and the Brill Building than, say, the rudimentary hooks of the Velvet Underground's third and fourth records (indie pop's double helix). By 2007's We All Belong, the Dog had shed all those nagging comparisons to Beachwood Sparks and all those Elephant 6 acts, crafting a funky fusion of blue-eyed soul (hey, they're from Philly) and intricate, multilayered harmonies. "My Old Ways" even sounds like a Broadway tune. Indie kids simply don't emote like this. The band grooves and bubbles and loves and romances the way pop groups used to. Blatant nostalgia never sounded so darn sweet. - Justin Farrar]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5015819&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Indie Pop Tue, 3 Nov 2009 11:24:59 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.5015819 art.5015819 Blitzen Trapper art.5015819 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5015819&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5015819&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.38615&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:55:12 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.38615 art.38615 OK Go art.38615 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.38615&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.38615&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1180&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Old School Punk Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:52 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.1180 art.1180 The Jam art.1180 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1180&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1180&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss In the City and This is The Modern World. Even on these early albums the band was displaying a stronger melodic quality than most acts linked to the punk scene but Paul Weller's songwriting took a giant leap forward with 1978's classic All Mod Cons. The album earned a rabid critical reception and went Top Ten throughout Europe, a fate shared by the vastly more sophisticated Setting Sons (1979) and Sound Effects (1980), a vivid merging of '60s psychedelia and punk. The Jam kept up a hectic touring and recording schedule as they kicked off an extended string of No. 1 U.K. pop singles with "Going Underground." The band's final full-length effort, The Gift (1982), combined spiky rock with elements of classic soul and contained the Motown-etched, kitchen sink drama of "A Town Called Malice," which became an alternative radio staple in the U.S. The trio was at their peak of popularity when Weller broke up the band in 1982 (reportedly because he didn't want the band to end up like the Who and the Stones). Weller went on to have great success with the Style Council and a solo career but the Jam continue to be so popular in Britain that a costly retrospective box set of their work reached the U.K. Top Ten in 1997, fifteen years after the band called it a day. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.50027&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Adult Alternative Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:40:19 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.50027 art.50027 Rhett Miller art.50027 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.50027&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.50027&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Mythologies, and he waited 13 years for the follow-up, an Elektra-issued set of decidedly poppy tunes called The Instigator. He found some success placing songs in television and commercial spots and released a third LP in 2006, The Believer. - Nate Cavalieri]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.156&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Pub Rock Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:06:23 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.156 art.156 Nick Lowe art.156 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.156&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.156&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Bowi in a convoluted take-off of that artist's Low), but it's more likely that a talent like Lowe's was doomed to cult-dom from the beginning. If you like your music smart, idiosyncratic and deceptively simple, give him a chance. - Tim Quirk]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4966&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:49:23 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4966 art.4966 Big Star art.4966 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4966&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4966&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Third/Sister Lovers LP boasted a departure from the classic pop/rock formula into a much darker, drug-fueled realm of heartache and loss mixed with over-the-top studio innovation. Many musicians have said that Big Star were to the 1970s what the Velvet Underground were to the 1960s. - Eric Shea]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61776&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:37:25 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.61776 art.61776 The Romantics art.61776 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61776&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61776&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5120264&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Sun, 20 Sep 2009 09:10:48 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.5120264 art.5120264 Ludo art.5120264 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5120264&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5120264&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.48425&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Sun, 11 Oct 2009 10:09:12 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.48425 art.48425 Donnie Iris art.48425 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.48425&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.48425&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6078&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Indie/Alternative Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:55:00 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.6078 art.6078 The Lemonheads art.6078 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6078&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6078&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Hate Your Friends. A cover of Suzanne Vega's "Luka" got them airplay in '89. Critical support followed, but it was It's a Shame About Ray in '92 that found them the widest audience. Their focus had now turned to summery pop like "Confetti" and "Rudderless," which were a perfect blend of Dando's laid-back earnest vocals and strummed guitar. His Indie beefcake looks found him socializing with kids in Hollywood and making sheepish movie appearances. There were the appearances with Oasis, the odd cover songs, the less-catchy new songs and the wearing of dresses. The Lemonheads were eventually dropped from Atlantic, and Evan Dando ran away with the spoon. - Jon Pruett]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.64231&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Thu, 1 Oct 2009 11:36:01 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.64231 art.64231 Rooney art.64231 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.64231&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.64231&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss The OC, you may already know this: there was an episode in the first season revolving around the kids attending a Rooney show with a sketchy cocaine dealer. Not that the band, one of L.A.'s A-list alternative acts, needed the product placement (although it certainly didn't hurt). Rooney's sound comprises a healthy chemistry of power pop influences that pull from a balanced diet of the old (Electric Light Orchestra, the Beach Boys) and the new (Blur, Superdrag) to create infectious melodies dressed up in twangy Fender guitars, retro Moog licks and waves of West Coast soul. Rooney are often mentioned in the same breath as the band Phantom Planet: Rooney's singer/guitarist Robert Carmine is the younger brother of actor Jason Schwartzman, who played Max Fischer in the Wes Anderson film Rushmore and who used to play drums in Phantom Planet, which provided the theme song to The OC. See how incredibly incestuous Hollywood can be? - Eric Shea]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4834&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:25:37 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4834 art.4834 Brendan Benson art.4834 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4834&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4834&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61274&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:27:32 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.61274 art.61274 The Knack art.61274 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61274&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61274&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.11039641&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Brit Rock Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:50:52 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.11039641 art.11039641 The Feeling art.11039641 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.11039641&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.11039641&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4005&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Punk Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:25:01 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4005 art.4005 Buzzcocks art.4005 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4005&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4005&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4219&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:14:21 -0800 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4219 art.4219 Sloan art.4219 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4219&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4219&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Smeared); produced hooky, true-blue classic pop (One Chord to Another); and delivered classic rock-influenced, slightly dirtied power pop (Navy Blues) with the same satisfying end results. Once their secret gets out, maybe Sloan will achieve the success they so deserve outside of their native Canada. Until then, they remain Halifax's most wonderful, engaging secret. - Kali Holloway]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.12410128&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:13:29 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.12410128 art.12410128 Dance Gavin Dance art.12410128 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.12410128&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.12410128&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6130&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Skate Punk Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:14:33 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.6130 art.6130 Strung Out art.6130 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6130&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6130&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.27202961&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Power Pop Fri, 29 May 2009 09:36:16 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.27202961 art.27202961 Tinted Windows art.27202961 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.27202961&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.27202961&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1118&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss Grunge-Pop Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:04:14 -0700 Top Power Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online art.1118 art.1118 Veruca Salt art.1118 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1118&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1118&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpower-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss