Bloggerhythms

Kirk Waldrop's power pop quartet, Nine Times Blue, is back with their second release, the six-song EP, Matter Of Time. Waldrop (lead vocals, guitar, composer) is joined by Greg King (lead guitar and backing vocals), Jeff Nelson (bass and backing vocals), and Jason Brewer (drums and percussion). While the sidemen are listed as the band on their ten song debut, Falling Slowly , they only play on two of the tracks. Here, on the new disc, King, Nelson, and Brewer are the full time supporting cast and they lay down a solid foundation for Waldrop's vocals and songs. The change in personnel hasn't done much to alter the sound of the group. They still have the same DNA as Arizona's Gin Blossoms and they also owe a debt of gratitude to a host of other bands who preceded them including Fountains of Wayne who sound like they've penetrated Waldrop's soul too. This means that music lovers who have an affinity for rock that is straightforward, well sung, well played,...

Here are Bloggerhythms' Top 5 album releases of the year with links to their original reviews. 5. Boz Scaggs - Memphis Scaggs is still one of the best blue-eyed soul men in music. That hasn't changed in decades. 4. California Transit Authority - Sacred Ground The sophomore release from Danny Seraphine and his current band makes full use of a horn section and blows the socks off of anything his old band, Chicago, has done in thirty years. 3. Michael Bublé - To Be Loved This album is very Bublé. His excellent big band style vocals and his bright personality always shine through. 2. The Boston Boys - Keep You Satisfied The second EP from a young, folk-rock quartet. They are already as good as anyone in the business and we await their first full length album. 1. The Lone Bellow - The Lone Bellow This is the album of the year. This trio's debut leaves a similar outfit, The Lumineers, choking on their fumes. Some of the best new finds of the year do ...

Power Pop, so named by Pete Townsend, has always been one of rock's most loved sub-genres and for good reason. With its emphasis on song structure, melody, strong lead vocals, and heavy guitar riffs that don't meander into long solos it's music that is readily accessible. Power Pop was part of the makeup of everyone from the early Beatles, The Kinks, The Who (pre-Tommy), The Raspberries, Nick Lowe, Squeeze, The Posies, Marshall Crenshaw, and a host of others. More recent acts such as Fountains of Wayne and Del Amitri have also become important representatives of the style. Now we can add to the list, Nine Times Blue, a mighty fine new quartet named after an old Michael Nesmith song. The Atlanta outfit's debut CD, Falling Slowly , could easily have been a hit if it had been released in an era when groups like this one received regular radio airplay. The disc is loaded with ten original songs that check in at a concise thirty-eight minutes. The band sounds a l...