Just how exactly do you like your power
pop? Jingly? Jangly? With multiple ringing guitars and soaring three-part
harmonies? In the sugar-coated world of Yellow Pills, bands like Cheap Trick
and the Raspberries are almost as essential as the Beatles- On this
energetic compilation, curator Jordan Oakes unveils a virtual treasure
chest of delightful poptopia.
The
kaleidoscopic topic of power pop is well represented, with previously
unreleased gems by the long-forgotten Plimsouls, as well as tracks from
modern popsters such as the Loud Family and Jason Falkner.
On
the sentimental side, Chicago's Material Issue cleanse their memory
banks with a stirring adaptation of the Grass Roots classic "I'd
Wait A Million Years." Obscure '70s songwriter Andrew Gold
incorporates the sounds of the Beach Boys and the Fab Four on his
joyously derivative selection, "Love Tonight."
Other
noteworthy contributions include "Show And Tell" by Richard Barone
of Bongos fame and "Circles" by Chris von Sneidern.
If
you enjoy three-minute symphonies with an overabundance of hooks and a couple
of extra "la la la's," then Yellow Pills Vol. 4 is the perfect
prescription.
(Big
Deal, POB 2072 Peter Stuyvesant Stn., New York NY 10009) -
-Mitch Myers