Poppy Alternative at its Finest
598842
The Dandy's Warhols' DANDY WARHOLS COME DOWN is a spectacular alternative album.  COME DOWN feels almost like a alternative music history book, covering some of the most important and entertaining alternative-rock moments of the past few decades.  If the Velvet Underground were around and kicking today, the album they created would be similar to this.  It is at times readily accessible (pop hits such as "Every Day Should be a Holiday" and "Not if You Were the Last Junkie on Earth") and at others, atmospheric post-rock ("Be In" and "Pete International Airport").  This collection of 14 songs surely has something for all listeners.

After being humbled by Capitol Records (their original debut was shelved for "not having enough hits,") the Dandy Warhols went back to the studio to work on songs that made their way to this release.  The result is a band that is trying to be both melody-focused/radio-ready and alternative/cool.  The band here comes across as detached and ironic, but it works.  These songs just feel cool and hip, even 15 years after its release.

New listeners are in for a treat -- this album is really great.  These songs mark a great place for any new listener to begin in the band's catalog.  Fans of the Pixies, Stone Temple Pilots' later work, Velvet Underground, or just 90's music in general will find a lot to enjoy with DANDY WARHOLS COME DOWN.  Recommended highlights for sampling: "Not if You Were the Last Junkie on Earth," "Boys Better," and "Good Morning."
4392499
The 2nd release from this exceptional London band is a perfect combination of shadowy, billowing power and pure psychedelic pop songs.  Dreamy flower-flecked acid tunes with fascinating, float-all-day hummable melodies and brilliantly smooth harmonies abound.  Propulsive Krautrock rhythms coruscate with a kaleidoscopic beauty.  The mellifluous nature of the songs radiates a compelling warmth, while the band's predilection for extended hallucinogenic passages and chugging, motorik repetition adds a subtle edge of darkness & danger.  This is music that opens its arms to you with a flowing dramatic flourish; it demands complete immersion.  Everything here invites
you to be absorbed with the natural grace and integrity of pure, epic songcraft.  The album references a number of great bands: The Horrors, Asteroid No. 4, the Teardrop Explodes, the Phoenix Foundation, Spiritualized, R.E.M., Tame Impala, the Megaphonic Thrift, Crocodiles, the Stone Roses, Neu!, the Low Frequency In Stereo, etc.  Toy has captured the drifting melody-core of pop music while maintaining a structural balance that allows the songs to sparkle with a gripping psychedelic sheen.  Their 2012 self-titled debut was number four on my "Best of" list for that year; "Join the Dots" could easily place higher this year.  It doesn't get much better than this.  Stunning.
358226
Normally I hate really poppish alternative rock, and it makes me sick to my stomach.  However, the Goo Goo Dolls are a band I just can't resist.  I don't know what it is about them, but I love everything they do.  I own every album they've put out (even the scary hardcore punk albums, which are awesome), except for the new one (which I will buy very soon!).  So far, this band has yet to put out anything I don't like .  This is one of the few bands that doesn't have a single song I don't like.
I don't know, there's just something different about this band.  They present their music differently than the others in the genre, and they do it much better.  The lyrics are more clever, and the songs more well-made.  "Iris" and "Black Baloon" are just excellent ballads, with nice symphonic arrangements (and the latter is about heroin addiction, in case you didn't know).  "Broadway" is another favorite of mine.  Good lyrics, nice chorus.  But really, every song here is great.
If you like alternative rock, this is a band you really need to get into.  They're way better than Lifehouse, the Calling, Vertical Horizon, and all those other lame-os.  I like "A Boy Named Goo" the best, but they're all perfect.
3328854
I'm surprised none of the other reviews mention the Connells or Fountains of Wayne. To me, these guys sound like a perfect hybrid of the aforementioned bands. Very catchy, good melodies, better-than-average  lyrics. The guitar sound is one of the things that really sets this album  apart from most other pop bands. There are some really nice intertwining  guitar lines, reminiscent of Television and Big Dipper (does anyone  remember Big Dipper?) One of my most satisfying purchases in years.
1572467
Depending on my mood, this can be my favorite Ween album.  Ween will never be mistaken for a master band, but they are extremely talented, and Aaron Freeman has some pretty astounding songwriting skills.  I am giving this five stars for being very good at what it is.  If I were comparing this to albums like the Replacements' Tim, or pretty much anything by Beck, it would lose a star.

If you are not familiar with Ween, check it out.  Excellent pop-rock-alternative.
2128184
As a U.S. citizen hopelessly in love with Brit Pop, there are only so many bands that don't have decent stateside record deals that I can keep up with. While I was busy ordering pricey imports from The Beautiful South, Pulp, The Zutons and The Coral, a sleek vocal group called Girls Aloud ruled the UK pop charts for a decade. I never heard a single one of their tracks, and honestly didn't pay attention until one of the girls, Cheryl Cole, became a judge on the X Factor. While Lady Gaga certainly has madder skills, Cheryl is arguably the most beautiful pop star on the world stage these days. But can she sing and hold her own when not flanked by four other aloud girls?

3 Words starts strong as thunder. The title track is dark, alluring and deliciously weird and insanely catchy. It's a tango between Cheryl and King Pea will.i.am. The lead-single, Parachute, is one of the best pop songs of the past decade. By this point, I was thinking, wow - this is a paradigm shifting pop masterpiece on par with Bjork's solo debut.

And then we get hit with track three, Heaven. If you decide to have a drinking game to sip every time they slaughter the line "my heaven's with you" - your liver is toast. They repeat the line so often, I headed to FAO Schwartz to cleanse my ears with their constant-loop "welcome to our world of toys" theme song. At one point, I swear she's singing "my heavens white chew" and he's saying "my haven's wit Jew." Ugh, awful next.

The album gets back on track with some decent teen-targeted pop. Rain on Me is a high energy banger - as cliche as the lyrical metaphor is. Most likely, it was an excuse to soak Cheryl in the video. Make Me Cry and Stand Up return the album to high energy greatness. The album closes with more will.i.am duets, one with Cheryl in the lead, the other is basically all him.

All in all, it's a solid start. I can't wait for her new album to arrive in the mail. I heard she just got a US deal as well, so both of these discs should soon be available in more affordable versions - and if the label was smart, they will include all of Cheryl's b-sides on both.
3518063
11th album from this iconic Scottish band who play gorgeously addictive, top-of-the-line, gently melodic pop with ringing guitar chords and beautiful vocal harmonies.  Some of the songs are fleshed out with the addition of trumpet, cello, harp and violin.  All of the songs project a subtle, hum-along melodic strength that will put a smile on your face and a tap in your toes.  Reminiscent of bands like Velvet Crush, Ultimate Painting, Almost Charlie, Tranquility, The Byrds, Nada Surf. Here is simply the sound of perfect pop music, a satisfying and relaxing moment to share with a friend.  Recommended to all pop lovers.
646987
I am not typically one to seek out up and coming musicians. I'm lazy about such things and wait for a body of work before buying whole albums, if ever. And I'd rather listen to Dean Martin or Johnny Cash than 99.99% of what passes for contemporary music. But this young woman is really, really good. She isn't going to be filling any large venues with her unassisted voice, but in the small intimate space, where she whispers her stories in your ear, filled with tragic optimism, there she excels.

I thoroughly enjoyed this album. Who would have thought that opium addiction (Poppy) could be presented in such a bouncy toe tapper. Which seems to be the modus operandi of the whole album: tell a sad story you can sing along to.  Enjoyable on so many levels.

I just hope she doesn't get caught in a rut,  and continues creating unique things, because I think she could do a lot with her talents, and there are a lot of musical textures out there to play with. For some reason, I think she could do something with Patsy Cline's standards, or maybe a children's album.
1257418
Of all of the countless obscure pop punk bands in the early 2000s, this is easily one of the best. Home Grown were a terrific band with a fantastic sound and definitely deserved more attention. This particular album is especially great. Kings of Pop to me has the perfectly mixed sound reminiscent of Blink-182 and late 90's Green Day. Worth a listen for sure
3643082
I listen to this album when I'm working on design projects at the office late into the night. Unlike some of their contemporaries, Stereolab's music  rarely leaves me with a feeling of bleakness and loneliness that I experience listening to some of their fellow retro-futurists. This album is poppy and interesting, while still being low-key and subtle in its use of generated sounds. The songs are not repetitive and montonous, each have their own sound and themes. This entire album is well worth a listen from beginning to end.
This album draws from (or has inspired) quite a few difficult genres of music but is in itself, very approachable, and very, very good.  Where some of the other purveyors of digital-age music may be a little extreme for the casual listener, this album is comfortable and inviting. Bands like Kraftwerk, Squarepusher, and Roni Size may make use of some of the same themes and styles that Stereolab uses on this album, but none of them sell the same feeling of enjoyment and inclusion. Rather than distancing the listener from humanity with a deluge of electronic noise and synthetic distractions, Stereolab keep the sound warm and upbeat. Using analog equipment and beautiful female voices reminiscent of the Velvet Underground's Nico (though quite a bit more melodic) they maintain a spacy retro-future sound that is quite a refreshing break from standard alternative radio rock.
If you are looking for something new, this album is the perfect place to start. If you are looking for a new Stereolab album to buy this should definitely top your list.
1563265
Anyone who has heard both Enema of the State and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket knows TOYPAJ is probably the better of the two. This album is by far not punk but hard pop. It's quite a bit better than EOTS. Songs like "Stay Together For The Kids" and "Anthem Pt. 2" have the more "rockier" feel to them while the first single "Rock Show" and "First Date" have more of a poppy sound. My suggestion is if you like their pop-rock, go for this. If you want a harder Blink then by Dude Ranch (in my opinion it's the best).
1630232
Wow, this plant has so many wonderful powers, and is an real alternative to so many medications, and other foods. great stuff !
548550
I don't listen to a whole lot of pop music. One of my few favorite pop albums at the moment is Natasha Bedingfield's US version of N.B POCKETFUL OF SUNSHINE. I have to admit I haven't heard N.B, much less Natasha's first album. POS is a fun, melodic pop album that sunk its lively, infectious pop hooks into this goth/industrial listener. I checked out POCKETFUL OF SUNSHINE on a whim a couple of weeks ago and have been listening to the cd quite a bit since then. I personally think Natasha reminds me of another UK artist Lily Allen but with a cleaner image. Natasha's music definitely shares that same reggae/ska/pop sound that I have heard on Lily's music. There were a few tracks that didn't do much for me like "Happy" and "Love Like This". My personal favorite track on the cd is "Angel". I love the chorus. The lyrics flowed nicely to the reggae-lite melodies. While I may not have loved all of the songs on POCKETFUL OF SUNSHINE, I still enjoy listening to the cd. It is a fun pop album.
4174415
Insane album for lovers of catchy, danceable pop music that isn't aimed at the pre-teen market.  So many of these songs are gems, and I dare say this is the best pop album of 2009.  Notable highlights are "Burning", "We Keep on Rock'in", "Stay the Night" and the curiously infectious ode to narcissism "My My Me and Mine".  And their cover of "Funkytown" does justice to the amazing groove of the original record - with the last 40 seconds is pure electro-bliss :) You won't be disapointed!

I am only sad that such great music likely won't get the promotion it deserves outside of Scandinavia.  A true shame as this album proves that region of the world is at the cutting edge of pop music, and these tunes have the durability to last a very, very long time.
66880
First,you'll be captivated by Neko's vocals in "Mass Romantic" and "Letter from an Occupant."  Then you'll fall for other high energy songs like "The Body says no" and "The Slow descent into Alcoholism."  Eventually you'll realize that the relatively unorthodox tunes like "Execution day" and "The Mary Martin Show" are your favorites.
  With over-the-top layering the Mass Romantic Album will remind you of some old perky Brit-pop, but at the same time it is so original and flavorful that your musical palate will be tickled.  If you ever enjoyed pop rock, you will be dazzled by this joyous romp from the New Pornographers.  Easily one of the best albums of the past few years.
4874536
"Aloha Moon" is wonderful, dreamy, sexy and cool indie/electro/pop music with an edge. The vinyl sounds absolutely great, the gatefold album is beautifully made, and the picture disc is a very nice collector's item. I wish bands like Magic Wands got more attention: They are easily up there with more well known acts such as Handsome Furs or Washed out - but in my humble opinion, Magic Wands' songwriting is superior. Just listen to a few of the tracks (Aloha Moon, Black Magic and Kiss Me Dead are good starting points) and hear for yourself.

Only two things (and that is the only reason why I give "only" four stars) are a slight bummer: The download provided with the vinyl records does not include the remixes on the deluxe digital version (which is a shame, I would be interested in hearing them), and my favorite song (Black Magic), even though it sounds great, was digitally available at some point in an earlier version (not the very early version out on 7" vinyl, something in between), which I personally preferred to the album version. It's a record that spins regularly at my place, and will probably do this for a long time.
1427522
As someone who follows pop music very closely, this fully realized album by Joy Zipper (couple Vincent and Tabitha, now married) came out of nowhere and blew me away. One review explained it as "Kim and Thurston from Sonic Youth reciting Pet Sounds to each other as pillow talk", but I believe the more apt comparison to think of is Kevin Shields and Bilinda Butcher from My Bloody Valentine. At the risk of sounding pretentious, this is the first album I have heard since My Bloody Valentine's Loveless that captured the everyday beauty and fragility of life and love, yet the sound is totally their own.

With references to God, android memories, Alan Watts, and hallucinogens along with the more mundane, the music successfully conveys the incomprehensible beauty and darkness of our existence. Among the songs I love that are very accessible are "Christine Bonilla" (track 5), the instrumental "Pan Moota" (track 6), and the very catchy "The Power of Alan Watts" (track 11).

Their second album, 'American Whip' was just as inspired (possibly more inspired and realized) as their first album. (Not surprisingly Joy Zipper was embraced in the United Kingdom where they are better known.) They managed to balance the light and darkness again hitting on topics such as Christmas, Alzheimer's and suicide. They pull it off and make you glad to be alive and conscious in this incomprehensibly lovely/scary/absurd universe.