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Modern Power Pop

 
 

Description of Modern Power Pop

 
There's no question that purveyors of modern power pop are constantly looking over their shoulders to the sugared sounds of '70s and '80s acts like Big Star, Cheap Trick and Badfinger. But the principals of the sound have remained the same throughout the decades: big backbeats, sweet melodies, catchy hooks and clever lyrical turns. No one embodies these better than Matthew Sweet, whose Girlfriend set a high bar with its deliriously catchy tunes when it came out in 1991, but the optimistic '90s saw a crop of acts like Jellyfish, the Cardigans and Weezer deliver sunny, broadly influential examples of the genre. In recent years, Fountains of Wayne have carried the torch with moderate commercial success, and the lines between power pop and pop punk have become hazy. A crop of popular independent acts like Brendan Benson, Ted Leo and Spoon, however, have bounced along just below the radar.
 

Filed Under

 
Alt/Punk  >  Power Pop  >  Modern Power Pop
 

Modern Power Pop Key Artists

 
Beachwood Sparks

They began as a Cosmic
American Music band, but
became canyon Twee Pop.
Their fey harmonies can
sound like elves singing. T...

Ben Folds

Folds is a
multi-instrumentalist who
doesn't just rock the piano,
he rocks the bass and
drums, as well. When Ben...

Brendan Benson

As a solo musician, Brendan
Benson concocts sugary
sweet power pop that is
quite addictive. Benson is a
multitalented songwriter...

Fountains of Wayne

Shameless lovers of perfect
pop, this New York group
pay tribute to the art of the
verse/chorus/verse. Bassist
and songwriter Adam Schl...

Jason Falkner

Beginning as a pup in the
Paisley Underground, Jason
Falkner was the perennial
bridesmaid of '90s West
Coast power pop. He was...

Jellyfish

The San Francisco group's
neo-psychedelia was
heavily influenced by
"paisley underground"
bands like the Three O'Cl...

Josh Rouse

Among the finest
singer-songwriters of his
generation, Josh Rouse
writes vivid tunes with old
world pop hooks. Rouse...

Matthew Sweet

Schooled in the Beatles and
Big Star, Matthew Sweet's
sugar-coated Power Pop
found success on
alternative radio in the '90...

Sloan

Sloan is a Canadian group
noted for their unabashed
dedication to creating pure,
unabashed pop songs that
rock. Like Seattle's Posies...

Spoon

The Austin, Texas-based
Spoon began as an indie
rock band heavily
influenced by the jarring
melodic dissonance and l...

Superdrag

The members of Superdrag
met while in the band the
Used. Superdrag borrow
equally from British Invasion
groups such as the Beatle...

Ted Leo

Ted Leo's sharp, angular
music draws inspiration
from "poetic punks" such as
Elvis Costello and Paul
Weller. Before going solo,...

Teenage Fanclub

From distorted, noise pop to
jangly, country-kissed pop,
the Fanclub prove they are
masters of melody. In 1993,
the group recorded a son...

The Cardigans

The Cardigans employ many
keyboards and electronic
drums for their classic indie
and chamber pop creations.
Their pop hit "Lovefool," f...

The Lemonheads

Punk rock! Jangle Pop!
Movie Stars! Crack Cocaine
-- the Lemonheads have just
about done it all. Evan
Dando is the son of a fashi...

Weezer

Since coming together in
Los Angeles in 1992, the
members of Weezer have
lived an especially
capricious existence: In t...

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