Powerpop – Origins

It was one David Wilt that introduced me to the term ‘Powerpop’. At that time – I associated the term with bands like The Wondermints, Fountain of Wayne – and more recently The Orange Peels. Until last night I had not given it much more thought – except that it is one of the genres that I store by in iTunes.

And then – what I have now calculated to be as near as damn it to 20 years to the day since we met – one Hugh Byrne and wonderful wife Nanette met for dinner. The things you discover … but we won’t go there now.

Somehow we got onto Powerpop – and I discovered how wrong I have been for ten years.

Hugh sent me this email this morning …..

Follow up on origins of  ”PowerPop”.  I recalled the term was coined by an independent record company/magazine called Bomp in the mid-70s, but have also heard it tagged to Pete Townsend’s description of the “The Who Sell Out” era.  From Bomp 1994 retrospective article:

 

POWERPOP TO THE PEOPLE!

Punk had already had its day by 1978, when Bomp Magazine ran a cover story proposing Powerpop: a hybrid style with the power and guts of punk, but drawing on a pop song tradition with wider popular appeal. I had in mind bands like The Who and The Easybeats, (hell, even The Sex Pistols fit my definition!) but much to my chagrin, the term was snapped up by legions of limp, second-rate bands hoping the majors would see them as a safe alternative to punk. I took a lot of heat for starting the whole business, but at the same time, some good bands came through and Bomp worked with many of them, including Shoes, 20/20, Paul Collins, The Plimsouls, and The Romantics. These all went from Bomp to major labels, and made some great records.

Who’d have known. I throw it in here.

Should never have questioned Mr Byrne …. he goes on …

Great to see Orange Peels mentioned.

A couple of suggestions if you’re ever curious, in no particular order:

The Mayflies USA (Summertown being their best)

OK Go (probably know them from videos)

New Pornographers/Zumpano(first album, Look What the Rookie Did)

Something Happens (great Irish band, 1990s “Stuck Together With God’s Glue” being their classic).

Also, Rhino’s DIY series from the early 90s is an amazing 9-disc (sold ala carte) compilation of Brit & American from 1973-1983, with 4 CDs on Power Pop, 4 on Punk, and 1 devoted to the Boston music scene.

and then …

RE New Pornographers: Check out Zumpano’s (A.C./Carl Newman’s pre NP venture) “Look What the Rookie Did” — a PowerPop classic, so I throw them in with Zumpano, and they are clearly launched from PowerPop roots.

Have to say – I agree.

Personally, a big fan of the genre. Any others I should be checking out?

Well – guess what – there’s more.