The Phonoramas

DEBBIE´S BEDROOM

(phonopop records)

Debbie´s bedroom is the first work of The Phonoramas, a band leaded by SuperdrConrad (singer, writer, composer and guitar) an italian artist who loves The Muffs, Silver Sun, Mr T Experience, Weezer, Ramones,  and also international power pop bands like Copperpot, Fountains of Wayne, Cherry Twister, Cooper, Redd Kross or the Yum-Yums. The rest of the band are Don Cuccovillo (guitar), Wally (bass) and Green Darius (drums and guitar).

What we can listen here? Three songs with envolving powered Ramoned guitars and great harmonies, specially in the Summer Hit catchy chorus. – Fertonic

Contact with The phonoramas

The Pyramidacs 

NOBODY´S FOOL

(rock indiana records)

This is the more mature work of this talented australian power pop band produced, again, by Michael Carpenter (he plays drums too), another australian genius. If you know  Teeter Tooter or Teenage Complications this album wont let you down, is pure power pop and you know what it means. Eddie, Mick, Bill and Michael know what they want. There are two great songs in the cd: “Stupid Questions” (which opens the work) and “I know what I know”. The worst thing is the picture cover, but the cover doesn´t  sound. – Fertonic

Farrah

MOUSTACHE

(2001, ark21 records )

Straight out of York, England, Farrah play pure good old fashioned powerpop, with clear influences ( see their great cover of the rubinoos' " i wanna be your boyfriend "  )

but with a clean & crispy pop sound that could make them have some good airplay in the modern mainstream world...

The songs are all full of hooks, melodies, catchy choruses, and in jez ashurt they have a real good singer/songwriter...

This is a mellow album, the guitars never ring too loud, it's full of slow moments ( maybe a bit too many...) but with " living for the weekend"( i think one of my fave powerpop tracks ever...i don't know, it sounds so english, with its references to the west end, to the weekends as a 2 days paradise...it has something mod in the concept, hasn't it? ) they  penned a total gem... It has lots of great moments, " i wanna b...", " tired of apologizing" to mention a few...oh, & the chorus of " lois lane ", with his simple line ( " if u'll b my lois lane i'll b your superman... "  ) sounds amazing to my ears...one of those lovely little melodies that stick to your head like glue...

Wanting to b really critic, i'd say next time they should rock a bit more...& forget the little funky episodes. -- Phonoco

Weezer

GREEN ALBUM

(2001, Geffen)

Well, i must b honest...I LOVE WEEZER, i always loved their geek coolness &  perfectly crafted rocking pop songs, so maybe i'm not enough objective about this album... anyway..let's try to look like a proper music reviewer.

After their last effort, 96's " pinkerton ", weezer imploded, main composer Rivers Cuomo nearly had a nervous breakdown  for the artistic failure of not reaching the top selling heights of 1st album "weezer”, but now it finally seems they are back with a vengeance &  here to stay this time around.

It's a bit weird after being away for 5 years, they returned with a 10 songs' album that barely reaches 30 minutes, but when the quality is like this, WHO CARES??. Call it a desperate return to the 1st album trademark (the cool green cover, Ric Ocasek at the production desk, the simple & catchy pop songs...all suggests it...), i just don't care, Rivers has lost none of his ability to write great tunes: from the opening dinamics of "don't let go", thru the sweet pop of "island in the sun", the weird metallic single "hash pipe" and so on, what we have here is a collection of little songs, full of hooks, crunchy guitars, funny backup vocals,  "epic" dinamics ( i don't know, i find something in the songs' structure, hmm, epic...the way they lead one into the other...), heartfelt love lyrics...

The highlights are without any doubt "smile" and "photograph",  absolutely brilliant, sharp, short & infectious; & judging from the media coverage & the sold out concerts everywhere,  it finally seems the world was waiting for weezer return. I'm sure geek rock can make  your life better. – phonoco

Protones

COME OUT AND PLAY

(Rock Indiana)

Fourth work of one of the best power pop spanish bands, it´s true they was in the IPO schedule, and I think David Bash never be  wrong (oh, he is the powerpop God!!!!). This cd is strongest than their three previous albums and has all the power pop ingredients. If you thougt the instrumental part of “My Sharona” was the power pop paradigma check the  “Together alone”, “Find your way” or “Now that I think of it” instrumentation. -- Fertonic