curiosity

[WhoYouCallinWeez]

in regards to being called "Powerpop" who, besides Weezer, would classify? the rentals i assume? noob question, just not sure about powerpop groups exsist otherwise, anyone?

p.s. is "geek rock" the same thing?

[Bob511]

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=77:383

[FireAarro]

that dog.

haha, bob, that link doesn't have rentals or ozma, i guess there's different sorts of power pop. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_pop is kinda helpful, it gives explanations and stuff.

[Not Jason]

"Powerpop" has much in common with other genre names in that it's used to describe multiple musical movements that don't necessarily have a whole lot directly in common.  I don't consider myself an expert on any incarnations of the term prior to the "Weezer" definition of powerpop, though I know it was in use for decades beforehand.  In modern times, I'd say Weezer is the basis for comparison, but I'd probably stretch it out to describe a lot of modern "indie" bands too.  Anything that's built on strong pop sensibilities, like Ted Leo or maybe even The New Pornographers in certain examples (I was just listening to them) I would think to classify as such.  In my eyes, powerpop necessarily possesses some ultra-sugary qualities, which is what separates it from other similarly delivered punk and rock music.  That's all just my opinion though.

"Geek Rock" is a seperate term, from my observasions at least.  It's often used to describe powerpop bands, but it is not synonomous.  I wouldn't think to consider "Geek Rock" a genre, it's more of accurately a descriptive term that you can use on almost any genre so long as the example is applicable.  Anybody that has ever covered a videogame song can probably be safely categorized.

[WhoYouCallinWeez]

ok so i guess Weez did not pioneer this subgenre. shows what i knew. does anyone like the Raspberries? how good are the groups of the 70s that allmusic lists? so the Knack counts, hahaha awesome.

[bulb dylan]

Wow, allmusic has a pretty good list! I love all of those bands. The Raspberries are great. "Go All the Way" is such sweetness. Unfortunately, Eric Carmen from the Rasps also gave us the saccharine sap "All by Myself" and the lovely Dirty Dancing song "Hungry Eyes." The 80's weren't kind to some of those guys.

As for Weezer, I would say they have a heavy powerpop influence, but the more modern sounds of their recordings and instruments (read: not vintage-inspired sounds) and even some lyrical themes would put them out of "powerpop" in a classic sense.

It has been said time and again that the biggest powerpop band is Cheap Trick. No true powerpop bands had yet before or have since matched their commercial success. It is also said that powerpop is doomed to fail: It is good, melodic music that will get you some girls, some guys will like it and come to your shows, but it isn't very manly, and might get you beat up.

Here is what Steve Albini says about it:

Steve Albini
The bands you mention (Big Star, Raspberries, Flaminââ,¬â,,¢ Groovies, Cheap Trick, Dwight Twilley, Shoes, dBââ,¬â,,¢s, Matthew Sweet, Posies) are utterly unrelated. I can tolerate some of them, love the Flaminââ,¬â,,¢ Groovies and Cheap Trick and have a profound hatred of the rest. I cannot bring myself to use the term ââ,¬Å"power pop.ââ,¬Â Catchy mock-descriptive terms are for dilettantes and journalists. I guess you could say I think this music is for pussies and should be stopped.

Read some of those quotes from that article. It's great.

Oh yeah- The Flamin' Groovies and the Green Pajamas have to be mentioned. And Big Star. Yeah.

[heysarahsarah]

Great topic.  A lot of Ozma's influences would definitely be considered power-pop, esp ELO, Cheap Trick etc. 

I love power pop as a genre, but I also like more poppy/poppy stuff, lately Mamas and the Papas (specifically some Mama Cass), which I can hear a lot of Ozma in..it's Samuel how progressive some of these bands are.  If you put on a Mama's and the Papas album without knowing who it was, you'd sware it's the newest indie hipster band.  Great stuff.  Obviously their big hits are good too, but there is some awesome stuff on their albums too. 

[I like ozma]

The Beatles.

[The Other Mike]

The Beatles.

nope.

[bulb dylan]

The Beatles.

nope.

Thank you!

[WhoYouCallinWeez]

wow. i was waiting for someone to mess up and say "the beatles".

i agree with HeySarah on the Mamas and Papas, but i HATEEEEEEEEEEE "monday, monday". so maybe i dont agree 100% but i LOVE e.l.o. "dont bring me down" is the JAM! i saw Cheap Trick with Skid Row and Nugent open for Kiss in 99, didnt know they were a big "powerpop" band. awesome!

[heysarahsarah]

wow. i was waiting for someone to mess up and say "the beatles".

i agree with HeySarah on the Mamas and Papas, but i HATEEEEEEEEEEE "monday, monday". so maybe i dont agree 100% but i LOVE e.l.o. "dont bring me down" is the JAM! i saw Cheap Trick with Skid Row and Nugent open for Kiss in 99, didnt know they were a big "powerpop" band. awesome!

WHAT!?  "Monday, Monday" is a great song

[I like ozma]

so you guys are disagreeing with wikipedia and saying the beatles have no powerpop songs?

[The Other Mike]

The Beatles are a pop band, not a power-pop band.  I guess they may have some songs that could be considered power-pop (I didn't check the wikipedia page), but I don't think many people would consider it to be their genre.

[claydarcy]

so you guys are disagreeing with wikipedia and saying the beatles have no powerpop songs?

I love your "Wikipedia has authority"-style tone.

Wikipedia's written by idiots as well as competent people.

[yoshigaki]

My definition: power chord-based rock that isn't punk.

[WhoYouCallinWeez]

The Beatles are a pop band, not a power-pop band.

exactly! obviously the beatles are not POWER pop, just pop

[bulb dylan]

The Beatles are a pop band, not a power-pop band.

exactly! obviously the beatles are not POWER pop, just pop

The Beatles pre-date the genre. Like the Kinks and the Who sound like punk bands, but they aren't. That's what "Proto-punk" is used for. OHNOANOTHERJOHNRA

[Not Jason]

The Beatles are a pop band, not a power-pop band.

exactly! obviously the beatles are not POWER pop, just pop

The Beatles pre-date the genre. Like the Kinks and the Who sound like punk bands, but they aren't. That's what "Proto-punk" is used for. OHNOANOTHERJOHNRA

Additionally, I find it helpful to think of these things as movements rather than genres.  It makes it a little easier because you don't have to quantify what stylistically ties it together.  When I speak of powerpop, I try to make it clear that I'm speaking of the 90s movement.

[the other jason]

i think of ozma when i think power pop, nobody else.

[WhoYouCallinWeez]

well, yes, ozma is the only current powerpop band working. if someone knows of ANY other powerpop bands right now, please name one. weezer/the rentals i assume is all that is left of the genre

but what bout the weezer-clone bands of the mid-90s? Nada Surf, Superdrag, Nerf Herder? are they power pop or just geek rock? i actually like nada surf/superdrag still, but nerf herder is one of the worst groups i've EVER heard, and i had the MASSIVE displeasure of seeing them at PunkoRama 2002, i only went cuz a freind wanted to see the other groups.

[I like ozma]

well, yes, ozma is the only current powerpop band working. if someone knows of ANY other powerpop bands right now, please name one.

To the rescue, Dan Schmitz, and luzer. To name a few... I think.

[WhoYouCallinWeez]

hmmmmmm the only one i can find anything on is Luzer, do they suck? looks like they have 3 albums, can't listen to any samples, not sure why.

ah, ok found some clips here
http://www.track1music.com/download/track1downloads.aspx

not that great.

[I like ozma]

is it pronounced loser or luhzer?

[I like ozma]

here is a description of "bowling for soup"s new album

The sixth album from the Texas band with the mildly funny songs is shamelessly bright  :opower-pop  :opunk. But between the we're-happy-to-be-happy "I'm Gay" and the laudatory "Val Kilmer," the dozens of not really clever jokes about crazy girls and John Mellencamp, and whined harmonies and chug-a-chug guitars that blend together, the songs wear out their charm with a quickness.

[Not Jason]

Let me just say, before I say anything else in this thread, and in spite of anything I've already said in this thread, that obsessing over what genre title means what is a pointless and stupid thing to do.  It can be an entertaining and interesting application of time however, which is why I continue.

well, yes, ozma is the only current powerpop band working. if someone knows of ANY other powerpop bands right now, please name one. weezer/the rentals i assume is all that is left of the genre

but what bout the weezer-clone bands of the mid-90s? Nada Surf, Superdrag, Nerf Herder? are they power pop or just geek rock? i actually like nada surf/superdrag still, but nerf herder is one of the worst groups i've EVER heard, and i had the MASSIVE displeasure of seeing them at PunkoRama 2002, i only went cuz a freind wanted to see the other groups.

First off, Nerf Herder (at least older Nerf Herder, I don't know what they're up to these days) kicks ass.  I'd call them pop-punk before I'd pull out the powerpop classification though.  I don't know if this puts me in a minority, but really, I think Nerf Herder is pretty cool.  They might just suck live though, I don't know, I've never seen them.

As far as your statement goes, I think that for one, you're using a very limited definition of powerpop.  Since it's already been established in this thread that the ozma/weezer version of powerpop is a bit of a stretch of the classification, you certainly can't limit your definition to just bands that sound like Weezer.  There are plenty of active bands that perform in styles more close to the original definition of powerpop, but I'll let somebody more knowledgable cite an example or two.

[WhoYouCallinWeez]

Yes, im a sucker for any Weezesque sounding band, hence my freinds turning me on to Ozma in 00 with Inaudible Sounds. I can say i tried Nerf Herder i have the album with Van Halen on it, and i hateeeeeeeeddddddd it. i honestly dont call them power pop, i just think that geek rock fits. i understand im annoying with my genre classifications, but its just how i think.

[malcolm]

speaking of nerf herder, when i was in high school there was this shitty band and the lead singer covered all nerf herder songs claiming he wrote them. no one was the wiser because... its nerf herder (save for me and maybe one other person).
apparently he uploaded the songs they did to a website and after his band were around for a few months he was written a letter of notice from a representative from the nerf citing a lawsuit if he didn't take the songs off the web page and to discontinue song right claims.
everyone in school eventually found out and i'm pretty sure he was a social outcast after that.

[I like ozma]

Yes, im a sucker for any Weezesque sounding band, hence my freinds turning me on to Ozma in 00 with Inaudible Sounds. I can say i tried Nerf Herder i have the album with Van Halen on it, and i hateeeeeeeeddddddd it. i honestly dont call them power pop, i just think that geek rock fits. i understand im annoying with my genre classifications, but its just how i think.

i agree with everything you said about nerf herder. i dont like them, but i dont dislike them

[Not Jason]

speaking of nerf herder, when i was in high school there was this shitty band and the lead singer covered all nerf herder songs claiming he wrote them. no one was the wiser because... its nerf herder (save for me and maybe one other person).
apparently he uploaded the songs they did to a website and after his band were around for a few months he was written a letter of notice from a representative from the nerf citing a lawsuit if he didn't take the songs off the web page and to discontinue song right claims.
everyone in school eventually found out and i'm pretty sure he was a social outcast after that.

Thank you.  That's an awesome story.