New music: Ollee Owens, Continental Drifters, Beth Hart, The Armoires

In this column I highlight a number of outstanding new audio titles available now.

Artist: Ollee Owens

Title: Nowhere to Hide (Ollee Owens Music)
You might like if you enjoy: Beth Hart, Larkin Poe
Tell me more: On her outstanding new album Nowhere to Hide, Canadian soul/blues singer Ollee Owens taps into the day-to-day ups and downs of everyday life and sets that palpable tapestry to song. Her real world-focused songcraft is bolstered by her rich soprano that fuses soul, gospel and blues as well as the musical contributions of famed guitarist Will McFarlane on eight of the album's 11 tracks. Produced by Bobby Blazier, a number of studio musicians add magic to the proceedings. The range of material ranges from the nuanced title track and Muscle Shoals-flavored "Some Days" to the emotive blues ballad "Roots," joyful "Love You Better" and soulful "Still in Pieces." The album closes out with a rousing horn section-adorned reading of the 1990 Los Lobos track "The Neighborhood" and stirring version of Bob Dylan's "Lord Protect My Child." Information: olleeowens.com.

Artist: Continental Drifters

Title: White Noise & Lightning: The Best of Continental Drifters (Omnivore Recordings)
You might like if you enjoy: The Bangles, Peter Holsapple, the Jayhawks

Tell me more: For those who haven't yet caught up with the magic of Continental Drifters, White Noise & Lightning: The Best of Continental Drifters is the perfect introduction to the beloved collective. The 11-track LP and 15-track audio CD collection casts an outstanding light on the congregation of musical talents whose members first found fame in the illustrious likes of the Bangles, Dream Syndicate, the dB's, the Cowsills and more. Brilliant songcraft, top-tier musicianship and alluring vocal harmonies are among the key elements of Continental Drifters' signature sound. Among this writer's top cuts is the jangly opener "The Rain Song" co-penned by Susan Cowsill and Vicki Peterson, the propulsive Americana rocker "Mezzanine" featuring Carlo Nuccio, countrified Peter Holsapple-penned "Invisible Boyfriend," shimmering "Get Over It," dreamy "Mixed Messages" and reflective "Drifters." The CD version of the collection features a previously unissued 12-minute live version of "Who We Are, Where We Live." The beautiful LP and audio CD packaging of the Omnivore Recordings release contains new liner notes from Sean Kelly (author of the band biography "White Noise & Lightning: The Continental Drifters Story." Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com.

Artist: Beth Hart

Title: You Still Got Me (Provogue Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Beth Hart, Slash, Eric Gales, Janis Joplin

Tell me more: Modern blues songstress Beth Hart is back with her 11th studio album You Still Got Me, a hard hitting disc of original blues-rock sure to please fans of the Los Angeles-based artist. Armed with a strong and gritty voice, Hart delivers a slew of great tracks on the Kevin Shirley-produced album including the forceful "Savior With A Razor" (featuring lead guitar from Slash), the heavy blues cut "Suga N My Bowl" (the latter bolstered by the work of guitar great Eric Gales), the lovely title track "You Still Got Me," the tender "Little Heartbreak Girl" and the stirring single "Wonderful World." Information: bethhart.com.

Artist: The Armoires

Title: Octoberland (Big Stir Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs, Fleetwood Mac, The Sundays

Tell me more: Released on Oct. 11, the Armoires' fourth album Octoberland is an exhilarating listen sure to please fans of top-tier indie rock and power pop. Produced by Michael Simmons (of sparkle*jets u.k. fame), the Armoires — singer-keyboardist Christina Bulbenko, singer-guitarist Rex Broome, drummer John M. Borack and bassist Clifford Ulrich — showcase an inviting sound that blends great musicianship,  sophisticated songcraft and effortless tunefulness that collectively elevate each of the 11 tracks on the disc. The tandem lead and harmony vocals of Bulbenko and Broome are a key element of the Armoires' signature sound. Broken into two parts, Octoberland's strength and momentum shines at every turn. Part One standouts include the psychedelic opener "We Absolutely Mean It," the shimmering new wave-mining "Ridley & Me After The Apocalypse," melodic "Ouroboros Blues (Crow Whisperer)" and Celtic-tinged "Green Hellfire At The 7-11." Part Two highlights include the sumptuous "You Oughta Be Cut In Half," sweeping "Snake Island Thirteen" (the latter "a windswept cry of solidarity with Christina Bulbenko's war-torn ancestral homeland of Ukraine"), and the winning ear candy-drenched closer "Music & Animals." Octoberland is one of the great new studio albums of 2024. Information: bigstirrecords.com.

Robert Kinsler

Power Pop's 200 Greatest Albums are explored in author John M. Borack's 'Shake Some Action 2.0'

John M. Borack is widely acknowledged as being one of the world's experts on power pop music. A talented author, drummer and bona fide fan of the genre, today comes exciting news that his long-awaited Shake Some Action 2.0 is due in September.

Here is the media release...


Power Pop's 200 Greatest Albums are explored in author John M. Borack's latest book, Shake Some Action 2.0

The best of the long-lasting musical sub-genre known as "power pop" – short, snappy tunes that owe a debt to artists such as the Beatles and the Who and are fed by ringing guitars, vocal harmonies and memorable melodies - is examined in author John M. Borack's upcoming book, Shake Some Action 2.0: An Updated Guide to the 200 Greatest Power Pop Albums, 1970-2017.

The new book, due in September 2018 from Not Lame Media, is an update of sorts of Borack's now out-of-print 2007 book Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide. Here is what to expect from SSA 2.0:

• 414 pages of pure pop-inspired passion that even the most casual power pop fan will appreciate but a serious one will get totally geeked about.
• Newly written and/or expanded reviews of the outstanding power pop releases that Borack lauded in his first book.
• All new quotes from nearly every artist featured in the new, updated Top 200, speaking about their respective albums.
• Nearly 60 new entries included in the Top 200.
• A collection of various record reviews that Borack has penned over the past several years which feature many over-looked, high-quality albums you'll want to make sure to add to your collection.
• Borack's year-end 'Best Of' lists from 1996-2017 – unearth and discover what you might have missed.

In addition, the book comes bundled with a 24-track audio CD collection from Borack's power pop band Popdudes, titled Maximum Rock Stupidity. The CD contains several rare and/or previously-unreleased tracks.


In describing his book – his third music-related title – Borack says "Shake Some Action 2.0 will be laid out in similar fashion to a Billboard chart; albums have climbed up or slid down the chart, with new efforts from 2008-2017 replacing those that have fallen out of the Top 200. Among those making their 'chart debut' in the new book will be acts such as Van Duren, Sorrows, Silver Sun, The Exploding Hearts, Starbelly, The Jags, and the Len Price 3."

You can get more information on the upcoming book and pre-order it here.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John M. Borack is a music journalist and musician from Southern California. 

Borack's music reviews, columns and feature articles have appeared in periodicals such as Goldmine, Amplifier, The Garden Grove Journal, Audities and Popsided. He has also contributed to the book and website The Trouser Press Guide to '90s Rock, and has written liner notes for CDs by such diverse artists as The Windbreakers, DM3, Tommy Keene, Raspberries, The Rooks, Starbuck ("Moonlight Feels Right"), The Rembrandts, The Lolas, The Toms, sparkle*jets uk and The Scruffs, among others. He is currently a contributing editor for Goldmine, and writes a monthly column titled Power Pop Plus for the magazine's website.

Borack also penned the extensive notes for Rhino Records' Poptopia! Power Pop Classics of the '80's and has served as executive producer for the CD compilations Beyond Belief: A Tribute to Elvis Costello (SpyderPop Records, 2015), Right to Chews: Bubblegum Classics Revisited (Not Lame Recordings, 2002) and Shoe Fetish: A Tribute to Shoes (Parasol Records, 2001), a tribute disc spotlighting the work of the DIY power pop pioneers.

In 2008, Not Lame Recordings published Borack's first book, Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide, which quickly sold out four small pressings.^[1][2] 

In 2010, his second book, John Lennon: Life Is What Happens was published; subtitled 'Music, Memories and Memorabilia,' it served as a biography of the late Beatle as well as a memorabilia guide, with many rare photos included. September, 2018 will see the release of Borack's third book, titled Shake Some Action 2.0: A Guide to the 200 Greatest Power Pop Albums, 1970 - 2017. Borack's next book, The Beatles: 100 Pivotal Moments that Shaped a Band and its Music, is scheduled for publication in 2019.