REVIEW: Various Artists, International Pop Overthrow Volume 2
(Del-Fi)
- John Davidson
True pop fanatics seem few and far between anymore. Oh sure, you've got plenty of screaming teens who get bleary-eyed for the boy groups and Britney Spears, but that's not the kind of pop Del-Fi is supporting with their second compendium of rising stars. Here, they're more concerned with talented musicians, not pinup-styled dancing kids who wouldn't dream of writing their own music or (gasp!) play an instrument.
The International Pop Overthrow festival was conceived by contemporary pop enthusiast David Bash to show the world that there are piles of great bands out there who aren't in it for the product tie-ins or million dollar videos. Held over a week in various L.A. venues, the shows drew packed crowds and inspired the successful compilation Volume 1. Thus, Volume 2 isn't much of a surprise, unless you consider the fact that now there are two discs showcasing over forty acts! That amounts to gallons of ice cream for even the biggest fan of sugary hooks.
Kicking off with a previously unreleased Jason Faulkner gem was wise, since he's easily the biggest "name" involved. "She's Not the Enemy" is typical of the modern, Posie-esque smarts that came from this year's stellar Can You Still Feel?. From there, though, the collection is long on '60s pop and short on modern stuff in the mode of XTC or even festival namesake Material Issue. The Hollies, in particular, cast the longest shadow of influence, with songs like "Where Do I Go When You Dream" by the Outrageous Cherry, "Big Man In Town" by the Liquor Giants, and "Zen Gazzara" by IGMO. Elsewhere, there's a dose of '70s-inspired saccharine a la the Raspberries ("December Song" by Helium Angel or "Forever and a Day" by Single Bullet Theory) but thankfully, the icky strings representing the Carpenter's legacy are absent.
Volume Two falls a little short in two areas. One, the retro vibe sort of ends somewhere around Big Star territory. The daring pop that put Alex Chilton and company on a pedestal rarely makes an appearance, and thus the homogenous, sunny-day tunes seem unbroken. Quirkier bands mining the pop vein, such the Ladybug Transistor or Olivia Tremor Control, seem given short thrift. Secondly, two full discs of bands you hardly know performing original material can be taxing to listen to, despite the surplus of great songs. The "give everyone a shot" concept is good in theory, but harder to execute over the course of two hours.
Still, the album's concept -- an outlet for little-known power pop bands to show off their formidable songwriting goods -- works. The International Pop Overthrow has proven that this kind of music is not only a viable alternative to whatever trend SPIN/Rolling Stone/Details is serving up, but it's one of the few places that you can reliably find a hummable, happy tune.
