Short takes.

Some quick thoughts on some quality music playing on my iPod/iPhone these days:

Tom Fuller Band-Maristar. I described Tom Fuller's sound as "Tom Petty meets Oasis" a couple of years back on his last album, and Maristar is more of the same goodness. McCartney guitarist and erstwhile power popper Brian Ray helps out here, and the standout tracks here are the trippy rocker "Anthem Man", "Merci Beaucoup", and the string-laden power ballad "Sacred Chamber". For those who like a little classic rock in their power pop, don't brush off Fuller. (UK-only CD release but available digitally in the USA)

MySpace | iTunes | eMusic

Quakers on Probation-Every Living Thing. Great band name here (I guess Amish Gone Wild was taken) for the threesome of Daniel Craig (when he's not playing James Bond), Graig Markel (the only Graig I've seen spell his name that way aside from Nettles), and Daniel Craig (the first Daniel Craig's son). Now that I've exhausted my monthly supply of parenthetical remarks, I'll get down to the business of telling you they play what they like to call "twangle-pop". I hear bits of everyone from the Wilburys to Brian Wilson to the Jayhawks to more obscure artists like Wilder Embry here, and just when you think they're a bunch of laid-back twangle-poppers they throw in a "Happy Birthday Fucker" in the middle of the opening track to make sure you're paying attention. Plus there's a cool cover of "Chevy Van", which just might be the original twangle-pop hit.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes | eMusic

Eric Miller-Half of Purple. First of all, I have no idea what "half of purple" means. Is it the "pur", the "ple" or some other color? Inscrutable album title aside, Miller serves up twelve tracks of classic singer-songwriter power pop, from the earnest yet catchy "Tears of Victoria" to the shuffling "Talking to Myself" to the exuberant rock of "Better Days" to the breezy pop of "Miranda Jane". It's really of a piece with the recent Edward O'Connell album I raved about a few weeks back, with that "mature" power pop sound.

CD Baby | MySpace (full album stream) | iTunes | eMusic

Broken Promise Keeper-Poptimized. With the best "pop"-pun title since Allen Devine's Poportunity, Broken Promise Keeper (a/k/a Atlanta's Rob Stuart) cranks out his annual slab of 80s-influenced power pop with the usual fine results. "Scarred for Life" opens things strongly, 2:20 of no-nonsense, no-let-up dB-styled pop, and "Hyperdriven" pretty much lives up to its title. The playful piano pop of "We Pray for Rain" is another standout, as is the jangly "Bittersweet". My only quibble is how can Stuart call himself Broken Promise Keeper when he's proved so reliable? I guess you can consider it an ironic appellation.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes | eMusic

Late week roundup.

3 very, very good discs that are really "CD of the Day" worthy:

The Revisionists-The Revisionists. This band has an interesting pedigree. Two former members of Tonic (remember them?) have joined up with Sam Jones, who directed the excellent Wilco documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, to form The Revisionists, and their debut is one of the best straight-ahead melodic rock albums of the year. Reminiscent at times of The Replacements and The Figgs with a bit more of an indie rock edge, this is a great album to crank up loud. "Universal" lets you know right off the bat where you stand, while "Fic Fic Fiction" and "Garden Home" marry melody to crunch with awesome results. Rock on!

CD Baby | MySpace

Jack McManus-Either Side of Midnight. Most "respectable" music critics are going to dislike London's Jack McManus, but most power pop fans are going to love this disc. Following in the footsteps of The Feeling and Mika with big pop hooks and a big pop sound, McManus has an album chock full of tunes that won't leave your head after a couple of listens. "Bang on the Piano" calls to mind the recent Josh Fix album, "You Think I Don't Care" and "Living in a Suitcase" would have been at home on either Feeling disc. The only catch for US listeners is that this one hasn't received a domestic release, so it's only available at import prices. Be warned: you may start listening to the tracks and find you just have to spend the $20 or so it'll take to get it. I've included an eBay search link that has the best prices I've seen for it.

eBay | MySpace

Tom Fuller Band-Abstract Man. In the last several months, CD Baby's added a "Recommended If You Like" feature on each of its new releases, and on Tom Fuller Band's Abstract Man the RIYL artists are Tom Petty and Oasis. Kudos to whoever came up with that, because "Petty meets Oasis" is a perfect summation of the sound here, right down to the sound of Fuller's voice, which sounds like Petty crossed with Liam Gallagher. "Lollipop Guild" in particular is a tour de force - aside from the two artists we've been talking about, they're mixed in with The Beatles, ELO and Jellyfish in this one track. "Sunglass Wardrobe" recalls the 'fish as well, and "Only In America" is Jason Falkneresque. There's also a pretty good cover of The Hollies "Air That I Breathe" included as well. This is a must for fans of any of the bands referenced here.

CD Baby | MySpace