Golden Richards - "Doctor K"

I'm always delighted by the arrival of new music from Chicago-based power pop rockers Golden Richards. In my book, any Golden Richards single is a hit single. "Doctor K," the band's new single, is full of '80s summertime power pop vibes — but with quite the twist! Doctor K was the name Gil Golden used when he recorded a locally popular rap track back in his high school days. This song tells the story of a young man who runs into an ex-girlfriend and believes he can win her back if she learns that he is the rapper Doctor K. That's a pretty amazing concept for a song, and "Doctor K" is everything you would expect from a Golden Richards tune. If you've ever pined for a lost love and fantasized about becoming so incredibly successful that they'd have to come back to you, you'll really be feeling this song. This is kind of like The Great Gatsby except more fun and far less tragic. The hooks are super-sized, and Billy really pours his heart into the vocal. What girl could possibly say no to Doctor K? The surprise (which is now no longer a surprise since I'm telling you about it) is that "Doctor K" turns out to essentially be three songs in one and concludes with an old school rap a la Sugar Hill Gang and Kurtis Blow. The rap is pretty hilarious and manages to reference everything from Bewitched to Three's Company to the Rolling Stones. I have no idea what the original Doctor K track sounded like, but it's hard to believe it could have been any better than this! This is legit good! "Jump on the Doctor K cloud/He ain't no GP, he's specialty now" just might be the lyric of the year! "Doctor K" is something a little different from Golden Richards — a veritable power pop rap opera! In a perfect world, all the cars in the Friendly's parking lot would be cranking it! 

-L.R.  

https://goldenrichards.bandcamp.com/track/doctor-k
https://www.facebook.com/goldenrichardsrocks/

Big Blast Records presents - Summer Blast 2

While the summer approaches its waning days, the summer music never has to end. Out now on Big Blast Records is the digital compilation Summer Blast 2 — which features quintessential summertime power pop tracks from the Chicago label's flagship bands: The Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club, The Glad Machine, and Golden Richards. In their signature style, the BDSC hit the sweet spot where '70s power pop and '90s alternative rock intersect on opening track "Your Corvette Summer." As you may have surmised, the song is an homage to the 1978 cult classic film starring Mark Hamill. If you like big hooks and guitars cranked to the max, this tune ought to be up your alley. And lyrics like "We were all about flying fighters and killing death stars/Thought we could ride that wave in a tricked out muscle car/But the fire on the sides was a sign this is B-movie magic" are pure genius. The Glad Machine ventures into full-on '80s power ballad territory on the awesome track "Can We Still Fall in Love this Summer?", and it's like I'm 16 again when that chorus hits. Think REO Speedwagon's High Infidelity meets Cheap Trick's Lap of Luxury! To bring it on home, Golden Richards delivers the most summery summer pop song imaginable in "Hey Mr. Softee." This tribute to the iconic ice cream truck franchise captures the spirit of what it meant to be a tween or teen in the '70s and '80s — its protagonist chasing down that Mister Softee truck in hopes of buying a cone for a special someone. With its earworm riff, melodic chorus, and majestic harmonies, this song is vintage power pop and vintage Golden Richards. Remember when you could get an ice cream cone for a quarter?  

Big Blast Records' Summer Blast 2 is an exception to the rule that sequels are never as good as the originals. All three of these tracks would have been formidable singles in their own right, but they fit together here splendidly as a celebration of summertime rock n' roll and eternal adolescence. Crank these tunes as you enjoy the last gasp of summer. And for those of you on the other side of the equator, consider these tracks for your upcoming summer playlist!

-L.R.

https://bigblastrecords.bandcamp.com/album/summer-blast-2
https://www.facebook.com/bigblastrecordsrocks
https://www.instagram.com/bigblastrecords/

Golden Richards - "Take a Chance"

You know spring is finally coming when Golden Richards drops a new single. Keeping with their annual tradition of releasing new music in March or April, Gil Golden, Billy Richards, and friends throw it back to the heyday of Van Halen and KISS on the big hooky rock anthem "Take a Chance." Living in that space where hard rock intersects with power pop, "Take a Chance" captures the vibe of summertime adolescent fun circa the late '70s or early '80s. This is the type of song I've been wanting Golden Richards to do for a while, and it totally suits the band's talents. Call it hard power pop or poppy hard rock if you want. But more than anything else, this is just rock n' roll. Billy really gets to show off his pipes, and there are guitar solos all over the place. The song depicts the sort of fun that I always imagined the older kids having when I was a child: driving around in a Pontiac Firebird in search of pretty girls and cheap beer while Van Halen plays in the tape deck. There's even a dance party at the local water tower! As you would expect from a Golden Richards song, there are huge hooks to go with all of that rock. This song romanticizes summer love even as it reminds us how short-lived it inevitably is. How many of our best memories would not exist if we hadn't, uh, taken a chance? If you've liked the direction Golden Richards has taken on recent singles "Shake Your Hair" and "Will I Be Cool," you're gonna love "Take a Chance"! It's ironic to be typing this in thirty-some degree weather with the wind howling, but warm weather is right around the corner. "Take a Chance" will sound great as you cruise the streets with the windows down — even if you don't drive a Firebird.

-L.R.

https://goldenrichards.bandcamp.com/track/take-a-chance
https://www.facebook.com/goldenrichardsrocks/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7du59rHu9O4Q9NTLnE2mLT

Golden Richards - "Will I Be Cool"

Chicago-based power pop sensations Golden Richards are back with their first new song in seven months, and it's a doozy! "Will I Be Cool," in signature Golden Richards style, is a harmony-drenched big hook rocker. Without straying too far from the Cheap Trick playbook, it conjures up a bit of a modern alternative rock feel. The production is exquisite, and I love the way the song builds to an absolutely massive chorus. This tune is about that first time you found out that someone "liked" you and didn't quite know how to act. That is such a great concept for a love song. The power pop world is full of so many songs about unrequited love and heartbreak. But what about those moments where things are about to go our way if we can just manage to not screw it up? Being "cool" in those situations is never as easy as it seems! In a most authentic way, this song captures that mix of excitement and self-doubt. I also love that Golden Richards have worked more than a few later '70s to early '80s pop culture references into this track. If you're a Gen Xer like me, "Will I Be Cool" ought to hit a nostalgic sweet spot. Yet the sentiment of the song is so universal that it ought to appeal to listeners of all ages. Conceptually, this song has much in common with this past March's excellent single "Shake Your Hair." Gil and Billy are so good at tapping into that part of themselves that's eternally 16 yet writing with a fully grown-up perspective. If "Shake Your Hair" was the perfect spring/summer power pop track,  "Will I Be Cool" is its mellower autumn counterpart. Grab it from Bandcamp for just a buck!

-L.R.

https://goldenrichards.bandcamp.com/track/will-i-be-cool
https://www.facebook.com/goldenrichardsrocks/

Golden Richards - "Shake Your Hair"

The one-sheet says it all: "Big guitar power pop anthem with hooks and harmonies." I'm overdue to feature a power pop release, so a new single from Chicago's Golden Richards is highly welcomed. "Shake Your Hair" is the fifth Golden Richards single I've reviewed. Like all the other ones, it sounds like a radio hit from a world where 1980 never ended. It's got crunchy guitars, an earworm chorus, a righteous solo, and Cheap Trick vibes all day long. If you heard the song on Rodney on the Rock last night, you know what I'm talking about. As Golden Richards songs often do, "Shake Your Hair" works at a couple of levels. If you want to take it as an upbeat rocker about a pretty girl, well it certainly is! But at a deeper level, it's a song about being unsure of the path you're on in life and then suddenly meeting a new person who opens the door to something better. Isn't it crazy how life works out that way sometimes? Golden Richards songs always make me think of the summertime, so it seems ideal to be reviewing this track on a spring day that feels a more like summer. This is the band's best song yet. If you want to turn the tables, flip them over!

-L.R.

https://goldenrichards.bandcamp.com/track/shake-your-hair
https://www.facebook.com/goldenrichardsrocks/

The Glad Machine and Golden Richards - Summer Blast Split Single

The title pretty much says it all! Out on Chicago power pop label Big Blast Records, Summer Blast Split Single is meant to be played in the car with the top down or cranked up loud by the pool. If you're not yet familiar with Big Blast, the two bands featured here will give you an instant feel for what this label is all about. Up first is The Glad Machine with a track called "Baby, It's You". This song falls somewhere between late '70s power pop and the more contemporary stylings of Jellyfish. Those melodies will hit your eardrums and quickly make their way to all of your pleasure centers. With its strong lead vocal and majestic harmonies, this the definitive melodic pop song. Golden Richards, a band I've reviewed a few times already, follow with what is easily their best track to date. "C'mon C'mon (The Makeout Song)" is, as advertised, a song to make out to! This is a fun, sunny pop tune with an absolutely massive hook. It tells a tale of a chance encounter on the beach with the girl who got away -- and you know what ought to happen next! Golden Richards really went all-out here to craft a Grade-A pop hit. This song has got it all: a classic sing-along chorus, a definitely summery guitar riff, a sweet bridge, a nifty outro, and even dueling guitar and keyboard solos! It's a timeless summertime rocker that appeals to the eternal teenager in all of us. 

Summer Blast Single is a blast indeed. Just push play, and you've got yourself an instant good time! Both of these songs would be fine additions to your summertime pop playlist. And if you don't have a summertime pop playlist, what in the world are you waiting for?

-L.R.

https://bigblastrecords.bandcamp.com/album/summer-blast-split-single
https://www.facebook.com/bigblastrecordsrocks
https://www.facebook.com/goldenrichardsrocks
https://www.facebook.com/TheGladMachine

Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club/Golden Richards - split single

I've got something super cool for the power pop crowd today! A few months back, I featured a singles collection from the Chicago based label Big Blast Records. Big Blast is your home for hooky, guitar-heavy rock and roll. Two of the standouts from the label roster have come together to release a new split single. On the track "Tremor Control II", Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club taps into the craziness and non-stop anxiety that was the year 2020.  If you enjoyed the arena rock leanings of the band's song "X Play", you will also dig "Tremor Control II" -- which channels Cheap Trick by way of The Cars. The concept of the song is that the more we told ourselves to calm down last year, the less calm we actually became. A lot of these lyrics really make me chuckle because they bring to mind my own COVID anxieties. I, like the protagonist of this song, would constantly check my temperature and obsess over the most minute deviation from the norm. But who am I kidding by using the past tense -- I'm still doing it! Golden Richards is one of my favorite new bands on the power pop scene these days, and the band's half of the split does not disappoint. "Zach Attack" is a tribute to Gil Golden's cousin Zach who passed away last fall at the age of 24. The song celebrates the positive impact that Zach made on the lives of friends and family members. And it's a reminder that his spirit lives on. This spirited, high energy rocker takes much of its musical inspiration from The Posies. For this recording, Gil, Billy, and Maryann had the pleasure of working with a couple of highly esteemed guest players: Darby Todd (Martin Barre Band) on drums and Lee Pomeroy (Jeff Lynne's ELO) on bass. If you're going to do a tribute song, this is the way to do. This song is full of unstoppable hooks and an undeniable joy. Proceeds from downloads of "Zach Attack" will be donated to Shatterproof -- a national nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming addiction treatment, ending stigma, and supporting communities.

It's clear to me by now that anything that comes out on Big Blast Records is essential listening for fans of melodic, powerful pop. Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club and Golden Richards have delivered two hits in one release. If this had come out on a 45, it would have been a true double A-side! This is a perfect two-fer to crank in your car on a lovely spring day, so grab yourself a download now!

-L.R.

https://bigblastrecords.bandcamp.com/album/tremor-control-ii-zach-attack
https://www.shatterproof.org/
https://www.facebook.com/bigblastrecordsrocks/
https://goldenrichards.bandcamp.com/
https://thebishop.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/goldenrichardsrocks/
https://www.facebook.com/thebishopsdaredevilstuntclub/

Big Blast Records - The Big Singles Vol. 1

Today I'm featuring a really cool label out of Chicago that you ought to check out if you haven't done so already. Big Blast Records describes itself as a "Chicago based community record label bringing you sticky, hooky, crunchy, smart, big guitar melodic rock and roll". Well there you go - that sure sounds like a label I'd be into! It's hard to go wrong when you work a love for Cheap Trick and Material Issue into the ideology of your label! 

I recently featured one of Big Blast's bands, Golden Richards. Joining Golden Richards on the Big Blast roster are The Bishops Daredevil Stunt Club, The Glad Machine, Mark Watson Band, The Peeves, and the legendary Phil Angotti. All of these artists are a little different, but they all share a similar vision for hooky guitar rock. The Big Singles Vol. 1 is the perfect showcase for Big Blast's collection of talent. It conveniently compiles new singles from all of the label's artists onto one nifty digital EP. Golden Richards, fresh off their new wave-ish pop gem "Borg Vs. McEnroe", take a more modern power pop approach on the punchy and melodious "Honey West Kung Fu". The song references the first female TV private eye as metaphor in a tale of a couple guys encountering the girl of their dreams in the middle of the summer. Man, it doesn't get any more "power pop" than that! "When Two Still Feels Alone" by the Mark Watson Band brings a crunchy power pop/alternative sound that practically screams "90s" while delivering an absolutely HUGE chorus. On the louder side of things, The Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club tear into "X Play", a guitar heavy big hook rocker that ought to be coming soon to an arena near you. The Peeves come on with a punkier pop sound on the very catchy "Radio", while the The Glad Machine's "Slow Motion July" is more in a laidback indie pop vein with melodies for days. It's not often that a single can get away with a running time exceeding five minutes. But "Slow Motion July" builds by degrees and never bores. It's the textbook definition of a well-crafted pop song. Last but not least, Phil Angotti turns out a wonderfully charming Beatles-inspired number called "The Lamp". 

The Big Singles Vol. 1 serves as a perfect introduction to Big Blast Records. Just as importantly, it's a huge treat for fans of power pop, loud pop, hooky rock and roll, or whatever you wanna call it. All of the tracks would (and do) stand alone as singles. But it's kind of neat to have them compiled together like this. If you like what you hear, be sure to give Big Blast a like on Facebook so you can stay up to date on all future releases. You know I'll be having a lot more to say about Big Blast in the very near future!

-L.R.

https://bigblastrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-big-singles-vol-1

https://www.facebook.com/bigblastrecordsrocks/

Golden Richards - "Borg Vs. McEnroe"

Recently endorsed by Rodney Bingenheimer, the new single from Golden Richards is a new wave rock anthem that sounds like it's straight out of 1981! Gil Golden and Billy Richards have based this Chicago power pop band on their mutual love for the pop culture of the 1970s and early '80s. They have cited inspirations such as Bruce Lee movies, tetherball, Farrah Fawcett, surfing, Bubble Yum, Trans Ams, and the Bjorn Borg/John McEnroe tennis rivalry. "Borg Vs. McEnroe", appropriately enough, is the band's debut single on Big Blast Records. 

While Borg/McEnroe might not technically be the greatest rivalry in the history of tennis, it was by far the coolest. Thoughts of this rivalry take me back to those pre-cable days when televised sports were a huge part of popular culture (some of you old school Chicago folk will recognize that the band name Golden Richards is itself a sports reference!). And what made the rivalry special was that it was so short-lived. Borg and McEnroe met only 14 times on the pro tour, splitting their matches 7-7. And their legendary showdowns in grand slam finals were limited to four matches in 1980 and 1981. When those two faced each other, it was must-see TV! On one side, you had the handsome, cool-headed, and supremely talented Swede. On the other side, you had the intense, hot-tempered New Yorker McEnroe. You were out of luck if you missed their iconic matches - as Borg shocked the world when he retired from tennis at the age of 26 (a total bad-ass move!). Thus the mere mention of Borg vs. McEnroe always takes the mind directly to the years 1980-81. With its big guitars, big hooks, and sprinkling of keyboards, "Borg Vs. McEnroe" fittingly sounds like a lost radio hit from a moment in time when the likes of Blondie and The Cars ruled the airwaves. It also has a bit of a rock anthem feel to it, with playfully over the top vocals and some guest guitar shredding by Mark Down. In a stroke of a genius, the band uses actual recordings of McEnroe's on-court tantrums in the background! I was a big McEnroe fan growing up. But even if I hadn't been, I would still be thrilled by this callback to the infinite coolness of the early '80s. If this theme continues, Golden Richards are not likely to run out of songwriting topics anytime soon! How epic would a "Roper Vs. Furley" song be? 

-L.R.

https://goldenrichards.bandcamp.com/track/borg-vs-mcenroe
https://www.facebook.com/goldenrichardsrocks/

https://bigblastrecords.bandcamp.com/