I would just like to introduce myself to everyone. (I think
PowerPop is a subjective term but it seems to attract like minded music fans)
I mostly am a songwriter/guitarist/vocalist and producer….You can call me
FUZZPOP.
But I have learned enough to do a lot of recording and some mixing, although I
have all my songs mixed elsewhere. Guitar is my main instrument and that is why
I’m here.
Every generation has their influences, but being 12 years
old when AM radio’s top ten hits, almost every song was a classic…Beatles,
Stones, Motown…killer songwriting…
I think being at the right place at the right time was a gift...being able to
soak up these amazing influences when you are at such an impressionable
age. Those who were there are very lucky
in that respect.
Also seeing the first US tours of the Who, Zep, Cream,
Jeff Beck, rock festivals and seeing amazing shows at the Fillmore for the next few
years…really leaves an impression.
I’m almost 60 but I’m writing/playing and singing better
than ever.
Experience has it benefits, plus I do sing like I’m under 20 for some
reason…probably because I’m still irresponsible and a dreamer about the crusade
to be creative.
Cofounded a powerpop band that was an unsung legend of sorts in NYC
and had a record deal a few years back to release our bands LP “Class Of 77” by
Radio City….we were ahead of our time as pioneers of the genre when all the
trendy bands were weird new wave and heavy punk….we sounded like the Beatles
meets the Ramones and were into Cheap Trick and Big Star at the time.
Then I played lead guitar in the Revelons who were a popular
CBGB/Max’s band for a while. They were friends with produced by and often
jammed with members of the band Television. They sounded like a garage version
of the Cars with an amazing lead singer. That was in 79-early 80’s..at the
center of an amazing scene (still) and bands doing their own thing.
I’m not here to promote my next release; this link is so you
can hear what kind of guitar sounds I use. (very very good reviews)
I am into very vocal oriented pop and went through a phase
of writing keyboard based songs. Very Brian Wilson. A lot of that forced my
guitar style to serve the song and I tried to do more Steve Cropper or George
Harrison/Byrds/folk-country rock, even my attempts at Bacharach session guy or
a member of the wrecking crew. Also what I call garage bossa nova type playing.
This has made me a more versatile player as my original style was more Stones,
hard rock and psychedelic lead guitar. But now I want to do it all.
ON MY SONGHEADS PAGE
The music player on the left is more pop and heavily vocal
oriented…Beatles/Beach Boys/Byrds/Todd/Carole King/Lovin' Spoonful…very 60's/70's sunshine pop with
layers of vocal harmonies and a modern retro sounding production. This was released in 2010.
The player on the right has newer songs. Still very pop, but harder rocking
heavier stuff/power pop/punk/garage/new wave. I will be adding to that player
with songs done with the Kemper. Everything so far has been Vandal/Vox
Tonelab/Some live amps/The Pod…(oh no!)
I will put up a post of my first Kemper powered song. I’m deciding right
now if I should bother re amping some of the sounds or not.
My band is called Sunrise Highway
You can see by the slide show at the top of the many artists
I’m into. I’ve been just recently mixing very heavy guitar with very pop songs.
Like Jeff Beck with the Beatles or with Donovan. Sounds like Cheap Trick huh? Well that’s been done before. Everything has
been done before somewhat ...of course…..but its how you create your own sound
using these influences is what is special. I’ve also been doing some stuff like
The Band, Buffalo Springfield and Neil Young too.
I’ve had most every guitar in the past. Now I use a Rick 6
string, a strat plus, a few schecters (I love the C 1 a/e) with a Seymour
Duncan Jeff Beck Pup in the bridge, Jazz in the neck. Don't know if I'll need my collection of fulltone fuzz pedals or not.
Got a Fender Princeton Reverb when I was 13…should have kept
that. Marshall
Stacks….many many Fenders….Loved my ampegs…lots of those. Never a Vox though…
But I was/will always be a tone freak and love everything
from pop jangle to thundering power chords to crisp R&B chops.
I also don’t live in the past….have an internet wi fi radio
and listen to lots of new bands, indie rock, electronica and all kinds of
stuff. Some good, a lot is really derivative and its bands copying other bands
that were influenced by other bands. That is a major difference I think why the
60’s were so innovative and the sound has been the one everyone is copying,
because these artists were coming up with new rock and pop sounds from the
original influences. But hey…this is unavoidable.
A few young musicheads on Gearslutz have called me a
nostalgic old fart for posting similar threads….gotta love that Nu Metal! No
make that Nu Death Metal….those bands will be real big in 20 years....but I do like Megadeath cause I dig Dave a lot.
Moterhead will always be cool...but that ain't Nu Metal...its ROCK AND ROLL!
I’ve already put up a post about Rigs and amp sounds I am
looking for. No answers. I guess I’ll have to go looking for them. If any of
these sounds come with pre sets please let me know or can recommend some great
ones to download I would really appreciate it.
I grabbed about 30 amps yesterday. Lotta Vox AC-30's
I will post my favorites as I use them. Recorded my first
song with the Kemper. The fullness and sound is incredible. I read so much
about the Kemper for being used live. For home studio cats this thing is a
dream come true for guitar fanatics.
Guitar sound wise here is what I love to hear and plan to use:
Stones –classic Keith sound
Beatles – Jangle sound/picking…also some Harrsion lead tones
and fuzztones
Hendrix – of course
Steve Cropper – R&B clean chops
Jeff Beck _Early Truth lead sound
REM- more modern Jangle (even they are old now)
Big Star – September Gurls strat sound
Johnny Ramone – Super power chords
Jazzy & R&B – for Motown sound etc.
Mountain – gotta have that Leslie West sound
Buffalo Springfield – That Steve Stills vibrato sound
Neil Young – Cinnamon Girl guitar
To be continued….a lot more!
PowerPop songwriter Kempermania
