Power Pop News: The Madd’s Marty Graveyard, NC’s the dB’s, and…The Beach Boys!

This year has been pretty good for powerpop gans, imo. There have been some great recordings from the likes of Cotton Mather (Kontiki Reissue), The Golden Seals, Throwback Suburbia, Skeleton Staff, The Hearless Devils, and Smash Palace, just to name a few. But it only gets better.

If those of us in North Carolina have an offical band, it would be the dB’s (with apologies to and deep appreciation for Dixon/Easter and Stratocruiser). After brief hiatus of only 25+ years, the boys are back. That’s right, the original lineup is intact, Peter Holsapple, Chris Stamey, Gene Holder, and Will Rigby. Individually, each has had a stellar career. Hollsapple’s Paris Ave. and Rigby’s Paradoxaholic are among my all-time faves. And if things couldn’t get any sweeter, they just did. They’ve got a new record due out soon.

The new album is entitled “Falling Off the Sky” and we’ll give a shout when it hits the street.

On top of that, Aaron at Powerpopaholic advises us that the Beach Boys, with Brian Wilson, will be releasing a brand new single very shortly. It’s going to be a wonderful summer with the car top down and a new Beach Boys single blaring on the radio. Yes, it’s almost summer.

One final note:

The Madd put out a couple of really good, pop-mod releases over the last couple of years. In fact, their last one, Are Pretty Quick, was one of my favorites of 2010. So when I’d heard that the band was no more well, I was really disappointed. As it turns out, no need to fear. The drummer/lead singer for the band, Marty Graveyard, has been writing songs all along. The writer of some catchy stuff (he wrote “I Know”, my favorite song on Are Pretty Quick), has assembled enough for an entirely new release of guitar driven, catchy British Invasion influenced pop.

Look for a street date sometime in June or early July. While you’re waiting, here’s a little something to whet your appetite: