• #nowwatching: HBO’s TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY

    #nowwatching: HBO’s TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY

    review by Michael McCarthy I ended up really liking True Detective: Night Country. At first I was skeptical because I couldn’t tell if there was supposed to be a supernatural element to this season. A bunch of people had died under very weird circumstances and I couldn’t come up with any rational, scientific explanation for…

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  • #albumoftheday = El Perro Del Mar: Big Anonymous

    #albumoftheday = El Perro Del Mar: Big Anonymous

    review by Michael McCarthy Today’s #albumoftheday is Big Anonymous by El Perro Del Mar (Sarah Assbring), which is her first new release since the album KoKoro from 2016. Big Anonymous just came out today on February 16, 2024. I’m only listening to it for the first time as I write this but I wanted to…

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  • #albumoftheday = Madonna: American Life

    #albumoftheday = Madonna: American Life

    review by Michael McCarthy Today’s #albumoftheday is Madonna’s criminally under-rated 2003 album American Life. Depending on when you ask me, it may be my favorite or second favorite Madonna album. It’s impossible to choose between American Life and Like A Virgin. I’m a big fan of electronic pop music, which is probably why I love…

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  • #albumoftheday = Bon Jovi: These Days

    #albumoftheday = Bon Jovi: These Days

    review by Michael McCarthy Bon Jovi’s 1995 masterpiece These Days is today’s album of the day. It’s one of the albums that Bon Jovi fans argue about the most. It seems like everyone either loves it or hates it. I’ve mentioned it before and had many people tell me it’s their favorite Bon Jovi album…

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  • #albumoftheday = Ayumi Hamasaki: “I am…”

    #albumoftheday = Ayumi Hamasaki: “I am…”

    Today’s #albumoftheday is Ayumi Hamasaki’s 2002 masterpiece I am…, which is one of my favorite J-Pop albums of all time. I suppose I might also say that it’s one of my favorite J-Rock albums of all-time, too, since it’s arguably the most rock-flavored album in Ayumi’s extensive discography. Ayumi Hamasaki is one of the most…

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  • #albumoftheday = Paola & Chiara: Television

    #albumoftheday = Paola & Chiara: Television

    Television is the third album by the Italian sister duo Paola & Chiara. Their first album was pop rock and the second was more of a proper rock album, though a catchy and colorful one at that. However, Television is nothing like their first two records except for the fact that it’s the same two…

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  • #album of the day: Warrant’s Dog Eat Dog

    #album of the day: Warrant’s Dog Eat Dog

    Today’s album of the day is one of my top five favorite albums of all-time, Warrant’s masterpiece Dog Eat Dog. This was the band’s third album and the final record that frontman Jani Lane wrote entirely by himself. After this album flopped, he lost his confidence and the other guys in the band started co-writing…

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  • NEW MUSIC ALERT: TWINKLING LIGHTS EP BY AUNI

    NEW MUSIC ALERT: TWINKLING LIGHTS EP BY AUNI

    LISTEN ON SPOTIFY review by Michael McCarthy I know that the holiday season is largely behind us as I write this on New Year’s Day 2024, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to post this when Auni first sent us to it because I was in dire need of a new computer, which I now have.…

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  • REVIEW: ROBBIE WILLIAMS (DOCUSERIES ON NETFLIX)

    REVIEW: ROBBIE WILLIAMS (DOCUSERIES ON NETFLIX)

    I finished watching Netflix’s four episode documentary Robbie Williams today. In case you don’t know (like most Americans), Robbie Williams is one of the most successful pop stars in UK history. At the peak of his career, he was bigger than The Beatles. For me, he’s always been like my Elvis. I’ve really idolized him…

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  • THE BEST OF 2022 (ACCORDING TO LOVE IS POP)

    THE BEST OF 2022 (ACCORDING TO LOVE IS POP)

    by Michael McCarthy (Beaulieu) & Jay Cavalon First of all, I’m sure some of you will think that we’ve put some of these albums in the wrong categories. To that end, all we can say is that the best albums often transcend genre classifications and that this was what we came up with after careful…

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  • #albumoftheday – The North Atlantic All Star Band: One More Christmas (The Gift)

    #albumoftheday – The North Atlantic All Star Band: One More Christmas (The Gift)

    Once upon a time I published a hair metal zine called ANT, The Only Cool Magazine That Bites. During that time, there was a rock band out of the Boston area that I fell in love with called Ragtime. They weren’t exactly a hair band but I think they’d agree that they were fairly in…

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  • #songoftheday – D.I.L.F. USA: “COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS”

    . Have you caught the holiday spirit yet this year? If not, no worries, we have the perfect new Christmas tune to get you in the mood! D.I.L.F. USA’s “Countdown To Christmas” is a deliciously uptempo, rockin’ ditty that’s sure to infect you with cheer, cheer and more cheer. Crank up the volume on your…

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  • She Is My Darkness He Is My Light

    She Is My Darkness He Is My Light

    It’s Halloween time! Whether you’re embroiled in “Jason vs. Freddy” debates, or you’re finding that It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is more your speed, there are plenty of classic movie options to keep you feeling festive. For many, including me, spooky season would not be complete without a viewing of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare…

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  • THE THIRD TIME’S A CHARM: A NEW INTERVIEW WITH DONNIE VIE

    THE THIRD TIME’S A CHARM: A NEW INTERVIEW WITH DONNIE VIE

    interview by Michael McCarthy As the pandemic finally seems to be coming towards some semblance of an end, more and more rockers are getting back up on the stage where they belong. One rocker who recently did some live shows for the first time in a few years was Donnie Vie, who you may remember…

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  • #songoftheday – BUTCH WALKER: “HOLY WATER HANGOVER”

    The man, the myth and the legend… The one and only Butch Walker makes a triumphant return with “holy Water Hangover,” a melancholic, gospel-esque, R&B tinged ballad that will having you hailing the God that is Walker! It comes from his new album “Butch Walker as… Glenn,” which drops on August 26th! We can’t wait!!!

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  • #songoftheday = STRYPER: “SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL”

    Stryper slows things down a bit on their new single, “See No Evil, Hear No Evil,” but it’s certainly no less blistering than their usual fare. We’re especially loving Perry Richardson’s top notch bass playing on this one, although the whole band is sounding ace as usual. Color us excited for Stryper’s upcoming album.

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  • PERFECTLY IMPERFECT: AN INTERVIEW WITH CHIP Z’NUFF OF ENUFF Z’NUFF

    PERFECTLY IMPERFECT: AN INTERVIEW WITH CHIP Z’NUFF OF ENUFF Z’NUFF

    interview by Michael McCarthy On March 18th, 2022, Frontiers Music Srl will be releasing another album from our good friend Chip Z’Nuff of Enuff Z’Nuff. This time around it’s a solo album called Perfectly Imperfect and it’s a delightful joyride showcasing Chip’s wide range of influences, which span everything from Cheap Trick to Guns ‘N’…

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  • #songoftheseason – “TWINKLING LIGHTS” BY AUNI

    As the subject line says, we are wishing you a very happy holiday season. We hope that those celebrating Christmas like us will have a merry and fun one in spite of the ongoing pandemic. We hope that you and your loved ones all have a safe and wonderful day. To those celebrating other holidays,…

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  • The Magical Mystery Tour 2021: An Interview with Chip Z’Nuff of Enuff Z’Nuff

    The Magical Mystery Tour 2021: An Interview with Chip Z’Nuff of Enuff Z’Nuff

    interview by Michael McCarthy “The Magical Mystery Tour is coming to take you away!!!” That’s because Chip Z’Nuff and Enuff Z’Nuff have just released a truly wonderful new album on Frontiers Records. It’s a glorious homage to The Beatles called Enuff Z’Nuff’s Hardrock Nite (a play on The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night). It features…

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  • BEFORE AND WAY AFTER: AN INTERVIEW WITH JUSTIN MASTERS

    BEFORE AND WAY AFTER: AN INTERVIEW WITH JUSTIN MASTERS

    interview by Michael McCarthy Singer/songwriter Justin Masters is one cool dude! He’s also a great friend. As someone who’s known him since the mid-90s or thereabouts, I am proud to know him and I’m even prouder that he’s releasing his music. Before And Way After is his second album, but rather than a follow-up to…

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  • #songoftheday = BODY COUNT: “THE HATE IS REAL”

    . Watch the winning video for “The Hate Is Real”, created by 25 year old Brooklyn, NY-based filmmaker, Seby Martinez. We at Love is Pop think it’s brilliant. Killer song, too.

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  • #songoftheday / #amlistening = LARKIN POE: “IN THE AIR TONIGHT”

    On November 20th, Larkin Poe will release Kindred Spirits, an album of covers done in their unique, stripped-down style, and we can hardly wait. Especially after basking in this, their chilling version of Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight,” which is just the kind of spooky delight this Halloween demands. Enjoy!

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  • #songoftheday = ANNIE: “THE STREETS WHERE I BELONG”

    Annie, Annie, Annie… Welcome back!

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  • #songoftheday = FRONTIERS ALL STARS: “PUSH THROUGH”

    Now, that’s what I call an all-star song. I am very impressed with this one. A powerful and inspiring song for our times if ever there was one. It’s a perfect blend of catchy and ferocious. I love the video, too!

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  • RAISE YOUR HANDS: AN INTERVIEW WITH STEVE BROWN OF TOKYO MOTOR FIST, DEF LEPPARD & TRIXTER

    RAISE YOUR HANDS: AN INTERVIEW WITH STEVE BROWN OF TOKYO MOTOR FIST, DEF LEPPARD & TRIXTER

    interview by Michael McCarthy One of the last heavy metal bands to make it big before grunge exploded and decimated the scene was a group out of Paramus, New Jersey called Trixter. The band’s self-titled debut came out in 1990 and their biggest hit, “Give It to Me Good,” was number one on MTV’s daily…

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  • #songoftheday / #amlistening = MICHAEL RIDER: “BREAKTHROUGH”

    As a thick bass line lulls you in and gently massages your brain while stabbing piano keeps you from getting overly relaxed on Michael Rider’s intoxicating new single, “Breakthrough.”

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  • CHEERS TO THE BRAINWASHED GENERATION: AN INTERVIEW WITH CHIP Z’NUFF OF ENUFF Z’NUFF

    CHEERS TO THE BRAINWASHED GENERATION: AN INTERVIEW WITH CHIP Z’NUFF OF ENUFF Z’NUFF

    interview by Michael McCarthy On July 10th, Enuff Z’Nuff will release their all-new album, Brainwashed Generation, on Frontiers Records. It’s the band’s third record for the label and the second to feature bassist Chip Z’Nuff front and center handling lead vocals on all but one song, a blistering gem called “Strangers In My Head,” which…

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  • #songoftheday = Lolo Zouaï: “Alone With You”

    “I’d rather be alone / Than be alone with you,” purrs pop songstress Lolo Zouaï on her luscious new single, “Alone With You,” which hails from her recently released Beautiful Lies EP, something I’ve been listening to on a loop lately.

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  • LUCKY SEVEN: CHATTING WITH MICHAEL SWEET OF STRYPER

    LUCKY SEVEN: CHATTING WITH MICHAEL SWEET OF STRYPER

    interview by Michael McCarthy If you’ve been following Love is Pop for any period of time then I’m sure you’ve realized that one of my favorite people to interview is Michael Sweet of the legendary heavy metal band Stryper. In fact, this interview is the seventh time we’ve spoken since we started chatting about his…

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  • CANDID CONVERSATION WITH DONNIE VIE: A LOVE IS POP EXCLUSIVE

    CANDID CONVERSATION WITH DONNIE VIE: A LOVE IS POP EXCLUSIVE

    interview by Michael McCarthy I rarely do this, but I, your editor here at Love is Pop, have to start off this introduction on a personal note. Recently, like most people, I’ve been feeling down. As you all know, it’s hard to be cheerful when there’s a global pandemic killing thousands of people every day.…

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  • FRENCH-AMERICAN STYLE: AN INTERVIEW WITH ARIANE

    FRENCH-AMERICAN STYLE: AN INTERVIEW WITH ARIANE

    interview by Michael McCarthy The following interview with French American singer/songwriter Ariane took place last Thursday on the 12th of March 2020. Not long after many people in the United States had finally started to feel the gravity of the COV-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. I think both she and I felt a little strange doing an…

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  • CAUGHT UP IN A SPHERE: AN INTERVIEW WITH POLLY SCATTERGOOD

    CAUGHT UP IN A SPHERE: AN INTERVIEW WITH POLLY SCATTERGOOD

    interview by Michael McCarthy On May 1st, Polly Scattergood of solo and onDeadWaves fame will release her breath-taking new solo album, In This Moment. It features 12 tracks that each tell their own story, which one might breathe in like unique snapshots. These scenes portray everything from hospital waiting rooms to Viking sea burials to…

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  1. Greetings! I just released my vocal and songwriter debut today called The Kryptonite EP and was reaching out to send…