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#firstimpression: HALSEY: THE GREAT IMPERSONATOR
by Michael McCarthy I will write a proper review of this album soon, but I wanted to share some of my initial thoughts because I was mighty impressed and the album comes out today. Halsey’s new album is out today. It’s called The Great Impersonator and it’s truly brilliant. This is her fifth album. I…
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#songoftheday = VALERIE RENAY: “PEEL THE SKIN”
by Michael McCarthy Longtime readers of Love is Pop will know Valerie Renay as one half of the mesmerizing Berlin duo Noblesse Oblige. Valerie has now released a new solo single entitled “Peel The Skin.” It’s something of a genre bender but if we had to assign it one, it would have to be trip-hop,…
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CONCERT REVIEW: VAIN AT TAFFETA (10/18/24)
by Michael McCarthy Last Friday night I saw Vain at Taffeta in Lowell, Massachusetts. Vain is one of my favorite bands of the genre and has been since their debut No Respect came out way back in the day. When they basically vanished from releasing music in most of the world, I always bought their…
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REVIEW: GYEONGSEONG CREATURE SEASON 2
review by Michael McCarthy Just finished watching season two of Gyeongseong Creature. There were times when I found it a bit confusing because sometimes it felt like it was in the middle of an important scene and then it would just cut to another scene and you didn’t get to see how the scene that…
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#review = Kacey Musgraves at TD Garden (9/6/24)
In a word, last night’s Kacey Musgraves concert at TD Garden in Boston was awesome. She opened the show with “Cardinal,” the first song from her latest album, Deeper Well. It’s my favorite song on the album and in the live format it had more energy and color than it does on the record. Don’t…
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#songoftheday = Auni: “The Road”
by Michael McCarthy The gifted singer/songwriter known as Auni has just released a new single entitled “The Road.” If you like pretty and light songs with a bit of a new age vibe then this one is for you. Auni’s ethereal vocals dance and play above some of the sweetest sounding keyboards you’ve ever heard…
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#review: Motley Crue: Mohegan Sun 8/31/24
by Michael McCarthy The Motley Crue concert I attended at Mohegan Sun Arena last night was better than that Twin Cities review said but definitely not great either. (Spoilers ahead ) No opening band. No merch for sale. No encore. And they only played 80 minutes, which includes a ten minute, boring guitar solo by…
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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: WARRANT’S DOG EAT DOG
by Michael McCarthy 32 years ago today Warrant released their third album, Dog Eat Dog. It just so happens to be one of my top five albums of all-time. What are they?1. Butch Walker – Letters2. Motley Crue – Shout At The Devil3. Warrant – Dog Eat Dog4. Bon Jovi – These Days5. Mylene Farmer…
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#review: MOTLEY CRUE: “FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT (TO PARTY)
by Michael McCarthy Motley Crue really want to end their career, eh? As if their last single “Dogs of War” wasn’t awful enough, they’ve just followed it up with a terrible cover of The Beastie Boys’ “Fight For Your Right To Party.” The biggest problem I have with it is the guitars. They’re such idiots…
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NETFLIX REC: KUBRA
If you’re looking for something mesmerizing to binge-watch, check out Kubra on Netflix. The second season just came out. In the first season, someone named Kubra starts text messaging a guy and convinces him that God is speaking to him. And he kind of becomes this activist/prophet figure with all kinds of supporters and such.…
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FIRST IMPRESSION REVIEW: BON JOVI: FOREVER
review by Michael McCarthy I thought the new Bon Jovi singles, “Legendary” and “Living Proof,” were pretty good. And I figured the rest of their new album, Forever, would be better because for some reason they always release the kind of generic anthems as their first couple of singles. Unfortunately, I’ve just listened to the…
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FAREWELL TO VINYL DESTINATION: A CONVERSATION WITH DAVE PERRY
interview by Michael McCarthy The following interview with Dave Perry, the owner of the late Lowell, Massachusetts record store Vinyl Destination, took place on Wednesday, May 1st, 2024. We did the interview inside of what was once Dave’s shop and where a large number of records remain. (A new owner will be opening A Damn…
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#review – Motley Crue: “Dogs of War”
review by Michael McCarthy The new Motley Crue single, “Dogs of War,” is horrible. Just plain lame. As usual, Nikki was lying or delusional when he said that it was like something off of Too Fast For Love or Shout At the Devil. It’s not like either of those albums. John 5 has turned Motley…
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#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
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
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
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…”
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
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
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
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)
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)
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)
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
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
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
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
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
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 = 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
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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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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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
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
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
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…
Adam once told people in an interview that Prince danced alone to his DJ sets for an hour and forty…
Another poor album and now a poor voice to match.. ‘First Guitar’ is like Queen’s ‘Love With My Car’,…’Hollow Man’…
First time through I actually like most of the tunes. But what I am disappointed with is the quality of…
Your review sucks. This is a good album
I actually agree with this review from start to finish. 2020 and Forever are both depressingly bad. The prior few…