Category: Reviews

MICHAEL RIDER, AMERICAN FIGHTER: AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

June 18, 2020

interview by Michael McCarthy I’ve known singer/songwriter/painter Michael Rider for several years now. Their piano-centric indie pop blends irresistible pop hooks with thought-provoking lyrics that sometimes feel like poems and occasionally sound like journal entries, which I mean in the best way possible. Insightful is the first word to describe Michael that came to mind…
Read more
#songoftheday = Enuff Z’Nuff: “Mother’s Eyes”

June 3, 2020

This Enuff Z’Nuff classic from 1991 is a terrific anti-racism song if ever there was one. If you like The Beatles and hair metal, you’re in for a real trea
Read more
RISING DURING THE PANDEMIC: AN INTERVIEW WITH RORIE KELLY

May 23, 2020

interview by Michael McCarthy photos courtesy of Rorie Kelly “You can’t keep this fucker down,” sings indie favorite Rorie Kelly on her ferocious new song, “Up From Here,” which she just uploaded a live version of on Youtube this week. It’s just one of several new songs the powerful singer-songwriter has unveiled as of late,…
Read more
#songoftheday = Emeli Sandé: “HOPE” (#songsforourtimes #22)

May 18, 2020

I’ve always loved this little ballad by Emeli Sandé and was surprised that it wasn’t a single. In fact, so far as I could tell, the audio hasn’t even been officially posted on Youtube, hence this fan-made lyric video.
Read more
LUCKY SEVEN: CHATTING WITH MICHAEL SWEET OF STRYPER

May 1, 2020

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…
Read more
#songoftheday = JON BON JOVI: “DO WHAT YOU CAN” (LIVE FROM JERSEY4JERSEY) #songsforourtimes #22

April 23, 2020

“When you can’t do what you do / You do what you can,” sings Jon Bon Jovi on his Covid-19-themed song “Do What You Can,” which he debuted last night during Jersey4Jersey, a benefit show on behalf of the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (NJPRF) to
Read more
#songoftheday = METALLICA: “ONLY HAPPY WHEN IT RAINS (LIVE)” (#songsforourtimes #20) + A-HA: “LIVING AT THE END OF THE WORLD (#songsforourtimes #21)

April 20, 2020

Yeah, yeah, I know, this isn’t exactly a hopeful song and it isn’t about the end of the world either. But I do feel like “Only Happy When It Rains,” a Garbage song which Metallica covered at the Bridge School Benefit on 10/27/07, has the vibe many of us are feeling right now.
Read more
#songoftheday = DAVID ARCHULETA: “AIMING FOR HOPE” (#songsforourtimes #19)

April 10, 2020

The chorus of this gorgeous ballad by David Archuleta says it all: “When you’re alone And don’t know when the night will end
Read more
#songoftheday = BUTCH WALKER: “END OF THE WORLD (ONE MORE TIME)” (#songsforourtimes #18)

April 8, 2020

“Skyrockets in flight / Get ready for a fight!” proclaims Butch Walker excitedly before a “hey, hey” during the bridge of his ultra-catchy ode to the end of the world, appropriately entitled, “End of the World (One More Time).”
Read more
#songoftheday = Ilse De Lange: “Carry Hope” (#songsforourtimes #17)

April 7, 2020

“When I can’t see tomorrow / I carry hope,” sings Ilse De Lange on her beautiful 2006 ballad “Carry Hope” from her album The Great Escape. If you’re listening above, you don’t need me to tell you what a beautiful, dreamy and inspiring song it is,
Read more
#songoftheday = BRITNEY SPEARS: “TILL THE WORLD ENDS” (#songsforourtimes #16)

April 3, 2020

What could be more uplifting right now than a high octane Britney Spears dance track about, you guessed it, dancing until the world ends?
Read more
#songoftheday = KODALINE: “HIGH HOPES” (#songsforourtimes #15)

April 1, 2020

Kodaline often churns out inspiring songs, but none seem more appropriate right now than “High Hopes,” the chorus to which goes
Read more
#songoftheday = BON JOVI: “ROOM AT THE END OF THE WORLD” (#songsforourtimes #14)

March 31, 2020

One of my favorite songs on the album is “Room At The End Of The World,” which isn’t a song devoid of melancholy, but it’s also one that I find full of hope.
Read more
#songoftheday = CHRIS CORNELL: “SAFE AND SOUND” (#songsforourtimes #13)

March 30, 2020

The late Chris Cornell left us with this gem from his 2007 album, Carry On, entitled “Safe And Sound,” something I hope this finds you all.
Read more
BEING A CHAMPION IN THE TIME OF THE CORONAVIRUS: AN INTERVIEW WITH BIF NAKED

March 29, 2020

interview by Michael McCarthy Doing music interviews in the time of COVID-19 is weird, man. You want to talk about music, but at the same time, it’s the nasty virus that’s at the forefront of everyone’s collective mind. So, I knew we were due for a new interview here on Love is Pop, but at…
Read more