Power-pop art rock: Elvis Costello, Bowie, T-Rex, Badfinger, The Sweet, Replacements, Queens of the Stone Age, Spoon, Raconteurs.

8 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Experimental Rock, POP: Power Pop

Details:
Wish indie rock had a bit more cojones? Like your power pop art-damaged, packed with those hidden sonic gems that keep you coming back to discover more? Seek out records that call to be cranked, but demand to be heard--because they actually have something to say?

For Grenadier, too much of a good thing IS a good thing. For these members of the Ubique collective, the last few years have seen the release of several very well-received records. Grenadier's debut, Hand Offensive, marked an auspicious beginning with its left-field pop. The Tall Grass Captains of Greater Chicago upped the ante with their melancholic and cathartic She Moved Through. Label mates the Nyquist Frequency followed suit with the chime und drang of Elephant Art.

Building on their success, they revamped their waterfront studio, Detention Pond North, and set about joining forces under Grenadier's battle standard, with guitarist & TGC leader Mark Mattson sharing vocals and songwriting duty with the inimitable Jeremy Heroldt for their self-titled sophomore swing.

Lord knows you could play "spot the influences" all day with Grenadier, and you'd be right--Elvis Costello? The Sweet? Weezer's 'Blue Album'? wha? But it's a fool's errand (or music critic's bibliography). Yes, Grenadier can't help but acknowledge great music past but somehow they always make more than pastiche or homage.

It comes down to one thing: songwriting. This is a band that knows how to write a song packed with melody, balls, lyrics, weirdness and heart. Classic? Glam? Power-pop? Post-punk? Indie?

Sure. Absolutely.

People who are interested in Weezer Elvis Costello The Raconteurs should consider this download.