Established in 1998 by journalist David Bash, International Pop Overthrow is a fun and exciting musical event. Held in select locations across the United States, the festival has also traveled to England, and involves bands and individual artists from all over the world.
Nicking its moniker from a Material Issue song and album title, International Pop Overthrow is the place to be if you’re a power pop aficionado, as that is the genre of music the shindig celebrates and spotlights.
Whenever an International Pop Overthrow happens, a compilation record featuring the participating acts accompanies the shows, which are staged over a period of several days. The latest collection — International Pop Overthrow Volume 14 (Pop Geek Heaven) — entails three discs, with 61 tracks strewn throughout the spread. Yes, that’s a lot of music to digest, but I can honestly say each tune is a winner and there’s not a single rotten apple in the basket. If radio still played the kind of impossibly catchy songs included here, these folks would definitely be the stars they deserve to be.
Because there’s such an abundance of tunes and it would take a lifetime to analyze the whole package, I’ll just give you an abbreviated roll call of who and what to expect when you gorge your ears on the grooves.
As a quick example, there’s “Internet Famous” by the Real Numbers, Blue Cartoon’s “You Should Have Known Better”; “One Track Mind” by Laurie Biagini (pictured above); The Turnback’s “Beyond Belief”; Cosmo Topper’s “Are We There Yet”; Jeremy’s “Love Explosion”; Fortune 500’s “Shake Me”; The Trend’s “Southside’s (Waiting To Go Northside)”; “Star” from the Broken Alphas; Hector Penalosa’s “It’s Gonna Be Allright”; the Reunion’s “Just Enuff Light”; Go Time’s “Sudden Death”; Brad Wait’s “Ride”; Dave Rave’s “Sparks Fly”; and “Oh No Not The Net” by the Mayflowers.
And I could go on and on and on and on! And on and on and on and on again!
Driven to ecstasy by a high energy factor resembling a blizzard of strapping hooks, enthused vocals, bright harmonies, pumping drum beats and guitars that chime, crunch and crash, which are of course the essential workings of power pop music, International Pop Overthrow Volume 14 stands as an ultimate sampler of some of the best melody makers presently walking the earth.
A must have for those who have an insatiable appetite for genuine power pop sounds!
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