Power Popaholic Interview: Stéphane Schück of the Salt Collective

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The Salt Collective (2025)

🎙️ Salt Collective is a power pop band with a deep bench. This second full-length album “A Brief History of Blindness” is led by Parisian musician Stéphane Schück and features contributions from many power pop artists, including 1980s college rock icons Chris Stamey (who also produced), Mitch Easter (whose North Carolina studio birthed this album) and Let’s Active’s Lynn Blakely who sings lead or back-up on nearly half the tracks. Additional contributors include Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws, Jason Falkner, R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, Pat Sansone, Aimee Mann, and Andy Partridge.


We chat with Stéphane about the band’s history and the next album! Read the album review here!

New Singles for 2026: Kurt Baker, Olle Schelin, Vanilla, Mod Lang

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New releases are coming out at a furious pace, and I aim to get ahead of them. First, not new but I stumbled across this, and its wonderful to hear Andy Partridge (XTC) doing a song with Chris Braide. The extended EP has other songs, but the magic is on “I like Be With You.” The ever popular Kurt Baker is back with “Undertow Afterglow” and a cracking cover of McCartney’s “My Brave Face.” Swiss Instrumentalist Olle Schelin starts slow, but picks up at chorus of “To You Flowers.” And Vanilla continues with another year-long album project, this one is ‘Lollygag’ and asks that eternal question “Why?” Finally, Detroit band Mod Lang recalls Mr. Baker with its youthful melodic energy, as their album ‘Borrowed Time’ is due to hit next month. Enjoy!



What did I miss? The Elbow Patches, The Goods, Ryan Allen

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The days have gotten away from me, and I need to review some 2026 stuff this weekend. But here is another look at some of last year’s great music I did not review in time. 

The Elbow Patches

The Elbow Patches “Achingly Familiar”

John Dunbar was working on a new LP for his band, The John Sally Ride but with the sudden passing of legendary bass player, Sal Maida, earlier in the year he vowed to end that band and The Elbow Patches was formed. The jangle and melodic fuzz of the opener “You Can’t Kid Yourself” is a great start. Next the Byrdsian strums of “The Day Got Away From Me” is just comfort food for my ears. Dunbar’s sardonic side is kept in check, aside from tracks like “Who Doesn’t Hate Each Other?” Although there seems to me a sense of resignation in his songwriting. With its retro late 60s style, each track resonates, and like his other musical projects it’s certainly highly recommended.

Amazon


The Goods

The Goods “Don’t Spoil The Fun”

This should have been a bit higher on my list, Oakland band The Goods have a mellow melodicism on the opener “April Fools” akin to late period Monkees. You’ll hear that magic on “Sunday Morning Out of The Blue.” They also have a dense chiming jangle akin to Dropkick on many songs. But add those harmonies and you’ve got something special, like on “Raining” and “Me and My Ghost.” The album is also consistent with its style and quality songwriting. No filler here at all.  After a few spins, this will stick with you. Super Highly Recommended.

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Tulpa

Ryan Allen “Livin’ On A Prayer On The Edge”

Ryan Allen came out with 2 albums in 2025. Both are excellent and Allen just continues to get better and sounds like he’s having fun doing it.  ‘One Week Off’ is like an experiment in churning out demos, like Robert Pollard on a 4-track. Great as this album is, ‘Livin’ On A Prayer On The Edge’ feels more deliberate and the songwriting feels more thought out. It also allows thoughtful moments like “Anxious All The Time” and punkier excursions like “Devil’s Juice.” Some tune are just fun like “Spider Sally” while others are driving pop jams like “So What Who Cares.” It’s a very well rounded album that really showcases Allen’s talent. Highly Recommended.

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What did I miss? Fortitude Valley, Liquid Mike, The Vapors

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Yeah, I will spend this week reviewing a few albums I missed in 2025.

Fortitude Valley

Fortitude Valley “Part Of The Problem, Baby”

Fortitude Valley’s album “Part Of The Problem, Baby” has received praise for its infectious power-pop sound, which features melodic and catchy hooks throughout its ten tracks. The album explores personal themes of growth and distance, with lead vocalist Laura Kovic drawing similarities to Rachel Sweet and Karla Kane (Corner Laughers). The musicianship here is tight and supports Kovic’s lead effectively. This was added to my Top 25 list, so check out the popular singles “Totally” and “Don’t You Wanna Be Near Me” Highly recommended!

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“Liquid

Liquid Mike “Hell is an Airport”

Marquette, Michigan heavy power pop band returns and Liquid Mike’s “Hell Is An Airport” keeps things moving along with short songs loaded with hooks, which makes them stick in your head right away. Like early Green Day, tunes like “Double Dutch” just grab you with its energy and driving riffs. Other great tunes include “Groucho Marx” and “Claws.” The album’s humorous theme is about feeling stuck in life and how everyday stuff just drags on, in a monotonous way. The lyrics are self deprecating, like the band poking fun at themselves, and that goes with their energetic sound really well. It all feels relatable, but overall some songs tend to sound a bit too similar to each other. Still, pound for pound one of the best heavy guitar bands with melody out there. Highly Recommended.

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The Vapors

The Vapors “Wasp In A Jar”

“Wasp in a Jar,” released early in the year, veteran indie rockers The Vapors’ album showcases their signature punk-pop sound with energetic tracks like “Hit the Ground Running” and “Nonstop Radio.” These guys still can rock pretty hard, and the social commentary of “The Human Race” blends the hooks well. David Fenton is the lead singer, and he probably will not hit those big pop moments from “Turning Japanese” anymore. Still, he writes solid hooks, I feel like on “Forever & Ever” and “The Words” especially. This is another album that just charms you with its songs. Overall, a strong return for the band that has always been criminally under-rated. Check it out!

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The Power Popaholic Top 25 EPs of 2025

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Each year I need to explain that an EP to me is more than 2 songs and less than 10 songs. Many great EPs came out last year, and a late entry that literally “slipped under my radar” was Robert Harrison’s return as Future Clouds and Radar. As part of the memorable power pop juggernaut Cotton Mather, he has always been a special talent. He ranks high this year, and also of note; the band Shake Some Action appears in both my album and EP list.

    1. The Vibeke Saugestad Band “The Sun Sessions”
    2. Future Clouds and Radar “Big Weather”
    3. Peter Baldrachi “Nothing’s Promised”
    4. The Glad Machine “All the Pretty Things”
    5. Flutter “When You Love Somebody”
    6. Shake Some Action “Running Out of Places to Run”
    7. Autos “Autos”
    8. Hexham Heads “Hexham Heads”
    9. The Rallies “Rallies ’25 (The Singles EP)”
    10. Mikayla Geier “HOT POT”
    11. Friends of Cesar Romero “All Goodbyes Aren’t Bad Cause This Goodbye Is For Good”
    12. Randy Klaxon “Sunday’s Child”
    13. The Jacks “Box”
    14. Doublevee “Periscope at Midnight”
    15. The Photocopies “Treacherous”
    16. Geoff Palmer “Kodak Flash”
    17. Clean Lines “Nuisance”
    18. Corin Ashley “EP #1”
    19. Skeleton Staff “Hepto-Altruism”
    20. Svenssen “The Making of Art”
    21. Moonspin “When You’re Around”
    22. J. Fla “Moon Eater”
    23. The Needmores “Side X Side”
    24. King Hüsky “King Hüsky”
    25. Elena Rogers “Songs About Me”