Riding the power pop resurgence with Baypop 2001.

By John O'Neill

THERE IS NO accounting for passion, and anyone involved in attempting to bring melodic pop rock to the multitudes is working solely on that premise. Which is to say that the odds of turning Baypop – the music festival brainchild of area residents and avowed pop junkies Paul Kopf and Don Stroud – into a big payday are about equal to, say, getting hit by lightning. Twice. No hipster cred or Next Big Thing buzz on the street – the only specific that might be attributable to this event is devotion. From the promoters to the bands to the fans, it's a relatively fervent crowd, which says a lot about the music.

Power pop is amazingly alive and well, and for the most part it's still residing in the cult ghetto that has been its home since the Nixon administration. No matter, the basic elements of classic pop and power pop – lush melodies, big hooks, focused energy, and unabashed enthusiasm – have been handed down through three generations of musicians and endured despite the radical changes in popular music over the same period. And somehow power pop seems to always find a way back onto the radar screen, usually in conjunction with other kinds of popular music (i.e., disco, grunge) hitting spectacular new lows.

The aftershock of the genre's almost resurgence in the mid-'90s is still being felt, and San Francisco has become a fairly fertile breeding ground. Thus, the Baypop Festival: a four-day celebration of feel-good music from the heart about broken hearts vying for yours.

What follows is a somewhat comprehensive rundown of performers that, allowing for the author's incredible biases, romantic attachments, and knack for revisionist history, should help guide you to all your Baypop fun.

Wed/1

9 p.m., Cafe du Nord, 2170 Market, S.F. $10. (415) 861-5016

The Chocolate Watchband

Now regarded as the granddaddies of psychedelic punk rock, the San Jose-based Chocolate Watchband have taken a long, odd road from obscurity to cultdom. Like most kids their age, the group were adept at churning out killer Stones-style R&B; what set them apart from other garage bands of the mid-'60s was vocalist Dave Aguilar's primitive sneer and the melding of their aggressive chops with hallucinogenic references. Securing a deal with Ed Cobb (the Standells' manager) in 1966, the band appeared in the exploitation classic Riot on Sunset Strip and soon after went in to record their debut disc for Tower Records. When the album, No Way Out, was released later that year, they were mortified to find that half of the album sported vocals by a session man, and two of the instro tracks didn't contain a single member of the band. Disappointed, the band began to fragment. Though they would carry on in various incarnations for two more albums, the real Watchband were dead and buried as No Way Out began to hit retail shelves. Despite the unnecessary tinkering by studio engineers to achieve Cobb's vision of what the band should be, No Way Out remains the finest example of psychedelic punk to appear on a major label and has gone on to influence everyone from '70s punk artists to '80s garage revivalists to today's pop revisionists. Back with three original members and area garage-o-phile Alec Paleo, they sound as dangerous as any middle-aged men can.

Song to demand: While "Let's Talk about Girls," and "Sweet Young Thing" are punk anthems, the band's shining moment is the claustrophobic title cut from their classic first album. It actually sounds like acid would if it could sing.

Cyril Jordan

What can one say about Cyril Jordan? That his band, the Flamin' Groovies, are the greatest band to ever come from San Francisco? That he's one of the purest exponents of rock and roll to ever slip on a guitar? That he's one of the most important figures in the history of power pop? Take your pick, but this much is for certain: he would be a first-ballot inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame if there really was one, and he will sit at John Lennon's right hand when he one day slumps off this mortal coil. Cyril Jordan is a hero. Cyril Jordan is a visionary. Cyril Jordan is a great American. You and I are not worthy to lick Cyril Jordan's Beatle boots. All of this is true.

Song to demand: "Shake Some Action"? Nope. "Teenage Head"? Sorry. For heart and grit (and summing up 30 years of frustration) it's gotta be "Way over My Head."

Chris Von Sneidern

S.F. resident and musical renaissance man on a budget Chris Von Sneidern is a disciple of warm, multilayered vignettes that are lyrically vivid and expertly arranged. Beginning with 1993's charming hunk of Beatlemania Sight and Sound (Heyday), Von Sneidern has consistently crafted some of the most beautifully built tunes around. After four proper label releases, CVS cut another three DIY albums that expanded his sound to include soul, Stones raunch, half-seed poetry, fan mail from teen girls, and a slap at Tom Waits.

Fast fact: Looks way better in a shag haircut than a man his age has any right to look. Has the balls to seriously cover "God Only Knows."

Thurs/2

9 p.m., Pound-SF, Pier 96, 100 Cargo, S.F. $8. (415) 826-9202

The Pills

Teddy and the Pandas, the Remains, the Rockin' Ramrods, the Real Kids, and the Neighborhoods – none household names, but underground legends synonymous with the blue-collar ethic that colors Boston's best pop bands. All managed to rock just a little bit harder than their contemporaries, and all shared an unabashed love for melody and harmony, even if some of them couldn't sing worth a crap. The Pills are the next band in the fabled line to assume the mantle of Beantown's premiere pop rockers. Already recognized by the Boston Music Awards as Best Live Band and awarded Independent Album of the Year for '99's Wide Awake with the Pills (Monolyth), the foursome have been burning a steady path across the country and turning pop on its ear with their patented amphetamine-pop sound. Featuring three-part harmonies and sturdy song structures, the Pills put everything from the Jam to Blondie to the Action into the mix. Enjoying demigod status in Toronto and Milwaukee (!) and favorite-son status with most scooter clubs nationwide, the boys took their act to Spain for a streak of SRO performances. This year finds them nose to the grindstone again, with their upcoming release, ... Kick In (Monolyth), due out this week. A frenzy of progressive power pop and psychedelic freak-outs, ... Kick In should help solidify their rep as Boston's major player.

Fast fact: The Pills have played one wedding. Mine. Chasing all elderly people from the immediate vicinity by the fourth song, they drove the groom's father to ask the immortal question "So, is this the kind of shit you get paid to write about?" Indeed I do.

Single

Formerly the horribly named Blue Sky Roadster, these locals have slowly been whipping up a minor frenzy on the club scene as band-on-the-rise. They've already licensed some songs to the power brokers at MTV and received some decent airplay in Spain and France, and their impending album under the new name should go a long way toward the make-or-break in '01.

Most likely to: Undergo a third name change.

Brad Brooks

Brooks is a mid-tempo, piano-based pop magician who originally hails from Tucson, Ariz., home of nothing. If his latest album, Sanctified in Astroglide (Mouth Magic), is any indication of what is to be expected live, he could be the talk of the festival. Or he could be an unmitigated disaster. Brooks's quasi psychedelia-meets-West Coast baroque owes to obvious influences like Brian Wilson and the Zombies, but it owes just as much to the bombast of ELO and Wings (the only thing more embarrassing than McCartney's solo output). Disconcerting? You bet. Either way, it's a must-see.

Most likely to: Own a copy of Pipes of Peace.

The Tories

Hey, it's the guys who did the theme song to Christina Applegate's Jesse. While that show can best be described as a semi-stinker, these L.A. natives get a thumbs-up for their "alternative" leanings. While their debut disc, Wonderful Life, called to mind the undistilled pure pop of Jellyfish and Redd Kross, the brandy-new Upside of Down (02) finds them stripped down from a four piece to a trio and looking at life through more disillusioned eyes.

Song to demand: "Everything Keeps Coming Up to You," a dynamic, percolating slab-o'-love.

The Odd Numbers

Once the darlings of the San Jose mod/scooter scene, the Odd Numbers have somehow over the years managed to be embraced by the skate punk community (a relatively impressive feat when you figure that most of those skaters were entering grade school when the Numbers formed in '88). Proving that great music spans the generations, the Numbers have managed to stay true to their calling of bashing out three-minute paeans to sun, fun, and girls. Local punk label Coldfront released their third disc, The Trials and Tribulations of ... this past year, to the delight of skaters worldwide.

Little known fact: There are a shitload of bands named the Odd Numbers.

Fri/3

8 p.m., Cafe du Nord, 2170 Market, S.F. $8. (415) 861-5016

The Nederbeats

Dutch beat music done the San Fran way. What more need be said except: expect matching stage wear, vintage instruments, two-minute songs, and a sweaty mess of humanity doing all the coolest dance moves.

Song to demand: "Let's Stomp." We don't know if it's on their set list, but any beat group worth their Vox amp should be able to pull it out of their fanny.

The Rooks

As close to perfection as you're likely to get, the veteran Rooks seamlessly blend their pop with folk, psychedelia, straight-up rock, and anything else that might be floating around in songwriter Michael Mazzarella's beautiful brain. Known to most of the world primarily for their wondrous signature tune, "Reasons," the Rooks pack grace and power together in much the same way as their heroes Big Star did. And like their heroes', their legacy will be felt for generations of pop bands to come.

Song to demand: "Drag of the Month."

John Moremen

Few people realize that the fabulous John Moremen, the drummer for the Orange Peels, is a pop demon in his own right. He has recorded with the Loud Family's Alison Faith Levy and Jad Fair, he released a solo album in 1997, and he's appeared on numerous power pop comps. He's finishing up work on his second solo disc, with a band that features former X basher D.J. Bonebrake.

Fast fact: Back in his Washington, D.C., days, Moremen played with Half Japanese.

The Chantigs

Owing to a willingness to throw anything against the wall to make a song, the Chantigs are often confused for an experimental band. Digging on the late '60s and early '70s as their jump point, they use four-part vocals, clanging guitars, and odd flourishes to challenging effect. Their newest album, Four Hats (Rodent), is also the band's strongest, with backward piano, whacked-out banjo, and California-drenched harmonies. We don't know where the low-budget explorations will lead, but we'll always be happy to follow.

Song to demand: "Karaoke Queen."

The Orange Peels

The Orange Peels continue on their mission to bring the "West Coast sound" to a dreary world with their second disc, So Far (SpinART). Recorded on a shoestring with a considerable amount of infighting and assorted foolishness, So Far ranks as one of the finer albums of the year, even if the morons at the label think otherwise. Songs like "West Coast Rain" and "Back in San Francisco" speak as much to geography as to state of being, which makes them twice as stunning. With a solid lineup ready for invasion, the Peels head out on tour this fall to bring America to its senses if not its knees.

Fast fact: Peels guitarist Larry Winther once wore bandages, ruled the garage circuit, and almost made a living as a member of the Mummies.

Sat/4

1:30 p.m., Voodoo Lounge, 2937 Mission, S.F. $8. (415) 285-3369

The Nines

Out of all of the bands to appear at this year's festival, our Canadian pals in the Nines are the musical chameleons of the bunch. A little XTC here, a little Weezer there, and a dash of early Cheap Trick can only equal great things. They've written for Dawson's Creek, Party of Five, and Time of Your Life, which makes them Baypop's most commercial act by a mile. Somehow chief writer Steve Eggers and his band have managed to be true to their school and continue to churn out fine pop ditties.

Song to demand: "Days and Days," a brilliant stab at waiting on the wrong love.

The Decibels

Kicking up a fuss on and off since '93, the Decibels reach back to the glory days of the '80s revival and dress the part. Pegged jeans, suit coats, and buckle shoes are the uniform of choice. Besides winning Best Dressed, the Sacramento foursome own a killer new disc in The BIG Sounds of the Decibels. Delivering on the title's promise with a potent attack of fuzz, jangle, and hopped-up rhythms, the Decibels could prove a tough act to follow.

Most likely to: Drive purists into a dance frenzy.

The Scooters

It's a long way to the top of the pop heap, especially if you have to come all the way from Cardiff, Wales, to get any real notice. While the English press is waking up to the Scooters' sound, the majority of their vocal backers write from California. The Scooters are bringing their rep as the homeland's best unsigned group straight to the power pop cognoscenti (with a turn onstage at L.A.'s International Pop Overthrow, Baypop's older, bigger cousin). Their debut, Peepshow, is an infectious eight-song disc that finds a young band poised for bigger things.

Most likely to: Get laid.

RubberSideDown

New area four-piece RubberSideDown's debut disc, This Side Up (NWP), is another solid case for bringing outside ears into the recording studio. It isn't a disaster, but it plods in all the wrong spots and buries the guitars in favor of Kevin Casey's vocals. That said, RSD opt for guitar-driven anthems favored by mid-era Goo Goo Dolls and over-the-hill Replacements: no-nonsense power riffing, a solid rhythm section, and simple yet effective vocalizing.

Most likely to: Sound awesome after a couple of shots.

Spinning Jennies

In a city full of unheralded pop beauty and famous for not realizing it, Spinning Jennies have to be the least appreciated of the new batch. And so their fourth release, Peer Pressure, sank like a stone without making so much as a ripple. The shame is that the album ranks as an honest-to-gosh, guaranteed-not-to-rust slice of pop perfection.

Fast fact: Poor Jeff Shelton (Jennies vocalist) gets compared to Shoes' Jeff Murphy in every article written about them.

Asteroid No. 4

Yikes! We've given up guessing how the success game is played, but one listen to King Richard's Collectibles (Rainbow Quartz) leaves us pondering the motives of the idiots who lord over commercial music. Making a perfect mix of classic pop elements, punk aggression, and identifiable sources, these guys have to be the odds-on favorite to steal the day.

Most likely to: Soften the hardened heart of even the most jaded fuck.

The Fitsners

Any band that can get Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend Al Jardine in the studio for a session has got to be doing something right. Former big deals of Rochester, N.Y., the Fitsners relocated to the Bay Area in '97 and have since fallen into undeserved obscurity. Their latest and greatest, 50 Ways to Leave Your Mother (11345), is a short, sharp jab of solid hooks and bratty attitude.

Fast fact: The Fitsners' birthplace is also the home of the awesome House of Guitars, Kodak, and the Chesterfield Kings (in order of importance).

The Brodys

The Brodys are the bastard children of the event. Singing tongue-in-cheek novelty odes to underage drinking, beer delivery men, getting kicked to the curb, and breaking up the high school band, they mix their pop with reggae, nerd rock, punk, and old-fashioned power riffing.

Trivial pursuit: Three of the Brodys' tunes are featured on MTV's Undergrads.

10 p.m., 330 Ritch, S.F. $12. (415) 541-9574.

The Damsels

One of the new breed of S.F. pop bands, the Damsels have always managed to stay out of the limelight, most likely owing to subpar recorded material. California, from 1999, is flat, and the new Dirty Love won't do much to bring in converts either. However, the band, locked in on the legacy of Sloan and Ride just as much as that of the Beatles, delivers a fine mix of shimmering guitar, airy vocals, and rock crunch.

Song to demand: "Defy Your Radio," if not for the hooks, for the message.

The Grip Weeds

New Jersey psych poppers extraordinaire the Grip Weeds have absorbed a huge cross-section of influences. American folk pop, Brit mod, '80s Paisley Underground, early '70s pop, the entire Nuggets and Pebbles compilations, Revolver-era Beatles, the Byrds, and on and on. The Grip Weeds craft dynamic original music that, while bowing deeply to their roots, keeps a keen eye trained toward the horizon.

Most likely to: Rip the place a new one.

The Syndicate of Sound

If there's one thing that needs to be said about the SOS, it's this: "Little Girl." Formed in 1964 and a Bay Area staple at teen clubs, the band had its moment in the sun after winning a battle of the bands in San Mateo. The prize, a one-off single, resulted in their only hit, "Little Girl." A spirited punk kiss-off, the song enabled the group to tour with the Who, the Yardbirds, and other big names. Rediscovered via the Nuggets compilation, "Little Girl" has since been covered by Dwight Yoakam and the Divinyls, and you can find the band in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame housed under "One Hit Wonders."

Song to demand: They should just play "Little Girl" for 45 minutes.

Baypop 2001 runs Wed/1-Sat/4, Cafe du Nord, 2170 Market, S.F. (415) 861-5016; Pound-SF, Pier 96, 100 Cargo, S.F. (415) 826-9202; Voodoo Lounge, 2937 Mission, S.F. (415) 285-3369; 330 Ritch, S.F. (415) 541-9574. For more information go to www.baypop.com.

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