Here at the Chilton Power Pop Institute, we are very serious about power pop. All students are required to take a strict regimen of classes on production cliches of the 70's, straight-eighth-note basslines, how to improve vocal harmonies, and getting just the right amount of attitude into your promo shots. Our more advanced students are allowed to enroll in special electives like advanced math-rock, adding a touch of ambition to your arrangements, and avoiding the sophomore slump. We have a proud history, and we're happy to announce that our alumni are infinitely more commercially successful than graduates of the Manuel Göttsching Academy of German Minimalist Space- and Kraut-Rock down the street.

Now, we like to keep people informed of our students' achievement, so each spring we offer up a progress report on each of our bands. Here is the spring 2001 progress report for Southern California's the Tories:

General Comments:
The band has shown improvement over their debut, Wonderful Life, in some areas, but certain subjects are in need of more rigorous study. Unfortunately, original drummer Brent Klopp dropped out to pursue other interests, but the band has soldiered on well as a trio, drawing on the percussive talents Jamie Wollam for the recording of their second album, Upside of Down. Lamentably, they opted to employ some weak drum programming on a few tracks, which definitely brought their marks down. The band have, however, performed well in Brett Anderson's Affectations 201 class, and chosen a bandname that aptly reveals their Anglo leanings.

Songwriting and Lyrics:
The Tories demonstrate an admirable propensity for group songwriting; often all three members will contribute music, and all three are passable lyricists. While their debut album focused a little more on camp value and quirkiness to make the lyrics work, Upside of Down takes a more serious approach. Songwriting highlights include bassist James Guffee's ballad "All the World's for Sale," an affecting acoustic number worthy of the closing spot it received in the tracklist. The lines, "Measure up what you think it's worth/ Lay it out on the naked earth/ For all the crows to see/ And do with as they please," are especially well-executed. As a bonus, "Superconductor" seems an obvious summer single, with its sunny harmonies and catchy melody. It's hard to imagine this band emerging from anywhere but Southern California.

Hooks and Melody:
The Tories have always had a strong sense of melody and a good hook. They've also benefited from our school's power pop history classes, allowing judicious amounts of Cheap Trick, Weezer, Jellyfish, Big Star, and Raspberries to seep into their sound, while balancing their influences well enough that they remain largely inconspicuous. James Bertrand's vocals are powerful, sinking the abundant hooks directly into your long-term memory. The three-part harmonies that usually show up in the choruses of these songs anchor the hooks quite nicely.

Instrumentation:
As a trio, the Tories have refined their guitar/bass/drums sound to feature only the most tasteful, inoffensive interplay possible. Thus, there is absolutely nothing here in the least bit mind-blowing or revelatory, though the album does occasionally rock. Toward the end of the record, the Tories get a little more adventurous, adding an odd, tuba-dominated horn section and some Klezmer-esque guitar rhythms on "The End," one of the album's most distinctive tracks. The mellotrons and spacy synths on "Other Side of Time" also suggest that the band have some ambitions beyond the simple power pop they've learned to do so well here.

Production:
The band and producer Stuart Brawley have offered up a very crisp sound on Upside of Down, overcoming the occasional dryness of Wonderful Life. However, many fans of crusty, lo-fi indie pop will be turned off by the radio-friendliness of this material. This lack of grit can sometimes be off-putting, but should fly well with the average modern rock radio listener. Overall, the sound of the record is cohesive, but it tends to feel more like a collection of songs than a focused album.

Recommendations:
With the right backing, the Tories should be able to work their way onto commercial radio, if that's what they want. For now, they'll keep cranking out straight-faced power pop that's more than worth your while if you're into that sort of thing. Of course, if you've been locked in your room listening to nothing but the Birthday Party and Can's Ege Bamyasi for the past month, it's unlikely that you're going to find anything of interest here. Still, we here at the Chilton Power Pop Institute are quite proud of our young students' achievement on Upside of Down and recommend it heartily to anyone who loves a good hook and the simple pleasure of a pop song.

-Joe Tangari
Dean of Fuzz Pedals and Horn Sections
Chilton Power Pop Institute