Expert Opinion: Power pop

Say what you want about snobs, but they always point you in the right direction. In Expert Opinion, Decider seeks out Milwaukee’s self-appointed tastemakers for recommendations in their chosen field of knowledge. This week, we talk with Terry Hackbarth of Milwaukee band The Nice Outfit for his suggestions on good introductory power-pop records in advance of the International Pop Overthrow, which takes place today through Sunday at Linneman’s.

1. Big Star, Radio City
For the novice: The second record by a legendary, Alex Chilton-led outfit that’s considered by many to be the quintessential power-pop band.
Terry Hackbarth: I definitely prefer my power-pop on the more ragged, darker side. Things were starting to go awry for the band at this point, and you can hear them fall apart at the seams. I find that intriguing. Some of the lyrics are pretty ambiguous, and not just simple love songs.

2. Jellyfish, Bellybutton

For the novice: The debut record from a band that carried the power-pop flag at the height of hair metal.
TH: This was a big one for me when I was just finishing high school, and it was a big transitional record for me. It came at a time when there wasn’t a lot of that kind of music going on. There was college rock, but being from Kenosha I wasn’t exposed to a lot of it. I was definitely looking for something new at that point, and I remember watching one of the videos on MTV and was like, “Whoa, what is this?” This is one of those bands that a lot of people try to copy; they get the bubblegum part but miss the darker overtones.

3. Badfinger, Straight Up

For the novice: This band was signed to The Beatles’ record label and was produced by George Harrison, but it could never quite step out of the Fab Four’s shadow.
TH: They were definitely going against the grain of the time. It was post-Beatles, and it probably wasn’t very cool sounding like the Beatles at that point. But you can’t beat these songs. “Baby Blue” is perfect example of what a pop song should be, from the verse to the chorus to the bridge to the guitar, which is only four bars long but a perfect extension of the song.

4. Raspberries, Fresh

For the novice: A pioneering early ’70s power pop best known for the oldies radio staple “Go All The Way.”
TH: Again, they were flying in the face of trends. If you look at the cover, they have poofy hair and white sports jackets. Setting Brian Wilson-esque harmonies and falsetto vocals to crunchy guitars was kind of a new thing. They laid the groundwork for a lot of good—and probably mediocre—power pop over the years.

5. Cheap Trick, Cheap Trick

For the novice: The first record from one of the most lovable rock bands to ever come out of the Midwest.
TH: This record had everything a band could have at that point, from Beatle-esque songs to just out-and-out, borderline-frantic punk-rock songs. There’s definitely some demented lyrical stuff going on that that’s not your average subject matter. And it definitely has an iconic album cover.