POPMONSTER: GREG POPE

New Teaser for Giant Monster Playset

2011-11-16T08:37:00.000-08:00

New 40 second teaser reveals monster!

Official soundtrack for the film is now available digitally and on CD from CDbaby and iTunes.

New Album: MONSTER SUIT

2011-10-26T22:33:00.000-07:00

Preview the entire album below.
Digital available October 31st from iTunes and CDbaby.
Physical CDs available: November 12th, 2011

Greg Pope: Monster Suit by POPMONSTER

Monster Suit is also the soundtrack to Giant Monster Playset, a short film I wrote and directed that is currently under consideration at several film festivals.

11/4 update: slight delay on physical CDs...should be available on CDbaby by 11/12/11. Thx for your patience!

A Monster Movie and New Album coming this Fall...

2011-07-15T06:15:00.000-07:00

This is a trailer for a short film I'm releasing this Fall. I'm also working on a soundtrack for the film (clips can be heard in the trailer) that will release as my next full length album and feature a new collection of tunes as well as instrumental music cues used in the film.

The trailer is premiering this weekend at the Pickwick theater in Chicago as part of G-FEST, the largest gathering of Godzilla and Japanese monster fans in the world.
Huge thanks to festival organizer and J.D. Lees for his willingness to support an independent film this way! It's quite an honor to be sharing the big screen with some classic Godzilla films!

More info on the film at the official GIANT MONSTER PLAYSET website.

Blue Ocean Sky Reviews: Pure Pop Pub

2011-02-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

Positive vibes from Rich Horton's Pure Pop Pub. Read the review here.
Tune in to powerpop goodness on Rich's online radio station.

Blue Ocean Sky reviews: One Chord to Another

2011-02-22T08:29:00.000-08:00

Nice review from this most excellent Finnish pop site. Read the entire thing here.

Blue Ocean Sky: CD's Now Available

2010-12-20T11:39:00.000-08:00

"Christmas comes early with this gift from Greg Pope. His new album Blue Ocean Sky contains the same impeccable rock we've come to love and make many top ten lists every year (including ours)." -Powerpopaholic.com

CD's are now available from CD BABY.

Free BLUE OCEAN SKY download until Dec. 20th

2010-12-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

Download an mp3 version of the new Greg Pope album, Blue Ocean Sky (artwork included) for the next Seven Days.

To Download click here:

BLUE OCEAN SKY.ZIP

New Album: BLUE OCEAN SKY

2010-12-10T10:19:00.000-08:00

Releasing: December 2010

Preview the entire album and download select tracks
on my Last FM page or my iLike page or my Rock n Roll Tribe page.

Greg Pope & The Popmonsters, IPO Chicago

2010-05-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

GREG POPE & The Popmonsters @ IPO Chicago Thursday!

2010-04-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

International Pop Overthrow Festival, Chicago

THURSDAY!

04/29/2010
9:00 PM - Red Line Tap
7006 N. Glenwood Ave
Chicago, Illinois 60626-2803
Cost:$10

We're doing our set at 9pm and if past festivals
are any evidence, they keep a pretty tight schedule.

Counting on seeing my Chicago friends there!
Here's the line up for the night:

8:00 The Injured Parties
8:30 Certain Stars
9:00 Greg Pope & the Popmonsters
9:30 Kaiserkeller
10:00 Eric Howell’s Greatest Hitch!
10:30 Andy Stone
11:00 Missile

Full Festival Schedule here.

SHOW THIS SATURDAY: Kimbro's Pickin' Parlor, Franklin Tn

2010-04-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

I'll be bashing out the powerpop on my acoustic for an hour or so this Saturday night at, Kimbro's Cafe/Pickin' Parlor right here in Franklin Tn.

Details:

Greg Pope (acoustic)
7:30-9pm

Kimbro's Pickin' Parlor
214 South Margin St
Franklin Tn 37064

GP plays IPO Chicago, April 29th!

2010-03-03T20:29:00.000-08:00

Greg Pope returns to the International Pop Overthrow Festival
this April in Chi Town!

Details:
04/29/2010
9:00 PM - Red Line Tap
7006 N. Glenwood Ave
Chicago, Illinois 60626-2803
Cost:$10

We'll be starting at 9, and burning through a half hour of
popmonster power pop! Don't be late!

Thursday’s line up:
8:00 The Injured Parties
8:30 Certain Stars
9:00 Greg Pope & the Popmonsters
9:30 Kaiserkeller
10:00 Eric Howell’s Greatest Hitch!
10:30 Andy Stone
11:00 Missile

Full Festival Schedule here.

PETE: #1 EP of 2009 at Powerpop Station

2010-02-10T11:43:00.000-08:00

Check out Paolo's entire Top 100 '09 list and his Top 10 EP's here.

PETE on the Audities Best of 09 List

2010-01-06T11:37:00.000-08:00

...at #34.

joys of christmas...

2009-12-31T13:57:00.000-08:00

a few items from under the tree this year...

also received some serious holiday cheer seeing my EP,
PETE, landing on some of the years TOP TEN EP lists:

Nice to be on any list, but to be on a list with

bands and artists of this caliber is a real honor.

Check 'em all out here and here.

Happy New Year music lovers!

Holiday Single Released: "Christmas Snow"

2009-11-22T20:59:00.000-08:00

So I did this Christmas song and here's kind of the story behind it. Last year I wrote this poem called "Christmas Snow". Being from the South, snow on Christmas is something that I hope for but it very rarely occurs. Anyway, I would walk around the house reciting this "Christmas Snow" poem in a cockney accent much to the amusement of my four year old son (hey when Dad can get a laugh, he milks it).

I'd kind of always wanted to do a Christmas song so this Fall I started experimenting with putting the words to music. Things got really crazy busy and I almost didn't get it done, but last weekend I put in some hours on it, uploaded to Tunecore last Monday and by Wednesday it was up on Amazon...iTunes link should be up soon. No CD's on this one, digital only.

So there it is... guess you could say i'm dreaming of a white Christmas.

Christmas Snow - Greg Pope

Christmas Snow

Christmas snow oh what a delight
It sparkles just like Christmas lights
You know I've only seen it twice
Since I was a boy

In Nome it's common as the air
But where I'm from it's very rare
And sometimes I don't think it's fair
On a balmy Christmas day

Christmas snow oh what a delight
It sparkles just like Christmas lights
You know I've only seen it twice
Since I was a boy

Now Christmas time is very near
And Christmas snow may come this year
I hope on Christmas morn I'll hear,
"Daddy, look! It's snowing!"

by Greg Pope ©2009

first time in a while...

2009-11-20T09:26:00.000-08:00

...i got hooked on the first listen.

Popmonster Merch

2009-11-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

Popmonster wearables and gifts for the power pop lover in your life.

Just in time for the holidays... Check it out here.

All created through zazzle. Would love some feedback on the designs and hope you'll let me know if there's a design you'd like to see. I know I went kind of overboard w/ the skateboard but I couldn't resist...

POWERPOP STATION review of PETE

2009-09-28T15:38:00.000-07:00

Reviews of PETE are still coming in, this one from Paolo Miléa, of the Brazilian site Power Pop Station. My portuguese is pretty rough, but from what I could ascertain from an internet translation, I think was favorable (thanks Paolo!). Entire review (and tons of other great powerpop recommendations) here.

DAGGERzine review of PETE

2009-09-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

".... if you dig juicy, hook-laden pop (akin ,a bit, to The Who and GBV) then this guys NEEDS to be on your radar...the song quality is right up there with POPMONSTER."

read the entire review.

Influences: Jeff Beck

2009-08-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

Another great record from my all time favorite decade of music and film (and TV).

If the artwork isn't enough to make the hair on the back of any guitar player's neck stand on end, then the first 10 seconds of track one is sure to do the trick.

Not really pop–but it was produced by George Martin. Jeff Beck may be top of the list as far as players that inspire me to want to become a better musician, or just quit all together.

Fave Tracks:

Led Boots - Jeff Beck

Blue Wind - Jeff Beck

Influences: Yes

2009-08-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

My aunt Ginger gave me her copy of Fragile (LP, not CD!) when I was five and my life was changed. I'd already been listening to it on visits to her house. I'd sit with my ear pressed to the speaker, eyes closed, soaking in the ominous thunder sounds at the beginning of "South Side of the Sky" and waiting for that amazing drum intro by Bill Bruford.

South Side Of The Sky - Yes

Later, when I finally scored some toy drums, I spent hours and hours playing along to that record, and staring at the amazing artwork. I still have that first copy and not one track is playable because it was so severely scratched (loved).

It would be hard to underestimate the influence Fragile on my musical cerebrum. As a teenage drummer geek I came to appreciate other albums from the same period like Close to the Edge and The Yes Album. The Alan White....Trevor Horn....Trevor Rabin periods didn't resonate as much for me, though I did get into Drama for a while (the album that is).

Haven't a clue what the lyrics mean, and like it that way. Still can't play that Bruford fill either...

Long Distance Runaround - Yes

And You And I [I. Cord Of Life...

Starship Trooper: a. Life Seek...

Influences: SUPERGRASS

2009-07-08T08:55:00.000-07:00

The vid's not that recent but if you haven't seen it, it's worth a click (and a great intro to Supergrass if you're not familiar).

I first heard them when Edmund's Crown was on the way home from a gig in Memphis. David, our drummer, was like "you would really like these guys," and popped in the CD In It For the Money. I liked it from the first listen but it didn't sink in until a few days later when I had a song in my head that I couldn't place (and knew I hadn't written-it was way too good). The song was It's Not Me (there isn't a bad track on that record, which is their sophomore).

It's Not Me - Supergrass

Anyway, I quickly acquired entire SG catalog and would soon be gleefully referring to myself as a fan and the band as an influence.

Here's a clip from last years Diamond Hoo Ha:

Diamond Hoo Ha Man - Supergras...

Also of note:

Supergrass has more than a few websites out there. One that's maintained by the band themselves includes a tour diary , featuring random pics of shows, dressing rooms, and what they ate at the airport.

They were mentioned in the Foofighter's artist rider as being one of the few bands they would share a dressing room with (the others being Oasis and Led Zeppelin).

PETE-Lyrics: Fall Into Your Arms

2009-06-24T12:08:00.000-07:00

Well I tried but I just can't go on
I've been counting the days you're gone
And I long for the night
When you come home and I
Fall into your arms
I fall into your arms

I've been trying to go it alone
But I'm sinking just like a stone
And I long for the night
When you come home and I
Fall into your arms
I fall into your arms

Fall Into Your Arms - Greg Pop...

PETE-Lyrics: Help Yourself

2009-06-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

I know you think without me you don't have a prayer
It's really not that I gave up on being there
I'll do anything you ask me to
But there are some things only you can do

Hear the bells?
(you're going to have to help yourself)
They're tolling for no one else
(you're going to have to help yourself)

The story that you're selling has another side
But no one ever could convince you otherwise
Tell it how it is and make it true
That's the one thing only you can do

Hear the bells?
(you're going to have to help yourself)
They're tolling for no one else
(you're going to have to help yourself)

Help Yourself - Greg Pope