STRAIGHT TIES MAGAZINE
"Power Pop"- the most perfect science.
By Roy Buckley

There is a "happening" happening. It comes in the form of sweet soaring voices and bell-chiming guitars. It snakes its three minute body around the strings of the heart and warms what ails the soul. It joins blue shards of guitar shimmer with throaty bitter-sweet teenage lament that when understood, makes the day a lot brighter than yesterdayís Seattle. It has delightful little appellations like Idle Wilds, Posies and Cherry Twister. Spongetones, Vandalias and Wanderlust. It has Rooks.

Is Power Pop the new wave? It is if the aforementioned clans have any say in the matter. The world has been through pompadour pretties, mop-toppers, granola-desperado-americanas and cock-rock blue-eyed soul screamers. Toss in a mirror ball and a flannel sweater and you pretty much have the sounds of the past thirty years. The newest kids on the block may not be practicing a most original science but it certainly is a welcome rush of fresh air. And clean too!

The Rooks are just one of the upstarts. They happen to be one of my favorites. The band has been together with different players since around 1991. Their debut album (The Rooks-Guardian 701) was released in early 1994 and was a mainstay in my player for the good part of three months. Their two following releases on Colorado's Not Lame Recording Label (A Double Dose of Pop and Chimes) have brought me closer to God. The band is masterful at creating sounds that cross over into beaming early Who-like rock ("Love Said To Me"), to Revoler-esque maturity ("Monday Morning") and simple McGuinn-Hillman Sweetheart Of The Rodeo summer sun-day langour ("Waiting"). Reasons and Glitter Best could possibly be the best songs Thunderclap Newman didnít write and McCartney could do with a Steeplechase or two.

This New York City band is fronted by singer-songwriter, producer/arranger Michael Mazzarella. Along with lead guitarist Kristin Pinell, bassist Anne Benkovitz and drummer Patrick Yourell, they are helping to pave the way to a "New Pop Utopia." Last month I interviewed Mazzarella and Kristin Pinell. Together they are as enjoyable to interview as they are musicians. While Mazzarella may be the home alone tortured Brian Wilson genius of the crew, Pinell falls into the spotlight as the sometimes Richards/Townshend/Ham backbone, walking across barely rippled water plucking George Harrison and Glen Tilbrook daisies from her own field. Their music says it all.


S.T.: MICHAEL, HOW DID YOU START?

MICHAEL: I have been writing since I was a child. I was always playing with words on paper whether it was rhyming games or nonsense prose. I began to compose what can loosely be termed songs at about eight years old. It just grew from there. I am constantly writing something. . . music or poetry. Itís just what I enjoy doing with my time.

S.T.: KRISTIN, WHAT IS YOUR MUSICAL BACKGROUND AND WHO WERE YOUR INFLUENCES GROWING UP?

KRISTIN: I've been infatuated with the guitar for twenty-three years and I've been a music freak since I was four. . . listening to The Beatles and The Byrds. My musical background includes playing in everything from marching bands to jazz concert orchestras to country and hard rock bands, to studying classical guitar. I've gone to the Hartford Conservatory and the Berklee College Of Music. Most of my "ear" came from listening dreamily to my favorite records and trying to lift off the bits I liked. I got my live chops when I began gigging around the Boston scene with a 3-piece all-girl band called Good Question. We sounded something like Cream meets The Bangles. Being the only guitarist, I had to create a lot of sound. I really think that's were I started developing my style. I was really into Jimmy Page.

S.T.: WHAT IS YOUR WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH MICHAEL? HOW CLOSELY DO YOU WORK TOGETHER WHEN HE BRINGS A COMPOSITION INTO THE BAND?

KRISTIN: Generally, Michael composes a song on acoustic guitar. He will play it for me and we'll talk about its direction. Sometimes he hears specific instrumentation he wants. . . it varies. We'll rehearse it for a while and try out different arrangements, intros, and backing bits. Whatever comes live at the rehearsal. . . anything goes. I tape it all and usually take the track and work with it on my own, trying out different guitar melodies. We just build on each other's ideas. We've been working together long enough to understand how to make the songs spark. It's a very exciting working relationship. We have developed a lot of mutual respect for the chemistry between us.

S.T.: ARE YOU WRITING NOW FOR ANOTHER ALBUM?

MICHAEL: Well, not for the next one. I'm writing classical pieces at the moment. The next album is written. That was finished quite a while ago. We are now beginning the first stages of recording it. It's called A Wishing Well.

S.T.: TELL US ABOUT IT.

KRISTIN: The new album will have a lot of different instrumentation and styles. It's an exciting project.

MICHAEL: I hope for it to be shimmering majestic pop with jangling guitars and noble orchestrations. We hope the music will be strong straight out of the gate.

S.T.: ARE THESE A BATCH OF SONGS THAT WERE PUT TOGETHER, OR DID YOU HAVE A VISION OF A CONCEPTUAL PIECE?

MICHAEL: The debut (The Rooks-GDR 701) was more or less a collection of songs but this one, although it was not written from start to finish with a running theme. . . there are pockets where I knew very early on which songs would fit together. I have a trilogy that will be featured toward the end of the album.

S.T.: CAN YOU LET US KNOW THEIR TITLES?

MICHAEl: Sure. "Drag Of The Month," "Do You Have God?" and "Meditation." Not necessarily in that order, but my vision is to have them follow one another. There is a certain spirituality that embraces these songs for me and I think they go hand in hand. Youíll have to hear for yourself. Maybe you will hear them differently. Who knows?

S.T.: THIS IS THE SECOND ROOKSí LINE-UP THAT HAS INCLUDED ANOTHER WOMAN BESIDE YOURSELF. DOES THIS MAKE IT EASIER ON YOU, OR DOES IT EVEN MATTER AT ALL?

KRISTIN: I really enjoy the comradeship. It's great having another girl to work and play with. Anne is not only a well-rounded musician and a great bassist, but she has an amazing amount of energy and humor that she brings to the band. We have a lot of fun. I spent years looking for cool, talented female musicians to click with, and there are hardly any out there.

S.T.: WITH THE EMERGENCE OF WOMEN IN ROCK, LIKE MELISSA ETHERIDGE, ALANIS MORISSETTE, JOAN OSBORNE ETC., IT SEEMS THAT THE WOMENíS MOVEMENT HAS FINALLY CRACKED THE SHELL OF A MALE DOMINATED PLAYGROUND. WHAT NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED OVER THE YEARS AND DO YOU NOTICE ANY CHANGES AT ALL?

KRISTIN: Introduce yourself to someone as a female LEAD guitarist and you're bound to get confused looks every time. Melissa Ethridge, Alanis and Joan are all known for their voices, not their ability to play their instruments. I have had no female role models. In all the years that I have been playing and looking for others like myself, I have never encountered one inspiring female guitarist. I have had a lot of funny experiences at music stores, gigs, etc. . . dealt with a lot of wise cracks and ignorance, but it's no big deal. I know Iím a freak of nature. I don't see that much of a change in the "boys club." Lead guitar playing still seems to be a totally male dominated scene.

S.T.: There will no doubt be readers who have not heard your music yet. Can you describe it for them?

MICHAEL: Isn't that what they pay you for?

S.T.: THEY PAY ME IN MILKSHAKES (laughs). GO ON, YOU CAN DO IT.

MICHAEL: I hate this. . . umm. . . Chris Bell meets Gidget (laughs).

S.T.: WHY DO YOU THINK POWER POP IS MAKING A SPLASH AGAIN?

MICHAEL: Everything runs in cycles. It's like a comet that only appears every 75 years. If you wait long enough it will happen. I can't pretend to expound on record buyer's tastes. In my heart of hearts, I would like to think that the quality of pop music has risen a notch or two, and that kids are tired of basic noise and are seeking out something that sits pleasingly on the ear. Would Oasis have made as big an impression in 1987?

S.T.: I DOUBT IT.

MICHAEL: Kids at that time were too concerned with Twisted Sister and Def Leppard. Where are they now? It just happens because it happens. I'm happy that we are here to be a part of it this time around.

S.T.: TO MY EARS KRISTIN, THE ROOKS ARE BATTING NEARLY PERFECTLY AS FAR AS SONGS GO. WHEN MICHAEL PRESENTS THEM TO YOU, CAN YOU TELL IMMEDIATELY THAT THE SONG IS GOING TO BE A WINNER, OR DOES THE BAND HAVE TO DO A LOT OF REARRANGING TO MAKE THEM WORK?

KRISTIN: Michael's songs are great from the start. We wouldn't waste our time polishing shit (laughter).

S.T.: POSSIBLY, THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF ANY POP BAND IS THE VOICE OF THE LEAD SINGER. THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE DECIDING FACTOR FOR ME. IN OTHER WORDS, A GREAT SONG MAY NOT BE PERCEIVED AS ONE IF THE SINGER CAN'T GET IT ACROSS. WHEN I FIRST HEARD THE ROOKS, I KNEW I WOULD LOVE THE BAND BECAUSE OF THE VOCALIST'S VOICE. WHO INSPIRED YOU TO SING?

MICHAEL: I know what you mean. It wasn't Dylan's voice that converted "Tambourine Man" into a "Pop" song, it was the collective Byrds. Same song, different singing approach. I'm the same way when deciding whether to embrace a band or not. If the sound of the singers voice doesn't touch me. . . good-bye.

S.T.: WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE SINGERS?

MICHAEL: My favorite singers aren't always popsters. Ray Charles, Harry Nilsson and Tom Waits do it for me. I mean, how much better than Lennon and McCartney or Cobain can you get in rock and roll? Who sings sweeter than Brian (Wilson) in his prime or Sam Cooke. . . or Art Garfunkel with Paul Simon? I still say Dylan was one of the best singers who ever walked the earth. Vocalists who make me believe what they are saying, by the way they sing their point.

S.T.: YOU HAVE A VERY DISTINCT VOICE. WHEN I HEAR IT, I KNOW WHO IT IS RIGHT AWAY. DID YOU MODEL YOURSELF AFTER ANY PARTICULAR SINGER?

MICHAEL: Well, it might be somewhat obvious that Lennon was an early target. I was a baby when I first heard them sing, so that creeped in without me realizing. Since Blues and R & B also hold a heavy hand in my music collection, I would like to think that somewhere some of those blues cats stuck a bit.

S.T.: YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO PRESENT A DELICATE SIDE LIKE STEEPLECHASE AND WAR.

MICHAEL: Well, whatever the song calls for. Those aren't exactly rock and roll songs.
S.T.: WHAT WAS YOUR IMPRESSION OF POPTOPIA (L.A.'s POP FESTIVAL)?

KRISTIN: Poptopia was a success and I was very proud to be part of it. Seeing the clubs sold out and receiving so much encouragement was an incredible feeling. Plus, I got to meet a lot of the "pop" people I had been corresponding with over the years, face to face.

S.T.: CAN THIS BE AN EVENT THAT GROWS SUCCESSFULLY EACH YEAR?

KRISTIN: I think it will continue to grow every year. . . plus we all need a good excuse to go to California in the dead of Winter!

S.T.: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ROOKS SONG AND WHY?

KRISTIN: "IN A PINWHEEL SPIN" is currently my favorite Rooks song. It makes us laugh every time we play it live.

MICHAEL: My favorite Rooks song has not been recorded yet. Ask me in ten years.

S.T.: KRISTIN, WHAT IS YOUR GUITAR OF CHOICE AND WHY?

KRISTIN: A Gibson Les Paul Deluxe 1972 is my baby. I've been playing it for almost 19 years and I've developed a real style around it. I originally wanted one because Jimmy Page played one.

S.T.: IF YOU COULD HAVE BEEN IN ANY BAND IN THE 70'S, WHICH ONE WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

KRISTIN: Queen. . . their live show blew me away.

MICHAEL: Would my mind be where it was in the 70's or would I be the writer and singer I am now?

S.T.: LETS SAY YOU COULD BRING YOUR TOOLS OF TODAY TO ANY BAND THEN.

MICHAEL: Well, there are a lot of bands that I love from that decade and I could fantasize about being a part of their magic, but what I do would not fit into their agenda. The Ramones are very near and dear to my heart, but I hardly hear them doing "Waiting" (from A Double Dose Of Pop). I don't know. Maybe The Electric Light Orchestra. I can hear myself writing and singing in that circle. I think we (they) would have done a fine job on "House Of Fortune" (from the Chimes EP).

S.T.: FOR DON McLEAN, THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED WITH THE DEATH OF BUDDY HOLLY. HOW ABOUT FOR YOU?

KRISTIN: I was sad when Gene Clark from The Byrds passed on. He had a tough time. . . I loved his songs. Lennon's death was a shock as was Kurt Cobain's. I would have loved to hear another album from each of them.

S.T.: (THERE WAS AN EERIE SILENCE AT THE OTHER END OF THE PHONE FOR WHAT SEEMED TO BE A FULL MINUTE, AT WHICH TIME I THOUGHT WE WERE DISCONNECTED.) MICHAEL?

MICHAEL: Yeah. . . . . . Kurt (Cobain).

S.T.: IS ROCK DEAD?

MICHAEL: Only until the next Chuck Berry or Fred "Sonic" Smith or Jagger or. . . Pistols or Cobain drops in.

S.T.: WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE ROOKS MOMENT?

KRISTIN: The Rooks did a tour of the Czech Republic. . . a bunch of small towns. It was quite a culture shock. We did a show way out in the boonies at this beer garden and hall. There were all these young kids scraping up 50 cents or sneaking in to see a band all the way from New York City. The band that was opening for us seemed very poor. They showed up with their gear in a cart and spoke no English, and they seemed real shy and intimidated by us when we tried to make friends. When they took the stage to do an hour set, they only finished one song and the place went dead quiet. They just stood there. I was watching from the back of the hall by myself and couldn't believe what I was seeing. All of a sudden, one girl starts laughing out loud hysterically. The band just grabbed their gear and ran off the stage. I ran back to the dressing room freaking out about what a tough crowd we were going to have to perform for. It looked like we were going on a lot earlier than expected. We took the stage wondering what the heck this crowd was going to do to us, but the place just came alive and went nuts. Kids pressed to the front of the stage and started waving and smiling. They were reaching up to us and were dancing with each other in circles. . .hugging each other. All these cute 14 and 15 year old guys were staring up at me. . . so I grabbed one and kissed him! What a goof. . .

S.T.: MICHAEL, AND YOURS?

MICHAEL: Drinking with my bandmates after the show.

S.T.: WHICH SHOW?

MICHAEL: All of 'em!!! (laughter)