Music

Average customer rating:

A great CD, very catchy tunes!
One of the Few Decent Sophmore Attempts
Sugarcult's sophomore attempt.
Stellar Pop Punk
Great second effort from one of California's finest

Palm Trees and Power Lines
Sugarcult
Manufacturer: Artemis Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk Revival | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk-Pop | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Start Static
Lights Out
Back to the Disaster
Coming Home
From Under the Cork Tree

ASIN: B0001LYFJK
Release Date: 2004-04-13

Tracks:

She's the Blade
Crying
Memory
Worst December
Back to California
Destination
Champagne
What You Say
Over
Head Up
Counting Stars
Sign Off

Amazon.com

Another album of unapologetic pop punk songs from this Santa Barbara outfit who have smartly filled in the void that Green Day left when they decided to dabble into rock's early canon and eschew self-loathing for more mature introspection. Sugarcult has none of those pretensions; instead their rock anthems are rather unadulterated and athletic--even when they're trying to sonically extricate themselves from complicated and claustrophobic romantic entanglements. With lyrics more clever than smart, Sugarcult makes romantic fatalism oddly entertaining as they take listeners through a wistful post mortem of a love affair gone awry. --Jaan Uhelszki

Album Description

The energy and dedication Sugarcult brought to Start Static created a massive fan base for the rock quartet around the world, selling nearly half a million copies -- 300,000 units in the United States alone. On their new, Gavin MacKillop produced album, Palm Trees and Power Lines the plaintive edge that lurked below the surface of singer/guitarist Tim Pagnotta's songs is now front and center. The new material has an emotional intensity that matches the band's electrifying musical jolt. Sugarcult is quintessentially Californian, and the new album's 12 songs play out against the backdrop of California's beauty and ugliness, its romance and reality; documenting a physical and psychological journey that begins and ends at the edge of the Pacific.

On the undeniably catchy rocker "Memory," the band effortlessly dives into one of the themes that have made them such an important band to their fans - love hanging by a thread. The similarly wrenching songs, "Crying" and "Over", search for a glimmer of affirmation amid the debris of shattered romantic dreams.

"Back to California,"encapsulates the album's dramatic payload in a vivid narrative ("Drive all night to hold you tight / Back to California / We couldn't win in the end") that recalls the climax of an earlier California saga of highways and hope, The Graduate.

"These songs are fresh documents of our lives over the last two years," says Marko. "We're more confident as musicians, we're more confident in our ideas - because, when you set out to do something against all odds and it's working, that just strengthens your resolve. It gives you the confidence to take more chances, keep doing the things you've been doing without apologies and just go for it."

Customer Reviews:

A great CD, very catchy tunes!.......2007-02-19

I found out about this band from this kid at school who kept going on and on about them and how great they were. He was the only one who knew about them. Just to shut him up, I decided to go buy one of their albums and I was amazed! This band is really good! All of the songs on this album are very catchy, with great guitar riffs. The singer sounds a lot like the Lit front man though. I had never any of their songs before, but this band should get more air play! Sample some of the tracks up above. My favorites are "Memory" "She's the Blade" and "Head Up." This is one of those albums where you don't want to go buy 1 or 2 songs off of it. Buy the whole thing! And their album Start Static is also very good but I like this one more. However, their latest album is not all that great.

One of the Few Decent Sophmore Attempts.......2006-05-08

I think this album is equivelent to Start Static. My fave track is 'Champaghne' (is that spelled right?).

Sugarcult's sophomore attempt........2005-12-26

Sugarcult's sophomore album, Palm Trees and Power Lines, falls into an interesting postion when it comes time for me to review it. I loved Start Static, and I'd go as far as to call it one of my 10 favorite albums released since the year 2000. I had very high hopes that PTAPL would not disappoint.

When I heard the first single, Memory, I was happy to hear that SC was still putting out catchy pop hooks. Hoping that most tracks would be in a similar fashion, I went out and got the album.

What I got was something else. While it's true that PTAPL has it's share of catchy songs reminiscent of Start Static (Memory, She's the Blade, What You Say), Tim, Marko, Airin and [at the time] new member Kenny try out some newer sounds as well. One track in particular, Champagne (a nice little number about founding member Ben Davis who left the band by the time of recording the album) is a perfect showcase of the band being able to very well handle these newer sounds. Sign Off, the album's closing track, also helps show the band's skill to play a slow song.

However, as much as I enjoyed the aforementioned songs, I can't say I cared for a good number of the remaining songs. I might seem like the odd one out, but I cannot stand Worst December, there's just something about the lyrics ("all I wanna do/is lie next to you") which I find to be a bit on the lame side. No offense to the band or their song writing of course, I just don't see the hype surrounding that song (Though, to be fair, I've heard the live version as well, and I enjoy it somewhat more than the studio one).

Overall, Palm Trees and Power Lines doesn't quite live up to it's predecessor, Start Static, but I wouldn't say that it falls into the Sophomore Slump category either- because it doesn't. It's a decent album, nicely produced, with some good songs, but there's also a lot of stuff that doesn't work out too well. I'd still recommend this to anyone, just after I recommended Start Static and Wrap Me Up In Plastic.

Stellar Pop Punk.......2005-11-03

You have to love an album that doesn't pretend to be anything it's not. After I heard Bouncing of the Walls a few years back, I was intrigued by Sugarcult, but never really followed up. Sugarcult's latest is pop punk at it's finest, and it's damn good at what it sets out to do. It's great to see an album come out now a days that is just flat out pedal to the metal unapolegetically pop punk and not emo or hardcore. This album is all about kick ass riffs and fun rock. This album is a great spiritual successor to past pop punk classics from Blink 182 and the others who knew how to put out an album that is all about rocking out. This is one you can just throw in your cd player and listen the entire way through.

Overall, I would give this a 4/5. There are a couple of songs that seem a little less inspired. This CD isn't a masterpiece or a marvel of modern music, but it excels at being a fun album.

Great second effort from one of California's finest.......2005-09-17

I give accolades to Sugarcult for putting out such a great sophomore effort. I hadn't heard of them until 2004 because they were still more underground than other alternative punksters like Blink 182 and Green Day, but once I listened to their hit "She's The Blade" I was hooked. This is pop-punk at its finest, folks; Green Day never had anything as listenable from their album American Idiot as much as the aforementioned "She's The Blade." That said, the first four tracks on Palm Trees & Power Lines are all incredibly delicious confections, from the shouter "Crying" to the chanter "Memory." But after those four outrageously good songs continues the CD's amount of filler (but good filler at that). Most of the remaining eight tracks are too slow and blahze for my liking, but heck, that's just my opinion. Overall, though, Sugarcult steered clear away from the sophomore slums and put out a great release. So go on then: BUY THIS CD!!

Average customer rating:

Palm Trees and Power Lines
Sugarcult
Manufacturer: Cutting Edge
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Punk Revival | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk-Pop | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00015UATA
Release Date: 2004-02-25

Album Details

Japanese Release featuring a Bonus Track

Average customer rating:

Palm Trees and Power Lines
Sugarcult
Manufacturer: Cutting Edge
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Punk Revival | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk-Pop | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00016123M
Release Date: 2004-02-11

Tracks:

She's The Blade
Crying
Memory
Worst December
Back To California
Destination Anywhere
Champagne
What You Say
Over
Head Up
Counting Stars
Sign Off
Blackout

Album Details

Japanese Release featuring a Bonus Track

Music:

Music