Get Blown Away to Smithereens

Although I consider myself an avid follower of power pop, I was not a super-huge fan of the Smithereens. They were, however, a band I kind of rooted for in the middle '80s. They were loud, seemed working class and weren't particularly attractive... you know, someone you could hang with. Yet, after putting in several years of hard work, they ruled the college-rock landscape in 1986 and 1988 with their albums 'Especially for You' and 'Green Thoughts.' Unlike many of their peers, I think singles like "Only a Memory," "Blood and Roses," "A Girl Like You" and "Behind the Wall of Sleep" have aged particularly well. In other words, a few years ago I realized I missed the boat with these guys.

This was not an epiphany. It took a long time for me to come around, and I think I owe it all to guitarist and singer Pat DiNizio. I admire his life path. Here are just a few things he has done in the last decade: DiNizio ran for the U.S. Senate, tried out for a minor-league baseball team and was the program director and host on the XM Radio Unsigned channel. He has even been known to play in the living rooms of his fans. That's so cool.

A couple of weeks ago the Smithereens released a new album that didn't garner any attention here at all, but I think you should give it a listen. Here is a catchy song that fits in nicely with their '80s and early '90s work. If you like it, buy their album, '2011,' here. You won't be "Sorry."

The Smithereens - Sorry (mp3)