To extend the power pop discussion in a fresh thread rather than diluting the previous one...

It seems that after 1978, the power pop sound shifts from the highly-produced, 3-part-harmony, twin-guitar sound (think Rubinoos, Cheap Trick) to something more stripped down, something more "post-punk."

The 1978 cutoff is somewhat arbitrary, and the distinction between "produced" and "stripped down" not cut-and-dried, and some bands (dB's, Shoes) don't neatly fit in either box. But listen to the big difference between bands like Rubinoos and Pezband and the ones who followed. It's glaring.

Maybe this distinction is obvious or has been discussed up the wazoo already, in which case I apologize, but...


Your thoughts?

I've noticed that too - and I'm curious to know what influence such artists as Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe might have had on the genre at the time.

I know what you mean, but I usually think of them as embodying more of a post-punk sensibility, although I think Nick Lowe straddles the two eras time-wise. If I'm not mistaken the dB's somewhere mention the early incarnation of the band with Peter on keyboard as being influenced by the Attractions.

Yes - I had heard that too. Peter: Were these guys a musical influence for you at the time?

Well, probably more instrumentation-wise rather than songwriting. We certainly adored This Year's Model and all the Nick Lowe stuff, especially Rockpile.