Popmonster Merch

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...

Popmonster: On Lightning 100FM

This week my song "Burden" will be spinning down at my favorite radio station!

Those in the Nashville area can tune to Lightning 100FM at 2:45 and 8:45 to for some popmonster action as well as the most excellent song "Thanks To You" from locals The Deep Vibration, also featured this week.

MONSTROUS THANKS to Lightning 100 for the support.

Popmonster Reviews: Daggerzine

"This thing smokes..." read the entire review here.

thank you, merci, ありがとう

Just wanted to say THANKS to everyone who purchased my album, and also express appreciation to the fine folks who reviewed it and thus helped to spread the word.

I've also been surprised and elated to see Popmonster on several Top 10 Releases of 2008 lists. Here's what I've seen so far:

#1 on the Absolute Powerpop Top 125 Releases of 2008 list

#2 on the Powerpop Station Top 100 Albums of 2008 list

#3 on the Power Pop Show's Top 100 Releases of 2008

#3 on the Not Lame Blog: Mike Baron's top 10 Releases of 2008 list

#9 on the Powerpopaholic top 10 Releases of 2008 list

#1 on the Banophernalia.com's top 10 Releases of 2008 list

MONSTROUS THANKS to everyone at these sites, radio stations, and record labels for your support! But I suppose (hope) the best thanks I can give is to make another record, which I hope to begin doing immediately.

Happy New year everybody!

Popmonster: CD of the Week on Pop Dreams Radio Show, France

Gerard Girard, host of the Pop Dreams radio show on 89.5 FM, Saint-Etienne, France and frequent contributor to the Rock and Roll Report has made Popmonster "CD of the Week" on his show. Huge thanks to Gerard for spinning Popmonster! Vive la France!

Introducing the official (digital) CD booklet for Popmonster featuring all song lyrics and some of the concept artwork for the album done by the amazing Paul Conrad. It measures 7" x 7" (hey vinyl isn't out of the question here) and you can view it on screen, download it, etc.

Just click the cover to enlarge.

Get your own - Open publication

Lost My Friend

About a week ago I got an email from a friend of mine across the pond, Wil Woodrowe; concert promoter, IPO web master, friend, and most importantly, fellow music fan.

He had just heard about Popmonster and wanted to start promoting it on his Myspace page right away. He deemed it "a supreme powerpop gift to the world." He then started talking about IPO Liverpool and offered to help me put together dates around the festival, really encouraging a return trip to the UK.

That's the kind of guy Wil was. A guy with so much musical passion, the sheer gusto of his enthusiasm could get you dreaming with him.

So I started dreaming about crossing the pond again this May to play rock and roll, and possibly sharing a pint with my friend.
















It's with great sadness that I tell you that Wil passed away yesterday morning. He woke up with chest pains at 6:15 a.m. and by 7 he was gone.

If you knew Wil, if you've attended IPO in any city, or just share his love of powerpop, I invite you to pay your respects at his Myspace page, which I'm told will remain up for a while.

You were one of a kind, Wil. I'll really miss you.

"yes, you CAN dream, and who knows what may come of it?"
-Wil Woodrowe

photo: Wil in action at the Cavern, IPO 2007, Photo by Tom Bjornland

Election Day 2008! (& Popmonster is Sold Out)

Please get out and vote!

(and in other news, both Notlame and CDBaby are completely out of Popmonster CD's. I suppose I should celebrate this, but I also want to reassure anyone who might be looking that more CD's have been shipped to both places. Should be up and running again by the weeks end. Oh, and of course there's always iTunes.)

Huge thanks to popmonsters like you for the support!

Popmonster Lyrics: All Day Long

Sunday, so called day of rest
filling with a sense of dread
thinking about tomorrow a. m.

I blink I'm on the interstate
one link in a giant metal snake
slithering through concrete and slate

I circle the building twice before
I get up the nerve to walk through the door
and take the back staircase up to my floor
Slide into the four gray walls and the square
of light that I love all day with my stare
but metal and plastic can't keep me there

A window lets my mind escape
I soar across the city-scape
above the clouds where I will stay
All day long
All day long
All day long

I have friends we spend our days
deciphering the corporate maze
and living in fear of reorganization

And this is what they pay us for
we've lost our guts to use the door
and so we pretend to count all our blessings

I circle the building twice before
I get up the nerve to walk through the door
and take the back staircase up to my floor
Slide into the four gray walls and the square
of light that I love all day with my stare
but metal and plastic can't keep me there

A window lets my mind escape
I soar across the city-scape
above the clouds where I will stay
All day long
All day long
All day long

©2008 by Greg Pope

Hear this Tune

Influences: The Police

As a snot-nosed 13 year old, I scoffed at the Police, because I thought they were sort of teen heart throbs who made bubble gum pop--and yes, this was before I actually listened to them. I friend of mine kept hammering away at me about them and one day, she brought a Creem magazine special "Police" issue. She opened it to a 2 page spread showcasing Stewart Copeland's drum kit. It was one of the most awesome things I'd ever seen. I bought "Outlandos D'amour" and by that Christmas I owned the whole Police Catalog. I've never stopped listening to those albums, and I think "Outlandos" is my favorite. It's sparce, and straight forward, and brilliant. I get inspired every time I hear it.

Influences: Kiss

I first saw the album cover above when I was seven years old. My parents were having dinner with friends and their son was in high school. He had two posters on his wall, Farah Fawcett and Kiss: Destroyer. I bought this record for $6.99 at the local drug store. In the months that followed I learned every word of every song. I also made a cassette tape of myself singing it and imitating all the instruments with my voice. Yes I actually did that. I traced the cover art until I could draw it freehand, and became somewhat skilled in the art of theatrical make up.



By the time I was eight I owned most of the Kiss catalog. The last album I remember buying was "Love Gun" and my sweet grandmother was with me. She took one look at the women on the cover and said "honey, that's not nice." I suppose she was right, but honestly I hadn't noticed the girls. I was more interested in obtaining a kid sized pair of Gene Simmon's dragon boots.