Category: Album Preview

Album Preview: The Posies “Failure” Reissue

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The Posies’ 1988 debut is about to work its magic all over again. Little did Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow know that when they dropped off their cassette to Scott McCaughey (R.E.M., The Minus 5, Baseball Project), the clerk at their favorite record store (who happened to do A&R for the indie label PopLlama), that a power-pop dynasty would begin. On August 19, 2014, Omnivore Recordings will reissue this landmark album, complete with eight bonus tracks, including one available for the first time.

Updates from Hot Nun, The Nines and Radio Ready

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While Jeff Shelton is working on new tracks for a new Well Wishers full length album, his harder edged side project Hot Nun with Braden McGraw  and Pete Bohan (Headslide),  released a lone single this week. The new Well Wishers LP is due out in September, you can always go get the Dunwoody EP in the meantime.

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Also Steve Eggers of The Nines is hard at work on live album. Due out end of the month. Here is a bonus track from Nine Lives, a little cover tune written by an ex-Beatle…

 

Last summer we reviewed a compilation of rare power pop from Texas called Radio Ready, Vol.1, and this year another equally impressive collection has been released. This time Vol.2 goes north to Wisconsin and finds hidden gems that beg for re-discovery. Included in this are The Wigs – a classic power pop band that needs to be heard.

Brent Bourgeois first LP in 20 years “Don’t Look Back” releases

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Brent Bourgeois and Julian Lennon

 

Brent Bourgeois will on June 2nd release his first album in 20 years, “Don’t Look Back”. The record features a ton of amazing collaborations, including Julian Lennon, Todd Rundgren, Charlie Peacock, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Rachael Lampa, Chris Rodriguez, and the first reunion in the studio of Bourgeois Tagg in 25 years. After reviewing his son’s LP earlier this year, its great to see Brent doing some unique marketing for this album.

Brent’s website offers snippets of the new songs (along with a commentary) and you can listen to past albums from Bourgeois Tagg or solo albums. He’s involved with Julian Lennon’s White Feather Foundation, which helps deliver clean, safe drinking water to those in need in Africa. You can buy the album here.

Album Previews: Skeleton Staff and The Dowling Pool

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It’s been a long wait, but we finally get a new track from Skeleton Staff. The main message is this: Stop worrying about imperfections we can’t change and just get on with enjoying life. Buy it on Bandcamp for a buck. Likely this is the first single to a new album on the way. I guess this can tide me over.

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I wondered what would become of Willie Dowling after the break-up of Jackdaw4, but I didn’t have to wait very long. The Dowling Poole is a new band formed by singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Willie Dowling (ex Honeycrack/Jackdaw4) and Jon Poole (ex Cardiacs). Influenced by pop masters such as XTC, Blur, 10CC, The Kinks, The Beatles and more, The Dowling Poole debut album Bleak Strategies will be released this summer. You can pre-order this one from Pledge Music.