Category: emerging artists

Coby Brown “Stars & Curses”
While going through a cancer treatment Los Angeles singer-songwriter Coby Brown has been writing and recording these songs, which are full of melody on the opener “Daylight” but knowing his situation songs like “Madman” resonate with great lines like “Standing at the water’s edge/ landing on a window ledge/ I’m looking for some way to get back in.” But rather than get all depressing, Brown’s theme is a stubborn hope wrapped in a soulful indie shell. Songs are sparsely arranged, and thus more powerful. “Run Like I’m A River” is both catchy and mellow, this will appeal to fans of Josh Rouse, David Mead or Ryan Adams. The most pessimism here is the piano riff “Drop Down Dead” with it’s Lennon meets David Essex (“Rock On”) defiant rant about being in the hospital. Nothing here is fast tempo, but each song here is powerful, “Rise and Fall” being a Bono-like ballad that sounds a triumphant chorus of “up from the ashes..”. The album is a worthy and powerful statement, almost a religious experience without the religion.

MySpace | CD Baby | Itunes

Adam Bones “Feel For Tomorrow” EP
LA based rocker Adam Bones is traditional power pop artists with modern flair and youthful style. Fans of Bleu, Jet and Ok Go will find his debut EP fresh and compelling. His band has opened for several power pop groups including The Wellingtons, The Click Five and Bleu. Opening with the energetic “I Had You” he vocally reminds me of Elvis Presley’s rich baritone, and combined with those melodic guitar riffs, it’s a winner. He recently finished IPO in LA and after the country-pop of “Shouldn’t Love” I’m sure it was a great show. The gentle ballad “Feel For Tomorrow” is a deceptively simple, but an effective song that builds into an arena rock anthem styled after The Who. The buzzing hooks in “How Hard I Needed You” is another keeper along the lines of Lenny Kravitz, and I can’t wait for the full length album already. If you’re looking for a future power pop star — here he is.

MySpace | CD Baby

There are tons of albums out there that don’t quite make it onto my radar, sometimes because it’s not quite in the power pop genre, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good music. Here are some of noteworthy groups you might want to check out.

Jack Butler “Fit the Paradigm”

It turns out that Jack Butler isn’t a single guy but a group of funky Scottish musicians who play ska and post-punk pop. Similar to the Cure, Modest Mouse and Public Image Ltd. Highlights include “Are You A Hustler?” and “He Got No Game!”
MySpace

Jesse Sprinkle “Surrounded by Lights”

Golden Bear “Everest” EP
Golden Bear was a well-received band that recently played SXSW and went on a tour of the East Coast. The band has a fresh sound with fuzz guitars and catchy songs structure with “Night Lights.” This is modern power pop you can dance to and it has a free form quality with varied instrumentation and just the right amount of distortion. You never quite know where a song is going to go, and that unpredictability makes Golden Bear lots of fun. Like a funky mix of Mother Hips and Apples In Stereo, this band doesn’t neatly fall into any genre category. Golden Bear has a compelling sound and tons of potential.
MySpace | C-side Records

The Test Dream “Self Titled” EP
This Long Island band produces good sunny styled contemporary pop. Starting with “Open Wide” it’s a melodic mix that takes the best influences of The Beatles, Shins and Drake Bell. “Directing Traffic” remind me a bit of the recent Secret Sky, with it’s bouncy keyboards and light horns in the production. The group makes an effort to rock a bit more with “Someone” and it contrasts that with a Billy Joel lounge style vocal. The sugar content of  the vocals and chords on “Look for The Boy” go off the charts into Andrew Gold territory. An excellent start for this band, and I hope to hear more soon. 
MySpace | CD Baby