Category: EPs

February Singles and EPs: Midnight Callers, Super 8, Hanemoon, Seely Jurgens Band, Strange Neighbors, The Grip Weeds

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The Midnight Callers have a brand new cool cover of the Bay City Roller hit “Saturday Night.” Hopefully this is a sign the band has a new album coming! FYI- I’m going to claim this next awesome song as my new radio theme for 11L RNI, it’s “Pop Radio” by Super 8 featuring Lisa Mychols. Check it out! Hanemoon is one of those bands on the edge of my radar, pleasant jangle pop with strong emotional resonance. “Easy on the Wildlife”  is worthy listen for sure. Seely Jurgens band has a touch of Bread meets Eagles on “We’ll try.” Next Strange Neighbors continue to dazzle, check out “Influencer,” a guide that I should probably follow to be a better content producer. Finally, The Grip Weeds are back! New psychedelic pop at it’s finest on the 3 song EP ‘Easy Clues’ so play and absorb this until the LP is ready. If you are a newbie to this band check out ‘Infinite Soul: The Best of the Grip Weeds.’




January EPs and more: Hexham Heads, Ramírez Exposure, Tom Henry, C Duncan

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These guys are great. Melbourne musicians Van Walker (Swedish Magazines/Livingstone Daisies) and Mic Hubbard (Spencer P. Jones/Ella Hooper/Downhills Home) created Hexham Heads out of a love of loud guitars and hooky pop melodies. EP expected out soon.

Spain’s Víctor Ramírez did a series of sunny albums with Marc Jonson last year, now he continues the journey with an easy going EP inspired by a poetry collection by Ray Bradbury, as he reflects on the theme of nature and individualism. Check out “I Don’t Get It” and “Beneath the Sun.”
Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Tom Henry is a new musician from Los Angeles, born in Chicago. His early works aren’t as distinctive, but this debut single “Bella” of his upcoming album has a great retro-feel, and he’s listed Big Star, and The Raspberries as influences. Play attention to this future power pop star.

Sometimes I toss aside my power pop, and my sappy romantic side comes out. This song caught my ear, as the talented C Duncan  sings the old fashioned pop of “It’s Only A Love Song.” The album of the same name, has some brilliant pop ballads in it. Get it on Amazon

The Power Popaholic Top 25 EPs of 2024

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While reflecting changes in technology and distribution, today’s EPs are vital tools for musicians. Back in the old days, 45s usually had one song on the A-side, usually a hit or lead single, and a supplementary tune on the B-side. Conversely, EPs often feature three to nine songs, providing a more complete view of an artist’s work free from the dedication of a full album. Because of their increasing use, I included more EPs in this year’s list. Additionally, this style is advantageous for the many “rookies” out there. Like my albums list, many bands have those melodic and catchy elements rather than being strictly “power pop.” Enjoy!

  1. Softjaw “Softjaw”
  2. The Second Season “Undertow”
  3. The Junior League “Nattering Nabobs”
  4. Shake Some Action! “Trip to Yesterday”
  5. Paul Crane and the Overend Watts “Halfway Home”
  6. The Genuine Fakes “Extended Play Vol. 1”
  7. Peter Freebairn “Silhouettes & Cigarettes”
  8. Big Bad Bobby and the Shoe Horns “Like That, But Louder”
  9. Wyatt Funderburk “Fleeting and Finite”
  10. Wifey “Just a Tease”
  11. Gramercy Arms “The Making Of The Making Of”
  12. Sad About Girls “Sad to Go”
  13. Jordan Jones “And I, You”
  14. The Dynamo Hymn “The Dynamo Hymn”
  15. Daz & The Demons “8 songs”
  16. The Drywall Heels “Today’s Top Hits Playlist”
  17. Big City “Full Service”
  18. Classic Traffic “Turn It Up”
  19. The Leb Trip “Rising High”
  20. The Sunchymes “In the Back of Your Mind”
  21. Secret Molecules “High Tide”
  22. Sweetboy “A Day in The Park”
  23. Housewives “Home At Last”
  24. The Fuzzy Berries “Goji”
  25. Peter Hall “What Are You Waiting For?”

Great December EPs: Wyatt Funderburk, Sweetboy, Super 8, Blend Eleven, Softjaw

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Wyatt Funderburk “Fleeting and Finite” and “Parkside”

Wyatt is comparable to a “5-tool-player” in baseball. Does many things extremely well, from songwriting, playing, singing, producing, etc. He does punk pop to perfection with Kurt Baker, but I can think of very few people who have the skills to pull off a Brian Wilsonesque combination of melody and earnest romantic delivery. He gives us a double EP (one under the name “Hibiki”) Don’t believe me? Listen to “You’ll Know” and you’ll know! Get it on Amazon


Sweetboy “A Day in the Park”

Local NYC indie pop band has some amazing songwriting, check out the title track “A Day in the Park,” “Island” and the epic chorus of “End of The World.” This is a band you should keep your eyes on for future greatness. Get it on Amazon


Super 8 “Goes J Pop”

Sorry if you were expecting Kenshi Yonezu, but Paul “Trip” Ryan (aka Super 8) does a fine job with these Japanese pop covers (including a Beatles cover). Check out “Keep Doing It” with its shamisen accents. Get it on Amazon


Blend Eleven “Deepest Cuts”

This Aussie band with great sound builds everything off the 12-string acoustic strum. A cover of the classic Cat Steven’s “The First Cut is The Deepest” sets the stage, very much in the vocal mold of Extreme’s acoustic gems. And it’s a freebie to try – so pick it up, and listen to the band’s other material. Get it on Amazon

Softjaw “Softjaw”

Deceptively cool vibe on the opener “Pleased With Me” drew me in, as this Long Beach, California band has a perfect power pop approach. “Don’t Go Walkin’ Out On Me” and “Dragging Mt Feet” are pure gems. This is another band that flirts with greatness, as each song hits the mark and it’s a contender for best EP this year. Get it on Amazon

It’s December goodies: The Leb Trip, Jupiter Motel, Action Shelly, Barry Walsh, Incredible Weapons, Rum Bar Records assortment

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The Leb Trip is the new indie psych folk rock pop project by Jordi Bel, guitar and voice of the Barcelona psych rock band Stay and ‘Rising High’ is the new EP produced by Daniel Wylie (Cosmic Rough Riders). While it’s too short and bittersweet, I still liked it. Check it out. Jupiter Motel is the side-project of Steve Monteith, long-time guitarist of Star Collector. It’s got that nostalgic rocker vibe. Get it at Kool Kat Musik. Action Shelly is a based in Italy but rooted in the UK sounds. Fans of early XTC will like them, even their debut from last year. Barry Walsh really has a great song here with “The Sound,” a self-referential gem! Incredible Weapons is a study in contrasting sounds, sweet female vocals and spacey synths, heavy guitar riffs with hooks, just listen to “Crushing it.” Finally our friends at Rum Bar Records gives us a Black Friday freebie — 38 mouth watering tracks, but only the first one, “Santa’s in a punk band now,” has that Christmas theme. More on those records later this week!