More singles: The Eggmen Whoooooo! The Junior League, The Bye Bye Blackbirds, The Successful Failures, The While, Young Scum

What can I say, we have even more music to report on. The Eggmen Whoooooo! are a quirky band that gives us “Eggman Vs Hellboy” and some comic book nerds saw the video, and there was much rejoicing. I have to call out the best EP of August, The Junior League‘s ‘Nattering Nabobs’ – just listen to “Skinny Tie” and count the power pop references! Under the radar The Bye Bye Blackbirds have been releasing some singles, and judging by the strutting “The Girls Walk” they’ve lost not a single step. The Successful Failures also return with plenty of pop twang on the excellent “Costume Party.” Something new from Sweden, The While is a band consisting of power pop royalty with Fredrik Norberg(Popsicle) and Johan Bergqvist(The Genuine Fakes.) Finally some beautiful jangle pop from Spain courtesy of Young Scum with “Lighter Blue.” Enjoy!





August singles: The Burkharts, Stray Arcade, Late Cambrian, Hubbell Benson, Strange Neighbors, The Junipers


August is here, and the heat continues. The Burkharts (from Buffalo, NY) strike California retro pop gold with “Always On The Run.” Another band I recently “found” is Stray Arcade, and I “Can’t Complain” about the music – but I want to hear more. Late Cambrian returns with a compelling pop-rock-prog confection that’s loaded with style. If you’re looking for funky pop freebies, we have Hubbell Benson, a New Jersey artist with serious chops. Listen to the pop with jazz flourishes on “Except for Him” and “Need Someone?” Strange Neighbors continues to impress with the single “Crush.” Finally, The Junipers retro-pop sunshine returns with “She Looked Up at the Stars.” Play this on a hot day, and you too can be cool.




Hot Summer singles and EPs: The Martial Arts, The Shang Hi Los, The Mediocre Friends, Teenage Tom Petties, Bad Moves, Shake Some Action!

A cool new video for The Martial Arts (aka Paul Kelly) for the single “Exploding Crushing Inevitable” from his upcoming album ‘In There Like Swimwear.’ It’s tough not to love The Shang Hi Los, with its bouncy rocker “Op-Operator” they continue the party with, “Morganatic Panic,” proving these guys have a big hit album in the making. Remember Gay Elvis from Readymade Breakup? Well, he has a new project, The Mediocre Friends and it’s the opposite of mediocre. Plus, it’s a freebie! I also enjoyed “Kissed Me in Seattle,” by Teenage Tom Petties, with its catchy fuzzy melody, it sounds like a keeper. Two bands I follow are back; Bad Moves has a new album coming out, and Shake Some Action! gives us a great-sounding EP with a crisper retro sound. Check out “I Want You,” and pick this gem up today!





June EPs and singles: Freddy Monday, Stonedog, Michael Slawter, It’s Karma It’s Cool, The Stone Souls


The romantic balladeer Freddy Monday provides us with “Passing By Hours,” a sublime and melodic single that I can’t resist. Check it out on Apple Music—next, a shout-out to Stonedog, with a freebie that hits the sweet spot on its opener, “Time Machine,” and the late 70s guitar riffs come out on the impressive “Hourglass.” The always-interesting Michael Slawter has an EP with experimental power pop, and it’s worth your time. All the songs are cool, but check out the jangling “Down to Witness” and rocking “Little Mind” to get a taste. It’s Karma It’s Cool are back with some summer music and we get those buzzing “Autumn Recruits.” The Stone Souls have a few singles out, and this is the latest, a surf-styled tune with horns on “No Sense of Time (It’s Alright).” Enjoy that summer sun and the music, it’s June!




Tax day singles: Lindsay Murray, Orbis Max, Fallon Cush, Tony Marisco,The Krayolas, Tommy Keene, The Blusterfields


“Fields” features Lindsay Murray (Gretchen’s Wheel) and Orbis Max with drums by Daniele Silvestri. Neil Christie (Emperor Penguin) produced the video. The song compares the end of a relationship with the shifting of a landscape and how even the most permanent landmarks crumble to time and “progress.” Fallon Cush returns with a lively blues-rocker “Sweet Johanna” and Tony Marisco has a sweet EP of jangling songs, fans of The Byrds will certainly enjoy this, check out “Sleepwalker.” The Krayolas honor Dwight Twilley with a classic cover of “I Hear You Knockin’.” The late great Tommy Keene is always worth revisiting, a new digital EP was recently released so don’t hesitate to check it out. A new band to me is The Blusterfields, “Everyone is Dead” fits well with this group, with some jangle and harmonies. Finally, a freebie — RumBar Records After School Special is a 5-song EP with pop-punk artists like Pavid Vermin, J. Prozac, The Cretins, WiMP!, and The Glimmer Stars. Enjoy!