Summer is almost gone, but the great music keeps accumulating. The great Kurt Baker is on “Electric Fire” as he rocks away on this newest single and says you “need a little rock and roll in the soul.” Spanish band Los Imposibles delivers a blistering Beatlesque rocker “Todo Al Revés” (translated “All Upside Down”) and just enough of a retro shine, but if you’d like something a little simpler, The Jangles are just as catchy, emulating classic Everly Brothers, Jan & Dean, or The Monkees (check out “The Letter”) and it’s a FREEBIE! Myles Josephh is a frequent collaborator with Kai Danzberg, and here we have his sweet debut EP loaded with epic melodies. A band that I’ve long neglected but shouldn’t is The Black Watch, and lead singer John Andrew Fredrick has been a crack songwriter for years. I love the rich sound of his newest EP. Hopefully, you heard the top-ten sounds of Dave Scarbrough‘s debut — well he had a few more songs hidden away on the “Happy Ever Extras” EP. The featured video is Late Cambrian with an early pop tune “It’s Always Something” from their upcoming album “Future Snacks” – Tasty!
Category: Singles Only
More August singles: DB Edmunds, It’s Karma It’s Cool, Natalie Sweet, Brad Marino, Crossword Smiles, Vanilla, Freya Josephine Hollick, Electric Lecture
No more weather-related puns. Just great new music. DB Edmunds is a welcome sight after all this time. As a member of power pop greats The Gladhands and The Stars Explode, he’s back with a solo effort that sounds excellent. UK band It’s Karma It’s Cool has a new single out with the help of Peter Holsapple(dB’s. R.E.M. and Hootie & The Blowfish). Another notable collaboration is Natalie Sweet and Brad Marino (The Connection), the first single has Sweet singing the rocker “Second Time.” And yet another pairing with Michigan indie pop veterans Tom Curless and Chip Saam combine to form Crossword Smiles, they sing “Parallel Lines” in advance of their new album. And power pop band Vanilla decides to go full disco for its upcoming ‘77′ album, with the teaser “Ka-Bang!” sung by Ava Adams. I randomly came across Freya Josephine Hollick, and her tune ‘Me & Mine’ is for all the misfits, the ousted, those who live on the fringes of society trying to make ends meet, and finally a video from an eclectic group called Electric Lecture. The band is the brainchild of Greg Ansin, Bronson Taalbi, and Anthony J Resta, and the band is influenced by XTC, Tom Petty, and Beck. Can’t wait to hear more from them!
Early August singles and premieres: Kerosene Stars, Lily Frost, Vegas With Randolph, Matt Steele, Sharp Class, Phil Thornalley, Late Cambrian
Toronto singer/songwriter Lily Frost releases “Seagull,” from her upcoming LP Decompression, and it’s impossible to ignore with its driving beat and layered harmonies. Power pop favorites Vegas With Randolph is back with the compelling “Shake The Cage” and love those horn flourishes! Matt Steele has a deceptively catchy bedroom pop hit here with “Vintage Photo Filter,” which just grows on you with each chorus. Nottingham blokes Sharp Class kicks some ass with “Tales of A Teenage Mind,” as it marries the buzzsaw riffs with Oliver Orton’s cheeky punk vocals. And we have some neat video singles too; Phil Thornalley‘s “Fast Car” is a loving homage to Jeff Lynne’s style that sticks in your head, and Late Cambrian is back with a skater’s perfect theme “The Last Wave” is off the upcoming LP, Future Snacks. Mmm, Tasty!
Mid July singles, freebies, and more: Johnathan Pushkar, Wesley David, Neal Mehta, Fernando Perdomo, Vitsa Blue, The Amplifier Heads
Nashville singer-songwriter Johnathan Pushkar was inspired by the new Thor movie to make a song about everyone’s favorite Asgardian hero. While it doesn’t mesh well with the Guns N’ Roses music the movie used, it’s a pretty cool song on its own (and who doesn’t love Legos?) Old Town Crier does a damn good job with its new EP “You,”especially that guitar break in the title track. Also, check out “Coal River Mountain.” Wesley David is a recent discovery, and count me impressed with his songwriting ability – check out “I’ll Be Damned!” Another potential star Neal Mehta has a rich harmony and dense instrumentation on “Lonely Cloud.” Guitarist extraordinaire Fernando Perdomo has “greatest hits” of sorts with Jangle, and if you aren’t familiar with him — this is a perfect primer. Everything here is great, I love “Girl With A Record Collection” and “This Can Be You.” If you want a dose of Ramones-like rock, then you can’t do better than Vista Blue. Stay Gold is a FREEBIE made for blasting out the car stereo with the windows down on “Friday Night.” Finally, Sal Baglio of The Amplifier Heads wrote the single “Space Cadette” for the Nashville show They Came To Rock. Woo! Enjoy the summer!
July Singles, EPs and Freebies: Any Version of Me, Dana Countryman, Eric Barao, Anatomy Class, The Valery Trails, Supercrush, Ryan Hamilton
July is here and the AC is on full blast. This is why I like to check on new music from old friends. French artist Any Version of Me does his best Brian Wilson tribute with “Away,” perfect for the beach. If you’d like classic pop greatness, you have the talented Dana Countryman offering up a FREEBIE that you can’t miss; made of assorted selections from his catalog, and “Summer Sand” is another sweet Beach Boys-styled gem. It’s been a long time, but Eric Barao has a delicate ballad that just tugs at your heart; “Whoever You Are.” Aussie rockers Anatomy Class impressed me with its anthemic rich melody, fans of Lemonheads, Swervedriver, and Pixies will adore “Expo 88,” and another band from down under The Valery Trails celebrates the summer with “Jaisalmer,” a bouncy rocker stocked with guitars and horns. Seattle’s Supercrush seriously reminds me of Superdrag and other late 90’s power pop on its perfect EP Melody Maker. and finally, Ryan Hamilton is back and he tells you to write your troubles down, then fold your worries into “Paper Planes.” Hope it flies far!