It’s a hot, humid week in NYC and I am waving the white flag of surrender. Too much heat and too much music. I’m far behind on album reviews, but as far as singles and EPs we have a treasure trove of power pop goodies. I’m proud to start it off with the excellent Dan Israel single “The Hang of It,” which is a perfect highway traveling song, and he’s got a video too. The Glad Machine/Golden Richards split singles are catchy gems all on their own, and Kevin Robertson (Vapour Trails) has been super active recently, he’s got a new solo album, EP, and single. All great jangly treats. The Blendours are a duo from Iowa that resembles an acoustic Bowling For Soup, and they serve up some fun-filled folk punk. A new band Believe It, It’s Easy from Connecticut has its moments on the first 3 songs of this freebie. Robby Miller is another rookie with a hook-filled love song. Finally, The Foreign Films’ next LP ‘Starlight Serenade’ is almost ready, so here are 2 tracks early to keep you cool this summer.
Category: Singles Only
Summer Singles and EPs: D.A. Stern, Kerosene Stars, Everet Almond, The Amplifier Heads, Gentle Hen, B.U.D., The Maladaptive Solution, Cult Stars from Mars, You Filthy Dog, Daryl Bean
And the flood of summer music just washes over you… This is the biggest haul in a long time, as bands are releasing all that music created during lockdown last year. Let’s start with a new EP from Los Angeles-based, New Jersey-raised D.A. Stern. Stern is one of those young artists that can legit be called upon to carry the torch of power pop into the future. The first single “I Look A Every Face (Cindy)” has that brilliant harmony-drenched approach. The video was directed by Dom Costabile and Andrew Narvaez. Pre-order here.
Many bands are back from self-imposed exile: Chicago rockers Kerosene Stars has a new single that asks “Where Have You Been?” a good question considering the chorus rocks! Then we get Everet Almond with a bouncy piano gem that sticks to you pretty nicely. The Amplifier Heads are “Summer Dazed” with its Beach Boys “Do It Again” vibe. Love those “mm-bop-did-its.” Gentle Hen did a summery re-mix of its memorable “She’s Got It Bad,” and it’s really good, so check out the LP it came from originally. Want some power? Get B.U.D.‘s single “What’s the Point of This (If I’m Not Into It)” it’s a bit Weezer-ish with a crashing chorus. It’s been a long time since I heard The Maladaptive Solution (how did I miss this single?) but info is sparse on them, so enjoy “Consort (Queen of Everything)” an epic mid-tempo rocker, and Jim Bacchi’s Cult Stars from Mars shows his “Funny Face” and its pure power pop greatness (I want an LP, Jim!) UK band You Filthy Dog is another EP that collects music from the past year, and “Face The Wave” and “Loved” remind me a bit of Carl Newman’s old band Zumpano. Similarly, with a ’90s vibe Mr. Strangelove (aka Daryl Bean) sings love songs for “Phoebe Waller-Bridge” and it’s all good.
Video premieres and singles: Chris Berardo, Willie Wisely, Brent Windler, Welcome Center, Vintage Fiction, Shake Some Action!, Richard Turgeon
VIDEO PREMIERE: Chris Berardo goes full power pop with a cover of Badfinger’s classic “Baby Blue.” When asked why he wanted to cover the song he said “I’d always been a huge fan of Badfinger’s music, just such a fantastic blend of melodies, great harmony singing and rock-solid playing.” Get the single here: Amazon
Willie Wisely goes back to his power pop roots with “The Automaton.” This is the Wisely we know and love, so it’s great to hear him poke that bear once in a while. Get the Maxi-single here: Amazon
Brent Windler shows us a terrific video from his upcoming 2021 debut record New Morning Howl. The LP will be out worldwide on August 20, 2021. I can’t wait, as it sounds awesome so far. Get it here: Amazon
Welcome Center is a band that has a great mix of influences, so fans of Death Cab For Cutie and Phoenix are sure to enjoy “Parasite City.” Get it here: Amazon
Vintage Fiction‘s psych-rock single, “Alright, Okay” sways back and forth in its own mellow vibe. A part of the EP Caution in Vogue. Check it out on Spotify
So nice to hear new music from Shake Some Action! The jangle-tastic band with James Hall has a freebie for you! Take it now, or live with the shame of not getting great power pop. New LP coming soon this summer!
Richard Turgeon is earning a new moniker for me as ‘King of Dad Rock’ with his new single “Forgiveness,” and he’s been tirelessly pouring out covers, all of them compiled here: Vol. One and Vol. Two
New Singles: LMNOP, Geoff Palmer, Tommy Sistak, Jonny Polonsky, The Reflectors, Drew Beskin
The one-man band LMNOP has a new album coming called whatNOP dONW7 on July 16, 2021. “The song ‘Nuclear Trust’ doesn’t have anything to do with anything nuclear, just liked the way those two words sounded together. The line “Now I’ve found I don’t know what I’ve found” kinda sums up where I’m at in 2021.” says LMNOP mastermind Stephen Fievet. I agree. Look for an LP review soon!
Canadian Tommy Sistak is back with a new retro-harmony-covered tune. Fans of The Beatles and Monkees will enjoy this comforting music.
Jonny Polonsky is back and he’s sounding much more like himself on this hook-filled single. He certainly has a pulse on the public’s anxiety with COVID. Favorite lyric; “To make me feel like Felix Unger – I have to set myself on fire”
Speaking of retro – The Reflectors are a brilliant 80s-90s styled power pop combo that rocks! Explore last year’s debut for more.
Finally, we have Late Night with Drew Vandenberg introing Drew Beskin singing “Going Alright For You” from his upcoming third full-length solo album, Problematic for the People. It’s a damn good power-pop tune with its crunchy riffs, handclaps, and a killer hook. Enjoy!
May EPs: The Martial Arts, Cliff Hillis, Dropkick, Old Town Crier, Joe Dilillo
The quirky under-rated Martial Arts does what it does best. Brilliant modern pop in “Guilt By Association” and “Bethany” with memorable choruses, and “The Wild Humdrum” is a Sparks-like gem that is just too much fun. Cliff Hillis gathered his “Brunch Sessions” inspired by this past year of social distanced shows, and I just love the acoustic version of Nik Kershaw’s “Wouldn’t It Be Good.” So UK band Dropkick has been super busy this year, dropping a Greatest Hits LP, and releasing expanded editions of their first 2 LPs. A FREE sample of “Obvious” is here for you to pick up. Old Town Crier aka Jim Lough makes us an old-fashioned blues pop EP; “Don’t Go” is a keeper. Unsung heroes are what power pop celebrates, and we should celebrate long-time producer-engineer Joe Dilillo coming from behind the soundboard to the microphone with “Loser Girl,” a great ballad with help from the Lickerish Quartet. More details on Joe at 50thirdand3rd.