Category: Singles Only

Too Many Treats: The Blakes, Emperor Penguin, Trip Wire, Andrew Taylor, AJ Rosales, The Dowling Poole

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It’s a Motherlode of FREE Music!

Before the New Jersey power pop band Readymade Breakup emerged in 2003, Paul Rosevear and Gay Elvis were part of a band called The Blakes. The pandemic allowed the group to rework some demos, and here they are; readymade with plenty of guitar crunch, jangle, and strum.

Emperor Penguin is back with an impressive third EP, lots of different style elements here; prog, new wave, and power pop. Slick production and melodies that stick! Each of the three EPs is a FREE download.

San Francisco’s Trip Wire was in the middle of an album when the Pandemic turned it into an EP. Love the mid-tempo ballad “Maps” and the psyche-pop jangle of “Hazel.”

Andrew Taylor continues his musical therapy during the lockdown. Mostly acoustic guitar ballads, with some greatness in the album’s second half starting with “Before I Go,” “Just Let It Happen,” and “The Blue.” And a new album from The Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness is coming soon.

SINGLES:

Willie Dowling’s commentary on the hysteria that surrounds and consumes us all via social media, and the seemingly endless sensationalist news. The Dowling Poole never disappoints.

Chicago singer-songwriter AJ Rosales has a catchy single to start his upcoming album.

Happy Halloween! Videos, Singles and Downloadable Treats!

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Mike Viola is back, as a hip vampire in the new video for ‘Drug Rug,’ a track off his upcoming LP Godmuffin. Directed by Caitlin Gerard, the video opens with Viola lying on a float in Mandy Moore’s pool. It gets weirder from there. Godmuffin arrives on 12/11/20.

Muck and The Mires have a less sophisticated video, but “Six O’Clock Baby” from the new LP Take Me Back To Planet Earth is a really catchy tune and the monster theme means it gets posted here today! Get the album on Amazon

The 1957 Tail-Fin Fiasco charms us with this piano melody about getting married 29 times. “Monogamy will be the death of me” he sings. I agree with that one! It’s a free downloadable treat and the bands got a cool video too!

This lockdown is scary enough, but back from the dead comes The Feels with a new single to die for. A perfect package of power-pop riffs and a deadly hook!

Ken Sharp has another gem with “Mr. Popularity” joined by the always great Fernando Perdomo. It’s got a little ’70s funk too! Enjoy!

Ward White has this very creepy version of The Beatles classic “Helter Skelter” featuring a ghostly reed organ played by Grammy-winning engineer/producer, John Spiker (Tenacious D, Beck), perfect for a Halloween night!

Friday Night singles: Brent Windler, Vanilla, Dave Sheinin, Richard Turgeon, Neil Nathan

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Enjoy the gentle strums and multi-part harmonies of Brent Wilder. Looking forward to this LP soon, but get the FREE download in the meantime.

The irrepressible Jayson Jarmon of Vanilla is back and he’s “So Happy” featuring the vocals of Kara Jane. Both bouncy and passive/aggressive.

Dave Sheinin gives us a timely look at trying to find “bits of bliss” among the daily stress and anxiety.

The prolific Richard Turgeon pens a genuine love letter to his instrument.

A celebratory ode by Neil Nathan, inspired by the sounds of the Traveling Wilburys, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne. Featured on the season finale of Quarantine The Show, a fundraiser for the SAG/AFTRA Covid Relief Fund.

October Surprises: Singles, EPs, Compilations and a Cartoon

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On a rare occasion, I hear some EMD that does it right. On “Tarantino,” Steve Aoki & Timmy Trumpet modernize the classic surf guitar riff of Dick Dake, later made famous via Pulp Fiction. Aoki’s mesmerizing electro beats combined with Trumpet’s eccentric horn licks are very entertaining. The cartoon is also a hoot!

Willie Dowling’s infamous Jackdaw 4 discography is now on 369music (with his Dowling Poole albums). If you missed it, this was a free download for a while. But this was a great XTC inspired band – check it out.

Wisconsin’s Disq does a decent cover of this Wilco song. They also have a collection of demos from their break-thru LP from March.

Einstein’s Sister, a legendary power-pop/indie rock band from the late ’80s is back! The old discography is on Bandcamp now, and these brand new singles sound fresh!

Zach Jones has a way of updating that old pop sound that is pure magic. I was very impressed with this sharp sounding “Must Be On My Way,” which resembles a lost Monkees single.

Melbourne’s four-piece Girlatones have a gentler approach towards pop. There is a sense of acceptance in the combination of guitar, vocals, and piano. Lead singer Jesse William’s vocal delivery is akin to the vocal stylings of Belle & Sebastian.

Crown Vic Royal is not a whiskey, but a band from Chicago that plays blues-infected rock and roll. Check out this new EP.

Garfield’s Birthday is a band from Weymouth, England and for 25 years Simon Felton (Head honcho of Pink Hedgehog Records) has done a smashing job. Now a long-awaited “best-of” compilation is finally available. Plenty of rarities and alternate mixes.

September Singles: Brad Brooks, Mike Daly, The Amplifier Heads, Shadow Show and Irene Peña

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Brad Brooks is back! The title track to his new LP has been released as a single. Its a rabble-rousing rocker that recalls The Black Crowes and demands repeat plays!

Mike Daly‘s first single for Big Stir Records and he hits one outta the park with echos of Elvis Costello here. This is a catchy gem that deserves to be heard.

The Amplifier Heads have a Beatlesque styled single with its meta approach describing power-pop perfectly; “a one minute 50-second hit song that I just can’t get outta my head.”

Shadow Show is a Detroit band that combines elements of garage and psychedelic melodies into a blender as they offer a psychotic reaction to an increasingly chaotic world.

This is a lovely tribute from Irene Peña to Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne). It arrived at the end of this sad summer since his passing due to complications from COVID-19. The players here include John Borack (Popdudes, The Armoires) on the drums, Jeff Colchamiro and Ron Allen on guitar, Steve Zeilman on bass and Irene herself on vocals.