Main stream press has picked up the ball on this group that wowed the crowd at SXSW. Read Tony Sachs article about them here.
“How We Survive”, Grand Atlantic’s new album mixed by Magoo (Midnight Oil, An Horse, Regurgitator) set for release June 2009. These guys had a great debut album, so I expect more greatness to follow. Also the group has released it’s new single and you can download it now. Download “She’s A Dreamer” here.
I had the good fortune to attend a concert sponsored by The New York Power Pop Page and see Splitsville perform some magic on the small stage at Kenny’s Castaways. Unfortunately I missed Joey Salvia’s set, but heard two female pop acts – The Trouble Dolls and Amanda Kaletsky. They kept the crowd mellow and polite for the most part, until the main event: Splitsville. The band took the stage and rocked out with hits like “Headache”, “Ponce DeLeon” and “The Love Song Of B. Douglas Wilson” among others. Matt Huseman sweated out a great performance that included many songs from band’s early Greenberry Woods days. Brandt Huseman lead vocals on a few tunes and plenty of humor between songs. Keyboard/bassist Paul Krysiak also did a great job. Lead Guitarist Tony Waddy made it look effortless, although he confided in me that he was exhausted. A trusted source from the band let it slip that the group are currently writing a sequel to their award-winning “Pet Soul” LP. I can imagine all of you pop fans salivating already, but more information/demos will be reported when I find out.
Satirically touching on the American way, Canadian Invasion showcase what lies underneath the white picket fences, traditional family values and odes to materialism with the new video for “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.” Read my review for Canadian Invasion here.
I was listening to this new Norwegian glam garage rock band The Disciplines and thinking “it’s pretty good, hard guitar riffs pounding drums and a lead singer that snarls and screams like Henry Rollins in a bad mood..” then I looked at the liner notes and did a double take. Lead Vocals: Ken Stringfellow. The Posies Ken Stringfellow? Holy crap. Well I guess Ken wanted to explore this side of his musical personality, nothing wrong with that. If you are looking for a tougher version of The White Stripes or Jet then you’ve come to the right place. Ken teamed up with the Norwegian band Briskeby consisting of drummer Claus Larsen, bassist Baard Helgeland and guitarist Bjorn Bergene, and they quickly developed this aggressive style. The group struts it’s stuff with the opener “Your For The Taking” and summons some glam goodness with “Get It Right.” After a few listens it reveals Ken’s melodic tendencies underneath all those riffs, on “Best Mistake” and “Falling Knives.” I guess it’s a trend to do harder stuff, after all it seems to work for the recent Superdrag album, but this doesn’t feel forced at all. More highlights include, “Hurricane” and the retro flavored “Like So Many Times Before.” Both the latter song and “No Vacancy” comes closer to The Posies sound that any of the previous tracks. The songwriting here aims for both the head and the heart and succeeds in bringing across the message with a ballsy gusto once reserved for guys like Ian Astbury (The Cult). Kool Kat Musik is having a special on this album, you get an exclusive 13-song “Live in Finland” album with each order. For these tough times, sometimes power pop has to get tough.
My Space | Second Motion Records | Pre-order from Kool Kat Musik
Rob Stuart is a man with a mission. Also known as Broken Promise Keeper, he wants to deliver some “ice cold pop” to your ears. If I had to make a direct comparison, Broken Promise Keeper sounds very much like cult pop favorite Anton Barbeau. It’s fair to say Ice Cold Pop begins with a confident bounce and jangle filled riffs of “Directions.” The song has some elements of mid eighties production, similar to early REM or The Shoes sound, so fans of this style will be sure to enjoy it. The driving piano chords of “Worship From Afar” sparks a great song with beautiful cascading harmonies in the chorus. The tracks here are full of rich effortless hooks, especially on my favorite track, “Kristine.” The next song “I Blame James” is a interesting lament on how all his childhood heroes (James Dean, James Bond, etc.) are setting an example that he can’t follow. The quick bass and rhythm guitars of “Look Out Hollywood” recall early Joe Jackson quite a bit. Stuarts vocal is serviceable when the songwriting and arrangements are clicking, but at certain points, the DIY nature of the production poke through (“Fake It”). Some tracks seem to be workman efforts, like “Amusement Park Lover” and “Once” but don’t quite have strong enough hooks. The album ends strongly with the gentle acoustic gems “Secret” and “Goodbye.” For most pop fans this one is worth the effort to track down and listen to.
CD Baby | Broken Promise Keeper’s Site | Itunes