Tag: any version of me

Best New Free Albums: The 143, Any Version of Me, Happy Somethings

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These albums are brilliant statements, and they are all at a “name-your-price” download. I would encourage you to support these artists, as they deliver great pop!

Jake Simmons

The 143 “Love in the Time of Robots & Aliens”

The 143 is a collective of musical artists from Brooklyn; N.A. Smolenski, Corey Newell, and lead singer Chelsea, assisted by strings (Martin Kutnar, Matej Mihaljević) and drums (Glenn Welman, Bruno Dante).

Love the positive vibes on the opener “Emily,” the jangle and harmonies lift it up. Chelsea’s lead vocals are a standout on the mid-tempos tunes “Ivy Grows” and “Wishing Well.” Talent like this deserves more exposure and with 13 tracks, it’s loaded without filler. Highly Recommended.


Any Version Of Me

Any Version Of Me “Summer After All”

French artist known as Any Version Of Me compiled a collection of past singles and some new ones into this new album. He makes sure to tell us on Bandcamp it’s “For Beach Boys fans only…” He isn’t kidding, as this borrows heavily from the Pet Sounds era. So while it is entirely derivative, it’s also an enjoyable listen. Highlights include “Away,” “Forever,” and “Going Back.”


The Happy Somethings “A Gathering of All Sorts”

An English band very much like The Free Design mixed with Velocity Girl; a kinda folk-twee pop. This collection gathers several singles over the years, and the songs are short and sweet. I appreciate the quirky “No Bother” and “I Wish You Could Sing Like Tracey Thorn.” The charm of this band is evident with the live “Sweet Little Sad Song.” Check it out!


July Singles, EPs and Freebies: Any Version of Me, Dana Countryman, Eric Barao, Anatomy Class, The Valery Trails, Supercrush, Ryan Hamilton

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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!








EPs, freebies and singles: Un-Teens, Secret Friend, The Well Wishers, The Embryos and Any Version Of Me

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The Un-Teens are classic sounding power pop band with infectious hooks tipping their hat to early punk from Hamilton, Ontario.

Steven Fox’s band Secret Friend is back with a sweet single. Linus of Hollywood (guitars) and Roger Manning Jr. (keyboards) contribute!

Jeff Shelton is busy at work with both The Well Wishers and Trip Wires. “Feelin’ Fine” is a strong single paired with a cover of  Fleetwood Mac’s “Second Hand News.”
Chicago band The Embryos resemble Teenage Fanclub on the standout “Wasting All Your Time,” and the other tunes are good too! FREE Download!
French retro pop enthusiast Any Version of Me is back. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like we have a way to download the music – but we can stream these tunes. “Thinking of The Days” has a very Lennon-Harrison vibe, and “Look What You’ve Done” is a hybrid of The Four Tops and The Hollies!

Lo Tom and Any Version Of Me

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Andy Oliveri and the Mountaineers

Lo Tom “Lo Tom”

David Bazan and his Seattle band Pedro The Lion teamed up with members of Starflyer 59 to form the supergroup, Lo Tom. It’s Bazan and friends TW Walsh, Jason Martin and drummer Trey Many. The low-pressure setting delivers a memorable, well crafted LP, starting with the driving “Covered Wagon” led by the smooth dual guitar rhythms of Walsh and Martin.

Like indie rocker Robert Pollard(Guided By Voices,) Bazan’s melodies stick with repeated plays and the guitar work of Walsh and Martin are refreshingly effective. Missing are Bazan’s religious overtones and songs like “Overboard” and “Bad Luck Charm” are more abstract in the messages sent. “Find The Shrine” mines an AC/DC styled riff throughout the song, but the album’s second half runs out of steam. Worth checking out even if you’re not a big Pedro fan.

Amazon


Any Version Of Me

Any Version Of Me “VI (Side One)”

Parisian Guillaume Lepine is back with his retro flavored British pop on VI (Side One). “New Year” opens with a Kinks-styled dance hall tune and continues to stay in the late 60’s era and recreates the sound flawlessly. He goes back to Beatlesque well on “Two Days” which borrows liberally from “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.”

The sunshine pop of “Some Saturday Morning” is another highlight with its Beach Boys styled harmonies and layered keyboards move seamlessly into the slide guitar of “Four Walls.”  Then it goes psychedelic with “Little Girl Lost” and acid-dripped riffs of “Thanks Ronnie.” It’s like finding a lost bin of old nuggets and the music is considerably better produced than previous AVOM releases. Best of all, this is a FREE download, with the promise of Side Two coming later this year. For fans of 60’s rock and pop, this is highly recommended.

The Charlie Watts Riots and Any Version Of Me

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The Charlie Watts Riots “A Break In The Weather”
Albany based guitar-pop band the Charlie Watts Riots don’t agree on all their musical tastes—though they do share an appreciation for snazzy suits. But bassist Mike Pauley, guitarist Seth Powell and drummer Joe Putrock can cite one primary influence that brought the Charlie Watts Riots together; a love for rock and roll and that rush of combustible energy when they play. They showed potential on their debut, Long Story Short – but now they sound a lot heavier with even better melodies.

Like a power pop version of Nirvana, the dual layered guitar attack of “Bottom” sets the stage. “Curtains” is a mix of Fountains Of Wayne with Foo Fighters.  “Luanne” has a slow build but quickly becomes a fast paced single that won’t leave your head. Each tune keeps you interested, fans of Superdrag and The Posies are sure to love this. Like The Connection, this band has a command of melodic riffs and minor chords aplenty.

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Any Version Of Me “We Are You”
This is the fifth album by this mysterious Frenchman, and here he slowly moves away from this Brian Wilson influences to incorporate a more rounded sound. The opener “Can’t You See” is familiar, but he shifts with electronic synths on “Six and Three.” The barebones acoustic title track shows us a folkie side, but “No Answer” is a much stronger tune and the up-beat “Why Feel So Blue?” is a real charmer, like a Left Banke tune. My favorite here is is “Goodbye” which is kinda if Sondre Lerche played The Monkees. Lots of fun and best of all the download is FREE.