Tag: Gentle Hen

Free Albums that you should pay for: Empty City Squares, The Eisenhowers, Ruby Bones, Gentle Hen

powerpopaholic

Declare your independence from the lamestream music machines and pre-programmed, autotuned crappy corporate pop. Support your local artists and donate to them, so they make more great music! These are full albums – all for “name-your-price.” It’s been some time but the awesome Empty City Squares delivers a collection of great singles collected during the year. The opener “Hail To The Cheato,” a decidedly vicious takedown of a certain president. The songs are really good here, so download and enjoy! The Eisenhowers were quiet for over 12 years, but they came back to ‘Judge a man by the company he keeps’ a worthy album that I discovered a bit late, but if you want a taste of Raymond Weir’s band, then get the “bonus tracks” on ‘Too Much Music.’ New Jersey’s Ruby Bones pays tribute to their favorite indie bands, and they do such a good job it’s worth way more than the $3.50 they are asking. Gentle Hen‘s 2017 LP ‘Sneaking Up On The Moon’ is our final entry here, but it’s stuffed with indie-rock gems, like “Made Up Stars” and “Life of Leisure.” They say the best things in life are free, and these are likely the best free albums you’ll get this year, so toss these bands a few bucks!

 




OK, this aint free — but at $3.50 it’s close enough to make my list.

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

powerpopaholic

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.









Singles: Beebe Gallini, The Nobility, The 1957 Tail-Fin Fiasco, Gentle Hen, Mo Troper, Janita, Timmy Sean

powerpopaholic

Beebe Gallini is the newest garage rock, girl pop hybrid and they can shred like nobody’s business. The new LP Pandemos is her first full-length album, made up of demos she cut earlier in the pandemic. Nashville’s The Nobility delivers a theme of celebration and The 1957 Tail-Fin Fiasco doubles down on the quirkinesses, with key changes everywhere! Gentle Hen‘s freebie channels They Might Be Giants here with every parents’ cry for help. Plus, Mo Troper is doing a cover of the entire Revolver album. Darn good too! Speaking of covers Finnish-born talent Janita gives us a solid cover of Peter Gabriel’s classic “Digging in the Dirt.” With WandaVision in the rearview mirror, Timmy Sean did a quick cover of the jingle “Agatha All Along” and it’s his biggest viral post yet! Where is Reed Richards?







Bad Moves and Gentle Hen

powerpopaholic
Bad Moves

Bad Moves “Tell No One”

Washington, D.C. band Bad Moves are the tight combo of David Combs (lead guitar), Emma Cleveland (bass), Katie Park (guitar), and Daoud Tyler-Ameen (drums) exhibit an untamed pop spirit with punk tendencies. “Change Your Mind” blasts through the speakers, with the powerful bass, feedback and punked up harmonies that compel attention.

You’ll hear some ’70s and ’80s influences, like The Nerves, The Replacements, and The Cars.“One Thing” and “Cool Generator” are pensive rockers that build up to its choruses, with Emma and Katie dominating the vocals. They shout out a call to action about how those intense younger experiences can affect your adult life. The music is a fun romp loaded with catchy riffs, and without a drop of filler but it does slow slightly towards the second half. This album is a great pickup and the irony of the title is you should “tell everyone!” Highly Recommended!

Amazon


Gentle Hen

Gentle Hen “Be Nice To Everyone”

Northampton, MA band Gentle Hen has a new LP that plays to its strengths but isn’t afraid to play outside the box. The band is led by Henning Ohlenbusch, with a sound that falls somewhere in between Fountains of Wayne and REM. The understated opener “We’ve Got The Goods” is a slyly catchy tune with a nice repeating riff driving the chorus. The rich harmonies of “She’s Got It Bad” recall Teenage Fanclub (as they name drop several bands) about an obsessive record collector. The band does its best to rock faster and harder on “Knock, knock, knock” and “You Can’t Take It Back.” It’s a style that fans of The Connection or Kurt Baker will appreciate.

The music also touches on folk and new wave, but Gentle Hen resonates best when a distinct storyline works with the melody, like the excellent “There’s A World In The World” which flirts with a quirkiness that TMBG would envy. Other highlights include “They Know, They Know” and the light chorus/dark ascendant chords on “Ancient Bones.” Overall a very good album that deserves to be heard.

Amazon