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!
Songwriter Steven Fox is back as the enigmatic Secret Friend with a new series of songs split into two sides and sung by a variety of artists, including some power pop favorites. Side One is six new songs produced by Secret Friend. Side Two has the exact same six songs produced by other artists. The sides do compete with each other, so you could mix your own perfect EP here. Fox is a talented songwriter and knows how to create ambiance. All the performances are good, but some tracks stand out more than others.
The opener “Castaway” sung by Taylor Locke (Rooney) is an amazing song with layer upon layers of harmonies and makes good use of the double meaning of the song title. And while Roger J. Manning Jr. (Jellyfish) does a great job on “Undeniably Blue,” it drags on for over 7 minutes. Jimm McIver’s “Difficult” is more in keeping with the theme, and the chorus is catchy here. The band Perfectly Violent Dream does a great job with their version of “All The Things We Had.” I also liked Wyatt Funderburk’s version of “Over Now,” from the guy’s POV. Overall, a good album to pick through.
Nick Frater is a multi-instrumentalist from Croydon, UK. He starts out with an impressive opener “Built To Last,” one of the best retro-Raspberries singles I’ve heard this year. It’s almost impossible to top, but “Paperchase” leads with a nice tropical beat and a solid chorus.
“More Than This” is another strong melody that is like a mix of Squeeze and Andrew Gold. The bouncy “Remoaner” is another winner that sounds like BBC sitcom theme with a little Jeff Lynne in its DNA. Overall not a bad track, and one of the better EPs I’ve heard this year. Highly Recommended.
Secret Friend is the nom de plume of Thailand-based songwriter and recording artist Steven Fox. His music has been impressive before, but here he’s inspired by his native Thailand and the Peruvian rain forests to create a transcendental concept album. A virtual who’s who of power pop greatness contribute vocals to this album. “Blue Sky” is a pastoral dream with Kelly Jones crystalline vocal drawing you in, and its bass synths contrasting with the atmospheric dance rhythms. The experimental percussive effects highlights “Something’s Happening” with Linus of Hollywood effortlessly channeling Glenn Tilbrook and Stevie Wonder.
The lyrics are simple, often repeating and concentrate more on rhythmic patterns than melody. “Anyday Now” has some neat electronica mixed with a strumming guitar as Steve Eggers (The Nines) sings along. “I Don’t Know You” sung by Wyatt Funderburk, is a soothing synth melody similar to ELO in parts, but it too veers off into dreamland. Willie Wisely is given the most vocal duties on a trio of songs, notably “And Ever” with its ethereal vibe. Another standout is “Nobody Listens” sung by Bradley Dean Whyte it slowly builds layer by layer to its catchy chorus. And Steven does contribute a few of his instrumentals in the mix. Unlike straight pop, the songs continue well past the 4 minute mark, and have elements of prog rock, electronica and world music mixed in. One of the most magical albums I’ve heard this year so far, so it is highly recommend.
Its been ten years and Jeff Litman’s transformation from fresh face to street-worn music veteran is near complete with his latest EP. “That’s On You” starts with a ’80s piano that becomes a wicked melody that builds to the swaggering chorus, like if Hall and Oats were played by Elvis Costello. “Debutante” follows that with the same vibe, with a catchy guitar riff driving the song about the cynical cycle of the celebrity musician.
“Nothing” is a lighter mid-tempo composition reminding you not to sweat the small stuff and the bouncy title track once again brings to mind Mr. Costello. The mood changes on the last two tracks, but the epic “Don’t Slow Down” feels like the most personal statement Jeff’s made since his debut. Overall this tight EP boasts no filler and its all killer. Highly Recommended.
The Charlestones “Off The Beat”
This impressive Italian band sounds very similar to Supergrass and Oasis on the opener “Off The Beat” full of driving rhythm and Mattia Bonanni’s wailing vocal. “Love Is A Cadillac” has the airy guitar work and echoing melody along the lines of Coldplay, its a great stadium-sized rocker and proof that Brit pop can still find a home beyond the borders of the UK. Each song is compelling, like “The Girl Who Came To Stay,” it has great melody and one of the many highlights of this album. Unlike the debut, no filler here and fans of great alt. rock like The Kooks or The Stokes will also love this. Highly recommended!
Secret Friend “Time Machine”
Secret Friend is a new all star collective that includes Willie Wisely, Kelly Jones, Linus of Hollywood, and Roger Joseph Manning Jr. Organized by Australian songwriter Steven Fox, Time Machine is rooted in classic 70’s singer songwriter pop. Wisely has a cadence like James Taylor here, but the rich melody and backing make the opener “Who Am I?” a sure-fire hit.
“Starting Today” is another gem with sweet harmonies, and “Never Before” has subtle strings and lyrically falls into Gilbert O’Sullivan territory. Wisely’s “Oblivious” is a note perfect pop ballad and Kelly Jones “He’ll Never Know Me” is the jazzy answer to the narrative. Each musician helps make this LP a success. Foxs’ songwriting is very much like Andrew Gold, albeit with a modern POV. Many great songs here — it makes my Top Ten list for 2013 easily! A delectable slice of adult piano pop heaven.
