Tag: The Hangabouts

Singles: The Vinyl Skyway, Vanilla, My Little Hum, Rozwell Kid, The Inside Passenger, Joe Kane, Andrew Stonehome, The Hangabouts

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Holy Cow! There is a bumper crop of great music here. Let’s dive right in… 

Boston band The Vinyl Skyway dazzles with this excellent single. Songwriters Andy Santospago and Michael Hayes know how to hook you with their harmonies and minor chord shifts. Worth multiple repeats!

The band Vanilla follows up from its smart LP Mystik Knights of Tacoma with this horn-filled gem that about a tree fort that is either an emotional security blanket or the ultimate man cave.

My Little Hum is husband and wife duo Dan Jewett (guitars/bass) and Yuri Jewett (vocals/keyboards). They do a great job here with a strong jangling melody and Yuri’s sweet vocal harmonies are comparable to Karla Kane. Part of the upcoming album Pioneer. Check it out!

Rozwell Kid delivers a quirky punk song that just stuck with me. It’s a FREE download that starts out quiet and then breaks out (Hey, maybe Rolling Stone will pay attention?) Lyric video here.

The Inside Passenger is a new musical project from fan-favorite Cliff Hillis. It’s definitely a different style; Melancholy pop music made for late nights.

Glasgow treasure Joe Kane (Dr. Cosmo’s Tape Lab, The Owsley Sunshine, BMX Bandits) has put together these little glammy, fabby singles with those Ringo-like drum fills and Lennon-like vocal noodling. So much fun it will stick fast! “If you love your booty clap your hands..” Love it!

Andrew Stonehome is a songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist from North Dakota. He deserves your attention for this excellent power-pop single. Album coming next year.

Detroit’s The Hangabouts are also working on something new! You can hear some Elvis Costello influence here, and it’s a true gem with a soulful guitar break midway through. Keep your eyes and ears out for a new LP soon!

The Hangabouts and The Bullet Proof Lovers

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The Hangabouts

The Hangabouts “Kits and Cats and Saxon Wives”

I really enjoyed The Hangabouts last LP The Illustrated Bird and its crisp opener “Roman Forum” is one of my favorite songs. Now the Detroit trio of John Lowry, Gregory Addington, and Chip Saam are back with the psychedelic sixties as their starting point. And it’s a real flashback in the title track with its looping bassline and groovy chorus, but it is more than a period-style exercise. While Anglophilic, “Cricket Time” is quite modern and the ballad “Sinking Feeling” is a lovely mid-tempo duet with Molly Felder (Swan Dive). The first great song here “Evelyn Wood,” is a soulful gem with a hook that won’t leave your head soon, and great double entendre lyrics.

As the album continues, the song compositions get more sophisticated. Think Bread meets Fountains of Wayne on “12 Songs” and the Lennonesque “Selling Out” with its terrific slide guitar. Other than the forgettable “Mrs. Kite,” each tune here hits the mark, oh so gently. Other highlights include the sad “Sensation Overnight” and “Follow The Sunshine.” All mastered by the master Andy Reed. Highly Recommended. FYI: Kool Kat Musik is offering a free download code to get a bonus track with purchase!

Amazon | Kook Kat Musik


The BulletProof Lovers

The Bullet Proof Lovers “Shot Through The Heart”

The Bullet Proof Lovers specialize in shredding big loud riffs, booming drums, and Kurt Bakers howling vocals. This sophomore LP has everything the debut had, but now the band has a bit more discipline when it comes to songcraft. “I am My Radio,” “Aint No Joke” and “Not Your Toy” are great punk pop that is meant to be cranked up to “11.”

The thundering gems “Knock Down The Door” recall labelmates Watts, and the retro-flavored  “One Last Night” slows the tempo just enough to catch your breath. But then it’s back to no-holds-barred rock and roll, “All I Want” being a typical example where Kurt states “I’m just so sick of feelin’ bad, baby!” Fans of The Buzzcocks, Cheap Trick, The Hives and The Strokes will enjoy this one. Highly Recommended.

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