Tag: The Vinyl Skyway

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

powerpopaholic

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 Vinyl Skyway and Alex Bloom

powerpopaholic

The Vinyl Skyway “Long Cool Journey”

Cambridge, MA band The Vinyl Skyway (singer/songwriters Michael Hayes and Andy Santospago) are back with another fine album. It opens strong with the catchy gem “She Don’t Worry,” where they almost brag “I got my hooks in you / What are we gonna do?” It indeed hooks you. It then steps back to a more thoughtful indie ballad on “Old Route 9,” it’s a beautifully subtle composition about wandering the Boston streets with bitter memories. The next few tracks are sparse but emotionally resonate, notably “Wasteland” and the country folk of “Reach into My Heart.”

Midway through the guitars and tempo pick up again on the fine “Travel King,” which has some ELO-like echoes. Santospago’s vocals have some nice double tracking on the sad portrait of an ageless hipster on “Subterranean Hearts” and the acoustic “Indian Summer” is very reminiscent of Paul Simon or Tom Petty. The rich sound on “Everbody Wants To Say Goodbye” is another highlight, with the added vocals of Kristin Cifelli. Stylistically, it doesn’t always work – it feels like 2 different albums mixed together. But the songwriting earns your respect with repeated listens. Highly Recommended.

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Alex Bloom

Alex Bloom “Blue Room”

Roger Manning Jr. recommended I listen to Alex Bloom (he is currently helping produce his next album). I wasn’t disappointed, as Alex is a singer-songwriter very much in the mold of Elliot Smith or Chris Price. He’s got a distinct melodic gift and high vocal register that really impresses. The soaring harmonies and ageless melody of “Eyes In The Back of Her Head” is a real keeper and the ethereal pop gem “I Don’t Know You Anymore” will stick in your head for days.

The aching piano ballad “Change Your Mind” is another huge highlight, but the remaining tracks on this short album struggle to reach those lofty heights of greatness.  “It’s Alright” injects a little indie soul, the slow-building “One More Shot” has a fine chorus, but it drags out a bit long. With what I heard, I expect greatness on his next album (No pressure, Alex).

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