Tag: Vista Blue

EP Reviews: The Seven and Six, Vista Blue, Dogmatics, Nick Bertling, The Martial Arts

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The Seven and Six is a new band with the ever-talented Lisa Mychols and Tom Richards. This is great power pop with a beat you can dance to. This is Mychols in her natural habitat, each song hits the right notes, kicks ass and with its upbeat tempos, it’s super highly recommended.

Vista Blue dials back its natural punk influences and turns up the Beach Boys-inspired power-pop tendencies. “Summer Wonderland” is a sweet single with some great harmonies and the other tracks are a cut above the usual seasonal music. Get this one now! Available at Amazon


The Dogmatics is a more traditional garage rock and roll band from Boston thanks to our buddies at Rum Bar Records. Fans of The Replacements or The Johnny Thunders will dig this one. And who else will write a song about the current United States Secretary of Commerce? Also available at Amazon.


Nick Bertling made this faithful group of Monkee cover tunes in honor of the late Peter Tork. It even has a cover of a Kellog’s jingle! Not an EP, but a labor of love and it’s a great FREE download.


The new EP from The Martial Arts (aka Paul Kelly) is a quirky pop romp that is both catchy and idiosyncratic. The other songs are just as infectious and melodic. Get it on Amazon.

 

Freebies and Singles: The Top Boost, Geoff Palmer, Tommy Lorente, Vista Blue, Ken Sharp, Preoccupied Pipers, The Turnback

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The Top Boost earns major kudos for this excellent 3 song EP. On the title track, they’re joined by Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (Jellyfish, Imperial Drag). The result is a swirling blend of bubble gum pop sweetness with a wistful lyrical undertone. A+


Geoff Palmer (The Connection) has released a few singles in advance of his next solo LP Pulling Out All The Stops. This one is more than hot, it’s a FREE download. BTW, his former bandmate Brad Marino has LP out too, reviews for both coming soon!

My favorite French power pop musician Tommy Lorente gives us a FREE download, it’s so catchy even if you don’t speak French just sing along with the “Na Na Na Na.”

The reliable punk-pop of Vista Blue continues his sports-themed Ramones influenced rock. Another FREE download!

Ken Sharp spent some time at Fernando Perdomo‘s new Reseda Ranch Studios 2.0 and recorded this little gem about the 1964 World’s Fair. Only a buck, and worth the trip through his imaginary time machine.

A goodie from KC Bowman and friends (aka The Preoccupied Pipers) about another band and its audience? Hey! It’s still a FREE download.
The Turnback is back with a new single “Unloading An Empty Gun”. If you buy it, maybe Todd, Kenny & Barry will reload and give us another album (please!)

Happy Halloween! Come get these treats!

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Just in time for Halloween, Baz Francis gives us a creepy single from Magic Eight Ball. Check out the LP on iTunes
More scary music from Vista Blue! Rock and roll that literally has a “Hook”!

Some new retro psych-pop goodness from The Sunchymes with “Masquerade.” Earlier this year they asked us to “Try.”

Jeff Shelton’s (The Well Wishers) evil alter-ego has come out to play. Well, this isn’t Halloween themed unless you think the band’s name is sacrilege. But if you crave heavier guitar crunch, then get Hot Nun‘s “Born To Blaze.” Sinfully good!

Friday Singles and Freebies: The Premiere of Faux Co! Vista Blue, Magic City, Ryan Allen, Reno Bo

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Exclusive Premiere! 

Chicago’s Faux Co. is the brainchild of songwriter Ben Mackey. Originally from Santa Rosa, California, Mackey has been writing 60’s influenced indie pop songs for a decade. This NEW single “Prozac Spaceman” is an exclusive Power Popaholic premiere. The core line-up of Faux Co is Ben Mackey, Trevor Pritchet and Chris Lee. This single has some great Rickenbacker strums and the melody flows along a catchy shaker beat. I can’t wait for the album!

The prolific Vista Blue is back with another great FREE downloadable album. This 6 song Ep contains much fun guitar crunchiness with a deep Beach Boys cut “It’s OK.”

Irish power popper Conor Lumsden from The Number Ones is Music City and here he’s playing every instrument on this A-Side ‘Pretty Feelings’ which sound like a lost Lindsey Buckingham track! Awesome! We want more Conor!

Ryan Allen and his Extra Arms are back and this advance track is just the start of his next release. This is a fantastic rocking track that just makes me salivate for the next song. Scream along and play air guitar to this one!

Reno Bo has some reflective ballads here to calm you after all that jumping around. Reno has a LOT of singles on his Bandcamp site, check out the Beatles cover and others.

Freebie Friday: Mitchell Adam Johnson, Diamond Hands, Vista Blue and The Tomboys

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Mitchell Adam Johnson is a Minneapolis artist with impeccable taste in chamber pop, using classical composition and an ethereal vocal on the opener “Through A Mood Indigo.” Akin to Elliot Smith or Bell & Sebastian in approach, the melodic “Keeping Secrets” is a soothing gem that sticks with you through its carnival atmosphere.You are bound to find a favorite ballad here. The instrumentation is also top notch, check out “At Another Stop,” “Losing Sleep” and the rich piano melody on “Tourniquet Love” reminded me of Pet Sounds a little. Highly Recommended and a FREE download.

Diamond Hands made my top album list last year and was definitely one of the best free albums then, so here we go again! Written, performed and recorded by Jon Flynn and Joel Wall, it is a pure pleasure to hear the opener “PCH (Pacific Coast Highway)” with its rich, layered chorus. Hints of The Beatles, psyche-pop and other power pop influences are all over the LP. Great examples are “Now or Never,” “San Francisco,” and “Nowhere” all have lush harmonies and layered rhythms with tinkling piano flourish. And the 60’s styled garage guitar comes out on “Caught Up In A Memory,” it could’ve been a lost hit for The Animals or The Stones. The power pop blast of “Underground” and “Not Sorry” cranks up the energy too. Highly Recommended and a FREE download.

Vista Blue remains a very reliable contributor to our Freebie posts. The band plays sports themed punk-pop in the tradition of The Ramones. They also have a recent single I liked “Why Doesn’t Jimmy Wanna Play?” The new LP “End of The Season” features nine tracks, each representing an inning of a baseball game. You can read the whole story on the band’s Bandcamp page, where you’ll also find a full scorecard from the game as a free download with the music.

For fans of 80’s styled power pop, The Tomboys are back with Vol.3,  download the album free on their website. Check out “Two in Love” and “Tonight.”