Background
A sixth-generation San Francisco native, award winning singer-songwriter essence has been immersed in art and music since childhood. And yes, her birth name really is ‘essence’ – she was raised by quintessential flower children, her parents being two free spirited bohemian artists from the Haight-Ashbury ‘Summer of Love.’ Black Wings is her 2nd album.
Background
The Lees Of Memory — which features erstwhile Superdrag frontman John Davis & guitarist Brandon Fisher, along with drummer Nick Slack — recently released its sophomore LP, Unnecessary Evil. The new album, a follow up to the band’s 2014 debut Sisyphus Says, once again saw them working with Grammy-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz and his team at Rock Falcon Studios in TN.
Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: THE LEES OF MEMORY – UNNECESSARY EVIL
Background
Henry Chadwick is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer.
Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: HENRY CHADWICK – GUEST AT HOME
Background
Heliotropes is comprised of founding member/songwriter/vocalist Jessica Numsuwankijkul, along with a rotating cast of collaborators, including drummer Gregg Giuffré, bassist Richard Thomas, and guitarist Ricci Swift, who are all featured on Over There That Way.
Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: HELIOTROPES – OVER THERE THAT WAY
Background
LOOK PARK is Chris Collingwood’s first album outside of Fountains of Wayne, recorded in collaboration with legendary producer Mitchell Froom.
Background
TWINS is a family band, rooted generations deep in the rich history of Iowa music. Brothers Harper & Joel Sires handle the songwriting and vocal duties, along with their cousin Luke Sires on drums. Devin Ferguson — bass guitar and vocals — has been playing with the Sires brothers since he was 16 years old and rounds out this rock and roll quartet’s uniquely American sound. TWINS has accepted its mission to Save Rock & Roll. And it couldn’t come at a better time.
Background
The Slants are known as the first all-Asian American dance rock band in the world. The band was founded by Simon Young (also known as Simon Tam) in 2006 in Portland, Oregon.
Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: THE SLANTS – SOMETHING SLANTED THIS WAY COMES
Background
Formed in Denver, Colorado in the summer of 2011, The Jekylls have been making quite an impression on their local music scene, having supported a number of national acts.
Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: THE JEKYLLS – THE ONE I WANT, THE ONE I NEED
Background
Twin Peaks was formed by four young Chicago natives (vocalist/guitarist Cadien Lake James, guitarist Clay Frankel, bassist Jack Dolan, and drummer Connor Brodner) in the early 2010s. The band have so far earned a solid reputation for its garage punk sound.
Background
Just 23 years old, Max Jury is firmly of the “old soul” stereotype, channeling the kind of music made decades before his birth – country, soul and classic pop-rock that energised and excited music fans during the 60s and 70s. After releasing well-received and critically acclaimed singles and EPs, Jury finally releases his debut eponymous album.
Background
Hailing from Louisiana, Brass Bed started out in the mid-2000s parlaying the influence of 70s power pop into sophisticated music. Now pared down to a trio (Christiaan Mader, Jonny Campos and Peter DeHart), In the Yellow Leaf is the band’s fourth LP.
Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: BRASS BED – IN THE YELLOW LEAF
Background
A classic rock ’n’ roll devotee who is a little under the radar outside his native New York. A latecomer to the recording game, he released his debut LP at 32 years old in 1980. World War Wille is Nile’s tenth studio album since.
Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: WILLIE NILE – WORLD WAR WILLIE
Background
Formed in 2009 in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Colesville, Maryland, Two Inch Astronaut is a power trio that blends well the poppier edge of punk and experimental hardcore flourishes. A delicate balance that band members Sam Rosenberg (vocals/guitar), Daniel Pouridas (bass), and Matt Gatwood (drums) serve up with aplomb.
Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: TWO INCH ASTRONAUT – PERSONAL LIFE
By J Quigley
Background
The band formed from the ashes of legendary Portland favourite, the Bella Low, who played regular gigs with other local psych bands like The Dandy Warhols. After the Bella Low breakup former members Clint Sargent (lead guitar, vocals), Luke Strahota (drums/percussion) and Violet Bianca Grace picked up the pieces from the band’s crash and formed The High Violets in 1998. Current lineup includes Kaitlyn ni Donovan (vocals, guitar) and Colin Sheridan (bass guitar) with Heroes and Halos being the band’s sixth release after a six year wait.
Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: THE HIGH VIOLETS – HEROES AND HALOS
Background
White Denim is an American four-piece rock band from Austin, Texas. Known for their musical eclecticism, the band’s sixth full-length album was co-produced by Ethan Johns (Paul McCartney, Laura Marling) and has been described by the quartet as a return to its frenetic rock band roots.
Background
Hailing from Athens, Georgia, Eureka California is a self-described ‘catchy garagey rock and roll band’. Eureka California has existed in some form or fashion since 2007, but closer to this version since 2010 viz. Jake Ward – guitar/vocals & Marie A. Uhler – drums. Versus is the duo’s third LP.
Discovered via Twitter – a power pop band that incorporates the BIG MUSIC of the 80s, kinda like The Knack mashed up with U2.
Continue reading SINGLE REVIEW: SOLARFLAIRS – SPIRIT OF JOHNNY
Background
Formed in 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee around the talents of Ricky Young, Joel King, and Taylor Burns, all of whom had served as lead singers in their previous bands, the Wild Feathers came together out of a shared love for all things Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, the Band, and the Allman Brothers.
Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: THE WILD FEATHERS – LONELY IS A LIFETIME
Background
Lionlimb is Nashville native Stewart Bronaugh’s recently resurrected project. Originally started in 2010, the project was put on hold as Bronaugh worked as a day laborer in Chicago and San Francisco before making his return to the Midwest. It was then that he began collaborating with drummer Joshua Jaeger.
Here’s another album that fits Power of Pop’s criterion of POP with POWER! LA trio Army Navy’s third LP is chock full of unforgettable tunes allied with a 90s alt-rock sensibility that is always refreshing in this post-punk-revival obsessed times. In that respect, Army Navy (Justin Kennedy – Lead vocals, Guitar/Louie Schultz – Lead guitar, Vocals/Douglas Randall – Drums, Vocals) succeed wildly.
The agenda is straightforward enough, as tracks like the jangly “The Mistakes”, the driving shoegazy “Crushed Like the Car”, the Fannnies-imbued “Waiting to Win” and the unabashedly retro “World’s End” attest. Uncomplicated arrangements enhance the memorably melancholy pop melodies that make The Wilderness Inside essential listening for fans of gorgeous 90s alt-rock and especially good old fashioned power pop!
Truth be told, I have been listening to Silverbird‘s fine new EP, Surface Life, quite a bit of late. There is something about these five songs that have got be somewhat entranced. Superficially, it all seems very contemporary (i.e. hipster) – with its folky acoustic guitars, the singalong nature of choruses and so on. But of course, it’s more than that. In fact, it has more to do with Silverbird’s penchant at channeling their inspirations – 90s bands like Wilco and Sparklehorse – where alt-country moves into even edgier art-rock territory.
Two songs stand out for me. “Honey You’re” where electric keyboard riffs collide with shimmering guitars and a atmospheric choral hook that seems to stretch for miles. And “Silverbird”, where a throbbing bass stomp anchors a jangle pop vibe so that singer Tim Barr can suspend a fragile vocal above. The closing “When We Went to the Country” sums up Silverbird’s game plan – dreamy, ambient roots rock that drones like the Velvets when it truly needs to.
This is exactly where indie rock should be heading – into the fucking ditch! The future of rock ‘n’ roll and that jazz. Seriously.
Official Site
Fourth album from these Brooklyn-based melodic rockers finds the band in psych-garage territory. What does that mean you might ask? Well, basically it’s mid-60s flavoured three-chord pedal-flooring bubblegum tunes with heavily reverb-drenched harmony vocals. Can’t decide whether the album is played straight or tongue-in-cheek – doesn’t really matter I suppose.
Tunes are kept simple as are arrangements but be warned that the lo-fi, echo chamber sound is artifice in the extreme. Oddly enough, the dreamy albeit atonal soundscape that is “Silent Minus” is one of my favourite moments on The Dead Age. It demonstrates that Unicycle Loves You has more to offer than the meat and potatoes spinning in a wash cycle ambience that characterizes too much of this album.
That said, one cannot help but be entranced by the much of the repetitive atmospheric motives of tracks like “Endless Bummer” and “Any Daydreaming Morning” where psychedelic flourishes rule the day, in a pleasant way. A mixed bag but worth checking out by modern rock fans.
The intriguing duo of Sean Patrick Maylone & DeAnthony Nelson Jr. (aka Ssighborggg) answers FIVE questions about Baybeats 2014.
Why should fans check out your performance at Baybeats?
DeAnthony: They don’t want to miss these beats..
Sean: It’s a pretty, fruity ruckus.
Why are you excited about playing at Baybeats?
DeAnthony :We want to see just how wild Singapore can get into our set. “Let it gooooo!”
Why do you think you were selected to play for Baybeats?
Sean: Sexual favors.
If you had to choose just three bands to watch at Baybeats, which bands would they be and why?
Sean: Two Million Thanks. .gif, to be fair these are two that I got to give a solid listen to — Two Million Thanks actually I heard a few months ago and it seemed so quirky and playful as a take on math rock.
When and where are you playing at Baybeats?
Sean: We will be talking, and playing here:
28 JUN, SAT
Lecture 3.30PM – 3.50PM
OBSERVATION DECK (LIBRARY @ ESPLANADE)
28 JUN, SAT
Performance 8.15PM – 8.45PM
ARENA (ESPLANADE OUTDOOR THEATRE)
…still there’s more…
Superfly Productions and A.C. Entertainment have announced the dates for the 12th annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Confirmed to take place June 13 – 16, 2013, the four-day festival will once again be held at the same beautiful, 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, 60 miles southeast of Nashville. Special, limited ticket pre-sale information will be announced in November. A video announcing the 2013 dates was made exclusively for Bonnaroo featuring the incomparable Carrie The Dancing Merengue Dog. Please see below.
Country + Rock n’ Roll is still one of the most potent music out there in the modern rock wasteland. Thankfully, bands like Yukon Blonde is smart enough to eschew current obsessions with 80s post-punk/synth-pop and deal exclusively good old fashioned alt-country magic. For one week only, PoP visitors get to check out the upcoming new album – Tiger Talk – streaming in its entirety at Soundcloud. The album is due for released on 20th March. Can hardly wait!
Official Site