EP Reviews: Tommy & The Rockets, Paperweight Array, Vista Blue and B-Leaguers

Tommy & The Rockets deliver a great EP that wears its love of power pop on its sleeve, even though these dudes seem a bit too clean-cut to be a “Wrecking Machine.” The melodies here owe a lot to early Beach Boys more than The Ramones, but each track is a fast-tempo theme that crackles with energy. Highly Recommended.

The Paperweight Array is a new band with guitarist Aaron Hemmington (The Sunchymes). The music is more current sounding than the Sunchymes psyche-pop nostalgia. But the great jangle and harmonies are still there. Check out the prog-rock epic “Going Back” with its shifting key changes.

Those baseball themed rockers Vista Blue are back just in time for opening day. It’s very much in the same mold as past releases, with the Ramones-like garage riffs leading the way. Check out “I Wanna Be Your Shortstop” and “Blame It All On The Ump.” Oh, and like all Vista Blue music — it’s a “Pay-as-you-like” download.

From Lincoln UK, The B-Leaguers also have a garage-styled punk pop that aims to look back on youth. In fact “World Famous (In A Little Town)” would’ve been a perfect fit for the T2: Trainspotting soundtrack. They also share the EP with Hooligan Crooners who do grizzled punk on “Head Full Of Chemicals.”