Category: emerging artists

The New Up “Broken Machine” EP
Out of the San Francisco scene comes The New Up. From the trippy-dreamlike beats and strong bassline to ES Pitchers’s silky vocals (similar to Siouxsie Sue and P.J. Harvey) the music is poised to break out in a big way with pop fans. Beginning with the irresistable catchy pop of “Ginger Tea” and neo wave guitars on “Top of the Stairs” follows. If you’ve always wondered how Radiohead’s influence would have affected the sound of a band like 1000 Maniacs, look no further. Fans of The Cure, and classic Smashing Pumpkins will also dig the tight, aggressive style of rock coated in a cool candy shell. This is hip, modern pop that the indie masses will enjoy as well.
The New Up Site | My Space

Radio Days “Midnight Cemetery Rendezvous” EP
Lead by Dario Persi, the Italian group Radio Days have taken traditional power pop sound and mines it for great effect. Excellent songwriting and guitar work punctuate each song in the EP, that recalls Fotomaker, Weezer and Velvet Crush all at once. From the smooth Knack-like riffs on “Brand New Life” to the cover of Paul Collins Beat’s “Rock And Roll Girl” this is without a doubt a mind altering, sonic-sugar rush. “Don’t Keep Me Waiting” is a perfect mix of Cheap Trick guitars and pop bliss. With music this good you don’t ever notice the European accents (okay, you do – but it’s no worse than The Winnerys). I would keep my eye on this group for a follow up full length album, so in the meantime hunt this CD down, as it one of the best I’ve heard all year – Bellissimo!!
My Space | Interpunk | Subordination Records

Reviewed by Mike Z.
Maybe the highest compliment one can pay to a band is that it’s not very easy to decide what to make of them. After four listens I’m still mining material out of The Pharmacy’s “Choose Yr Own Adventure” and if that doesn’t scream getting your money’s worth, I don’t know what does. At one point it even occurred to me that this might be a concept album, so suffice to say I’m already hooked enough on this band’s sound that I’m getting a little carried away with things here. Let me slow it down some:

“Black Ice Cream” and “Mirror” resemble one another in that they both have great hooks but also enough balls to walk confidently on the razor’s edge where power and pop meet. “Tropical Yeti” and “Warm and Untorn” stumble and fall decidedly on the pop side of things, but even these gaffes are forgivable because they serve to move the album along and endear the listener more to the big picture here. “Little Toys on a Shelf” is at least slightly indebted to Vampire Weekend, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The lyrics, however, are. A week metaphor (guess the least creative thing toys on a shelf could represent and the work your way downward from there) is further hampered by sophomoric sentiment and totally submarines an otherwise capable tune. If that’s what it takes for this band to break, I won’t begrudge them it, because they are this close to being a ready for primetime act. “Try to Explain” is a solid track which worships at the altar of “Waterloo Sunset”-era Kinks. As the album expands away from more obvious fare, the devotion to Ray Davies’ melodic songwriting resonates even more deeply in the later, contemplative tracks on this record. This is an act who is happy to toy with discordant sounds, but is really more about crafting energetic, well-honed pop songs. Fittingly, the effort ends with “Adieu, Adieu,” and The Pharmacy leaves it all on the field with this one. Powerful, catchy, and clever, this track makes me want to start the disc over and find out when they’re playing in my town.

Don’t Stop Believin’ Records | My Space | Itunes

Here is a great new band that emerged from NRONE records in England. The Lost Levels are four lads with a rich sound, and the single “Never the First” tells the tragic tale of being dumped. They have an mini-EP out so far – and it’s wonderful, so I am hoping for a full length soon. I’ll update you on when these guys make it across the pond.
My Space | NRONE Records

Here are a few emerging artists EPreleases that hit my inbox:

The Breakups “Eat Your Heart Out” EP
This album blew me away on first listen. A big hint here is that they are opening with Jason Falkner in Silverlake, CA this month. Starting with “Day in The Sun” it has angelic choruses and heavy guitars similar to Tripsitter or Teenage Fanclub. The next song “Tissue Sample” is a strings and guitar ballad with lead singer Jake Gideon’s gentle vocals similar to Cloud Eleven. This six song EP is varied in style and keeps you guessing throughout with a variety of styles. “Feed” has the rising guitar chords similar to Fountains of Wayne. The ending “Winding Down”gets the Ken Stringfellow vibe done well. Don’t miss this one.
MySpace | The Breakups Website

 

Keyboard Cathy “Sushi Lover”
Yes, Cathy has an old Broadway sense of melody and a Roland R-600 keyboard. But it’s not all pop showtunes and kitsch. It falls somewhere between The Carpenters and Julie Andrews, the best of this is evidenced in the song “Golden Child” which won Honorable Mention in the Broadway/Cabaret category of the Unisong International Songwriting Contest. The song “Sushi Lover” is like the ultimate dinner music for Japanese eating – as it has instructional narrative that teaches you how to enjoy eating the food. And the pop melodies are upbeat and cheerful (almost saccharine) and the messages in the music sound straight out of Dr. Phil’s motivational guide. You will either love it or not, but it’s worth a listen.
My Space| CD Baby

Lazy Lions “Keep Your Love Away”
Brooklyn rockers Lazy Lions, have a way with really fine Elvis Costello styled power pop – just listen to the opener “Keep Your Love Away” and just try not to smile or tap your feet. The bouncy melody and smart guitar play also remind me of Squeeze, and the song “Magellan In Reverse” has echoes of The Fixx as well. This is an excellent 4 song EP of melodic goodness that compares well with power popper, Any Trouble and The Db’s. Highly recommended for sure – One question: When is the full length album coming out?
My Space | emusic

Kaitlyn Anderson “A New Word For Over”
In the past, I’ve given nods to good female vocalists and Kaitlyn is no exception. Here is an alternative to the current female pop cliches, with the single “So Much Better” a really strong song, is part Meredith Brooks attitude and Shania Twain sweetness. She has a strong pop vocal that doesn’t overly stylize the song and as an example “Unhappy” has a great melody and understated rock guitar that doesn’t take away from the vocal performance. Also worthy of note is Guillermo Guerrero’s excellent guitar solo on “Walk Away.” A bit of Pat Benetar rock leaks out on “Pressure.” Worth checking out for sure.
My Space | Kaitlyn’s Site

Some unique non-power pop finds that may turn your head:

Midnight Juggernauts “Dystopia”
These Australians, in a nod to the Ramones, renamed themselves Vincent Juggernaut and Andy Juggernaut. The two met in high school and played straightforward guitar rock together before moving on to experiment with synthesizers and dance music. By combining electronic dance pop and prog rock in equal parts you get The Midnight Juggernauts “Dystopia” – The group uses synths, drums, and bass with the occassional falsetto vocal in spots creates pop that with a dark, ominous undercurrent. “Into the Galaxy” is very successful single, and you will hear echos of ELO and The Moody Blues that fit just fine here. The smooth new wave synth beats of “Shadows” will give you Depeche Mode flashbacks of the 80’s. These influences continue through “Worlds Converge” with hints of a very Bowie-like vocal as well. Overall I highly recommend this combination of wonderously hypnotic synths, stomping rhythm, and apocalyptic choruses. So far the best dance music I’ve heard since Scissor Sisters.
 The MJ Site | My Space |

DrBoKarma “Don’t Be Rediculous- part one”
Eccentric and charming. Strange and experimental. These are words that describe the self produced album of DrBoKarma. This is a musical waltz through the genres-blending English folk/Pop Psychedelia that also touches on a bit of jazz as well. Think of it as Dan Zanes or Stew on a lot of quaaludes. In any case, DrBo takes you on a journey. Lets call it DIY quirky pop done by a well trained session man that knows how to set up a mood. Since it’s so hard to pigeonhole, let me just point out the Kinks like ballad “Yvonne” as a highlight. Not for everyone, but worth a listen. You can only buy the CD from the DrBoKarma website or Amazon.com
The DrBoKarma Website | My Space