Category: emerging artists

What the hell is Dave Cope doing?

powerpopaholic

For the past 2 years or so Philly singer songwriter Dave Cope has been pumping out a mass of music. He’s explored every possible genre; from pop, rock, new wave, metal, reggae, folk, etc. Dave Cope and The Sass made my top ten list in 2023 with ‘Hidden From The World.’ He’s since experimented with a pile of singles, EPs, and full extended albums. There is so much to explore here, as he’s a musical chameleon. I will share with you just a few of my favorite tunes.

I was lucky enough to catch up with Dave to talk about his new material and upcoming album. Stay tuned, the interview will be posted soon!

Photo credit: Lisa Schaffer Photography

January EPs and more: Hexham Heads, Ramírez Exposure, Tom Henry, C Duncan

powerpopaholic

These guys are great. Melbourne musicians Van Walker (Swedish Magazines/Livingstone Daisies) and Mic Hubbard (Spencer P. Jones/Ella Hooper/Downhills Home) created Hexham Heads out of a love of loud guitars and hooky pop melodies. EP expected out soon.

Spain’s Víctor Ramírez did a series of sunny albums with Marc Jonson last year, now he continues the journey with an easy going EP inspired by a poetry collection by Ray Bradbury, as he reflects on the theme of nature and individualism. Check out “I Don’t Get It” and “Beneath the Sun.”
Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Tom Henry is a new musician from Los Angeles, born in Chicago. His early works aren’t as distinctive, but this debut single “Bella” of his upcoming album has a great retro-feel, and he’s listed Big Star, and The Raspberries as influences. Play attention to this future power pop star.

Sometimes I toss aside my power pop, and my sappy romantic side comes out. This song caught my ear, as the talented C Duncan  sings the old fashioned pop of “It’s Only A Love Song.” The album of the same name, has some brilliant pop ballads in it. Get it on Amazon

Freebie Friday! Music that deserves to be downloaded!

powerpopaholic

These four albums are listed as “name-your-price” downloads. I would encourage you to contribute to these artists, after all, they are spreading a wealth of music.

[su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#c5112c” size=”2″]

Yours & Mine “The Shadow You Cast”

Solid New York alt. rock trio with a melodic gift, and “I’m Not Ready to Go” reminds me of a Posies-Gin Blossoms hybrid. “Pushing up Daises” and “Shadow” are more driving power pop. Overall a great little album, and this band is bound for future stardom if anyone with a brain ran a major record label. Get them now, before that happens.

Sparky Bosque “Corkscrew Soul”

The last album Patrick from Sweet Sweet Music blog featured, Sparky Bosque was described by him as a cross between The Eels and Parthenon Huxley. The clean strums of “Do No Wrong” and sweeping “Poor Annie” do have an emotional component similar to P. Hux, and while not everything here works, the sullen atmosphere on some songs are irresistible, like “About You.” Check it out.

Rick Murnane “Summer Fun”

Northampton, Mass musician Murane tells us straight up “why would everybody want to be like everybody” on “Monkey in the Zoo.” He collected a group of songs, and boasts a country ballad on “Rodeo Billy” and suburban angst on “Bring You Down.” In a rough and tumble way, his voice reminded me of Peter Holsapple (dB’s) on “These Days.” Very cool.

Macseal “Permanent Repeat”

Long Island emo-band does good here, “Golden Harbor” will scratch that indie-emo itch, without too much grinding feedback. And the band can get downright anthemic on the great “Four Legs” and “Permanent Repeat.” Also check out “Beach Vacation” and “Hide Out.” Fans of Goo Goo Dolls will enjoy this too. Music that deserves to be heard!

Mikayla Geier and an interesting statistic

powerpopaholic

Now something completely different: Vancouver-born and Los Angeles-based Mikayla Geier is a singer, songwriter, and former ballet student of the controversial Kirov Academy of Ballet. With the support of friends and family, Mikayla left the academy behind and began writing music and posting on social media to journal her past experiences. “Dance of the Trees” is her debut EP. Mikayla also has another song commenting on the dangers of eating disorders called “i don’t feel safe in my body.” She will be donating/fundraising for Project HEAL which provides resources to those who are struggling.

Hey Indie Musicians! Some interesting facts!

  • A staggering 87% of the top 100 artists on Spotify in the US are self-taught, challenging traditional paradigms of music education.
  • Only 4% of them have a music degree. An additional 4% started a degree but didn’t finish it, meaning that the remaining 92% don’t have a music degree and didn’t even start one.

This trend points to the growing accessibility of music creation and the democratization of the music industry, empowering artists without formal training to achieve success. We’ve got a full report available here:

Self-taught musicians dominate US’s Spotify charts — here are a few remarkable examples

The Summertimes and Meyerman

powerpopaholic
The Summertimes

The Summertimes “The Summertimes”

So a new Aussie power pop band has arrived this summer, appropriately called The Summertimes. Guitarist Ashley Naylor (Paul Kelly and The Church), drummer Stephen O’Brien (Tumbleweed), and bassist Steve Bull (Icehouse) joined songwriters David Beniuk and David Challenger in the studio. Right from the start they hit the ground running with “Inside,” and influences like Teenage Fanclub, The Go-Betweens, and You Am I are evident. The production is flawless here thanks to ARIA award-winning producer Paul McKercher (The Hoodoo Gurus, Midnight Oil).

The tight guitar playing on “Password” and the melodic chorus of “My Beautiful Girl Harbour,” makes them instant classics. The chugging lead guitar on “White Pointer,” and the jangling gem “Love (It’s A Word)” are very much in the mold of Ice Cream Hands. The tone shifts mellower on the back end of these 10 tracks, but it doesn’t break the flow of the album. “Athens, GA” is a solid romantic tune flowing with a rich melody. Even the ending track “The Perfect Wave,” is an Aussie beach anthem that recalls the Yardbirds, and references Midnight Oil. Unabashedly Australian in scope and style and Highly Recommended. Makes my top ten nominee list for 2023.

Bandcamp

Meyerman

Meyerman “Happy To See You”

Twelve years after their exciting debut, Meyerman finally returns with a sophomore album. Theo Meyer’s vocal sounds a bit rougher on the title track “Happy To See You,” but he’s lost none of his melodic skill as its hits a vibe similar to The Posies. New bandmates Jeff Preischel (bass), Rob Sadowski (guitars), and Danny Diaz (drums) are supported by fine production from Kurt Reil (The Gripweeds). The guitars are soaring on the brilliant “Katie Wong,” an early highlight here.  Then it slows considerably on “Witchita” and the next few songs are done in a ’90s hard rock style. While this sounds fine, it’s the lack of hooks that are concerning here.

I need not worry too long, as “WWDAT” is a pretty cool tune, with an unexpected style shift towards the end. At this point “Meyerman” is the perfect theme song (why didn’t they lead with this?) that rocks (turn it up!) and Theo is on a roll at this point. “Princeton Bells” has a cool swirling harmony during the chorus, and “Nova” is another great rocker that’s just infectious, akin to Enuff Z’nuff. Each song from this point hits the mark, “T-Shirt,” “Hello, Hello,” and “Handclaps and Tambourines” all focus on band life. This is the rare instance where the album’s backend is much stronger, and it brings things over the finish line. Highly Recommended.

Amazon