Happy Friday! Now some sunny power pop from a rainy city. The Candy Strypers are an unsigned band from Manchester, UK – they are the creation of lead singer/guitarist Paul Hughes, and he’s got a good retro pop sound. Luckily for us he’s giving away an entire album for free on Soundcloud.
Category: emerging artists
One Like Son and Vinyl Floor
One Like Son “Start The Show”
The unique method of One Like Son, is that they recorded their 3rd album, Start The Show entirely on an iphone 3GS. Band members Stephen Poff (Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Organ) and Bill Rester (Vocals, Bass) dealt with the tedious details and restrictions of recording apps, but it sounds just like they cut it in the studio. So much for the novelty — what about the music?
One Like Son has a classic fast paced rock sound, the heavy guitar riffs of the title track and “For a Good Time Call” remind one of The Gin Blossoms, Rooney and the Strokes. “Buried” has some nice harmonies in tandem with the guitars and “L.A.” was another highlight that tells a compelling story. While the guitars carry each melody here, by the time we get to “Father” it starts to sound a bit generic, with few hooks to keep me interested. But the energy level is high and sounds great in your car with the windows down.
Facebook | Amazon
[su_spacer size=”40″]
Vinyl Floor “Peninsula”
Vinyl Floor is a 4-piece rockband which hails from Copenhagen, Denmark. The band combines both symphonic and indie influences to create epic compositions. Comparable to Coldplay, Travis, Fun., and Oasis, the sound shifts around, but generally stays dramatic and melodic. The album’s concept is split between Utopia and Dystopia, and there after the long symphonic rock overture (“”Frames & Orchids”) I was impressed.
The piano pop of “Ghosts Of England” is ambitious in its scope, and develops into a grand anthem. “What Lies Ahead” has the guitar riffs leading the way here, and its the best song on the LP. The sweet acoustic ballad “Written in the Cards” with organ chords and strings supports the layered vocals. After this the album labors a bit with “Car In The Sky” as the vocal gets a bit lost here. Progressive elements in the next few compositions take over and “Diverging Paths” sounds like Chris Martin doing Procol Harum. “In The Air” has a solid hook in the melody here, but the remaining tracks struggled to hold my attention. That said, Peninsula is pretty good album, and an interesting musical find.
Free Downloads: Phenomental Cat and Alright Alright
Once in a while I’m given a hot tip about a band I can’t keep a secret. I just need to share it with you. The band Phenomenal Cat’s new album “Postcards From the British Empire: 12 singles in 12 months” is a project where they are set to release a brand new track each and every month for the whole of 2012. And it’s all free on Bandcamp.
Alright Alright is an unsigned band from Toronto, Canada. They asked themselves “Whatever happened to those classic two-minute-fifty second rock ‘n’ roll songs we used to know and love?” Then they put one together themselves for free download. Not bad, eh?
Mid-Week Mini Reviews
Sometimes there are just too many good releases and not enough time to review them all. These releases are definitely worth checking out – so I did a few quick reviews here.
Edward Rogers “Porcelain “
Birmingham UK bred Edward Rogers made NYC his home and has put together a great rock and roll album. Part T.Rex and Iggy Pop come across on the opener “The Biba Crowd.” Then on “Nothing Too Clever” we venture into flowery baroque pop, similar to mid 60’s Bowie. Some great slide guitar on the Dylanesque “Love With The World” and back to garage-fuzz greatness on “Separate Walls.” Equally impressive are the rich and poignant ballads like “Tears Left in the Bottle” and the Ian Hunter styled “Link to the Chain” with Rogers grizzled vocal at his most expressive. Highly recommended.
My Space | Amazon
Little Barrie “King of The Waves”
Searching for that killer riff? Consider it found here. London-based trio whose garage sound is an exciting blend of hard rock, blues, and they get it right on the very first track “Surf Hell.” The pop influence of indie pop stalwart Edwyn Collins is clear on “How Come.” Fans of The Creation, MC5 and Primal Scream will feel right at home here. Tracks like “I Can’t Wait” and “Money In Paper” have a raw energy that’s hard to deny. And lead singer Barrie Cadogan’s swaggering tone makes those famous Gallager brothers sound like amateurs. A few bluesy stoner tracks are thrown in to fill things out, but overall a delicious sonic assault. Check out the great video too.
Facebook | Amazon
Maxi Dunn “The Neglected Gambit”
Maxi Dunn is a singer/songwriter from Liverpool, England who has appeared one of my favorite artists albums (Lauri Biagini) and did tributes to The Jellyfish and The Posies, and while The Neglected Gambit isn’t straight power pop, it does have it’s own upbeat confessional mix of rock and pop folk. Some of the sound has echoes of the 80’s in “Why Do I Want You?” and the catchy “Make it Better” are highlights in a very diverse and emotional album.
Facebook | Amazon
Taylor McMahon “Memory Music” EP
If you’d like charming acoustic pop, give Taylor McMahon’s debut EP a listen. McMahon is from Lake Charles, Louisiana and his music lies somewhere between Jack Johnson and Ben Kweller with an emphasis on catchy and simple melodies. “Rhyme & Rhythm” starts off with a casual strum and “The Donnie Song (It’s All Alright)” has a bit of local color. Both songs have a catchy sing along quality and I look forward to more from Taylor in the future.
Facebook | Amazon
Oberon Rose and The Backpeddlers
Oberon Rose “Wunjo”
Connecticut’s Tom Oberon leans heavily on classic sixties influences like The Kinks, Beatles, T.Rex and more on his debut, Wunjo. The sweet melody “Young Goodman Brown” flows nicely and the guitar rhythm reminds me of the Zombies a little. The brilliant jangle on “One Man Show Of Sorrow” showcases this gem which compares well to The Posies. With the title track and “Ballad Of The Taller” it goes in a more roots-driven pop direction with simple acoustic strums leading the way, both recall the simplicity of Big Star.
“Buried Alive” is another compelling song with double-tracked harmonies and minor chords. Other songs evoke the golden age of psyche pop without getting cliche, like “Of Life Divine” and the brilliant Beatlesque ender “So is The Flow.” Each track is compelling and overall this album is a real treat for lovers of classic melodic rock.
CD Baby | Amazon
[youtube]B-BfrvQeoY8[/youtube]
The Backpeddlers “Songs of Guilt & Revenge”
Originally known as Mark Norris and The Backpeddlers, this Buffalo band plays foot stompin’ rock and blues done with plenty of gusto. “Turn The Tables” is kinda like Bob Dylan jamming with The Offspring, then the bar room blues “It’s All True” plays out like classic Stones. The band goes into full Kinks meets Who mode on “We Know (Who We Are)” with drummer Jeff Pietrzak doing his best Keith Moon. It also get downright punk pop on “(DoThe) Crying Shame” with Mark almost losing his vocals. “Doctor Friend” is another Kinks-styled tune along the lines of “Dandy.” There is plenty of musical variety here and if you like gritty raw emotion with your tunes… you will feel guilty if you miss this and revenge isn’t even a factor here.
CD Baby | Amazon