Category: free downloads

Gifts under the tree: The Gripweeds, Kai Danzberg, Vista Blue, The Amplifier Heads, Geoff Palmer, Dan Miraldi

powerpopaholic


December is barely here, and we’ve got some great musical gifts for you! On the first weekend of December… The Grip Weeds are back! They have remastered their classic holiday album, Under The Influence Of Christmas. It makes a perfect stocking stuffer. And we’ve got more gifts: the talented Kai Danzberg is giving us a massive freebie with four great albums at a “name-your-price” point, and Vista Blue is celebrating “Christmas Every Day” with buzzing guitars and Ramones-influenced rock and roll! Speaking of classics, The Amplifier Heads have a retro rock single with a spirited lead by Jen D’Angora. And Geoff Palmer gets into the act as well with a festive holiday EP, while Dan Miraldi is wondering why this holiday time is often sad and stressful. As usual, I’m way behind with LP reviews, so there’s plenty more to get to before our year-end top 10. It’s coming soon!






We Give Thanks For the Singles: Jesse Judies, Terry Alan Hackbarth, Juniper, The Go, Strange Neighbors, Popdudes

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9_fMDToe3E

Happy Thanksgiving! Sydney-based artist Jesse Judies delivers laid-back pop with “I’ve Been There Before.” Hypnotism and smooth guitars go together just fine. Milwaukee artist Terry Alan Hackbarth recalls “I Heard That Song Before,” and it’s a sweet hook-filled gem. As a follow-up, Juniper’s life gets mentally interrupted on “I was Thinking About You.” Next, a really sweet discovery here is The Go. It’s a power pop band from Yonkers, NY, originally released in 1980 and produced by Rob Freeman (early Ramones and Blondie producer). Thanks to a friend for turning me (and David Bash) to Strange Neighbors. They played at IPO this year in NYC, and “Skeleton Boy” is a neat little earworm. As a freebie, we have the Popdudes (John M. Borack and his usual suspects, primarily Michael Simmons) doing solid covers of their favorite songs to feast on. Enjoy it all now, because I hear sleighbells coming fast for our next singles post!




November Singles and EPs: The Dollyrots, Timmy Sean, CLONE, Wild Arrows, KC Bowman, Wyatt Funderburk

powerpopaholic


A very big month ahead, we start with The Dollyrots, likely the coolest rock and roll parents, bassist/vocalist/mom Kelly Ogden, and her husband, guitarist/dad Luis Cabezas. They released the Night Owls LP last month, and this cool song, “Hot Mom with the Skinny Pants On,” is likely this decade’s “Stacy’s Mom.” After that, with all the hoopla over the “new” Beatles single, I found someone who covers it better than The Threetles, and that would be Timmy Sean! Next CLONE has it all: Glam guitars and a kick-ass female band. Check out “Queen” on the new EP, Knock Out Drops Vol. II. Next, NYC’s own Wild Arrows has a neat 80s vibe and a strong, catchy group of songs that deserve your attention. Then we get a very cool freebie from KC Bowman (Corner Laughers) and it’s a full album of 16 gems—so much good music I can’t just pick one song to highlight. Finally, in advance of his new LP, producer and songwriter Wyatt Funderburk returns with two singles. “November” is very subtle and light, but the follow-up “You’ll Know” is another gorgeous ballad that Wyatt does so well. More releases, and I’m behind again!




Spooky Singles and a bagful of treats: Descartes a Kant, Willie Dowling, Wesley Fuller, Cold Expectation, Linda Lindas, and many more!

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(Spoken in your best Crypt Keeper voice) It is that time of year again when little boys and ghouls are knocking on doors for a trick or treat. Good thing all we have is treats! Let’s start with Mexico’s Descartes a Kant which is like an old video game mixed with your favorite indie post-punk band. A creative disturbing retro-futuristic concept album that really sticks with you! Willie Dowling (Dowling Poole) reheats an oldie in the production oven and it will make you “Happy?” cause it’s a freebie! In another vintage-inspired gem, we get “Alamein Line” from Wesley Fuller, dig that retro-drum-beat, new album coming soon. A little more in the spirit of things is Cold Expectation‘s “(I Live With) Ghosts” with some nice guitar work in that break between the chorus. Girl punk pop band Linda Lindas takes an old chestnut “Little Bit ‘O Soul” and makes it their own. Finally, we get to the big bag of candy, The Big Stir Records Halloween Collection! For a mere $5 you get a 20-track assortment of treats from Plasticsoul, The Armoires, Steve Stoeckel, and more. Hope these satisfy your sweet tooth (and ear)! Hee hee hee (thundercrack sound effect!)




October Singles: Portable Radio, Golden Richards, The Lunar Laugh, The House of Jed, Deer Friends, Super Cassette

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October starts the busiest month, as music floods my inbox and doesn’t let up until Christmas. That’s okay. We start with the bouncy Sunshine pop “I Feel Like A Dog” by Portable Radio taken from the forthcoming LP Counting To Three. Gotta love those harmonies and cascading chords. A missed summer hit, Golden Richards rocks that ice cream truck with “Hey Mr. Softee,” and its power pop perfection. The Lunar Laugh has a new single “Born Weird,” with its cool song structure and a neat psyche-pop break. The House of Jed offers up an EP that deserves some attention, rock funk “Coming Off Pretty” and the danceable “Everybody Lies” are excellent.  Our freebie “Magic Fruit” from Deer Friends has a bit of glam guitar and honey-sweet hooks, it’s a keeper! Finally a sneak peek at Super Cassette‘s new album with the single “Continue?” which feels akin to Dowling Poole! Rich melodies that deserve to be heard!