Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

Singles: The Jangle Band, Hidden Pictures and Angelo Celli

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Some of my favorite free music downloads!

The Jangle Band – a new project by Joe Algeri, songwriter and producer from Perth, Western Australia. He is also a member of Jack & the Beanstalk, The Britannicas  and one listen explains the band name here. Joe teamed up with Jeff Baker and Ian Freeman at the 2015 In The Pines Music Festival to create the band. Heavily reminiscent of the member’s key B-band influences – Byrds, Beatles and Badfinger – the single is a chime and harmony festival typical of the group’s sound. A perfect start to your week its a FREE download, we can’t wait for a full album guys!

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Hidden Pictures – one of our favorite bands from Oakland, CA have quietly released several great albums for a name your price download. 2012’s Rainbow Records made our top 10 list that year. These guys are just amazing, with clean crisp melodies — so just get this!

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Angelo Celli – the lead singer from last years acclaimed band Bracket. Here it’s just a simple ukelele, I love the approach and writing here. If you liked his bands last album, then download the follow up single, “A Choke of Grief (Heart Hardened)” as it sounds like a bonus track from Hold Your Applause.

Your Gracious Host and Leaders in The Clubhouse

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Your Gracious Host “The Writers of Our Destiny”
 Your Gracious Host (aka Tom Curless) gives us a concept album about a man dealing with assorted life issues. “Trying to Remember” is both driving and meandering, but “Love Or Fear (pt.2)” is a compelling anthem for the album concept. The musical styles shifts from heavy rock to new wave pop – occasionally within the same song. It works on “Tonight All You Will See” and the second half of “Invisible Girl.” Like a staged rock musical, some transitions are jarring and others mesmerizing.

Tom does hit his stride with the brilliant piano melody “Heart On The Table” with its layered composition and spacey chorus. “If You Have Your Doubts” and “Facing Me” are great songs and the instrumental “Train Passing” is pure magic too. It may take a few listens for this one to grow on you. But trust me it will.

CD Baby | Amazon | Kool Kat Musik


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Leaders in the Clubhouse

Leaders in the Clubhouse “Won”
San Diego duo “Spud” Davenport and Charlie Recksieck (The Bigfellas) formed this band as a musical outlet to highlight their talents and tame a few pet peeves. Starting with the funny and naughty “She Gets Loud,” it’s a catchy piano melody that celebrates sexual addiction and even throws in a wicked guitar break. The style is similar to a mix of Billy Joel, ELO and 10cc, with a casual demeanor and lyrical wit similar to Joe Walsh.

They rant about modern technology (“These Goddamn Devices”) and of course have a baseball related song (“Law Of The Jungle”). My favorite here is “Hater,” with a very explicit chorus that I think everyone will agree with and can easily sing along to. Similar is the rousing anti-politically correct “Trophies” with its dramatic swells and epic finale. It’s just too well made to fall into the novelty music category and deserves to be heard. Kind of like Parry Grip (Nerf Herder) for grown-ups. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

The Corner Laughers “Matilda Effect”

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The Corner Laughers

The Corner Laughers “Matilda Effect”

San Francisco sunshine pop band The Corner Laughers are back and lead singer Karla Kane continues to mesmerize us with her bright clear vocals. After lending her voice for the Agony Aunts album, she serves up this feminist concept LP. The album’s title, Matilda Effect, is a reference to the phenomenon of female scientists being overlooked in favor of their male colleagues.

With her cat-eye glasses and ukulele, Karla plays the sugar-voiced fairy on “Fairytale Tourist” asking to be treated with respect or “let me go.” Then “The Girl, America”, written by psych-pop fav Anton Barbeau is a jangling melody about sexism in radio. The tempo remains quick for “Octavia A” with a sweet McCartney styled bass line and a big highlight here is “Queen of the Meadow” about under credited astronomer Henrietta Leavitt.

Backed up by the combo of guitarist KC Bowman, Khoi Huynh on bass and Charlie Crabtree, on drums, the production is both polished and bouncy fun. Things slow a bit with the harmonizing march “Midsommar” and light lullaby “Lammas Land,” but pick up with the doo-wop rhythm on “Go Fly Your Kite.” Its both quirky and cheery pop that deserves more fans. Highly Recommended.
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The Lunar Laugh and Double Naught Spy Car + Stew

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Apollo

The Lunar Laugh “Apollo”

I was really impressed with Jared Lekites single last month, so I guess he had more where that came from. Jared teams up with Connor Anderson forming the band Lunar Laugh and tees up a “must-have” masterwork. Although this album is short, each song is instantly catchy and timeless pop that uses inspiration from the ’60s and ’70s without sounding too retro or imitative.

“Man Against Man” is a quick paced rocker about partisanship in government. “Winsome” slows down just enough to a smoother mid-tempo chorus about looking back on childhood and “Apollo” is the LP centerpiece that recalls Lindsey Buckingham at his Fleetwood Mac peak with all the rich production and layered harmonies. Each song transitions well after the other, “On The Road” and “When I’m Alone” are both excellent pop gems. “Beds On Fire” is a slow atmospheric ballad with majestic piano that breaks things up, but then it jumps back on the bouncy pop wagon. Not a single wasted note here, and easily makes it as a candidate for my top ten of 2015 list. Amazon includes an extra track “Some of Shelly’s Blues.” Don’t miss this one!
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Stew

Double Naught Spy Car & Stew “Panorama City”

Normally I wouldn’t review this, but Stew is someone I really admire. However he’s kinda sleepwalking here. The band Double Naught Spy Car has been described as “surf/roots/jazz/rock/psych/world/whatyougot” and they team up with pop vocalist Stew of The Negro Problem and Passing Strange fame. Panorama City is best described as spontaneously composed songs with improvised melodies. At times it’s both trippy and meandering.

Stew adds his own beatnik free-improv pop lyrics on top of the mess. Often Stew’s narrative is entertaining especially on songs like “Sweet Jackie’s Revenge” or “Bumpin’ Morton Subotnick,” but nothing here is that melodic or memorable. It’s too pop to be called avant-garde jazz music and too structured to be called abstract pop. It falls somewhere in between – and I didn’t really like it. One exception here is the blues rock guitar melody “President” which alludes to Nixon as a Lothario. While this doesn’t redeem the album, it was the one keeper here. Proceed with caution.
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Amazon