Category: Power Pop Review

The Tonighters FREE downloads

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The Tonighters are a studio project developed by Billy Gilbert (Chelsea, Penetration, The Lurkers, Hang Ups, The Surrenders) with a long background in punk and pop rock genres. The band got a chance to impress the crowd at IPO Liverpool this past year and Billy decided to make a series of EPs available FREE for music fans. So you’ve got three to enjoy right now…. Closet Classics – Volume 1, Closet Classics – Volume 2 and Trivia Melodies. Each EP displays classic pop mastery, Volume 1 has a distinct new wave influence, with its angular guitar progressions on “Sad Forever.” Volume 2 and Trivia Melodies both feature excellent jangle pop with “Man In The Room That Time Forgot” and “Finish What You Started.” Overall an excellent value (you can’t get better than free) and it primes the pump for a future Tonighters full length release.

Free downloads on Bandcamp | Facebook

Dan Hubbard and Sally Crewe

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Dan Hubbard and The Humadors “The Love Show”
Dan Hubbard’s approach is unadulterated roots rock without all the showy excess of today’s major label acts. Hubbard and his band the Humadors are a blend of pop rock with some Americana thrown in, as evidenced in the opener “Don’t Take Me Now.” Lead vocalist Hubbard works a good harmony with Kyle Yap on “Stay Away” with a touch of blues guitar here. Fans of the recent Gerry Beckley or Jeff Larson album with be thrilled with the light piano and guitar on “This Is Your Life” with its heart-felt lyrical truths about life’s unexpected moments (It’s my favorite tune here). Things are pretty easy going until “Beautiful Bar” brings back more rock guitars, but out of left field comes the slow ballad “Half Vampires,” a pretty if disturbing story of loving a vampire, from the Van Helsing point of view. It ends on a high note, with “The Last Time You See Me,” a fast paced swan song to those long haired rock and roll dreams. The band is chugging on all cylinders here, and I wish this energy was shown earlier on. Maybe we’ll get more consistency on the next album, but that’s me nitpicking — this is a solid album worth your time.

CD Baby | Amazon

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Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves “Transmit/Receive”EP
Even power pop legend Tommy Keene compared Sally Crewe to female rockers Chrissie Hynde and Polly Harvey. The comparison is quite accurate, as her vocals are powerful and very melodic, and the opener “Make Me Stay” is a riff heavy classic. Crewe is based in Austin, but she grew up in Yorkshire and her influences cling to the classic guitar bands of the 80’s. A real standout here is “Punk Rock Kid” with it’s layered chords and punchy beat. You will also hear a little Pat Benatar or The Motels in compositions like “Living Like You’ve Got Forever.” No filler tunes in this short 5 song EP, and it shows Sally can rock with the big boys with the big riffs. I look forward to visiting her debut album Your Nearest Exit May Be Behind You for further enjoyment.

Bandcamp | SallyCrewe.com

Bye Bye Blackbirds and The Toms

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Bye Bye Blackbirds “Fixed Hearts”
Rainbow Quartz recent pick up is this Oakland band we reviewed way back, and they sound better than ever. “Elizabeth Park” sounds like Tom Petty playing with The Spongetones, it’s a snappy jangle filled melody that impresses.  The followup. “Open A Light” continues the warm feeling, with some sweet guitar chord shifts on this mid-tempo gem. The country beat makes “Jack Frost” a bit like Gary Louris (Jayhawks) with a Beatlesque twist – its my favorite track here. Another good song is “Every Night At Noon” with a Nilsson-like break between the chorus. Almost every song is decent here, but some just are flat out great like “Through The Clouds” with its harmonies and California rhythms. Overall a highly enjoyable album, listen to it streaming over at the band’s website.

 Amazon | Bye Bye Blackbirds Site

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The Toms “s/t”
This release was previously a true rarity and lost classic that commanded sky high prices on ebay. The album was lost in 1979, and faded away to the cut-out bins in New Jersey record stores. Rediscovered by the power pop crowd later on it got instant fame and acclaim as a cult musical nugget. In an effort to get his old music out, Tom Marolda (aka The Toms) released this album as a download on CD Baby, but if you prefer a hard copy Amazon has a few. For those who don’t know, Marolda made this album in DIY fashion (recording in the basement) using old reel-to-reel equipment. The songs are fun, infectious and some sound like old lost Beatle tunes (“The Door“) for the 70’s New Wave crowd. Not Lame carried this CD for a few years and it would sell out pretty fast, so if you never got it – here it is.

CD Baby | Amazon

Brian Hoffer and Simon Felton

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Brian Hoffer “Into The Boulevard”
Brian is a singer/songwriter from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who takes the DIY route to power pop similar to The Breetles or Jonny Polonsky. The early standout here is “Psychoanalysis” a catchy melodic gem that recalls They Might Be Giants or Lamar Holley. Hoffer’s vocal isn’t quite ready for the ambitious high notes on “Gently Down” but the opening piano tinkle of “Superman Somehow”is a clearly a winner with excellent lyrics and solid composition. “Cats & Birds” is a good meandering melodic loop with an impressive cello and piano duet. The narrative of rejection on “Ancient Explorers” is both endearing and easy to identify with. A few misses, but overall this is a really enjoyable debut from a talented newcomer. I hope to hear more from Brian in the near future.

Amazon | Itunes

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Simon Felton “Surrender Dorothy!”
Pink Hedgehog head honcho, Simon Felton (Garfield’s Birthday) follows up his solo debut with the help of label mates Alan Strawbridge (Schnauser) and cult hero Anton Barbeau. Strawbridge’s psychedelic influence really paints the pop of “Marbles” and other tracks with his distinct reverse guitar and organ touches. Felton’s quintessential casual British vocal keeps things moving along on the groovy “Surprise,”it sounds very much like the pysch-pop of The Pillbugs. A sad croon is present on the mellow “Finally” and fans of sixties “toytown” era pop (The Idle Race, The Mindbenders) will love the ironically titled “Novelty.” The ballads here have never been better, and the brilliant “Slowing Down” is one of the best written songs here. The album devolves into Pink Floyd/Moody Blues styled naval gazing on the last several tracks, but fans of psychedelia will be in nirvana.

Amazon | KoolKat Musik
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Rollo Time and River Rouge

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Rollo Time “Victims of The Crown”
When we hear the opening chords of “You Can Talk.” it’s clear that Rollo Time has changed from its debut. It’s a good single, with the right amount of rock bluster in the chorus. But there is less stylistic experimenting and more of a commercial rock sound here. The exception is “Eyman Prison,” a delightful standout with a 10cc like lyrical quality.

The hard guitar riffs make the pop compositions stand out in some cases, like in “Where Is Mine” with its odd backing sound effects. Another gem is the hook laden riffs and harmonies on “I Can’t Believe This Day.” Like a mix of Joey Sykes and Marillion with its shambling rock melodies, the eccentricities of the songs will keep you paying attention, but it loses steam by the albums end. However there is enough good music to make it worth repeat listens, so give it a try.

CD Baby | Amazonicon

River Rouge “Not All There Anymore”
River Rouge, Michigan is a downriver heavily industrialized suburb of Detroit. The band River Rouge is Detroit-born Andre Comeau (lyrics, vocal, guitar), Randy Morris (bass) along with a solid group of backing musicians. The opening number “Black Licorice” is an electric rock single that impresses with Comeau’s gin soaked growl.

The band doesn’t reach that apex again, but the quick folk rock melodies of  “Usurper Hero” and countrified “Arc Welded Love” are both decent songs. “Good at Goodbye” is a straight ahead rocker, and other than the booze soaked “No Good For Nothing” the remaining tracks aren’t that compelling, but the last track titled simply, “Yes” is a wonderful tune along the lines of Steve Winwood’s Traffic.  The two “bookended” tracks are really impressive and hopefully the next album will build on this potential.

Amazon | Itunes