The Well Wishers and Jackie Daytona

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The Well Wishers

The Well Wishers “A View From Above”

Jeff Shelton is back with his 9th album, and while I’ve grown accustomed to solid Well Wishers albums, this time I hear a little more variety in the approach. “Gravity Waits” has all the catchy guitar crunch and infectious chorus that set it as one of Jeff’s best openers. The softer jangle of “In Another Life” has the sound of earlier Well Wishers tunes before the louder riffs return on “I Like You Better,” and the very REM-like “April Is Only A Lie.”

Jeff also included some of the better tracks from last year’s Trip Wire’s LP (“There Goes My Gun” and “I’m Not the Enemy.”) The layered buzz of the guitars on “Come Out And Play” and “Is It Me, Is It You” are also keepers that fans of Bob Mould will appreciate. Overall, another great album without filler that is without a doubt Highly Recommended.

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Jackie Daytona

Jackie Daytona “She’s So Hot” EP

Texas-based Jackie Daytona knows how to party, and he fires on all cylinders with the opener “Hot & Sweaty,” a guitar pop gem that was designed to juice up a crowd, Daytona channels Rick Miller in his vocals. “She’s So Hot” is a great follow up, with its slick bass line and rumbling riffs that The Eels don’t really do anymore. “California” is a mid-tempo gem that sounds like a lost Jackson Browne classic.

With these standouts, it’s easy to recommend and it even has a cool cover of The Beach Boys “You’re So Good To Me.” Hopefully, more people get hip to Daytona’s brand of crunchy power pop you can dance to. I would love to hear more on a full-length album. Highly Recommended.

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Sloan and Jeff Litman

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Sloan

Sloan “12”

“There’s only so much time we can kill here” states Chris Murphy on the opening track “Spin Our Wheels,” from the band’s 12th album. Sloan is without question the most consistent and longest lasting power pop band with its original line-up (27 years!) It’s easy to take for granted just how good Sloan is, as the melodies, harmonies and hooks always deliver. Like 2014’s Commonwealth, each member contributes a few songs to what is a “normal” sized Sloan album.

Murphy’s “All of The Voices” has a simple melody line and sounds a little like a power pop version of Nirvana. “Right to Roam” is a jangle-pop gem, that’s more traditionally Sloan-like. Guitarist Patrick Pentland’s “The Day Will Be Mine” boasts those thick riffs and rising chords, as the chugging “Essential Services” breaks things up with a 10cc styled piano and harmonies about the relationship between themselves and the fans. More greatness is found on the rocking “Don’t Stop (If It Feels Good Do It)” and it keeps getting better with “Have Faith.” No real dull songs and the album has a positive vibe mostly, and an epic slow moving finish; “44 Teenagers.” Like most Sloan albums I’ve reviewed, this hits my top ten list for 2018. Highly Recommended (well, DUH).

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Jeff Litman

Jeff Litman “Crowded Hour” EP

NYC indie musician Jeff Litman is back and he’s going in a different direction. The opener “One Foot Forward” is an aching ballad with simple electro-beat that grows with the addition of Andi Rae Healy’s vocals to become a strong affirmation. “Only You” is closer to the Jeff we are familiar with but after that, it’s all atmospheric soul searching. It works best on the title track, where a strong melody, lyrics and echoing production deliver greatness. Fans of early-’80s Peter Gabriel and Joe Jackson will enjoy this one.

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The Gold Needles and Brad Peterson

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Gold Needles

The Gold Needles “Pearls”

The Gold Needles are a Hull UK band made up of Simon Dowson (vocals and guitar), Dave Burbage (lead guitar), Mark English (keyboards, percussion, and backing vocals), Carl Slaughter (bass and backing vocals) and Justin Davidson (drums). The chugging rhythm and mellow vocals of the title track showcase the band’s eclectic approach.

The jangling melody of “Not Tonight Josephine” lend comparisons with The Church and the psyche-pop singalong “Daydreamer’s Song” is like a lost Moody Blues tune.  The band doesn’t stick to a particular style for long, as it drifts from atmospheric folk (“Dreamscape Time,”) to rock (“Story of My Life”) and bouncy pop (“Too Much Time”) easily. With a bounty of 18 tracks, it’s easy to find several songs that will linger on your playlist. Check it out.

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Brad Peterson

Brad Peterson “The Ellipsis Album”

Chicago native Brad Peterson’s has shared the stage with Jeff Buckley and Radiohead, but stopped making music after a spinal injury left him partially paralyzed and unable to record or perform for several years. But he has returned after a long and painful rehabilitation to release this new LP. Brad has produced this entirely by himself from the songwriting and playing to the engineering and mastering.

The sophisticated opener “What The Open Heart Allows” is a soulful gem, with banjo lead. The percussive effects and tribal rhythms through the album give it a special resonance, and this works best on the album’s central theme “Unbroken.” It’s not all heavy either, as the catchy “Clap Your Hands” is purely celebratory. Peterson’s vocal is strong on “Far Off Places” with double-tracked harmonies making it another excellent single. The album gets more experimental after this, but it stays creative and the music remains compelling. Check out “All Roads Lead To Home,” “Underwear” and “Keep Calm (The Lion Sleeps Tonight).” Highly Recommended.

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Brad Peterson video premiere and some singles

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Brad Peterson is an indie-pop singer-songwriter from a wooded area near Lake Michigan north of Chicago. There, he built a little back-yard garden shed – where he writes and records his songs. He has shared stages with Jeff Buckley and Radiohead but stopped making music after a spinal injury left him unable to record or perform for several years. Now he’s come back with “The Ellipsis Album.” And it’s not a melancholy project, just check out the video – full review Monday!

Corin Ashley found some unreleased music from his first band Atlas Shrugged, and decided to share it with us! Very cool pop from 1993 that’s available for the first time!

UK mellow popsters Wilson have gone through some line-up changes. “Right Here” is the first Wilson recording made by the newly reconstituted band which now includes Marco Rossi. Enjoy!

Another unrelated Wilson, is Mikah Wilson. And he’s influenced by 60’s/70’s sunshine pop, with his high easy going vocal on “Sunshine Groove” fans of Free Design or The Mamas and The Papas will dig this single.

Freebie Friday: Mitchell Adam Johnson, Diamond Hands, Vista Blue and The Tomboys

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Mitchell Adam Johnson is a Minneapolis artist with impeccable taste in chamber pop, using classical composition and an ethereal vocal on the opener “Through A Mood Indigo.” Akin to Elliot Smith or Bell & Sebastian in approach, the melodic “Keeping Secrets” is a soothing gem that sticks with you through its carnival atmosphere.You are bound to find a favorite ballad here. The instrumentation is also top notch, check out “At Another Stop,” “Losing Sleep” and the rich piano melody on “Tourniquet Love” reminded me of Pet Sounds a little. Highly Recommended and a FREE download.

Diamond Hands made my top album list last year and was definitely one of the best free albums then, so here we go again! Written, performed and recorded by Jon Flynn and Joel Wall, it is a pure pleasure to hear the opener “PCH (Pacific Coast Highway)” with its rich, layered chorus. Hints of The Beatles, psyche-pop and other power pop influences are all over the LP. Great examples are “Now or Never,” “San Francisco,” and “Nowhere” all have lush harmonies and layered rhythms with tinkling piano flourish. And the 60’s styled garage guitar comes out on “Caught Up In A Memory,” it could’ve been a lost hit for The Animals or The Stones. The power pop blast of “Underground” and “Not Sorry” cranks up the energy too. Highly Recommended and a FREE download.

Vista Blue remains a very reliable contributor to our Freebie posts. The band plays sports themed punk-pop in the tradition of The Ramones. They also have a recent single I liked “Why Doesn’t Jimmy Wanna Play?” The new LP “End of The Season” features nine tracks, each representing an inning of a baseball game. You can read the whole story on the band’s Bandcamp page, where you’ll also find a full scorecard from the game as a free download with the music.

For fans of 80’s styled power pop, The Tomboys are back with Vol.3,  download the album free on their website. Check out “Two in Love” and “Tonight.”