Richard Turgeon and Matt Dorien

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Richard Turgeon

Richard Turgeon “Lost Angeles”

San Francisco musician Richard Turgeon has a new LP about his dreams called Lost Angeles. Turgeon states he’s ”rockin’ til the day I die,” on the opener “Big Break,” a tune full of thickly layered guitar riffs. The album has a solid California feel and the catchy “Look Away,” “Sunny Day” and the title track are good examples of that.

On his debut In Between The Spaces, the infectious as “Bigfoot’s An Alien,” was the clear standout single. Here we have two gems that stand out from the rest – “Be My Wife” cracks with Who-like energy and the Weezer-like guitar rhythm of “The Squirrel” will also stay on my playlist. Turgeon stylistically goes in some different directions, as the alt-rock jangle of “I Wanna Be A Shut-In” and the talked out lyrics of “Workin’ For The Man” are a bit like They Might Be Giants. Fans of Jeff Shelton’s Well Wishers and Bob Mould will also find a lot to like here. Highly Recommended.

Kool Kat Musik

The Spindles

Matt Dorrien “Grey”

Singer-songwriter and keyboardist Matt Dorrien starts the album with the bluesy “Baby I’m So Lost.” As Matt describes it, “…a lot of the songs on this record were written after a pretty difficult breakup.” So grab a whiskey and put on those headphones. Dorrien effortlessly channels the best of Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman on Grey.

The highlight for me is “Underwear Blues,” one of the catchiest songs I’ve heard about loneliness. Then the double-tracked balladry of “I Can’t Remember” is very much in the vein of Carole King. The Newmanesque “Pretty Little Thing” and “Dayton, Ohio – 1983” are sweet musical portraits. Its pure tin pan alley pop, and even though its a downer, its a wonderful listen. Check it out.

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Deluxe Editions and Kickstarter News update!

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One of our recommended go-to power pop artists is Chris Richards & The Subtractions. In addition to this year’s Peaks & Valleys – the band has added new and updated deluxe editions of three earlier LPs. Loaded with demos and alternate takes, check it out:




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Paul Melancon, a critical-darling indie-pop rocker from Atlanta, GA is debuting “Hyperventilate” along with a very Scooby-Doo/Archies like animated video from his forthcoming album. Melancon’s first new music in 13 years tells the story of his struggle with depression.

“Anyone can relate to this feeling of being completely trapped by ongoing discouragement. When under the thumb of depression, my discouragement verged on hopelessness that I couldn’t shake, but couldn’t give into,” Melancon said. “In Hyperventilate, I try to capture that dual sense of both feeling like I’ll have to give up and needing not to give up no matter what.”

Order the album through Kickstarter and help spread the word!

The Nude Party and The Longshot

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The Nude Party

The Nude Party “The Nude Party”

This North Carolina band actually started by playing at parties while attending Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. After gaining the attention of Oakley Munson (Black Lips,) he helped release this full-length debut.

The band is highly influenced by mid- to late ’60s classic rock, and country music. The catchy “Feels Alright” is like The Troggs jamming with The Rolling Stones, a very loose party atmosphere helps carry things. On “Chevrolet Van” lead singer Patton Magee channels Bob Dylan and Lou Reed in this solid story-song about seizing the moment. The band dynamics are tight and the jamming after the choruses are lots of fun. The band runs out of steam on the second half, but it’s a groovy trip you’ll be willing to go on. Check it out.

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The Longshot

The Longshot “Love is for Losers”

This side project for Billie Joe Armstrong allows him to fully let his power-pop freak flag fly. There are no political statements or snarling punk pronouncements,  just great rock and roll. Armstrong is joined by Jeff Matika on bass, guitarist Kevin Preston, and drummer David S. Field.

Starting with “The Last Time” it’s like “Please Mr. Postman” was redone by The Ramones, loaded with handclaps and harmonies. “Taxi Driver” is the most Green Day-like, and “Chasing A Ghost” is a full-throated rock anthem about his status as an old punk rocker. However “Body Bag” and “Cult Hero” are different enough to make you realize this not Armstrong’s previous band.  The Replacements-like chugging guitars on “Happiness” and other tunes here are all fun and upbeat with the exception of the ending ballad “Goodbye To Romance.” This labor of love was released with little fanfare but packs a power-pop punch. Highly Recommended!

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Lisa Mychols and Three Hour Tour

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Lisa Mychols

Lisa Mychols “Sugar”

The queen of Power Pop is back! Mychols blend of catchy melodies and girl group harmonies are in full swing on the appropriately titled Sugar. Her light vocal blend and psyche pop groove on the opener “One Revolution” does remind me of Karla Kane in spots. Stylistically Lisa visits different directions from the bubblegum of “Loving You Baby” to the coy balladry of  “My Friend And Me.” I did notice that “Endless Daydream” is a medley of three different songs stitched together.

Like most of Lisa’s discography, there is no filler here. The highlights include the rocking “Domino,” the sunshine pop of “Don’t Wanna Close My Eyes,” “Goodbye All Carousels” and the jangling gem “He’s Got Me Dreaming.” It’s tough to pick out favorites here, as the songwriting is strong all around. Highly Recommended and a contender for my top ten list of 2018.

Amazon | CD Baby

Three Hour Tour

Three Hour Tour “You Never Know”

It’s another tour of duty for the Champagne, IL band lead by singer/songwriter Darren Cooper. He’s joined by Adam Schmidt and Brad Elvis (The Elvis Brothers) to create a clean sound that will appeal to fans of Tommy Keene, Matthew Sweet, and The Well Wishers. He’s always created reliably catchy hooks, and starting off with the title track “You Never Know.” The mid-tempo gem describes a meeting with a classic rocker and closes with a sweet guitar solo. “Fallen Angel” is more typical, with a sing-along chorus and descending bass line. The chiming riffs of “Gray Waves” is another highlight, full of beautifully layered guitar rhythms.

Cooper gets notably Who-like on the brilliant instrumental “Pascal The Hypnotist,” and the starry-eyed hero worship of “The Ballad of Buddy Rich,” reminded me of Weezer a little, but overall there isn’t any real filler. This is a Three Hour Tour you’ll want to repeat often. Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Saturday Night EPs: Wilkerson, Brad Marino, Lia Pamina & Dario Persi

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The first single from Danny Wilkerson‘s forthcoming album Wilkerson.  The album produced by Bleu and featuring Roger Joseph Manning Jr. will be released July 20, 2018. I like this one a lot, its got the goods!  Get it on Amazon

We saw this coming from Brad Marino (The Connection) last month and now his solo EP is here! Brad plays all the instruments and sings all the vocals. Fans of The Connection will not be disappointed.”Hey Girl” has got a little Stones-like R&B guitar lead, and “Special Friend” is also charged up (and also has a Stones reference!) His first Ramones styled single “C’mon C’mon C’mon” is also available. Get it on Bandcamp or Amazon.

A perfect European combination! Spain’s Lia Pamina and Italy’s Dario Persi (Radio Days) recreate a sweet sixties sounds on So Far Tonight. They shared the songwriting, and the result of this joint effort is pure magic. “So Far Tonight” and “Time’s Passing By” are real Beatlesque gems and “Midnight Walk” is a catchy tune that takes advantage of Lia’s hushed vocals.

Get it on Bandcamp or Amazon