EPs and Singles: Radio Days, Everet Almond, Jeff Litman, Death of Pop

powerpopaholic

Italian power pop band Radio Days has a new 4 song EP as the band stretches its wings into a punkier sound on “Time Is Over,” and the ballad “Sometimes” recalls early John Lennon solo. A jangling romantic version of The Ramones “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” is cool and we end off with the surf guitars of  “El Delfin Y El Varano.” Get it on Amazon.

Everet Almond is back with his third EP, the opening glam guitar and simple lyrics sound like a mix of Marc Bolan and McCartney. The jangling melody of  “Be Where You Are” and “Right Kind of Lover” are terrific songs. I think Everet is ready to release a full-length LP at this point.

Jeff Litman has a FREE download for you with his “Next Affair,” as he mixes the styles of Prince and Elvis Costello, and it is a unique sounding single. Check it out.

The Death of Pop has a new EP out called “Heads West.” The song “700 Spas” has a good contrasting combo of furious percussion, synth, and airy light vocals. It’s short and sweet. Fans of Sparks will love this one.

Get it on Amazon

Tommy Sistak and Nick Eng

powerpopaholic
Tommy Sistak

Tommy Sistak “Ready Set a Go Go”

Tommy Sistak’s (third) album continues his run of Merseybeat music in the tradition of his “Short Songs” and “A Good Hat Indeed.” So, if you are looking to get your early Beatles or Searchers music fix you’ve come to the right place.

The Rickenbacker jangle and three-part vocal harmonies are still in place for the bouncy opener “You Can’t Change Me” and the mid-tempo “Life Is Waiting For You” is arranged more like The Beau Brummels. Tommy knows the subtleties of the genre with his ukulele solo “Would You Want To” and isn’t afraid to add more guitar muscle to “I’ll Be There” and “She Just Won’t Go Away.” The multi-tracked vocals don’t always match the strength of the arrangements (“On My Own”) but otherwise, this is a guilt-free set of pop gems to enjoy.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Nick Eng

Nick Eng “Nick Eng”

Reno native singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Nick Eng has a great sense of melody and produces music with a timeless retro pop style, rooted in the mid-sixties. “Reminiscing” is a catchy gem with clever chord changes and his easygoing tenor reminds me of David Cassidy or Tommy Roe. The upbeat lyrics and tightly crafted arrangements of “Someday Someone” and “The One For You Is Me” share elements of both The Beatles and The Monkees.

Much of the music is the classic boy-loves-girl theme, as “How Do You Tell” and “A Fool” demonstrate. The storylines on “Mr. Greene,” shift to aging and “Left To Know” is a self-reflecting ballad on a breakup. Honestly, not a bad song on the album even though not every hook finds its mark. I hope to hear more from this talented artist in the future, so check it out!

Amazon

Linus of Hollywood and Watts

powerpopaholic
Linus Of Hollywood

Linus Of Hollywood “Cabin Life”

Like a fine wine, Linus Dotson seems to just get better with age. The California singing/songwriter/producer is back with more irresistible songs guaranteed to live on your playlist for the rest of the year. The title track starts out with a light melody that grows with a sing-along chorus, a whistle about “goin’ to the woods” and off the grid. Next “At All” is a Squeeze-like melodic rant against an ex who cheated and lied, and then got back in touch online.

“Wasted and in Love” is another gem with “yeah, yeah, yeah” in the chorus and a bassline that leads everything else along. The simple acoustic guitar continues the narrative after “the liquor is done,” on mid-tempo “I Can’t Sleep.” The slow bossa nova beat of “Summer On Your Shoulders” stands with one of Linus’ best sun-soaked melodies. Each song is carefully constructed to lift the spirit, even the slow ballad “Snow Day” rises with its choral backing and majestic chords. It’s also notable that there isn’t an obvious single either. Without a false note or any filler, what else can I say about this album? It plays so well, the minutes fly by and then you need to put it on repeat. It clearly ends up on my top ten for 2018 list, and super duper highly recommended.

Amazon

Watts

Watts “We’re All Done With Rock and Roll” EP

Yeah, right. Like when Pete Townshend declared “Rock is dead,” we didn’t believe him then either. Watts continues to churn out riff-tastic rock and roll, and this opener is a FREE download from the band. Next, “Hi Definition” features the chorus “You wanna get me high” that climbs after each repeat.

But the best song here is the catchy “Sunlight Alleys” with a Raspberries like guitar melody, John Blout’s raspy vocals, and some hand claps. The closer “Tear It Up” lives up to its name, with an AC/DC like rhythm guitar attack. It’s always great to hear Watts, and this is another “must get” addition to our collection. Oh, you bet it’s recommended.

Amazon

Late Cambrian and Andy & Jason Reed

powerpopaholic
The Creachies

Late Cambrian “Sweet Cambrian High”

Brooklyn band Late Cambrian continues to weave magical electro-pop with its dance-friendly melodies. In fact, it stands out with superb arrangements and clean production.

The jangling “Girl Bag Holder” has a moody synth melody with a killer chorus that begs to “Party All Night!” Lead singer/songwriter John Wlaysewski does great things with beats and rhythm on “Yearbook Photo” and “Thanks For Your Time” while delivering a solid musical narrative and melodies that other bands (like Weezer) would envy.

The rising angst on “Dark Heart” is another big highlight. Olive’s vocals take over on the catchy “Common Enemy” and unlike most electro-pop, this is very accessible. A fine stream of reality comes through on “Missed Connections” as John describes his old neighborhood. Then check out the lovely layered harmonies on “Hollywood.” Once again, no real filler here as this album is a real grower that deserves multiple listens. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

Andy Reed

Andy Reed & Jason Reed “Make Your Move” EP

The talented Andy Reed teams up with his brother Jason to deliver this debut EP. “The Longest Pause” is a lonely mid tempo ballad that features some good harmonies and an emotional ending. The music isn’t quite the same style as Andy’s earlier solo work, but it’s still a compelling listen.

“Left to Right” is has angular melody with some nice guitar accents after each verse. “The Welcoming Song” and “Find My Way Back Home” both start out in a foggy haze, but the songs form fully after minute in, with some dramatic musical effects. The 80’s styled rocker “Make Your Move” closes things with Jason leading the vocal for this one. Overall a good start for the Reed brothers. Check it out.

Amazon

Singles: The Sunchymes, Ken Sharp, Ed Ryan and Red Caravan

powerpopaholic

The Sunchymes summery fusion of power pop and psychedelia is back with “Try,” a subtle melody with lots of jangle and sweet harmonies. Get this one as a FREE download.

In honor of the reunion of Todd Rundgren’s Utopia, Ken Sharp got together with Fernando Perdomo and Rob Bonfiglio to make this original single – get it on Amazon or Itunes

Ed Ryan has a new single too and this one has a Spanish styled melody featuring a multi-layered guitar strum. It’s always good to hear from Ryan, and this single is a FREE download.

I don’t know much about Austrailian artist Red Caravan, but much of his output on bandcamp is FREE. It’s lo-fi indie pop done with an acoustic guitar. Worth exploring.