New Music that needs your support!

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Last month I took down the old “Help an Artist” page on the site and decided to add these pledge opportunities as regular posts, where they would get more exposure anyway. Well now we have 3 new projects that deserve your attention.

cliff hillis

Cliff Hillis has a new campaign for his upcoming E.P. “Song Machine” under way. Lots of goodies for contributors including Blue vinyl, CD, download & much more! Check it out at http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/cliffhillis

late_cambrian

Late Cambrian is presently in the mixing stages for their forthcoming album. It’s called “Golden Time” and is being partially funded by their Pre-Order Campaign. You could even get “The Scream of Destiny” for a price! Visit http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/latecambrian

The YouTube ID of oGfA0tQLX4Y?list=UU29XN6xhKMmgktFzRgFR8Ag is invalid. The first solo album from Maple Mars and Ruby Free frontman Rick Hromadka needs funding for mastering and duplication! Okay so he titles this pledge “Another Idiot Frontman Goes Solo,” but Rick is no idiot and I can’t wait to hear his latest. Visit http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/another-idiot-frontman-goes-solo

Chris Richards and The Subtractions and Deena

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Chris Richards and The Subtractions “Decayed: 10 Years of Harmony and Song”
This gathers a decades worth of Chris Richard and its distilled into one catchy adrenaline fueled LP. Each song is a winner (that’s why they are called “Greatest Hits”) and it includes the original “Call Me Out” which is also on The Power Popaholic Original Soundtrack Vol. 3.

Plenty of guest stars are on these tracks: Nick Piunti, Keith Klingensmith, and Andy Reed contribute to the best primer I can think of for the Chris Richards neophyte. Of course, its all Highly Recommended! And you can see the band LIVE at Power Popaholic Fest on August 30.

Bandcamp


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Deena “Rock River”
New Jersey songstress Deena (Shoshkes) showcases her light blend of alt country and indie pop.  Somewhat a cross between Lisa Loeb and Blossom Dearie, her distinct vocal is supported by fantastic backing instrumentation . “My Own Advice” has a sturdy pop hook and simple chorus, reminding me of a Monkees single. “All She Wrote” is a fun sing along and the bouncy “My Friend Superman” is sunny pop with a touch of jazz about teasing the Man of Steel.

And while not everything is as catchy, there are plenty of highlights here. The country mid-tempo heartbreaker “Always Tomorrow” is a memorable twanger, with help from pedal steel player Jonathan Gregg.  No real filler, and the stylistic variety prevents boredom. Definitely sweet enough to stay on my playlist.

CD Baby

Tommy Wallach and The Sapwoods

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Tommy Wallach “I Meant It to Be Sweet”

Today I take a detour from power pop into the single talent that is Brooklyn-based writer and musician Tommy Wallach. A pop troubadour with a gift for melody and nuanced style, not unlike a cross between Sondre Lerche and Rufus Wainwright. “Cold As Christ” is a bouncy tune that questions his courage, and his voice is just amazing here. “Misanthrope” and “Occam’s Razor” both pour out emotions, “Life is not as simple as a song” he sings to an audience looking for solutions.

Its not all gloomy though. Tommy gets pretty jazzy on “To Keep You Dancing” and “The Charade Of The Encore” adds a fiddle to the country-like ditty. The dramatic ballads dominate this album, but if you are looking for a lighter subject he has a FREE Decca EP that offers some great songs including a cover of Paul Simon’s “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” and the piano bar classic “Drunk.” Talent like this deserves to be heard.


Amazon

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The Sapwoods “Timekeeper”
The Sapwoods are an Iowa City band created by singer-songwriter Justin Swafford and guitarist David Suchan, with Miranda Peyton on keys, Brian Speer on bass and Derrick Cook on drums. Peaks and Valleys is an album with a diverse group of songs opening with the single “Relax, Be Real, Be Yourself,” a rocker that’s part Counting Crows, part Wilco. It then goes to a weak reggae beat for “Are You Lightning?” before adding guitar again on “Let Go.”

Swafford has good vocal skills, reminding me of Charles Jenkins (Ice Cream Hands) but sometimes it doesn’t fit the song, like on the disjointed “Drifters” or “Same Old Reeling.” The musicianship here is pretty good, “Serve You Right” and “Two Wounded Soldiers” are solid compositions and “The Offer” has a good chorus, but I wish more hooks were here. This sounds like a band clearly looking for an identity. The skill sets are there, but nothing grabbed me like that opening tune.


Amazon

The Power Popaholic Interview: Martin Newell

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Martin Newell is a poet, author, musician, gardener and general troublemaker. As the main singer/songwriter from the Cleaners From Venus, he self-released his albums on cassette and did his best to avoid the music industry while building a fan base, becoming an inspiration for many DIY musicians. Martin talks about some advice he got starting out, meeting and working with Andy Partridge (XTC) and his memories of the 1960′s.
I have such a good time chatting with Martin, I pull a Zelig and my own voice starts to unconsciously imitate his accent! Martin also has been adding funny promotional videos for his album “Return To Bohemia” called Mule TV. It’s obviously a Monty Python inspired video series with looney interviews with a tune thrown in.
Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6

The Cleaners From Venus “Return To Bohemia”

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Martin Newell is probably the most Anglophilic singer songwriter I’ve ever heard. As the driving force behind cult indie rockers Cleaners from Venus, he produced a new album hot after the new re-mastered box sets of the Cleaners DIY years. Newell is at a stage in life where you tend to look back, and Return to Bohemia is like an old friend spinning stories at the pub.

“Cling to Me” is a classic Cleaners type of lo-fi tune, with a fuzzy guitar lead, overdubbed jangle and drum machine with Newell echoing lead. “He’s Going Out With Marilyn” is another jangle gem about teen jealousy. The mood shifts dramatically with “The Days of May,” a somber acoustic song about the passage of time. Newell’s songwriting is as sharp as ever, “The Royal Bank of Love” is a fantastic song, but really needs the lush detailed production instead of the sparse instrumentation. It works better on “Mrs Gale and Her New Lover,” and the free association fun of the title track. “King of The Sixties” is another catchy gem along with the echoing “I Wanna Stay In.” Fans of the Cleaners will love this collection although it may take a few plays for the uninitiated to fall in line. A treasure.

Amazon