Cliff Hillis “Dream Good”

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Cliff Hillis “Dream Good”
Cliff Hillis has done what many power pop artists do after over a decade of solid output, they seamlessly transition to adult contemporary pop. Starting out with the legendary Starbelly, then transitioning to John Faye Power Trip and IKE he drew heavily on the riffs and influences of Matthew Sweet. Once his solo career started with Be Seeing You on Not Lame Records, fans knew what to expect and Cliff has remained a popular artist ever since.

On Dream Good, Hillis continues to show his melodic skills are as sharp as ever on the opener “Keep The Blue Skies” and he still surrounds himself with top notch collaborators like Scot Sax (The Feel), Danny Wilde (The Rembrandts) and Brad Jones. And he hasn’t mellowed that much, as “Ways and Means” packs lots of power into those driving blues riffs. I love the creative “Talking Tree” with its contrasting blend of strings, bass guitar and staccato picked rhythm. The next several songs are along the Fountains of Wayne or Marshall Crenshaw vibe with “When You’re Listening” and “Welcome To You.” More gems include the brilliant “Twin Sisters” and the low key “Just The Same.” Like Mike Viola, Hillis makes each story so compelling you need to listen. Each tune has a refreshing melody line and polished delivery (without filler to be found) that puts this album near my top ten list for 2012.

MySpace  | Amazon | Pre-Order Direct

The Jellybricks and John Lefler

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The Jellybricks “Suckers” EP
The Jellybricks have been the model of power pop consistency, with solid melodic rock since 1997, and with the new EP Suckers, the band continues its terrific tradition. The mood is a bit more downbeat than past albums, with similarities to Superdrag (“Rock n’ Roll Suicide”) and Blink-182 (“Beryllium”) cropping up.

But the bands sound is even tighter and music arrangements are denser, from the opening track to the excellent “Sold” with its shout along chorus. The moving rock ballad “Dead End Girl” shows off the excellent harmonies and the acoustic version of the neurotic “Who Is God,” is a re-make from the band’s debut Kinky Boot Beast. One of my favorite EPs this year, pick this one up.

Jellybricks.com | Amazon

 

John Lefler “Shoutfire” EP
Dashboard Confessional’s lead guitarist returns after his solid debut LP with a more commercial, slicker adult contemporary effort.The ringing guitar chords from the title track remind one of Crowded House or even Toad The Wet Sprocket.

The light strums of “The Good Life” are soothing, and the next track “Shelter In Place” has a killer rhythm that just sticks in your head. Then the tracks just get sparser, more personal, my favorite here is “Broken People” where John’s voice carries the lyrical story about emotional fragility with perfect pitch. Another winner, you shouldn’t miss.

CD Baby | Amazon

The Breakdowns and The Virtues

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The Breakdowns “The Kids Don’t Wanna Bop Any More”
From the UK…. Fans of The Ramones will enjoy this one. The band describes themselves as ‘bubblegum garage rock’ and I have to agree that these tracks are freakin’ sweet. Lead singer Joe has a rough vocal, but it drips with authenticity and energy. Catchy tracks that bring back the “Rock N Roll High School” with great driving beats and buzzsaw riffs with a touch of organ are featured on “Summertime Twist”. Listen to the easy rock of “Hey Veronica” or the Kiss meets Cheap Trick tune “Samantha Jones”. Any way you slice this album, you get awesome rock and roll done right.

Facebook | Amazon | Jam Recording

 

The Virtues “ReRepeater”
From a small town in Sweden, the duo of Per Bergkvist and Flamman took great care in mixing harmonies and guitars to get us ReRepeater. Per has great range in his vocal, sounding like Collective Soul on “No Show” and then shifting to a Ric Ocasek approach on “All The Commotion.” The rock riffs are front and center on “I Go” and then on “Bleak Ways” its all jangle and falsetto. But what each song has behind it is melodic consistency. Even on the pedestrian “Reader” it never gets dull and surprises are in each track, like “Errors of Youth” sounds like a lost Steely Dan song. The variety makes it hard to peg down into a neat single “style” – but that’s also the band’s strength. Definitely worth exploring.

Amazon | Itunes | MySpace

Help a musician update…

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All the Kickstarter and self-funded album projects we featured on our “Help A Musician Page” recently have been fully funded. That includes albums by:

  • Holmes
  • Eric Lichter
  • Neil Nathan
  • Elton Duck
  • even the new Jackdaw4 album is over 200% funded!

I added today the efforts of Washington DC’s The Silver Liners. I’ve reviewed an early EP from them and look forward to this new effort! Contribute to your favorite power pop artists!

Emerging artists: Sam Page, JP Houston, Live On Brighton

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Sam Page “Waiting  For Another Spring” EP
Californian Sam Page is an unsigned musician who counts Jack White, Matthew Sweet, Blur, and Modest Mouse as influences. Page has definite talent, and all his sounds are “organic” and created without computers. This is his second EP and its getting some great notice by the indie music press, in fact “Lottery” is getting played on twenty podcasts and indie radio stations. I love “Pass Me By” with its simple arrangement and solid riff-beat combos. “Like@firstSite” is similar to Jonathan Coulton and sure to make you tap your feet to the beat. A great little EP – give it a try!
CD Baby | Amazon | SamPageMusic.com

JP Houston “As Long As You’re Here With Me”
JP Houston is a singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, based out of Joshua Tree California. As Long As You’re Here With Me was originally done in 2006, but here it’s re-mastered. He does a great job with the opener “Fat Tuesday” – its both catchy and Houston’s vocal shines. As a professional JP’s been working with Brian Bell from Weezer, and Schmed of The Secret Powers. The soft shuffle of “We Make A Murder” is a favorite here, its got touches of XTC, McCartney and Secret Powers with awesome key changes in the chorus. Keep your eyes out for his next album, this is one of the best “hidden” gems this year.
Name your own price on Bandcamp

Live On Brighton “After Hours”
This Toronto band is a bit rough, but with its spirit and passionate sound it reminds me of early Green Day and Weezer. “Passenger Seat” is a blur of echoing guitar riffs and the infectious hard rock come through on “Ten Days Sober” and  “Roll with You.” The song structures are pretty straightforward and they’re not re-inventing the wheel here, but it’s all done in a satisfying way. If you like your rock loud, give this a try.
Bandcamp exclusive