Tony Cox and The Title Tracks

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Tony Cox “On The Way” 
Tony Cox is joined once again by Nigel Clark (Dodgy) on vocals, keyboards & bass and Darren Finlan on drums & percussion for this sophomore album. Unlike the previous effort, this set of tunes is more oriented to the early 70’s with it’s retro approach. The opener “We’ll Get High” is similar to The Climax Blues Band with its soulful riffs and steady beat. “Hold Me Angeline” and “Alicia” both harken back to The Hollies, and it’s a great showcase for Clark’s great vocal harmonies. “The Way” has a bit of Lennon in the chorus with an open cavernous sound. One of the best tunes here is “Feel The Ride” a Beach Boys styled song that lingers long after the chorus finishes. The power ballads also do well with “Curse of Love,” a Zombies styled gem with flowing strings under the guitar melody. For those who enjoy the retro styled pop of decades past, this is a rare find that you shouldn’t miss.

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The Title Tracks “In Blank”
Washington DC musicians John Davis, Andrew Black and Michael Cotterman perform as The Title Tracks, and the fast-paced power pop style emulates early Elvis Costello and Squeeze back when they flirted with a punk pop sound. The pounding rhythms and frenetic riffs sound garage-style, but seem to lack the spontaneity of true punk. “Shaking Hands” and the tracks that follow don’t let up the pace, and as a result nothing really stands out till we get to the guitar play of “Light Sleepers” and  “I Can’t Hide” where the poppier side takes over with some decent harmonies emerging. “Forget The Ghost” is another standout with a shadowy organ melody that resembles The Smithereens slightly. The melodies are good – and even great in some tunes. For example “It’s Wrong” could be a lost Rockpile song, but the lo-fi mono production often left me flat. Davis is a talent worth nurturing, but he needs to refine things a bit.

The Tonighters FREE downloads

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The Tonighters are a studio project developed by Billy Gilbert (Chelsea, Penetration, The Lurkers, Hang Ups, The Surrenders) with a long background in punk and pop rock genres. The band got a chance to impress the crowd at IPO Liverpool this past year and Billy decided to make a series of EPs available FREE for music fans. So you’ve got three to enjoy right now…. Closet Classics – Volume 1, Closet Classics – Volume 2 and Trivia Melodies. Each EP displays classic pop mastery, Volume 1 has a distinct new wave influence, with its angular guitar progressions on “Sad Forever.” Volume 2 and Trivia Melodies both feature excellent jangle pop with “Man In The Room That Time Forgot” and “Finish What You Started.” Overall an excellent value (you can’t get better than free) and it primes the pump for a future Tonighters full length release.

Free downloads on Bandcamp | Facebook

Dan Hubbard and Sally Crewe

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Dan Hubbard and The Humadors “The Love Show”
Dan Hubbard’s approach is unadulterated roots rock without all the showy excess of today’s major label acts. Hubbard and his band the Humadors are a blend of pop rock with some Americana thrown in, as evidenced in the opener “Don’t Take Me Now.” Lead vocalist Hubbard works a good harmony with Kyle Yap on “Stay Away” with a touch of blues guitar here. Fans of the recent Gerry Beckley or Jeff Larson album with be thrilled with the light piano and guitar on “This Is Your Life” with its heart-felt lyrical truths about life’s unexpected moments (It’s my favorite tune here). Things are pretty easy going until “Beautiful Bar” brings back more rock guitars, but out of left field comes the slow ballad “Half Vampires,” a pretty if disturbing story of loving a vampire, from the Van Helsing point of view. It ends on a high note, with “The Last Time You See Me,” a fast paced swan song to those long haired rock and roll dreams. The band is chugging on all cylinders here, and I wish this energy was shown earlier on. Maybe we’ll get more consistency on the next album, but that’s me nitpicking — this is a solid album worth your time.

CD Baby | Amazon

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Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves “Transmit/Receive”EP
Even power pop legend Tommy Keene compared Sally Crewe to female rockers Chrissie Hynde and Polly Harvey. The comparison is quite accurate, as her vocals are powerful and very melodic, and the opener “Make Me Stay” is a riff heavy classic. Crewe is based in Austin, but she grew up in Yorkshire and her influences cling to the classic guitar bands of the 80’s. A real standout here is “Punk Rock Kid” with it’s layered chords and punchy beat. You will also hear a little Pat Benatar or The Motels in compositions like “Living Like You’ve Got Forever.” No filler tunes in this short 5 song EP, and it shows Sally can rock with the big boys with the big riffs. I look forward to visiting her debut album Your Nearest Exit May Be Behind You for further enjoyment.

Bandcamp | SallyCrewe.com

Vegas With Randolph and Ocean Grove

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Vegas with Randolph “Above The Blue”
If ever a band took the banner of power pop and flew with it, it’s Vegas With Randolph. This sophomore album from the team of Eric Kern and John Ratts keep things sharp and avoids boredom with an album-within-an-album concept.  Starting with “The Better Part” it builds a mountain of harmonic layers one at a time, with a duel guitar attack in the chorus. The title track has those soaring chords, and optimistic view, it’s an excellent song similar to The Secret Powers with its dense production. “Sometime To Live” is a fast paced narrative along the lines of Fountains of Wayne.

And they get help from noteable guest stars; “A Lesser Fool” Maxi Dunn adds her lovely vocal to the mix and the awesome Vinnie Zummo adds his guitar to “She Does It For Me”. A cute love song to actress Marisa Tomei and a few novelty tunes are followed by the second “album” called Double Play. Now horns are added to the mix and it adds several musical suites that overlap into each other perfectly. Highlights are “Alone/Wondering” and the climactic “Light of Day.” Overall, this is an excellent album without a wasted note, that hits every mood you could possibly have… even a jingle for a Sippy Cup! And like those great double LPs of the past, this one holds up over its 28 track length.

CD Baby | Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Ocean Grove “Another Place To Stay” EP
These guys are rumored to be the backing band for the Jonas Brothers! But this quartet lead by John Taylor (vocals/guitar) is simply amazing. John’s highly melodic hard rocking style reminds me of Taylor Locke and The Roughs or Enuff Z’Nuff. “Away” certainly will take you away on a rock and roll trip, like the beginning of summer vacation. The big guitar riffs lead this band along and it just compels you to raise the volume. The harmonies on the bouncy “Take It Easy” are a joy to listen to, and “The Best” is about getting that big record deal in L.A., I’m sure many musicians can identify with these lyrics. Both “So Cool” and the ballad “Won’t Say Goodbye” are also super catchy. Highly recommended and one of the best EPs I’ve heard all year.

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Ocean Grove \”I Want You In Love\” from the debut EP.