Tag: Rum Bar Records

Goodbye Summer… Rum Bar Records, Wild Honey. Duncan Maitland, 2nd Grade, Brent Windler, Shampoo

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A short end-of-summer roundup of recommended listening, moving from free samplers to standout singles and ending with a retro EP. It covers two compilation samplers from Rum Bar Records and Wild Honey Records, then singles from Duncan Maitland, Second Grade, and Brent Windler, and closes with Shampoo’s “Five Favorites.”

Rum Bar Records Summer School Sampler, Second Semester is a freebie with 33 songs, featuring Cindy Lawson, the Trash Kickers, High on Stress, and more.Wild Honey Records Sampler is another free collection with 19 tracks, highlighting power pop acts like Radio Days, the Pee Wees, Radioactivity, and Weird Bloom. Next, Duncan Maitland’s “Dummy” a catchy carney narrative after a long absence. Second Grade’s “Cellophane Girls” is also particular memorable standout. Brent Windler’s “Girls of Wild Strawberries” is a pastoral charmer with its jangling rhythm guitar. Finally Shampoo’s “Five Favorites,” an amazing 60’s sunshine-bubblegum retro EP and each song is stylistically different, but I really love “Forgotten Lane.” Enjoy this last weekend of summer sun.

October EPs and Freebies: The Persian Leaps, The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club, Rum Bar Records, Canadian Invasion, Friends of Cesar Romero, The Chords UK, Gavin Guss

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New music that deserves to be heard. The Persian Leaps return with a fresh new EP, and they still impress with their solid songwriting on “Maybe Time Will Let Me Forget” and “Beautiful Inside.” It’s an early Halloween treat from The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club on the Vanishing Point EP, with creepy synths on “Every Night I’m Dying” and heavy riffs on “Why You Ghosting Me Girl?” Both are recommended. Rum Bar Records’ newest sampler is another great FREEBIE, check out the strong female rockers Cindy Lawson and Abbie Barrett. Canadian Invasion is a bit more subtle in approach, check out the mid-tempo “Swim Club,” it’s one of the better singles this month. Friends of Cesar Romero adds some garage swagger and fuzz to their new EP. Each song rocks and it’s also a FREEBIE (no excuses)! The party continues with The Chords UK, check out the anthemic opener “All For Nothing At All” with its handclaps and high-energy riffs. Finally, a single cover from Gavin Guss, was initially done by The Police, but it sounds like a perfect Nick Lowe version.

Winter Singles, Freebies & EPs: The Nobility, Whelligan, Brad Marino, Rigbi, Bloody Norah, Ryan Allen, Jay Byham, You’re Among Friends, Rum Bar Records

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I waited long enough to restart all my singles reviews, so now it’s time to separate the wheat from the chaff. Nashville’s The Nobility has been leaking singles for nearly a year, so we have the newest share with “No Doubts” bringing to mind a western-themed 10cc, and London’s Whelligan and their single “In Our Name” is full of orchestral majesty and it also merits further study. Brad Marino fresh off his great 2021 LP, is back to banging out great power pop with “Girl, I Want You.” More appropriate to this bleak winter landscape is Rigbi’s emotional “I’m a Mess In Winter” as the sparse beginning opens up to a rich arrangement. Bloody Norah has a great reverb rock sound with harmonies on its single “Shooting Star,” so keep your eyes out for more, like the single “Joy.” Bloody damn good too.

As for EPs, the reliable Ryan Allen moves to a retro power-pop sound for I’m Not Mean, full of echoing vocals, and layered guitars; check out “Count With Me,” and the excellent “Cut Your Teeth.” Jay Byham is a Pennsylvania-based singer-songwriter with a bouncy acoustic “Tick Tock,” classic rocker “Just A Matter of Time,” and the gentle ballad “The Only One,” it’s a solid debut that deserves many repeats on your player.  As for Freebies; Cleveland, Ohio’s You’re Among Friends take a very laid back approach on this new release, “Here in the Middle of the Pack” is like a stoner Spin Doctors tune and the melodic funk of “You Know What You Want” will appeal to NRBQ fans. Rum Bar Records has a loaded sampler as a Freebie too, get a ton of bang for your buck and you’ll discover a rocker or two.

Singles


EPs and Freebies