Tag: The Bishops Daredevil Stunt Club

Middlebees and The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club

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Middlebees “Seconds”

Middlebees is the musical project of Jon Manos, a songwriter with a clear gift for classic pop craftsmanship. The album opens with “Ticking,” which begins modestly with a toy piano and simple verse before unfolding into a rich, layered chorus anchored by a memorable hook. Manos draws from a wide range of pop influences throughout the album. “Made It Back” shines with jangly indie-pop energy and an unmistakable ’80s feel, while “Ashby” channels the bright, carefree spirit of late-’60s bubblegum pop. The stylistic variety keeps the record engaging while maintaining a consistent melodic focus.

The ballads offer a welcome change of pace. Manos’ deep vocal register suits some material, though “And You’ll See the Sun” feels less impactful than some of the stronger tracks and might have benefited from additional vocal harmonies. Even so, the album succeeds where it matters most: the songs. Tracks like “When Will the Light Shine” and “I Gotta Go” highlight Manos’ ability to craft infectious melodies without relying on studio excess or gimmicks. Fans of melody-driven pop, whether rooted in the ’60s, ’80s, or modern indie traditions, will find plenty to appreciate here. Definitely this check it out.

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The Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club

The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club “Fever Dreamer”

Over the past 12 years, Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club has steadily expanded its sound, and ‘Fever Dream’ finds the band leaning further into glam rock influences. Opener “Stunt Double” recalls the swagger of Imperial Drag, driven by crunchy riffs and tambourines that immediately set the tone. The album hits an early high point with “Disco Demolition,” a standout single packed with Queen-sized harmonies, thick guitar lines, and an irresistible energy. While “Heavy Conclusions” and “Fuzzz4escence” showcase the band’s impressive musicianship, neither track delivers hooks that stick.

Things quickly get back on track with “Monday the Destroyer,” a hard-rocking groove machine complete with a healthy dose of cowbell. “Lost Daughter of Stardust” blends influences ranging from Extreme to David Bowie’s Spiders From Mars era, revealing more depth with each listen. “Hostage to Hypothetical” is another slow-burn highlight that rewards repeat spins, while closing track “Reach” wraps things up with a classic rock chorus that leaves a lasting impression. ‘Fever Dream’ may not deliver wall-to-wall hooks, but Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club continues to evolve while maintaining the strong musicianship and adventurous spirit that have defined the band for over a decade. Highly Recommended.

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Memorial Day Singles and a goodie: The Martial Arts, The Tone Twins, The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club, The Dreambots, Chris Alvy, Professor and The Madman

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Honor our veterans today. 🇺🇸 With most parades washed out, you might as well listen to some music. Well, we have The Martial Arts “Seeing Double,” and some panda heads, a really catchy single with a Sparks kinda vibe. Next, Andy Goldberg from the Honeymoon Stallions, joins forces with Huntington, Long Island music legend Willie Steel to form The Tone Twins, and the single is a new classic! Then we have The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club back, both rocking and groovin’ with some “Disco Demolition,” and they have a new album that just came out! Next a freebie EP goodie from a band I know nothing about, The Dreambots  are an LA band with a retro vibe, and I liked “High Road” and “Up Where The Sky Ends.” Chris Alvy gives us a worthy Smithereens cover and another up coming band Professor and The Madman have an album due soon, its a bit chaotic and ambitious. But it’s music that deserves to be heard.





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.

Maple Mars and The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club

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The Vague Ideas

Maple Mars “Someone’s Got To Listen”

Maple Mars has been at the nexus of power pop and psychedelic rock, and Someone’s Got To Listen finds Rick Hromadka and his able crew (Steve Berns, Ron Pak, and Joe Giddings) bringing the hooks on then opener “Useless Information,” with a timely warning that we are “moving in the wrong direction.” Then the epic psych-pop, “Gliding” offers grand themes with stadium-sized sound. This approach is also on the expansive 5-minute “Silver Craft.” But Rick can still craft tasty power pop melodies and “Anchors Aweigh” is another great tune.

It gets trippier with “Someone Take The Wheel,” the gurgling reverb contrasts perfectly with the harmonies and the central themes of reflection and transition are beautifully done in “Crooked Smile.” While Hromadka hasn’t approached Maple Mars in ten years, the time away has made the music that much better as a group effort. Songs tend to linger, like the apocalyptic vision of “Goodbye California,” and add to this not a single bad track here. Many thanks to the premiere label Big Stir Records for getting this done. Highly Recommended and an easy pick for my 2022 top ten list.

Big Stir Records | Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

The Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club

The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club “Please Stand By”

Chicago’s Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club delivers the follow-up to 2019’s End Over End. The Cheap Trick influence remains strong here, “Pony Up” has several nicely layered riffs, but feels repetitive. “Hold You Up” and “Silverball” fare much better, with building verses and more fine guitar work. “The Lift” is another highlight, reminding me a little of Extreme. The band certainly knows how to rock, and “Fifty Foot Woman” brings those heavy riffs to the forefront.

However, it does lack the pop hooks, until we get to “Tremor Control II” which also adds some Cars-like synths. This was my favorite song here, and even though “Joni, It’s Not Like That” has an interesting melody, it’s a bit obscure to write about Happy Days characters nowadays. The tone and influences start to shift with “What They’re After.” It starts out fine and goes off into guitar solo indulgence towards the end. The songs also tend to overstay their welcome (most clocking in at over 4:00 minutes). ”Bah Bah Bah” is over 7 minutes long, and while its technically proficient, the suite isn’t that memorable. Overall not a bad album, but you may want to start with End Over End first.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

June Singles, EPs and Freebies: Andrew Stonehome, The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club, Martha, Bill Sammon, Rebel Rousers, and She & Him

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June is here and it’s gonna be hot! We open with a new single from Andrew Stonehome (we reviewed his last single in October) and it’s awesome! The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club drops another single from its upcoming LP, and it’s got a sweaty rocker vibe, so turn up the volume on that. Durham, UK band Martha blows the doors off with the Weezer-like brilliance of “Please Don’t Take Me Back.” We need to calm down a bit after that with Omaha’s Bill Sammon. His laid-back “Story Songs” EP is a Western pop gem describing his youthful days. My faves here are the jangling “There Goes Another One” and “Silver Star.” And like last month, Rum Bar Records sampler is another freebie that has the best of their line-up. My favorite Miss Georgia Peach tune opens it up with “Jackson,” and speaking of covers She & Him (Zooey Deschanel and Matt Ward) beautifully do The Beach Boys’ “Darlin’.” Enjoy!