(this short note below is repeated each day for those missed previous days)
I’m getting ready to release the latest installment in the “Best Power Pop” CD compilation yearly series in about a month. Each year I do something different and hopefully fun, adding an element of discovery to the process of the promotion of the latest in the series. Regardless of whether one decides to purchase the CD(and all its crazy, over-the-top bonuses), I try set up each day to be an experience, a pleasure rabbit hole to go down and encounter new music from the present and past that you might have missed – or just were not aware of.
By the end of the 7 days, you’ll have some great new discoveries and you will have been able to check out some of the 61 artists appearing on this year’s 3-CD set. You’ll hear about ordering it and the extra special package connected to it at the end of these seven days. But leave that all aside…let’s have some fun below!
So, to summarize – Three Sections. THE PRESENT and THE PAST and THE VIDEOS.
Scroll on and let’s continue on this journey with Day Three!
(if you missed, Day One – click HERE)
(if you missed, Day Two – click HERE)
(if you missed, Day Three – click HERE)
Each day I’ll be spotlighting 4 bands that are appearing on the upcoming “Best Power Pop of 2018” release coming out in next month(October). Step right in, get to know some of the finer power pop artists of the last few years. Here’s the next batch of featured artists.
KAI DANZBERG
From Kai: Since I was born in 1993 I’m on my way to find a place in this world. As a little kid, i found out music is the thing Iwanna do all my life. Inspired by The Beatles or ELO, I’m always trying to write great songs. 99 % on my records was done by myself.
I just finished my new EP and it’s gonna be released September 27th. The name is „Euphoria“ and when I made the title track I thought about a theme-park kind of. A theme-park with all the harmonic-pop music. It’s very hard to explain but I think listening to the intro and first song of the EP explains it. The new EP is available for pre-order on Bandcamp.
Besides all that I already have the next record in mind. Though,I can’t make promises right now.
Two free song from Kai for you to enjoy: http://www.mediafire.com/folder/bw8kauudpxlq9/Free_Songs
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THE BOTTLE KIDS
“Let’s put some power back in pop, don’t let those guitars ever stop!”
Eric Blakely 2018
The Bottle Kids embody the musical vision of frontman, songwriter, producer, engineer, multi-instrumentilest and Berkeley native, Eric Blakely. They combine the best of both then and now; Blakely’s deep roots in early 80s power pop allied with his keen sense of songwriting and production making for a refreshing, innovative and stubbornly irresistible sound. It’s his true testimonial and on Let Me In On This Action it’s delivered on in spades. They combine the best of both then and now; Blakely’s deep roots in early 80s power pop allied with his keen sense of songwriting and production making for a refreshing, innovative and stubbornly irresistible sound.
The Bottle Kids trade in quintessentially old-school power pop ala Paul Collins, The Nerves, or The Plimsouls. An inherently Californian blend of pop harmonies, swooning melodies, crunchy driving guitars, and pleasantly lingering hooks, arranged with an auteur’s precision, The Bottle Kids offer a soundtrack equally fitting for an afternoon daydream, a poolside party with your crush, or a long drive down the rocky, windy coast.
Band Site: http://www.thebottlekids.com/
Bandcamp: https://thebottlekidds.bandcamp.com/
ReverbNation: https://www.reverbnation.com/thebottlekidsus
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PACIFIC RADIO
Pacific Radio is a sonic collision of energetic garage rock with L.A. heartbreak. It’s origins can be traced back to when Joe Robinson (singer/ guitar) and Joe Stiteler (bass) left L.A. punk band The Ringers in search of a more dynamic sound and space. The duo grew to a quartet with the addition of Kyle Biane (Guitar) and Hyke Shirinian (Drums). Stiteler, Biane and Shirinian created the perfect backdrop for Robinson’s catchy melodies and lyrics.
After the release of their debut EP in March of 2017, the band hit the road with their wildly charismatic live show. From their home base in L.A. to NYC, Austin to Seattle, Mexico City to Napa’s Bottlerock music festival, the band began winning over fans wherever they performed. Between tour dates, the band retreated to the studio with Grammy nominated engineer and producer, Eric Weaver. They diligently transformed their songs from wild rock show crowd-pleasers into a meticulously crafted record inspired by their heroes. In December of 2017 they released their first full length album “Pretty, but Killing Me”. They just released a video for “Katie” which the band filmed on the streets of Mexico City combined with footage from a wild concert they had there. Pacific Radio is currently working on their second album, with the first single “Walk Away” scheduled for release in the early Fall 2019.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3CcCtAO9QDsUZG79N1UPJl
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/pacificradio/sets/pretty-but-killing-me
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/album/id1298262157?ls=1&app=itunes
Website: Pacificradioband.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/pacificradio
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pacificradioband/
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THE TURNBACK
New York’s The Turnback have been a mainstay on the powerpop scene since 2011. Their sound, which incorporates rich vocal harmonies, memorable melodies and meaningful lyrics with charged-up rock and roll, has been described as “Foo Fighters meets The Beatles” (John Borack – Goldmine Magazine – 9/30/15). They’ve received many stellar reviews as well as recognition in several year-end best of lists for 2015’s “Are We There Yet?” (IPO; Powerpopaholic) and their 2018 album, “Spinning The Earth In Reverse” (IPO; Power Pop News), as well as the #1 album of the year from the Ice Cream Man Powerpop blog and radio show for 2011’s “Drawn In Chalk”.
The band is currently writing and recording and will be releasing singles throughout 2019 (one of which, “Unloading An Empty Gun”, has already been release.)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theturnback/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3DiBwQnBoSuuFO4G2NSWPi
CD Baby: https://store.cdbaby.com/Artist/TheTurnback
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/the-turnback/id430404530
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheTurnbackBand
MOONER
In 2018, Mooner released their second album “Satisfaction-promise”, building off of their powerpop-meets-folk-rock masterpiece, “Masterpiece” They will be releasing their highly anticipated third album this year. Mooner provide the soundtrack to insecurity. They are the musical equivalent of accidentally calling your teacher “mom,” the sound of helping your better-looking friend get with the girl you have a crush on. Mooner are like if Led Zeppelin wrote a rock opera about a horny little boy with no friends whose parents make him return the Rammstein CD he had shipped from Germany without their permission, if Led Zeppelin were Midwestern beta males. Mooner are like KISS if they never had sex. If you’re thinking that sounds a lot like Weezer’s whole thing, you’re not wrong. Mooner are like Weezer, only twenty years too late and it’s not okay to fetishize Japanese girls. But make no mistake: Mooner absolutely love anime and they think they will probably live in Japan someday. Mooner sound like a guy posting on a Wilco subreddit about how cool it is that Jim O’Rourke lives in Japan now. Mooner wonder if you’ve ever even heard of Jim O’Rourke.
NICK FRATER
“Excellent melodies and chord changes” – Shindig! magazine.
British multi-instrumentalist and producer Nick Frater’s songwriting has been compared to Cheap Trick, Jellyfish, Elliott Smith…and even The Carpenters! Whoever you can hear in there, his last album “Goodbye Kayfabe” was warmly received by the power-pop world, appearing high up in several ‘best of 2018’ lists.
Summer 2019 also saw Nick Frater playing keyboards with Love, for their farewell performance of the Forever Changes album, with Johnny Echols. The latest in his eclectic list of cameo appearances which also includes performing with Darian Sahanaja/Do Me Bad Things.
Nick Frater’s fourth album, “Full Fathom Freight-Train” comes out in November (CD from Kool Kat USA/Vinyl from Great Sheiks UK). Featuring Mike Randle (Baby Lemonade/Love), Paul Ryan (Super 8) and a cameo from DJ Jim Prell, this has already been called “the best power-pop album of the last twenty years” by David Bash….under duress, while introducing Frater and his band at IPO Liverpool 2019.
https://nickfrater.bandcamp.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7gAFzlaDvKcnPq27yqtMdJ?si=B9BezrQmQ1aM3x_61sPHcA
https://www.facebook.com/NickFraterMusic/
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There are THREE parts to each day in ‘the past’ section.
The first part is a re-presentation of a promotion from 2 1/2 years ago called ‘the music discovery experience‘(what can I say, it’s a theme for me – ‘discovery‘) Each day there will be one folder for you to download. In each folder, there will be 5/6 songs of different varieties and sub-genres of the power pop genre, spanning the 60s-00s. These songs are truly off the normal track and go deep.
CLICK HERE to download “MDE – Day 4”
(there are six great ‘finds’ in this folder)
The second part is various fun tracks from the (mostly) 70s and 80s that are rare, unreleased and hard to find or completely unavailable. For the next seven days, I’m calling it…DISCOVERY DAYS. The folders that you will see from each day are similar to the ones right above here. These songs, though, I’ve pulled together just this last week, poring over almost a thousand other tracks before arriving at these. Going deep, going good.
Discovery. Let’s begin.
CLICK HERE to download “Discovery Days – Day 4”
The third part is even easier. If you have the time and inclination, just watch some of the videos I’ve pulled in from over the past 8 years of Pop Geek Heaven video activity.
As always, I leave this kind of activity from me with a simple request….ENJOY.
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So you payin’ attention, ‘ole friend?! Going through these posts and enjoying the Discovery Journey? Well, right on! Here’s some extra tuneage, which if you are new to these parts in the last 3 years or so, you’ve not seen. This is from some years back when I was going through the archives of my entire 20+ year music business journey(not even including the years I worked in the music biz in L.A. in the 80s). Not Lame Recordings released over 120 CDs and distributed well over 5,000 indie power pop-oriented artists and small labels in its time(1994-2010). Catch a small bit of that legacy here. There was so much that I was just sharing and giving away for the only reason of ‘keeping the music from these great artists alive’. Keep the Fire Burning, Pop Fans!
(note: this link will only be live during these Discovery Days – go below)
