For part two of my birthday gift this year, it’s fitting that I should share with you a video that was released last year… on my birthday. Enter Fairchild (formerly Fairchild Republic) from the Gold Coast, and a song that is fittingly titled (for this old fart) Stay Young. Jangling guitars and a pop rock anthem to remaining young are the staples of the song. The band is full of great alterna-pop goodness. It’s all just fun music, and you can find more on Fairchild by…
Read MoreToday is my birthday, so you get a two-track birthday gift from me, this one at 10 AM CST, and another one at 2 PM CST. Combining pop chops with world rhythms and a wonderful soulful voice, Israeli born Esther Rada is more than a little fun to listen to. Here on the title-track of her November 2012 EP, Life Happens, you can taste it all! You can find more information on Esther Rada by visiting her bandcamp.com site, where you can (and should) pick up…
Read MoreBeecher’s Fault appeared about 9-months ago here, with Liars. Their latest 5-song EP, Misbehavior, was released back in December (2012) and this is the title track of that offering. Beecher’s Fault has a fun delivery and weaves a lyric that is anything but boring or same-sounding, as much of the rest of pop music is today. Band co-founders Ken Lamken and Ben Taylor have that in mind when creating their music. Their belief is that pop music should be accessible without rehashing the…
Read MoreYou may remember Barnaby Saints from Bones that was posted here about 10 months ago. That track also made the Best Of Vodka 2012 list of the 40 best tracks for 2012. Shortly after the release of their 6 song EP, Barnaby Saints also released this single (June 2012 available via i-Tunes and bandcamp.com). Over And Over may not have the sheer commanding presence of Bones, but is another great offering from a band that should be getting more wide-spread attention. If you…
Read MoreStraight forward pop music can either be incredibly good, incredibly bad, or somewhere in the middle. It all depends on how formulaic the tune is and how good the lyric is. There are no problems on any level for Caitlin Rose and Only A Clown from her March 2013 long-player, The Stand In. Caitlin combines a country-esque sensibility to her tunes, with a touche of jazz lounge singer and a whole lot of pop chops. If you haven’t heard of Caitlin…
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