Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Aimee Mann - Charmer

Aimee Mann is back. Four years after her last LP @#%&*! Smilers the new record Charmer will be out September 19, 2012.

Charmer cover

You can listen to two new songs - Charmer via rollingstone.com and Labrador (live) on Youtube.
If these are an indicator for the whole record, it will be a brilliant!


Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Nik Kershaw - New Album "EI8HT"

Nik Kershaw will release his 8th studio album EI8HT on August 6 2012. 
The Sky’s The Limit will be the first single.


Nik Kershaw, a man known from his early 1980s hits Wouldn't It Be Good, The Riddle or I Won't Let the Sun Go Down, renewed his solo career in 1998 with his remarkable album 15 Minutes, which was loved by critics and fans.
In 2001 followed To Be Frank, 2006 You’ve Got To Laugh and in 2010 No Frills (an acoustic album).
Ei8ht cover

I highly recommend to listen to his last four records - samples can be found here:  

Official website: nikkershaw.net

Monday, June 25, 2012

Air Traffic Controller - NORDO (Update: Short Review & Full Album Stream)

Air Traffic Controller is back with their second record NORDO - it is out now!

Nordo cover

Track list
1

Hurry Hurry

2

If You Build It

3

You Know Me

4

Pick Me Up

5

The Work

6

Blame

7

Any Way

8

Magic

9

Ready Or Not

10

Different

11

A Minute To Think

12

Thinking Of You

Let's go back in time: In November 2011 Air Traffic Controller raised 12.000 US$ on kickstarter.com for their second album NORDO. And I missed it. Damn.

Further back in time: Singer-songwriter Dave Munro, a real-life air traffic controller serving in the US Navy had written and recorded 4-track demos during his deployment.
He returned to his hometown Boston and founded the band ... Air Traffic Controller.
One of his demos reached singer-songwriter and producer Bleu. Everything fell into place resulting in a collective work on NORDO.

Now a few words about the songs: The upbeat, stomping playful Hurry Hurry - the first single from Nordo - opens the album and leads to the compelling If You Build It.
The floating Pick Me Up is predestined for a radio single. It's catchy like hell.
Already after my first listen to Blame I thought "this is one epic ballad" - the one ballad that can make a band famous all around the globe.
Any Way and Ready Or Not are melodic gems.
A Minute To Think is ... a minute to think. Yes, it's one minute of silence.
It's followed by the closing song Thinkin' Of You, which starts quiet and passes on to a playful finale.

I was a bit worried, NORDO could be one of these records you buy because of two or three songs that are really good, and at the moment you listen to the whole record you immediately get sobered. Then there's a phase of "Well, they might all be good but I have to listen more often". Finally you recognize they are not and the record finds its place in the shelf between all the other records and will be forgotten. And you'll hardly play it again because of your disappointment of the whole thing. Nordo is fortunately not this kind of record. Every song has its right to be part of it. There is on filler song. Great work ATC!

Highlights: Hurry Hurry, If You Build It, Pick Me Up, Blame, Ready Or Not

You can stream four songs from it at soundcloud:

The a full album stream can also be found at relix.com:

One more thing: I'll repeat myself here but NORDO produced by the one and only Bleu!
Preorder it at Newburycomics.com - with an autographed booklet!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Mike Viola - Soundtrack Of My Summer (New Video)


The second music video from Mike Viola’s Electro de Perfecto is out. Soundtrack Of My Summer is a quite surprising video… see for yourself:




Reminder: The new record Acousto de Perfecto is out on July 17, 2012.

Brandon Schott - This Is Home (New Video)

Brandon Schott just released a new video - This Is Home is the 3rd single from his latest record 13 Satellites.

Do you like it? I do!


Friday, June 1, 2012

The Darkness - Hot Cakes

The Darkness? At PowerPopSquare? Yes. That's right. 
I just love them for their reminiscence of Queen, AC/DC or Aerosmith. But The Darkness are more than just a band who brings back the past. Their music is fun. And that's why their records are still spinning at my turntable.

Their second LP One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back was released in 2005. After that there was really much trouble: 
The band broke up. A new band which featured 3/4 of The Darkness (Ed Graham, Dan Hawkins and Richie Edwards) was created: Stone Gods. Justin Hawkins formed various projects: British Whale, Hot Leg etc. Everything seemed to fade away and to be over.

Seven long years later ... they are back! 
(This is an interesting analogy to the album title of the second record, is it?)


LP No. 3 - Hot Cakes - will be out on August 20 2012. Two of the new songs are already out - watch the videos here:

Track List:
01 Every Inch of You
02 Nothin’s Gonna Stop Us
03 With A Woman
04 Keep Me Hangin’ On
05 Living Every Day Blind
06 Everybody Have A Good Time
07 She Just A Girl Eddie
08 Forbidden Love
09 Concrete
10 Street Spirit
11 Love Is Not The Answer