Video of the Day

Video of the Day #38: Julie Fader

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Video of the Day section seem to be stuck in Canada at the moment, but what can you do. I seem to be exploring those neighborhoods and keep on finding stuff that I adore. Julie Fader’s album Outside In was released back in 2009, but this video seem to be only a couple of weeks old. She was a member of Great Lake Swimmers and Tony Dekker also makes a guest appearance on her solo album.. along with other great people like Sarah Harmer and Justin Rutledge. But enough with naming the contributors. Julie Fader should be under the spotlight now. Her voice sounds warmer than a heated blanket and Maps is a great song. Lovely video as well.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrzVorFolmI]

Julie Fader at Hand-drawn Dracula

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International music, Reviews

Reviewshine part #2: John Statz, The Famous, Another Hundred Miles

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Continuing to go through some of the good records, I’ve gotten through reviewshine.

John Statz: Ghost Towns

John Statz is a folk rocker and singer-songwriter from Madison, Wisconsin and Ghost Towns is his fourth album. I’ve been really enjoying this one. I think it’s a very fine album from the first note to the last word. Only thing that is lacking is that one killer song that would lift him up to the next league. Jackson Hole is already close. Certainly a name to keep an eye on, if you are into folk troubadours.

Listen to Jackson Hole:
[audio:http://onechord.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/04-jackson-hole.mp3]

John Statz Website

The Famous: Come Home To Me

The Famous from San Francisco are exploring the darker side of the country field, even though the album doesn’t often enter into such deep & dark waters as the video single Come Home To Me below. There’s actually a lot of versatility in here. There’s beautiful country songs, raw rock’n’roll entertainment and some brutal bluesy americana. I have rather mixed feelings about this one. I’m really into some of the songs like Without You or Moving On, but there’s also stuff I don’t like that much.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jyfqrPi7tY]

The Famous Website

Another Hundred Miles: Move The Fader

Another Hundred Miles is Douglas Holmes and Daniel Maynard from New Hampshire and Move The Fader is their debut album. Their folk rock has also a lot of pop sensitivity and lovely melodies, which I find thrilling. There’s plenty of really good songs, but unfortunately also several “just nice” tunes. The best stuff could have formed a really good EP, but as an album it’s a bit too uneven. But hey, it’s a debut and a really promising one.

Listen to Go On and Wake Up
[audio:http://onechord.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/03-go-on-and-wake-up.mp3]

Another Hundred Miles Website

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International music, Reviews

Review: Greg Pope – Blue Ocean Sky

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Greg Pope: Blue Ocean Sky (Octoberville Records, 2010)

Greg Pope is a highly respected tunesmith in the power pop community and all of his past releases have gotten great reviews in several pop-orientated websites and blogs. I had managed to miss his records until he made his new album Blue Ocean Sky available for free download for a short period of time. Now I’m thinking of buying his earlier material and can only feel ashamed that it took so long for me to give him a chance to win my heart over, because it proved to be a rather easy task for Greg Pope.

Blue Ocean Sky contains high quality pop music. A dose of 70’s rockin’ power pop (Badfinger!), a hint of 80s jangly pop music and a whole lot of almost radio-friendly modern power pop. Greg has the ability to write gentle killer melodies and the whole thing sounds warm and wonderful. There’s at least 5-6 really fantastic pop songs like You Don’t Really Mean A Word, I Tried To Like You and I Don’t Want The Same Things on the album and the rest of it is also thoroughly enjoyable.

Listen to I Tried To Like You:
[audio:http://onechord.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/05-i-tried-to-like-you.mp3]

Greg Pope Website

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International music, Reviews

Review: Agony Aunts – Greater Miranda

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Agony Aunts: Greater Miranda (Mystery Lawn, 2010)

I found Agony Aunts from David Bash’s gigantic end of the year list and it was certainly a mighty good find. Agony Aunts is a new pop group from Bay Area, but this isn’t the first time these people are making awesome pop music. Members of the band have previously played in such fine pop outfits as The Corner Laughers, Preoccupied Pipers, The Orange Peels etc.

Agony Aunts debut Greater Miranda is a delightful pop album. Psych pop meets California pop in perfect manner. Beautifully arranged, 60’s influenced pop songs and a whole lot of great singing. I totally adore the male-female harmonies. I just love that male voice. KC Bowman sure can sing, but I suppose it’s easy if you have a voice that is lovelier than the baby panda sneezes video on youtube. I bet lines like “We’re shaken and shocked / Finding your broken and bleeding and bloated remains / I’m waiting to talk, waiting for Amity Police to be cordoning the scene” have never sounded more beautiful. Night Circling Sharks, Reap The Plains Down and Linus’s Fist Of Death is a perfect song trio in the middle of the album. The Linus in the song title probably doesn’t have anything to do with Linus Of Hollywood, but this album actually reminds me of those early Linus Of Hollywood albums here and there. The same California pop influences I suppose. Greater Miranda is a great pop album.

Listen to Night Circling Sharks
[audio:http://onechord.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/agony-aunts-greater-miranda-04-night-circling-sharks.mp3]

Greater Miranda at Bandcamp
Agony Aunts at Facebook

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