pop | Audio Gumshoe

Home » Posts Tagged "pop"

Sissy Mena – Audio Gumshoe 153

Reviewed by Rich on Jan 28, 2012

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:26 — 25.1MB)

Songs Played

- Soon Speeding Gear
- Record Machine
- Eager Entertainer
- Planets
- Verisimilitude //

Sissy Mena (mean-uh) is a three-piece sonic rock band from Chicago. They play loud and quiet and fast and slow, all with their hands

It was time for me to find another band that had a kick-butt, powerful, presence. I found this with the band Sissy Mena. This Chicago three-piece released the full-length LP Record Machine in November 2011. The band was gracious enough to provide a copy so that I could share some of the tunes with you. If you like what you hear in this episode, please visit the links below to purchase your own copy of Record Machine.

While listening to this band I was glad to hear familiar sounds that I might have heard in the 90s, but I found this fresh and new, as well. There’s a lot of energy here. The hooks are tight, the production is solid, the rhythm is danceable while maintaining a rock foundation. Nice.

Record Machine comes to us 14 months after the release of the band’s EP Young Girl. Here’s what Sissy Mena promotion material has to say:

Released in late 2009, the Young Girl EP drew positive reviews from The Onion’s AV Club, Illinois Entertainer, Loud Loop Press, Timeout Chicago, and many more. Sissy Mena’s combination of effected guitar and pounding rhythm section drew comparisons to 90′s heros such as Dinosaur Jr., My Bloody Valentine, and the Smashing Pumpkins.

Don’t forget to check out all of the band’s links; they are included below. If you are in the Chicago area, you can find them at the Beat Kitchen in February

Get the Music

<a href="http://music.sissymena.com/album/record-machine">Record Machine by Sissy Mena</a>

Artist Links

Sissy Mena web site
Sissy Mena at Twitter
Sissy Mena at Facebook
Sissy Mena at YouTube
Sissy Mena at Vimeo

Associated Links

Association of Music Podcasting
Blubrry Podcast Network
Audio Gumshoe on Twitter
Audio Gumshoe on Facebook

The audio file for this work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License.

Full Review

Escape Directors – Audio Gumshoe 140

Reviewed by Rich on Nov 22, 2010

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:10 — 25.0MB)

Sponsor: Visit gotomeeting.com, click the try it free button and use promo code: Podcast.

Songs Played

- Car Crash
- Honest Man
- When You’re Gone
- Mrs. Davenport
- Fall Together

“The Escape Directors create a sound bound to appeal to a mass audience. With inspiration ranging from indie-greats Death Cab for Cutie and Damien Rice, to rock powerhouses Coldplay, the band creates a crisp and clear sound.”

-Alicia Fiorletta
Entertainment Editor – Pioneer Times

So Jersey Joe sends me an email that says that an awesome, young New Jersey band is giving away their CD for free. Tell me, who wouldn’t take a few moments to investigate the group to find out if it is “worth” getting the CD for free? Wait, how can a FREE CD have any worth? Truthfully, this one holds more value than can be realized by monetary gains.

It is obvious that the band Escape Directors is learning from Ariel Hyatt’s (CyberPR) “Music Success in Nine Weeks” program. It is a good thing, too. Because of their efforts, they are building momentum, generating buzz, creating hype — whatever you want to call it. They are getting more listeners and earning more fans. Isn’t this one of the points in creating music? Of course there is the gratification of the creative process. But, overall, I think it is always the greatest gratification to know that you’ve created something that others truly want to hear.

I jumped in with both feet (ears?) and downloaded the CD “ Ladders“. I found a very radio friendly collection of tunes. As an evangelist for independent music, you might think me an enemy of all things radio friendly. Not so. I simply don’t like the same old commercialized, formulated, and often pop music factory assembled drivel that we seem to hear in rotation hour after hour. I can, however, appreciate that a band refines their craft, giving tedious attention to the production process, and building a product that is worth hearing, keeping, and even sharing.

Escape Directors market themselves to “appeal to a mass audience”. They cite their influences to be Death Cab For Cutie, Coldplay, Radiohead, The Beatles, Brand New, Local Natives, Sigur Ros, and Coffee. [Is that the band or the drink? Coffee influences me almost daily.] Regardless, they have created a very catchy album that I’ve not been shy to listen to over and again. The stand out tracks for me are those that I’ve played in this episode of Audio Gumshoe, but I found it very difficult to refrain from trying to play the whole album for you. I hope that you’ll take the time to listen to the entire show — and if you like what you hear, download the songs for your listening pleasure, as well. Be sure to tip the band if you feel so inclined — or pay for the album at iTunes or Amazon. The links are below. I know the guys would appreciate it.

Get the Music

Ladders at Amazon.com

UPDATE: I’ve been encouraged to share the FREE download link (but I still think you should buy it).

Artist Links

Escape Directors web site
Escape Directors at Facebook
Escape Directors on Twitter
Escape Directors at ReverbNation
Escape Directors on YouTube
Escape Directors at MySpace

Associated Links

Association of Music Podcasting
Blubrry Podcast Network
Audio Gumshoe on Twitter
Audio Gumshoe on Facebook
Audio Gumshoe on MySpace

The audio file for this work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License.

Full Review

Jamie Lynn Noon – Audio Gumshoe 135

Reviewed by Rich on Aug 16, 2010

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:02 — 18.5MB)

Sponsor: Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.

Jamie Lynn Noon

Songs Played

- Second of a Spark
- A Moment to Break
- Waste It On You
- ‘Til Ya Make It

“I want to run to the edge/Throw caution to the wind/Part of life is risking it all.”

Jamie Lynn Noon is moving her music career forward in leaps and bounds. This multi-talented singer-songwriter from the California Bay Area is reaching out to fans through Facebook, MySpace and many other services that help her connect with her fans. She is also getting her songs played in places that some artists can only dream about.

Recent news on her website shows that Jamie Lynn has seen airplay on the show Saints and Sinners, on the daytime drama All My Children, and even on in-flight radio with Delta Airlines.

Her recent release “A Moment to Break” is

Co-produced by Jamie and film/television music veteran and producer Kevin Harris and mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Brian Gardner (No Doubt/Christina Aguilera/Avril Lavigne), A Moment to Break showcases six songs spanning the best of Jamie’s already-vast catalogue. From the inquisitive “I’m Trying” (one of the very first songs Jamie ever wrote – fresh out of high school) to the autobiographical “Waste It on You” (“a raw, emotionally honest work”), Jamie’s EP is a brilliant encapsulation of a fresh young talent on the verge of super-stardom.

Another great place to hear Jamie Lynn Noon is on the online radio service, Pandora. The album “A Moment to Break” has been added to the rotation. You can even get her album and all the latest news about her on her iPhone app.

One of the songs that you will hear in this episode is “‘Til Ya Make It”. This song has a story and history all its own. According to her site:

Jamie is also releasing a separate single, “’Til Ya Make It,” produced by Grammy and Oscar-nominated producer/songwriter, Jud Friedman (Whitney Houston/James Ingram/Kenny Loggins), the song which led her to form the ‘Til Ya Make It Organization (www.tilyamakeit.com) – a website in development which will advocate charitable causes and provide a forum for her fans to come together and share their own stories about overcoming hardships.

Get the Music!

Buy at Paypal (add a note to your order to request a signed copy!)

Associated Links

Association of Music Podcasting
Blubrry Podcast Network
Audio Gumshoe on Twitter
Audio Gumshoe on Facebook
Audio Gumshoe on MySpace

The audio file for this work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License.

Full Review

This Modern Station – Audio Gumshoe 130

Reviewed by Rich on Jun 27, 2010

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:45 — 21.8MB)

10% discount for Audio Gumshoe Listeners at Resume Rabbit! Details on the show or click here.

This Modern Station

Songs Played

- Long Overdue
- Evangelina
- Just Another Heartache
- Next Best Thing
- Sunday Morning

“….upbeat, catchy-lyric, song in your head the rest of the day musical experience.” Reuters Television

I wanted to find something very cerebral to say about the band This Modern Station. The best thing I can really say, though, is that I really like this music. I’m easily caught up in their tight sound. The driving guitars, great riffs, solid hooks, and life-story vocals pulled me in quickly and easily. The resemblance to early Wilco, as mentioned by Absolute Powerpop (see below) is easily seen, but the band has provided us with a modern and highly polished style of American pop. Tell me if you don’t hear some Tom Petty nuances in the band’s style, as well.

Here’s what Absolute Powerpop had to say about This Modern Station:

“Nashville strikes again. The home of so many artists that have brought us quality releases in 2009 gives us This Modern Station, whose debut disc All We Leave Behind is a melodic breath of fresh air. They tread that fine line between power pop and Americana, sounding at times like an American Teenage Fanclub and at others like early Wilco.

The driving opener “Long Overdue” sets the tone, with hooks galore and a stomping beat that’s reminiscent of Being There-era Wilco tracks like “Outta Site (Outta Mind)” and “Monday”. “Next Best Thing” follows in the same vein, while the midtempo “Just Another Heartache” recalls The Favorites (who placed in our top 20 last year) and Red Guitar.

“Evangelina” is another driving number, reminiscent of Todd Herfindal and The Meadows, and “Sunday Morning” brings the rock. Kicking off the second half of the disc, “Ruby” finds the band into a bit of pop-noir, telling the story of a wayward woman to a moody melody not unlike The Smithereens’ “Blood & Roses”, while “Playing With Fire” proves the boys can handle the ballads as well.

Closing things out, “I Think I’m in Love Again” is another infectious rocker, and “The Highway Never Ends” is quality straight-up Americana. “Popicana” fans, and those who liked the later-day Gary Louris-led Jayhawks are going to flip for this one. With nary a duff track to be heard, this one’s a definite year-end Top 20 contender.”

The band was generous enough to provide Audio Gumshoe with five tracks from their 10 track album “All We Leave Behind.” Be sure to follow one of the links below to pick a copy of the album for yourself. It’s always great to share the music of players like these; be sure to support what they do so they will continue to provide more great music.

Get 10% of your order at Go Daddy.com! Enter coupon code pod16 (domain names) or blu16 (domain+hosting) to get 10% off your order atGoDaddy.com

The audio file for this work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License.

Full Review

Q*Ball – Audio Gumshoe 129

Reviewed by Rich on Jun 18, 2010

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:46 — 22.7MB)

10% discount for Audio Gumshoe Listeners at Resume Rabbit! Details on the show or click here.

Q*Ball

Songs Played

- John Hughes
- His Name is Goliath
- Pez Dispenser
- Get On the Bus

Q*Ball’s music has been featured on MTV’s Pimp My Ride, Road Rules, The Real World, Making The Band, The Osbournes, RWRR Battle of the Sexes, &Clone High USA. Q tunes can also be heard in the indie film, Nine Lives, on Red Bull’s Winter Sports Compilation 2004 DVD, & on the cable program Upscale Chicago.

It is a great pleasure to be able to share music from such a prolific and well promoted artist such as Q*Ball. The production, artistry, composition, and performance of all his tracks are top-notch. To find someone this accessible — with the credits to their name — is one of the great joys of hosting and producing a show like Audio Gumshoe.

According to his web site:

Q*Ball, in defiance of the corporate, pre-packaged, American Idol-era of music, started his own label in late 2005, Bald Freak Music, to release his own albums, as well as those from other artists who would otherwise be ignored because they don’t fit the major label mold & preconception of what a “pop band” or a “rock act” should look & sound like.

With production and guitar work from Bumblefoot, the collection of music on Q*Ball’s three albums is sure to entice the listener to bounce, groove, and dance. Enjoy the show!