Pop Rock

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Kopecky Family Band: Embraces EP

A "family" since 2007, the Kopecky Family Band is a beautiful gathering of 5 boys and 1 girl who sing melodic indie pop rock that will certainly put you in a good and relaxing mood. The band hails from Nashville, TN and evolved after plenty of late nights sharing and talking about dreams. Since their formation, the group has performed for several big ticket events such as CMJ, SXSW and Bonnaroo. This is the first out of three EPs the six-piece have released so far. This one is a couple of years old but it retains that same quiet beauty that most listeners will surely fall for.

Tin Armor: Life Of Abundance

Tin Armor is a folk pop band from Ohio. This quartet creates lovely piano infused rock that brings to mind great melodic rock artists such as Ben Folds, Jeff Buckley and The Band. Life Of Abundance is the band's full length debut record. It's currently being offered at a pay-what-you-want offer over at their BandCamp page and comes with 12 awesome tracks that showcases the groups penchant for gorgeous vocal melodies and sweeping instrument work. Each track is a privy to a sincere emotion; giving you a chance to feel what the singer is going through and the thoughts running through his head.

Fine Young Firecrackers: From The Ground Up

If you're in the mood for some fine music, take a listen to Fine Young Firecrackers. This new band from Liverpool is among the latest group of awesome bands that have come out of the city. They bring in tons of energy, great beats and plenty of personality with their debut EP, From The Ground Up; making sure that you take notice and enjoy their sound. Their music is reminiscent of various feel-good punk pop acts that you put on if you just want some good, uncomplicated and enjoyable music to keep you company throughout your day.

Born Without Bones: Say Hello

Born Without Bones is a laid back indie power pop band that you'll find hanging around Milford, MA. Say Hello is the first album for the band and it's a compilation that pretty much expands on the power pop/emo rock phase that most bands seemed to be stuck in for awhile. The album features 12 tracks that run the gamut of punk, acoustic pop, and a bit of indie rock. I'm gonna put it out there that if you dislike power pop or anthemic highschool emo rock, then you best stay away. But if you live for this stuff, keep reading and you just might find a gem in this record.

The Colorful Quiet: My World With You EP

The Colorful Quiet is a one-man band manned by Stephen K. Webster. He handles both the guitars and vocals; performing beautiful strip down tracks that are both impressive and endearing. My World With You - EP might be a short 5-track compilation but it's enough to convince any acoustic folk pop lover that this one is worth keeping. The artist has released several compilation under his name since 2001. In fact, this short EP is the first one he ever came out with. Most of the short compilations are offered for free but the full albums are often available for a short (but definitely worth it) price.

Rozwell Kid: The Rozwell Kid LP

Rozwell Kid is the brainchild of Jordan Hudkins, a drummer from the band The Demon Beat. For this LP, he took a break from his drumming and tried out his hand at creating alternative electro noise pop. Listening to it now, it seems he's stumbled onto something here. This is his first foray into the solo route and it's proving a success. The Rozwell Kid LP comes with 10 tracks and one bonus single. According to the artist, his goal for the album was "to create the kind of music I love listening to, release it into the wild, and hope it finds an audience who can relate to my passion for thick, noisy power-pop.”

The Miracals: Hermosa (EP)

If you miss the days of surfer rock music, rest assured, you'll be able to relive the nostalgia as you listen to The Miracals. (Yes, their name spelling is a bit weird but their music is quite pleasant.) All four members are college students from Southern California. They initially called themselves, "The Smiles" but for some reason changed it to The Miracals. They like to describe their music as "beach rock" or the more quirky "tropical grunge," gathering influence from one of the bands that shaped the genre, The Beach Boys. Hermosa EP is a nice compilation that screams of summer fun. Even in the dead of winter, it's perfect for bringing some sunshine to dreary mornings.

Goodbye Kumiko: My Wild Arms

What is there to say about Goodbye Kumiko? Well maybe the fact that there is nearly nothing I could find on the artists standing behind the album... So let the music speak for itself. My Wild Arms is a wonderful collection of ten tracks, each with it's own flavor. They come in all shapes and sizes and range from the Beatlelesque cuts to chamber-pop sounds with some dream like instrumental and piano additions. The album, recorded in Philadelphia with Bill Moriarty (Man Man, Dr. Dog, et al), is currently offered as a pay what you want/free download from the bands' Bandcamp website, so enjoy every bit of its wonderful chill out sounds.

Nueva Noventa: Colors

A product of years of work and countless rehearsals; Colors by Nueva Noventa contains a lushness that only time could have filled and created. Nueva Noventa is a four piece indie rock crew from Santiago, Chile. Their sound focuses on indie pop rock but also introduces elements of electronica once in awhile. There's nothing much out there about the band or the members themselves. It seems they're among the few bands who like to let their sound do all the talking instead. Frankly, this works just fine as their music is capable of communicating and reaching out to its audience.