Pop Rock

Pilot Rouge: Helen of Troy

Sometimes, all we want is a fitting return to the easy-to-listen pop rock, where we thank the Greek gods above for bands such as Pilot Rouge. Formed just this 2013, the three-member act, comprised of vocalist Kevin Terry, guitarist Max Welshinger, and keyboardist Allison Louise, pay homage to the mother of all chaos – Helen of Troy – as muse for their debut EP of the same name.

POPCULT: POPCULT EP

Once in a while , you come across a band that you just know has that special sound that could make it big if given the right amount of exposure. Popcult is one such band. This four piece crew is comprised of Justin Renaud, Tyler Venter, Alex Halvorson and Brandon Proff. Discreetly titled, 2011, this is the first EP for the group and they're offering it for free in exchange for an email address. It's a pretty good deal since you get a great set of polished indie pop rock tracks that's charming and easy to listen to.

Green River Ordinace: GRO FREE Sampler

Green River Ordinance (GRO) looks like their ready to steer the wheel to stardom. The pop-rock group composed of John Jenkins, Jamey Ice, Joshua Wilkerson, Geoff Ice, Denton Hunker have greatly evolved from their childhood in Forth Worth, Texas to the release of their latest album Under Fire and their current North American tour. The seven-track GRO Free Sampler offers a sneak peak on the band’s pleasant offerings.

Cavanaugh: Far From Chicago

At the mention of the phrase “music from Sweden”, the odds are you'll sing in your head a line or two from Dancing Queen or, if your affinities lie at the opposite pole, make a mental list of your favorite death metal bands from that part of the world. Much as outsider impression of Swedish music is limited to the spirited disco pop of ABBA and the baneful loudness of the country's vibrant metal scene, a genre that's somewhere near the confluence into which these opposing musical streams flow is peeking out for some attention. Cavanaugh, a four-piece band from Borlänge, Dalarana, is among the proponents of this genre, which the group unabashedly calls “mainstream rock”. But even as we hear that from the band itself, a deeper look into its music reveals sensibilities that have recently been missing from the mainstream scene at large. The 2009 EP Far From Chicago, spirited as it is in a way heavy, is without most of the unneccessary trappings.

TenPenny Joke: Ambush On All Sides

‘TenPenny Joke’ are a Pop Rock band from Australia and prior to their current hiatus, the band had been playing and writing for over ten years. On top of this achievement, the band has been played regularly on Australian radio and has even appeared on television a number of times. The album ‘Ambush on All Sides’ brings a quality that can be expected from 10 years of experience and its mainstream style reveals an attempt to connect with a larger audience. In regards to this album, ‘TenPenny Joke’ have promised ‘15 original, killer tracks with diverse shades and roaring guitars’ and its success on both internet polls and radio shows suggests that this is a fair call.

Dirty Wings by Josh Woodward – Pop Rock with Quirky Lyrics

The one-man alterno-acoustic livewire act from Ohio strikes again. One of the most consistent creative commons artists out there, Josh Woodward is definitely one artist to watch out for every time he releases something new. Dirty Wings is actually an older album from his entire collection, but like most of his work, its filled with catchy, pop, acoustic indie tracks that are nice to sing along to.

Earthman Embassy “Demonstrations” – laid-back rock from New Jersey

Another great band is slowly making their way to create a name in the industry. During the summer heat of 2007, Earthman Embassy, a band from New Jersey, USA, started creating demo songs in a well-known school called, “Anthony Vitale’s Original Music School.” Slowly, from one song, their compositions developed to two, then to three, until they have written and composed nine great songs that comprised their soft, but rocking, first album, “Demonstrations.”

Go Home Robot “Candles and Bombs” – psychedelic pop/rock mixed to perfection with electronica

High-octane, intricate and frenzied - these are the best words to describe "Candles and Bombs", Go Home Robot's first ever album. The album is a polished mix of psychedelia, rock, pop, and electronica, with a healthy dash of mad experimentation that gives Go Home Robot a style that's truly their own. On top of that, these guys from Arlington, VA know how to make love to their instruments and you can feel their passion in every song of this - dare I say it? - work of art. If you're sick of bands who can't play a guitar to save their lives, now is a good time to listen to people who seriously know their stuff.