pop

Wild Kids: Love Matters

‘Love matters’ so much that it has driven Wild Kids to come up with a fun debut EP. The Winnipeg-based duo, composed of Devin Frezzi on vocals and percussion and Sid Bellinger on guitars and bass, recently released the pompous collection Love Matters, and it sounds like 80s pop set to dubstep.

Emerald Park: Things EP

Take a stroll through the ‘emerald park’, where random ‘things’ abound, except for a dull time. Hailing from Malmö, Sweden, the guys and gal (only one) of Emerald Park surely know how to cook some infectious tunes.

Hanson: 21 Years of Music

No further introduction on this one: the boys of Hanson are wiping off their “Mmmbop” personas once and for all! Celebrating their 21 years in the industry – can you believe it? – Zac, Isaac, and Taylor are releasing this 5-track EP as a sort-of recap of highlights within their recent years. It’s mostly composed of live tracks, so the listening experience is akin to being a part of the crowd, screaming and all that.

Child Actor: Partner

If you think a union between R&B and electronica is impossible, then you might need to rewire your hearing. Fake Four Records’ new act, Child Actor, has come up with one of the most amazing R&B projects ever, and yes, it pertains to what I said above. Intermingling synth pop with rhythmic percussion beats, their debut EP Partner has set the stage on what was to become their trademark sound.

Daniel Greenwood: Goldsmoor

Goldsmoor is a hit goldmine, the one of the recent releases from the wildly-tasteful British music machine. Coming forth in the vein of Ed Sheeran, it’s not hard to adore how Daniel Greenwood crafts his music: smooth, heartfelt, and consciously ostentatious – but that naturally comes with the excitement and the youthful exuberance that comes with being a normal 20 year old.

ToriTori: Boom

Speakers are about to go Boom, as ToriTori releases her first ever EP of radio-friendly R&B tunes. Just one glance at the way that she’s packaged, and you can definitely see that ToriTori (Latoria Boyd in real life) only has mainstream dominance on her mind. That possibility isn’t far from happening though, since ‘Boom’ is looking to be one well-crafted collection.

Ashton Parson: Walk on the Water

Sit back, relax, and tune your precious headphones to Ashton Parson’s debut EP, Walk on the Water. Brooklyn native Ashton Parson, whose genre of music he describes as “swamp pop”, sounds more like a dainty equivalent for pop. Nevertheless, its ‘catchiness’ sits right beside that soul-infused brand of pop rock which plagues Maroon 5 and The Script’s records.

Tearjerker: Hiding

Where have the good tunes been ‘hiding’? In Tearjerker’s stash of an EP! Canadian indie band Tearjerker has been seeing a recent surge on its following, a long way since their first LP in 2009 (“Slouching”). However, Micah Bonte, Trevor Hawkins, and Taylor Shute refuse to stray from what they play best: trippy pop music.

The Simple Carnival: Girls

Vintage is cool again, and one-man band The Simple Carnival isn’t the attraction to be left behind. Once you pop in the Girls EP, memories of good ol’ beach-ready radio in the 70′s hearken back to mind, which is exactly the correct description. The Beach Boys and Hall & Oates will surely laud the outcast-appreciating, stalker anthem “Really Really Weird”, as well as those unforgettable summer memories, which are summoned by “Caitlin’s On The Beach”.