IPO Phoenix 2013
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Artists From Phoenix
The Breakup Society – The quintessential Phoenix garage-powerpop outfit (by way of Pittsburgh), these guys just keep getting better and better. Their new album, So Much Unhappiness, So Little Time, will appeal to fans of Elvis Costello, The Kinks, and Big Star, to name but a few, and is definitely their best yet!
Cait Brennan – A singer songwriter with a unique brand of glitter glam soulful rock n’ roll sung straight from the heart. Plus, you gotta love anyone who can channel Roy Orbison, Elton John, Freddy Mercury, John Lennon, and Etta James in the space of a single set!
Dfactor – Combining quirkily clever lyrics with classic pop melodies, Dfactor will appeal to fans of The Jam, The Beatles, and Cheap Trick, to name but a few! Check out his brand new four-song EP, Big Blue Bridge, and you’ll hear what we mean!
Marvin Leo Forte – Anyone who cites influences like The Beatles, Badfinger, Del Amitri, Matthew Sweet, The Shins, XTC has definitely got it going on, and Forte lives up to the billing as he brings some sweet (no pun intended) power pop with a bit of that classic Arizona inflection! Gorgeous stuff!
Future Loves Past – “Future Loves Past somehow combines indie rock, psychedelia, Americana, outright folk music, country embellishments, a touch of British Invasion and hints of 1970s classic rock with flourishes of 80s synth work […] the aural amazement at their shows can’t be denied in any capacity.” (Mitchell L. Hillman – soundsaroundtown.net) They’re in the studio working on a new concept album, which we can hardly wait to hear!
Geoff Hurley – Having spent many years behind the scenes as a producer and studio musician working with the likes of luminaries from Mary Wilson of The Supremes to Alice Cooper (!), Hurley has finally stepped out of the booth and put out an album of his own. The result is One Step Closer, a collection of impossibly catchy soulful rock songs with a bluesy note reminiscent of influences such as The Beatles, Tom Petty, Supertramp and Steely Dan, but decidedly his own.
The Naked Chollas – If you long for the heyday of a real band that plays real instruments that can sing and actually have melody and some killer harmonies then you need to listen no further then the Chollas. Their critically acclaimed 1998 Let’s Go! CD is considered by many to be a desert powerpop classic, and we at IPO are thrilled that they’re reformed and back at doing their thing – and they can still do it better than just about anyone!
Carol Pacey & The Honey Shakers – Originally from the East Coast, Pacey moved out west and became enamored with what Arizona and Mexico had to offer. Her uncommonly upbeat songs blend Americana’s mix of folk, alt-country and rock and roll, with a touch of the desert rock style of her adopted home. She brings it all to her shows with enthusiasm, ease and pure joy, so come check her out now!
Russian Arms and Optics – Creating upbeat indie rock with a mix of dance and pop sensibility, the band creates heavy hooks that will get stuck in your head long after your first listen. Their debut EP, So Close Yet So Foreign, mixes indie/dance/pop with organ and synth sounds hanging in the backgrounds that fans of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs or The Sounds will be sure to appreciate.
Serene Dominic & The GemSeekers – Serene Dominic may be known in Phoenix pop circles as a music journalist, but he’s a worthy subject as a musician and songwriter in his own right! Glammy, campy, and a whole lot of fun, both musically and lyrically! Serene Dominic has a huge catalog of tunes, and he and The Gemseekers sing ‘em with an undeniable joy and passion…so check them out!
Zero Zero – An electro-fuzz project created by singer/keyboardist Nicole Laurenne (of the awesome Phoenix garage band, The Love Me Nots!), guitarist Michael Johnny Walker, and drummer Nick Ramirez. Their debut album, MAYDAY, will appeal to fans of The Love Me Nots, The B-52s and The Ting Tings, to name but a few!
U.S. Artists From Outside Of Phoenix
The Cherry Bluestorms – After discovering their mutual love of ‘60s guitar based melodic rock, guitarist/vocalist Glen Laughlin (formerly of The Dickies) and vocalist Deborah Gee immediately began working on what would become The Cherry Bluestorms. Their debut album, Transit of Venus, is a garden of unearthly delights for those who cut their teeth on the vinyl pressed between 1964 and 1970! Their sophomore effort, a concept album called Bad Penny Opera, will be available at their IPO Phoenix showcase!
The Modeens – A wonderful outfit from Tucson who draw from the past and take it into the now with classic elements of rock-n-roll, 60’s psychedelia & garage, combined with soaring vocal harmonies, electronic textures and memorable melodies. Throw in shades of punk and americana – and you got a helluva sonic ride! Check out their Get With The Times EP, and watch for a new full length due out soon!
International Artists
Dave Rave – He began popping very powerfully indeed a near quarter century ago as part of the legendary Canadian bands Teenage Head and The Shakers, and has often been referred to as “The Canadian Nick Lowe.” His latest CD, Live With What You Know, was nominated for a Grammy, as was one of its songs “Anne Marie”!! He’s played every IPO for almost three years running, with many more to come. Thank you, Dave!!
