IPO Seattle 2013
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Artists From Seattle/Tacoma
Emilio Banda – Dripping with all kinds of cool Britpop influences from The Beatles to Bowie to Elliott Smith, Banda’s music is warm and catchy and full of memorable hooks. Catching some major label attention from the likes of Epic and Dreamworks, Banda seems destined to be a huge musical force from the Pacific Northwest to the rest of the world, so check him out now!
Boom City – The latest project of Eric Howk (formerly of The Lashes, who had a CD released on Columbia Records), Boom City combines hard hitting drums with a wall of keys and quirky upbeat melodies that will embed themselves in your grey matter for days! Fans of artists from Weezer and The Ramones to The Beach Boys and The Zombies will want to check out their six-song sampler EP, Small Fun, which is a preview of their upcoming full length, likely to be titled Big Fun. Very aptly named indeed!
Christa Says Yay – Whether you’re partial to the jazz, blues, and soul-inflected rock of the early ‘70s or the jangly alt-rock of the mid-‘90s, you will fall in love with Christa Says Yay! Imagine Stevie Nicks singing lead with Pink Floyd backed by Wilco, and you get the idea…or better yet, come check out their IPO showcase and pick up a copy of their Monster Love Machine CD!
The Copper Kings – A band who are definitely after IPO’s heart! They’re all about creating perfect pop-rock songs: catchy melodies, big guitars, and even bigger hooks! Their CD, Hellos and Goodbyes, should be part of the required curriculum at “The School of Rock” and should also be in the CD player of every powerpop fan!
Peter Fedofsky – Perhaps best known to Seattle pop fans as the man behind the ivories in Curtains For You, Fedofsky’s solo music displays his deep obsession with classic Brit-Pop influences such as The Zombies, The Kinks and The Beatles, and melds this with his love of Beach Boys harmonies. The result is pure ear candy, sure to leave you wanting more! Good thing he’s got a healthy back catalog as well as a new CD, False Ties & Nice Hoods, which is awesome and at this writing available as a free download!
Gumshen – Drawing upon an eclectic palate of musical styles, Gumshen dishes out a healthy dose of rock, pop, prog and funk\rap. Gumshen sounds like a teaming of King Crimson and Weezer adopting Elton John, renaming him Prince, and celebrating with a sunbeam of absinthe. Definitely something a bit different, but very cool!
Irene & They Go Pop! – They Go Pop! brings the music of Irene Peña to a new level (WAY past 11!), and we’re honored that she’s making her IPO showcase her debut with the band! Said music combines elements of bubblegum, punk, and girl group styles, so this is sure to be a ride you’ll want to jump on NOW! Crunch it up!
Lights From Space – “Lights From Space are an alt/pop/rock band….They…have that buzz of ‘yore’ to them, but they also have a fresh new style and also seem to sprinkle in some ‘60s pop into the mix.” (Ryan Swope, Brutal Control Blogspot) The all out rock intensity tempered by pop sensibilities displayed on their new full length CD, No One Knows We’re Here, is sure to appeal fans of artists such as Nirvana, Black Sabbath, and The Strokes, …and will ensure the title of the CD does not remain true for very long!
The Little Black Bottles – A rather enigmatic combo who deftly combine glam, folk, psychedelia, B-grade sci-fi and horror movie influences, and vaudevillian pop into a rollicking signature style all their own! Their first two CDs, Werewolf of Moncton and Let Them Eat Red Velvet Cake, are now available as a double super CD cheekily entitled Red Velvet Werewolf that is sure to appeal to fans of artists as wide ranging as David Bowie, ? and The Mysterians, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Frank Zappa, to name but a few!
Jean Mann – Noted alt-folk singer songwriter/artist/entrepreneur, Seattle’s Jean Mann has toured extensively since 2002. The innovative, self-taught performer shares her soulful life tales, woven through the voice of an angel. Her vocal prowess, combined with eclectic playing style, result in the homey, intimate feeling of sitting around a kitchen table with close friends – a wonderful concert experience.
Norrish Reaction – Their debut self-titled CD brings together the classic powerpop vibe of Big Star or The Knack, and blends it with a unique and eclectic tapestry of psych-pop alternative rock elements, provocative lyrics and swirling harmonies, all delivered with Seattle-inspired attitude. Yes, it really is that good…come check out their IPO showcase and you’ll hear what we mean!
Tae Phoenix – An independent singer/songwriter and pianist born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. She began playing the piano and singing at the age of eleven, and wrote her first song shortly thereafter. Using her three-octave range, she marries classical voice training with a heavy dose of jazz & blues influence, punctuated by a misspent youth imitating the great pop divas. If the songs on her new album, Rise, is anything to judge by, we at IPO are glad her youth was so misspent!
The Rallies – A four-piece pop band from Tacoma whose influences range from Crowded House to Tom Petty to The Beatles to The La’s to Teenage Fanclub! In other words, you’re gonna love ’em, so come to their IPO Seattle show and…love ’em!
Salvadore Dali Llama – A band who creates a sonic soundscape that is part modern alternative and part ‘80s Britpop, with a few psychedelic flourishes thrown in for good measure! Fans of artists such as Echo & The Bunnymen, The Church, and The Rolling Stones will want to check out their Foretoken EP!
Sea of Misinformation – They’ve got a high energy in-your-face alt rock attack tempered by pop melodies that will leave you mesmerized and begging for more! Think Judas Priest meets The Beatles meets Death Cab for Cutie hanging out with David Bowie, and you begin to get the picture…or better yet, just come check out their IPO showcase!
Smile Brigade – They’re into simplicity; a strong melody and a good hook, and have the knack for putting it all together, so it’s no wonder that their music hard to get out of your head! Their songs range from mildly sugarcoated pop to sleazy and riff-laden rock to melancholic lullabies. All the while they maintain a fluidity of impenetrable hooks, rich vocal harmonies and tactful composition, which can be heard on their latest CD, Do You Come Here Often?
U.S. Artists From Outside of Seattle/Tacoma
Glenn Case – A singer/songwriter from Spokane whose latest CD, Throw Money, melds all kinds of catchy pop goodness: folky harmonies with surprising melodic twists, crunchy powerpop chord progressions, and Saturday morning cartoon bubblegum pop! We dare you to try getting these hooks out of your head!
Flurries – Just as the gently falling snowflakes from which they take their name can all at once grow into a raging blizzard, so too the warm ambient sounds of this unique band from “The PDX” can shift seamlessly into a full-on rock attack and shift right back again. Soaring vocals and psychedelic effects complete the soundscape. Check them out!
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 played every IPO for three years running (that’s a total of 50, folks!) before taking a brief hiatus earlier this year. Join him in Seattle as he begins his IPO journey to break his own record! Thank you, Dave!!
