IPO Boston 2015
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Artists From Boston
1.4.5. – They take their name from the classic three chord progression that rock is built upon. They played many famous clubs in the early ‘80s (Max’s Kansas City, CBGB’s, The Rat, etc.) and were playing loud punk-pop with a three-piece lineup fronted by Paul Armstrong (also of The Flashcubes) while Green Day were still playing Little League! The band reformed after a 20 year hiatus to play IPO in 2007, and we’re always glad to have ‘em back!
Corin Ashley – A singer/songwriter who for several years was the driving force behind the hyper mod-pop band, The Pills. Ashley’s first solo album, Songs From The Brill Bedroom, is a stripped down, organic and homegrown affair which falls halfway between Neil Finn and Neil Young. His latest, New Lion Terraces, builds upon this simple foundation and interlaces it with gentle layers of intricate harmonies and instrumentation that will also appeal to fans of orchestrated soft pop. Not only is the music beautiful, but it also serves a beautiful cause, as a portion of the proceeds go to benefit Boston Children’s Hospital!
The Eric Barao Band – Long-time fans of Boston powerpop may remember Barao as a co-founder of local pop-darlings, The Cautions. In his latest project, he’s teamed up with some of the coolest musicians from the Boston pop underground to perform some of the best orchestrated Beatle-esque pop around! The “…long-awaited debut [self-titled] album blends clever lyrics with indelible melodies to form an instant powerpop classic” (Bandcamp.com) Fans of Jason Falkner and Bleu (who co-produced the album!) will also dig it!
Big City Rockers – IPO is proud to host a special rare performance by several members of Boston’s pop rock legends, The Atlantics, along with IPO mainstay, Anthony Kaczynski of Fireking (see below), who is the current lead vocalist for the band! The Atlantics toured in powerpop’s heydays opening for acts like Cheap Trick and Roxy Music, and despite never quite breaking nationally, they are still to this day considered one of the best Boston rock bands of all time. Their latest release, POWER POP, (as if the name doesn’t say it all!), is a definitive collection of singles and demos from The Atlantics, 1977-1982, and together with Atlantics and Atlantics Live, provides a complete collection of sensational tracks by this legendary Power Pop Band! It’s been several years since their last IPO appearance, and we can’t wait to see them do their thing once more!
The Brigands – The latest incarnation of this band of brothers (known as The Bouncers in the ‘80s) has been going strong under their family name since the late 1990s, rocking it up with their pulverizing mix of ‘70s and ‘80s Mass Ave. scene covers, as well as Brigands originals. A totally fun band who will appeal to fans of The Clash, The Ramones, and The New York Dolls! While their self-titled CD totally rocks, this is one band you will want to see live, so don’t miss their IPO showcase!
Fireking – A band sired by former members of Figures On A Beach, who claim to be the “rock experience of the 21st Century.” The sound on their Live A Little, Love A Little CD falls somewhere between Face To Face -era Kinks and The Stooges’ Funhouse, and their performance at The Cavern at IPO Liverpool in 2005 had many of the locals begging for more! Speaking of “more”, their long-awaited Double Trouble album was released earlier this year, and features a whopping 22 tracks of their trademark high-octane rawk!
Natalie Flanagan – Cambridge based rocker Natalie Flanagan has a multifaceted reputation as a songwriter and performer, whether as an intimate solo player or rocking with a band. Her musical influences are Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Chrissy Hynde, Mazzy Star, Neal Young, Velvet Underground and The Rolling Stones, all of which can be heard in her songs. Her debut full length CD, LET, is a powerful expression of a confident original voice, with songs that are very honest and real. Check it out!
The FORZ – They may be from the banks of The Charles, but their sound captures all the excitement and energy of classic Merseybeat! Their self-titled debut album features 15 catchy original tracks of their vintage-yet-refreshing rock sound. They are also known for their high energy live performances, so don’t miss them!
Marriage Material – They started playing around with new indie-pop sounds in a dark basement, but have thankfully come up out of the basement to share their songs with the masses, in the form of their debut self titled EP and dynamic live performances. As they continue to create new music and their dance moves get funkier, Marriage Material continues to see their fan base grow in the US and abroad. The group brings high-energy to the stage and loves to get the crowd dancing!
Arthur Nasson – A rock Renaissance man with seven full-length albums to his credit, Nasson seamlessly shifts from quirky Dylan-esque folk to art rock, jazz, and Beatle-esque powerpop….sometimes in the same song (several of which have been picked up by MTV)! Fans of ELO and The Cars will also dig this stuff! His latest EP, The Emperor’s New Sound, has been scarfing up rave reviews, including a nod for a likely Top Ten of the Year from The Aquarian Weekly!
Michael Oliver & The Sacred Band – Yin and Yanxiety, Oliver’s latest album, is a touchingly personal collection of intelligent pop and rock songs reminiscent of Matthew Sweet, Marshall Crenshaw, REM and even The Archies! It is an emotional meditation on the past, filled with beautifully crafted songs that glisten, glow, and grandly unfold, with vocals lingering and lyrics resonating long after the songs have faded.
Richie Parsons – Bittersweet powerpop with a just the right amount of country-fied jangle is what you will find on Honey and Tears, the latest disc from Parsons and his band, which has been receiving rave reviews. Fans of Marshall Crenshaw, The Jayhawks, and The Replacements will eat this stuff up for breakfast!
Powderhouse – With a sound that combines alt-country, garage rock, power pop and classic rock, Powderhouse is not unlike a combination of Kathleen Edwards, Liz Phair and Beth Orton fronting Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers. Check out their latest EP, Life in Black and White, and hear for yourself!
John Powhida – Long a fixture in the Boston music scene, Powhida is a multiple Boston Music Award nominee whose songs have been featured on network TV series, such as My Name Is Earl and Men In Trees. His latest project, The John Powhida International Airport, is a potent six-piece rock, disco, soul, and pop fusion entertainment unit of the highest original order, whose latest album, Airport Life, will also appeal to fans of folk rock, electronica, and orchestrated pop!
SHIRR – Inspired by albums such as Mylo Xyloto (Coldplay), Fading West (Switchfoot), and Night Visions (Imagine Dragons), SHIRR’s brand new album, The Bright Side (which should be released by the time you read this!), is a melodic treasure trove that reminds us to dream big, love completely, and fear not. SHIRR’s talent for insistent melody lines, inspiring stories, and kaleidoscopic drum patterns combine to move the listener above the waist…and below!
Trick Wallace Trio – A power pop trio meets jazz trio all-in-one! As if that wasn’t enough, they also throw in a bit of punk and grunge. Truly a unique band that you must experience for yourself, and we’re thrilled to have them back to kick off the festivities for IPO Boston yet again!
Watts – A dynamic four-piece aptly named for the gentleman drummer of the Rolling Stones, Watts’ sound combines all the best elements of ‘70s glam, old school punk, new wave, British Invasion and straight up rock ‘n roll to create a timeless amalgam of “crunching riffs that carry a cracking melody and considerable swagger” (Vive Le Rock Magazine UK). The band was named one of 2008’s “Bands You Must Hear” by the UK’s Classic Rock magazine, and just keep getting better with age…check out their latest album, On The Dial, and hear what we mean! Watts ROCK!!
U.S. Artists From Outside Of Boston
Lannie Flowers Band – Although Flowers and the band hail from the great state of Texas, they’ve done what no other artist in the history of the LA Music Awards has done…namely, taking home four awards in a single year in 2013! His latest CD, New Songs, Old Stories, picks up where his earlier disc, Circles, left off, but rocks even harder! Badfinger-esque in-your-face guitars and vocal harmonies blend with softer shifting harmonies more reminiscent of XTC, but that fans of artists from The Raspberries to The Velvet Underground will be sure to appreciate! We also appreciate that he and his band have played the IPO festival in many cities throughout the world and continue to do so, with no sign of slowing down!
Cliff Hillis – One of the Philadelphia area music scene’s favorite sons, Hillis has long been a favorite of hardcore power pop fans worldwide, drawing comparisons to Matthew Sweet, Bread, Elvis Costello, and every great pop artist in between, but has been making a name for himself nationally since the release of his critically acclaimed Better Living Through Compression CD. His recent Song Machine EP, takes the energy and production up yet another level!
London Egg – This totally groovy band blends the chic of swinging London with the modern mod rock energy of their New York home turf. Fans of artists such as The Rolling Stones, The Small Faces, T-Rex, and The Jam will dig both of their CDs, including their latest, If It Takes Forever, produced by the legendary Kurt Reil of The Grip Weeds!
Oberon Rose – An underground psych-rock band from Connecticut, led by the songwriting prowess of Tim Oberon. Their 2012 debut disc, wunjo, has drawn comparisons to The Posies, The Zombies, and The Kinks, to name but a few! Check it out now!
The Tripping Souls – A cool slice of indie rock meets Brit pop from Concord, New Hampshire, “…the mature jam rock [on their debut self-titled EP] is reminiscent of the post-Nirvana mid-‘90s scene with a hint of a ‘70s Brit-pop-punk hybrid.” (Ben Conant, The Concord Insider) Their recent Don’t Waste Your Life CD is a must for fans of Paul Weller, Oasis and The Beatles!
Wizard Farm – A collective from Hartford, Connecticut who weave beautiful sonic waves for your aural enjoyment. Their music is a magical fusion of psychedelia, pop, and rock – with a few surprises thrown in for good measure! Their latest release, Jams for Haiti, is a Charity Compilation Album put together in support of the Hoof It For Haiti Foundation in Rocky Hill. 50% of all proceeds go straight to the people of Haiti through their foundation, so come out and show your support!
Phil Yates – A Burlington, Vermont based singer-songwriter who describes his sound as “too folky for the rockers and too rocky for the folkers,” Phil blends (at least what he thinks are) clever lyrics with melodies full of hooks. We think so too, and we believe you will as well! His album with his band, The Affiliates, Oh So Sour, reached #20 on the charts for Radio 1190 (Boulder/Denver, CO)!
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.” In addition to being one of the most entertaining and hardworking powerpoppers around, he’s also been known to display his jazzy side on several collaborations with fellow Canadian singer/songwriter, Mark McCarron. A recent CD, Live With What You Know, was nominated for a Grammy, as was one of its songs, “Anne Marie”, and his new CD, Sweet American Music, is quite probably his best ever!! From 2010 to 2014 he played 50 IPO festivals in a row (yes, you read that right), and he still plays many of them…and we look forward to many more. Thank you, Dave!!