IPO Nashville 2015
Click on artist name to go to their music page
CLICK HERE to see IPO Nashville 2015 Artist Yearbook Photos
Artists From Nashville
The Alarms – An alarm is a call to change — something’s happening…and something is definitely happening with this four-piece rock outfit fronted by the songwriting chops and lead vocals of Robert Gay. The Alarms play loud, wet, jangly, fuzzy, earnest, intimate songs that fans of British Invasion and powerpop hooks are sure to love! They are the sounds going off inside your head, telling you to wake up and get a copy of their debut LP, Real Tough Love, now!
Dear Salem – Formed in the spring of 2011 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Dear Salem is made up of powerful vocals, soulful guitar, grooving bass, and solid drums, and together, the band creates a fresh and captivating sound. Their unique mix of rock, blues and pop appeals to fans both young and old. Join them at IPO as they continue to spread their music with no signs of slowing down!
Walter Egan and The Walternative Band – Remember the ‘70s radio hit “Magnet and Steel”?…if you don’t your parents probably do! Egan has lent his songwriting chops and distinctive vocal to many projects since, and shows no signs of slowing down, as evidenced by his latest album, Walternative, a blend of jangly Americana, harmony folk pop ballads, and alt rock grit that will appeal to a wide array of audiences. IPO is honored to host a performance by this veritable pop icon and his current band!
The Great Affairs – If you like crunchy guitars and hooks that embed themselves in your brain (and who doesn’t?), whether your thing is powerpop, indie rock, or Americana, you will find something to love in the music of this band! “…[A]s good as this style of pop gets…hooks and melodies galore, in the vein of Tom Petty.” (Associated Press) Fans of Cheap Trick, Foo Fighters, and Butch Walker will also dig ‘em!
The House United – A young pop-punk band poised to take the world by storm! With a powerhouse lead singer, raucous stick-in-your head hooks, and a hint of anthemic rock and blues mixed into their songs, The House United will appeal to fans of artists from Angels and Airwaves to Reliant K and Muse, to name but a few! Check them out now!
Natalie Lurie – Pop harp, you say? Well that’s what you get when a classically trained harpist moves from Boston to New York to Nashville to hone her songwriting muse, and we’re glad she did! Her debut CD, Ebb & Flow, fuses blues and country with the harp, and was recorded at the legendary FAME studio in Muscle Shoals Alabama, and features some of the original session players from the ‘60s and ‘70s! A very cool and unique performer!
Melissa Miller – A twenty-something singer songwriter whose heartfelt words and uplifting melodies paint musical pictures she invites her listener to enjoy. Her debut album, Just Push Play, will appeal to fans of artists from Debbie Gibson to Miley Cyrus to Carly Simon and Carrie Underwood!
Nelson – IPO is honored to host a special performance Gunnar and Matt Nelson, who commanded the Billboard charts in the ‘90s with their #1 song, “(I Can’t LiveWithout Your) Love & Affection” and their debut album, After The Rain! Their latest release, Peace Out, which should be available shortly after IPO, fuses classic rock guitar licks with scintillating pop hooks and soaring vocals, and proves they just keep getting better! This is one show you won’t want to miss!
Greg Pope – “It’s Greg Pope’s power pop world, and we’re all just living in it….Pope’s sound is a compendium of power pop through the ages – from British Invasion to the “mod” sound of The Who to straight-up ‘70s styled Badfinger/Raspberries pop to the today’s modern power pop.” (AbsolutePowerpop.com) Sounds too good to be true? Just check out Popmotion Animation, the latest CD by this affable gent, and you’ll be instantly hooked!
The RA-6600 – Named for a high wattage eight-track stereo, The RA-6600 is an original vocal duo with piano and drums. It combines the pop melodies of Daniel Olivas with the punk abandon of Mark Medley to create “lo-fi pop bursts” not unlike AM radio of the twentieth century. Imagine The Beatles hanging out with Elvis Costello, Burt Bacharach, and Brian Wilson at a party hosted by George Gershwin, and you get the idea!
Second Saturday – Veritable superstars of the Nashville scene at the turn of the New Millennium are honoring IPO Nashville with a reunion show! Their two albums, Here’s The Deal and Greetings From Mount Rockmore are among the best power pop discs that Music City has ever produced. Main man Wyatt Funderburk is still going strong with his solo career, and has recently re-released an expanded special edition of Greetings From Mount Rockmore with never before heard bonus tracks, but this reunion show is going to be something special. DON’T miss it!
Andrew Varner – His music is a blend of a few things you might be familiar with: catchy melodies, toe-tapping beats, rich instrumentation, relatable stories, and lyrical themes of suffering, love, angst, and wonder, but all these elements are carefully sewn together into something Varner hopes you have never heard before. Check out his latest album, Shades of Red, now!
U.S. Artists From Outside Of Nashville
The Colours Of Kings – With a punk attitude, new-wave synth pop sounds and indie-rock lyrics, Louisville’s The Colours of Kings are music’s new Tom Sawyer. Their new Up EP, recorded in basement studios and living rooms, written in pubs and alleys, whose sentiments are felt across the world, proves to be a monumental start for the band, and has been described as “Pet Shop Boys meets Postal Service”. Check it out!
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!
Kylie Hughes – A trailblazer all her life, daring to march to the beat of her own quirky muse, Hughes has created a hybrid vibe so unique that she recently had the term “Calipopicana” (also the title of her debut CD) trademarked. She has traditionally described it as a blend of the California surf vibe, with influences like The Beach Boys and The Bangles, mixed with classic pop and Americana soul. The album was produced and recorded by Earle Mankey (of Sparks) with co-writers John Ferriter and John “Fin” Finseth of the famed Santa Barbara based Cali rock band The Tearaways (see below), and Brent Bourgeois, co-founder of the veteran rock band Bourgeois-Tagg. Check it out!
DL Rossi – A singer/songwriter and cancer survivor from The Motor City whose new self-titled album brings to life songs spanning 12 years of his life that he had never previously felt comfortable sharing with others. The album tells the story of his deeply personal struggles with anxiety and depression as a constant backdrop in the midst of stumbling through love and romance, the evangelical church, anger, self-worth, and fear – all wrapped in a catchy power pop confection!
The Slang – With catchy melodies, layered guitars, and driving rhythms, The Slang is carving out a niche all their own within the indie-rock scene. Chuck Taylor, writer and senior editor for Billboard Magazine and voting member for the Grammy Awards, has described The Slang as a “nice, smooth ride…with numerous instrumental hooks,” and added that the guys have “instrumental savvy, vocal finesse, and a sing-along hook.” Check out their recently released self -titled EP and hear for yourself! Definitely one of the most exciting new bands to come out of Columbus, OH!
The Tearaways – They’ve been putting out sweet harmony-filled ear candy and crunchy powerpop gems since 1981, and are still going strong! They performed on the Arsenio Hall Show after their 10th year performing at the Mathew Street Festival in Liverpool, and their music has been featured on NBC, ABC, and ESPN and several independent films. Their 50-song recording project with famed producer Earle Mankey, The Earle Mankey Sessions Vol. IV and The Earle Mankey Sessions Vol. VII was recently released on Robo Records, A Division of Universal Music. Their new single “We’re All Gonna Drink Tonight” b/w the classic Badfinger song “Baby Blue” was also recently released on Robo Records/Universal Music and is now available on iTunes. Definitely one of Santa Barbara, California’s finest (with some Motor City roots)!
The Uncommon Houseflies – A foursome from Louisville, Kentucky who play accessible powerpop/rock, with a heaping helping of jangle and incredibly humorous lyrics. Their musical style will appeal to fans of Nerf Herder and Fountains of Wayne, and with song titles like “The F*ck You Song” and “Beating Up Hippies,” you know these boys like to have fun!
