IPO San Francisco 2019
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Artists From The Bay Area
Ardent Sons – A rock n’ soul trio out of Oakland, Ardent Sons music leans more to Sam and Dave, Little Richard, and Otis Redding than towards Big Star and The Beatles, while retaining enough hooks to lure in many a pop fan. Their brand new LP, No More Than This, is “…immersive and very solid American rock with big shots of soul, funk and rhythm and blues. The main focus is on Sales drum playing, the vocal harmonies and his wonderful, nagging voice with a big wink to Graham Parker.” (AltCountryForum.nl)
Jason Berk – A critically acclaimed singer-songwriter who comes to the west coast (he splits time between Los Angeles and San Francisco) by way of New York, Berk has proven himself to be a musical tour-de-force, teaching himself guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, ukulele, mandolin, and banjo, and garnering nationwide radio-play. His classic musical style has drawn comparison to such greats as The Beatles, Randy Newman, The Beach Boys, and Elvis Costello, to name but a few! Check out his latest album, Everything Old Is New Again, and his IPO showcase to see and hear what we mean!
The Bobbleheads – An absolutely engaging combo who’ve created, as they put it, a “niche of niceness” with their “bubblegum flavored indiepop”, in which can be heard musical influences ranging from flower power pop to experimental chamber music! Their latest album, Myths and Fables, is a bit more serious than their previous works (their debut, Automatic Fun, still ranks as one of the good feelin’ CDs of The New Millennium), but will still put a smile on your face. The album (recently released on Big Stir Records) has also been getting some well-deserved critical acclaim; the February 2019 edition of ThriveGlobal.com called it “[t]he perfect sonic intersection of modern pop flavors.” Pretty cool, huh?
Bray & The Dens – Bray is a San Francisco-based singer songwriter with the fire and strut of the quintessential rock front-man, the moves and voice of the classic soul-man and the quick self-effacing humor of a beloved talk show host. Ignited by slinky grooves, ultra-catchy pop rock hooks, and a kinetic live performance style, Bray fuels audiences into a feel-good frenzy with every show. His new album, The Aliens Are Here, will appeal to fans of artists such as Bowie, Prince, and Lenny Kravitz, to name but a few. Bray & The Dens have rocked everything from large arenas with over 50,000 in attendance to backroom bars, and have shared the stage with pop rock luminaries from Train and Slash to Scott Weiland, members of The Doors, and Prince’s Revolution, and we can’t wait to see them do their thing at IPO!
The Clarences – The Clarences were hatched by Robert A. Medeiros in Oakland, California. He was traumatized because Mego never made a Green Lantern action figure. Then, he met Erin Shannon at a reading aboard a b-52. After that, he met Leslie Outhier at a Canadian bunny farm. Together, they are The Clarences…part vaudeville sideshow, part ELO-inflected glammy orchestrated power pop outfit, and definitely one of the most fun bands in the Bay Area!
Corner Laughers – A band known for quirky intelligent lyrics, catchy melodies, harmonies, and fun! The Corner Laughers’ latest album, The Matilda Effect, offers the clever wordplay, magical melodies and heartbreaking harmonies fans and critics have come to expect from the group, while displaying their wry and witty spirit of adventure. Corner Laughers fans will also want to check out front woman Karla Kane’s debut solo album, King’s Daughters Home for Incurables, on which she leads listeners into an intriguing land of acorns and tea leaves, feminism and fairy tales, pagan pop and pastoral protest songs, whimsical wanderings and sharp observations on the current state of the world, where sunny California indie meets melancholy English folk and the redwood meets the oak.
Eric Friedmann and The Lucky Rubes – The songs on their latest CD, Telephone Girl, perfectly straddle the line between the alt-country vibe of bands like Walter Clevenger and The Dairy Kings or The Jayhawks and the traditional power pop of Cheap Trick or The Knack. The current lineup rocks harder than ever…and boy, can Friedmann write a good hook!
Scott Gagner – Originally from Minneapolis, Gagner began his musical career in San Francisco, writing songs with hooks both surprising and inevitable. He’s released three LP’s: the sprawling debut Rhapsody in Blonde, the lush Rise & Shine, and his latest LP, Pins & Needles, which was released in late 2017 and seamlessly blends power-pop, psychedelia, alt-country, rock, and heartfelt balladry into a cohesive whole. “His potential is limitless!” (Powerpopaholic) He’ll be releasing his brand new one, Hummingbird Heart, at IPO San Francisco, for which we are truly honored!
Goggy – A space capsule was sent centuries ago with hibernating space felines. Their mission: to share their music with earthlings. They are amongst us, stealthily humming tunes while we slumber. Goggy is people!! Goggy is rock! The side-project of keyboardist/singer-songwriter Margrit Eichler (of the bay area trio, True Margrit), in the studio Goggy is just Margrit tinkering away, until her cats Luc and Freddi purr approval, but onstage Goggy is Margrit, Nick O’Connor (of Sweet Peaches) and Pam Delgado (of Blame Sally), and together they deliver quirky experimental piano pop at its finest! Their recent Satellites and Saints CD has been called “[a]n art-pop mix of sly songcraft and production savvy” by noted pop journalist Alan Haber – come to their IPO showcase to pick up a copy and check out the band as they do these tunes live!
The Morning Line – After a long hiatus, The Morning Line is back, with songs that range from chunky power pop to spacious and melodic Americana! Fronted by singer-songwriter Stephen Smith (Salem 66, God’s Eye, and Green Magnet School), the band also features Brian Mello on guitar, Peter Craft on drums, and David Knupp on bass. Their new album, North, has been compared to artists from Wilco to Elvis Costello and Mathew Sweet! “With twelve songs, no duds and a willingness to help you reconnect with the greatest albums of your youth, North is a fantastic record. Just fantastic. Sometimes reflective and moody, but often bringing good times via a world of chiming guitars and hooks that eventually get right under the skin…” (RealGoneRocks.com)
Sean O’Brien and His Dirty Hands – If you like the grittier, angular side of folk rock with just a touch of twang, you will certainly appreciate the music of this man and his band(s)! Having been a member of The Meantime, True West, Cottonmouth, The Mariettas, and Denim TV, he now performs with his band The Dirty Hands. The current live band features Greg Lisher of Camper Van Beethoven on guitar; Kevin T. White of Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express on bass, and long time co-producer/engineer Matt Boudreau on drums, and deliver pure angular power pop led by O’Brien’s David Byrne-esque vocals! His brand new album,
Dawn Oberg – We’d like to thank Leisure McCorkle (who has played many an IPO, including San Francisco in 2017) for introducing us to this very eclectic and electric local pop chanteuse! With an engaging storyteller’s gift for lyrics (some of which are subversively witty, so you’ll definitely want to pay attention!) and a wide range of musical influences – everything from jazz, R&B, and pop to punk and country – her songs will seem instantly relatable and catchy to just about everyone! Check out her IPO showcase, as well as her latest EP, Nothing Rhymes with Orange!
TRIP WIRE – A quartet made up of founding members Marty Schneider and Bill Hunt, plus the more recent additions of Stu Shader on drums and Jeff Shelton (main man of The Spinning Jennies and The Well Wishers – see below) on bass. Together, they produce short catchy songs that revolve around that perfect juxtaposition of power pop, indie-rock, psychedelic rock and garage styles. As such, fans of The Replacements, Teenage Fanclub, Guided By Voices, and REM will surely dig ‘em! Their latest CD, Once & Always, has been called “…a solid pure dose of modern pop delivered with style and conviction….You won’t hear unnecessary instruments tossed in, nor are the songs filled with clever studio gimmicks…. when you’ve got the songs you don’t need all that extraneous stuff muddying things up.” (BabySue.com) Pretty cool!
Chris von Sneidern – A true legend of the San Francisco pop scene, this man has almost re-invented himself by being one of the most prolific songwriters on the scene for many years, delivering disc after disc of unpretentious delights. His CDs have gotten rave responses from all who have heard them, including von Sneidern’s 2nd album, Big White Lies, being awarded the #6 spot in The Greatest Power Pop Albums of All-Time, as compiled by noted pop journalist John M. Borack in his book Shake Some Action! His latest masterpiece, Emerge – which he calls The White Album of his career, is finally available, and will be well worth the wait to both long-time fans and new-found devotees!
The Well Wishers – The latest project by the main man of San Francisco stalwarts, Spinning Jennies, The Well Wishers sound is a little less power pop and closer to that of Shelton’s long time musical heroes, The Posies. Based on a solid foundation of melody, song-craft, and the ever important “musical hook”, the Well Wishers’ deliver a warm, full-bodied sound and engaging take on the typical power pop formula. The latest Well Wishers album, A View From Above, amplifies the crucial elements that have brought the Well Wishers to the top of the power pop heap: hook-filled melodies, soaring vocal harmonies, big crunchy guitars and bold, layered arrangements that highlight a honed and skilled pop songcraft, and may be their best yet!
U.S. Artists From Outside of The Bay Area
The Armoires – Led by the paisley-clad duo of Rex Broome and Christina Bulbenko and hailing from Burbank, CA, The Armoires have turned heads worldwide with their unique harmony-driven, jangly songcraft, blending the sounds of SoCal legends like The Byrds, X, and hits-era Fleetwood Mac with a lyrical sensibility that’s all their own. It’s on display on their acclaimed debut album Incidental Lightshow and their brand spanking new sophomore release Zibaldone. Renowned as community builders on the global pop scene, they’re also the founders of the Big Stir: Power Pop & More concert series, which has blossomed into a record label featuring some of the best power pop practitioners around! In fact, many of the artists on their label are featured as guest performers on Zibaldone…see how many you can recognize on the cover!
Blake Jones & The Trike Shop – Hailing from the unlikely hamlet of Kingsburg, California, this ensemble uses just about every instrument under the sun to create some bizarre, witty, quirky, yet ultimately melodic sounds, and have become an IPO fan favorite from LA to Liverpool! The Trike Shop’s “The Turtles meets Frank Zappa” stylings never fail to be delightful enigmatic and quirky, and their latest album, Make, released on Big Stir Records, showcases them at their delightfully zany and melodic best! Definitely something a little bit different!
Plasticsoul – Celebrating the much-anticipated release of their third and most rocking album, Therapy (on Big Stir Records), LA & Crockett California-based Plasticsoul are a hook-propelled American spin on the history of British rock from The Beatles to the Bunnymen to Oasis, blessed with the powerful voice and sharp-edged tunes of front-man Steven Wilson. Their prior releases both won multiple Album of the Year awards and garnered rave reviews. With a formidable and propulsive live act that’s pure rock and roll energy and a deep catalogue of finely crafted and emotive songs, Plasticsoul is currently at the height of their considerable powers. Check them out and pick up a copy of the album!
Streetcar Conductors – Originally the brainchild of Jonathan Moore, Streetcar Conductors have branched out into a full-fledged ensemble. Their style can be described as power pop with elements of garage rock, ‘60s pop, ‘90s alternative rock, and ‘80s new wave. Catchy melodies, overdriven guitars, male-female sing-along vocals, and analog synthesizers lend a timeless appeal to their songs. This is not the flavor of the month; it’s a classic pop sound that will never go out of style. This streetcar is rolling. Hop on board, and see where it takes you!