IPO Boston 2022
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Artists From The Boston Area
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 Boston’s 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, Broken Biscuits, is “…filled with deep rewards for Anglophiles and power pop fans” (Pop Matters); no wonder it found its way towards the top of a 2017 “best of” list or two.
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!
Captain Easychord – Born Tom Despres, Captian Easychord is a keyboardist/singer/songwriter who’s been playing his quirky yet entertaining songs – think Zappa meets Elton John – in public since 2002. He’s been a fixture at various open-mic and singer/songwriter events in the artist-rich Somerville/Cambridge, MA music community, and we’re glad to welcome him to his first IPO.
Dave Charles – Brother of Boston musician/producer extraordinaire Brian Charles; if you come to Dave’s IPO show you can see that the apple hasn’t fallen far from the genes, as he delivers song after song of sparkling pop/rock! His latest single, Sideways, is a collaboration with Corin Ashley (see above).
Dave Finney and The Procrastinators – Featuring members of The Spicolis, Powderhouse, The Rotary Prophets and The Generous Poor, they play tasty original roots rock and “artisanal” covers that they make all their own. Fans of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bob Seger, and CCR will dig their Procrastination Songs, Vol. 1 EP! They’ve got some new music planned for release in 2022 and we can hardly wait to hear it!
Glowbox – Like many great power pop bands, Glowbox is built on a foundation of two guitars, bass, and drums, with all four members of the band sharing an affinity for the classic melodic rock of the ‘60s and ‘70s. As such, their latest album, Your Call Is Very Important To Us, will appeal to fans of artists such as Squeeze, The Who, and The Knack, and is replete with harmonies. We can’t wait to see and hear them rock IPO again!
Hummingbird Syndicate – The Mamas and the Papas led to The Archies led to ABBA. The Byrds led to Buffalo Springfield led to The Flying Burrito Brothers. The Velvet Underground and Nico led to Eno and Roxy. Ray Price led to George Jones. Hummingbird Syndicate is the love child of all of the above – one great big orgy of jangle and harmony that you have got to hear! Check out their recently released album, Sound & Light, and their IPO showcase!
Satch Kerans – We’re glad to welcome this veteran of the Boston pop/rock scene back to IPO! His album, Elliott Street, has been described as “…a vibrant solo debut… a jangle-infused power-pop collection that recalls early Tom Petty and Dwight Twilley.” (Jonathan Perry, The Boston Globe) and yeah, one can certainly hear Petty’s spirit imbued in Kerans’ voice!
Little Billy Lost – A quartet of a combined 250 years of rock and power pop experience, unleashing a megaton of musical bliss and passion! Fred Pineau (The Atlantics), James Melanson (Pop Gun), Robert “Desi” Desautels (Third Rail), and Smitt E. Smitty (Figures On A Beach and IPO solo project performer– see below), mesh to create a band of rock brothers that MUST be experienced.
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, R.E.M. 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 power pop with beautiful melodies and harmonies, with a just the right amount of country-fied jangle, is what you will find on Black Throated Blue, the latest disc from Parsons and his band. Fans of Marshall Crenshaw, The Replacements, The Posies, and The Zombies will eat this stuff up for breakfast!
Powderhouse – Reuniting after for a special IPO Boston performance (they last played the festival in 2016 and have been on a bit of a hiatus since shortly after the release of their Spark EP in 2017) Powderhouse has a sound that combines alt-country, garage rock, power pop and classic rock, not unlike a combination of Kathleen Edwards, Liz Phair and Beth Orton fronting Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers. We can hardly wait to see and hear them do their thing again!!
Smitt E. Smitty – The ubiquitous fez-topped drummer for many a band, including several that have played and are playing IPO, steps into the spotlight as the star of his own “solo” project. We don’t know exactly what he’s got planned, but we know it will rock like heck and be more fun than a barrel of monkeys!
Speedfossil – Built on a foundation of strong songwriting, catchy melodies, and pop hooks, Speedfossil is Boston angular power pop at its finest! Their latest album, No Anesthesia, will appeal to fans of The Smithereens, The Kinks, and The Replacements. Check it out!!
The Stigmatics – They pride themselves in playing Boston garage rock and proto-punk, in the tradition of bands from the mid ‘60s and early ‘70s pre-punk era. Their recent Gotta Be The Stigmatics EP is a collection of hook filled tunes with an in-your-face sonic assault! To get the full Stigmatics experience, you must see them live – so don’t miss their IPO showcase!
Karen Zanes – A New England based singer, songwriter, guitarist, recording artist and performer, previously affiliated with projects that include the electronic-experimental collective, Violet Nox, and the surf-psych-noir outfit, The Freeways, both of which she co-founded and contributed to as a writer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. Cloaked, her latest album under her own name, is dedicated to the late, great UK music writer, Mark Barton (of The Sunday Experience), and “…combines the fragile charm of American folk music with shoegazer-like dream pop and more than a dash of American suburban flair that haunts abandoned amusement parks in its undead variant (African Paper, a German cultural magazine).”
Artists From Outside The Boston Area
The Glad Machine – Formed in the fall of 2012, The Glad Machine set out to write some of the catchiest rock songs on the vibrant Western Massachusetts music scene. Drawing influence from Cheap Trick, The Posies, Jellyfish, The Beach Boys and Superdrag, The Glad Machine has honed their sound into a hook laden, toe tapping, power pop force to be reckoned with, complete with crunchy guitars and soaring vocals! Their recent EP, Hey!, has been hailed as “…one of the best EPs of the year among a crop of treasures (Powerpopaholic).”
Brian Larney – A singer-songwriter from Black Rock, CT, who is as directly accessible as he is enigmatic. His music ranges from the simply beautiful to the complex and artistic. He claims to be haunted by hooks and his music promotion company, Zenabi, describe his songs as “…spoonfuls of classic pop and folk, naturally sweet, non-GMO, without the sugar crash; his style harkens back to the days of Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles, and maybe a bit of Partridge Family.” Check out his latest album, Mythical Creatures, or his recent single, “Love Made Easy”, in collaboration with Dean Falcone…or better yet, come to his IPO showcase!
The Chris Listorti Project – Some IPO’ers may recognize Listorti as the leader of New London Connecticut’s Oberon Rose, who have drawn comparisons to such greats as The Posies, The Zombies, The Kinks, Thin Lizzy, and Big Star, and whose music has been described as “…grand retro pop/rock replete with nostalgic aromas of Beatlemania and psychedelic progressive rock of the ‘60s and ‘70s. The melodies shimmer with coruscating energy, while the vocals exude nuanced textures and pastel hues (Randy Radic, Thriveglobal.com).” Their eagerly awaited new album, Purple, Blue & Crimson, is due out in January. Listorti’s project under his own name is a bit more Laurel Canyon than London, but still really rocks!
Leisure McCorkle – We’re always grateful when this gentleman makes his way to IPO (several of them!) all the way from Charlotte, North Carolina! Fans of Joe Jackson and Graham Parker will love his sturdy rock ‘n roll, as he possesses a voice so strong that he really doesn’t need a microphone! Check out his classic CD, Jet Set Baby, and his latest disc, 5000 Light Years Beyond The Speed Of Sound, and you’ll know what I’m talkin’ about!
The Shellye Valauskas Experience – Based in the New Haven area, The Shellye Valauskas Experience is led by Shellye Valauskas (a high school biology teacher) and Dean Falcone (who wears many hats). In addition to being Valauskas’ songwriting collaborator, bandmate & producer, Falcone has served the Connecticut music scene since the early ‘80s with Jon Brion in The Excerpts, his own Dean and the Dragsters and a host of others. Their 2008 EP, Box It Up, was named one of the top 10 local releases in yearly roundups by The New Haven Register and New Haven Advocate. Their debut full-length, History of Panic, was 10 years in the making, and followed suit with appearances near the top of many a 2018 “best of” list, as their shared love of the punchy pop of Crowded House, The Posies and Aimee Mann helps them nail a distinctive, accessible, radio-friendly sound from the start.