IPO Arlington 2021
Click on artist name to go to their music page
CLICK HERE to see IPO Arlington 2021 Artist Yearbook Photos
Artists From Arlington Area
Almost Jaded – An alt-pop-rock trio featuring Amy Kathleen (vocals, guitar), Jared Sullivan (cello) and Mac Bain (drums). Amy has been conveying her emotions through music since she began songwriting at eight years old. You can’t hear one of her songs and not feel something.
Big Heaven – An aptly named band whose sound is evocative of that dreamy ‘80s dream pop thing, replete with catchy hooks, uplifting lyrics, and just the right mix of synths and guitars. If you loved The Bangles or Bananarama, you will find Big Heaven absolutely heavenly!
John Dufilho (of The Deathray Davies) – IPO is proud to host a special solo performance by singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist John Dufliho. Best known as the main man of local indie rockers, The Deathray Davies, Dufhilo has been helping to shape the Dallas area music scene since the late ‘90s, with his artful combo of quirky experimental indie rock and uber hooky power pop. In addition to several fine albums with The Deathray Davies, including the recently released Time Well Wasted, he has also appeared as the drummer of The Apples in Stereo since 2006. Be sure to check out his IPO showcase and his entire back catalog!
Lannie Flowers Band – They’ve played IPO in many a city – from LA to Vancouver to Stockholm, and even Liverpool, England, at The World Famous Cavern Club – earning fans across the globe with their in-your-face guitars and equally in-your-face sweet vocal harmonies delivered with punch and panache. We’re therefore excited to see them play to their home crowd as the stars of our SpyderPop Records showcase. As it happens, Home is also the name of the band’s latest album…more poignant and poetic than their earlier releases, without losing one iota of their classic power pop catchiness!
Wade Johnson – A prolific singer/songwriter, Johnson has been cranking out songs for the past 50 years. His influences range from country to rock to power pop and everything in between. His latest release, Two Hearts/You Know It, is available now as a Big Stir digital single, and his live show is sure to paint a smile on your face.
The Pengwins – A band of buddies (including Lannie Flowers-see above) who had their heyday in Fort Worth, Texas in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, back when power pop was king! Taking cues from the greats such as Badfinger, Cheap Trick, and The Raspberries, their music is power pop all the way….and they can still deliver it better than just about anyone!! One of SpyderPop Records’ finest artists!
The Pozers – The Dallas area may be best known for The Cowboys and cattle, but we at IPO know it is also home to some of the finest power pop bands around, and The Pozers are no exception! “…[G]reat melodies, lovely tunes, cool harmonies, psych-drenched guitars, and sweet power pop sounds to delight your ears! The Pozers are a real power pop group that sounds like a mix of Cheap Trick, Beatles, and Apples in Stereo. This formula is a winning blend…crossing the bridge between major label and indie sounds…Grade A power pop!” (Jeremy Morris, Jam Records) Their latest album, Crybaby Bridge, is yet another example of their songwriting prowess: intelligent lyrics, catchy melodies, and powerful delivery…don’t miss the chance to see them live!
John Stevens – A fixture on the Fort Worth music scene for the past 25 years, Stevens’ musical adventures have included everything from jazz to blues, reggae to garage rock, Americana and – of course – power pop, for which he’s become known to many IPO’ers as a member of The Lannie Flowers Band (see above). With the release of his debut solo album, Living Room, he blends his various influences into his own compelling and beautiful mixture that fans of Paul Simon, John Lennon, Steve Earle, as well as long time fans of Lannie Flowers, will love!
The Used Electrics – Pop journalist/DJ/drummer/general “pop dude”, John Borack teams up with some of the stars of the SpyderPop universe to amaze and delight you with their power pop knowledge and prowess…expect to hear some well known classic tunes as well as some lesser known ditties. We don’t know exactly what they’ve got up their collective sleeves, but we know it will RAWK and will be entertaining as heck!
Danny Wilkerson – He’s been a Mayor, a Pickle, and a Pengwin. He’s played music all over the world, sang on a Weird Al Yankovic record, and recorded at Abbey Road Studios. Danny Wilkerson has accomplished quite a bit since he first began playing music at age 13, but there’s one thing he didn’t check off his bucket list until 2018. With the release of his most excellent, 10-song debut – simply titled Wilkerson – he can now add that to his wealth of accomplishments! The album is anything but simple, as it’s filled with an abundance of intricate harmonies and lush arrangements to dazzle the senses, and is very deserving of the high ranks it received on many a year end “best of” list! If you don’t yet own it, you should!
Artists From Outside of Arlington
Freddie Steady Krc – IPO is proud to present a solo performance by the main man of The Freddie Steady 5 and Steady Boy Records, long known in Austin and beyond as a tireless promoter and musician, and one helluva guy! He’s appeared as a session drummer with everyone from Carole King to Roger Waters to Ronnie Lane, and has even appeared as a drummer on film in the movie Outlaw Blues. His tunes as a solo performer and with The Freddie Steady 5 blend British Invasion and ‘60s psychedelic garage influences with country and blues into what can best be described as just feel good rollicking good time music, and whether solo or with a band, he always rocks his heart out!
Frederick Julius – A medicine cabinet of sweet and melancholy indie-pop confections with gorgeous vocal harmonies, jangly guitars, and lyrics that range from darkly humorous to the surreal, Fixers & Elixers, the latest Frederick Julius album, but the first done as a “full band” project, is a masterpiece of vintage pop. Whereas most of the “band’s” previous work was recorded by singer/songwriter/mastermind Matt Geiler in his sleepy Los Angeles bedroom studio, Fixers & Elixers was produced in a full studio with a host of contributing musicians, and really lets the intricacy of the arrangements and harmonies shine through. Fans of The Beach Boys will eat this stuff up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
The Hungry Onions – Named after a once popular Southern California beatnik haunt from the mid-sixties and influenced by vintage and modern artists, the Hungry Onions (who hail from Austin) hammer out a unique blend of garage pop, melodic psych, and surf rock. Their debut album, She’s a Mod, is jam-packed with jangly hooks and reverb soaked harmonies! Their sound has a vibe that is both retro and contemporary; fans of The Small Faces and The Who will dig it!
The Instant Losers – They like to say “the name says it all”, but of course it doesn’t. These Austin boys are a heady mixture of power-pop ,cowpunk, rockabilly, ska-folk and alternative-adult contmporary music… for and by all-ages. In other words, instant fun!!
The Lunar Laugh – An Indie Pop band based in Oklahoma City spearheaded by the singer/songwriter trio of Jared Lekites, Connor Anderson, and Campbell Young, the group intertwines their modern pop and rock structure with hooks under the influence of power pop masterworks of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Their latest release, Nighthawks!, is an exciting collection of never before released live material and a pair of brand new exclusive studio tracks, and should be available just in time for their IPO showcase. Come see and hear why they are quickly becoming one of the most beloved power pop bands on the scene!
Your Academy – If you don’t think of Memphis as a hotbed of power pop, one listen to Your Academy may well change your mind! Featuring members of The Scruffs, Dwight Twilley’s band, and Crash Into June, the band’s debut self-titled album (available on Cd and limited edition fluorescent green vinyl) is a treasure trove of jangly guitars, wistful melodies, subtle chord shifts, chunky bass lines and heaps of harmonies that any fan of the genre is sure to appreciate.