Pop That Goes Crunch!

What’s New At Pop That Goes Crunch Radio

Lots of new music has been added at Pop That Goes Crunch radio in recent weeks. Here’s a run down of some finer pieces of new melodic pop blasting over the airwaves 24/7 for your listening pleasure.

Jonathan Rundman, Look Up: Rundman’s long-player, released last week, is equal parts rockin’ pop and acoustic folk. The brightly colored uptempo tracks are foot-tapping, sing-along exercises driven by Rundman’s fine sense of melody. “The Science Of Rockets” gets my nod for best in class:

Gretchen’s Wheel, Fragile State: Nashville-based artist Lindsay Murray got the attention of Ken Stringfellow with her cover of a Posies track. She snagged Stringfellow to produce her debut long-player released under a moniker that pays homage to a classic Schubert song. Fragile State is at once assured and, well, quite fragile, with its atmospheric production enhancing the spaces in Murray’s compelling compositions. There is a whole lot going on here, with elements of jazz, Americana, and a dashes of electronics here and there, each complimenting Murray’s gorgeous vocals:

Mothboxer, We’re All Out Of Our Minds: Mothboxer made the Top 10 on my lists of the best albums and best songs of 2014, so word of three new songs by the band — the other track also appears on the Sand The Rain long-player — was a big deal hereabouts. And they do not disappoint, delivering yet another stellar collection of 60’s-based pop with psych undertones that never sounds anything other than thoroughly contemporary. The entire EP, along with oodles of other tracks by the band, will be spinning in regular rotation for quite some time:

The next three long-players came out a bit too late in 2014 for adequate consideration on my “Best Of” list, but each were worthy competitors and are nevertheless in the mix for 2015.

The Hangabouts, Illustrated Bird: Peaceful easy feelings abound on this collection of thirteen slices of flawlessly executed melodic pop that will soothe the savage soul, or at least tame the savage commute. If Illustrated Bird feels unassuming and breezy on its first listen, hit the repeat button and take notice of the thoughtful, often clever, songwriting and sharp playing that runs throughout the album from start to finish. Oh, and try to get this one out of your head:

The Yorktown Lads, Songs About Girls And Other Disasters: What to make of an album sporting a song called “Cool Shoes, Bro”? How about that it is so much fun that you’ll find yourself bopping along happily to three-minutes of self-doubt called “Sick Of Me”? Or that you’ll wish you could find yourself flummoxed by the kind of writer’s block that results in the creation of a song as unrelentingly catchy as “Something To Write About”:

If the long-player doesn’t serve up quite enough fun with melody, also check out the four songs on the Lads’ recently released $200 EP. This one — about a busy and undoubtedly multi-tasking record label owner/jewelry maker/law school employee — will rattle around your head for quite some time, as well:

The Sharp Things, Adventurer’s Inn: This marks the third studio release by these Brooklyn-based purveyors of fine symphonic pop in less than two years. The elements that made the prior two long-players so compelling are present here in big servings, as well — soaring string arrangements, sophisticated, ornate 60’s pop stylings, Perry Serpa’s soulful lead vocals, perfect time-keeping by the late Steven Gonzalez, and big group harmonies. Put the three releases — Green Is Good and The Truth Is Like The Sun being the other two — into one big playlist, press play and drink in a singular musical achievement created over a short time period:

So, that’s just a peek at some of the fine new music spinning in regular rotation at Pop That Goes Crunch radio. Tune in frequently. You may hear you next favorite song.