Introducing: Smallpools

This is unbelievable. I mean, really, unbelievable. I'm completely baffled when bands show up out of the blue and release an absolutely stellar single. Not that I'm surprised they're good, it's just surprising that they're already this good. With that said, let me introduce you to Smallpools and their debut single "Dreaming".



  I was sold immediately. Pretty much from the opening notes. Small Pools sounds like someone took Swiss Lips, Autostrada, The 1975, Fun., Foster The People, and Passion Pit and then put them in a blender set on puree. This will be one of the songs of my summer. I've also neglected to mention, it's a FREE DOWNLOAD RIGHT NOW. Download it now.

This song has huge radio potential. I think you'll be hearing this on the radio soon. Even though I've only heard one song...it's good enough that I would commit to buying an album right now. I need more. I need it now. Thank you, sincerely, Neon Gold, for bringing them to my attention.

I need you to holler.

Some pretty cool music comes out of Louisiana. Of course, you have your dixieland jazz, your blues, your zydeco, and everything else. Well, nowadays, there's some pretty awesome alternative music coming out of the Bayou State. Great bands like Givers, GASHCAT, and Royal Teeth, among several others. But today I'm talking about John Michael Rouchell. John Michael Rouchell crafts a unique blend of soul pop, full of singalong choruses and cool arrangements. He only has two songs up on his soundcloud for streaming, and a recently released five-song EP (The Separation). The lead single and my favorite song from that collection is "Holler".



I sincerely implore you to check out the rest of his EP. It's goddamn fantastic.

Introducing: Fast Screens

Fast Screens manufactures a specific brand of ridiculously summery music that's good all year round. I think it's best described as technicolor electropop. It's easy to see why Neon Gold, one of my personal favorite blogs, is in their corner.


"One Summer" is just one example of how these guys make some of the most driver friendly music around. The track is available on their bandcamp for a free download. I highly recommend downloading it. Their debut EP, however, is what hooked me. Particularly their song "Don't Stop".

That whole EP is well worth the $4 they're asking. It's a go-to jog EP, coming in at just over 15 minutes. These dudes have shared a bill or two with the first group I ever wrote about on here (Junior Prom) and I bet that show was the bomb.com.

In The Southern Soil

Dillon Hodges plays soulful folk music with bluegrass tinges around the edges. He's a master flat-picker, as you can hear in his old-timey tunes. He has a captivating twang to him. This is music you would expect to hear on the soundtrack to FX's Justified.


His style doesn't hold him back though. He's found a way to sound modern in the middle of all that old school awesome. Try out his cover of Gorillaz' "Feel Good, Inc."


His debut album, Rumspringa, is available on iTunes today. Personally, I'm planning on grabbing a copy at his show tonight at Natasha's Bistro in Lexington, KY. It's gonna be an awesome show.

Introducing: Bad Things

It seems odd that I made it through even five posts without naming a band from LA, but, apparently, Bad Things is the first one. These peeps came out of nowhere, like bands tend to do nowadays, with a fully developed single and a cool aesthetic. They sound like Local Natives with an electronic tinge to them. It's electro-powered rock, NOT electronic rock. It's harmonies, drums, and an epic chorus. Now another thing bands tend to do nowadays is release one ridiculously good single and then take the time to develop everything else while people fawn over that one song (e.g. The Neighbourhood). This is exactly what Bad Things is doing with "Caught Inside". I can't blame them. I'll take this one perfect song. I just hope there's more in the pipeline.



I'm sure this single is a sign of great things to come from Bad Things. I can't wait for more.

You're Only Where You Are

Chicken Little describes themselves as "half-pint folk punk". A singer/guitarist and an accordion player (joined by a fiddler at some gigs) are all that compromise this tiny folk powerhouse. They specialize in fantastic lyrics, rousing choruses, and gorgeous harmonies. This post's title comes from the opening track of their first album No One, Never, Nothing.


I got into these guys after I saw them at a folk punk festival in Berea, KY, at the now closed Black Feather Cafe of all places. I went there to see Paul Baribeau and Busman's Holiday, but they went on first and they blew me away. Their pure energy was captivating. I had to buy their album. Their most upbeat tune is the ode to giving in to alcohol "Off The Wagon", the title of which has now been changed to "The Sky Is Not Falling".


"The Devil Spoke Here" ruminates on religious themes and comes away feeling guilty. It's truly fantastic. I'll close the post with some potent lyrics from the tune: "May we always fail with the best of intentions with our hearts always pure and our souls only human."

Introducing: Magic Man

Okay. Stop. Drop everything. Listen. Magic Man is this amazing band from Rhode Island. They are an absolute synth-pop dream boat if ever there was one. They sound like The Killers, but with way more synthesizers. They sound like Passion Pit, but without the crazy high falsetto. Basically, they're bound for greatness. They are, like their chosen descriptor, "triumphant synth rock."



I found out about Magic Man from Neon Gold Beat Company whenever they dropped "Paris" earlier this year. And then they dropped "Texas". And then an absolutely killer remix of Pacific Air. Nothing I've heard from these guys has been less than fantastic.



They dropped another new tune, "Nova Scotia," today and it is equally amazing. Yesterday, my favorite band Walk The Moon announced Magic Man would be accompanying them on part of their fall tour. And today Neon Gold released their free EP with all three of their singles on it. One thing is definite: Magic Man is going places.

Do yourself a favor and download this EP. It's perfect for summer. It's great music. IT'S FREE.