Guitar Pop For Now People—Part XXX
10 Recent Tracks + Music Reviewers/Publications (+ Playlist)
It’s incredible to me that this series is turning 30.
What started out as an attempt to organize my own new music obsession by connecting the dots between the artists, reviewers, and other fans around the rock and roll globe, has become a cornerstone of this little newsletter. It’s impossible to count the connections I’ve made, the interesting conversations I’ve had, and all the great music I’ve discovered because of Guitar Pop For Now People.
I briefly considered doing “something special” or “approaching things differently” for this milestone post—showcasing 30 songs instead of 10, choosing my favorite tracks from each of the 29 previous installments, etc.—but decided it was unnecessary.
Simple music curation and discovery is the reason I enjoy putting these lists together and, I assume, why people come back month after month. So, why mess with it?
Give the 10 songs below a spin, click the reviewer links, and please check out our Spotify and YouTube playlists (save, like, share, etc.). If you like what you hear or have other new songs to recommend, join the conversation in the comments.
10 Recent Tracks and Music Reviewers/Publications
“Based on a Best Seller is due out in September but right now we’ve got ‘Live Together’ and it’s everything that makes the band today’s most reliable should-be hit makers. It’s all hooks and harmonies, both familiar and surprising. And yet as they sing in this song, ‘The ‘90s nostalgia that you feel, Is nothing compared to what’s to come.’ So September can’t come soon enough.”—Dennis Pilon, Poprock Record
“The Hits Keep Coming’ embodies the album’s philosophy with its sense of drive and determination. Throughout the ten tightly packed tracks, the band remains true to its roots as a fast-paced power pop band.”—Aaron Kupferberg, Powerpopaholic
“‘If I Was Your Girl,’ in fact, might be the best track the band has released so far. It finds the foursome dialing back the tempo just a tad but still living in that world where the Ramones are everything and the only thing.”—Lord Rutledge, Faster and Louder
“This song is stupid and simple and dumb and I’ve listened to it roughly 1,000 times over the past month. Something about that bouncy beat and helium-tinged vocals. Also, this song confirms my belief that more rock music should include maracas.”—Christian Finnegan, New Music For Olds
“Well-worn, lived-in pop always feels so remarkably vital when crafted by Loose Tooth.”—JanglePopHub
“A garage-power-pop-n-roll solo outfit from Chicago that may have zero recording budget but effortlessly churn out cool tunes. The Sunk EP is comprised of four killer songs that are all written and performed by Dave Sea, who definitely has a knack for melody and an allergy to polish and shine.”—Add To Wantlist
“It takes a minute to fully adjust to this skewed world, but once we’ve got our full attention trained on Poppelganger, we’re rewarded with a parade of hits like the classic garage-pop ‘I’ll Be Alright,’ the ‘60s pop, distorted vibes of ‘You’re Not Fooling Me,’ and the sugar-blast indie pop refrain of ‘Still (It’s News to Me).’”—Rosy Overdrive
“(C)runchy riffs dissolving into brainy experimental passages, blousy love songs brushed with resonant electronic elements, spare piano melodies undercut with thin currents of drone, and rousing hard rock ballads with a zillion guitar overdubs melting into shimmering puddles of sunbaked psychedelia.”—Bandcamp Notes
“From the fist-pumping urgency of ‘Victory Dance’ and ‘Roll That Rock’ to the introspective shimmer of ‘Queen Bed’ and ‘Overblown,’ the album strikes a balance between reflection and momentum—like a band surveying its past while still racing toward what’s next.”—Curt Vance, Power Pop Overdose (Facebook)
“The Cords sound free: reminding us that pop music, played right, is expressive, liberating, joyful and deeply personal.”—Iain Key, Louder Than War
Guitar Pop For Now People—Part 29
What’s the best place to hear your favorite modern guitar pop songs during the summertime?
