Discovering new artists is pretty much our raison d’etre here at Poprock Record. But some artists are so new I haven’t heard nada about them. That’s today’s acts, absolutely brand new to me and perhaps you too. So let’s get the plastic wrap off this e-vinyl together.

On Duck Hollow Pittsburgh’s Ethan Beck and the Charlie Browns use steel town’s working class neighbourhoods as fodder for setting the scene over a handful of songs. Things kick off with a bit of guitar blast and hummable melodies on opening tunes “Fear and Loathing in Grammercy” and “Monk Eric.” Both fall somewhere between the Sam Roberts Band and Ruler on the manic guitar pop scale. Other songs like “And And And” and “North” have a more vulnerable pop vibe, in line with acts like Sam Weber, Matthew Milia and Nicholas Altobelli. And is that an Apples in Stereo melodic turn embedded in “Does This Bus Stop at Douglas Street”? Sounds that way to me. There are a few sonic departures on the album, like the Latin dance rhythm defining “Matthew Song.” Billy Joel even gets a look in when the couple from his “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” appear in “Brenda and Eddie.”  In the ‘my fave’ file, I love the ferocious poppy guitar grind driving “Fear and Loathing in Squirrel Hill.” All in all a visit to Duck Hollow is definitely worth the trip.

Montreal seems to be on fire in terms of cranking out great melodic rock bands of late. We’ve featured Los and The Wesleys recently just to name a few. Now you can add Laughing to that ever growing list with their self-titled debut LP. Giving this record a spin, it’d be easy to turn on opening cut “Easier Said” and declare Teenage Fanclub to be the sonic ghost haunting what is going on here. Ok, then “Pebble” comes along and it has pretty strong TF vibes too. But as we cruise along to “Bruised” the atmosphere subtlely shifts to a more muscular poprock sound.  “Narcissist Blues” even harshes up the lead guitar solo a bit. “Garden Path” continues this trend toward a rockier pop style. Then “Will She Ever Be A Friend of Mine” and “You and I” turn things back in more TF pop direction. For something different check out how “Don’t Care” and “Secret” amp up the country quotient. I also really like “Sour Note” which sounds like Sloan on a Byrds kick to me. Overall the band have a surprisingly coherent sound given that they have come together only recently, drawing members from a variety of acts like Nap Eyes, Monomyth, Human Music, and Fountain.

Thrumming is the word I’d use to describe Chris Milam’s new album Orchid South. Like a kid at the gates to an amusement park, the record positively bursts with barely contained excitement. Opening cut and title track “Orchid South” sets the album’s tone using elements of a Springsteen structured sonic landscape, with the alternating high and lows, upfront guitars, and requisite horn section. Then “Almost Gone” lays down shotgun rhythm guitar work draped with an Eagles-like harmony vocal precision. And those horns! “Always On My Mind” brings to mind recent poppy Americana-inflected work from the likes of Jim Larson and the Silver Fields. The record does ease up here and there with more atmospheric contemplative numbers, like “Bad Dream,” “Underwater,” and “Song of the Summer.” Or there are tracks like “Let Me Love You” and “Thoughts On Hold” where Milam expertly alters the pace and attack for maximum impact. “Out” is just a rollicking good time and amazing guitar solo workout. Overall Orchid South is an album rife with Americana energy that doesn’t neglect its pop hooks.

Here we have brand new artists that I’m sure will become old faves in the years to come. But you have start somewhere. Visit these artists online to get to know them better.

Photo ‘What Time Is It In Miami Beach’ courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.