Thunder and Rain Debut Album Holler Out

Members: Peter Joseph Weber, Erinn Mae Peet Lukes, RP Oates, Ian Haegele

In the spring of 2014 Thunder & Rain set out to make traditional American music more accessible to modern ears. As a new project out of Golden, CO they have performed at the Golden Music Festival, Clear Creek Rapidgrass Festival, opened for Peter Rowan at the Vail Bluegrass Series, and placed in the finals at the 42nd Rockygrass Band Competition.
The fall of 2014 brought the success of T&R’s first Kickstarter campaign. With the support of their fans, the band recorded Holler Out at Swingfinger’s Studio (Head For the Hills, Cahalen Morrison & Eli West).

Sell your beats online at ReverbNation.com

Holler Out was co-produced by Stephen Ambrose (Asius Technologies, inventor of in-ear monitors, previous audio engineer for the Grammy awards and the Super Bowl) and studio engineer Aaron Youngberg (Finnders&Youngberg). The album was mastered by two-time Grammy award winner David Glasser (Airshow, NPR).


With the release of Holler Out in February of 2015, the band will be touring nationally to introduce themselves to fans that share their excitement in an ever-evolving approach to modern acoustic music. Stream/Buy Album here As a debut album, this is quite an accomplishment, many bands would be happy with a sophomore release this strong.

Tracklist:

1 Dorothea
2 Omaha
3 Shine's Gone Cold
4 Honey Get in Line
5 Lie Just Fine
6 Holler Out
7 To My Grave
8 One Leg at a Time
9 Smile, Kid
10 Love That Way
11 Hills
12 Die Travelin'

Francie Moon - NEW Release Peace In The Morning

Francie Moon heads out on yet another road trip this time with Erica Russo, including a show with favorites here at Popa's, Whiskey Shivers April 21st in Pittsburg. While briefly home between tours and playing the local scene the prolific songwriter/multi-instrumentalist recorded another album of home recordings. Peace In The Morning finds our darling damsel in full blown electric mode, shereding her tele with her signature reverb-drenched jangly riffs. Standouts include the beautiful Home For My Heart, the inspiring, Up, Up, Up with it's jazzy organ riffs, and the instrumental Keys Please. Lyrically I am always impressed by the depth and wisdom from this young lady with an old soul.

TONIGHT!!
Richmond, VA
Circle Thrift & Art Space
7 West Broad Street
https://www.facebook.com/events/552727308202143/

TOUR WITH Erica Russo
APR 18 - Hardeville, SC
KiTTENFEST
https://www.facebook.com/events/517164018396565/

APR 18 - Rock Hill, SC
The Courthouse
w/Fernandina, The Dinner Rabbits
https://www.facebook.com/events/773418889416739/

APR 19 - Raleigh, NC
Crafty Beer Shop

APR 20 - Richmond, VA
Ghost House
More details TBA

APR 21 - Pittsburgh, PA
Howler's Cafe
w/ Whiskey Shivers, The Hills and the Rivers
https://www.facebook.com/events/628609690600300/

APR 22 - Akron, OH
LICH House
w/ Ragweed&Rye, Play Theatric
https://www.facebook.com/events/410841705755989/

APR 23 - Jackson, MI
Bird Alley
w/Theillalogical Spoon, Thirty Silver
https://www.facebook.com/events/445177328990461/

APR 24 - Louisville, KY
The Rudyard Kipling
More details TBA

APR 25 - Asheville, NC
Mindfulness Fest
https://www.facebook.com/events/320141851516245/

APR 29 - Staunton, VA
Stoneburner House
Message one of us for details!!

APR 30 - Delaware
Details TBA

MAY 1 - Asbury Park, NJ
Asbury Yacht Club
w/Sun Abduction
https://www.facebook.com/events/824227774328078/

MAY 2 - Newark, NJ
VENUSFEST
Index Art Center
w/Chimes, Turnip King, Heavy Sigh, Secret Mountain, Mystery Guest!!
https://www.facebook.com/events/828369340532264/

MAY 3 - Brooklyn, NY
Pete's Candy Store
Details TBA

Brock Zeman Releases Pulling Your Sword Out of the Devil's Back

Ottawa area singer-songwriter Brock Zeman packs a wallop with his powerful aggressive delivery, like a rowdy Tom Waits. His songs unfold as personal storytelling, gladness, sadness, passion, heartbreak and demons with the music wrapping these emotions in unforgettable compositions and lyrics. Distinctly original yet as comfortable and familiar as an old pair of slippers.

Available on Bandcamp and Busted Flat Records Release date April 14 2015
Track List
1. Pulling Your Sword Out of the Devil’s Back
2. Walking in the Dark
3. Sweat [Listen/DL]
4. Don’t Think About You Anymore
5. Some Things Stay
6. 10 Year Fight
7. Drop Your Bucket
8. Little Details [Listen/DL]
9. Dead Man’s Shoes
10. Everybody Loves Elvis

NEW! Reverb Room LP by The New Highway Hymnal

Boston, Massachusetts psych rockers The New Highway Hymnal NEW album Reverb Room. The title says it all. Drenched in reverb, jangly guitars, surf breeze, shroom juice and garage grease.

The End Men drop two new singles from upcoming new album Terms and Conditions

The two piece NYC noirish blues rockers The End Men, Matthew Hendershot on vocals and guitars, Livia Ranalli on drums and percussion, introduced us to Tenor Saxer Matt Elia last year at Couch by Couchwest on their song 'The Wolves' who is now an intricate part of the band adding Jazz/Swing fusion to the smokey back room sound of the band.


The End Men’s newest record will be released on April 21 – as a digital download – with a vinyl pressing to follow shortly afterwards. The album was recorded at John Epperly’s 100 Metropolitan Brooklyn studio and engineered by Epperly and Bobbie Lurie. The album was mixed at Mavericks in Manhattan. The nine tracks (eight with a bonus track) were then mastered by Alex DeTurk, who is known for his work with Willie Nelson, Chris Cornell and David Bowie.



Full track listing of Terms and Conditions:
Copycat
Beasts of NYC
Morning Birds
Cold Black Pitch
Caretaker
Bullfight
East of West
Defining Deviance Down
Reprise (Bonus Track)


Lyrical content in the song East of West is inspired by and adapted from the science fiction Western set in a dystopian version of the United States whose fate rests with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta and is intended as a tribute to and comment on the original works with their express permission.
Upstate New York musician and writer at Neon Gods, Jeff Ayers (formerly from the band Skeletons in the Piano) has the scoop from Matthew on how the song came to be, read it here.

The six minute 'Morning Birds' is an innovative rocker with touches of  improvisational swing band sax, reminiscent of what I imagine an early morning jam session with Satchmo, Johnny Hodges and Buddy Rich might have sounded like had they been influenced by rock and roll.

'East of West' rocks dark and hard with Matthew's heavy rock riffs and Livia's always innovative percussion while Matt Elia strikes his sax notes like darts at a bullseye.

The tracks are a free download (or slide them some coin) with accompanying artwork by Nick Dragotta – famed comic book artist of the Image Comics series East of West

Tour Dates

Christopher Paul Stelling signs with Anti Records NEW album Labor Against Waste will be released on 6/16

A long time favorite here at Popa's HQ, road warrior, singer/songwriter Christopher Paul Stelling is getting some well deserved and long in coming attention.  He's just signed with Anti Records and his new album Labor Against Waste will be released on 6/16.

The Daily Beast shared the album's first single, Warm Enemy, please go and listen (and share) also was just included on NPR Music's All Songs Considered and will perform at this years Newport Folk Festival. Perpetually on the road, CPS is a firebrand performer his one-man show is a ball of kinetic energy, his intricate guitar work and passionate delivery are legendary whether in back ally's, coffee shops, house parties or headlining venues, blood, sweat and tears are a constant in his performances.
You can NOW preorder the new album in a variety of packages, and receive the song instantly, along with other goodies like 2 new t-shirt designs here: 
The video for “Warm Enemy” premiered at Village Voice

“Sometimes we have to give up in order to keep trying. ‘We’ is I, and all are our own. We’re our own worst enemies, and our own best friends. We created this. We know by now where change begins, but at times it’s always false starts. This is a song about the inevitable folly of self-ridicule and self-praise. This is a song about the importance of persistence. Or it’s a song about nothing at all.” - CPS

Essential listening, previous self-releases 2013's False Cities and 2012's Songs of Praise and Scorn