Sunny Day Records

Something a little different today, in as much as I am not featuring any particular band, but a record label that I have fallen in love with. Sunny Day Records in Spain has a stable of bands that is so impressive, it is hard not to love them. 

 Angel Kaplan from the album "Pictures From The Past.

I asked Sunny Day to tell me a bit about their label and I shall also introduce you to some of their own signings like Angel Kaplan (featured above) whose album has become the staple diet of my summer listening.

Sunny Day is a small independent record label founded in the summer of 2009 by two stupid guys in the middle of nowhere, Cáceres, a small quiet beautiful town on the way from Madrid to Lisbon, with no musical tradition or love for rock’n’roll, you know , the perfect place to be ignored by everybody.

The label was founded by my mate Rafa and myself, Juan. Rafa has been running (and he still does) the only vinyl records shop within 300 kms for more than 13 years, a real survivor in such a non r’n’r place as this. I’ve been involved in the Spanish mod/6t’s scene for a long time too, organising gigs, dj-ing and writing fanzines. We are both still involved in this adventure and hopefully will be for many years more.

 Los Imediatos from the album "4 Tickets To Wonderland"

 

The label has three clear targets: we want to release those records which, as music fans, we'd like to buy, give a chance to new bands and support vinyl.

What kind of sounds do we dig?  Soul, Garage, Powerpop, Rock'n'Roll, Beat, R'n'B, Psychedelia, Punk-Rock, Boogaloo, Reggae... we are open to all kind of “classic” 50’s, 60’s 70’s inspired sounds, as long as we dig it and we see the band takes their music serious, let’s do it.

 Los Imposibles from the album "En Espiral."

We have released  9 records so far (all of them can be found at sunnydayspain.bandcamp.com) in Sunny Day, though we also have two in-house labels, Sweet Grooves & Bickerton Rds (the first one exclusively run by Rafa, the second one by me) which has also released Spanish punk-pop band Brackets’ first lp and The Dealers’ killer debut 7”.

Zombie Valentines from the album "Mehora Ahora."


 



All of our releases have had Spanish bands but that’s something we are changing with the addition to our catalogue of names such as Jacco Gardner and Japanese powerpop band Beat Caravan.

Jacco Gardner from the single "Clear The Air."


 

The Shake from the album "Try To Get Ready."


 

Los Immediatos from the album "Third Time's The Charm."

The Right Nows from the album "The Right Nows."


 


 By the way on the 19th and 20th October we are the Sunny Day Festival in Madrid, 2 days featuring our best bands along with guest groups and djs…  if you wanna join you’re more than welcome.

So, there it is, an introduction to one of my favourite record labels out there, doing it for the love of the music and for our pleasure and entertainment.
Sunny Day Records doesn't only sell records by their own signings, but many others as well, so please check out their bands and their store.

Thanks to Sunny Day Records for all the information......and all the great music of course!

Stream and buy all the artists featured above here: BANDCAMP 

Sunny Day Records online shop: http://www.sunnydayrecords.es/ 

Contact, befriend, keep up with new releases etc,  like and love Sunny Day Records:  FACEBOOK

Vegas With Randolph - Salt Water Taffy FREE SINGLE DOWNLOAD

To celebrate the 1 year anniversary of their album "Above The Blue"  those lovely folk Vegas with Randolph are giving their new single away on Bandcamp and they also have a special price of 5 bucks on their "Above The Blue" and "Vegas with Randolph" albums.  Go get 'em!

Download "Salt Water Taffy" and buy the albums here: BANDCAMP

Contact, befriend, like and love Vegas With Randolph here: FACEBOOK

RTTB (Ramone To The Bone) - Various Artists FREE DOWNLOAD

A rather cool album that is going around facebook Power Pop pages is this one compiled by the Ramone To The Bone blog, check the blog out HERE It is a pretty cool blog.

CD 1

1. The Pick 'n Flicks - Hello Beach (2:08)
2. The Brewers - S.u.m.m.e.r. (1:52)
3. Hairlips - Always Loved You (2:49)
4. The Normandys - Le Chat Noir (1:46)
5. Os Intrusivos - Ronda (1:46)
6. Too Idle To Scream - All Her Roll (3:14)
7. Falling Upward - I Hate Summer (2:20)
8. Aiming For Honesty - Weekend Arrival (2:07)
9. Projekt Kotelett - Axel F (2:58)
10. Deecracks - Beach 90 (3:11)
11. The Barbecuties - Daytona Beach (2:48)
12. I Monelli - La Ragazza Surf (2:35)
13. The Giacomello's - Let's Go To The Beach (2:51)
14. The Renfields - Machete A Go-Go (2:39)
15. Johnny Five - Rascal (1:06)
16. W.o.r.m. - Summer (3:33)
17. The Largactyls - (Girl) Never Grow Up (2:42)
18. The Dumbheads - Popobawa (1:56)

CD 2

1. The Pick 'n Flicks - Summer Surfin' Santa (2:21)
2. The Sentiments - Back To Hawaii (1:52)
3. The Breakdowns - Summertime Twist (2:37)
4. Outtacontroller - Colt Summer (2:28)
5. Nasti De Plasti - Ni Contigo Ni Sin Ti (2:07)
6. The Sneakers - When The Sun Goes Down ( I Wanna Be With You ) (2:27)
7. The Sensibles - Sacramento (3:05)
8. The Dying Elk Herd - Another Restless Night (4:00)
9. Tio Bob - Long Beach (1:55)
10. Archie's Atomic - Blowout! (The Ballad Of Spring Break Vinny) (2:07)
11. Seasonal Men's Wear - Ice Climbers (2:55)
12. Pardais Do Fio De Alta Tensão - Prostitutas E Jogos De Azar (1:47)
13. Brandon Harrod - Getting Ready To Party (3:09)
14. Budnick - - Song For Banky (2:08)
15. Toxic Candy Bars - She (2:35)
16. Dead Beat Heros - Shadow Of My Doubt (4:03)
17. Rockaway Radio - California Sun (2:02)
18. The Dumbheads - Satan’s Little Helper (2:50)

Cover-Artwork : Joram Hamer
http://www.behance.net/Krankjoram

(Click bandname to check their Facebook)  

DOWNLOAD FREE HERE: BANDCAMP

Phenomenal Cat - Life By The Seaside. Single no.7 FREE DOWNLOAD

Single number 7 in the single a month for a year series from Phenomenal Cat, "Life by The Seaside" has it all, echoes of the The Beatles, well, a sustained note like "Day In The Life" and outro that has the feel of The Jam's "English Rose" and some Teenage Fanclubesque harmonies and glokenspiel/xylophone and I rate this as one of the best tracks the band have released, which is a real credit to the band given the quality of the previous releases.
I hope that a record label has the initiative to sign this band and press their 12 songs onto vinyl/CD  and give them the opportunity and incentive to release much, much more, there is a real quality to this band that seriously shouldn't be over looked!

Photo: Wayne Lundqvist Ford

Download "Life By The Seaside" FREE here: BANDCAMP

Contact, follow, like and love Phenomenal Cat here: FACEBOOK

Gooey - Hold On Tight. FREE ALBUM DOWNLOAD

I wonder where "Gooey" got their name from?  Whilst some of the songs on this superb album are love songs, they are not exactly gooey love songs, so maybe I don't want to know where the name comes from after all?  The name of the album is "Hold On Tight" which is a very apt title, this is a real Power Pop racer, with well written, melodic, catchy and infectious songs!

Gooey are:

Juan Avila (vocals/acoustic guitar)
Chris Eudy (electric guitar)
Brian Vaughan (electric guitar)
Tom Hickey (bass guitar)
John Noyes (drums)
John Peeler (mascot)

What their biography says:

My name is Juan. I love all kinds of music. I like to write songs.
John is my friend. He plays a lot of instruments. He hears music in his head.
A long time ago, I told John that I was learning to play the guitar. He told me to go away.
A few years later, I told John that I was writing songs. He told me that he was busy.
I forgot to mention that John is grumpy.
Once in a while, I would pick up the guitar when John was around and I would play something that I had written.
John would pretend that he wasn’t listening. I knew that he was.
One day John told me that he liked my songs and that we should record them.

These are my songs.
This is our band.
This is Gooey.

Whilst playing this I heard echoes of Bowie and a  less well known band The Man From Delmonte from back in the late 80's, this really is a fun and uplifting album and what is more, it is totally free, although I am sure that the band have physical copies of the album for those who like to adourn their collections with a few nuggets of great power pop!

Contact, befriend, like and love Gooey here: FACEBOOK

Download "Hold On Tight" FREE here: BANDCAMP

Official Website: http://ilovegooey.com/

The Shake - Try To Get Ready

Another truly superb band from the record label that brought us Angel Kaplan, Los Immediatos and Los Impossibles and other great bands, The Shake are dripping in sixties sound and style, knocking out tunes that wouldn't be out of place amongst The Small Faces, The Action, The Allusions, Powder etc, this is a band that have caught the essence of an era for our delight and pleasure!

Deeply in love with beat, garage, pop and psychedelia from the 60′s and subsequent decades, The Shake have always stood a step ahead of the rest of bands in the 60′s scene due to their never-ending talent to create beautifully crafted songs that go farther than the basic structures and guitar riffs, as well as their unique, neat, hypnotic sound.

The Shake Live.

With their debut lp “Tripping The Whole Colourful World” (Rainbow Quartz/Flor & Nata 2006), critics and fans on both sides of the Atlantic agreed on praising their virtues. That record amazed all those who listened to it and took them to the most important 60′s meetings in Spain, Purple Weekend, Go! Lleida, Festimod.... as well as to the International Pop Overthrow in Liverpool, where they could perform at the Cavern Club.

Can't fight your loving from the album Trippin' the Whole Colourful World (2007)

Later they published their first 45 (Hey Girl! Rds 2008) showing us their dirtiest and wildest side, close to garage-punk.

Now they are back full of energy (see them live and you′ll wet your underpants!) with new exciting recordings where British-flavoured pop, garage & psyche are seasoned with black music influences... A cocktail for select tastes. 

Stream the album here: Bandcamp 

Buy the album on CD or Vinyl here: Sunny Day Records

The Shake are currently working on a new album.

The Smiling Strangers - Full Circle (and 3 FREE albums to download!)

Jeff from the Smiling Strangers very kindly sent me a copy of the bands last CD called "Full Circle," an album which is a pleasant blend of 3 minute pop songs, not strictly power pop (if you have a definition of that?) but great, well written lyrics bolstered by great music, I guess you could call it Power Pop, folk infused...........hey, take a listen instead, I am certainly enjoying this album!

The Smiling Strangers was an idea by Jeff Reynolds. They were formed in early 2004 and after some pleading, arm-twisting, favour-calling and hours slaving over an acoustic guitar and drum machine, the project was born. So far they have released:
Dangerous Times (2004)
Space Graces and Smiling Faces (2006)
All The Way (2007)
To Think It`s Come To This (2009)
Full Circle (2011)

FULL CIRCLE available from iTunes and all major
digital distributors

 

Download the 3 free albums, stream and buy FULL CIRCLE here: The Smiling Strangers

The Smiling Strangers are currently working on a new album.