Tag Archives: Pop

Episode 66: Carmen Toth

There’s more than a few flavours in this pack of bubblegum. A mature take on finding strength and yourself after love, Safety Net is a take on 80’s pop, full of shimmering synths and catchy hooks but grounded in brutally honest lyrics. Ethereal, fun and edgier than her first release, Carmen draws on Kate Bush, Cyndi Lauper, and Stevie Nicks in this incredible, personal follow-up record. Find her at carmentoth.com and get in the loop!

Episode 42: Taylor Holden

A wonderful ray of sunshine to kick off 2017, we tackled the adorable yet mature first solo release from Taylor Holden and the Law of Averages. It’s heavy on charm, with plenty of ukulele love songs to keep you warm this season. With a mix of up-tempo, head bopping pop country, Dylan and Jess love how refreshingly earnest the record is amid so much ironic, brooding content in the marketplace. Get in the loop, and Happy New Year from AFL!

Episode 38: Kraig Durco

Kraig Durco’s self-produced EP Guilty Pleasures is a feat of electro-pop with some real weight to it. Infectious melodies, light-hearted millenial aesthetic and groovy rhythms make this a perfect handful of party tracks. Known to AFL fans as the drummer for Electric Waves, Durco takes his solo work in a new direction while keeping the surf-rock motif alive. And for a one-man-band, the tunes feel extremely realized. It’s sheer fun, so get in the loop!

Episode 30: Social Potion

After a stellar anniversary showcase, we’re back with a LOT of easy to love tunage! We tucked into Social Potion‘s first release, and is it ever a lovely take on adult alternative pop with a real Women & Songs meets Aimee Mann feel. Some things we get into: King Lear references, keeping yourself together after a breakup, pranking your drunk dad on Christmas to hit those high notes in Beatles Rock Band (Carmen can. Dylan’s dad, not so much), and what it’s like to meet your heroes. EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT ALERT so stay tuned till the end!

Episode 20: The Consumer Goods and In The City (w/ JW Blakeley and Phill Hood)!

Whew! It’s a big one folks. But Jess promises it’s worth it. JW takes us behind the curtain on Tyler Shipley’s political indie pop outfit and its rotation of musicians, and sheds light on the upcoming gossamer-pop In the City tunes yet to be released (yay sneak peek!). Phill Hood, JW’s longtime bandmate and front man for Phill Hood and the !! stuck around to make JW blush by comparing his melodic bass style to Paul McCartney. If you want giggles, anecdotes, and two very different records to get into, this is the one. Get in the loop! SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END!!!!

Episode 14: Electric Waves- The Human Condition

Just in time for Ontario’s chilly fall weather, escape to a warmer place with Sarnia indie surf dreampop Electric Wave’s The Human Condition. They may be young, but their second release has a lot going for it, especially if you’d like to hear Sugar Ray on Valium and have ever wondered what a watercolour painting would sound like. Dylan talks about the horrors of radio music cycles at his new job, and Jess discovers where shoegaze came from. PWYC at http://electricwaves.bandcamp.com/ Get in the loop!!!

Episode 13: The Honeyrunners

Dig into The Honeyrunners, a Toronto-based rock and roll 4-peice that puts the classic in classic rock (think driving kick drums and killer organ foundations), while somehow managing to be timeless. Jess gets philosophical about why context isn’t always king, and Dylan explains why the more vocalists, the merrier. Look for The Honeyrunners Oct 16th at the Horseshoe Tavern!