07.02.12 California Diner - 'Pure Pop Goodness from California!'

Being here in California, one sure can get spoiled. And I don’t just mean the good weather, the forward-thinking vibe, or the proximity to great hamburgers and Mexican food. I’m talking about the music. So many genres right here, and so many great bands to listen to. This week, we’ll narrow it down a bit and focus on pure pop music. We’re debuting the Well Wishers on the show this week. Absolutely pure jangle pop goodness from San Francisco. Jeff Shelton, the mastermind of the band, was kind enough to somehow find me and send me the new CD, “Dreaming of the West Coast”. And it’s a beaut. The opening track has that early R.E.M. jangle, but without the mysterious vocals. Great harmonies, and uplifting sound, this album’s gonna get noticed! thewellwishers.bandcamp.com/album/dreaming-of-the-west-coast Northern Californian Tom Alford is no stranger to these playlists. His brand of guitar pop has roots in the 1960’s, but it’s informed by the alternative sounds of the 1990’s. In other words, it’s warm, jangly pop with intelligent lyrics and just enough quirkiness to liven up our musical menu. We’ll hear a track off of one of our top albums of 2009, Tom’s “Second Foundation”. www.cdbaby.com/cd/talford/from/absolutepowerpop So you think power pop is just for the guys? You’ve never met NUSHU. Hillary Burton and Lisa Mychols are based in the Los Angeles area, and this amazing duo writes all the songs, plays all the instruments, and trades off on lead and harmony vocals. And wow, those sweet harmonies. The songs are melodic, yet crunchy. Visualize the Go-Go’s on steroids. And here in the 21st century, a great way to get your music out there is through gaming platforms, and one of their songs was wisely added to Rock Band® for XBox 360. Pretty cool, huh? We’ll play a track from their impressive 2010 album “Hula” on the show. www.nushumusic.com Hey! Recharged Radio now has a magazine! It’s a free monthly music e-zine called Sound of the Suburbs (not to be confused with our radio show of the same name--oh heck, go ahead and confuse it--we don’t mind!) It’s our joint effort with our friends at Perfect Pop Co-Op. You can get it on the left hand side of the home page of Recharged Radio. Just scroll down a bit, and get reading! If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Kitty & The Lost Boys - Rushing To My Side The Well Wishers - Esacape The Light Laurie Biagini - The California Quake Ben Swidenbank - Girl (Leave That Animal Tonight) Melissa Phillips - So Young Vinnie Zummo - Homicidal The Handcuffs - Everybody Waves Hello Jay Fraser - That's How We Roll The Taters - Such A Good Day June & The Exit Wounds - Hey Hey Hey 50ft Woman - Ultra Violet Tom Alford - Wasp Lands On Sunflower The Whiskey Saints - Before My Time William Cleere and the Marvelous Fellas - Labor Day Sweet Sweet Concorde - Armadillo Man Maple Mars - Big Imagination Sparklejet - The Comeback The Ks - Little Plaything Nushu - Another Rainy Weekend Freakish Atlantic - Esther Sound Sessions - Baby's Just An Avatar Maxi Dunn - Why Do I Want You? The Clutter Family - Artist In The Office Nelson Bragg - Forever Days M.A.D.I.S.O.N. - Try Throwback Suburbia - Give And Take Lindy LaFontaine (with Kyro) - Haunted The Mike Brown Band - Pay Volary - Blackbird Fly Vegas With Randolph - Some Time To Live