It's Been A Long Cold Lonely Winter

Leave it to some lost gem of The Beatles and George Harrison to drag me out of my long winter's nap. A lost guitar solo from Here Comes The Sun?! Holy shit this is awesome.


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Better Watch Your Step

PPL MVR. Shit is getting weird.



Who? What? Why? Why not.

I have strong guesses for their true identities, but I'll play along. PPL MVR is SNBLL, K-PO, and Q. Naturally. Fun fun. Thump thump.

Free download available from their official site below. And they're signed to Atlantic Records. Sure.

Official Site | Atlantic | NPR.org

So Oh In Love

Wow. So Oh in love with The Charlatans' newest tune So Oh. These guys keep going and going getting better and better. Their 12th album Modern Nature is due out Jan 26, 2015. Can't wait.


Official Site | Pre-order

Shake Off The Routine

Six minutes?! What a tease! Brandon Schott has released a brand new EP called Verdugo Park, which essentially serves as the second single from his upcoming album Crayons & Angels backed with a couple non-album tracks. Such music biz lingo.

The EP naturally starts with its namesake Verdugo Park, a happy tune about a happy place where life can't be that hard. Hell, the tune prominently features a tuba and Brandon's own kids. I dare you not to smile while listening to it. Musically, it's what you might expect and would want to hear from Brandon after 2011's excellent change-of-pace 13 Satellites. Forgive the lazy Beatles reference, but consider Verdugo Park Brandon's pre-Sgt. Pepper release; a striking yet fleeting hint of the brilliant promise of what's next. It's a full-on embrace of studio magic, and Brandon has become quite the magician. Hell, I can't even see the green screen in the accompanying magical video ...



Magic. Following the title track is the trippy instrumental Lapiz Lazuli. To carry the Beatles comparison further, it's the Lennon after the McCartney. It's impossible not to hear the mid-60s influence of Tomorrow Never Knows, but it's not merely a copy; it's a Schottsian original. You can picture Brandon working meticulously on this one in the wee hours of a Sunday morning drinking a Scotch while hoping not to wake the kids. My only criticism is that it's not five minutes longer.

Finally, the EP finishes with a perfectly pleasant cover of Castaway. It's an appropriate balance to the rest of the EP and reminds you of earlier, simpler Schott that is more stripped and less studio. Remarkably, in a mere six minutes on a single EP, Brandon Schott has showcased his best qualities. If the intent was to get us pumped for a full-length, well dammit, it's a job well done.

Disclosure: We at Too Poppy consider Brandon a good friend. In other words, he can do no wrong. Of course, a thorough listen to his catalog reveals the truth behind our opinion. Go on. Discover and explore already.

Verdugo Park is out today digitally and available very soon physically!

Official Site | Bandcamp | iTunes | Amazon

Love is Free, Free is Love

Here's a wallet-friendly offer from the Beatles - 4, a new digital EP from the fab four for free (get it?). "Taste the individual brilliance" of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Love by John, Call Me Back Again by Paul, Let It Down from George, and Walk With You from Ringo. Of course you probably already have these songs, but hey - they're free.

Cheaper Than A Dime

Here they go again. The Beatles are relentlessly relieving our wallets of our hard-earned cash with even more releases. They must be the most prolific band that broke up more than 40 years ago.

It's George Harrison week on Conan, which means four performances of classic Harrison tunes. Beck kicked it off last night with Wah-Wah, a refreshingly unique choice.


Of course what I love most is his band, which includes Jellyfish's Jason Falkner and Roger Joseph Manning Jr. Of course Jr. has been playing with Beck for many years and Falkner has played with McCartney himself, so it's legit. Paul Simon, Dhani Harrison, and Norah Jones will finish off the week. Each of the remaining artists have some personal connection to the Quiet One, which makes the whole idea that much more special.

It's all to celebrate this week's release of George Harrison's The Apple Years, a six album box set that includes, well, all his albums released by Apple Records, including his tour de force All Things Must Pass.

Official Site | Amazon | iTunes

Things Left Unsaid

Twenty years after their last release, Pink Floyd's latest and likely last is set for release on November 10 (although iTunes notes the release date as November 7). The Endless River is a mostly instrumental set said to be a tribute to the band's late, great keyboardist Rick Wright. I'm not normally a fan of instrumentals, but c'mon, it's Pink Floyd!

Rolling Stone has all the details as well as the tracklist here! Pre-order below.

Rolling Stone | Official Site | Amazon | iTunes