Singles Friday.

With the music industry's inexorable transition to digital and the immediacy of the Internet, what's old is becoming new again as the primary method of music release of the 1950s and 1960s, the single, is becoming the outlet of choice for more and more artists. The only drawback though, for independent artists, is that the single doesn't seem to get as much fanfare as the album as they're mostly released exclusively on a digital basis. This means that niche retailers (i.e., the Not Lames and Kool Kats of the power pop community) usually won't be selling and promoting them, and reviewers and bloggers (like yours truly) often stumble upon them by accident. All of which is a long-winded way to getting around to saying I have some new singles by artists previously reviewed on Absolute Powerpop to share. Here goes:

Rob Laufer-"How I Love You". A sweet love song and a nice tune, not included on his recently released Excruciating Bliss. Check it out at iTunes.

The Bulletproof Vests-"(Don't) Throw My Love Away"/"Shadow Child". Earlier this year, we brought you their debut, and they've followed up with this two-song single in the same vein of the album. They're so old school they've actually released this on a vinyl 45 (on the original lathe from Stax, they claim) as well as digitally. CD Baby | iTunes

Vegas With Randolph-"Some Time to Live". Since we last checked in with this DC-area band last year with their fine debut, they've released an EP (Side Trip) and now this new single. Links here are for their artist pages so you can check out both: CD Baby | iTunes

Khalid Hanifi-"Hog Futures" and "My Latest Trainwreck". Two quality singles from the former Maypops man and solo artist who gave us the excellent Pamplemousse Presse in 2008. CD Baby | iTunes | listen at his official site (with another new track "Shootin' the Breeze")

President's Day Roundup.

Fran King-My Sweet Elixir. This Irish singer-songwriter caught my attention with 2005's Beautification, a Neil Finn/David Mead-type disc. He's back with My Sweet Elixir, and it's another winner. If Finn and Mead were the touchstones for the debut, this time around it's more Emmitt Rhodes/acoustic McCartney. "No Remorse (I Feel Every Word)" opens things nicely, a midtempo number with a killer chorus courtesy of King's falsetto, and the gentle, lovely ballad "Upstream" is another standout. As is "All About Me", a vaguely-jazzy, vaguely-60s styled number, and while "I've Got a Feeling" isn't a McCartney cover, it's a folky number that I'm sure Sir Paul would enjoy. Popcraft at its finest.


MySpace | iTunes

The Bulletproof Vests-Attack! Mention Memphis and Ardent Studios, and Big Star comes to mind. Well, here's a Memphis band that enlisted Adam Hill, an Ardent Studios engineer, to mix and produce their debut, and darned if these guys don't have a little Chilton in them. They manage to mix power pop, rock and R&B in an intoxicating mix, and grab you from the get-go with "Magic Wand", 3:16 of rollicking goodness that brings to mind the classics as well as current bands like The Whigs. "Down in Yer Pocket" could be The Black Keys mixed with Booker T & The MGs, and "Darlin' Wait" is an awesome rave-up. Elsewhere "Picture Show" sounds like a lost Nugget, "Don't Cry" is a dusty barroom ballad, and "B&E" rocks with abandon. Although you don't hear the "Memphis sound" much any more from new bands, these guys do it proud.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes