Do you recall when TV networks like MTV introduced the groundbreaking concept of 24-hour music video rotation? It was a defining moment in the history of modern music. Still, unfortunately, those networks eventually gave in to the lure of shorter, faster, more money-orientated shows, and a powerful musical concept seemed lost forever.
If you miss those days or are too young to remember them, and are intrigued by the idea of such innovative media programming, Bongo Boy Rock ‘n’ Roll TV is your musical saviour. They offer nothing less than the revival of the original idea, providing an unfiltered stream of the coolest music by the hottest new artists of the moment.
It has been broadcast on national TV during prime time slots on terrestrial TV channels since 2011, and each episode showcases the best new music from around the world and across all genres. The show premiered on April 4, 2023, on Channel 29 in Portland, OR, and will be heavily featured on over 72 TV channels.
Pretty Blackmore kicks off this curated collection of the great and the good of new music, old-school rock and roll grit and groove polished with just enough pop poise and infectiousness to give it endless appeal. You Didn’t Call is that perfect balance between rock and a harmonious place, the sweet spot between dark and light, muscle and melody, and whether you are a pop picker, a rock aficionado or an indie kid…or anything else for that matter, you will find lots to love here.
And, carrying on in a similar vein, The NEW Bardots, a band that Bongo Boy is championing with great energy, and rightly so; in my opinion, Thrill of The Night is one of those songs which could have existed any time between the 60’s garage rock scene to the post-genre world of today. It ticks all the boxes of rock music, groove, melody, attitude, and swagger, but again, it has that addictive quality that makes the difference between a song remaining merely a niche rock and roll tune and a chart-dominating cross-over.
Todd Barrow changes the pace somewhat, and My Girl Crush is a cool and collected country groover with sweet sentiments driven by a gentle rock vibe and draped in vibrant, rootsy guitars. STUDEO, another band regularly making the cut for these sought-after video platforms, brings us their trademark blend of eighties-laced rock and modern dance eloquence. This time out, When It’s Over, takes their oft-epic sound and raises it to anthem proportions. But, and this is the clever bit, it is an anthem still subtly and supply structured, never overbearing, forceful or bombastic, a song that is both write-large yet somehow restrained too. I’m not sure how they combine both contrasting qualities in one sonic package, but they do. I guess that is what sets them apart from the pack.
However, the Dead Daisies’ Dead and Gone is big and bombastic and ballsy and bang on the mark. Stacatto grooves and thunderous beats combine to make a strutting and swaggering track full of uncompromising punch and relentless power. This is a track that looks you dead in the eye and dares you to blink first. And you will. And having blinked, you will find yourself swept up in their sonic vision; you’ll be punching the air and boogying around the room. This is biker rock at its finest…and so finely done that you can taste the heady cocktail of alcohol and gasoline.
Acoustic vibes run through Jackie Greene’s Crazy Comes Easy, draped in bluesy grooves and soulful moves, an outstanding balance of deftness and drive, delicacy and infectiousness, space and sentiment. And things wrap up with One Sided Love, MkX mixing alternative pop with more urban urges and dancefloor etiquette, with no small amount of chart potential.
And then you are out the other side. An excellent playlist, a visual array, and, more importantly, a shortlist list of bands you need to explore further. Bongo Boy Records are great for taking the work out of finding your new favourite band. And if you don’t find that band somewhere in these regular musical missives from all that is great and good and new and cool in sonic and visual creativity, perhaps music isn’t for you after all.
For more information and to submit music for consideration, contact – bongoboyrecords@aol.com
[…] STUDEO is a band that frequently makes the cut and features in these TV shows, and it is easy to hear why when listening to When It’s Over. Is it their ability to blend pop accessibility with rock muscle? Is it the fact that they can make epic music without resorting to the cliches of volume and showboating? Could it be their blend of musical modernity and iconic sounds, a sort of classic era Fleetwood Mac for the modern age? Perhaps it is just that their songs are so deftly constructed, so expertly executed. Actually, it is all of those things and more. […]