Border crossing: Swapmeet, Mildred, Smug Brothers, and Shambolics

19 Sunday Jul 2026

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We love to skirt the border of our defined genres. Really, Poprock Record is a throwback to the pre-Westphalian era of overlapping musical sovereignties. Melodic rock and roll is our main thing obviously but we step over into a host of adjacent territory all the time. Like with today’s quartet of misfit melodicans.

Adelaide Australia’s Swapmeet alternate between a harsh but airy nineties rock grind and songs with guitars that exude lighter, more bespoke tones, often matching the shift between female and male vocalists. Opening cut “I Know” dives into the former with relish while follow up and title track “Mount Zero” takes up the latter. Then we arrive at “Bonny,” the seductive should-be hit single. The guitars are soft but glide over a rhythm section that establishes a subtle but still driving urgency. Trust me, this one will work its melodic magic on you. “2CU” also builds to breakout set of hooks in the chorus. “Seeds” is another song with a remarkable intensity, shifting from light to crunchy and back again. There are some variations on their key themes here. “Sand” is mostly lullingly light with some elegant lead guitar lines, “Personal (Don’t Take It)” combines folk with a striking string section, while “My Heart Breaks It” ventures into almost jazzy territory. It may be a bit of trip somewhat outside of power pop but Mount Zero is definitely worth taking on the summit.

Shifting locales to Oakland California we find a band that manages to combine seemingly conflicting musical esthetics, a laid back Americana with an indie rock alternative vibe. My gut says Mildred are the kind of band you could drink beer and discuss the meaning of life with. The band’s new album is Fenceline and it is a mood, a struck pose that rarely shifts dramatically. Instead it wends its way along, sonorous, contemplative, almost hypnotic at times. The record opens with “UPS Brown” and it’s a scene-setter with its slow, evenly paced, Hayden-esque demeanor. “Fish Sticks” lifts the mood slightly, vibing acts like Blue Rodeo or The Jayhawks. “Cobwebs” kicks the tempo up further with a guitar and vocal attack that is very Neil Young-ish. A number of tracks definitely have a meditative quality – I’m thinking “Mumblecore Melody” and “Pitch Boats” particularly. The album’s departure tune is “Fleet Week,” a good-time country singalong throwback, in a James Taylor style. Another highlight is album closer “Hardcore of Beauty,” a beautifully executed mediation on its unstable subject.

After two decades slugging it out on Ohio’s indie music scene Columbus natives Smug Brothers have decided to put out a greatest hits of sorts with Gravity is Just a Way to Fall. If you’re just discovering the band it’s a great way to get the flavour of their unbridled songwriting range. Despite drawing from ten albums the collection of songs here really cohere with a tight, 1980s new wave-reminiscent sound. Intro tune “Let Me Know When It’s Yes” lets its guitars ring in bright tones. Then “Interior Magnets” offers a darker guitar attack, a bit more in the garage than light of day. The new wave feel really comes on for me on “It was Hard to be a Team Last Night” and “Take It Out On Me.” Sometimes the vibe reaches back to the sixties that inspired so much new wave, as on “Silent Velvet,” particularly its tinny lead lines and reverb drenched rhythm guitar. “Seemed Like You To Me” is also pretty 1960s with its ringing guitars a la McCartney in a Rubber Soul moment. For something a bit more out there, “Javelina Nowhere” starts the song with a killer flute solo. “Everyone Is Really Five” and “How Different We Are” are both just great rocking melodic cuts. Altogether Gravity is Just a Way to Fall is a superb collection that will hold you over until some new Smug Brothers material arrives next fall.

My new favourite recent discovery is Scotland’s Shambolics. Their early work is a bit more obviously Brit-pop adjacent, particularly the jangleful “Chasing a Disaster” and the thumping “Love Collides” with its lustrous, weaving lead guitar line. But with the band’s first full LP Dreams, Schemes & Young Teams their sound begins to gel into a distinctive poppy party sound all its own. The whole record is a strong outing – there’s no filler here. But the many video are singled out of the package for a reason. “Never Be Mine” is a relentless driving pop number. By contrast, “If You Want It” is a barn-burning number for the dance floor. It evokes the stomping melee of unified dancers that you no doubt see at every Shambolics concert when this comes on. And then there’s the album’s master class in pop song social realism, the indignant, unbending, generational rage-fueled “Universal Credit.” It’s this generation’s “Common People.”

Who doesn’t enjoy a wee trip somewhere different? Our four bands test our genre boundaries and still get us home on time. Get your bandcamp travel agent to fix you up.

Photo ‘All the Way to Canada’ courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Britpop summer continues: Arkayla “Fortune Teller”

15 Wednesday Jul 2026

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The Britpop renaissance going on the UK right now continues to throw up great tunes from hitherto unheard of acts. Well, unheard by me, so far. Obviously they have been bubbling under the UK national charts, working up some local press in their various regional music scenes for a while. As I’ve caught on to them I’ve written up great recent releases from Keyside, The Guest List, and Marseille, all bands that will be soon releasing long-playing debuts. And that is something definitely to look out for. But while we await their arrival we can reach back to last year and a fabulous single from Manchester band Arkayla. They do have a hot-off-the-vinyl-press new song called “Doba” which is pretty fab but the song that really rings the Britpop bells for me is from 2025. “Fortune Teller” opens teasing us with a lightly strummed electric guitar, adding in some harmony vocals, building up our interest before really launching about a third of the way through the tune. From there the song alternates between building up the sonic attack and then having everything drop down to vocal and guitar to grab our attention repeatedly. It will have you hitting play again and again.

No word on a full album from these folks but as long as new songs reliably arrive I’m not complaining. Visit Arkayla at their spartan website to get hooked up with show tix, music and merch.

Return to Cult Canyon

09 Thursday Jul 2026

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There’s a dog barking near the start Cult Canyon’s “Bitter Birdies,” the opening cut from their recent long player Smoke Tricks. It comes just before the rippling piano riffing really kicks in. It’s a small thing but it adds leavening to the impressive layered quality of the emerging, building soundscape. It’s like you’ve entered a room where a lot is already happening and you can feel the tension rising, in a good way. On “Good Good Habits” it’s the tone of the main guitar that is so alluring, allowing the vocal rise up and ride over it like something bobbing on the ocean. The emerging string section just increases the swell. “Real Sublime” sounds more rocking, paced with a low-key strut. By contrast, “A Longing” gives off a Lennon-esque atmosphere, aided by its pumping piano chords. The focus on creating unique musical ambiences on this record is striking. “Run Red Lights” evokes an era of early 1980s FM radio hit singles with its haunting rhythm guitar tone. “Overwhelming Odds” is something different again, soft, meditative, exploratory. “Ride” takes things to the album’s plaintive conclusion. Over the course of these eight distinctive tunes you can’t escape the feeling you’ve really been somewhere special.

A trip to Cult Canyon is really the best way to pick up some new Smoke Tricks. You can make an easy return to the band’s website and Bandcamp pages via the hyperlink highway.

I get mail! Jim Allen, Scott Roberts, Middlebees, and more

05 Sunday Jul 2026

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The mail does pile up and people often write again, now to find out what has happened to their melodic missive. All I can promise is that I get to everything … eventually. But exactly when ‘eventually’ may arrive is always a bit unclear. Turns out eventually is today.

When Jim Allen declares that his new album Maybe Things Will Be Alright contains ‘two shakes of power pop, a jigger of roots rock, a splash of folk, and a sprig of alt country’ you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s going to careen all over the stylistic map. But the record has a consistent sheen, despite its genre-hopping. That must be due to the crack team of players he’s assembled, which aside from his regular bandmates includes former members of the Mekons, the dBs, the Bongos, and Suzanne Vega’s backing band, among others. Not everything here fits our stylistic brief but most comes close. Opening cut and title track “Maybe Things Will be Alright” has a great pub rock vibe. “Panic Button” then switches gears with a jaunty piano pop number. “Let My People Sleep” appeals to me in both sentiment and jolly delivery. And make sure to tune into Allen’s Leonard Cohen-esque “For Byron.”

If you take a stroll through Scott Roberts’ back catalogue, particularly his Lost Weekend and GrandDad band recordings, there is a strong REM/Byrdsian ring to most things. As things take a solo turn the mood tends to be more spare, stripped down, and DIY, revealing more layers to Roberts’ musical persona. On this latest LP Fake Fakebook he does a kind of remake of Yo La Tengo’s Fakebook, which was itself mostly an album of covers. So meta. The results are intimate and often tender, particularly on his coverage of the Yo La Tengo material like “Can’t Forget,” “What Comes Next,” and “Did I Tell You.” Cat Stevens’ “Here Comes My Baby” is a sprightly acoustic romp. The Flamin’ Groovies “You Tore Me Down” is recast as the Byrds circa 1968. Then we have a spellbinding take on Daniel Johnston’s “Speeding Motorcycle.” But my favourite track here is his moody rumination over the Kinks’ “Oklahoma, USA.”

Seconds is the second album from Atlanta-based Middlebees. I note the location because when you start spinning this record you are going to swear its coming somewhere from 1960s England. The sheer range of sixties-derived styles here is staggering. And highly listenable. “Ticking” kicks things off with an early 1960s halting demeanor, only to break out a more 1980s pop feel in the chorus. Then “Make It Back” introduces a real strength of this outing, strong guitar riffage, aided in this case by a soaring melody. Similarly, both “Watch Out!” and “I Gotta Go” immediately grab your attention with their strong lead guitar hooks. By contrast, sometimes the melody leads the way, as on the 1960s poppy “When Will the Light Shine” or the Herman’s Hermits-ish “Ashby.” The record does occasionally veer into more soft rock, singer songwriter material (though more of the sixties than seventies variant), particularly on tracks like “And Then You’ll See the Sun,” “This Time (Is Mine),” and “I Know You Know I Do” (the latter even successfully resurrecting the sax solo). A few songs cut in a more rootsy feel. “Rip Her Apart” conjures the mid-1980s cowpunk vibe of bands like Rank and File while “Save Me” reminds me of the Ruen Brothers, kinda new wave and western at the same time. Seconds really is a striking sophomore helping of what Middlebees excels at.

Acts and their promoters aren’t the only ones dropping me a line about new music. Sometime fans or just a friendly stranger sends me a prompt about some new release. That was the case with Guelph, Ontario’s Geordie Gordon. He’s put out three LPs over the past six years and each continues to develop his thoughtful folk demeanor, both lyrically and sonically. The essential elements are all there on his 2021 debut The Tower. “4-Track” really stands out for me from this collection, the creative guitar work and distinct drum-machine depth a perfect backdrop for the love song lyrics. Two years later Tambourine is a revelation, going deeper emotionally and in musical complexity. Title track “Tambourine” kicks off very Joni Mitchell before shifting to a more contemporary pop folk feel. I also really like “Life Line” here with its jaunty pop vibe. Now most recently 2026’s River Round completes the trilogy and again the artistic leaps are impressive. The guitar playing is exquisite, whether going for touching acoustic folk on “Endless Line” or more innovative textures in “River House.” The songs range from the intimate folky “All the Fires” to AM ready poppy tunes like “On My Way.” Altogether, a very promising collection.

I’ve been meaning to write about Rob and Ellen’s fabulous EP In On It ever since R.E. Seraphin put me on to it. You get the vibe right away with the intro track “So Many Californias.” There’s jangle but it’s allowed to land in a spacey, garage rock kind of way. Then “Penny Fountain” shakes things up with strings and a syncopated guitar strumming that is utterly captivating. “Cupcake Store” whips up a more languid strummy atmosphere while “Edge of Spring” lets the acoustic guitar sparkle behind an engaging tune. There are a few break-out rock moments on this release. You can hear it on “Second Hand” and “Scene Report,” both of which add some rock heft to the jangle. It’s also there on the album closer “Cosmic Error” where the distortion pedal adds the gravity necessary for a cosmic level of mistake, and in doing so shifts the EP’s mood into something more dissonant and shoe-gazey. Clocking in at just 20 minutes, this is a ‘play and hit replay’ kind of release for sure.

It’s a wrap for this mailbag with just a teaser from Anglo-Japanese instrumentals band The Routes. Their new EP Play contains 6 covers of the Velvet Underground and they are all super sweet, particularly “Femme Fatale” and “There She Goes Again.” But all the preview available now is their version of “I’m Waiting For The Man.” It’s great and will have you itching for more.

I might say ‘mailman bring me no more tunes’ but I love getting mail. Responses are often quick, delivery of promised coverage must less so. But I’m more reliable than your Congress-person that’s for sure.

Photo ‘Post Office Lunch Break’ courtesy Thomas Hawk’s Flikr account.

Cover Me! The Nerves “When You Find Out”

29 Monday Jun 2026

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I didn’t really appreciate the genius groove of The Nerves’ “When You Find Out” until it showed up on my running playlist. There was something about the sense of urgency built into the song that was irresistible on a full-throttle flat out-run. That took me back to their sole self-titled 1976 EP. Hard to believe such a legendary release contained a scant song-list of just four tunes – but what a quartet. The band was a pre-famous super-group of Jack Lee, Peter Case, and Paul Collins that didn’t survive long after the EP release. Case and Collins would later work together on The Breakaways and most famously in The Plimsouls before each established successful solo careers. But people remain in awe of The Nerves EP though when it comes to covers most people just cite Blondie’s cover of “Hanging on the Telephone.” That’s a shame because personally I think “When You Find Out” is the real cover joy.

We begin with the original, of course. So action packed. Messrs. Case and Collins also revived the tune as a more languid instrumental on The Plimsouls self-titled debut in 1981. The first bona fide cover I could find was not what I expected – a rocky treatment from Swedish whistlers Peter Bjorn and John in 2003. Then we get another curve ball from Western Electric who basically completely reconstruct the song for a 2006 Peter Case tribute album A Case For Case. Things turn toward a more heartland treatment from The Heartbeats. The lead guitar work on this version is pretty special, rumbly and hooky.

The Heartbeats

As we stretch into the second decade of the new millennium the vibes get a bit more indie. Witches slow things down and strike a lot more moody chords. Boonaraaas turn up the speed and intensity on their 2012 take. But if you’re looking for a kick-ass rock and roller performance with a lingering sense of dread look no further than The Murderburgers 2015 release. Personally, I’m really fond of Patrick Lindgren’s somewhat restrained, uber-cool take from 2021. Nice organ! David A Burdick reliably turns out great covers and his recent work on the song is no exception.

Boonaraaas

We wrap things up with the cover that got me diving down this covers-rabbit hole, Blur’s Graham Coxon doing a remake of the song that is so 1960s late British Invasion. A little bit Kinks, a little bit Zombies, a whole lot fantastic. It’s from his recent fab solo LP Castle Park.

Some bands make a fleeting cross of the stage but leave behind something lasting. That’s The Nerves – one great EP. But what a legacy of impressive work from each talented member.

Should be a hit single: The Kowloons “I Don’t Care”

23 Tuesday Jun 2026

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Summer 2026 is turning into the season of neo-Britpop. Liverpool’s Keyside, Manchester’s The Guest List, Derby’s Marseille, and now another Liverpool sensation, The Kowloons. The band have a new EP Hallelujah with four fine tunes, definitely worthy of its twelve+ minutes length. But here I’m going to take you back to last year’s amazing, jangle-fabulous song “I Don’t Care.” You can definitely hear the influence of The La’s on this one. The acoustic guitar underlay, the build up with jangly guitars and the contrast between lead singer Stephen Ng and the swirl of harmony vocals. The joy behind this music just rises up and embraces you. Just try not smiling. You won’t go wrong traipsing through the band’s back catalogue either, from their 2021 launch single, a brilliant cover of The La’s unreleased gem “Fishing Net,” to the more recent 2023 EP James Dean. It’s an exciting scene emerging across the north of England this summer, a return to the region’s strong melodic guitar-based traditions. I’m keen to see what or who emerges next.

So many places to meet up with The Kowloons: their website, Soundcloud page, and Facebook locales for a start. And if you live in the UK, you might even be able to see them live!

Blockbusters: Greenberry Woods and The Lemon Twigs

18 Thursday Jun 2026

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A blockbuster release has heft. These are records that storm the turntable, letting up only to allow the shift from side one to side two. This specific blockbuster pack contains bands old and new, with some returning from a long break while others seem to pump out product every few months. Either way, get ready to be wowed.

It’s a comeback of epic proportions. The Greenberry Woods have returned after three decades with a long-player full of sparkling new material, aptly dubbed It’s All Good, Sugar … Truthfully, the potential hits just keep coming on this album. Opening cut “Summer Song” kicks things off in dynamic style, reminding us why the original band toured with the likes of Squeeze. Then things shift to the manic pop rush guiding “Waiting ‘Round For Something to Go Wrong.” And before you can catch your breath we’re on to very Matthew Sweet-ish “Whenever You Want Me Too.” This is an album where decades of influences come together, channeled through some very fine songwriting. Take “Very Good Year.” The track has a grinding Odds-like guitar pop groove but there are unmistakeable Beatles references too. “All I Want Is You” could be the Bay City Rollers, properly power-punked up. “That Girl” is very Elvis Costello circa 1980, right down the Steve Nieve organ runs and staccato back-up vocals. On “December Boy” the band extend the Big Star story from “September Gurls.” Personally, I’m digging “That Won’t Make You Love Me,” a song the album presser calls a ‘jangle heartbreaker.’ But the undoubted radio-ready should-be hit is the hard-hitting but still popalicious “The One That Makes You Happy.” What a soaring, sonorous slab of hit single-age! You know something is good when it gets covered mere weeks after it comes out (by the inimitable Grant Lindberg – listen here). I won’t be the only scribe telling you to make room on your record shelf for the triumphant return of The Greenberry Woods.

After the Lemon Twigs put out their tight rocking single “I’ve Got a Broken Heart” paired with the poppy garage-rock number “Friday (I’m Going To Love You)” in late 2025 I thought I knew what would be coming on their upcoming 2026 long-player. The songs seemed to signal a move away from their more baroque pop tastes toward 1960s power pop. The new LP Look For Your Mind! jams such easy expectations, not that that amounts to disappointment – far from it. But the boys just can’t resist showcasing multiple styles across the 14 tracks that appear here. Things started pretty much as I had expected. Opening cut “Look For Your Mind” offered up a lush Byrdsian power-pop work out. Yet just as quickly things harkened back to the baroque on “2 or 3” and “Gather Round.” Ok, so the shape of this record appears to be going in multiple directions, stretching across 1960s and into the 1970s. We can see this on “Nothin’ But You,” classic 1970s guitar pop. Another 1970s influence appears to be from Todd Rundgren’s Utopia on cuts like “Fire and Gold” and “Your True Enemy.” The two decades converge in the obvious single “I Just Can’t Get Over Losing You” with its poppy jangle and Beach Boys harmonies. The 1960s beach influences continue on “Mean To Me” and “Bring You Down,” the latter vibing Brian Wilson’s Chuck Berryisms. Stand out songs here for me include the great guitar pop tune “You’re Still My Girl”  and the more operatic pop of “My Heart Is In Your Hands Tonight.” Look For Your Mind! confirms it’s good to have your expectations challenged.

There you have it, two bona fide blockbuster releases that do not disappoint. The hyperlinks take you to your local blockbuster dispensary.

Photo courtesy Carbon Arc Flikr collection.

Start the car! Motorists and Mythical Motors

12 Friday Jun 2026

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A Swedish fast furniture company had a commercial that got a generation of kids yelling ‘start the car!’ whenever the family approached the vehicle. I don’t know that it helped to sell more of their particle board book shelves but it was briefly entertaining. And now we revive the slogan to celebrate two motor-themed bands with fab new platters.

On their most recent LP Never Sing Alone Toronto’s Motorists give off a strong rock vibe on opening cut “Cristobel” and tracks like “The Damage,” the latter cut with just the right dose of new wave. I get a lot of retro new wave from songs like “Anomaniacs” too. Then there are the efforts that really merge styles. “Scattered White Horses” uses dissonant rhythm guitar shots to throw us off the scent, slyly shifting to understated vocals that sound like Buddy Holly with a touch of ennui before breaking out the harmony vocals in the chorus. I can’t help but feel that the jangle cuts are the star of the show here. “Frogman” is the standout, sparkling hit single here. “Reprise” doles out more jangle, reminiscent of 1970s April Wine. Some material fits into no convenient genre box. Does “Stander” have a country gloss? It’s slight but effective. “Man in the Circular Window” and “Diogenes” are just jaunty fun. Singing along here isn’t mandatory but probably advisable.

With 17 contributions on their latest long-player Chattanooga, Tennessee’s Mythical Motors have definitely stepped on the creative gas pedal. Tremolo On The Punchline has been compared to Guided By Voices, Sharp Pins, and just about anything from those C-86 sessions. This embarrassment of jangle riches has far too many highlights to single out. But for me the album really takes off with the atmospheric “Solid Wall of Light.” The individual guitar parts shimmer and yet still stand apart.  “Luna Relay” is another strong effort, vibing an early 1960s disaster tune with just the right amount of distortion. “The Queen of Fleeting Moments” also has a very 1960s pop propulsion, accented by its punchy rhythm guitar. “Dismantled Man Tells You” is more a rush of jangle, reminding me of The Friends of Cesar Romero. Tracks like “Harper’s Echo” and “Molecular Charlatans” have a great crashing energy while and “Replacement City” offers a more contemplative counterpoint. Personally, I think “Flashes of Now” is the hidden should-be hit single, lodged near the very end Tremolo On The Punchline. That’s the beauty of a collection like this – so full, so much to explore (and enjoy!).

These bands have got their engines and instruments tuned and are definitely ready to hit the open road and open stages. Join them at the Bandcamp hyperlinks to cruise awhile with their new releases.

Photo courtesy James Vaughn Flikr collection.

Summer singles shopping

06 Saturday Jun 2026

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Summer playlists are not going to fill themselves. But who has the time to roam record shops old school, flipping through bins of shiny new vinyl? For better or worse, those days are gone. On the flip side, now you can shop from the comfort of your very own coffee perch. So let’s get this batch of 21 new-ish songs out there and see what grabs you.

The band’s presser describes “Daisy” as a perfect ‘flower pop singalong’ for your summer soundtrack and I’d have to agree.  I admit I’m a bit late to the Beauty scene as this song and their debut LP I’d Do Almost Anything For You came out last year. But I think you’ll agree it deserves another seasonal spin. Another band I’m catching up on is Walter Mitty and his Makeshift Orchestra. “My Scratched CD of a Brain” is acoustic-guitar-light and pop-frothy with a toy piano in the mix somewhere, a winning combo in my book. My final 2025 resurrected single is from The Toxhards. The band give you fair warning with “Get Creative! Or Get Radicalized!” what with the free hand with exclamation marks. The song is big and bold and definitely going somewhere in an operatic Queen sort of way. Then there’s the allure of Rural France. This is light jangle with maximum impact. “Thirty-Seven Forever” is guitar pop goodness with a summer swing. Ace 1960s genre channeler Rad Venture pays tribute to the uber cool “Patsy Kensit” with predicable style. Slick and stylish mod pop.

Now for something a bit out there from the ever reliable Ricky Rochelle. “Beetles On High” starts a bit pop-punky only to sashay into full-on Mersey-pop mode in the chorus. If Abba had had a bit more rock and roll in their pop DNA they might have sounded like Fascinations Grand Chorus on “Chroma Eyes.” The hooks here have a got a bit more bite. Tony Molina softens up his trademark guitar pop on the smooth “Somewhere There’s a Feather.” These are folk rock harmonies with just the right dollop of electric guitar. Montreal’s Private Lives up the punk quotient on “Television Faces.” It’s there in the staccato rhythm guitar shots, the loose bass lines, and in-your-face vocals. It’s really the total package. By contrast, for a full-on trip back to mid-1975 check out the debut single “Love and Heartbreak in High School” from Plastic Family. It’s got the flavour of a Big Star-meets-Wings synthesis.

When he’s not hanging with his Stranger Things buds TV’s Finn Wolfhard knocks out some pretty hooky old school rock and roll tunes. “I’ll Let You Finish” is a teaser new tune from his soon-to-be-released second album, and it oozes a new wave Stones vibe. In the guise of Chrome Agnon DW Dunphy goes new wave for real with “Ion You,” just one of 15 fabulous tracks from the fundraiser LP Back In Time – Lost Hits of the 80’s Vol. 2. The Brazilian brothers behind Banda AL9 apply their unique talents to The Ramones, oops, I mean the Rubinoos (thanks Alan!) signature tune “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” with predictably poppy results. What a reinvention! We have more Montreal with Taxi Girls and like Private Lives they take pop to the very edge, rocking things a bit raw on “Say It.” But the hooks are undeniably there. By contrast, Glasgow’s Fast Camels are in no hurry. “All I Want” features languid, whammy-barred electric-guitar lead-lines and a tune that advances with a shuffle-like march.

On Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island you can find the former municipality of Sydney and very pleasant band named Company House. You won’t get much more spacey pop-pleasant than “Far Away” from the band’s self-titled debut album. Now give this new single “The Girl I Know”  from Peter Freebairn a listen and tell me if it doesn’t have a seductively slow-building set of hooks. The guitar melody is so Neil Finn in its efficient simplicity while the vocal takes you over a hooky summit with the last line of the chorus. This should be major hit-single material if radio ever meant anything. Now off to Padua, Italy for a band with a distinctive aura surrounding both their compositions and performance. On “Ghost” snüff dial in some dynamic guitar work along with vocals that keep us on the edge of our seats. It sounds indie and old school at the same time. From the cover of Toronto’s The Get Alongs upcoming LP Second to None the vibe is pretty psychedelic. Ok, early release single “Sunday Afternoon” is pretty psych rock too but never at the expense of the melody. I love the grinding lead guitar line opening Radio Days new single “Flying High.” The rocking rhythm guitars are never far in the background here though the vocals really define what is rollicking about this tune.

Wrapping up this summer singles shopping fest is Minneapolis, Minnesota’s Favourite Girl. It was so hard to pick just one song from the band’s cracking self-titled debut LP. The title track has all the anguish and subtle hooks we’d expect from this self-described ‘femme forward’ act. Hit single radio stuff for sure. But “Not Going Back” gives off just a hint of Americana before kicking into some fine poppy rock. Why choose? Enjoy them both.

Was shopping for singles ever this much of a breeze? I don’t think so. Now you can save the dropping for the dance floor. And remember, these 21 tunes are just one blast of what these artists have to offer for your summer song playlist. You can keep the shopping going, hyperlink style.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Spotlight single: The Martial Arts “Seeing Double”

31 Sunday May 2026

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A new single from Glasgow’s The Martial Arts is always a sweetly delivered melodic treat. The band’s distinctive vibe draws from so many possible influences – seventies glam, the Bay City Rollers, Abba, the Shins – but somehow never surrenders its own unique personality. And that remains true on “Seeing Double.” The song opens with a sense of anticipation, Paul Kelly’s earnest vocal pacing our expectations with some low-key lead guitar and synth work, building and building to a chorus that slips into place almost before we’ve noticed it. Only with the final line do we feel the impact of the track’s subtle melodic arc. From there we can rest in a gentle cocoon of pop swing as the song goes on, diverting only near to end to add a whack of rock oomph that resolves with some gorgeous vocal ‘oohs’. Is this a promising teaser of more to come? 45 RPM offerings often spring eternal into 33 and third wishes and hopes. We’re staying tuned.

While we’re all waiting for a new album or EP, you can tune into The Martial Arts in back catalogue mode at their fully equipped Bandcamp site. Why not see what you’ve been missing?