Mayday!

01 Friday May 2026

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Mayday is the international radio distress signal indicating that some kind of ship is going down. You say it three times just so there’s no mistake. Lately it’s been feeling like a succession of mayday moments the world over. The musical offerings here are all sounding some kind of alarm: social, political, individual. Take your pick.

Janne Borgh Fanclub kick things off with a song that heads right for the intersection of politics and popular culture we’re stuck into right now. “Poetry, Protest, and Pop Songs” is the title track of an album that wields some pretty mean jangle guitar riffs. If there’s any hope out there then a Rickenbacker will definitely be in the mix. Then The Blusterfields get to the point with “Here Come the Idiots.” Cutting lyrics are the order of the day here. And the tune is pretty sweet, kinda like XTC meets the Monkees. On “They’re Coming For Us” Ryan Allen makes it clear that sitting this one out is not an option. There’s a nice poppy bit of bridge work in this tune. From the EP of the same name you can also enjoy the incredibly hooky “This Ugly.” Style-wise the cover evokes all those old Billy Bragg album designs.

So what is to be done at this particular chaotic historical juncture? Responses vary. Andrew Weiss and Friends tells us “I Don’t Want to Live in This World Anymore.” It sounds like he’s turning away but the song is more about drawing a line in the sand about what you’re prepared to accept. With some great harmonica work. Sorry Monks cautions us to turn away from the bitter side of life on “Chip On Your Shoulder” with his usual Beatlesque aplomb. Just keep humming that chorus and who could be bitter? The pleasant surprise album from Juliana Hatfield and song co-writer Eric Payne Bets contains “Your Social Security.” And given clown car ride that is America’s current administration what might happen to it has got to be front of mind for a lot of people right now. Of course, if you’re looking for a dramatic exit, The Just Joans are suggesting that “Everybody’s Moving to Australia.” I’m not sure it’s really do-able for most people, particularly Australians. But it’s got a singalong swing to it that is certainly attractive. Of course, for a lot of people winging it is the most likely response to what is going on. Bory give breathy voice to such sentiments on “We’ll Burn That Bridge When We Get To It.” It makes this option sound so carefree, at least until things careen a bit more caustically in the instrumental break.

Now I’m not one for leaving things without direction. Joshua Jesty’s recent EP Orgone Box Sampler 10.23.25 riffs on a host of current governance problems, often with hilarious results. One song manages to madly repeat how someone has ‘put a tariff on you’ for just about everything. But the most pop oriented tune here is “Drop the Deadbeat.” The advice seems sound. Mark Ward has made a whole album decrying the problems of this moment. Godless Country has so many great cuts that call out who is responsible. “I Don’t Care” names names about this decades great cover-up and insinuates the rest. You know who he’s talking about here. Never has denunciation sounded so melodically sweet. Brother Dynamite also sharpen their lyrical knives on “Your Time Will Come” leaving little doubt who or what they are referring to. The message here is that what goes around will eventually come back around, delivered with a glorious chorus that feels more than a little uplifting.

Ending on a slightly different note, let’s face it, a lot of people are carrying on as if the world is not on fire. Jake Bugg really captures this reality on “Oblivious,” one of four cuts added to the expanded version of his 2024 album A Modern Day Distraction. The track sounds so guitar-ringing positive, despite its message. Sometimes you just have to smile through gritted teeth.

There’s a lot of ways to signal distress. We went the melody route. Help is just a hyperlink away with all the featured artists above.

Photo ‘The Andromeda Strain’ courtesy James Vaughn Flikr collection.

Breaking news: Softjaw, The Pretty Flowers, Quinn Hawkins, and Music City

29 Wednesday Apr 2026

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The news rolls in like the tide. Nothing can stop it, thank goodness. Here are the details on a few new breaking stories to come across our desk recently. To be filed under ‘melody central.’

Man it has been a long wait for the Softjaw long-player but the self-titled debut is finally out on Dandy Boy Records. The LP basically gathers together all the recently released singles and the material from the 2024 S/T EP, sequencing them in the order the songs were released. To have them all in one place only reinforces the retro new-wave pop genius of this combo. Things kick off strong with the 1979 perfect “Pleased With Me.” “Don’t Go Walking Out” just adds to the retro allure with its killer pop hooks. “Waiting at the End” is right in the mid-1970s pop groove. “Dragging My Feet” has obvious Beatlesque charms. However “I Need You” is the obvious should-be hit single with its strong Big Star flash. The newer tracks lean in a Todd Rundgren direction, particularly on “Working Too Hard.” “Playing Bogart” is something else again, with a slight Americana feel. This is a debut album that is a guitar-hook rush from start to finish. There’ll be no pausing when Softjaw hits the turntable.

The Pretty Flowers know their way around a hook but still somehow sound like a distant cousin of something more punk. There’s some residual edginess embedded in these otherwise melody-strong tunes that populate their new record Never Felt Bitter. “Thief of Time” is an amazing song to launch the record with. It’s got an easygoing charm, from the folksy vocals to the streamlined lead guitar lines. It grabs you and won’t let go. “Convent Walls” hit some of these notes too. Then “To Be So Cool” puts its edge up front, like the progeny of some punky forefather. Big choruses feature on number of tracks here, like “Oceans Swimming” and “Tough Love.” “Come Back Kicking” sounds like the single. It opens dynamically and keeps the surprises coming, like the killer harmony vocals in the chorus. “Big Dummy” is another radio ready track with its rough singalong quality. Some material has a darker feel, like title track “Never Felt Bitter (We Burn)” and “Ring True.” “Feel a Little Vague” is another departure, filling a broad sonic landscape with a big and sonorous sound. Things end with another twist as “Not Dissolve” delivers something more tender.

Seems everybody’s talking about Quinn Hawkins. The power pop blogs have decreed his new album Eccentric a must listen and I have to agree. You only need to needle-drop your way through his first album track “Can’t Wait To Go To Bed Every Night” to hear the Beatles and XTC bona fides. It also reminds me of Utopia in their heyday. Really, you can pick out so many distinct possible influences here. I hear a bit of Pugwash coming through on “Last Person in Town” or even some Mark Everett in his solo ‘E’ guise on “Nothing Seems To Kill Me Now.” “(Back Off) I’m On Vacation” is perfect Andy Partridge dissonant pop while “Souvenir in the Dirt” and “Cleaning Out My Mind” hit the XTC marks pretty effortlessly. McCartney is another strong contender for ka ey influence with “Don’t Want to Fight You Again” sounding very Macca pretty. Or there’s “Hawaiian Stress” which sounds like a mash-up of McCartney II-meets-Beck. Power pop records are guitar-centric as a rule but a number of tunes here are piano dominant, like “Don’t Call Me Your Future” and “Different Level of Hell.” Singled out for the hit single I’d choose “Love the Thought of You” with its strong defining electric lead guitar line that carries on throughout the song.

Music City’s Welcome to Music City is definitely located in the 1970s. From the opening chords of album opener “It’s Alright” it’s pure 1970s power pop time. Then both “When the Day Comes By” and “Do I?” lighten the mood in a California pop style. “A Matter of Time” even adds an AM radio pop single vibe in a Phil Seymour or April Wine vein. There are rockier moments here too. “Common Sense” has a looser rock and roll swing akin to the early 1970s-era Kinks.  “You Remember” has a combo of organ and guitar faintly reminiscent of 1981 Springsteen and Tom Petty but takes it to a different place. New wave gets a look in on “Pretty Feelings” and  “The Conversation.” It’s that distinctive rhythm guitar work. Lighter singer-songwriter pop touches colour “Photograph and the Big Star-ish “Little Favour.” And then things end with a bit orchestral pop on “Something’s On Your Mind.” Book your trip now to Music City – it’s just a hyperlink away.

Who needs sports and weather when you’ve got headlines like these? Finally, some good news for a change.

Photo courtesy Alex Eylar Flikr collection.

Back to Britpop

24 Friday Apr 2026

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Jangly guitars don’t really go out of style. Especially if they’re wrapped up in a gauzy, shoegazey atmosphere and feature strong melodic hooks. The 1990s Britpop scene brought jangle back into the mainstream of the music charts and since then it has maintained a niche popularity. Now three new bands grab the torch and look poised to set the charts ablaze all over again. All hail from the north of England, though some are more northern than others. Manchester’s The Guest List have a restrained demeanor on their recent single “Something Real,” the vocal a laid back contrast to the bright lead guitar lines. At least until they get to the chorus where the vocals flare out with a bit more melodic vitality. Keyside are an exciting outfit from Liverpool that have rallied a glut of fans over the past two years with a series of killer 45s. The latest “Lemon and Lime” is a sunny, chime-driven bit of tune-age. Bit by bit there are filling out enough of a catalogue for a superb debut LP. Derby’s Marseille are the most southern of the groups and also the most hard hitting guitar-wise. The amps occasionally inch up to eleven here. You can hear the strong psych rock notes mixing with sheer Britpop jangle on the band’s last single “Out of the Blue.” If this is the beginning of a Britpop renaissance, count me in.

Click on the hyperlinks above to learn more about these fabulous Britpoppy bands.

Photo “American Poison” courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Country time: Turn Turn Turn, Joshua Hedley, and Boy Golden

17 Friday Apr 2026

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It’s not just oversweet factory-made lemonade. Country time is a state-of-mind way-of-life. You can stretch it in a bunch of different directions, mix it up with various other genres, and somehow not dislodge its essential country-ness. All the acts here come at country with their own special baggage. Let’s start unpacking.

Minnesota musical everyman Adam Levy returns with his country outfit Turn Turn Turn and a fabulous 11 track new LP All Hat No Cattle. The sonic flavours here range from the Appalachian Civil War-themed “Antietam” to the honky tonkin’ “Last Drink” to the Mexican-flavoured “Cities.” And that’s just the first three songs! Seriously, this band shifts country gears like a Kentucky sports car. Check out the shivery vocal work on “Magnolia Tree” or the Bakersfield twang and killer organ colouring “Trouble.” Most of the songs vibe country traditions in a pretty honest rendering but there are a few contemporary-sounding efforts too. Both “Serious” and “Hungry Ghosts” have great pop hooks. Or you can go back in time with “When Love Reigns” and its lovely 1962 rock and roll demeanor. I’m a sucker for the folky “Manitowoc” – such a sublime chorus. And make sure to hang in there after the closing cut “Solid State” for the hidden title track.

Slipping back in time genre-wise and with only half our previous title, Joshua Hedley gives up a full serving of western swing on All Hat. If you’ve ever hankered after a Bob Wills or Merle Travis tune then this is the record for you. Right from the opening cut “All Hat (No Cattle)” you know Hedley has nailed this. His evocation of the period is a high fidelity 1940s time trip. Every aspect of the historical mood is here. “Boogie Woogie Tennesse” is vibing Johnny Mercer something serious. There’s polkas with “Hedliner Polka” while “Fresh Hot Biscuits” is square dance central. “Clueless” is a perfectly structured 1940s song vamp with solo piano work that is exquisite. Songs with a recognizable historical style can sound stilted but Hedley has tracks like “Crawlin’ Home to You” sounding freshly pressed and ready to wear. And, as with a lot of western swing, there’s a strong jazz element to what is going on, as in evidence on “Over The Line” and “Come Take a Ride With Me.” Hedley notes on the album write up that western swing was dance music played in dance halls, not theatres. This record offers you what amounts to an amazing evening of classy dancing 1940s style.

Winnipeg’s Boy Golden mines a rich vein of rock and roll country on his latest long-playing release Best of Our Possible Lives. There’s a confident strut and swagger here reminiscent of a 1979-era Tom Petty. This is a take on country I can really get behind. The brilliance of the package on offer here is all there on opening cut “Suffer.” The ambience is cinematic, delivered with smooth talk/singing style I last heard aced on my Aaron Lee Tasjan records. ‘I want know where my money went, I want a new effin’ President,’ sings the founder and minister of The Church of Better Daze. All I can say is – preach brother! As the tracks play on you can hear the style defiance going on. Boy Golden puts a recognizable stamp on this work but nothing really sounds the same. “Cowboy Dreams” is another outstanding track, a duet with Cat Clyde. The vocals and distinctive lead guitar work weave together creating a special sonic space. “Eyes” takes haunting to new spooky levels. Then you’ve got a tune like “Meadowsweet” that straddles pop and folk with a meditative intensity. Title track “Best of Our Possible Lives” is a killer closer, so subtly catchy.

It’s a wrap on country time with the Brennan Wedl and Waxahatchee cover of the Kathleen Edwards song “Six O’Clock News.” This one is just effortless good -time tuneage by all concerned.

Live it up, country style. Who knows when country time may be coming around again.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Around the Dial: Jeremy Messersmith, Boys Go To Jupiter, Robert Ellis Orrall, and The Krayolas

12 Sunday Apr 2026

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If good radio could clean up the nation we’d be making a start here. Sound salvation? It could be, it’s whatever works for you. Today’s crew help out by offering many routes to the same good place.

Jeremy Messersmith’s new LP Fox/Coyote is all about ambience. Take opening cut “Billionaires” as a case in point. Its hypnotic slow-shuffle buffets a sweet-mellow pop vibe. It’s like you’re floating above all those tawdry economic conflicts going on below. “Boomers” is cut from the same stylistic cloth and further develops Messersmith’s populist economic critique. More hummable than Marx’s Capital that’s for sure. “Huckleberry” completes this urban pop triptych. The sonic atmosphere is akin to anything you might hear on the charts but still retains some semblance of melody. “Stallions” also fits into this dreamy pop milieu. From there the album starts to take a turn, back to more familiar Messersmith curio song stylings. “I Don’t Trust That Boy” puts the guitar and a twisted lyrical sense back front and centre. “Spiral Bound” has to resonate with any progressive politically-aware American these days. The album also sees Messersmith auditioning to be somebody’s boyfriend in his trademark droll, sad sack way on tracks like “Rainy Day Boyfriend,” “Lucky Number” and “The View.” And “Nothing At All” has great advice for world-wrecking tech bros everywhere. Favourite cut? It would have to be “Can’t Get Out Of My Own Way” with its Beatles ’67 meets ELO aura. My advice is spend some time with Fox/Coyote – it’s a dose of what’s right in American independent music today.

Imagine if those kids from theatre camp started a band. Now listen to Boys Go to Jupiter. It’s like you’ve been dropped into some manic musical, but without all the dance routines. Second album Now You’re a Circle takes up where the band left off on Meet Me After Practice with more big and bold numbers. Opening cut “Sunshine (Never Trust Anyone Named Jeanette)” has a 1970s Jeff Lynne sense of spectacle, with just a touch of disco strings. Actually I can totally see this as big Broadway staged production. From there the tempo shifts into smooth pop on “Wake Up Layla” and “Do It Over.” Then “Flying Machine” comes out of nowhere with its enticing mix of acoustic instruments and harmony vocals. “Revenge Tour” is like one of those second act songs where the lead’s best friend does some truth telling. Then I imagine “Handstand” is the sweet melancholic summer’s end goodbye from that girl in the Beach Boys’ “Girl Don’t Tell Me” (she really meant to write). The album closer is an emotional powerhouse where “The Rules of You” sees vocalist Jess Kantorowitz channeling a Joni Mitchell-esque tenderness. Trust me, a spin or two of Now You’re a Circle will make you a believer that lasts into the run-out groove.

A master doesn’t have to step on the gas pedal quite so much to get where he’s going. That’s Robert Ellis Orrall – songwriter, performer, producer, hit-maker, and then some. You can hear what I’m talking about all through the title track of his new LP Wonderland. It’s an understated masterpiece, grand and sparely delivered all at the same time. Then with “Brand New Me” and “I’m Coming With You” we steer into a familiar AM radio pop groove. “Carol Ann” departs from the formula, adding an ominous undercurrent to its radio friendly hooks. Orrall’s arranging skills come to fore on this LP. He really knows how to dress a song. Listen to how he drapes both “I Disappear” and “Underground” with alluring guitar lines. It’s easy to hear how both “When Will You Love Me Again” and “Where Do We Go From Here?” could be larger-than-life hits for any number of artists but I like Orrall’s even tempered 1980s treatments. This is really apparent on “I’m Only Me (When I’m With You),” a song that practically begs to be big and dramatic but Orrall keeps it low-key and pretty, only upping the punch slightly in the chorus. The record ends with “End Title Song,” an amusing tip of the hat to all those songs that run out over the movie credits. Wonderland really reminds me how much I’ve been missing this kind of performance.

Imagine your favourite 45 year old band returned with a new album and it sounds as fresh and inspired as their early work. That’s what you’re gonna get with The Krayolas new LP Barbed Wire. Ok, only six tunes here are new but the mix of old and new just makes my point – everything here is quality tune-age. The record rocks in a number of styles: very Stonesy on title track “Barbed Wire Road,” more swamp rock blues a la George Thorogood with “Long Leaf Pine,” and turning to a 12 bar vamp on “Goose Is Cooked (Yakety Song).” But folk styles fill out a great deal of the record too, from the harmonica-laden Dylanesque “Hurtin’ Me Baby” to the more English folk feel of “Bird Don’t Fly Away” and “Does She Know.” “Deceiver” switches gears again, reminding us of the band’s strengths with mid 1960s pop motifs. “Exit Saleda” closes things out with a strong Mexicali flavour, featuring Augie Myers and Flaco Jiminez. What a band! And they’re promising a whole LP of new material sometime in 2027.

Well we’ve filled out a few more inches on the reel-to-reel. Take your pick and tune in more closely to whatever sounds like salvation to you with the hyperlinks provided.

Photo courtesy Joe Haupt Flikr collection.

One year supply of Luxury Fruit

05 Sunday Apr 2026

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Sometimes you really don’t know what you’re missing until you stumble across it. Like Luxury Fruit. I mean, what is such a thing? Just pieces of fruit in really nice condition? Or a cheeky musical outfit offering hours of fun for the discerning listener?  I’ve just discovered the latter and their recent EP In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Selling Out and I’m still recovering from how funny and smart the songs are. “Liked You Better” kicks things off lowkey, like some off-Broadway exposition song, before breaking into a gorgeous chorus. Then “Cowards” sounds 1970s California pop smooth with just a bit of edge. “Tekken Liberties” appears to combine Japanese fighting games and pretty raunchy sex. And to wrap things up the band offers up “Space Bees,” a mini-rock opera about bees, complete with performance instructions contained in the Bandcamp lyrics drop-down toggle. There’s something really 10cc-meets-Todd Rundgren’s Utopia going on here. My only complaint is the brevity of the whole enterprise, barely filling their allotted 15 minutes of fame.

But this is where things get good because Luxury Fruit are not some indie rock slackers serving up an EP and a lame live album in alternating years. Over the past twelve months they’ve served up three EPs. That’s right, for the low, low price of just $12 US you get a whole year’s supply of Luxury Fruit. And I can attest that level of productivity comes at no cost in creative quality. EP #2 Neo Rococco is full of slightly twisted poppy delights. “Please Mr. Deputy” is like a country add to the A Mighty Wind soundtrack. “discofugazi” pop course corrects, with this EP’s sex content. “Cynical Man” is carried by a notable George Harrison lead guitar quaver. The EP ends with “No Alibis,” a finely structured pop masterpiece.

This brings us to the band’s first installment in this year-long trilogy of EPs, Being Calm is Fun. I don’t want to appear to play favourites with the children but this one is my fave. “Jesus Christ or Spider Man” is both pop song and pop culture genius. And it sounds like it could easily slip into the 1960s cartoon soundtrack. ‘Spider Christ amen’ indeed. Then “Grifters on the Grind” kicks off with an uber cool guitar riff before scaling up in the chorus with some amazing vocals. The message is pretty on-point timely too. “My Deadly Gender Reveal” vibes some ethereal Moody Blues before launching a Blue Oyster Cult rocking interlude. “You Know Like You Do” is a big-finish pop wonder of a tune.

Luxury Fruit combine pop culture smarts with winning hooks that falls somewhere between XTC and They Might Be Giants. So don’t delay, get stocked on up your one-year supply right now. And when that runs out, you can check out their cheeky earlier outfit, Westside Daredevils! Psst, don’t forget to explore the lyrics tabs on Bandcamp for some hilarious hidden commentary.

Help me, help me, help me sail away …

29 Sunday Mar 2026

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I hear you. It’s like, spring’s almost here but winter keeps stubbornly hanging on by a thread. We need some Kinksian inspiration to recapture what it might mean to laze away in the sunshine. I’ve even found The Kik giving us a version of the Kinks’ “Sunny Afternoon” in Dutch (you’re welcome). And as an added benefit we’ve got 21 new tracks to help you cope with this stop-and-go seasonal transition.

We kick off our non-Kinks material with a new song from Orbis Max. “Don’t Lose Me Now” revives the urgency and appealing, squealing guitars of early 1980s FM radio stalwarts like Blue Oyster Cult. Like a bolt out of the blue, but with hooks. Nashville’s Bleary open instrumentally big on their single “Bug,” then shrink back to some intimate harmony vocals, only to open things back up in the chorus. Lather, rinse, repeat is the formula. One of many big tunes on their new LP Little Brain. The Morning Line return after a multi-year break with a double A-sided single including “90s Pickup” and “This Lens.” The former wears its jangle lightly while the latter dials into an acoustic guitar-rich, light Americana vein, with some nice subtle organ work coming up in the background. I love the low-key pop goodness the suffuses Career Woman’s new single “Game of Pricks.” There’s something about the way the rhythm guitar and keyboard tones and ethereal vocals come together that is really special. Newest entrant on the 1990s comeback trail are legendary power poppers The Greenberry Woods. “Whenever You Want Me To” delivers all the jangle and harmonies that had you reaching for their old CDs all these years. And this is just the first of a whole bevy of songs coming from a soon- to-be released full album.

The songs keep coming from the ever prolific Sorry Monks and “A Little Understanding” marks no break in the high quality output. After teasing us with a Beatles “Back in the USSR” flight landing opener this new song has elements of folkie charm and a McCartney White Album demeanor. Dazzling Byrdsian reincarnates The Hanging Stars have a new album in the wings but for now we get “The Glasshouse.” Wow, they’re not burying the lead here. The song radiates a psychedelic jangle aimed directly at your pleasure centres. Another teaser track comes Seattle’s smiles from their upcoming EP if the sun. “please please please” is a knock-down Elliott Smith Beatlesque acoustic triumph. The Cactus Blossoms further countrify “Lately I’ve Let Things Slide” from Nick Lowe’s Brentford Trilogy of albums, which I didn’t think was possible. Another much anticipated LP is coming from the sixties-unstoppable Lemon Twigs. But until Look For Your Mind! drops in May we’ll have to keep hitting repeat on “I Just Can’t Get Over Losing You.” The song is another brilliant reconstruction of sixties song components that comes alive with its own unique qualities.

Tim Izzard is a man happily trapped in the 1970s glamosphere, turning his Bowie-esque vocals to a host of projects. His latest Wow! appears under the moniker Tim Izzard and the Dizztractions where he casts his genre-net a bit wider than usual, back into the 1960s. “Inside Out” has a dreamy pop vibe that pulses melodic hooks. Rockpile fans will salivate at the prospect of The Donuts ambitious new LP The Pleasure of Seconds, a song-for-song answer album to that band’s Seconds of Pleasure. The whole effort is maximum fun but I’m drawn to the added bonus, the band’s stellar cover of Nick’s novelty track “Rollers Show.” The Green Hearts presser doesn’t lie, these guys reliably deliver “some loud, sweet, crunchy, hook-filled rock n’ roll music.” Their latest self-titled album has that number, particularly on the 1970s retro rave up “Bionic Man.” When you listen to Ronnie D’Addario you really hear how the lemons don’t fall far from the tree. On his most recent LP Written By D’Addario gets a little help from a variety of big and less-big names but the standout tracks see him supported by his own kids, the twin talents running The Lemon Twigs.  “5th of July” will ‘sha la la’ its way into your 1960s loving heart. Toronto’s Cootie Catcher have got more recent work out and it’s all pretty solid but I have to share “Words Mean Less” from last year’s Shy At First. I love the light musical chaos enveloping this tune that, nevertheless, never loses its hooky footing.

Sometimes a cover is a song reinvention. Sometimes it’s just a loving blast through the tune that is reminiscent of the original. Michael Simmons follows the latter course on his appealing cover of Squeeze’s “Is That Love” from their career peaking LP East Side Story but his vocals do have a different timbre than Glenn Tilbrook, adding something new. Now we travel to Munster, Germany where Linear Television gets the guitars grinding on the title track from their EP Sandy Beach. It’s two and half minutes of non-stop rocking energy.  I love how the guitars spill out at the start of Keats “Plain Jane.” This song stands out from the band’s LP Fate for its stately pacing, inventive guitar work, and subtle melody. Martin Luke Brown knows how to develop idiosyncratic sounds into a whole musical canvas. Last year’s man oh man! LP was practically a sonic French impressionists show. Now he returns with “Back Of My Mind” and while the brush strokes are a bit lighter the craft is definitely there, allowing the tune to really shine. What’s not to like about Camp Trash? Great name, great sound. On “Normal, IL” you can hear both their punk roots and their obvious melodic chops.

Wrapping up this 21 song salute strongly with Cincinnati’s Flying Underground. “Sister” really grabs you with its off-kilter pop sound. The electric rhythm guitar tone grounds the tune, allowing Kelly McCracken’s vocal to soar effortlessly over the band.

We all need a little help waiting out the unpredictable season’s cycle. These 21+ new songs should aid and abet your time in stasis.

Photo ‘Sunny Valley Lodge’ courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Listen to the band

22 Sunday Mar 2026

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When I was young music was like one undifferentiated sound. Vocals, guitar, keyboard, drums, bass – it all just melded together. Only later would the separate elements stand out for me in all their distinct glory. Instrumentals aid in this process, offering us a chance to really dissect a great song without the distractions of some attention-seeking lead vocalist. So here’s a bevy of instrumentals, ready for some heavy listening.

For many, rock instrumentals means surf guitar. That seems as good a place to start as any. Poland’s I. Jeziak and The Surfers kickstart the party with their energetic guitar-heavy workout “Surfer’s Stomp.” Such great organ backing! Surely these boys must be from Long Beach, California? Another act far from the Pacific Ocean surf swells are Toronto’s The Surfragettes. They too mine the surf guitar style catalogue, though their 2024 LP title track “Easy as Pie” easily slips such narrow genre confines. A multi-national cast of characters populate the band The Other Timelines and their works straddles the surf/spy guitar genres, well-illustrated on the peppy blast of guitar running through “The Saboteur.”

A separate line of instrumental tradition comes out the country gentleman guitar style of Chet Atkins that you can also hear in crossover 1950s rockabilly. Tasmania’s Mondo Quinn pays tribute to this sound on his terrific EP Going Places and particularly the opening cut “Travelling.” Equal parts Chet Atkins and George Harrison. Guitar virtuoso and member of Los Straightjackets Greg Townson takes us in a jazzy direction on his recent EP In Focus. Listen to how the horn section elevates “Jack Rabbit” to something really classy. And then you have what Bill Lloyd delivers on his inventive all-instrumentals album Insta-mentals. I love how “Senor Discount” synthesizes a host of rock traditions from the 1960s into one powerhouse tune.

And now for somethings completely different. Let’s start with the always striking Get Set Go. The band’s 2024 all-instrumentals LP Machine Empathy was a whirlwind of idiosyncratic keyboard and guitar riffs that were nothing less than mesmerizing. Just feel the tension infusing “Watchbot Warns Waffling Workers Against Wavering.” The machines really may not be our friends! Toronto’s Cameronoise also put out a counter-hegemonic cultural plea recently with his EP What If We Just Stopped Using Their Money? “Fahrenheit 24-7” gives you all the sense of dread and panic that you can squeeze out of a synth these days. I feel like I’ve featured Japan’s The Routes before, specifically their cover of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” Oh well, no one will be harmed by hearing it again. And it is definitely worth hearing. It manages to manifest all the beauty and sadness and desperation of the original with some killer twangy guitar.

Are they favourite instrumentals band? I think they must be. There is something so genre-escapingly fabulous about Los Straightjackets. As they protest, they are not merely a surf guitar outfit (though they’re not afraid to give the surf a run for its money). Instead they characterize themselves as a rock and roll instrumentals outfit. Their 2025 release Somos testifies to their broad and eclectic style. They really draw from decades of rock and roll instrumentals traditions. “Two Steps Ahead” showcases this breadth and offers a distinctive take compared to songwriter Greg Townson’s solo version (that appeared on his In Focus EP).

Are you hearing those instrumental nuances? Then as one famous American drag queen once said, let the music play.

Photo courtesy Carbon Arc Flikr collection.

Time won’t let me: Sergio Ceccanti, Mod Lang, and Joyce Manor

17 Tuesday Mar 2026

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The Outsiders knew a thing or two about time. Despite some cool organ and a great horn section, time turned out to be a jealous mistress for them. The albums covered in today’s post return to this theme of time, whether borrowed, remembered, or left behind.

In our last review of Sergio Ceccanti we applauded his 1960s genre-fluidity and deft use of multiple guitar tones. But with his new LP Leave the Past, Don’t Look Behind he’s achieved a degree of sonic consistency that really makes the album stand out. The basic formula is evident on opening cut “When You’re Away” where a candy-coated vocal melody is punctuated with distinctive keyboard shots and a decidedly retro lead guitar break. Then as follow-up track “Waiting for You (in a Lonely Town)” gets going it hits you, the musical landscape here is very Jeff Lynne/ELO. What a (pleasant) surprise. Another departure here is the number of low-key mid-tempo numbers like “Grey Cloudy Sky,” “Burning Sun,” “Will You Miss Me,” and “Secret Garden.” They’re all dreamy pop but with a bit more heft than one might expect. And if the guitar was the star on the previous outing, the organ is working hard for MVP this time around, particularly on “You Don’t Really Care” and “The Dead Leaves of my Soul.” Should-be hit singles on this release for me would include title-track “Leave the Past, Don’t Look Behind” but especially the swinging “I’ll Run Through The Rain.” Of course, if you’re not ready to leave the past, you could look back with the closing track “The Words We Used to Say” which harkens back to Ceccanti’s previous album’s sound.

The debut LP Borrowed Time from Detroit’s Mod Lang is nothing less than sizzling. Taking their name from a Big Star tune, the band effortlessly stretch across the Beatles timeline into1970s power pop all over this record. Opening cut “What I Can’t Have” weaves a very subtle Beatlesque thread throughout the tune. It’s there in the economical lead guitar work and the curt vocal turns and harmonies. “In Advance” starts us moving between Beatles influences and a more obviously Big Star set of 1970s motifs. “Cocomode” even manages to combine a seventies boogie rock feel with an Everlys vocal sensibility. Then it’s back to the Fabs circa 1964-65 on “Those Words.” The band’s facility with the various Beatles eras is impressive. “Fool In Love” offers up amazing vocal harmonies and an acoustic guitar feel in a very Rubber Soul vein while “Borrowed Time” shifts to a late Beatles sound, particularly the amped up lead guitar in the last half of song. By contrast, “TV Star” and “In the Morning” showcase Big Star-isms from both their rock and folk tendencies. Should-be hit singles here would include the dynamite opening cut and the exquisitely vocalized “Try Your Love.” Borrowed Time is a must buy, a stunning piece of work.

Joyce Manor are a real enigma. One moment they’re pop punking their brains out, the next they’re swapping in folk-pop and power pop work-outs on their latest long-player I Used To Go To This Bar. The all-too-brief, not-even-2 minutes-long kick-off tune “I Know Where Mark Chen Lives” falls somewhere between pop punk and The Killers. But that chorus is an all-out melody attack. “Falling Into It” shifts into a new sonic skin with a softer vocal attack and some nice synth touches before unleashing some tougher lead guitar work and vocals two-thirds in. But then there’s another surprise as “All My Friends Are So Depressed” dials up a sprightly folk pop feel. Love the rumbly lead guitar break contrasting some Smiths-like rhythm guitar chord changes. “After All You Put Me Through” is similarly poppy with a low-key vocal. From there the album leans mostly toward pop punk on tracks like “Well, Whatever It Was,” “The Opossum,” “Well, Doesn’t It Seem Like You’ve Been Here Before,” and “Grey Guitar.” A stand out exception to the pattern here is the more power pop title-track “I Used To Go To This Bar.”

Looks like time’s up for this packet-of-three post but you can continue counting the clock down with each of them at their web locales.

Photo courtesy Carbon Arc Flikr collection.

Spotlight single: The Rockyts “Wonder”

13 Friday Mar 2026

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Canadian wunderkind Jeremy Abboud returns in his Rockyts band guise on a campaign to bring ‘color and imagination’ back to popular music. His first installment is the new single “Wonder” and it’s pretty, well, wonderful. The song opens with a Nicky Hopkins “She’s a Rainbow” piano flourish before settling into a cocoon of light orchestral pop motifs, punctuated by striking, break-out instrumental asides and a very Brian Wilson bridge. This is a promising hint of what is surely soon to come from The Rockyts’ (as yet unannounced) third LP. What it signals is another impressive stylistic leap from Abboud whose first album Come On and Dance was so beat group circa 1965 while his second Parkwood Manor shifted to a more 1980s new wave sound. While we don’t know exactly what might be in store for us on album #3 we do have the band’s one-off single from 2024 as a tip off, the very garage-rock “A Girl Like You.” Or maybe not. My gut tells me Abboud’s current theme is more sunshine pop than sweaty rock. He’s (pleasantly) surprised us before so all bets are off until the record actually hits the shops.

Check out everything Rockyts and Abboud at his online real estate here where you can also sign up for early distance warning about any future releases.