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Monthly Archives: November 2019

Friday I’m in love with singles: Howlong Wolf, Joe Normal and the Anytown’rs, Jordan Jones, Propeller and Mo Troper

29 Friday Nov 2019

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Poprock Themepark

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Howlong Wolf, Joe Normal and the Anytownrs, Jordan Jones, Mo Troper, Propeller

Screen Shot 2019-11-28 at 10.44.44 AMWho needs black Friday and interminably long line-ups when you can just hit ‘buy track’ from the comfort of your own electronic device? Doing some e-music shopping today instead would be my advice. And, luckily for you, Day 5 of our solid-week-of-singles event ends today with a strong set of poprock suggestions to go musically shopping for. Swiss producer David Langhard is the force behind Howlong Wolf and our featured song “You Made It (Into This Song)” from their latest album Norwegians Can’t Refuse. I love the muscular slickness of the production here. Back when AM radio used to both reflect and influence popular tastes, this is just the sort of polished poprock that ruled (and rightly so). New Jersey’s Joe Normal and the Anytown’rs are slick too, but in a different way. Their killer single “Don’t Hurt Me” exudes classic rock and roll radio, with a nice melodic undercurrent. In that brief time when the FM dial was the new rock trendsetter in the 1980s, this baby is just the sort of thing that blasted out of cars all over town. Jordan Jones’ album is titled Self-Titled and it’s being written up across the powerpop blogosphere but what is interesting to me is how everybody seems to choose different tunes to focus on. Personally, I’m loving “Waiting” with its 1960s-meets-1980s hooky sound and distinctive guitar ring. We here at Poprock Record loved Propeller’s 2017 LP Don’t Ever Let This Let You Down. Now they’re back with a neat EP entitled Three Steps to Better Listening and it’s not false advertising. “There Goes a Day” has a big shimmery guitar sound and layered vocals reminiscent of The Mighty Lemon Drops or Matthew Sweet or The Primitives. Is this a prelude to a new album? Yes please! Another highly anticipated release for this blog is anything by Portland’s wonderful music eccentric Mo Troper. We gushed over his stunning 2017 LP Exposure and Response and gasped when the Bond franchise didn’t snap up his should-be Bond theme “Never Dream of Dying.” Now he’s back with a pre-release single from his forthcoming 2020 album Natural Beauty and it’s another winner. “Jas from Australia” is a sneaky piece of pop goodness, slightly jarring but ultimately ear-wormy in its effects upon repeated listenings.

What if Howlong Wolf, Joe Normal, Jordan Jones, Propeller and Mo Troper were like Scrooge McDuck, diving in the e-dividends of their black Friday receipts? What an image. Click the links – make it so!

Thursday’s child singles: Sugar World, Aloner, Hanky Panky, Lucille Furs and Zac

28 Thursday Nov 2019

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Aloner, Hanky Panky, Lucille Furs, Sugar World, Zac

Screen Shot 2019-11-28 at 10.09.33 AMThursday’s child doesn’t have far to go for some hooky tunes this week. Day 4 of our solid-week-of-singles event runs the gamut from jangle to rawk guitars to neo-glam swing to fully-loaded keyboard pop. Sugar World is the new project of two former members of Florida’s Naps, now relocated to San Diego, California. Their lone release is the single, “Sad in Heaven,” which reminds me of the janglicious work of German indie darlings, The Catherines. Bouncy, light, and memorable – just what a single should be! Aloner likes to set his amp to 11. Regularly. Don’t let the adorable kitties on the covers fool you, this is a guy who likes to rawk. But beneath the wall of guitars veneer are some solid melodies, like “Middle Man” from his latest long-player In Between. Even the rock solo is hooky! (I confess, there are few acoustic interludes on the record now and then, like the lovely “Not Cool”). Hanky Panky bring a bit of continental French cool to our post with a song from their latest release, Life is Not a Fairy Tale. “Milk” opens with chords and guitars that sound punk before being overtaken by some uber cool organ swirls that take the song in a more indie poprock direction. The vocalist’s discernable French accent also adds allure to an already winning tune! Chicago’s Lucille Furs 2019 album another land channels a lot of influences to my ears: the neo-glam sound of acts like Vaccines or Bosco Rogers, the vocal stylings of Mika (if he were a new wave artist), to name just a few. It’s an album of fun songs but “Paint Euphrosyne Blue” really stands out for me. It’s an irresistible tune with a driving beat and solid retro guitar and keyboard hooks. And not many lyricists can work ‘cisgender boys’ into a song and not sound pedantic! Last up for Thursday, we head off to Italy to hear Zac’s new single, “I Got Something in my Mind.” The track opens with an ominous keyboard that suddenly shifts into a sound that is so late 1970s poprock a la Supertramp, if that band recorded new wave tunes. The album is also called Zac and there’s more of the poptastic same all over it.

Sugar World, Aloner, Hanky Panky, Lucille Furs and Zac might be making music for the good of their health. But some cash probably wouldn’t go amiss either.

Wednesday week singles: KiDD, Tim Minchin, Todd Herfindal and The Enlows

27 Wednesday Nov 2019

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KiDD, The Enlows, Tim Minchin, Todd Herfindal

Screen Shot 2019-11-27 at 10.27.55 AMFew acts pay tribute to Wednesday. Elvis Costello, the Undertones, and that band from L.A. were on to something with “Wednesday Week.” Of course, the idiomatic expression actually refers to a week from Wednesday but we’re not waiting. Day 3 of our solid-week-of-singles event can’t be put off. Stuart Kidd is one hard working musical dude, involved with countless bands and musical projects in his native Scotland. But he still finds time to pump out solo albums under the moniker KiDD. Chance Weekend is his latest long player and I’m particularly partial to “Little One.” The song has a breezy charm, coating a timeless pop tune with just a bit of 1990s indie grind. Just another reason that Scotland really seems like a poprock Mecca to me these days. Australia’s Tim Minchin gets more done before breakfast than most people do in lifetime: actor, hit musical writer (e.g. Matilda), film producer/director, comedian, political commentator, and so on. He also puts out some sparkling one-off singles. “15 Minutes” seems almost operatic in its ambition and scope but works because underneath it all is catchy tune. And where are those robots, by the way? On this track and many others, Minchin is worth paying attention to. Todd Herfindal is another musical over-achiever (lucky for us!) with songs appearing all over the TV and movie-sphere. “Bound for the Sun” is a solid piece of poprock songwriting, delivered with a recognizably 1980s FM radio sheen. Herfindal’s back catalogue is definitely worth exploring (but more on that in another post!). Closing out Wednesday’s quartet are The Enlows, a three piece hailing from Sacramento, California. Their recent album, Taking Aim, is a rollicking collection of punk-tinged good-time tunes. But I just can’t stop hitting repeat on the addictive “Without Your Love.” From the head-turning opening guitar lead line hook to the head-bopping chorus, it’s a song that dares you not to dance. I’d pay just to see the band do this one tune! But I’d stay for the rest too.

Visit KiDD, Tim Minchin, Todd Herfindal and The Enlows online and contribute to their ‘we really want to keep making music’ fund.

Tuesday afternoon singles: Drew Neely and the Heroes, Cabin Essence, The Dave Anderson Project, No Win and Herzog

26 Tuesday Nov 2019

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Cabin Essence, Drew Neely and the Heroes, Herzog, No Win, The Dave Anderson Project

Screen Shot 2019-11-26 at 4.02.09 PMIt’s a moody Tuesday afternoon and day two of our solid-week-of-singles event. We need a little Drew Neely and the Heroes to set the right ambience at the outset. Their new single “Chasing Danielle” is a rollicking heartland tune that rides the edge between pop and rock, straight out of Frankfort, Illinois. Then it’s right up I-94 north along Lake Michigan to get to Milwaukee’s favourite band named for an obscure Beach Boys song, Cabin Essence. The beach influence seems to have faded with their new single, the lovely, lilting “No More.” Now the sound is more trebly guitar leads and understated harmony vocals. And still great. The Dave Anderson Project hails from Huntsville Alabama, essentially a side project for Anderson who seems very busy with a host of other music commitments. “Welcome” is a fabulous slab of synth-poprock, with just hints of ELO, Adam Daniel and Farrah around the edges. It was touted as the band’s teaser advance single but so far nothing else has emerged. Insert Poprock Record sad face here. Earlier this year this site gave up the love for No Win’s winning new collection, Downey. Apparently that wasn’t enough – the band is back with a super new single, “Blood on your Tooth.” I love the crunch guitar on this track and slowburn hookiness of the chorus. Another band hitting the poprock-harder bottom is Cleveland’s Herzog, at least to start. “Amps II Eleven” talks a good game about rocking out but the song actually features a sweet vocal and some lovely lead guitar lines, amid a wash of 1960s pop psychedelia. From their fab new album, Me Vs. You.

Nothing like splashing out on a Tuesday for some new music. Click on Drew Neely and the Heroes, Cabin Essence, The Dave Anderson Project, No Win and Herzog for access to the pay button.

Monday morning singles: The Tor Guides, Vista Blue, Elephant Stone, and Dan Luke and the Raid

25 Monday Nov 2019

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Dan Luke and the Raid, Elephant Stone, The Tor Guides, Vista Blue

Screen Shot 2019-11-25 at 8.35.33 AMA Marshall Crenshaw turn of phrase gets our solid-week-of-singles catch-up underway. The backlog of songs was never going to get posted without some serious melodic triage so every day this week (barring week-ends) we’re busting out the tunes in 45rpm increments. First stop: Östersund, Sweden with a track from The Tor Guides new album, Backwards in Reverse. A great deal of this record is tuneful mellow town, which is why “Always Somewhere Else” stands out for me. It’s a bit more peppy with wonderful Rickenbacker guitar accents all over the place. Next stop: Nashville, where punk and pop collide in the indie supergroup Vista Blue. There’s more than a little Beach Boy harmony on the blissful opening to “Big Stars” before the song settles into some guitars-to-the-front poprock. But don’t stop there. The band’s new EP Hit the Floor! has two other beachy hook-loaded tunes. Up north Montreal’s Elephant Stone turn up the psychedelia on “Hollow World,” a single from their upcoming 2020 album Hollow. Dreamy without entering the sleep zone, the song has the band channeling a seemingly effortless 1967 Beatles vibe. Last stop: Bowling Green, Kentucky with Dan Luke and the Raid on “Disco is as Disco Does.” The song is a bit of departure from the rest of their recent LP Out of the Blue, taking their fuzzed out poprock sound and adding some spooky keyboards before breaking out into a great neo-1950s chorus. But the whole record is pretty solid.

Get your Monday started right. Click on the links and make an investment in The Tor Guides, Vista Blue, Elephant Stone, and Dan Luke and the Raid right now.

Jangle Thursday: The Neilson Family, The Vapour Trails, The Umbrella Puzzles, Dave Molter and Butcher the Bar

21 Thursday Nov 2019

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Butcher the Bar, Dave Molter, The Neilson Family, The Umbrella Puzzles, The Vapour Trails

Screen Shot 2019-11-21 at 3.52.55 PMThursday always seems to be good time to let the guitars ring. Today’s mixture has both albums and singles of note, with varying degrees of sibilance on display.

The Neilson Family hail from the indie musical Mecca of Portland. Their new album is Double Life and it’s full of jangle and positive references to public sector workers. “Civil Service Anthem” is just what it sounds like – a great tune and sentiments! But check out “Same Sign Pt. 2” as it’s also pretty special.

It’s been a big year for The Vapour Trails, an EP, an album of new material, and now a collection of home recordings and demos entitled The Inner Truth. It’s not just cast offs here. “Behind You” is driven by a killer Beatles “Day Tripper” lead line, “Miggs” has great organ and guitar fills, and the cover of “Michelle” is airy and delightful. 17 tracks here, both quality original material and inspired covers (the Byrds covers are maximum jangle!).

The guitar on The Umbrella Puzzles’ “Dusty Pages” practically leaps out of the speakers and then goes on for 30 seconds – I thought it was going to be an instrumental – before Ryan Marquez’ low key vocals kick in, creating a sweet counterpoint to the jangle. The self-titled EP has more of the good same.

Our next track I nicked from Wayne Lundqvist Ford latest amazing annual power pop compilation, Screwballs and Curveballs. From the 133 tracks in the collection, I had to showcase Dave Molter’s “Midcentury Man.” The song’s got an opening jangle that cuts through everything (in a good way!) while the lyrics shed light on the great hopes of music-loving 1960s boomers, with some sweeping ‘ah’s and engaging instrumental interludes.

Wrapping up this session of JT, the more lofi jangle of Manchester’s Butcher the Bar. “Go” comes from a record largely recorded between 2013 to 2015, though only released this year as III. There’s a bit of Dropkick and Teenage Fanclub here. “Lying,” “Haunts” and “Toulouse” are pretty winning tracks too!

Perhaps The Neilson Family, The Vapour Trails, The Umbrella Puzzles, Dave Molter and Butcher the Bar have a special fuzz pedal on layaway somewhere. That’s when every song sale really counts.

Bright, bright streetcar lights courtesy Larry Gordon.

And now for something surprisingly musical: Class

19 Tuesday Nov 2019

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Poprock Themepark

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Drew Neely and the Heroes, Everclear, Fastball, Indoor Pets, Superheroes, The Ravines

Screen Shot 2019-11-19 at 5.49.42 PMIt’s something that’s all around us. Everyone is caught up and defined by it. Yet it is almost never publicly acknowledged, let alone commented on. Let’s change that. We live in a world defined by class, organized economically and experienced socially. A properly functioning culture would reflect on that. So today’s post is all about melodic ruminations on class.

Songs about the poor? Sure, we got lots of them. But a few rungs up the social ladder is group we used to call the working class, the largest class by far in modern societies, and yet they rarely appear in the hit parade. A lot of it has to do with class bias – opinion leaders tend to look down on working people. This influences how people talk about themselves. For instance, compare Drew Neely and the Heroes “White Trash Girl” to The Ravines “Working Class Girl.” Both songs have great hooks but the former is embarrassed about a girl’s ‘white trash’ roots while the latter is searching for just the qualities that make his girl ‘working class.’ Needless to say, we could use a lot more positive songs about working class lives.

It is much more common to hear talk about the middle class. Apparently everyone from the Starbucks barista to a neurosurgeon belongs to this group, lodged between the rich and poor. Perhaps because it’s obviously such an ideological construct, we don’t hear a lot of people singing about them. When we do, they tend offer critical takes on the emptiness of middle class life. This is captured effectively in the manic poppiness of Indoor Pets’ “Middle Class.” Occasionally, artists focus on class privilege, like the withering critique of the double standard applied to white collar crime offered up on Fastball’s new single “White Collar.” When it comes to the middle class, it would appear the less said, the better. If people really started talking about it, it might become clear how inaccurate the term ‘middle class’ is as a description of most people and their situation vis-a-vis the broader class dynamics of western societies. https://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/02-middle-class.m4aIndoor Pets – Middle Classhttps://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/02-white-collar.m4aFastball – White Collar

Which brings us to the rich. They too tend to fly under the radar. I mean, popular culture portrays everybody as sort of rich – big houses, fancy cars, kids going to Harvard or Yale. But the wealth differences between the upper middle classes and the uber rich are routinely obscured. For most people, it’s hard to fathom just how the rich the rich truly are and the influence they wield. I don’t think my song choices are going to help that much (even though they’re great!). Danish band Superheroes have an eccentric sound that never fails to be catchy and distinctive. On “Rich and Famous” an earwormy keyboard drives the song into your head like a melodic screwdriver while the lyrics recount the kind of class privilege that allows the wealthy to pine for love in extreme comfort. And then there’s Everclear’s more recent grungy yet hooky take on Hall and Oates’ classic statement of wealthy relationship indifference, “Rich Girl.”https://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/01-rich-girl.m4aEverclear – Rich Girl

When it comes to class, it’s mostly class dismissed. But the few examples here show that you can have people humming about class distinctions, if you try. Click on the hyperlinks to show your classy side to today’s artists.

Smart guy poprock: B.A. Johnston, Eytan Mirsky, Blair Packham, and Jim’s Big Ego

12 Tuesday Nov 2019

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B.A. Johnston, Blair Packham, Eytan Mirsky, Jim's Big Ego

Screen Shot 2019-11-12 at 1.57.54 PMSometimes smart guys skip grad school and make records instead. It seldom leads to tenure, of any kind, but can you put a price on piece of mind? Well, if they’d become academics you probably could – but that misses the point. Which is that I selfishly appreciate that these bright tuneful dudes forwent cushy jobs to provide me with all this great music. Thanks guys! Seriously though, when you combine smart, multi-layered lyrics with catchy hooks, you’ve got something pretty special. Our quartet of smart guy poprockers do that and more!

Screen Shot 2019-11-12 at 2.01.06 PMWarning: there’s some serious Canadian content in this post. Though not too serious, if Hamilton’s B.A. Johnston is anything to go by. With album titles like Stairway to Hamilton, Shit Sucks, and The Skid is Hot Tonight you can pretty much see where this is going. Punville. Even Johnston’s name is a joke – derived from a teen nickname where Christian Johnston became ‘Bored Again’ Christian, or B.A. for short. Johnston’s work is so Canadian working class but his protagonists are not Springteen-esque heroes, they’re just ordinary folks. And despite the humour, Johnston shows a twisted kind of respect for this subjects. Stylistically, the music exudes Canadian icon Stompin’ Tom on acid, with some Jonathan Richman earnest sincerity, and a bit of Ben Vaughn goof. Here I’m just going to focus on his poppier numbers. Like “I Miss that 90’s Hash” or “I Need Donair Sauce” – both tunes have subtle hooks and a bit more polish that Johnston’s usual fare. “Orangeville” channels a lumpen Johnny Cash while “Straight Outta Cobden” is B.A.-typical low-key, with hooky backup vocals in the chorus. “I Love It When You Dress Up” has a sweet ambling country tempo and a refreshing lack of humour. “Fort McMurray” captures the narrowed class horizons for most working people. “Couch Potato” is like B.A.’s philosophy crammed into 90 seconds. With 13 albums since 2000, there’s a lot more B.A. to discover and he’s worth the slide by.

Screen Shot 2019-11-12 at 2.02.17 PMHapless is the word to describe Eytan Mirsky’s public musical persona. But awkward and desperate would run a close second and third. Yet far from being a downer, Mirsky constantly lightens the mood with a dry wit and dark cynicism worthy of Nick Lowe or Elvis Costello. Over the course of seven albums his rock and roll has been consistently tuneful, full of sly hooks and loads of clever verbal innuendo. The basic raw material is all there in the 1996 debut album title, Songs About Girls (and Other Painful Subjects), particularly on cuts like “Smart Enough” and “Beautiful Inside.” Or check out the Joe Jackson-esque swing of “What Do I Do?” and “Either Way” from 1999’s Get Ready for Eytan! Then there’s his 2001 masterpiece, the hilarious Was It Something I Said?, an album of wall to wall killer cuts. I’ll just draw your attention to “Can I Get Any Lower?” and the very hooky “Sluts.” But hey, drop the needle anywhere on this record and you come up with something great. I could keep going like this through every album. Instead I just want to highlight Mirsky’s great use of pop culture references and humour on tracks like “Watching Dawson’s Creek” (from 2016’s Funny Money), “Share If You Agree” and “Lingerie Pillow Fight” (both from the fantastic new 2019 LP If Not Now … Later.” Honourable mention: don’t miss the Paul Collins-esque “She’s Looking Better” from 2004’s Everyone’s Having Fun Tonight! Mirsky also does a lot of Facebook posts covering just about every song every written. And believe me, when your song gets the Mirsky treatment it’s been sung.

Screen Shot 2019-11-12 at 2.03.12 PMI got to check out Blair Packham when he opened for the Northern Pikes recently in Toronto. Who’s Blair Packham? I didn’t know. But after loving his clever, hilarious and hooky blue-eyed soul performance I went looking. Turns out he had a some Canadian hit singles (like “Last of the Red Hot Fools”) with his 1980s band, The Jitters. Since their breakup in 1991, he’s released only three solo albums. But what great LPs they are! Packham offers up hooky poprock numbers with intelligent wordplay and heartfelt ballads, delivered by a pop-soul voice that falls somewhere into the sweet spot between Huey Lewis and Paul Carrack. Cases in point “Weird to You” and the title track from 2000’s Everything That’s Good. If the band sound familiar on Packham’s 2004 release, Could’ve Been King, they should – it’s Canada woefully underappreciated poprock geniuses The Odds. They provide some topnotch playing for Packham’s killer tunes like “Come Undone,” Somebody Else” and the touching “Little Fish.” I love the lyrics on “Could’ve Been King” – ‘didn’t like the hours, the wretched excess, the abuse of power …’ But Packham really hits it out of the park with “One Hit Wonder,” which is simultaneously one of the most honest renderings of the liabilities of being a one-hit-wonder while still incredibly respectful to the artist that has it. And the song has an infectious handclapping, singalong chorus! The record ends with “Last,” a song that’s all about, well, being last. Thirteen years later Packham returned with 2017’s Unpopular Pop and it was worth the wait for the hooky, single-ish “You (Yeah, You)” and the Costello-vibing “Other Side.”

Screen Shot 2019-11-12 at 2.05.16 PMWhat a wonderfully twisted world is the land of Jim’s Big Ego! It’s a place where anything can be the subject of intelligent satire, from mixed tapes to loving zombies to math prof rock stars to impoverished gun owners. But unlike some sardonic songsters, Jim’s got a clear political position very much on the progressive side of things. It’s there clear and without irony on the wonderful “International” from 2008’s Free*. And that’s just another thing to like about JBE. Amidst all the fun and cleverness, there’s a point to the poking. I came to the band via their quasi-hit single, “The Ballad of Barry Allen,” a slick piece of melodic goodness from their 2003 release They’re Everywhere. I expected to find more but instead I found a guy (Jim Infantino) with a great range in songwriting and performance, sometimes bringing to mind a more poprock Robbie Fulks, or Kevin Devine vocally on occasion, or Peter Case in stretching from new wave to country to folky material. You can dig in anywhere and find something to enjoy, like “Concrete” from 1999’s Noplace Like Nowhere. Or you can check out his last LP, 2012’s Stay, a smart, funny commentary on cults, religion, zombie love, and money in politics (my faves here? The hooky “Chills” and “Earworm”). The catalogue must-listen is “Award Show” (on Free*) a spot on dismantling of the internalized self-hatred and self-indulgence of the genre. Sadly, there’s been no new JBE product for over a half decade. Let this entry act as a placard-waving demand for more JBE. JBE! JBE! Now, cue the water cannon …

You don’t have be smart to make great music but it’s certainly a value-added feature, for people who like that sort of thing. If that’s you (or someone you know), visit B.A. Johnston, Eytan Mirsky, Blair Packham, and Jim’s Big Ego and let the appreciation flow (out of your wallet). After all, they could have been scientists.

All American should-be popstar: Billy Sullivan

06 Wednesday Nov 2019

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Artist Spotlight

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All American Popster, Billy Sullivan

Screen Shot 2019-11-06 at 12.59.07 PMNever underestimate the sidemen. Billy Sullivan has played with a host of great acts over the years. From local legends in Detroit, to various bands with other up-and-comers from the 1970s on, to the touring outfits of Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Herman’s Hermits, the Raspberries, and many, many others. Amidst all this activity, Sullivan has managed to squeeze out a few solo albums and a variety of singles, both original material and inspired covers. And they are freakin’ fabulous! Just open your ears to “I Go Crazy” with its mad ear-wormy ringing guitar and melodic hooks at every turn. This is power pop heaven. Or how about the spot-on Byrdsian jangle and harmonies coating “Everywhere I Go”? Magic! Both tracks appear on Sullivan’s woefully and undeservedly ignored 2001 album All American Popster. Yet Sullivan appears undiscouraged, continuing to release an occasional single or tribute album every few years. Personally I love his 2013 single “There’s a Fire” with its wall of guitars and seductive harmony vocals. Or more recently he’s got a killer cover of the Beau Brummels’ minor hit “Don’t Talk to Strangers” that definitely improves on the original.

https://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/02-go-crazy.m4aGo Crazyhttps://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/07-everywhere-i-go.m4aEverywhere I Gohttps://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/01-theres-a-fire.m4aThere’s a Firehttps://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/01-dont-talk-to-strangers.m4aDon’t Talk to Strangers

In this internet age it’s never too late to make somebody a star. Do your part, click on the link, and complete your Billy Sullivan collection today!

Breaking news: Webbed Wing, Brett, Martha, The Skullers, Nick Frater, Golden Seals, and Project Ghost Outfit

01 Friday Nov 2019

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Breaking News

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Bike Ride to the Moon, Brett, Freight Trains and Party Games, Full Fathom Freight Train, Golden Seals, Love Keeps Kicking, Martha, Nick Frater, Perfect Patterns, Project: Ghost Outfit, Something Isn't Happening, The Skullers, Webbed Wing

Screen Shot 2019-10-31 at 11.45.26 PMOk, today’s breaking news is overloaded like a Toyota pickup taking too much concrete from Home Depot. The problem is, there is just too much damn fine music out there that needs your attention. Here at Poprock Record we travel the highways and byways to find only the finest, fresh poprock and today’s crew is certainly some of the fine-i-est and fresh-i-est!

Screen Shot 2019-10-31 at 11.49.08 PMLet’s begin with Webbed Wing. Emerging from the ashes of the more grungy Superheaven, their new album Bike Ride to the Moon has a grinding guitar sound overladen with hooks that get stuck in your head. Like the uptempo opening cut “Bad For Me,” or the catchy harmonica-drenched “All Went Wrong,” or the more mellow, grooving “Tunnel Vision.” There’s a bit of Sugar Ray cranked to 11 here, with a touch of Weezer at times. But sometimes the record just cuts loose, alternating between punky abandon and industrial lo fi. But the poprock payoff comes with “Door Creaks Open,” a delightful more easy-going acoustic treat. A bit heavier than our usual fare at times but worth the detour!

Screen Shot 2019-10-31 at 11.49.58 PMSome describe Brett as a kind of dream pop but on their recent EP Perfect Patterns there’s more meat to the tunes and performance than that label might suggest. Sure “Nonchalant” and the title track (with its spot-on 1980s keyboards) are a tad dreamy but opening cut “Tenebaum” comes on in a rush like a great lost New Order track. And then “Bad Luck” kicks out some pretty sweet new wave rhythm guitar with totally up front vocals – definitely not dreamy. More Darwin Deez than Cocteau Twins. Or how about that should-be double A-sided single set of tracks, “Wisdom Tooth” and “Hard Feelings.” Ear worm much? I just kept hitting repeat. ‘Brett’ no longer just refers to some 1980s hockey player for me now. Brett is value-added poprock.

Screen Shot 2019-10-31 at 11.50.44 PMCounty Durham’s Martha have so many facets to their musical personality. Sometimes folky, sometimes punky, sometimes AM radio hit machine. Their third album is Love Keeps Kicking and it has so many gems it should be guarded by some guy in a ill-fitting suit. Opening track “Heart is Healing” is an onslaught of pop goodness with a vocal that makes it sound like indie version of Supertramp  but one still cranking out hits. The acoustic rhythm guitar here is unstoppable! I could review every song here and tell you how great each one is (truly, there is not a single one I’d give up) but I’ll just focus on a few of the more outstanding compositions/performances. Like “Mini was a Preteen Arsonist”: the song is a perfect of melding of political sentiment with solid melodic hooks. Kinda like Spook School meets Chumbawumba. “Love Keeps Kicking” sounds like a winning hit single. Or is the melodic rock of “The Void” the hit? It certainly has that stadium fist pumping jump up and down quality. Ultimately Martha is big bag of talent, spilling over with vocal talent, tight musicianship and clever catchy material. And I haven’t even really dug into the back catalogue yet!

Screen Shot 2019-10-31 at 11.52.01 PMI’ve long had a weak spot for The Skullers ever since they released that hypnotic single “Can We Do That Again” with its killer bass line and seductive vocals. 2018’s “I’m Your Man” was another winner, peppy, happy and swinging. Now they’ve returned with an EP Freight Trains & Party Games and it’s chock full of catchy tunes. Opener “Brooklyn Girls” has a lovely midtempo feel, lulling you like train ride through a rainy day. “Convenient” kicks things into a higher gear, rocking the poprock a bit more. The single is “She Denies the Things She Loves” and it has a nice Oasis vibe to my ears. A few listens confirms it’s ear worm infectious. The EP ends with probably my fave track, the more low key “Still Life” but I love the vocal and shuffle hooky beat. One day The Skullers will give us a whole album.

Screen Shot 2019-10-31 at 11.52.58 PMCroydon’s Nick Frater is back with a new long-player, Full Fathom Freight Train, and it’s right on time. Check out the fantastic artwork! And hey, the music’s pretty good too. This time out Nick embraces a full-on Paul McCartney and Wings beat group sound on tracks like “Oh Now Girl” and “Your Latest Break Up Song” Then there’s songs like “The Getaway” that exude an early 1980s poprock vibe or “What Does Good Look Like Baby” that is reminiscent of 10CC to me. Did I mention the cool train on the cover? This is one slick package that’s easy on the ears. And the 28IF on the album cover locomotive clearly harkens back to the Abbey Road cover.

Screen Shot 2019-10-31 at 11.53.44 PMHow am I the last guy to this party? Ottawa, Ontario’s Golden Seals have announced their fifth and final album will be Something Isn’t Happening and I only just discovered them! Well this new record is quite an introduction. Opening track “Independence Day” gives you a sense of what they are about – a low level XTC vibe layered over some pretty creative songwriting. “Ball and Tether” is AM radio enjoyable bouncy pop. Meanwhile “Something Isn’t Happening” and “The Opposite End of the Country” both wade pretty deep into Wings territory. Look I could make comparisons all day long but some of what appears here is just some pretty original stuff. “Idiot Kid” has an unique approach and will hook you in the best poprock sort of way. And then there’s the Billy Joel cover. Ok, “Vienna” is guilty fave of mine and GS gives us lovely stripped down electric piano version. This David James Merritt guy is some kind of talented mess.

Screen Shot 2019-10-31 at 11.54.33 PMProject: Ghost Outfit is an indie super group bringing together experienced country sideman Adam Schoenfeld, poprock godfather Bill Lloyd, Cheap Trick bassist Tom Petersson, and graphic designer-cum-drummer Keith Brogdon. We love Bill Lloyd here at Poprock Record so anything he’s involved with is bound to be pretty good. Their self-titled EP/LP contains seven poppy, ear wormy Beatlesque tracks that really deliver on melody and hooks. Obviously “Somebody’s Heart” and “Hang On” have first call on potential singles. Though, personally, I love the understated approach of “Mess My Mind” where low key verses cut to choruses loaded with harmony vocals. Or there’s “Never Remember” that vibes “Things We Said Today” for me. I’m also keen on “Buying Time” which features some killer organ and great vocal interplay.

https://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/02-hang-on.m4aHang Onhttps://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/04-mess-my-mind.m4aMess My Mindhttps://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/06-never-remember.m4aNever Remember

Time to rush to Webbed Wing, Brett, Martha, The Skullers, Nick Frater, Golden Seals and Project: Ghost Outfit for further comment on these breaking news stories. Luckily they are just a link away!

Sun-breaking electric tower thingy photo courtesy Larry Gordon.

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