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Monthly Archives: December 2019

Singles to end the year by

31 Tuesday Dec 2019

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Poprock Themepark

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10 More Super Rock Hits, Army Navy, Cudas, Ducks Unlimited, Jeff Whalen, Lost Ships, The Safes, The SmartHearts, Trolley, Vanilla

Screen Shot 2019-12-31 at 2.18.37 PM2019 has been a generous year for poprock. So many great songs! And yet here are a few more that I somehow didn’t manage to squeeze in before now.

There is some debate about when Jeff Whalen’s amazing solo album 10 More Super Rock Hits was released. Some say 2018, others 2019. Whatever. I have to showcase something from this very special album. Hard to choose just one song but I’ve settled on “Don’t Give Up” with its super sweet Partridge Family poprock hookiness. Whalen is a master of styles and here he nails the 1970s AM melody-to-the front pop sound. Fans of this year’s Brothers Steve album will also love this one! Portsmouth UK’s Lost Ships offer up some serious jangle with “Drug Store” from their recent EP All of the Pieces. A lot of reviewers link the sound to early Teenage Fanclub but I hear a bit of early The Lilac Time sweetness too. Cudas hail from Cape Town, South Africa and so far have released the double-sided single “TV is Cool Again”/“Kids Want Hits” – but what a release! I love the guitars and the slightly ominous melody lines in the former while the latter nails a Ramones-as-hit-makers sound with its inventive use of synth and Cheap Trick sounding enunciation of ‘tonight’ in the chorus. All this bodes very well for some future album release!

https://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/08-dont-give-it-up.m4aJeff Whalen – Don’t Give Up

I love the Paste magazine tag line on their review of the Toronto janglers Ducks Unlimited EP Get Bleak: “The Toronto quartet writes lilting, throwback jangle-pop for the isolated and the underemployed.” While many commentators highlight the anomie embedded in the songs, I hear a pretty sweet and distinctive jangle coming out of “Anhedonia” that makes my heart swell! “Gleaming Spires” is also pretty fresh and sprightly IMHO. When I think of Milwaukee I think of socialist mayors and Happy Days and beer. Now I can add Trolley to that list. “I’ll Never Tell” has that Revolver-era Beatles vibe if The Byrds had recorded it. It’s the teaser single from the band’s fifth long-player, The Carnival Of Grey and White, to be released in 2020. At long last, a new record emerged from Army Navy late this year, also suggesting a future album release. “Seismic” is lovely low key number, laid over top of a basic acoustic guitar and delicately adorned with a bit of synth and a whispery vocal style. I can’t wait for more.

I could have sworn The SmartHearts were from the UK. Something about their brash punky yet melodic style of rock and roll. But they hail from Philadelphia. Vocally they remind me of Titus Andronicus, with perhaps a bit of the Clash on back up. And then there’s “Man from the Company,” which exudes a bit of mid-1960s pop sensibility, particularly on guitar, while melding it with a more punk vocal delivery. The Safes returned in 2019 with a song that put together a lot of interesting pieces together in unusual ways. “Baggage Claim” mixes keyboards and acoustic instruments and voices into a winning, distinctive combo. Tacoma’s Vanilla released a few new singles this year. I was particularly taken with the XTC-ish “Treefort.” Seriously, this could easily be mistaken for a Colin Moulding outtake. Winning stuff, obviously.

With 2020 within sight, let’s honour these 2019 winning singles with a visit from the money store. Just click on their highlighted names above.

Lightspeed Toronto streetcar photo courtesy Larry Gordon.

The listening room II: The Needs, The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club, The Lolas, and Answering Machine

28 Saturday Dec 2019

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Poprock Themepark

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Answering Machine, The Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club, The Lolas, The Needs

Screen Shot 2019-12-27 at 5.06.13 PMSo many albums to listen to! Welcome to the listening room session II where we carry on distracting you from any holiday malaise that might be afoot with melody, hooks, harmonies and some jangle guitar.

Screen Shot 2019-12-28 at 4.44.30 PMOslo, Norway’s The Needs is just another example of Nordic superiority. They manage to combine driving guitars with sweet melodies that make you want to jump and sing at the same time. The album is entitled You Need the Needs and truer words were never spoken. The record kicks off with “Summerbore,” a song that blasts out of the gate with the band’s signature driving guitar, coated with a slick vocal that holds back just a bit, creating tension between the vocal and instrumental elements. Next up is the obvious single, “I Regret It,” with its early Rooney-esque demeanor. And so on. There are a cartful of great tunes here: the hooky “I’m Doing Fine,” the more mid-tempo “First to Go,” and the fabulous “Stay at Home Friend” with its crashing guitars and endearing melody. Guitar lovers rejoice! Your needs are answered with this latest Norwegian export.

Screen Shot 2019-12-28 at 4.45.55 PMI agree with Richard Rossi over at Power Pop News that there is something very Cheap Trick meets Sloan on this latest release from Chicago’s The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club. You can really hear it at the one minute mark of the opening track of “Burndown at Sundown” – wow! Loaded with great change ups throughout the song, this is a hooky masterpiece. And we’re just getting started. Then comes the clear single “Christine You’re Mean,” a straight up rocky poprock number, with the crunchy guitar riding just beneath the melody-drenched vocals. End Over End is another album that is a full listen release, no needle dropping required. Of course, if forced to choose, I do find myself particularly partial to “Get Up Get Up,” “The Henry Norman Hotel,” and “Remind Me of Summer.” And clocking in at 48 minutes, that’s a lot of power pop-tastic quality product.

Screen Shot 2019-12-28 at 4.48.03 PMBulletproof is album number two for Birmingham, Alabama’s The Lolas for 2019 and there is no evident dilution in the quality of offering the second time around. And that’s pretty impressive because The Lolas is only one of the many musical projects that Tim Boykin is regularly writing for and performing in. Opening cut “Deestroy” sets the tone for the fun to come, sounding like a power pop Ramones with lyrics about wanting to ‘destroy capitalism’ and ‘take away your desolate vision.’ Finally, a ‘peace on earth’ vision I can get behind! Then Boykin goes all Rubber Soul Beatles on us with the delightful “Fall Away” while “Oceans on the Moon” sounds like a great lost Hollies cut to me. But the real news with this record is how political it is compared with earlier releases. Titles like “Stand Up and Fight,” “Stop the War,” and “Gunshot Holes” advertise their sentiments pretty clearly. But others, like “Storm of Silence,” carry a message of worker solidarity and hope that requires more active listening. Going political is a risk for any performer and can go agitprop in a bad way pretty quickly in the wrong hands. But this effort is entirely in good hands with Boykin, who strikes the right balance between message and art. And I love the final cut, a Merseybeat rendition of “L’Internationale” that totally works!

Screen Shot 2019-12-28 at 4.49.15 PMIn our one last EP file, here’s a release from 2018 that somehow missed my radar last year from Brooklyn’s Answering Machine – Color TV. Vocalist Samantha Campanile often comes off sounding like a edgier Neko Case meets Jenny Lewis on the epic tunes showcased here like title track “Color TV,” “Tri-State Kids,” and “Save the Date.” Though vocalist J.D. Fetcho also sounds great on backup or lead on tracks like “East of Eden.” The band did release a single in 2019 and “Bad Luck” bodes well for the group’s upcoming debut release due sometime in 2020, almost sounding an indie, slightly punk version of mid-period Fleetwood Mac.

The albums released throughout 2019 prove once again that great melodic rock and roll music is still with us, even if it’s not as mainstream as it once was. But it is out there! Click on The Needs, The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club, The Lolas, and Answering Machine to help keep the flame burning.

The listening room I: kiwi jr, Star Trip, Mike Adams at his Honest Weight, and Dave Molter

27 Friday Dec 2019

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Poprock Themepark

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Dave Molter, kiwi jr, Mike Adams at his Honest Weight, Star Trip

Screen Shot 2019-12-27 at 5.06.53 PMNeed some distraction to get through the holiday season’s seemingly endless family overtime period? Come with me to the listening room where we can tuck in to a raft of albums, all worthy of diverting your attention from squabbling children and leftovers. Divided into two sessions for your listening pleasure.

Screen Shot 2019-12-27 at 5.09.26 PMI miss a lot a stuff as the year goes by and one major oversight was overlooking relocated PEI-now-Toronto poprockers kiwi jr and their fab debut LP Football Money. The Canadian critics are falling all over themselves to heap praise on the band and deservedly so. Songs like “Gimme More” manage to namecheck a load of Canuck references and still sound cool! Listeners constantly reference Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus but I hear a lot of Cool for Cats-era Squeeze on tracks like “Leslie” and “Football Money” or maybe a bit of The Strypes on “Murder in the Cathedral” and “Comeback Baby.” Personally, I’m loving the nice jangly guitar, Jonathan Richman wide-eyed vocals, and oh-so-clever lyrics that are all over this record, but particularly pronounced on the obvious single, “Salary Man” and the delightful “Nothing Changes.” Football Money is not a pick-and-choose amongst the songs release, it’s definitely a full download.

Screen Shot 2019-12-27 at 5.10.38 PMValencia, Spain’s Star Trip are obviously big Big Star fans. The influence is all over their 2019 long player, Salto al vacio. And yet they are so much more. First, their songwriting is strong and original. Coated with a shimmering guitar resonance and blissful harmony vocals the songs sound like a sun dappled summer day. I have no idea what they are singing about (it’s all in Spanish) but the sonic palate strongly suggest a post-1960s dose of truth, beauty and love. The whole record says ‘play me!’ but if I were single out anything, listeners are going to love the jangle and hooks propelling the opening title track, or the country pop elements undergirding “Hasta el atardecer,” or the Matthew Sweet quality of “Dias sin saber.” Overall, Salto al vacio is a must add for jangle addicts.

Screen Shot 2019-12-27 at 5.11.39 PMAdd the new Mike Adams at his Honest Weight record to the pile with the likes of Matthew Milia, Telekinesis’ Michael Benjamin Lerner and even Marshall Crenshaw. Their defining element? Albums full of ebullient melodic gems, showcasing a deep knowledge of the poprock canon and an ability to twist such influences into original new material. Adam’s new LP There is No Feeling Better is a case in point. Each song is a perfectly crafted melodic miniature. From the off-kilter Beatles influences framing the opening track “Pressing Mesh” to the epic keyboard/acoustic guitar contrasts animating the closer “So Faded” this is a record of oh so pleasant surprises. “Do You One Better” is the obvious single, with its measured build up and strong melodic payout in the chorus. “Free and Reduced” has some great interplay between the rumbly guitar and 1980s keyboard while “Wonderful to Love” stokes a 1980s languid poprock groove. And check out “Datsun Dashes” with its reinvention of early 1960s American pop and Beatles influences or “I Need You” which sounds like a beat group version of the Eagles. Another ‘all-player’ for any road trip lasting longer than 39 minutes.

Screen Shot 2019-12-27 at 5.12.43 PMLet me slip in an EP amongst all this LP celebration.  I featured a song recently by Pittsburg native Dave Molter but then got a copy of his 2019 EP Foolish Heart. Wow! What an action packed collection of ear worms. While citing the 1960s and Beatles as his main influences, Molter offers up a collection that exudes the best of 1980s poprock a la Greg Kihn, Huey Lewis and the News and ELO. I already lauded the Jeff Lynne-ish “Mid-Century Man” in my previous Molter post, now let me add praise for the EP’s title track “Foolish Heart” which could easily find its way onto any John Waite solo album, the psychedelic “See the Sunshine,” and the smile-generating Beatlesque “Tell Me That You Love Me.” Seriously, for Beatles fans, try not breaking into a grin when this song comes on! My only complaint about Foolish Heart is that it is an EP. Poprock Record wants more Molter!

Click on kiwi jr, Star Trip, Mike Adams at his Honest Weight, and Dave Molter and get your copies of these great albums with all the leftover holiday cash I’m sure is just lying around.

Spotlight single: Gregory Pepper and his Problems “I’ve Got a Bottle”

22 Sunday Dec 2019

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Spotlight Single

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Gregory Pepper, Gregory Pepper and his Problems, I Know Why You Cry, I've Got a Bottle

Screen Shot 2019-12-22 at 10.40.30 PMFeel free to cancel Christmas, my present came early with Gregory Pepper’s new single “I’ve Got a Bottle.” Pepper is Canada’s should-be favourite curio pop songwriter. Master of styles, piquant tunesmith, a clever with words guy, Pepper never fails to deliver the goods. But I have to say, it’s been a while – too long. Pepper took a year to write a song a week during 2017-18 while weathering the loss of his father, arrival of a baby daughter, and driving the occasional snow plow. But now the word has come down that a new album of Pepper tunes – I Know Why You Cry –  will drop in the new year. I can’t wait! Seriously, waiting is not my strong point. But in the interim you have this delightful dollop of Pepper pop craftmanship. Enjoy, and get ready for a fab Pepper-stravaganza coming to this station sometime this February.

All things Pepper can be found at Camp Pepper, the Gregory Pepper bandcamp page and his Facebook locale.

Singles going Santa

17 Tuesday Dec 2019

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Poprock Themepark

≈ 2 Comments

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American Suitcase, Army Navy, Jagger Holly, Kool Kat Kristmas Vol. 3, MonaLisa Twins, Sofa City Sweetheart, Sunshine Boys, The Brothers Steve, Todd Herfindal

Screen Shot 2019-12-17 at 4.38.06 PMIt’s been blasting in your ears for last two months I know: festive music! Typically the same 20 songs or so. But I refuse to Grinch out on holiday music simply because we’ve become tired of the classics and not-so-classic that dominate the airwaves and the shops. So as my [insert appropriate holiday commitment here] present to you, dear reader, I’ve scoured the poprock-o-sphere for some fresh holiday tune-age. And I’m happy to report there’s still a whole lot of great stuff to choose from!

Screen Shot 2019-12-17 at 4.44.50 PMLet’s start with a brand new blast of melodic punky goodness from Jagger Holly. “Mistletoe” appears on the band’s just released seasonal LP It’s Christmas Somewhere. Overall, the record is defined by a Ramones-esque approach to crunchy speed rock and roll where the band takes on classics like “Santa Baby” while also offering up a host of original tunes. I chose “Mistletoe” because it slows the generally frenetic tempo a bit and showcases the band’s impressive stylistic range, tapping a more indie 1980s melodic rock vibe. With their album #1 The Brothers Steve already gave us a pretty spectacular present this year. But was that enough? No. So in time for the holidays they’ve cooked up a double-sided holiday single entitled Christmas Magic (even though neither song has that title!). Personally, I love “Listen Up! It’s Christmastime” with its oh so subtle ear wormy chorus and warm cocoon of background vocals enveloping the whole track. It’s got the sound of a classic poprock holiday tune to me! The Austria-cum-Liverpool MonaLisa Twins initially made their name as a YouTube cover tune sensation, though recently they’ve released albums of original material too. And they’re actually twins. Their records have an amazing vibe! Rootsy with Merseybeat accents and those spine-tingling blood harmonies. Their plainly-named seasonal record is Christmas, and it contains all the usual tunes with a key exception: “Walking in the Air.” The song is known to Brits from appearing in the Howard Blake-scored animated film of Raymond Briggs’ children’s book The Snowman. Child soprano Aled Jones’ version is a bit choiry for my tastes. The MonaLisa Twins transform the song into a rootsy, indie classic! I would have loved to hear the Everly Brothers cover this.

https://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/02-listen-up-its-christmastime.mp3The Brothers Steve – Listen Up! It’s Christmas Timehttps://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/08-walking-in-the-air.m4aMonaLisa Twins – Walking in the Air

Screen Shot 2019-12-17 at 4.46.32 PMDespite the un-Christmas-y climate, Los Angeles native Todd Herfindal gets right into the spirit, ramping up the jangle on a trio of jingle tunes with a maxi-single entitled Christmas Star. The title track sparkles guitar-wise with heartfelt vocals in the verses giving way to some shimmering harmonies in the chorus. Hard to choose between this one and the Fountains of Wayne swing of “Santa’s Got Something for You” as my fave.  So why choose? Consider it a ‘double A-sided single’ with something extra. Chicago’s Sunshine Boys step on the stereotypical Christmas bells pretty hard as this song opens but what follows is an amazing tune, an instant sing-a-long. “I Love Christmastime” is a bit poignant, a smile-inducer for sure, with candy cane jangle lead guitar lines and a cool subtle organ layering in the background. Another instant classic, IMHO. Norwegians American Suitcase offer up tune that sounds like a country-era Byrds holiday moment with “Christmas Blues #2”: a catchy lead guitar line lures you in to a sweet tune, cloaked in holiday harmonies and hooks. A pleasing addition to any holiday mix.

https://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/18-christmas-blues-no-2.mp3American Suitcase – Christmas Blues #2

Screen Shot 2019-12-17 at 4.47.28 PMNow for something a bit different, Sofa City Sweetheart’s “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” from their holiday EP Christmas on the Sofa. While I’m not one for traditional carols as my go-to holiday songs typically, what works here is how the stark simplicity of the piano and vocals resonate in a truly beautiful and touching performance. The EP is full of other highlights as well, like the engaging instrumental “Boogie Woogie Midnight.” LA’s Army Navy also got into the holiday music game with “Stay In,” a lushly acoustic-driven poprock treat, with clever lyrics and a nice vocal counterpoint to lead singer Justin Kennedy with The Like’s Charlotte Froom. The tempo is very cozy-by-the fire hipster, in a good way. My last recommendation is a bit of a cheat – I usually limit myself to nine suggestions but the ninth this time is actually an album! But Kool Kat Kristmas Vol. 3 is worth bending the rules for. This is a solid collection in terms of songwriting and performance quality, consistency, and listenability (from a poprock perspective, of course). Highlights include Evert Almond’s Beach Boys-inflected “Have a Very Very Very Merry Christmas,” Nick Frater’s perennial parental threat “Christmas is Cancelled,” Richard Turgeon’s Pansy Division-esque “Skippin’ Christmas,” The Stan Laurels’ dreamy “Noche Buena,” and the big guitar sounds of Ed Ryan’s “Noel (You Gotta Sing).” You can put this one on and just hit play – it’s that good.

It is my belief that melody makes the world a little less dark, so I do hope my little blog has given you the gift of some happy moments this year. And to all the featured artists, I hope it has filled your bank account with some financial love. With that in mind, hey readers, click on the artist links and let the spirit of giving begin! Merry happy everyone, wherever you are and whatever you believe.

It’s Mersey time! With The Retreads, The Pleasers, The Kryng and The Boolevards

10 Tuesday Dec 2019

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Poprock Themepark

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The Boolevards, The Kryng, The Pleasers, The Retreads

Screen Shot 2019-12-10 at 7.17.28 PMThe 1963-4 Beatles’ sound has become its own distinctive musical oeuvre, influencing bands around the world and across time. In the Merseybeat era, one could hear it from English bands like Gerry and Pacemakers and Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas or Americans like the Bobby Fuller Four, and many others. The late 1970s saw the sound revived by mocksters like The Rutles or in note-perfect tributes from Utopia on their Deface the Music. Then a host of new wave bands dug out their skinny ties and rediscovered the sound as the 1970s gave way to the eighties. Now it’s just a thing music-literate bands might do to show off their stylistic chops! Today’s post attends to that melodic Mersey sound, both old and new.

First up, a time trip back to 1981 for what appears to be the only single released by Rushden UK’s The Retreads – but what a single! “Would You Listen Girl” has the With the Beatles sound down pat, particularly on those killer background vocals that really nail the feel of those early Beatles’ records. The songwriting is pretty strong too, sounding so Mersey without being simply derivative. Another historic Mersey revival group was London’s The Pleasers. Emerging amidst the UK’s punk outbreak in the late 1970s the band’s polished Beatlesque sound didn’t quite fit in. That’s tragic. Check out the oh so pleasing fab quality of “Breaking My Heart” or the jangle-longing undergirding “Who Are You.” The band did eventually see the release of an album’s worth of their great 1970s songs in the 1990s with Thamesbeat.

https://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/would-you-listen-girl.mp3The Retreads – Would You Listen Girlhttps://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/09-breaking-my-heart.m4aThe Pleasers – Breaking My Hearthttps://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/16-who-are-you.m4aThe Pleasers – Who Are You

The Netherlands’ The Kryng are much more than Mersey, with a sound that ranges across a garage/psych 1960s sound to a 1980s indie vibe. But sometimes, they really get their Beatles on. It’s there in all sorts of places on their just released new album, So Many Girls 2 – on tracks like “Still I Know” and “Take You by the Hand.” They do push the limits of the sound (in a good way). “Be Your Guy” sounds like Ray Davies sat in on a Beatles writing session while “She’s Black” perhaps has the band pushing into Beatles for Sale territory. Another band that takes up the Beatles’ influences but doesn’t stop there is The Boolevards. The twenty tracks comprising their new compilation album Real Pop Remix have a distinctive stylistic stamp, combining the Beatles’ Mersey sound with early Beach Boys and late 1970s Mersey revival sound of bands like The Searchers. You want jangle? Check out the infectious riffs on “Again and Again,” “It’s Great” and “She Shines.” Or click on my personal faves, the should-be hit single “Take Me to the Top” or the raucus, jaunty “Find a Star Make a Wish.” But really, dip in anywhere on this fab collection and find something to love.

Click on the links for The Retreads, The Pleasers, The Kryng and The Boolevards and contribute to keeping the Beatlemania from ever being cured.

I get mail: Dead Rituals, Baby Scream, Science is Fiction, Eggs on Mars, Super 8 and Jean Caffeine

05 Thursday Dec 2019

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Poprock Themepark

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Baby Scream, Dead Rituals, Eggs on Mars, Jean Caffeine, Science is Fiction, Super 8

Screen Shot 2019-12-05 at 12.18.45 PMCan’t believe the mailbag is full again! But here we are. It’s nice to hear from people and even nicer that people pay attention to what I’m doing and send suggestions that really work with the blog’s over-arching theme. So here’s another batch of self-promoting rock and roll melody pushers that deserve three minutes or so of your time!

World traveling Brooklynite Andrea Caccese’s Dead Rituals invariably get described by reviewers as ‘dreamy’ and ‘atmospheric’ and I see it, particularly as we get started on his new project’s self-titled debut EP and its opening track “Run.” But suddenly at the 14 second mark the song gets just a bit more urgent, driven by a haunting guitar arpeggiation, something that only intensifies in the chorus in a most wonderous, happy way. “Closer” is pretty sweet too, reminding me of a bit of 1980s OMD. Valencia, Spain’s Baby Scream seems like a seriously misnamed act. There’s no screaming. There’s no ‘baby oh baby’ teenybop lyrics. Instead, on songs like “Fake It Till You Make It,” the band sound like John Lennon turned loose with 1980s synth, with very fab results. The song can be found on an EP entitled Things U Can Say to a Stranger and it has other highlights as well, like “Somebody Kill Me Now,” which sounds like a great lost Lennon out-take. Turning to Calgary band Science is Fiction, the comparisons are more to an early Elvis Costello and the influence is definitely there, particularly on tracks like “Shiver.” But their debut EP Don’t Everyone Thank Me at Once also vibes a solid glam Lou Reed élan on “Kissing You” and “Awkward Girl.” Influences aside, the material here is pretty solid and, ultimately, original.

Next stop? Kansas City, where Eggs on Mars fashion a lovely psych poprock tune with “People Pleasing” from their latest album, It Will Be Like It Was. I love the rollicking quality to this song as it barrels along, with a sneaky hook in the verses that keeps reeling you in. Hardworking Scot Super 8 turned out a nice EP this year, Head Sounds, with art work, title, and sounds that riff on the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. Check out the lovely melodic fun of “Millionaire.” It’s like a bit of the summer good times encapsulated in 3 minutes and change. Or there’s a hint of toe-tapping township jiving in the addictive “BonNES.” Then there’s still four other tracks that will lift you out of the winter doldrums. Last mail drop came from a literal living legend, Jean Caffeine! With a rock and roll story stretching back to the 1970s, Caffeine has done it all from punk to country to performance art to your basic stripped down indie rock and roll. Now she’s back with a killer EP Love. What Is It? and it is a very special synthesis of so many aspects of her career while perhaps also being her poppiest release yet. It’s all there in the title track, with its enchanting vocal stylings and subtle melodic hooks. Then out of left field Caffeine hits us with edgy Patti Smith-meets-The Who version of the “The Kids Are Alright” that totally works. “I Always Cry on Thursday” reminds me of Mary Lou Lord songwriting style-wise, while the delivery exudes the weary-life-lived sound of an Amy Rigby or Robin Lane or, frankly, Jean Caffeine. This is an EP release not to be missed!

People writing their own press briefings really could use some record sales – that much is obvious. Click on the links for Dead Rituals, Baby Scream, Science is Fiction, Eggs on Mars, Super 8 and Jean Caffeine to reward such efforts.

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