New tunes show up in the damnedest places. This week’s discoveries come via social media, indie music platforms, and even my email in-box. Our ‘dial’ may be somewhat expanded from radio’s postwar heyday but the important thing is that the should-be hits keep on coming.

I stumbled across Liverpool’s Keyside when I caught their snippet of Squeeze’s “Up the Junction” as a TikTok reel. I immediately wanted more. Turns out the band have a few singles and two EPs, 2024’s Nikita and this year’s Michael (What’s Your Call?). The early stand-alone early singles “Paris to Marseille” and “Light Out” are delivered in such a strong Scouse brogue the lyrics are mostly indecipherable to outsiders, though no less delightful. The band are regularly compared to The La’s, Cast, Oasis etc. but songs like “Angeline” and “Down My Way” from the first EP channel a broader palate of influences: moodier, with jazzy inflections. “Nikita” is definitely a striking single. The formula is successfully reproduced on EP #2 with “Runaway” a strong opening single while “High to High” vibes strong Britpop. This is a quartet worth watching for what they might whip up for a long player.

It’s been five long years since Peter Baldrachi released his magisterial comeback LP Slow Recovery. There’s been a few singles since then, that’s true. But nothing stands in for a Baldrachi full album effect. So pull up and check out his new album Nothing Promised to get that feeling again. “Hard to Believe” kicks things off with a Peter Case vocal edge that successfully revives that driving Plimsouls sound. From there things get pretty country though not like you might expect. “Busted, Sad, Lonely and Blue” says country from the title alone but tune in for the Bakersfield sound. “You Brought the Love” balances tasty lead guitar riffs with sweet country pedal steel. Then “Go It Alone” sees the guitar work pulling the country feel in a jazz direction. “Wearing My Heart Around” dials up the honky tonk country vibe. But the coup de grace is undoubtedly the “In the Shadow” duet with Sonya Rae Taylor where a rumbly rockabilly lead guitar competes some spare country pedal steel to create real tension. Baldrachi does take a rocking turn or two as well. “Sometimes I Just Gotta Get Away” has a rollicking Replacements energy while “The Pieces of You” rides a great organ bed as you might hear on any number of Nick Lowe albums. Bookending the album is another hot should-be hit single, “Tomorrow,” a Matthew Sweet-worthy hooky guitar tune, with a hint of the Jayhawks in the vocal delivery. With Nothing Promised Baldrachi is back and as promising as ever.

The Jellybricks’ eighth release Dreaming in Stereo turns it out from the start. Opening cut “Age of Stupid” practically launches out of the speakers, the sonic assault evenly matching its pointed lyrical lash. Then the title track dials down the attack but cranks the melody meter with sweet guitar hooks and harmony vocals. “Sound of a Broken Heart” is almost a ballad, one that skips along over well-placed subtle hooks. “All About You” has a manic energy reminiscent of 1990s pop strut singles. There are times on this record you’d swear the band is doing some kind of new wave bait and switch. Both “Monday’s Never” and “Enchanted I Am” sound like different (equally good) bands, the former 1980s British, the latter 1990s AM poprock polished. There are so many great songs here I’ll just single out two more. After a rather jazzy experimental introduction “Follow That Girl” takes a jangle romp in new directions while “Shine On” closes things out with rocking bravado.

The search for great new tunes keep turning up trumps at this makeshift station. Click on the artist hyperlinks above to get a replay.

Photo courtesy Joe Haupt Flikr collection.