Monthly Archives: August 2026

The long haul: Bob Hillman and Dave Kuchler

22 Saturday Aug 2026

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Music is a cruel business. Sometimes people who can barely play their instruments have big hits while others with more talent labour away in obscurity. A lot people take a stab at a music career but few last out a decade. But then there’s the crew that’s in it for the long haul. That’s our focus here, the ones who just keep going and damn the indifference.

San Francisco’s Bob Hillman has been kicking around the music scene since the 1990s, barring a ten year break in the new millennium to try out some ‘real jobs.’ Over that time he’s put out 5 LPs, 4 EPs and the occasional stand-alone single. His catalogue reveals a definite foot in the folk camp, though adjacent genres routinely crowd in. Performance-wise, the styles range from straight-up 1960s folk singer to the slight Americana of a Robbie Fulks or the rootsy rock or country of John Hiatt or Lyle Lovett. The songs themselves are often sardonic, sometimes political, and apparently widely misunderstood – if the entertaining self-penned bio on his website is anything to go by. Personally, I can’t see how people don’t see what is going on here. “List of Enemies” (Playing God 1999), “Movie Star” (Welcome To My Century 2001), and “My Satanic Friends” (If You Lived Here, You’d Be Home 2006) are firmly tongue-in-cheek while “I’ll Replace You With Machines” (Lost Soul 2016), “Cocaine Ruins Everything” (Some of Us Are Fee, Some of Us Are Lost 2019), and the COVID-inspired “Now I’m In Favor of a Wall” (Inside and Terrified 2020) are obviously political. Perhaps it boils down this: if you write smart, sophisticated material not everyone is going to get it.

Now with that career-spanning introduction out of the way, let’s get to his brand new EP King of the Bees. This outing leans into Hillman’s more glossy poprock side, which can be heard on early tracks like “Movie Star” and “Bolted Down” from Welcome to my Century. Opening cut “Invisible World” sets the scene with striking keyboards and pop hooks that jump out via the polished, smooth vocal style. You can definitely hear here why Suzanne Vega took him on tour. “Interesting Friends” has a bit more heft amid subtle melodic turns while “American Smoke” bristles with a tense, combustible, but enjoyable energy. “When He’s Cain” slows things down, the pacing is lush, hypnotic. Note the alluring bass playing on “All I Do Is Dream” as it draws you into a track that gives off some strong Tom Petty vibes. Last up is “Pierre, You Married Wrong.” This one is a real treat and a bit of departure from the rest of songs. I love how the darker shading in the verses then allows the run up to the chorus to really break out. Some great rocking guitar solos here too. Not surprising perhaps given appearances on the record from Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws and the Attractions’ Pete Thomas. Though just 22 minutes long, King of the Bees makes every moment count.

We’ve given out Dave Kuchler’s back story before with coverage of his former band Soul Engines and his solo LPs It’s Pronounced (2020) and Love and Glory (2023). To sum, he came so close to breaking big with Soul Engines in the early 2000s with their amazing album Closer Still but the brass ring seemed just out of reach. His two more recent solo albums have worked to mine and expand on that Soul Engines sound. Now he’s back with a new EP that proves he still got it when it comes to rock and roll chops. “Brand New” eases us into his new EP as the soulful, poppy title track. The simple piano adornments and tasty lead guitar lines really elevate an already pretty strong number. Follow up “Lyra Ann” is a gorgeous, heartful welcome to the world for Kuchler’s new granddaughter. I love the creative organ work that threads its way throughout this tune, adding real warmth to a touching song. For “You Won’t Break My Heart” Kuchler breaks out a horn section to add to a stomping, rocking dance number. “Memorial Hall” closes out the EP and for me this track has a solid Soul Engines throwback feel to it. The combination of organ, solid guitar riffing, and Kuchler’s towering vocal attack creates some palpable excitement here. And then we’re done – how can this be over so soon? Brand New may be short but that doesn’t take away from the sweetness of its contents.

Some people keep plugging away at music, despite a distinct lack of fan adulation, limousine rides, and fat royalty cheques. With these two performers, we are all better for it.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Sizzling summer singles

17 Monday Aug 2026

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

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Let’s pretend your biggest worries right now involve finding a beach towel, a ride to some beachy locale, and keeping sand out of the radio. And if you’re particular about your summer playlist you can needle drop your way through the 21 tunes gathered here to get some ideas.

We kick things off with a new song from Australian band Beddy Rays. “Morning Light” has a rollicking indie rock sound not unlike The Front Bottoms or Catfish and the Bottlemen. Definitely singalong-able. It’s hard to put your finger on just what Murfreesboro, Tennessee band Piglett is doing style-wise. And I really like that. Their recent album On The Upswing alternates between moody alienation and slightly less moody alienation. “The Rock in Your Shoe” is a sweetly melancholy number carried along by its spare electric guitar work and vulnerable vocal attack. I really dug Jody and Jerms 2025 LP Love Descends so a new single from the band was a welcome development. “Grace” is no disappointment, marrying their impressive range of stylistic elements – folk, pop, indie rock – with their usual aplomb. Why isn’t Richmond, Virginia’s Dazy a big star? Everything about this act’s sound and demeanor says huge impact to me. Their recent double-sided single “Big Problem” / “Gravity” sounds like a cross between Beck and Sugar Ray and that’s a winning combo. Toronto’s Zuffalo sound like a seventies throwback on “Hellos Are Free,” a track from their recent album Flock of the Town. The vibe is the rock side of country rock, a bit Band-like or reminiscent of The Jayhawks.

Cheeky Chris Stamey has put out an album covering old tunes but dubbed it Modernism. That could have a number meanings ranging from sarcasm to interpretation. Whatever the intent, it’s an inspired collection drawing from The Kinks, The Beatles, The Everly Brothers, Sly and the Family Stone, and many more. But I’m drawn to the mesmerising reworking of Stamey’s own tune “Of Time and All She Brings to Mind.” I keep hearing REM. But that’s hardly surprising because when I listen to REM I often think I’m hearing the Stamey’s previous band The dBs. Ryan Hamilton has a new LP Haunted By American Dreams and right now I’m loving “That Girl” and its particular mix of chiming guitars and a Tom Petty melodic drive. Definitely replay-able again and again. Leeds band The Rise and Fall offer up a range of choices on their second long-playing release Coma Chameleon but I found myself drawn to the driving, sonorous “Pigs.” The guitars never let up while the vocals sound like a blend of church monk chorus meets Pugwash. What’s not to love? Vista Blue are so on top of popular culture. They’re always coming out with timely cuts about politics, sports and entertainment. This time they draw inspiration from the summer smash movie The Odyssey with “Wooden Horse.” The song notches down their usual frenetic pop punk attack for a more measured melodic pace, to great effect. First Leeds now Sheffield: Yorkshire’s music scene is definitely getting a look in here. This time it’s First Prize with a pleasant song entitled “Goodbye to the Day.” I hear more than little of 1980s Haircut 100.

On “Wherever” My Raining Stars so evoke a melancholic late 1980s UK guitar vibe it was like I was transported back to Manchester’s Arndale walking street. “It Will Take Me A While” from the same LP Toy Club is pretty sweet as well. Scottish lush guitar pop masters Dropkick are teasing us with a song well in advance of a new album Throughlines, coming out in October, cleverly titled “Side Note.” The mood is dreamy but with a touch of unresolved tension. Definitely LP appetite whetting. I initially thought the title to Lolas new single was “Summer Song” but turns out the band has produced another fine bit of hooky pop with a political theme. The actual title is “Summer Smog,” effectively soundtracking our world-on-fire 2026. Not that we need reminding but The Goods want us to know that “Summer’s Almost Gone.” But here’s the good news – this track is jangle-gorgeous. Almost like Teenage Fanclub meets the Beach Boys. San Fran’s Richard Turgeon may have (slightly) slowed the pace of his prolific releases but he spares nothing on the creative front. His new single “Let’s Hide Away” captures the uncertainty of our present times, balancing an earnest, low-key vocal against an alternating spare-versus-wall of guitars backdrop.

It feels like it’s been a while since we’ve heard from Philadelphia’s 2nd Grade. “Cellophane Girls” reminds me how much I’ve been missing them. Just listen to these shimmering lead guitar lines and subtle melodic hooks. Bliss! Another reliable set of guitar hook-masters come in the form of Seattle band Shake Some Action. Forget the Pacific Northwest for moment, this act sounds like they’re from swinging London 1966. That mod elan is definitely there on their latest solo single “Last Long Weekend.” Now for something a bit different, Ben Guterl from Forth Wanderers and Dan Howard from Victoryland team up as Billboard Style doing a song called “Billboard Style.” The track has a relentless drone that is curiously soothing and danceable to boot. Westside Cowboy have got a new LP out entitled It Goes On with cool tunes like “Kick Stones (The Boys)” and “Pin Up Boys” but I’m going to double back their January EP So Much Country ‘Til We Get There to showcase “The Wahs.” This is another track with a relentless quality to it, banging on with a buzzy guitar backdrop and a sunny singalong melody. The tenor of the new Hardwicke Circus single “Behind the Lines of Reason” is all 1980s sonic melodrama. Definitely montage worthy.

Wrapping things up this round is a fantastic tip from our friend Ralph for Melbourne, Australia band Hexham Heads. Last year they put out a fine self-titled EP but the track that has me hitting replay right now is “In Time,” their contribution to most recent Popboomerang collection, Shake Your Popboomerang 4. Light, jangly, with just a touch of XTC here and there.

Let’s pretend its mid-July rather than mid-August. Plenty of time to give a newly minted summer singles playlist a few beach spins. And you can hit the hyperlinks above to find plenty of raw material for it here. Definitely.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Spotlight single: Bramwell “Standing on Stones”

11 Tuesday Aug 2026

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The UK’s stunning guitar-pop summer carries on with another great find, Cardiff-by-way-of-Torquay band Bramwell. Variously described as jangle and psychedelic, the five songs currently available actually defy easy generalizations about their style. Early single “Upside Down” is low key, moody and aching in some undefinable way. Follow up single “Problems” defies its title, definitely brightening the mood amid striking rhythm guitar work. But it was the b-side cover the Yardbird’s 1966 song “I Can’t Make Your Way” that really expanded the sense of what this band could do. Gorgeous harmony vocals accompanied by ripping lead guitar work really makes this track stand out. And that brings us to their most recent double-sided single. B-side “British Rails (Are Long and Fast) is jangle fabulous, a rushing stream of melodious guitar goodness with a lighter-than-air vocal attack. But it is A-side “Standing on Stones” that really takes my breath away. This time the jangly guitars mix with vocals and a melody that falls somewhere between The Cyrkle on their 1967 Neon album and Haircut 100’s “Fantastic Day.” Hard to say just where this band is going but I definitely want to be wherever they arrive.

You can find Bramwell at their Bandcamp, Instagram and Facebook pages, as well as their record company’s Bandcamp site. That’s virtual real estate worth visiting.

Melodic miscellany: Pet Sounds, Wild Honey, and Pete Ham

06 Thursday Aug 2026

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A true miscellany is a random mix of things. Think jumble sale. By contrast, our melodic miscellany does contain consistent themes but the variety can be found in the execution. Here are a few collections where a wide variety of contributors work their magic in oh so many ways.

This long-player named Pet Sounds is not what you expect. No Beach Boys, no Brian Wilson. Instead what you get is a collection of 15 tunes, all focused on various kinds of pets. The range of styles here maps all over the indie rock scene, from the upbeat shoe-gaze of Lande Hekt’s “Lola,” to the baroque whispery pop of Railcard’s “Foxy,” to the deadpan talk-singing of The Burning Hell’s “Kings of the Animal Kingdom.” Some of what appears here is just full-on fun, like Gay Skeleton Club’s mesmerizing “2 Cats.” Late nineties indie hipsters will undoubtedly recall The Magnetic Fields’ “Fido, Your Leash is Too Long.” Tugboat Captain’s “Rufus” and Sassyhiya’s “Crayon Potato” provide a country turn while Brian Bilston and the Caternary Wires give off a Velvet Underground “The Gift” vibe on “Under a Cat” (sans the terminal ending). Despite the most tenuous of thematic links joining them together, Pet Sounds really is a solid collection. Though if I had to single out just a few cuts my personal faves trend toward the groovy guitar pop stylings of The Cords on “Bo’s New Haircut” and especially Special Friend’s “Breakfast.” I’m also drawn to the introspective “Dark Age” from Caleb Nichols and winsome “Marjorie Says” by US Highball.

Wild Honey Records Sampler 2026 gives you a snapshot of 19 different acts currently on the label. These sorts of compilations can be pretty hit and miss, often covering more stylistic ground than any one listener can withstand or offering an uneven mix in terms of the quality of the tunes themselves. But not this LP, not with this roster of talent. The songs here are strong while the collection sounds coherent stylistically without tending toward sameness. Things break out strongly with opening cut “One Day” from the wall-of-guitars bangers Radioactivity. Solid rockers Bee Bee Sea keep the amps twisted right to 11 on “Holy Money.” There’s plenty of party approved dancing numbers here, like Oddfellows’ pumping “The Burden.” Of course, my own tastes run to those selections that crank up the pop quotient on their rocking out. Radio Days offer up driving lead guitar runs and enticing hooks on “I Won’t Give Up.” Crocodiles have a more guitar-rock combo sound akin to the early 1980s new wave with  “Let’s Be Strangers.” On “Three” Conspiracy of Owls even manage to dig out a  neo-Merseybeat feel. I could go on and on for each tune here, the quality is that consistent over the whole record.

Pete Ham wrote or co-wrote most of Badfinger’s big hits (e.g. “No Matter What,” “Baby Blue,” and “Without You”) and left behind an amazing catalogue of both released and unreleased compositions when he died by his own hand in 1975.  Just Look Inside the Cover: Songs of Pete Ham honours that legacy, bringing together an impressive roster of 21 different indie artists to re-interpret those songs. Stylistically, it’s almost as if the acts have divided his sonic territory amongst themselves, covering the different periods when Ham was composing. The opening salvo from Mike Delevante is a wonderful acoustic guitar-heavy, early 1970s version of “A Lonely Day.” Sharp Pins recreate the lush mid-1970s power pop sound on “Just How Lucky We Are.” Then Richard Barone (of the Bongos, backed here by the Midnight Callers) channels 1965 on his sixties-perfect rendition of “I’m Only Human.” The 1970s were known for a particular brand of pop polish and Rob Bonfiglio and The Parlophonics apply that liberally to “Hand in Hand” and “Makes Me Feel Good” respectively. Another strong seventies stylistic motif was a loose, almost careening rock and roll vibe and that definitely appears on Bob Jackson’s take on “Just Look Inside the Cover” and Mic Harrison’s version of “A Little Bit of Rock and Roll.” Again, we have here a collection that never misses a step, though I won’t comment on everything. But my own personal fave is Bill Lloyd’s timeless poprock rendering of “Our Song.”

It’s good to mix things up and stretch our sense of what might appeal to us. That’s where compilation albums do most of the work. If the cover caught your eye, there’s probably something inside you’ll really like and whole lot else you could stand to discover.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.