Category Archives: Around the Dial

Around the dial: The Summertimes, Odds, Ratboys, and Cut Worms

01 Friday Sep 2023

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With autumn just around the corner it’s time to twist that radio dial for new music. Luckily there’s plenty of fab new releases to tune into.

In many ways The Summertimes self-titled debut LP has been the album of the summer. Reviewed positively everywhere, this is a record spilling over with good-time rock and roll tunes taking us back to that heyday of Ozzie indie chart magic you might associate with acts like the Hoodoo Gurus. It’s there in the loose party vibe of the opening cut and early release single “Inside” or the vocal snarl and rollicking hooks on “Password.” Then “White Pointer” is something a bit different, with a Lou Reed vocal directness amid carefully placed but somehow insistent guitar riffs. Things go jangle good on “Love (It’s the Word)” with its relentless lead guitar lines while “Athens, GA” is more REM, not surprisingly. But the album’s rocking flavour is tempered by lighter moments too: a Paul Kelly feel to “When the Lights Hit the Square,” some Crowded House style in  “Sky and the Sea,” and a hint of Teenage Fanclub lingering on “Wakes Up Shadows.” My favourite cut? Undoubtedly “My Beautiful Girl Harbour” with its faint echoes of Modern English’s “I Melt With You” in places. And don’t miss album closer, “The Perfect Wave.” Rarely can a band combine elements of the Yardbirds, the Monkees, and classic surf motifs and still come up with something new. The Summertimes is not just for summer, it’s one of this year’s must-have albums.

The return of legendary Vancouver band Odds is definitely an event worth marking with cake and fireworks. Central to the celebration – Crash the Time Machine, the third full album release from the band since they reunited with a new line-up in the early aughts. What we have here is more of that west coast cool sound Odds is known for. Opening cut and title track “Crash the Time Machine” assembles all the right poppy rock components. This song says ‘I’m the hit’ for sure. Runner-up should-be single would be “My Mind’s On Other Things” with its alluring guitar lead lines and captivating harmony vocals. Then there’s “Walk Among the Stars,” a track embodying a pop ennui that is unmistakeably Odds. The FM radio deep cuts would be “Staring at a Blank Page,” “Fairytale of Heaven,” or “Fall Guy,” the latter replete with secret agent guitar and more psychedelic chorus. For sonic departures, check out the more dire sound sketches featured in “The Traveling Light” or “Winning Is Everything,” the last a light ditty about how getting what you want may not be what you need. Personally, I’m loving the ELO-tinged “Revolution Singing” as well as the soulful album closer “Somehow in a Dream.” Listening to Crash the Time Machine a few times it’s clear, this is a band that knows its own playbook. But they still know how to throw a curve. Welcome back Odds, you’ve been missed.

I don’t know what I was thinking. Somewhere I picked up a copy of Ratboys 2020 album Printer’s Devil but I never wrote about it. I did review their poppy single “Down the River” but somehow that doesn’t cut it. Redemption time now that their brand new LP The Window is out. As a band that usually straddles folk pop and indie rock, opening cut “Making Noise for the Ones You Love” is a noisy, celebratory, yet fun outlier. “Morning Zoo” puts us right back into the melodic pop swing that band so aces. Very Weepies on caffeine. Should be the hit single. From there the album moves in multiple directions but without losing its thematic centre. “Crossed That Line” chugs along with a rocking inflection. This is where comparisons to Kississippi and Soccer Mommy come in. “It’s Alive” kicks off with a dramatic sonic build-out that has a particular grandeur. Vocally I hear Tristan but with a rocking backing band. Meanwhile the bending lead guitar tone is just exquisite. Another possible single is title track “The Window” with its subtle guitar hooks. For variety, “Black Earth, WI” sounds country-ish, almost Rilo Kiley in its alt-indie temperament while the folk side of the band covered with “Bad Reaction.” My deep cut fave is “Empty.” I love the perky drive and winning melody of this song. It’s got a Grouplove loose tightness.

A Cut Worms recording is often a snapshot of a particular corner of the history of popular music. Late 1960s folkie pop on Hollow Ground, more 1970s country rock on his 2020 single “Unnatural Disaster,” and so on. Now on the new self-titled Cut Worms I’m hearing that crafted pop sound I associate with the mid-1970s, with a few notable exceptions. From the first tantalizing spate of piano notes of opening cut “Don’t Fade Out” there’s a Captain and Tennille or Neil Sedaka or Gilbert O’Sullivan breezy swing in play. “Take It and Smile” has a more seventies singer/songwriter feel. “Living Inside” also has that intimate seventies pop feel. But just as you’re settling in “I’ll Never Make It” harkens back to a Patsy Cline ballad in more rockabilly days or “Is It Magic” utilizes a 1950s sparsely-arranged harmony group style. “Let’s Go Out on the Town” moves back into the sixties with its Cyrkle or The Young Veins vibe. “Too Bad” finishes the record with another strong nod to 1970s confessional pop, particularly the electric piano.

It’s a real mix of tune-age on this radio relay race. Click on the hot links to get more of the good same.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Around the dial: Kevin Bowe and the Okemah Prophets, Dolour, Vanity Mirror, and The Midnight Callers

03 Monday Jul 2023

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Turning the radio dial used to be hard work sometimes if you wanted to find that perfect song. But this station has got your hooks if melody-driven rock is what you favour.

Minneapolis native Kevin Bowe has run with some pretty impressive company over the years, working with the likes of The Replacements, Wilco, Freedy Johnston, and many others. His early solo records were often compared to them, filed loosely under a broadly defined ‘Americana’ label. But listening to his new album Half Past Never Bowe shifts into a more commercial 1980s poprock lane I’d compare to work from Rob Fetters, Michael Slawter and Bill Lloyd. Just listen to the magic hit-single worthy melange of sound that is “California Sober.” The sparkling electric guitar lines buffet a smooth vocal melodic hook that just keeps on giving. Then “Put Me Out of Your Misery” eases in slow and easy, only to turn on magnetic hooks in the chorus. The Americana roots are still there, evident with the unmistakeable Tom Petty strut defining “Only Child” and the touching country ballad “Another Word for God.” And there are few stylistic departures, like the dreamy, achingly beautiful great American songbook-ish “I Hate Falling in Love.” But on the whole this record further develops the poppier sound Bowe experimented with on 2018’s Every Part of the Buffalo. Tracks like “Half Past Never,” “If I Was You” and “Hurt Me Beautiful” are straight-up melodic rock and roll of the first order. With Half Past Never Kevin Bowe and the Okemah Prophets have got a winner, a record that turns killer choruses into a kick-up your heels good time.

Dolour‘s Shane Tutmarc is a master of many musical styles but on his new EP Everything I Need they cohere into a distinctive sound. And that’s impressive because the five songs included here range from ear-wormy AM radio singles, to light and sunny pop, to synth-driven hook-traps, to country-tinged poprock. Title track “Everything I Need” kicks things off and sets the tone for the EP. The song begins with some edgy rhythm guitar but quickly morphs into a smooth AM radio-sounding hit. Then “Have I Finally Gone Insane” offers up a delightful dollop of updated sunshine pop. It’s got the light pop cadence of an early seventies Sedaka with McCartney in the producer’s chair. “When the World Stops Ending” has an attention-grabbing opening synth that just keeps returning to reel you in to a song with a Naked Eyes mellifluous melody. Things go a bit pop soul on “Moves Like Miyagi” in a very in Hall and Oates way, though Phil Thornalley has also been working this seam more recently. Album closer “The Comeback Kid” sounds like a super-charged Cactus Blossoms. The tune is pure poprock but the vocals give it a country tinge. In an interview with Sweet Sweet Music Blog Tutmarc tells us Everything I Need is really just half of a new album coming out later this year. I guess that means I don’t quite have everything I need yet.

The Electric Looking Glass members have a new project that takes their retro vibes in a slightly different direction. Basically, if their old band was Haight Ashbury then the new Vanity Mirror is more swinging London. On their debut record Puff the musical atmosphere shifts between late sixties Kinks and Moodies to early seventies solo McCartney and Emitt Rhodes. Opening cut “(I First Saw You There on) Tinpot Lane” sounds like something released on the sixties era Pye records. The keyboards and electric guitar have a brilliant brittleness while the vocals ooze baroque ambience. By contrast, early single “Tuesday News” is more Badfinger at Abbey Road. I hear Ray Davies listening to “Girl Feeding a Swan,” a whole lot of early solo McCartney on “Somehow You Know,” and a definite 1970s Lennon feel infusing “Look at the Clouds.” Meanwhile “Talking Walkie-Talkie Rice Krispies Blues” hits all the psych pop marks. Not everything here is time tripping though. “Dandelion Wish” could easily fit onto any recent Mo Troper album. Vanity Mirror look and sound like a yesterday you can still love today.

The 1970s had more than few over-the-top rock and roll moments where rough lead guitar riffs combined with a show tunes-like vocal precision. You can hear it from Alice Cooper in his poppier moments, Queen and Meatloaf obviously, and ELO when you wanted to meld classical and rock elements. But beneath it all were just great, feel-good rock songs. The Midnight Callers ace this challenging formula on their new LP Rattled Humming Heart. There are so many strong songs here but I’m going to point you right to the should-be monster hit single. “Girl on the Run” is a majestic rush of classic rock hooks right out of the Tom Petty or Bruce Springsteen playbook. The jangly lead guitar runs bristle with pent up energy, the rhythm section shifts between strutting and breaking wide open, while the vocals alternate tenderness with desperation. Really, I’ve worn out the replay button on this one. Another track ringing the hit singles bell is “Baby Let Me Be.” What a perfect balance between deep rock guitar riffing and a heavenly vocal arrangement. “What Goes Around” does something similar, though here the blasting guitar chords and lead lines are disciplined by a wall of harmony vocals. 1970s musical shout outs are all over this record: a glam rock groove defining “New York Tramp,” some Thin Lizzy on “Step,” an echo of Queen or ELO on “Without Ya,” and even an updated early Beatles vibe on “The Plan.” And then “Maggie” changes things up with a more poppy acoustic ballad. Good thing it’s summer because Rattled Humming Heart really should be your go-to party record.

Girl on the Run

Radio may not be the heart of rock and roll anymore but here the should-be hits just keep on coming. Follow the links above to dive deeper into these recommended playlist additions.

Photo courtesy of Joe Haupt Flikr collection.

Around the dial: Juniper, Star Collector, Chris Church and The Scarlet Goodbye

17 Friday Mar 2023

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Radio used to be so important, an entrée into the broader world for the lonely or bored. A lifeline sometimes, or just a bit of fun, a diversion. So let’s get some quality diverting going on.

On her 2020 self-titled debut album Juniper so nailed the early 1960s girl singer sound it was like a love letter to all the jilted dolly birds on both sides of the Atlantic. But on her follow-up long-player She Steals Candy she’s settling into her own distinctive style, folding the sixties into a broader mix that takes from country, 1980s poprock, and contemporary indie rock and roll. Producer Michael Shelley has put together a crack team of players that really lets Juniper’s vocals stand out while the selection of songs is delectable. Basically you’ve got members of Los Straitjackets, Belle and Sebastian, the Mekons, NRBQ, and The Smithereens, among others, helping to cover songs by the Go Gos, the Bangles, the Muffs, and a host of rare compositions from Delbert McClinton’s early band, The Ron-Dells. Everybody doesn’t necessarily play on everything but you get the idea. The Bangles “James” is given an interesting make-over here, sounding wonderfully familiar and yet peppered with interesting changes. Contrast that with the inventive new take on the Go Go’s “Turn To You” where the light backing and slower tempo really allows the song to breathe. The album tracks like the changing moods of a summer party, shifting from the pleasantly tuneful to a rocking good time. I hear a bit of Marti Jones on “She Steals Candy,” some country-style Nancy Sinatra on “Picture of You,” and shades of Mary Lou Lord on “Alone With You.” The more rocking tunes like “Ride Between the Cars” and “I’ve Gotta Boy” are a blast, really demonstrating Juniper’s range. Personal faves include the cover of Delbert McClinton’s countryish “I Cry Cause I Care,” a duet with the Cactus Blossoms’ Page Burkum, and the uber cool atmospheric “Dawn Stole My Guy” with that unmistakeable lead guitar work from Greg Townson. To get in on this party, you’ll find Juniper’s She Steals Candy filed under ‘maximum fun.’

Vancouver band Star Collector’s reputation is that they live in a mod, mod, mod, mod world, one where elevators all play The Jam between floors and Pete Townshend is the resident poet laureate. But on their new record Attack, Sustain, Decay​ .​.​. Repeat there’s a little bit more going on. As leader Vic Wayne says in a recent interview, you can hear a bit of The Sweet, Sloan, Cheap Trick, even some Grand Funk Railroad. You really get that 1970s rocker vibe from opening cut “Feeling It Coming On” but with a poppy Alice Cooper sheen. “Beat It To Death” opens with an almost Bad Company stripped-back set of chords but morphs into something more Fastball once it gets going. Wayne himself described “Halfway Home” as Tom Petty meets Echo and Bunnymen and I can hear that. Then “If We Can’t Take a Joke” cranks up a great distorted lick that runs through the song like the Beatles “I Feel Fine” or the Monkees “Pleasant Valley Sunday.” “Crashin’” – oh, there’s the Grand Funk. Then the opposite universe, there’s a lovely acoustic guitar ballad “Cross My Heart.” Personal faves are the Sloan-ish “Don’t Have to Fold” and delightful “Hungry Like the Wolf” strutter “Broken Butterflies.” You better get your dancing shoes ready, this is a 1970s-throwback party album, par excellence.

Chris Church knows how to throw out a hook while cranking his amp. His records have been billed ‘heavy melody’ by more than few writers. But as I listened to his new album Radio Transient I kept feeling like I’d stumbled back into 1986, something about the guitar tones, the way the bass guitar seemed so up front in the mix. Now I’m often guilty of thinking everything sounds like 1980s – it was my coming-of-age decade after all – so I was relieved to read in Church’s liner notes that the sound he was going for on this album was something he’d dubbed ‘Buckingham-Fixx.’ Yes! That is what I’m hearing here. This album takes sonic elements of Lindsay Buckingham’s manic 1980s pop records, those great mega-hit Hall and Oates releases, and the dynamic keyboard-plus-bass sound of The Fixx. It’s all there on his fab pre-release single “Going ‘Til We Go” and “I Don’t Want to Dance With Me,” with perhaps a dab of John Waite. And the theme carries on throughout the album, leaning into particular musical nuances on each cut. “I Think I Think I Like You” really captures that bouncy-guitar dance pop that soundtracked the early part of the eighties. Then “Already In It” sneaks in some of Church’s westcoast poprock sound a la Walter Egan, with some lovely other-worldly keyboards. “Gotta Go, Gotta Ramble” turns up the 1980s Buckingham influence, with perhaps a dash of early Split Enz. But the solid gold single is undoubtedly “One More Chance to Get Over You.” This is a gorgeous piece of poprock songwriting, a masterclass in how to put all the melodic elements together for maximum impact. Guest lead guitar jangle from legendary Bill Lloyd only seals the deal. With Radio Transient Chris Church rescues the very best of the 1980s for your here and now.

I can’t quite put my finger on just what The Scarlet Goodbye are doing on their debut album Hope’s Eternal. And I kinda like that. There’s a bit of Americana and Ozzie poprock and a subtle Beatles backdrop going on. Album opener “Rosary” introduces the basic tension pursued throughout the record, the pull of a more mellow melodic ennui cast against a sometimes urgent rocking backdrop. The lead guitar features prominently in “Panic and Blame,” though taken up more like a paint brush than an axe. And then comes the obvious single “Rosary” with it’s brilliant, hooky lead guitar work and AM radio polish. This contrasts nicely with the folkie vibe threaded throughout the album on tracks “Paris,” “Charity” and “Minor Things.” “Paris” particularly sounds a bit like Peter Case on his first solo records or the Eels. For Americana there’s a western tilt to “Surprised” or countryish feel to “Firefly.” But such genre distinctions break down on songs like “Celebrated Summer” and “The Ballad of Julie Ann,” with the former’s folkie poprock reminiscent of Guster (especially that great chorus!) while the latter is kinda Crowded House (especially that great organ!) with dash of Bond. On “Sandy” the band let their rock roll a bit more than elsewhere here and it’s another should-be hit for me. “Fresh New Hell” is another highlight, coming on like Michael Penn in full-on ennui mode. You can listen to the whole album here.

There’s four fine diversions coming down your radio relay towers. Click on the hotlinks to tune in for more.

Jewel Portable Tube Radio Model 5310 (USA 1953) image courtesy Mark Amsterdam Flikr collection.

Around the dial: The Small Breed, Electric Beauty, Turn Turn Turn, and Best Bets

26 Thursday Jan 2023

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Our first turn around the dial of the new year is like a melodic guitar rock testimonial, combining old with new sounds, the rough with the smooth. But it’s the superior song-writing on display here that will keep you from adjusting your set.

Those mourning the recent passing of David Crosby will want to catch up with Dutch band The Small Breed. Their most recent album Remember a Dream utterly nails the pop psychedelia that was such a part of the late 1960s west coast American music scene, with splashes of sunshine pop and other influences too. Title track “Remember a Dream” is a dynamite scene setter. The music is so sixties but the vocals remind of more contemporary groups like Django Django.  “Picturesque Pictures” puts a dreamy Moody Blues flute front and centre. Then “Wanda Your Angel” dials things down, offering up some captivating acoustic guitar with a vocal that evokes Billy Bragg at his most tender. “She’s So Lovely” has things take a rather baroque turn. I hear a bit of Madness lurking in this song and all over the more mannered “Finders Keepers.” And then there’s the crowd-singing should-be hit, “Mirror Man.” This one jumps out and says ‘hear me!’ Remember a Dream is wonderful mixture of old and new, clearly treasuring the psychedelic sixties but refusing to remain limited to the decade in terms of influences. Definitely a trip worth taking.

The members of Electric Beauty have been around and back again. Veterans of countless musical ventures over the decades this current project is about having fun and it shows on their self-titled debut. The songs have all got the earnest yet easygoing feel of players comfortable with each other. Check out the vocal on “Cindy’s Gone Away,” it’s so raw and unfiltered but it works fabulously with the straight up poppy rock and roll accompaniment. I also love the lead guitar line that hooks you into “Modern Lovers.” It’s so classic. Again the vocal here has a directness I associate with likes of Dion or Del Shannon (in non-falsetto mode).  “Something for No One” strikes a different note, an almost spacey instrumental I could see slipping into a 1980s SciFi movie. “Lonely at the Top” counterposes a lyric Crenshaw or Springsteen could pull off with subtle organ runs and some great rumbly guitar. “The Awakening” is another cinema-worthy, other-worldly instrumental. Electric Beauty is an album that will fit you like a favourite old sweater: familiar, comfortable, enjoyable. Welcome back boys.

Cindy’s Gone Away
Modern Lovers
Lonely at the Top

With a name like Turn Turn Turn you might expect churning Brydsian jangle or burning social commentary a la Peter Seeger. But this Minnesota trio manage to do both and neither on their brand new LP New Rays From an Old Sun. Opening cut “Stranger in a Strange Land” covers off the first theme. One minute in and that trademark Byrds/Tom Petty signature guitar drone lands in the first instrumental break. Both “Hymn of the Hater” and “7 Kids” nod toward social issues, in a decidedly Americana style. But what we have here is so much more than this or that influence. Overall this record is a gorgeous blast of harmony vocals and songs with mellifluous hooks. Everything is built on the strength of the song-writing – and it is impressive. Some are just a bit of fun. “Powder” hums along like a Monkees deep cut. And who doesn’t like a whistle solo? Others are more serious. “If You’re Gonna Leave Me” launches in like a great soul classic without losing its pop precision. “My Eyelids Weigh Mountains” could easily be mistaken for something by The Band in their prime while “Schisandra” is just so Bryds. This album is a winner from start to finish, so crisply produced, so joyously sung and played. Seriously, a veritable aural delight for your ears.

When we last left the boys in New Zealand’s Best Bets their debut EP Life Under the Big Top had that ever-so-nice Grapes of Wrath guitar band sound. But how things have changed with their most recent LP On An Unhistoric Night. The sound is rougher and rockier, exuding pure party band. It’s there with the cranked lead guitar lines on “The Point” and “Crystal Mausoleum” and really takes off with the mosh pit frenzy-fueled “Wrong Side of the Sun.” Definitely getting The Buzzcocks vibe on “King Cnut” and “Whataworld” while “Look Back with Mike” is reminiscent of a more Replacements atmosphere. “The Minor Leagues” is the obvious should-be hit single, it balances polish with a rough hewn guitar charm. You get a sense of what a great live band this troupe must be listening to “Always on the Losing Side” with it very sixties garage feel. Or there’s “European Cars” which simply motors along with a manic energy, conjuring a Nick Lowe “Heart of the City” drive. The albums wraps with a bit of departure, the more mid-tempo “That Movie Never Got Made.” The subtle guitar hooks and anguished vocals really elevate the song. Spending some time with this album I’d have to say Best Bets are definitely aptly named.

From the radio to the record store, that used to be the trip. Now you don’t even have to leave home to own these (should-be) hits.

Photo courtesy C.P. Storm.

Around the dial: The Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness, Push Puppets, Uni Boys, and The Mommyheads

23 Sunday Oct 2022

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What if we could revive that great era of radio circa 1978 to 1981 when the likes of Squeeze, XTC, Rockpile, Split Enz and a host of other new wave bands made it into regular rotation? Commercial radio was rarely so open to offbeat trends. Those days might be gone but we can try to revive that kind of energy with a turn around our virtual radio dial.

I loved albums one and two from The Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness. Indeed, “I Don’t Mind” from last year’s Songs from Another Life topped my should-be hit singles for 2021. So I’m obviously primed to like anything new. Happily I can confirm that their new album The Third Wave of … is another jangle tour-de-force, one that extends beyond what they’ve done before. Oh sure there’s the usual Bryds-meets-Teenage Fanclub sparkle to the guitars and shiver in the vocal harmonies. Added to this is material with a harder, new wave guitar edge, as if the Cars rhythm section had dropped in on a few recording sessions. Listen for it on tracks like “Look Back,” “In the Right” and “Out of Time” where it melds with TBWTPN’s distinctive song-writing style. I think the most interesting move in this direction is “Old Pictures of Ourselves” which combines creative guitar and keyboard parts in a striking synthesis. Yet by and large this record is full of familiar TBWTPN grin-inducing, feel-good tunes: songs like “As the Day Begins” and “Turning Red” that tweak the jangle and vocal harmonies to go straight for the heart. Some efforts strike a more sombre jangly note, like “The Stars Go Round” and “Open the Box.” My fave track this outing is probably “Isolation,” an exquisite country pop duet with Mary Lou Lord. And don’t miss the lovely, spare acoustic version of the song (on the digital version of the album only) where Lord’s vocal is primary.

Sometimes you start playing a record and you just know it’s going to be terrific. That was my reaction to “There’s No One Like Lynette,” the opening cut on Push Puppets new LP Allegory Grey. The song delivered an electric jolt of New Pornographers-influenced tune-age. When track two “Sometimes the Buds Never Flower” took off in a very different (but pleasing) Finn brothers direction that was it, I was hooked. And things just got better from there. Songwriter Erich Specht cites an array of power pop influences but the Crowded House imprint is strong on this album. Sometimes they slip in subtly, like the deft Neil Finn melodic turn in the chorus of “Obvious” or the Tim Finn vocal sound on “Perfect Picture.” Elsewhere they’re in your face, like “Lightening in a Dress” where things kick off like something right out of Neil Finn melodic central casting. It’s not just the songs, the band has got the Crowded House feel down. It’s the organ on “Center of the Storm” or the sad melodic guitar lines defining “October Surprise.” And yet the band make these influences their own, a testament to the superior song-writing and performance here. Case in point: obvious should-be hit single “The Bane of My Existence.” All the elements come together on this breezy hook-filled delight. As power pop interview site Sweet Sweet Music said recently, this fantastic record is one to treasure.

On Do It All Next Week the Uni Boys tap the source code of 1970s new wave power pop, bands like the Plimsouls, the Records and Bram Tchaikovsky. Throughout the record they nail the guitar sound, the stark rhythm guitar style, accented by streamlined melodic lead guitar lines. The formula is set from the start with the surging “You Worry About Me” which almost comes off like an American version of The Jam. “Downtown” is more Plimsouls with its filled out sound. “On Your Loving Mind” starts off Cars-like with a dose of poppy Ramones coming in later. There’s even a touch of Stones on the otherwise Ramones kinda of tune that is “One More Night.” “Up To You” moves in a more melodically pop direction with some fab trebly guitar elevating the impact of the song. Another guitar special number is “You Are in My Heart” with its up-front guitar pyrotechnics and ominous background aura. But the stand out track here for me is “Caroline Kills.” It’s got a Jonathan Sings! elan but like he’d joined The Replacements. Do It All Next Week demonstrates that musical obsession doesn’t have to lead to recycled nostalgia. Sometimes something old is just new again.

A lot of bands got chewed up in the major label meltdown of the 1990s when it seemed like, overnight, the standard commercial career path for modern artists just ended. Thankfully a few bounced back, like The Mommyheads. After a disastrous dalliance with Geffen in the 1990s they relaunched their career in the new millennium with a series of brilliant albums, forcing reviewers to stock up on superlatives. And the brand new Genius Killer LP is more of the good same. Reviewers often compare the band to XTC and there’s some of that lurking here, perhaps in a pop soul guise on “She’s a Fighter.” But get ready for some surprises. Like the decidedly ELO flavour popping up all over “Impulse Items.” Or the Odds vibe on “Bittersweet.” Another band often invoked with the group on particular selections is Queen, this time most evident on title-track “Genius Killer.” But digging a bit deeper I’d make comparisons of what is going here with more experimental outfits like Tally Hall, Overlord and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, particularly on cuts like “Distill Your Love Into That Dying Light” and “Privilege.” There’s even a bit of 1970s pop prog going on tracks like “First Five Seconds.” Should-be hit single “Idealist” is an understated bit of poprock genius, both in songwriting and execution. But I’m also partial to the subtle and alluring, almost Hall and Oates-like charms of “One and the Same.” My recommendation? Get smart with today’s premiere smart person’s band, The Mommyheads. And pick up a copy of Genius Killer today.

Yesterday lives on in the here and now, renewed and reanimated on your radio dial. Visit these artists to get the full record revival experience.

Photo courtesy Tom Magliery.

Around the dial: Slack Times, Papercuts, Bill Lloyd, and Kids on a Crime Spree

24 Sunday Jul 2022

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Summer’s dank days need some tunes to get that blood pumping. This turn around the dial has jangle, chamber pop, inspired cover-age, and some Brill Building noise pop. Start warming up the wireless.

Carried Away is both a sprawling 14 track introduction to Birmingham, Alabama’s Slack Times and summation of their work to date, combining two previously released EPs with six new tunes. In reviews of the album, scribes have been quick to point out the band’s obvious links to the solid southern jangle lineage of REM, Guadalcanal Diary and Let’s Active. I hear that but I also think there’s something more. Title track “Carried Away” opens the album with the band’s signature distinctive lead guitar tone but the vocal is a surprise, delivered in an Americana style not unlike recent work from Sam Weber. “Look at You” gives us a more rush jangle feel while the noise pop vocal is reminiscent of Indoor Pets. Then “Leave Me Alone” really marks out this band’s range, departing from the standard jangle script to evoke a more sophisticated Rogue Wave vibe. Listening to tracks like “I’m Trying,” “Bad Move” and “My Time” it’s hard not to see the lead guitar work on this album as the real star. But the song-writing is giving it a run for that designation. Just get your ears around “Can’t Count on Anyone” – the track is guitar pop perfection, a should-be hit single for sure. The band even offer variety in their approach to jangle, with “Yips” striking a Manchester pose while “Let Down” captures that deep southern US sound. Personally, I’m also digging the short sombre guitar instrumental “Slack Times,” named for the band. It’s not like any other tune here but somehow still fits in.

Past Life Regressions is an album of mystery and imagination. Jason Quever’s seventh Papercuts outing is another oh-so precisely produced collection of chamber pop but one with a few surprises. You can find them in the myriad musical textures that give these songs shape – the sprightly guitar picking that launches “I Want My Jacket Back,” the strings backing “My Sympathies,” the mellotron-sounding keyboards anchoring “The Strange Boys,” and so on. Each one is a carefully painted pop miniature. And yet none of the musical settings seem to stay the same. Listen to how Quever twists the musical trajectory of “I Want My Jacket Back” from a jaunty Peter and Gordon aura into a late 60s neo-psychedelia Moody Blues direction. You don’t need to spin this record too many times to realize it’s a real aural treat. I love the freaky keyboard tones animating “Hypnotist.” Or the droney guitar look driving “Remarry.” But arguably it’s the songs that allow everything to shine here. “Lodger” is the obvious should-be chart-climbing single, a pretty sweet reinvention of paisley pop tarted up with a load of inventive keyboard shading. “Sinister Smile” is another strong singles contender, contrasting a rock solid pacing with a dreamy pop melody. “My Sympathies” and “Palm Sundays” are also pretty solid sixties-inspired, hooky tunes. Past Life Regressions may just be Papercuts best album yet.

Somehow I overlooked Bill Lloyd’s fabulous collection of covers from 2016, Lloyd-Ering. Now re-released by Spyderpop in concert with Big Stir Records, it’s definitely time to give it the love it deserves. The project gathers together 12 rare tracks Lloyd has recorded for various tribute albums since 1990, covering artists as disparate as The Lovin’ Spoonful and Wreckless Eric. Thematically, the record is an homage to classics of melody-rich rock and roll, a genre Lloyd has made a significant contribution to himself. In terms of covering style, Lloyd remains pretty faithful to the spirit of the originals, with a few twists. The opening take on Bobby Fuller’s “Let Her Dance” is just riveting fun while the shiver-inducing version of the Byrds’ “The World Turns All Around Her” could be easily mistaken for an alternate-take from the original sessions. Probably my favourite cut here is Lloyd’s reinvention of The Raspberries “Going Nowhere Tonight.” He adds the muscle the song was missing IMHO, taking it out its original soft rock register for a more guitar-ringing poprock style. Favourites? Who I am kidding. I’m favouring just about everything here, though if pressed the dBs, Let’s Active, and Badfinger covers would rank just a little higher. And then there’s Lloyd’s genius reworking of Wreckless Eric’s “Whole Wide World.” Two chords never sounded so good. If you love classic poprock reinterpreted by a master, do yourself a favour, pick up a copy of Lloyd-Ering. You deserve it.

Is Kids on a Crime Spree just the best band name ever? You can debate that in the comments section but my take is that it really does captures the reckless fun demeanor of this group, at least as it is captured on their decennial recordings. The band rocketed onto the indie music scene in 2011, fueled by an uber cool lofi Phil Spector sound on their debut EP We Love You So Bad. Critics put a run on the superlatives bank praising it so much. And then – nothing. Now more than ten years later they’re back with Fall In Love Not In Line and the wait has been worth it. If the first record channeled a Ramones punky charm then the new one is more Magnetic Fields. The Brill Building song popcraft is still here but now delivered with more polish and hooky finesse. “Karl Kardel Building” signals this shift effectively. The opening is so Crystals but quickly goes quirky in a pop boheme style. “When Can I See You Again” has its rumbly guitar lead track the vocal, nicely merging a punk and pop sensibility. “Vital Points” chunks up the rhythm guitar but without surrendering its melodic vitality. “All Things Fade” is another genre-mixer, coming on with a punk guitar ferocity only to seduce us with a heavenly mix of harmony vocals. I could go on. There isn’t a bum track on the album. There’s first album nostalgia cuts (“Goods Get Gone”), Who guitar chord wonders (“Overtaken by the Soil”), noise pop Shangri Las reinventions (“Steve, Why Are You Such a Liar”), and just plain good old guitar pop fun (“Boomdoom”). This album is a ‘must get’ LP for 2022. But be careful. I’d vote Fall In Love Not In Line as the dance platter most likely to be stolen from the party.

Sometimes you leave the radio on and discover something unexpected. But mostly these days you come to a place like this. You can still pretend you’re fiddling the dial.

Banner photo courtesy Swizzle Studio.

Around the dial: Lund Brothers, Grant Lindberg, The Orion Experience, and Scoopski

06 Friday May 2022

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I was tuning in to my own late night dial when I ran across this crew of creative tune-sters. No anesthetized feelings here. Just some of the melodic magic they deliver regularly.

Imagine being a band rejected by a major label for sounding ‘too Beatles.” What?! But that was Geffen’s excuse for not signing The Lund Bros. after initially financing some recordings in 1990s. Well the late Beatles influences remain despite the years, plastered all over their newest recording Across State Lines. The album puts acoustic guitar and blood harmonies at the forefront of the songs, while still delivering the band’s distinctive ‘heavy pop’ sound. This combo is most striking on the lovely and haunting “The Front Lines.” Or check out how “Living is Easy” opens with stripped down acoustic guitar and vocals only to break out a bigger sound in the chorus and instrumental break. “Love U” delivers some solo Lennonesque twists in the song structure and melody while “Killin’ Me” is more Lennon in White Album mode. The songs sometimes feel very Ten Years After with their combination of live sounding vocals and acoustic guitar intros and interludes e.g. “Harder They Fall” and “Red, Blue and Gold.” There’s a country rock vibe on “Want Your Money” and it’s also got a hit-it-out-the-park chorus. Turning to should-be hits, the two obvious singles for me are “Bender” and “Flyin’,” the latter combining some Cars-like guitar shots and a Beatles-worthy chorus. Across State Lines marks a triumphant return for The Lund Bros. Definitely worth that trip to the border.

By the looks of things over Bandcamp Grant Lindberg has released an awful lot of music over the past two decades. Where have I been all his career? I’m just joining the Lindberg train with his most recent long-player Function Over Form but man, it seems as good a place as anywhere to start. There’s quality melodic rock and roll right off the start with opening cut “Things Have Been Strange.” It’s got a touch of that droning power pop vibe I associate with Jeff Shelton’s Well Wishers. Or there’s a bit of Weezer in “Your First Mistake,” a Chris Collingwood in Look Park mode vibe on “Nothing I Can Do,” and echoes of Cheap Trick all over “Shame On You.” But then I also love how Lindberg lightens things up with the lilting acoustic-guitar heavy “Your Heart is my Light” and “The Words” (even if the latter has something of an ominous atmosphere). “She’s a Mystery” opens with a great 1970s melodic guitar blast before settling on 1990s hooky grunge vibe. “Things We Do” is bit pop gungy too. But the clear should-be hit for me is “Always Been A Lie” with its lovely swinging melodic chorus and early FOW sound. Here’s a music veteran whose sound is still post-teenage fresh and exciting. Function Over Form definitely deserves some of your precious new music time.

Seems I’d just finished raving about The Orion Experience last fall only to overlook the release of their latest album Fever Dream. Well there’s no stale dating this release because the sounds are all timeless. Warning: this record is much more pop than rock, but it’s still great. Things open with “All Dolled Up,” a dance-y number vibing bits of Bony M, Blondie, and Queen. Then “Digital Affection” reminds me of ELO’s disco interventions circa 1978. “Night Eyes” keeps the disco party going, this time with a smooth Abba feel. “Cosmicandy Girl” is all pop while “Honeysuckle Kisses” combines both rock and dance elements. But the track I can’t stop hitting replay on is “I Can Read Your Mind.” I love the song’s swing and the percussion is so toe-tapping good. Fever Dream is a feel-good party platter, with melodies and grooves to help you sing and dance the night away.

On See You Soon Philadephia PA’s Scoopski harken back to an era of fun 1990s poppy rock tunes, flavoured with a bit of a Weezer or FOW discordant edge. The band’s original take on these themes can be heard on album opener “Living in Key” which combines kicking-up-your-heels pop-country verses with more rocky choruses and instrumental interludes. Need a state song update? “Pennsylvania” brings on the state love with Weezer keyboards and some They Might Be Giants lyrical twists. The Weezer influences carry on into “Hoodie Weather” which nails a very Cuomo vocal delivery. “While We Wait” and “See You Soon” are just great AM radio poprock songs. But the really striking tunes here are “Contrarian” and “Elon Send Me to Mars.” Both are carefully crafted, finely textured sonic treats, with lyrics that really do sing. I love the lead guitar and other-worldly keyboards that launch “Elon Send Me to Mars” as well as the chunky power chords that carry the tune. The chorus hook seals it, helped by the hilarious, over-the-top lyrics. See You Soon is a solid highly listenable 44 minutes of tune-age. And there’s a back catalogue for those that want more.

Yes, radio was a sound salvation. Now we gotta do it for ourselves. Pretend this post is your radio selection for the evening. And the best part, you don’t even have to leave to house to rush to the e-record store after.

Around the dial: The Forresters, Allan Kaplon, The Exbats, and The High Heaven

20 Sunday Feb 2022

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Today’s dial turning is finding guitars aplenty with a decidedly country, sometimes western flavour. But there’s a celebration of sixties garage and girl group sounds too. Get your ear close to the speaker for these made-for-transistor-radio selections.

The back catalogue of Sydney, Australia’s The Forresters has inspired comparisons to The Jayhawks, Teenage Fanclub and Big Star. But frankly, in my view, they’ve got a distinct sound all their own – apparent all over their recent long-player Something To Give. The intro guitar work defining opening cut “On My Way” puts the challenge up front, a bit sombre but uplifting at the same time, later enhanced by some great organ, ‘ooh’ing background vocals and a Harrisonian bit of lead guitar work. Familiar ground but a different synthesis than its source material. Meanwhile “Are You Ready” is a delightful rush of country Byrds meets Big Star. “Tightrope” moves in a different direction again, this time channeling some serious Matthew Sweet-like hooks. Pedal steel plus jangle? Yes please! That’s what you get with “Back In My Arms.” I love how the band throw ‘woo hoo’ background vocals over a whole load of material, framing the chord slashing “Pretty Little Thing” or the more languid rocking “Falling Star” or amid the horns and searing guitar solos of “Get To You.”  No surprise, the band ace their cover of Big Star’s lovely “Thirteen.” But the slow burn fave for me here is “Fall Back In” with its harder edge guitar sound and touch of melodic ennui. Having said that, you won’t go wrong giving Something To Give a full-album spin. It’s a no-regrets kind of commitment.

Allan Kaplon’s got a deep gravelly voice you might associate with those mid-1960s trucker songs from the likes of Red Sovine. But he manages to apply it to a variety of unpredictable styles on his thoroughly enjoyable recent record, Notes on a Napkin. Case in point: album opener “One Big Parade” is a brilliant Harry Nilsson-ish kind of late 1960s message song, one where Kaplon’s baritone adds gravity to an otherwise upbeat tune. Indeed, Kaplon’s voice should be seen as a crucial and unique instrumental contribution here, adding a depth of feeling to pop folkie material like “Keep You You” and “Every Single Day,” sort of like Jim Croce or Leonard Cohen once did. The record’s got country going on too, from the Hoyt Axton/Glen Campbell 1970s cross-over country feel of “Painted in a Bad Light” to the more late 1960s country-rock mix on “Wonder Where the Angels Are” and “Slow Down Cowboy,” the latter vibing The Band and Dylan’s “Lay Lady Lay” respectively. But Kaplon gets his rock on too. “Flesh and Blood” has the cheeky swing I associate with Dire Straits’ first three albums, with a similarly understated yet precise vocal approach. Title track “Notes on a Napkin” even has a bit of a Yardbirds meets Bond aura with its tuneful menace. But the star track here is undoubtedly “Restless Ones” with its killer, slow-build earwormy hooks. The verses advance with a Highwaymen’s sense of balladeering anticipation, only to blast off in the chorus. Notes on a Napkin will surprise you, it’s a wonderfully eclectic marriage of strong song-writing peppered with inspired vocal performances.

What kind of cool time travel has brought us Bisbee, Arizona’s The Exbats? As their Bandcamp presser suggests, the group are like some kind of “dystopian garage rock … Shangri-Las” or a “pre-Velvet Underground doo-wop wannabe Lou Reed.” Their most recent LP is Now Where Were We and it is one serious love letter to Phil Spector, the Wrecking Crew and the 1960s California pop sound, though shot through with a punk DIY sensibility. “Coolsville” is oh so Mamas and Papas. “Best Most Least Worst” really does sound like a garage rock take on the Shangri Las. “Practice On Me” moves things in a more dirty-country cowpunk direction. “Best Kiss” is like an R-rated Top of Pops hit single circa 1965. The band can also do mellow. Songs like “One Foot in the Light” and “Like a Song” have a slower, more manicured pop feel akin to Sonny and Cher or Nancy Sinatra. There’s also a pop psych thing going on here on tunes like “Ghost in the Record Store.” I like how they meld different styles – check out the way “Hey New Zealand” combines a bit of The Zombies with the Mamas and Papas. I could go on. Each track vibes on a different flavour of the sixties like some sonic Pot of Gold chocolate box. Very tasty indeed.
The debut album from Melbourne, Australia’s The High Heaven Fairytales of the Heartland casts a Cormac McCarthy-like western spell refracted through a Sergio Leone cinematic filter. And that would be deliberate. These guys clearly love all those Clint movies and their distinctive Ennio Morricone soundtracks – and it shows. But they don’t just throw some spaghetti over any old songs, these tunes are right out of Americana central casting. Opening cut “Wanted Man” is on point, both in musical style and lyrical content. Immediately we’re thrust into the action, our protagonist drawing us into his dilemmas against a solid western-country sonic setting. “Dead Dollar Bill” ups the rock quotient in the country rock balance, with nice Morricone embellishments. “The Evening Redness in the West” adds some rollicking, saloon-worth piano and western-appropriate whistling. But the twin price of admission here can be found in “The Desert” and “Nowhere Bound,” the former a kick-up-yer-heels should-be hit single, the latter a lovely folk/country ballad. The record’s denouement is captured in the ominous sounding title track “Fairytales of the Heartland,” providing an unsettling end to an album that has alternated between glorious send-up and utter sincerity. Despite this, both here and on the band’s subsequent EP Outlaws, Vol. 1: A Few Tales More, the main feeling is a joyous sense of fun in the proceedings. These guys are having a blast so guess what? We are too.

When it comes to melody-packed music, it’s no desert out there. Come in out of the sun and crowd up to the bar with any of these fine artists. You’ll definitely slake your thirst for some quality tune-age.

Around the dial: Eggs on Mars, pseudonym, The Embryos, and Pet Symmetry

08 Monday Nov 2021

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Radio play used to be the main arbiter of who went where on the charts. While some people would spin the dial constantly in the car searching for the perfect tune, I tended to stick to one station, loyal to Raccoon Carney’s afternoon drive show on LG73. I like to think that the Raccoon would dig some of these brand new should be hits. I like to think that …

They’re the Kansas City band that’s not from Kansas. And that’s not the limit to the confusion as Eggs on Mars actually sound more like they’re from Glasgow than Missouri. Here I’m alluding to the band’s sonic affinity with such lofi jangle wonders like U.S. Highball and Dropkick. So, Glasgow Scotland, not Glasgow Kentucky. It’s all there on the opening cut and obvious single, “Fingers and Lips,” with its engaging rhythm guitar work, re-invented Brydsian vocals, and inspired lead guitar solos. Brighter Now contains seven songs but running at just 16 minutes it’s more like an EP than a full-on long-player. But what a delightful seven-pack! Most of the songs have an uplifting feel, driven by some creative lead guitar adornments on tracks like “More” and “All That I See” and some subtle yet catchy 1960s organ work on “Hand Tools.” The guitar on some tracks even gives off a slight Smiths-ian feel, e.g. “Oil Spill Rainbow.”  Things do mellow on tracks like “Feels Like Always” but, on the whole, Brighter Now is a chipper, aptly-named collection.

San Francisco band pseudonym come by their psychedelia honestly, given that town’s 1960s musical heritage. But the purple haze on this record is cut with a serious dose of dream pop and the combo is both luxurious and captivating. Case in point, title track “Before the Monsters.” Just check out the amazing bass line on this song, how it just keeps reeling you in long enough to land a load of guitar hooks, a seductive vocal melody, and some exquisite horn shots. I feel like there’s a bit of The Primitives on this song and the next, the more minimalist “Anonymous Sources.” Despite the overall psych pop vibe, there’s plenty of variety on this record. Sometimes thing go enjoyably shoe-gazey, like on “As You Well Know” and “Stare Down.” But at other points a punchy poprock sound comes to the fore (as on “Photograph”) or even a more urgently rocky demeanor (e.g. “Tell Me”). My personal fave is “Astronaut” with its rollicking bass and lead guitar interplay threading through the song supporting a very Lolas-style vocal and tune. “Maybe” is another winner, alternating a low-key build up in the verses with a strong chorus. And so on. Before the Monsters is eleven quality psych-pop tunes. It’s a trip man, and you can enjoy it without leaving the house.

After teasing us earlier this year with their killer Britpop-reminiscent “Rattlesnakes” Chicago’s The Embryos now return with a full album of surprises on National Absurdatory. Oh there’s plenty here that rings familiar, from the Byrdsian country rock of “You Can Be a Mystery” to the distinctive jangle of “Rolling Wheels.” But there’s also a live rock and roll party vibe on a host of tunes that conjure of a very rooftop Let It Be vibe. Here’s I’m thinking of “Spend Tonight” particularly. Or check out the Philly soul undercurrent carrying album opener “Morning Birds.” Love those strings and cloud-light background vocals. The soul train continues on “Someone to Hold Me.” Of course, The Church influences get a look in on the country-ish “Catching Fire” and “Twisted in my Game.” There’s even folk rock here on “Smoldering Remains” with just a touch of 10cc in the chorus. With so much variety, National Absurdatory has captured a band that can seemingly take on any style with no loss of substance.

Still in Chicago, Pet Symmetry don their Future Suits for their latest release, a creative riffing on pop punk tradition and more straight up FOW-infused poprock. Forget Robert Palmer, “Simply Irresponsible” kicks things off with a performance right out of the punk-influenced rock and roll playbook. More again on “Objective Objectives.” But things start to change with the more sonically sophisticated “Cat and Mouse” with its alternation of rhythm guitar shots and hooky lead guitar work. This is pop punk perfection with a melodic sensibility akin to a latter day Green Day. And then things get even more interesting. “Pet Sympathy” has a latin flavor and some knock out background singing. With “2021: A Personal Space Odyssey” the band really start to lean on some impressive melodic counterpoint in the background vocals. It’s there again in “Portland to Portland,” a song that strikes a more FOW feel, songwriting-wise. “Bootlicker” changes things up again with its easygoing, almost languid pacing and subtle hooks. “Awesome Kingdom” ends things on pretty solid poprock footing with a Sugar Ray swing and ambience. On Future Suits, first impressions of this band can be deceiving. So get the full album, just to be sure. Actual Future Suits apparel sold separately.

If the Raccoon were here no doubt it would be time for news and weather by now. As we cut to other programming, don’t waste time on commercials, check out these fine artists directly and cut out the middle man.

Around the dial: Tommy Ray, Kiwi jr., Nicholas Altobelli, and The Jack Cades

27 Friday Aug 2021

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Today’s turn around the dial brings some glam rhythm guitar, Dylanesque vocalizing, folky poprock and a 1965 cellar full of noise.

With an opening guitar reminiscent of Greg Kihn or Tommy Tutone and a vocal vibing Phil Seymour, “In Love Again” gets Tommy Ray’s new album Handful of Hits off to an exhilarating start. Follow up “No No No No” seals the deal with a 1980s English guitar band remake of Marc Bolan, kinda like Modern English does glam. Again and the again this record captures that sense of seventies’ fresh punky excitement but with tunes that pack a melodic punch. It’s busting out all over “Loser’s Anthem” with its hooky organ and guitar lines. “If You Need Anything” is a rollicking romp of a dance stomper. Meanwhile “Feel the Pain’ channels that 1970s reinvention of fifties rock and roll to a ‘T’. But my fave tune here is addictive “Runnin’” with its catchy mix of chunky guitar chords and piano shots. This album hits all the classic melodic indie rock marks and then some. Soundtrack your party with this release and let the fun begin.

Cooler Returns is a confident album number 2 from Canadians Kiwi jr. “Tyler” kicks things off, reintroducing the band with a confessional vocal style not unlike Ben Folds. “Undecided Voters” continues to be jangle relevant and just in time for a Canadian federal election. “Maid Marian’s Toast” has a pastoral Dylanesque sound, if he were an eighties indie artist. And that’s just the first three tracks! Stylistically, this is sometimes an album of big choruses – just hear them burst open melodically on  “Highlights of 100” and “Omaha.” Or sometimes it’s more about distinctive rhythm guitar work, as on title track “Cooler Returns” and “Dodger.” And then there’s the occasional departure from the script songwriting-wise, like “Nashville Wedding.” I can hear the girl group double claps in my head in the verses as this one rolls out. It’s the kinda thing my 1980s FM radio stations would put in maximum rotation. I’m also really keen on “Waiting in Line.” Again, such a great roll out beginning to the song with its jangle guitar and plinky piano. You can even get a comic book of the record’s illustrated lyrics designed by Toronto illustrator Dmitry Bondarenko. Those Canucks!

I love the artwork on Nicholas Altobelli’s new album Technicolor Hearts. The purples and blues of the fairground at night give it a captivating allure. Sound-wise Altobelli veers out of his usual, carefully crafted, folkish pop lane, more solidly aiming at a contemporary, almost Hall and Oates poprock sound (which I’m loving). On the other hand, there is a very Darryl Hanlon vibe to what is going on here, with that guy’s ever so melodic mediations on sincerity and experience. The former is present in the title track, with those hypnotic keyboards and Springsteen “I’m On Fire” percussion. The latter is there on “Bless Yer Heart” despite the hard rock chorus and “Midnight Radio.” The record also offers up yet another reworking of last year’s stand-alone single “Ghost,” this time with some funky Kraftwork-worthy keyboards. 2016’s “Exit Polls” also gets a new treatment that tones down the guitar in favour of leaning into the vocal melody a bit more, with good effect. In our ‘what about surprises’ category, check out “Time Will Tell” with its Aimee Mann-ish keyboards. On the whole, I declare Technicolor Hearts a delight, an enjoyable accompaniment to your night out at the fair. And, hey, buy it over on Bandcamp and get five demos of songs from the record and a country version of “Time Will Tell” for no extra charge. That’s like getting a free, extra go-round on the roller coaster at the end of the night.

They might be named for an English insurrectionary leader from the 15th century but you won’t need a history class to appreciate The Jack Cades. I mean, not If you like a jangly, mid-1960s San Francisco-meets-swinging London sound, with just a touch of garage band immediacy and excitement. After two killer albums of strong original material the band return with an EP of covers to wile away the pandemic, cheekily entitled Infectious Covers. All four songs are fabulous, though I wish the band had provided a bit more background on some of the more obscure tracks. The Byrds’ “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better” is the easy one, while The Dovers breezy, lead guitar line-led 1965 single “What Am I Going To Do” wasn’t too hard to dig up. But “Once Before” and “Go Ahead” left me stumped. Both are super songs, performed with a psychedelic rock feel on the former and a lonely, singer-avec-some gentle jangle on the latter. One thing striking about this band is how they so effectively echo a past era without sounding stuck in it.

Each of today’s artists would love to meet you. Electronically, that is. Check out their websites, Facebook and/or Bandcamp to get the full deets.

Top photo credit: cropped from Nicholas Altobelli’s new album cover for Technicolor Hearts.