Category Archives: Breaking News

Breaking news: Tristen, Fur Trader and Buddie

24 Monday Nov 2025

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In the rush to this year’s end there are plenty of late-breaking new-music headlines to keep up with. Like this mix of top stories covering effervescent pop to indie rock and roll and back again.

I look forward to new Tristen albums like I used to anticipate the release date of Suzanne Vega or Rickie Lee Jones records. The thing is, you can count on Tristen for great melodies cast amidst a range of adjacent but slightly different genres. The new LP is dubbed Unpopular Music and never was a title less apropos pour moi. Overall the vibe here is a sophisticated folk pop. Whether featuring endearing 12 string guitar highlights as on “Because Your Love is Mine” or a Peter Gabriel-esque vibe with the guitar licks on “Hey La” the atmosphere is sunny and positive. Tracks like “Rose and Thorn” really encapsulate the poppy folk feel defined here. There are departures though. “Skin of our Teeth” speeds things up a bit with a propulsive rhythm guitar and addictive lead guitar lines. I love the Shins-like organ lurking in the background throughout “Mona Lisa” or the driving guitar runs animating “Let Go.” This is comfort album, full stop. You can dive into Unpopular Music just about anywhere and thrive on its unique amalgam of sonic elements and hooky tunes.

Illinois boy now LA resident Andrew Pelletier is Fur Trader and The Tender Life is his sumptuous slice of retrospective poprock. The influences here seem evenly balanced between the sweet melodic intensity of 1970s AM fare and the cutting edge of 1980s new wave hooks. Opening cut “Maybe Love Knows the Way” blows things open with a glam rock groove where the beat wraps around a sometimes wispy, sometimes full-throated vocal. Then “Weekend Rails” exudes a late 1970s McCartney-esque vibe. “The Tender Trap” has that hushed folk pop veneer so popular in the late 1970s while “The Masses” definitely embodies the artist’s self-description as doing a baroque Sufjan Stevens. The next three songs steer things into the 1980s. “Don’t Turn on Me” dials up the decade’s synth-ful demeanor, “That’s My Love” builds into lush bit of ELO-ish guitar pop, but “Can’t Do Anything About It” is far and away the should-be hit-single in this mix. Though the lovely compressed 1980s poprock sound of “Stray Bouquet” has it running a close second. Then out of the blue comes a jazzy samba departure on “Julius Ceasar Look-Alike Contest.”  I’m also keen on “Poltergeist.” The oh-so 1980s drum intro gives way to a neo1950s-meets-1970spoprock jive in such a delightful way. This record is timeless and so of this anything-goes-in-music moment. It’s got sleeper hit written all over it.

Vancouver grunge juggernaut Buddie return with Glass, an LP that smooths a few of their rough edges in the most creative way. Entry track “In the Glass Shell” combines all the usual Buddie elements, like an alternating light versus dark guitar attack amidst a developing dissonant melodic thrust. “Stressed in Paradise” heightens this effect with an eminently hummable tune bundled in layers of joyful dissonance. “Impatient” is aptly named, it is a song bustling with an energy looking to break out somewhere. But with “Golden” the album takes turn, giving off a more retro new wave kind of energy. “Crow” even features a decidedly lush drive to its wall of guitars. “Blackout” shifts the focus again, developing more slowly from an almost lurch-like folk pacing to something more uncontrolled and revelatory. Glass is Buddie leveraging their unique sound to take listeners to new and unexpected places. And I like it.

You read the news today, oh boy. And the news was good. Why wait for ‘film at 11’? Hit those hyperlinks to increase your exposure to these developing stories now.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Breaking news: The Wellingtons, Greg Pope, Trash Man, and Juan y La Hormiga

09 Sunday Nov 2025

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In our newsroom some news is more breaking than others. But we comfort ourselves with the knowledge that our message is always new to someone. Certainly this combination of musical headlines have never appeared together before and, as you will hear, that is something special.

The Wellingtons don’t rush things. Their first three albums came out fairly close to each other between 2005 and 2008 before things started to stretch out a bit more with releases in 2011, 2017 and now 2025. Yet new album Baby Moon doesn’t sound like a record from a band coming back from an extended hiatus. It sounds like a band very much approaching a new creative peak. Opening cut “Always Gonna Be That Girl” has that unmistakable hit single elan. It’s got a genius arrangement that builds so effectively. Then before you can catch your breath “She Still Loves Me Now” launches another melodic broadside that more than hits the mark. “The Things We Did Before” swaps out usual lead vocalist Zac Anthony for Kate Golby and the choice really works for the song. This is an LP that sounds deceptively familiar, drawing from the band’s past power pop and pop punk strengths, but pushed further into new melodic territory. Take “Deadbeat Dad.” It softens the punk pop vocal just a little, reminding me of work from bands like Farrah. Or there’s “Lola,” a great poprock ballad with some swing. “I Won’t Turn Away” throws in some ELO-ish ‘woo oohs’ before alternating pop punk verses with a truly spectacular power pop chorus. Ripe for hit single-age too. There’s shades of the Beatles (“Sad Today”), Elvis Costello (“End of the World”; “Not Ready to Give Up”) or even The Zombies (“Sound Asleep”) on various cuts here. “Not Ready to Give Up” particularly sounds like it could be monster radio hit. And for a taste of jangle there’s “Better Me.”  Then for the album closer the “The Long Goodbye” harkens back to band’s earlier pop punk sound. Baby Moon is a stellar release. It might just be the best yet from a band that has never let us down.

By the time you get to solo album #10 what’s left to do? If you’re Greg Pope, you drill down into the 1970s to reinvent a host of great motifs that defined that decade’s chart hits. On The Roar of Silence Pope revives sounds so familiar yet puts them to brand new uses. Listen to how opening track “Worthy Son” bang-on takes up the seventies AM radio-friendly folk pop of artists like Gerry Rafferty or Al Stewart. Surefire should-be hit single “Fallen Star” is framed around that recognizably restrained rhythm guitar sound so popular with late 1970s new wave bands. Over the course of the LP the whole decade gets a look in. Song styles range from the early 1970s psychedelic feel of “It’s All Pretend,” to the mid-1970s starkly endearing faux-folk of “Hours, Days and Years,” to the late decade Blue Oyster Cult-like blast of title track “The Roar of Silence.” And it couldn’t be the 1970s without ELO, which I hear shades of on “The Trick of the Light” and “Road Less Traveled.” There’s even a touch of Queen on the raucous “Immovable Feast.” I often compared Pope to Matthew Sweet and there’s a few here (“Layers of an Onion”; “Softer Than a Whisper”) that match his dissonant sweetness. Make room on your annual ‘best of’ list for another winner from Greg Pope.

With song titles like “Please Don’t Murder Me,” “Never Be Good Enough,” and “When I Die” you’d be forgiven for supposing that Trash Man would be a big downer. I mean, they titled their previous EP Moment of Bleakness. But I’m going to stop you right there. Dipping into their back catalogue was actually grin-inducing on multiple occasions. From the songs listed above the first comes off like some kind of twisted Merseybeat, the second a jaunty pop single, while the last is pretty dour, actually. On the other hand, the Moment of Bleakness EP is sorta upbeat in sunny indie-pop kinda way. Ok, on to their brand new EP Cool Until It’s Not because this one turns a corner. A whole bunch of the dissonant pop elements bubbling under previous recordings come to the fore here with a dramatic Weezer-like punch. Opening track “Eventually” sounds like it was cut from The Blue Album. Title track “Cool Until It’s Not” dials down the dissonance in favour of melodic sweetness while “Hole in my Heart” is all strummy acoustic guitar whimsy. “Barely Living” turns the ennui back on with a vengeance. And then everything ends with the musically light but darkly existential ballad “Where Does It Go?” Clearly Trash Man is one smart outfit, combining big questions and challenging music with admirable aplomb.

Juan Pablo Mazzola and Muchas Hormigas are Juan La Hormiga and together they offer up a pop folk vibe that steers into a Beatlesque Americana on occasion. Case in point: early single “After the War.” This is a lush pop song with a rootsy feel, lifted by their symbiotic vocal interplay. It kicks off the duo’s new EP Valencia, named for the Spanish town where they reside. The additional six tracks that appear here really deliver on the promise of that first 45. There’s more of that sophistico-folk pop with “About Us” and “The Most Beautiful Bride.” Some tracks hint a genres in various ways. “Cupid’s Arrow” works the pedal steel guitar in every so delightfully while “One Way Ticket” exudes a light shading of Merseyside. When I hear “Stereo” I imagine folk duo Mitch and Mickey from the A Mighty Wind movie updating their sound with a dash of 1970s folk rock sensibility. And then there’s “Play This Game” which conjures forth a 1960s folk duo extraordinaire. I can recommend a visit to this Valencia, you may want to stay awhile.

You can’t believe everything you see these days but you can trust your ears with these music headlines. And do your own research by hitting the hyperlinks.

Nothing leads like a story that bleeds. Poster for the movie Picture Mommy Dead courtesy James Vaughn Flikr collection.

Breaking news: Grant Lindberg, Chris Lund, Superchunk, and Worn Through

01 Monday Sep 2025

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It’s guitars all over the headlines with this line up. Chunky, droney, dissonant, hooky: this big story comes at you in a variety of styles.

Grant Lindberg emotes a droney guitar goodness that’s great to come back to. It’s the bedrock lining his new LP After Life where you get 11 new tracks that manage to capture the essence of Lennon circa 1967 with just a splash of Matthew Sweet and Oasis. “In My Own Way” makes for a stunning opener, giving you all the essential elements of this album in one knock-out single. Early on the song sounds very Big Star acoustic but when the mellotron keyboards kick in the musical tide shifts more toward Britpop. Then Lindberg lets loose the slow burn guitar grind on “Lying Fakes.” Dissonant guitars versus the strong pull of melody, that’s the basic tension defining this record. Songs like “So I Can Fall,” “Threes,” and “Sun in My Eyes” ride a guitar dissonance that really gets in your head. “It Comes and Goes” breaks with this formula somewhat, opening with acoustic guitar and then progressively fattening up the sound as things go along. Title track “After Life” offers you something different again. The Verve-like sheen is buffeted by mellotron keyboards and very Beatlesque lead guitar work. A Beatles vibe is strong on “Some Days” and “Something Wrong” too, the latter hitting all the Lennon marks. Then, in a departure from the album’s highly consistent sonic wash, “Behind the Door” evokes a Fountains of Wayne style while “Days and Nights” shades into Elliott Smith territory. Don’t wait for the afterlife when you can enjoy After Life now.

There’s a sweet spot in the Beatles career when the guitars get a little edgier but retain their distinctive poppy demeanor. Revolution era definitely. Chris Lund inhabits this world and then some on his new long-player Surveillance. And like Lindberg he’s coming at it from the Lennon side of the street, most of the time. The other main comparator act for his stuff is Cheap Trick, obviously. “You’ve Got a Lot of Nerve” fills the gap between these two bands perfectly, full of droning psychedelic hooks with just a touch of rock abandon here and there. Then “Crazy Driver” is so spot-on Robin Zander with Rick Neilson-worthy guitar riffs. “Got Me Running” hits the Cheap Trick marks pretty hard too. Both “Blow Up the Night” and “God Loves All His Children” vibe solo Lennon for me but “Swallowed” leans in a more McCartney direction. Mixing things up, Lund offers up a blistering political takedown of someone we all know on “No Ethics, No Future.” “Come On Home” shifts between nice jangle, Byrdsian vocals, and straight up seventies melodic rock. Then “Touch or Go” goes in a completely different direction with its distinctive new wave bite. Altogether Surveillance is another rocking melodic tour de force from Chris Lund.

Some bands sound like they trying to earn your ear-time with every outing. That’s Superchunk in a nutshell. Album #13 Songs in the Key of Yikes has launched and its ten new tunes are out to win you over, all over again. “Is It Making You Feel Something” starts things off with a should-be hit single. It’s the kind of song that when it hits the chorus you suddenly realize you’re ready to sing along. Next up “Bruised Lung” has a relentless drive to the rhythm guitars that is utterly seductive. The secret sauce on this record is undoubtedly the pacing. “Care Less” has a lurching pop goodness, the kind of song that has you rocking back and forth in the audience. “Stuck in a Dream” surges along only to quicken the pace just a bit more in the sing-along chorus while “Train on Fire” balances an almost military rhythm with a vocal melody puling in different directions while “Everybody Dies” sounds alternatively dire and positive. And then there’s album closer “Some Green,” a song seemingly just light and frothy until it unholsters a wickedly janglicious chorus. Damn but Superchunk have done it again, delivering a highly listenable long-player.

Barely Real is different kind of guitar album. And Worn Through is a different kind of guitar band. There’s a touch of roots to the overall feel of what is going here. Not quite Americana as the songs here are sans the country notes for the most part but down-home nonetheless. “Difference Is Thin” kicks things off with a BoDeans easygoing charm. “Omaha” turns up the jangle to good effect. Then “Barely Real” takes a number unpredictable turns, defined by some great organ back up and sparkly lead guitar runs. There’s a broad church folk vibe to a lot of songs here. “Blind As a Dove” has a Bombadil feel. Both “Invisible Ink” and “KY State Flower” remind me of Darren Hanlon’s mix of indie and folk sensibilities. “Infinite Scrawl” does dip into the country scene courtesy a distinctive pedal steel guitar appearance but the tune is more mid-period REM to my ears. Personal faves: the peppy and poppy “Working on It” and the indie Everly Brothers-ish “Arms Forever.” Album closer “Variations on a Theme” builds nicely to a great meditative ‘na na na’ chorus.

You can turn down the sound but you can’t escape the impact of these guitar-centric headliners. Why not let these guitars ring at your own volume with your own personal story follow ups? Just click the hyperlinks to delve a bit deeper into all the hooky details.

Photo courtesy Rob Elliott’s Swizzle Gallery.

Breaking news: Zombies of the Stratosphere, Born Ruffians, Force Model, and Randy Klawon

15 Friday Aug 2025

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Hold the presses, there’s more breaking music news out there that’s fit to print. Apparently the world is awash in zombies, ruffians and forces deliberately designed to test you. And Randy’s. Plenty of them too.

I’ve been meaning to write about the Zombies of the Stratosphere for quite a while. Their records sound so precise and pristine, just layer on layer of sonic goodness. The new LP is Shot An Arrow, their first to hit to record shelves in four long years. “If You’re Into It” amounts to a strong opening with a sound like a cross between XTC and the Alan Parsons Project. Love the organ riffs. Title track “Shot An Arrow” is full of They Might Be Giants whimsy. “Long Way” also leans on keyboards to create a particular pop atmosphere. But there’s surprises awaiting those who dig a bit further into the record. Country gets a look in on “California Waits,” “Whistling Wind,” and “Shut Out the Light,” the latter dialing up a bit of Memphis sort of Beatles. Then again “Bones Don’t Lie” and “Sister Sundown” rock things up a bit more. I’d single out “Mercy Rider” as a should-be hit. The song alternates punchy lead guitar and organ work in a Crowded House kind of melodic workout. Or check out how “30 Guns” vibes a bit early 1970s Moody Blues. Closing number “Vacancy Arms” is another standout XTC-ish number reminiscent of the Nonesuch era, with a touch of the Eagles here and there.

Ambience meets straight up rock and roll heart on Born Ruffians album #9 Beauty’s Pride. Whether they are going straight for the rock jugular on songs like “Do” or delicately traipsing into the open emotional field that is title track “Beauty’s Pride,” this is a band that knows how to take you on a sonic ride. Things open with other-worldly synth before gelling into the dance-able “Mean Time.” “To Be Seen” keeps the indie rock dance vibe going in a solid bit of potential single-age. Then “What a Ride” shuffles the poprock deck again and again. By contrast “Let You Down” has a wonderfully English guitar pop consistency. As the album starts to slow down the songs feature fun sonic additions. “Can We Go Now” intersperses what sounds like 1980s video game sound effects. “Supersonic Man” sounds like a slowed down David Bowie. I love the spare instrumental and emotional intensity of “Hi” and its crashing chorus. “In the Meantime” is so lulling, counter-posing a stark up-front vocal and fuzzy guitar chords.

LA’s Force Model launch their EP Barricade with psych guitars and a fattened up vocal sound on opening track “All Expectations” that is just so damn alluring. What could be next? “Barricade” is noisy in a math rock kind of way. “Nothing At All” turns up the melody quotient without necessarily turning down the guitar amps. The bristling lead guitar licks on this track repeat in a way that is captivating. But nothing will prepare you for the outstanding should-be hit single “How Can One Girl Be So Sad?” Man, this track is a hook beast, melding vocals that tip between the Bryds and Britpop with a melody that is a ferocious ear worm. I’ve already hit repeat countless times! And then things are over all too soon with the light-then-crunchy closer “Pisces Dreamboat.” What a blast of melodic rock goodness this EP is.

Here to bring on some pop sweetness and light Randy Klawon offers us six pop wonders on his new EP Sunday’s Child. Inspired by the super-charged pop hooks of bands like the Beatles, Monkees and Raspberries, Klawon’s efforts could easily slip onto radio playlists covering the 1970s and 1980s. Title track “Sunday’s Child” sets the bar high, with top rank production and musical arrangements. This one really sounds so radio ready, heavy rotation. “Sleep Tight” has a rough and ready Beatlesque pop quality with solid Harrison sound-alike lead licks. Then “Every Name in the Book” turns up the jangle and buffets the main vocal with great back-up vocal support. Both “All You Really Need” and “Let’s Do It Again” are pop gems with striking guitar work. At just 18 minutes long, Sunday’s Child is over before you’re quite ready to see it end.

I’d say that’s all from the news-desk but frankly there’s plenty more on the story board. Keep tuning in for frequent updates.

Photo ‘Found Kodachrome Slide” courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Breaking news: The Mayflies USA, Nelson Bragg, The Geezers, and Shake Some Action!

14 Saturday Jun 2025

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Serious news flash here this time out with a new release from a legendary band 23 years gone, a magisterial collection from a celebrated sideman to legends, a new album from some Germanic geezers, and a collection of EP tracks from a band of contemporary modsters. It’s a full program for sure.

I was super excited to hear about The Mayflies USA reunion. The band’s three turn-of-the-century albums are right up there with the best of that era’s hooky poprock (along with bands like Fountains of Wayne and Matthew Sweet). I could hit repeat on “Walking in a Straight Line” over and over again. The new album Kickless Kids leans more toward a poppy indie rock vibe rather than outright power pop, as evidenced by the opening cut, “Thought the Rain Was Gone.” But that is more than ok. “Calling the Bad Ones Home” even hits a few classic rock marks with a Keith Richards rhythm guitar swing before rolling out the hooks. “Kickless Kids” shifts things back into a more guitar pop register. Ringing guitars are definitely up front on tracks like “Railway Spines” and “Cabbagetown.” By contrast, a song like “Jewel of Russia” springs some particularly engaging melodic hooks in the chorus. There’s also a splash of country in places, like the Freedy Johnston-ish “Come On Down.” Or you can dial into a classic rock and rock jam feel on “Twilight Alright.” Welcome back Mayflies USA, it’s like you never left.

Veteran LA session player and longtime Brian Wilson sideman Nelson Bragg has still found time to put out his own music from time to time. Now he’s gathered together what he considers his poppiest material for Mélodie de Nelson: A Pop Anthology. It’s hard to argue with his choices. Songs like “Lived This Life Too Long” and “You Could Believe” are awash in harmony vocals and subtle hooks. Jangle is also here in spades on tracks like “Forever Days” and “I’m In No Mood.” And “Death of Caroline” is so obviously a Beach Boys love letter. Given his locale it’s perhaps not surprising that Bragg draws on a host of uniquely California influences from his catalogue. “Every Minute of the Day” has a 1970s California rock sound, with up front acoustic guitars and sonorous harmony vocals. “Glorious Days” sounds like a should-be hit single in an updated sunshine pop mode akin to recent bands like Daisy House. There are departures too. “The Last Girl I Ever Loved” has more of a rock edge, reminding me of Nada Surf with its breathy vocals. “We’re Gonna Laugh About It” is the new song recorded specifically for this collection and it sounds a bit like Pugwash’s Thomas Walsh to me. Then there are the baroque moments on both “Whitechapel Girl” and  “Seriously Girl,” the former with a strong McCartney vibe. Mélodie de Nelson: A Pop Anthology is a seriously good collection from a top rank act too long in the shadows.

Austria’s The Geezers have that Jeff Lynne magic in combining classic sounding rock and roll tunes with just a touch of synth (ok, sometimes a lot of synth), giving everything a modern but still somehow timeless sheen. This dynamic is nicely captured on “Harmony” where a spacey opening synth riff resolves into a robust and hooky poprock tune. The band’s new LP Music is full of just these sorts of surprises. The LP kicks off with “Home,” a song with a sonic wash that wouldn’t be out of place on a record from The Outfield. I love how “Echoes” marries choir-like background vocals with thrumming electric guitars before kicking into gear with a singalong worthy chorus. I want to say that the keyboard is the star here and you definitely feel its original imprint all over the record. “A Lifetime” uses jaunty keyboard work as a hook that won’t let go, leading into a killer chorus. “The Happy Life” takes its synth work into an almost Bronski Beat direction. And then there’s “Future Love” which has a sonorous edge comparable to Tears for Fears’ “Mad World.” But the guitar work on this release is no slouch either. “Modern Days” is a brilliant synthesis of 1960s power pop and more modern song styles. The opening lead guitar line is positively mesmerizing. “Bit By Bit” is a swirling jangly winner while “Candy Cane” launches with a driving guitar lead line that is eventually matched by surging rhythm guitars.

Seattle’s Shake Some Action! have a new album entitled Top Gear and it’s a reliable installment of their love of everything mod, mod, mod London circa 1966, with a dose of Britpop thrown in too. But wait, attentive readers might recognize that this package is not an entirely new collection of tunes. The album brings together the band’s two dynamite EPs from last year (reviewed here), adding three new cuts to the mix. Hearing “I Don’t Know Where She Goes” again alone is worth the price of admission. Those organ shots are exquisite! Click the hotlink to catch up on the material from those EPs. Surveying the new songs included here, they’re definitely not afterthoughts or cast-offs. “Fake It Till You Make It” has a dance floor energy that could be 1965 or 1995. “Never Let Me Go” is a more gritty 1960s beat group number. “What Did You Leave Behind” dives even deeper into the 1960s sounding more like 1964 era Merseybeat.

You’ve heard the news, there’s definitely good rocking at midnight (or any time you might choose to play these songs). Hit the hyperlinks to get more in-depth coverage of these breaking stories.

Photo courtesy of kasiQ Jungwoo Flikr collection.

Breaking news: Jonathan Personne, The Loft, and Tristan Armstrong

06 Sunday Apr 2025

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In today’s news we’ve got some totally new finds. Some are going solo from their regular band duties while others get the band back together after decades of silence. All work the melody side of the street pretty hard.

Montreal’s Jonathan Personne is normally hanging with his psych-rock band Corridor. But he occasionally gets out a solo album with results that are wonderfully overwrought, combining elements of Morricone spaghetti western soundtracks, shoe-gazey dream vocals, and an easygoing indie-rock slouch. New album Nouveau Monde radiates personality from its striking cover, also designed by Personne. Things  kick off with the charging, unrelenting, utterly captivating “La vie, la mort.” Contrast the gritty guitar attack with airy sunshine pop vocals here, it’s a propulsive combination. From there things mostly slow down. “Deuxième vi” has a sixties folk pop feel, at least until what sounds like a bandsaw kicks in and rallies an intense challenge to the simple piano and vocals. By contrast, the guitars driving “Les jours heureux” are more conventionally poprock, enlivened by some neat organ work. The creativity in instrumenting this album is off the charts. Title track “Nouveau monde” has a repeating keyboard riff that is delightfully hypnotic. There’s also much variety amidst a recognizably consistent sonic palate. For instance, “Nuage noir” is aurally lush with a new wave edge that gets more intense over time while “Le cerf” gives off a late 1960s psychedelic vibe. And if I close my eyes I’d swear “Vision” is a Moody Blues deep cut. Standout track for me? “Zoé sur la montagne.” Just soft-rock gorgeous.

Not many bands get to make a debut album 40 years after they briefly flame in and out of existence but The Loft have done it, and with their original line-up intact. And they’ve really done it justice. Everything Changes Everything Stays the Same is a fabulous record from a pack of geezers who’ve clearly not been sitting idle all these years. All in all, the band sound tight and they are playing a killer batch of songs. Early release singles “Feel Good Now” and “Dr. Clarke” effectively showcase where this group is now. I really hear a lot of Paul Kelly on the former while the latter’s Beatlesque nods are joyously unmistakeable. Probably my favourite tune here is “Storytime” with its slightly melancholic demeanor and exquisite lead guitar work. “Somersaults” also has a slightly sombre, haunting quality. But a sense of boyish fun is also present on tracks like “Do the Shut Up” with its Squeeze-like playfulness or “The Elephant” which goes from jarring to smooth effortlessly.

Powerpopaholic rarely steers me wrong and the new Tristan Armstrong LP is no exception. The Lonely Avenue is a supercharged, bespoke slice of power pop. Though there’s a strong Americana undercurrent just about everywhere too. Title track “The Lonely Avenue” charges along shifting its sonic shading ever so slightly, drawing you in, closer and closer. Then “Periscope” offers what appears to be a nice acoustic ballad, at least until it picks up steam and intensity as it rolls along. Things shift again on “Sing In Your Sleep” with its lilting, almost country pop veneer. “The Lender” leans into the acoustic guitar to provide the serious swing driving this tune. Both “Gimme a Sign” and “Would You Take an IOU” work the Americana angle while “Queen of Diamonds” and “On the Run” get us back into power pop territory, the latter with some winning guitar work and a Matthew Sweet melodic charm. “Twice and Bright” is another acoustic guitar-led sparkler, with a Chris Isaak airiness.

That’s our update. If you want to get beyond the headlines hit the links above to dig a bit deeper into the musical details.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Breaking news: Ramirez Exposure, Dropkick, and Rich Chance

02 Sunday Feb 2025

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Early into our new year and new records are breaking out everywhere. Today we’ve got some old favourites and highly anticipated debuts to get our heads around.

Victor Ramirez’s Ramirez Exposure project is like a carefully assembled time capsule of sixties sonic riffs. On this latest LP For the Love of Things Invisible everything feels familiar, from the Beatlesque/Beach Boys trills adorning the opening title track to the sunshine pop aura of “Beneath the Sun” with its Zombies-like lilt. There’s a touch of baroque pop weaved throughout. I mean, check out the madrigal-ish keyboard that launches “I Don’t Get It” only to segue into a more happy-go-lucky pop feel. By contrast “Long Way to Go” is folk rock in both its demeanor and metre. Ramirez covers two songs from his sometime collaborator Marc Jonson and the shift in mood and sonic sensibility is notable. “Ended” is lyrically stark, emotionally dark and moving while “Love Radiates Around” builds a lush Dion-esque intensity that just sounds 1960s classic. Closing cut “What’s Tonight on Utopia TV” is a sonic pastiche kind of instrumental that practically simmers in its focused intensity. The seven tracks here clock in at just 21 minutes – barely more than an EP, just shy of a proper LP – but fully delivering on fun.

On album number 15 Dropkick strip things back to their Primary Colours and that means loads of jangle, lush harmony vocals, and sweet sweet melodies. Opening cut “Left Behind” jolts to a start like a TV show flickering on halfway through but you easily get caught up, so recognizable are the essential elements of Dropkick songcraft. Immediately you’re in the Dropkick zone, recalling just how great it is to be here. “Snowflake adds a little more grit to the guitar mix, buffeting everything with a subtle organ sonic underlay. Title track “Primary Colours” comes on like the probable hit single with so many great melodic twists and turns. And then there’s “Dreams Expire” featuring the lush jangle vibe Dropkick is justly known for. Not that this album doesn’t vary the pitch. The Alan Shields penned and sung “Highs and Lows” almost sounds like a different but still pretty good band. “Till It Goes Away” puts Alan up front vocally with group leader Andrew Taylor on harmony, shifting the band’s sound in a distinctive way. “Misunderstandings” has a poignant undercurrent, perfectly framed in jangly guitars and Taylor’s sweetly understated vocal. Taylor scopes this down significantly on “Too Much of the Same,” a song with a spare, lilting kind of Springsteen-esque acoustic introspection. The band end things with “Waiting for the Rain,” proof that those routine Teenage Fanclub comparisons are still spot on.

Rich Chance is a showman whose experience writing for films has clearly given his tunes a cinematic shock quality, one part Queen, another part Friends of Mr. Cairo. Now decades into multiple musical careers he delivers his first LP Robot Spider Zombie Dog and it’s a stunner, rich in melodic quirks, inventive production, and clever lyrics. “Dizzy” is the slow-burn introduction to the show, building an intensity that gives you a hint of what is to come. From there the program divides between mannered pop whimsy and more straightforward pop hits. “Picture Show” exudes the laconic ease of Randy Newman with a touch of Rupert Holmes. “Pantomime” also kicks off very Newman but then adds a layer of pop hooks that take things somewhere else. “Get On” sounds like a show tune where the spotlit protagonist is constantly joined onstage by a dancing chorus. “On the Monday” is so Randy Newman, making the complex sound deceptively simple. By contrast, “Schlong” is more Manhattan Transfer-worthy jazzy pop. Yet Chance is not merely a frustrated Broadway song and dance man. He’s got serious poprock chops. “Azalea Close” is clearly the sizzling should-be hit single, a triumph of staged song pacing sure to get your heart racing. But “Angelina” is also a pretty special piece of radio-good pop perfection. I hear the imprint of a host of chart-makers here. “Darjeeling” sounds like a cross between Hall and Oates and the Steve Miller Band to me while “You” is the essence of a classic 1980s synth pop song. “Joker Like Me” brings these two pop tendencies together, a bit Billy Joel stage and show with a chorus that says ‘play me radio, I really could be a hit!’ Trust me, you’ll want to make room on your playlist for Rich Chance. Robot Spider Zombie Dog is both ‘kick up your heels’ and ‘don’t touch that dial’ good.

Never mind film at 11, you’ve got all the deets you need to follow up on these breaking stories. Hit the hyper-links and take all the time you need to interview these sources for yourself.

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Breaking news: Steve Robinson, Be Like Pablo, Scoopski, and Ed Ryan

10 Sunday Nov 2024

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Let’s break with the usual news cycle for something a bit more uplifting. Whether it’s folk rock or punk pop or just melodious rock and roll, trust me, these are the top stories we need right now.

Like Paul Simon or Al Stewart Steve Robinson drifts back and forth between folk and poprock motifs, effortlessly amplifying or stripping down his melodies. Over the 11 tracks on his new album Window Seat you’ll hear echoes of the Beatles, solo McCartney, Neil Finn and, of course, XTC. “Unnecessary War” opens the record as the obvious single. The message and swagger is very John Lennon but the melody combines elements reminiscent of XTC and Crowded House song structures. Robinson is often tagged with XTC comparisons but it can hardly be avoided when Dave Gregory is playing lead guitar on “The King of Scatterbrain.” I also get a very Andy Partridge in dour folk mode from “Hollow Man.” By contrast, “Are We There Yet?” evokes Neil Finn’s distinctive melodic turns with guitar work that reminds me of Band on the Run era Wings. A number of tracks also have a strong Beatles ’66 feel, like “Hesitation Blues” (though the keyboards are more ’69 Preston good). On the folk front there’s real variety too. “Room With a View” strikes me as very much in the Suzanne Vega’s brand of sophistico-pop. There’s a more discordant English folk ambience to “Word to the Wise” while “Who Knew” is sunny folk pop all the way through. Robinson then wraps with a pastoral, Mummer-worthy folk mediation with “Treasure.”

From the small Scottish town of Forres four-piece ensemble Be Like Pablo spring like a blast of pure energy on their first new album in a decade, A World Apart. Their sound is a curious amalgam of nineties dissonant poprock and new millenium indie rock, sprinkled with a variety of 1960s and 1970s adornments. People compare them to Weezer and Fountains of Wayne – and perhaps it’s just the Scottish angle – but I hear Spook School. Sure “There Goes the Sunshine” vibes FOW pretty hard but there’s so much more going on here. I mean, check out those super-charged, chorused guitars fueling “Find a Way to You.” They are just so 1974. Or get your sixties fix on “Amy” or “I’ll Never Be Your Man” where old song forms come up against a wall of rhythm guitar distortion. This is an LP that maintains an impressive intensity throughout its 12 songs and 33 minutes. “There She Is” will grab you with its seductive background vocals, alluring keyboard lines and a main vocal so electrically insistent and present. “Crazy Without You” is just a great pop song, nicely punched up with stylized organ shots, tasty lead guitar, and what sounds like a violin instrumental solo. “My Kind of Girl” sounds like the unstoppable single to me, so relentless in its mixed aural assault, while “Do You Want to Go Surfin’?” delivers punky pop with some killer retro guitar solos. The band can gear down effectively too, as evident on the lovely acoustic guitar-led “I Don’t Know What I Do Without Your Love.” They even tease us on “Do It All Over Again,” leading with spot-on Beach Boys keyboard licks only to duck into a Cars new wave guitar crunchiness moments later.

The new Scoopski album Time Is a Thief is a real family affair, with hubby, wife and even baby Scoopski taking vocal turns. You’ll need to get yourself ready for a highly melodic outing, accent on fun. Album opener “Everyone’s Guessing” will definitely let everyone get their ya ya’s out. I love the guitar sound kicking off this tune, like an engine about to roar to life. Parenting and growing up define a lot of material here. “Little Ball of Energy” and “Babble” capture the joy of having a small new being in your life while “Dad Bod” makes light of every male’s inevitable physical decline in a boppy rocking time. But the secret star of this record is undoubtedly the keyboard work. I tend to think of Scoopski as a guitar band but check out the artful keyboard contributions to “I Agree, Marie,” “Seasonal,” and “Nocturnally Yours,” the latter an ace bit 1970s rock and roll melodrama. Serious radio-ready singles include “Pinata” and “Double,” both offering hooks for days. Modern comparisons abound but I’m really getting an early Squeeze feel from this record, like a Cool for Cats kind of madcap fun, particularly on “Double” and “The Inattentive Twist.”

On solo album #6 Along for the Ride veteran indie rock and roller Ed Ryan ruminates on a life lived amid great American musical inspirations. The lyrical themes here are literally experience-talking on “Fine Art to Letting It Go,” “Along for the Ride,” and “Imperfect Life.” Musically Ryan’s long career means he continues to churn out well-crafted hooky tunes from a Tom Petty meets Greg Kihn playbook, with a few intriguing departures. First off “Fine Art to Letting It Go” lays down a low-key Bo Diddley beat but before you know it you’ll be joining in on the ‘oh oh’s’ in the chorus. “Along for the Ride” pushes off with an early Wings lead guitar tone but check the subtle vocal harmony work here that really elevates the tune. Petty-isms litter the record, tucked into tunes like “Better Than That,” “Looking for Something” and “Make It Happen.” Other tracks amp up a harder 1980s poprock edge, like “It’s Alright With You” and “Find Me a Girl.” I love how “Solitary Man” changes up the tempo and leans on the piano to add some great melodic shading to the chorus. And then there’s outlier tracks like “Unspoken” and “Follow You Down” that are more in the style of song storytellers like John Hiatt or the bluegrassy “Poppees Garden.”

Finally some breaking news where the byline is in musical notation. You can follow up on these stories with hyperlinked ease – just click and go.

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Breaking news: Movie Movie, Mark Ward, Rick Murnane, and Yours & Mine

27 Tuesday Aug 2024

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We interrupt your internet scrolling with these breaking stories from all over. But mostly New York City. With a look in at Washington state and Massachusetts.

On album number two NYC’s Movie Movie continue to explore the far reaches of America’s rootsy rock and roll past, gathering sonic relics like a Raiders of the Lost Ark spin-off. Opening cut “You Never Learn” stokes the fires of heartland rock while “You Closed The Door” sounds like a Bo Diddly-infused Everly Brothers. Then “We Gotta Go!” takes an easygoing California sunshine pop vibe and kicks it up a notch at regular intervals. The song line-up on In 4D! will keep you guessing with its constantly shifting focus. There’s the Bond-theme-ish “You’re a Ticking Clock” with its tasty extended lead guitar solo. Or the more keyboard heavy “Anywhere But Here.” “I Want You Back (Again)” opens with a bit of mystery and rumbly guitar only to resolve into what will undoubtedly become a drunken bar sing-along chorus. Or you can dial into “Shopping Spree” with its Springsteen-esque melancholy and expansiveness. “You Can’t Hide From the Lies” sounds like the single to me, reminding me of the 1980s Americana vibe of the BoDeans and Rank and File. “Damaged Goods” is definitely not – what an organ sound! And then the band call it a wrap with the gorgeous “Living Without You,” a soaring epic of a song.

Mark Ward’s new LP Let ‘Er Rip is a perfect slice of 1980s poprock. There’s hooks aplenty spread over 15 tracks covering straight up poppy rock and roll and a host of adjacent genres. Opening cut “I’ve Been Around” plays like the AM radio-friendly single with its solid hooks and drone-heavy electric guitars. Or is “Pixie Girl” the must-release 45 here, with its insistent chorus and seductive harmony vocals? Then again, “Girl Like You” has got the big and bold lead guitar hook opener that says ‘don’t touch that dial!’ I also like the melancholic turn the melody takes in the chorus. Evident throughout the record is how well Ward knows his sources. From the opening Beatles riff he drops into “Kiss Me Kiss Me Kate” or the 1981 Athens Georgia-era sparkly folk guitar on “Zip It Up” the songs effortlessly conjure up distinct sonic atmospheres. Jangle is clearly the star here, defining tunes like “Little Frames,” “Wasted On My Own Again,” and “Blood on the Plate.” Add in some Beatlesque melodic turns and harmony vocals and tracks like “Love Me Once Again” stand out even more. But the album also showcases Ward’s range, from acoustic guitar-playing singer-songwriter (“I’m Ready”) to talking blues (“Villain”) to country (“The River”) to folk (“Hope”). He even gets downright experimental on “Paint My House.” Let ‘Er Rip is a quality poprock product but check out last year’s Key of E as well to double your pleasure.

Summer Fun is a batch of Rick Murnane’s occasional singles, released annually in summer months while heading for the beach and taken down before Labor Day. But gathered here on one long-player they cohere into an album exuding its own pop personality. Guitar pop definitely, mixing in elements of folk rock and power pop, tied together with Murnane vulnerable vocal style. Opening cut “Monkey in the Zoo” deploys synth in an otherwise solidly guitar pop song in a most fun way. Melodically it sounds like a classic Fountains of Wayne deep cut, particularly in the chorus. By contrast “Only a Game” has a Marshall Crenshaw easygoing pop demeanor. Sometimes Murnane puts his lead guitar up front, as on “A Strong Kind of Love” where some great lead guitar work drives the song along. Alternatively “We Like Animals” really shows how to use bass to anchor the feel of a tune. Or for a more contemplative moment, check out how he channels an Al Steward kind of melodic arc on “We Still See You Now.”  I can’t help reaching for my folk rock source book when “The Days” comes on. The distinctive 12 string guitar pushes the vibe toward some kind Jim McGuinn folk rock side project. Country gets a look in too on “Rodeo Bill” and “Jesus and the Bud Girls,” splashing hints of a western style and the Bakersfield sound here and there. If Summer Fun is a just a set of Murnane toss-off tunes I can’t wait to get back to his main catalogue. You should too.

NYC’s Yours & Mine open their album The Shadow You Cast with some pleasantly grinding guitars so there’s no doubt what you’re in for. Or is there? As the vocals kick in on “I’m Not Ready To Go” the hue is slightly urban country, which makes for a tantalizing and unexpected combo. Overall the guitar intensity of this new record marks a mellower departure from the band’s 2017 self-titled Yours & Mine EP – but only just. Certainly the follow up song “Pushing Up Daisies” clocks in with a strong wall-of-guitar sound and a vocal attack more reminiscent of power poppers like The Well Wishers. Other guitar interventions are more tempered, framing breezy pop melodies like “Wedding Vow” and “Our Own.” “Shadow” is the clear single with its magnetic opening guitar hook, though “Who Knows” is a close second. This time the guitar lick is a more hypnotic loop supporting vocals that fall somewhere between Taylor Swift and Michael Stipe. “September” builds tension between the strong guitar attack and melancholy melody while “The Kid” moves into more Oasis territory. The country vocal tone returns on “Head On” amid a wonderful tangle of electric guitar lines. Closer “Gimme Rock and Roll” is just a fun guitar-slashing romp. The Shadow You Cast is a striking package, hard to nail down but easy to enjoy.

That’s all the news that fits our print. Sports and weather, not so much. Click on the links to further your own citizen journalism of the musical kind.

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Breaking news: John Larson and the Silver Fields, Peter Freebairn, Lemon Twigs, and Joe Scarborough

11 Tuesday Jun 2024

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Today’s breaking news includes a few real newsmakers of one sort or another and others who should be. Stay tuned for all the hooky details.

When heartland rock reunited with more commercial pop sensibilities in the 1980s acts like Tom Petty and Heartbreakers, Greg Kihn Band and Bruce Springsteen stormed the charts. On their new album John Larson and the Silver Fields harken back to this golden age to my ears. Constellation Prize has the easygoing live rock chops of that era, sweetened with honey-dewed melodies and hooks. “Don’t Look Too Fast” is a great album opener, holding organ, piano and guitar in a dynamic tension while spinning out a cinematic sweep of heartland imagery. “Guilty By Association” puts its guitar riff at the centre of its rock and roll celebrations. “Everything’s Easy Until You Try It” reshapes an Orbison-esque guitar hook to drape a very Tom Petty romp. Then comes the should-be hit single for me, “Learning To Love.” The song rides an unstoppable guitar riff with a relentless drive. From there the album starts to vary its tempo and aural attack. “Start With Your Heart” offers up a bit of lighter AM radio-friendly pop fare while both “I Don’t Wanna Go Back” and “Fly Away” work that ominous 1980s pop vibe, delicately balancing dark and light melodic notes. And then there’s “Margot’s Gone Dancing,” a very different kind of poprock sound more akin to mid-period XTC. This just may be my favourite song from an album with a lot to like.

Melbourne, Australia’s Peter Freebairn seems like a stately gent. The tunes on his new album Silhouettes & Cigarettes exude class and an ‘I’m not in any hurry’ air. Opening cut “World You Choose” eases us into the album with a subtle hook that just keeps tightening its grip. “Say Goodbye” sounds like something we might expect from Paul Carrack, dialing up the blue-eyed soul and some sweet organ. Then “You And I” shifts gears to a more solo Paul McCartney vibe. What comes next sounds like some great lost 1970s Hall and Oates chart hit. “Crazy Love” has all the alchemy of that decade’s melange of styles: a bit of stylized pop soul, a disco guitar figure, and an aching pop melody that stretches on and on. Both “Home Town” and “Silhouette” are slower numbers but in decidedly different registers, one Don Henley California low-key, the other John Lennon sublime. But strap yourself in for this album’s closer because it defies everything you’ve heard so far. “I Got Lucky (I Got You)” is a strut rocker rooted in an uber cool riff that resolves into a rapturously melodic chorus, ornamented with theremin and a host of seductive background vocals. Hit anyone? This is it.

We’re not even half way through the year but it would appear that a lot of power pop scribes have already chosen their album of year. And who can blame them? The Lemon Twigs’ fifth album A Dream Is All We Know is breathtaking in its variety and command of 1960s and 1970s poprock styles. The record constantly shifts focus, from sixties English pop to California beach harmonies to 1970s commercial chart hits, but is clearly the work of one very talented band. Opening song and early release single “My Golden Years” sets the stage for what is to come. The track has the sonic dexterity of 10cc with perhaps a Queen-esque penchant for sharp melodic turns and a distinctly yearning vocals style. Sixties influences abound throughout the album with Beach Boys harmonies on “In the Eyes of a Girl” or The Byrds meet The Cyrkle on “If You And I Are Not Wise.” There’s also a very stylized English sixties pop sound coming off “Sweet Vibration” and “Church Bells.” But America gets a look in too with the more 1970s derived cuts like the Andrew Gold-ish “A Dream Is All We Know” and the keyboard-driven, Partridge Family-worthy “They Don’t Know How to Fall in Place.” The brothers behind this band have really got an ear for particular moments in pop music history. Just listen to how “How Can I Love Her More” captures the early 1970s over-the-top commercial pop, full of horns and strings and seeming vocal cast of thousands. And we’re not even done exploring how creative this band is. There’s still jazzy samba (“Ember Days”), Argy Bargy era Squeeze (Permanent Roses), and early solo McCartney (“I Should’ve Known Right From the Start”) to take stock of. And who would have predicted an album exit that hits the glam pedal hard like “Rock On (Over and Over)”?  This is band worthy of the often overused attribute ‘a sensation’.

Sometimes it’s hard to switch horses midstream. Joe Scarborough has put out an amazing power pop EP entitled Big Star but you’d never know from the press. Crickets. Well that’s probably because Joe is not just any ordinary Joe lunchbox but the Joe Scarborough of US Congressional and right-wing talk radio and TV fame. And he’s not just any high profile politico but has been a pretty hard-right libertarian Republican figure for decades, though he does appear to have exited the party at the Trump station more recently. Still, it’s hard for many to square rock and roll’s typically progressive elan with fiscal conservatism. Not that Scarborough would be the first to straddle rock and roll and the political right, it’s just that artists like Eric Carmen from the Raspberries were often associated with right-wing politics much later in their careers. But hey, what about the music? On the whole it’s pretty damn good. This EP has a grinding Well Wishers hooky edge in its title track while “Contract With Bulgaria” has lyrics you might expect from this point of view. Still eminently hummable. The cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” really gives the song some power pop oomph. This EP leans into the horn section but earlier EPs like Welcome to the Monkey House and Freaks Love Freaks draw on Costello-like turns of phrase and melody and a Matthew Sweet pop sibilance. Just goes to show, you don’t have to agree with somebody to dig their tunes.

Working hard to bring you the power pop headlines, that’s our mission. With all these great tunes, who needs film at 11?

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