Category Archives: Poprock Themepark

Seismically sixties: Monogroove, The Lings, The Ramalamas, and Tony Molina

01 Saturday Oct 2022

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Get ready to shake your groove thing because today’s acts can’t be contained. Something’s gotta twitch in time to these beat crazy tunes from bands that wear their love of all things 1960s on every appendage.

Monogroove might come from America’s west coast but stylistically they’re all over the map. Their most recent LP Into the Sun has a distinctive 1960s California pop feel, except when its giving off a very English pop vocal vibe. Then at different points you’d swear record’s genre is psych pop, only to have things switch to early 1960s sweetheart rock and roll motifs. No matter, “What I See In You” is a great album opener, with a guitar reminiscent of the chime on Gene Clark’s “So You Say You Lost Your Baby.” Then “Walk in the Park” takes us in a more English 1960s pop vocal direction. By the time “Down On” cranks up like an slow homage to “I’m Not Your Stepping Stone” we’re well into serious 1960s psych pop territory. And it’s just at that moment that things turn even a bit more retro, going all early 1960s girl group and neo-1950s on “Hold Onto Me” and “Darlin.” The 1970s get a look in on “Me In You” with its Kinks-like dirty rhythm guitar and sweet suite of vocal turns while “Here I Stand” sounds more seventies soft rock. I love the psychedelic lead guitar line that sets up “Time Out” and “SPCA” is a bit of glam bubblegum fun. And is it just me or does “I Only Know” kick off with an ace CCR acoustic guitar/bass groove before settling into a 1970s pop country ballad? Don’t judge this band just by their stylish sixties psych rock album cover. They’re that, but a whole lot more.

I can’t decide if Italian band The Lings are more retro 1960s or that particular 1980s brand of sixties-nouveau. On their new self-titled debut album there’s a crisp buoyant sound I associate more with the latter, like that cool breeze accompanying some early morning sunshine.  First up “The Worst of You” has an endearing 1960s spy movie feel, its spare guitar lead lines and echo-y vocals lending mystery to the proceedings. And that’s basically the formula here: a variety of carefully chosen, moody guitars working in tension with ever-so-pleasing harmony vocals. Listen to how “Little Josie” combines chugging rhythm guitar with vocals that remind me of bands like Stornoway while “Blue” arranges it guitar parts as a kind of reverby canvas for the singers. I’d swear that’s Jake Bugg guesting on vocals for “Holocene” while the tune draws out an early Beatles atmosphere. From there the record is like a variety show sampling of styles, from rocking rave-up on “Freaky Cheesy” to the 1980s folk rock of “Grace” to the heartland FM rock radio feel fueling “Never Ending Lonely Rush M.A.” Singling out a single I’d go with “Let Me Out” given its Shadowy Men tremelo guitar and sophisticated melodic turns in the chorus. But I’m also partial to the rocking lurch defining “Hometown Kids” and its Proclaimers-like sing-along vocals. After playing this album loud I think these guys might just be worth a trip to southern Europe for a live show.

Needle dropping through The Ramalamas 2019 greatest hits collection Carnivorous Plants for Sale the band seemed to be headed in a swampy Jayhawks or Blue Rodeo direction. But their new release Le Cape Noir suggests a different road altogether. The presser describes the album as the soundtrack to an ‘imaginary long lost 1968 cult psycho-thrilller/horror/drama classic’. That’s quite a detailed order. “Funtastique” is the show opener but it’s less an opening credits reel than a B52s-inspired dance grind. “Moondog” much more sets the mood for this mock soundtrack with its Russ Meyers Beyond the Valley of the Dolls vibe. Then “Le Cape Noir” is totally the period, coming on like a rogue Ventures with the main guitar giving off plenty of drama and menace. Another highlight is “Espiritismo” with its spooky otherworldly vocals and guitar work. “The Night Tide” is another tune fully in character, a psych rock Jayhawks launching the revenge of the rumbly guitar. “Love Theme from Le Cape” also sounds so like an early Bond album deep-cut instrumental. The rest of the album tends to revert to the band’s signature swampy, psych rock style, like they’ve transformed into the act hired for the closing-of-set party.  But that doesn’t detract from the record’s playful sense of fun. Indeed, “Death in the Pot” is a real a Saturday night dance stomper.

What Tony Molina proves is that acing the sounds of yesteryear doesn’t have to leave you stuck in the past. His new long-player Into the Fade is a veritable candy store of sixties and seventies sonic sweetness that nevertheless sounds timeless. The variety here is breathtaking. “The Last Time” combines Thin Lizzy guitarmonies with a Weezer poprock sensibility while “Not Worth Knowing” is more like a sixties-influenced Teenage Fanclub. I know I hear FOW everywhere but “Leave This Town” sounds like a fuzz-enhanced version of the band. Beatles motifs are popped into a host of songs throughout the album: the instrumental break in “Don’t Be Far” that is reminiscent of A Hard Day’s Night movie soundtrack deep cut, the “Strawberry Fields Forever” mellotron opener to “Songs For Friends (Slight Return),” some “Michelle” worthy acoustic guitar work on the instrumental “Ovens Theme pt.4,” and the “Julia”-esque vibe all over “Years Ago pt.2.” And just when you think you see where things are going Molina throws a curve. Like the creative piano solo that pops out in the instrumental break of “I Don’t Like That He.” There’s even a pop punk energy to “Fuck Off Now” and “All I’ve Known.”  They nicely contrast with the low-key, acoustic Elliott Smith aura of “Four Sided Cell.” But I think my fave from this collection is the languid, Teenage Fanclubby “Burn Everyone.” Into the Fade is a set of bright shiny things, all so different yet still amounting to an enjoyably coherent listen.

Everything old is new again in music, if you know how to reinvent your influences. Today’s bands do that, harnessing the past to make the here and now just a little more groovy.

Click on the links to find the mp3s of these artists. For CDs and vinyl of The Lings and Tony Molina ease on over to Kool Kat Musik.

Pretty pretty poprock: Nick Frater and Ken Sharp

22 Thursday Sep 2022

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Some artists are meticulous. Their albums often sound free and easy but that belies the hard work that has gone into them. Today’s featured acts are those kind of inspired craftmen, carving pretty pretty tunes out of the basic raw material of the popular song.

Nick Frater is serious about old stuff. His music is replete with references to musical styles from the 1970s, lovingly taped on vintage recording equipment from the era. But his recent long-player Aerodrome Motel doesn’t so much harken back to yesteryear as remodel those familiar sounds for a new age. I mean, sure, I could say that “The Pleasure is Mine” flows like a Squeeze Cool for Cats era character sketch. But it doesn’t just conjure the glory of Deptford’s favourite sons. These songs stand on their own. Take “Love Heist,” a killer bit of buoyant pop songwriting that I would suggest is merely elevated by some Supertramp-worthy keyboards fills. Or I could say I hear a bit of Jellyfish in “Stuck in My Ways” or 10cc in “Aerodrome Motel” or Fountains of Wayne in “American Expressways.” But that’s just a rough way of saying ‘if you like those acts, you’ll love this’.  Lining up the should-be hit singles, I’d vote for “Rough and Tumble” with its great horns and programmed keyboard runs. Or there’s the Beatlesy (with just a touch of ELO) “Dear Modern Times.” What a gorgeous tune! The spacious piano opener and striking vocal arc that kick off the song are utterly captivating. I also like the darling “Dancing with Gertrude” and the stand out yet simple guitar lead line defining “No Hard Feelings.” By the time we get to “White Courtesy Phone” we’re ready for this last-dance, shuffle-the-patrons-out-the-door song. Frater’s put together a game changer here. While some prior albums have sounded like lovingly crafted period pieces, Aerodrome Motel is more a timeless distillation of the past with songs that sound good whether it’s yesterday, today or tomorrow.

With I’ll Remember the Laughter singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and music scribe to the stars Ken Sharp offers us a record of delicious indulgence, a collection of 50 songs! The package is like a chocolate box with no bottom. As a clever curator of 1970s-era styles Sharp basically brings your favourite acts from that decade back to life to record one more should-be classic. The range of pop genres here is incredible: beach tunes, Philly soul, glam rock, baroque pop, and more. Album opener “Maybe Next Summer” sets the scene, crossing the transom from the sixties to early seventies with a strong Beach Boys vibe. From there it is a very rapid ride over a wide variety of stylistic riffs. You may note elements of late-period Lennon-esque Beatles on “Nobody Told Me the World Was Round,” some Philly pop soul on “Philly Get Back,” a Paul Simon session with Big Star on “She Will Be” and a McCartney “Let Me Roll It” grind to the guitar on “Shut Out the Lights.” The record also has a few inspired covers, like the two recovered Rick Springfield gems “Comic Book Heroes” and “I’m Your Superman.” There’s too much here for me to cover every song – let me single out some of my faves. As much as I too recall fondly all the 70s song motifs on this album I’m more drawn to the jangly, almost new wave cuts. Like the sharp glam feel of “It Pays to be a Rock and Roll Star” or the hooky guitar lead line heavy “Somewhere South of San Diego.” I love how the rhythm guitar rings out on “Maybe You’re Right.” “No More Silver Lining” has an almost Blue Oyster Cult or Moody Blues hint of menace in the melody as well as some tasty guitar work. “Between the Lines” is just perfect poprock circa 1979 with winning guitar runs plus soaring, melodic vocals. This is the hit for me. Then there’s the lighter, more acoustic “Down in Monterey.” Lovely, hypnotic, pop folk. What we have here is really a ‘make your own album’ affair, one where listeners could selectively assemble their own seventies mini-album. Or they could just hit play and party for days.

Hit play on these albums and it’s easy to believe to world is a more pretty place than it may appear. Sometimes hearing is believing.

Photo courtesy of The Vinyl Factory.

Back to class with The School and Pushy Parents

05 Monday Sep 2022

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In my neck of the woods it’s back to school time for just about everybody. Now if this were a movie there’d have to be a transition-to-school montage and event-appropriate music to mark the occasion. To that end we turn to Spain’s superior power pop record label Elefant to provide talent in sync with our theme. And boy do they deliver.

Legend has it that Elefant signed Cardiff’s The School after playing just four live shows in 2008. Since then the band have taken a go-it-slow approach to releasing material, putting out just 3 albums since 2010 and spate of stand-alone singles and EPs. What hasn’t changed over time is their loyalty to an early 1960s girl group-meets-English dolly bird sound, with the occasional nod to more upbeat Mod dance numbers. You can hear this variety on their debut album Loveless Unbeliever with tracks like “Valentine,” “Hoping and Praying,” and “Is It True.” Yet the vibe is not merely a retro revival. Tracks like “All I Want To Do” have got the updated 1960s aura that Tracey Ullman managed to capture in the 1980s while “Can You Feel It” has the energenic imprint of The Primitives. Still, if I’ve got to single out just one tune, I love the stylistic melange going that is “The One Who Left Me” with its great horns, Zombies-like breathiness and unpredictable melodic turns. Keyboards come to the fore on the band’s follow-up Reading Too Much into Things Like Everything in 2012. But the early 1960s sonic teenage melodrama remained the same on cuts like “Stop That Boy!,” “That Boy is Mine,” and “Some Day My Heart Will Beat Again.” Though this time out I prefer the more rocking numbers like “Why Do You Have to Break My Heart Again?” and the Farfisa-drenched “Never Thought I’d See the Day.” The band’s final album Wasting Away and Wondering from 2015 sees things heading into Holland/Dozier/Holland territory with “Love Is Anywhere You Find It” and reaching Dusty Springfield-levels of heartbreak on “Don’t Worry Baby (I Don’t Love You Anymore).” But the standout should-be hit single here is undoubtedly the propulsive and ear-wormy “All I Want From You Is Everything.” Oh, don’t miss “When He Kisses Me” from the Never Thought I’d See the Day EP – this is some skip-along, can’t stop smiling fun.

What would school be without pushy parents? Less toxic, sure. But the band Pushy Parents just want to make sure we get the melodic message they’re putting out. Coming together as a kind of one-off super group in 2011 Elefant managed to get them to put out one EP, the enigmatically titled Secret Secret. The quartet of songs assembled here are like a chocolate box selection, lusciously different but clearly by the same maker. Both “Secret Secret” and “Hold Me Tight or Let Me Go” sounds like something you think you know but they go unexpected places (e.g. check out the inventive bridge in the latter). The band’s presser links “He’s My Saturday” to Nancy Sinatra stylistically but what I hear is totally Lesley Gore in its bumptious melodic swing. Then there’s “Dear John” which sounds at times like an understated Pet Shop Boys, at others like a deep cut from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode Once More, With Feeling. What a gem this one-night-only performance turned out to be.

The fun is just starting for kids, parents and teachers. Let’s enjoy it before the inevitable crying begins.

Photo courtesy Queensland State Archives.

Out in the country: The Oh Wells, Orville Peck, and Cowgirl

31 Wednesday Aug 2022

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Before the summer slips away there’s time for one last trip to the country. A decidedly rocking melodic bit of the country, that is. Today’s troubadours are stylishly intersectional in their musical tastes, interspersing a broad country élan with a load of other musical noise. Really good noise.

I got turned on to Seattle’s Oh Wells last May with the release of their EP Dakota. Halfway through opening cut “The Day We Kissed,” mesmerized by its buoyant, driving acoustic guitars and lovely vocal harmonies, I knew I was on to something special. Definitely going into the to-be-reviewed pile, I thought. But months later I am confronted with Alice, a whole new Oh Wells album coming out now, and I’ve yet to laud their previous recordings. So let’s play catch up. Dakota is defined by a broad, warm acoustic feel. “Angel of Mine” has a Elephant 6 low-key pop aura, very Apples in Stereo at times. “Wafflehouse Waitress” and “Loverville” muscle up the sound while “Without You” is more Crosby, Stills and Nash-influenced. Altogether the EP was a striking debut. Yet just three months later the band is back with an even more stunning sound. It’s like Oh Wells have caramelized the pop portion of their previous sound on their new long-player Alice, sweetening the hooks and filling out the sound. “Someone Walks Away” has the melodic pop sheen of Guster or Good Old War. “You Know the Way Home” is a more rocking in the vein of recent work by The Cactus Blossoms. The rest of the album then ably hits a variety of country rock marks: “Warmer Weather” and “Devil’s Bride” have a smooth Foster and Lloyd vibe while “Black and Bloom” and “Alice” dip more into traditional country territory. And then there’s “Oh Well,” a gorgeous, layered slice of country pop perfection. “Optimist Prine” rounds things out with a stripped-down tribute to Maywood’s modern Mark Twain. This is sweet, textured country-folk-pop of the highest order.

In 2019 I said Orville Peck was primed to explode and boy did he ever. His debut album for Sub Pop Pony caught on with an eclectic mix of fans, exuding a hip cool that can’t be bought or manufactured. Before you or I knew it, he was duetting with the stars and signing major label deals. The result is this year’s Columbia Records release Bronco. Now we’ve all read this script before and know how it can go terribly wrong. But Bronco doesn’t steer wrong. If Pony seemed a bit tongue-in-cheek, this record abandons irony. It really is a melange of great rock and roll and country styles delivered straight up: Elvis obviously, but also Roy Orbison and, as Peck admits in interviews, Dolly Parton. “The Curse of the Blackened Eye” is so late 1960s Elvis in smoky ballad mode. Peck’s voice is shiver-inducing and the musical backdrop is understated and alluring. Another standout track is “Lafayette” with its uneven tempo, great, dark story song demeanor, and killer chorus. “Bronco” and “Any Turn” are more like an early seventies Elvis stompers. “Hexie Mountain” draws on a more Gordon Lightfoot ballad style. And then the album wraps up with “All I Can Say,” a gorgeous ballad performed with bandmate Bria Salmena. Gonna be hard defying the magnetic persona that is Orville Peck after this record settles in on the public consciousness.

Somewhere in the dark north of England a band called Cowgirl is ready to defy your expectations. You might listen to a few singles and think ‘punky’ or sixties-influenced garage rock and roll. The band themselves lean on the Jesus and Mary Chain label as self-description. But there is so much more going on here. What appears to be the band’s debut EP Cowgirl gives off a fresh Travoltas-like rock and roll blast. Then their 2020 album X Tracks mines early 1980s new wave for some pretty sweet guitar excess. Take “I’m Always Lost” with its relentlessly Plimsouls-era sonic attack. The guitar lines are etched in my brain – in a good way! “Nothing to Say” is just a sunny poppy rock delight. “Could Never Explain” has a guitar that rings out with a Clash-like impatience and hookyness. Later in 2020 the double A-sided single featuring “Only Lasts a Moment” and “Hold Me” shifts between dreamy pop and jump-out-of-the-speakers psych rock excitement. Then a few months later “Caroline” is going all VU-meets-punk. Surprisingly the band’s most recent LP, also simply dubbed Cowgirl, has a consistent sound – and what a very good sound it is. Guitars to the front, melodies buried deep but never lost in the mix, and smooth vocal delivery. “Figure It Out” and “Without You” showcase this combo nicely, though in different ways, the first with clear, elegant guitar lines, the latter leaning on a more dirty guitar mix. Ok, Cowgirl may not be that country but they’re so good I feel I had to shoehorn them in here anyway.

Country or no, today’s acts are worthy of a trip to the far reaches of Bandcamp or Spotify or wherever you take your musical journeys.

Heat seeking singles

20 Saturday Aug 2022

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The surging summer heat of late August really could do with a soundtrack all its own. What better way to fill that void than this 21 single salute? Strap in, here’s another slew of could-be hits for your perusing pleasure.

How did I miss Ducks Ltd.’s fall 2021 release Modern Fiction? Could be the name switch up from Ducks Unlimited. I guess you can have too much of a fowl thing. Critics have been all over “18 Cigarettes” from the new album and hey it’s great but I’m all in for the strummy magic that is “Grand Final Day.” It’s got jangle, New Order-worthy bass work, and some killer percussion.  The overall effect is very Cure-like. “Fit to Burst” is another favourite with its discordant lead guitar lines. Netherlands sixties-style rockers The Kryng have a new album out, Twelve Hyms to Syng Along, and a full review will be coming. Right now I return to their previous single and the driving-fun stomper b-side specifically, “Twenty Two.” This one is dancing shoes approved! It’s a full-on 1966 Top of the Pops go go-ing classic. A band experiencing a reanimation after some time away is Minneapolis rockers Flipp. Time has smoothed the pop hooks in their material, i.e. less Kiss more Romantics. Their new album Too Dumb to Quit kicks off with “You Can Make It Happen” – check out the riveting cowbell and slashing guitar chords opener! This is a song that pulses with urgency but these veterans know how to pace our interest, giving the tune plenty of sonic space and changes in tempo. Fans of The Tearaways and The Empty Hearts will love this. Rural France member Tom Brown has got a thing for Tom Petty, obviously. The most recent RF record had a song called “Teenage Tom Petty” and now he’s got a side band dubbed Teenage Tom Petties. Well if loving Tom were a crime a lot of us would be doing time. TTP gives this Tom a chance to go for a bit more rough sound than Rural France but without sacrificing any hooks. “Boxroom Blues” has a muddy feel to its mix but the lead guitar grinds out a relentlessly melodic line throughout. Things get turned up to 11 on Robby Miller’s new single “Staying for the Weekend.” It rides pretty close to going all rawk with its distortion and waka waka guitar effects at times but Millar has a knack for melody that ultimately reins in any guitar excess. An album of rocking Millar tunes surely can’t be far off.

Fresh should get an award for best fake-out opener to a song. The alluring distorted guitar hook that launches “Deer in the Headlights” says punky combobulations coming right up. But then things veer into a sophisticated pop vibe reminiscent of The Sunday’s debut album. The riff then keeps coming back in, jostling the listener – but it totally works. Just one of many creative contributions to the band’s new LP Raise Hell. Chicago’s The Embryos clearly spent some time taking in the mammoth Beatles’ Get Back documentary during lockdown because their new single “The Tone” is a subtle love letter to the sound of those sessions. The vibe kicks off casual, like a rehearsal session, but as the song advances things tighten up, adding more and more polish and nuance. The Demos “Streetlight Glow” is calling up so many different possible comparisons: the spooky background vocals sounds Zolas, the acoustic guitar-anchored verses has a Farrah feel, the electric guitar shots is so Vaccines. Despite this variety it all hangs together, descending into sing-along goodness near the end. The track is from their stylishly designed new long player 24 Hour Hotline featuring a stunning candy apple red Western Electric model 500 telephone. Monica LaPlante is a solid rock and roll gal. I mean, listen to her version of Echo and Bunnymen’s “Do It Clean” – it’s like she put it through some kind of B-52’s dance machine. “Selfish Bitch” is another good time rocker. But then other tracks exude a Chrissie Hynde cool. The 2019 single with “Tinted Lights” and “Opposite Sides” doesn’t just feature an classic looking cover, both tracks have a sublime sophistication. “Opposite Sides” is particularly striking, like Peggy Lee with a Nancy Sinatra swagger floating over wonderfully ominous musical textures. It would be great to pull all Laplante’s various singles and EPs into one great big album for easy appreciation. The Veras‘ new single “Sevens and Nines” has a wow-guitar chunkiness to it. There’s something very 1970s to the monster electric guitar chord attack, a bit glam with a touch of BTO swing. This one’s a party-time crowd-pleaser! You can preview a few more tunes from their upcoming new LP V is for Vera on their website.

Time to turn down the lights for a mellow moment with Franco-American duo Freedom Fry on “True to Ourselves.” This starts off spare but just wait until Marie Seyrat gets to the line “Well it’s you and me, my friend till the bitter end …” Bliss! Very early 1970s folk pop in a Poppy Family way. Former (and current, I guess) Ride guy Andy Bell keeps releasing singles from his super solo record Flicker but the latest “Lifeline” contains a special treat, a cover of Pentangle’s “Light Flight” from their 1969 album Basket of Light. I love the English twist on sixties folk rock with its unique guitar tunings and medieval aura. Hard to live up to guitar masters like Bert Jansch and John Renbourn but here Bell proves he’s no slouch. Speaking of the Middle Ages, The Happy Somethings give a solid folk footing to their paean to Everything But the Girl’s female vocalist on “I Wish You Could Sing Like Tracey Thorn.” Who doesn’t? They offer two versions on this double b-side, both delightful in their own way. Austin’s Wiretree deliver their reliable strummy goodness on a recent one-off single “Inside.” No breaking headlines here, just the usual quality merch, a dreamy mix of acoustic guitars and swirling vocal harmonies. Or for something completely different, check out Lysa Mychols and Super 8’s expert deconstruction of The Who’s “I Can’t Explain.” Powerpopaholic called it a ‘beatnik version’ and I’d have to agree, right down to the finger snapping and period wardrobe in the video.

Time now for the Jeff Lynne portion of our programming. Starting with Phil Thornalley. Phil’s usually that man behind the curtain, writing, producing and playing on hits for all sorts of people without taking the spotlight himself. He recently launched a strong solo effort with his Astral Drive project, particularly the should-be hit single “Summer of ‘76” (reviewed here). And his soon-to-be released solo effort Now That I Have Your Attention promises to be a winner if this pre-release single is anything to go by. “Fast Car” is a loving homage to everything ELO. It’s got the strings, the pumping piano, the army of background vocals, and an earwormy set of melodic hooks. Another artist working some Lynne-isms into their new song is Bill DeMain, co-songwriting partner to a load of should-be stars and one half of Swan Dive. “Lone Ranger” is a brilliant riff on fame and heroes well past their sell-by date. But musically it’s like a easter egg hunt for ELO motifs. Pretty genius stuff here. The Rooftop Screamers offer a more distant echo of Lynne influences on “The Great Unknown.” It’s there more in the melange of sounds, the organ, Tim Smith’s great vocals, and the song’s relentless hookiness. Another drip released single on the way to a new album undoubtedly. Belfast’s Neil Brogan combines a wonderfully weird set of styles on his recent album Things Keep Getting in the Way. Not so much ELO as the melodically-folky, sometimes-rocking sound of acts like Darren Hanlon, Hayden, and Ron Sexsmith. Title track “Things Keep Getting in the Way” is a case in point: the sonorous guitar lines jump out but the vocals are so folky understated. Now get ready for a bit of joy wrapped up in a new single from Drew Beskin and the Sunshine, “Spoilers.” The opening instrumental roll out is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, the chorus is so uplifting, and the musical breaks just bolster the good feeling. A single from the much anticipated upcoming album Somewhere Sideways Same as You.

We wrap up this batch of singles with a brand new cut from Frank Royster. Those familiar with Royster’s two phenomenally good but overlooked solo albums understand what good news this is. “Open Door” has a hint of The Smithereens songwriting stamp all over it while it’s message of faith is in your face but curiously not jarring. This is the second new single from Royster this year in anticipation of an album coming in 2023.

Frank Royster – Open Door

Whew, 21 options for your end-of-summer playlist. Surely something here to tickle every fancy.

Photo courtesy merobson.

I get mail: Brother Dynamite, ABOB, Richard Turgeon, and Walcot

11 Thursday Aug 2022

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They get to me. The self-promoters with their musical wares. They write emails, they messenger me, they hit me up through my blog’s Facebook page. And I love it! Each message is like a mini-present just waiting to be opened. I always wonder what’s inside. Not every letter has the right address but most do. Case in point: today’s mailbag is full of dynamite poprock that is definitely worth a read, uh, I mean, listen.

New York City’s Brother Dynamite have been making music for decades but only just got around to releasing their debut album, If We Dare. Talk about late bloomers. The sound is poppy rock and roll, with just a hint of what we used call AOR (album-oriented rock). This used to be all over FM radio in the 1980s. LP opener “Summer’s End” sets out the brief with a great hooky swirl of overlapping electric guitars offset by Shawn Moynihan’s unique vocal attack. The hook in this song has the addictive guitar grind of Blue Oyster Cult in their most poppy moments. Then “Everything Changes” definitely brings to mind smooth melodic rockers like Fastball, Everclear and Semisonic given its easygoing jauntiness. Other tracks in this vein include “You Could Do So Much Better,” “This Time,” and hit single-ish “You Cannot Bring Me Down.”  But the album is also defined by some dynamic vocal work that might be more associated with the likes of Supertramp or Styx, particularly notable on “Lucky Me” and title track “If We Dare.” And then there’s the ballads. “All Your Life” kicks off with a Paul Simon-esque fingerpicking bounce, only to build to something bigger. “Until the Stars” is a grand lead guitar-led ballad worthy of an ocean of waving Bic lighters. “Beautiful Lie” is just a gorgeous tune, sometimes vibing a Band On The Run McCartney, sometimes sounding more pop Eagles. With If We Dare Brother Dynamite recall the best of 1980s poprock, without all the hair product and spandex.

A turn through Andrew Bobulinski’s back Bandcamp pages suggests he’s an artist just toying with us, stylistically that is. After a long stint in heavy metal bands Bobulinski’s solo career has been careening all over the indie poprock map, from Weezer-like slathered guitar and sibilant vocals to horns aplenty over 1970s-ish soft rock. His latest project is an ABOB release entitled ABOB’s Summer Home. The songs have that breezy 70s pop feel, contrasted with some punchy horns on “Sabrina Knows” and “Talk to Her.” My fave here is the less 70s title track with its KC Bowman-like vocal sheen and straight up poprock hooks. For a more rocking demeanor, click a few pages through to Bobulinki’s earlier releases, particularly the EP entitled 2015 and the dynamite longplayer Suburban Apocalypse. The latter record has got some serious variety, from edgy guitar-distorted numbers like “Right Where You Wanted to Be” to more jaunty rock and roll with “Johnny Utah.” My fave is the killer 1960s retro-remake Bobulinski pulls off on “There’s a Reason.” Perfection! ABOB may be a musical enigma but I like mysteries. Just another fab export from Birmingham, Alabama’s bustling music scene.

I don’t usually need a message from Richard Turgeon to remind me about his latest record – I’m on it. But his latest release Rough Around the Edges has piled up a load of glowing reviews so quickly I’m looking positively out of the loop. Now I was out of the gate early reviewing his fabulous opening cut here “Better With You” last March, describing it as a ‘shot of feel-good guitar-oriented power pop’ with just the right amount of Matthew Sweetener. And this album banks on that formula. There’s a Sweet-ness to most songs here, perhaps cut with a bit of Weezer. But that just says Turgeon has achieved a trademark-able sound and songwriting style that lends his albums coherency though never sameness. The record’s first three cuts – “Better With You,” “I Never Loved You,” and “Please Take Me Back” – all deserve heavy rotation on what’s left of rock radio. They’re a masterclass in how to weave a solid hook into your song. In addition to these reliably hooky guitar wonders, the record does take some chances too. “7 Stories” is a bit more mellow, vibing a glorious Lindsay Buckingham/Well Wishers vocal style in the chorus while “Goodbye Home” has a languid Marshall Crenshaw deep cut feel. Or there’s “You Always Believe” which opens with an uncharacteristic solo piano before adding in Turgeon’s signature guitar sound. And check out the melodic shift in the chorus – it almost sounds like something from The Smiths. As Rough Around the Edges is Turgeon’s seventh album in just five years, there’s really nothing rough about it. He just keeps turning out should-be hits, waiting for the world to catch up.

I closed out 2021 with a brief notice about Chicago band Walcot and their single “Dreaming Away.” I really liked the song’s 1970s happy vibe, it’s jaunty B.J. Thomas-like demeanor. Now it’s back as part of the band’s recent EP release Songs for the Disenfranchised, appearing with “Another Man” and “It Feels Alright.” The trio make for a winning combination, sharing a similar smooth poprock polish. “Another Man” makes harpsichord sound cool on a tune that seems one part Paul McCartney, one part mid-period ABBA. By contrast, “It Feels Alright” has a more contemporary pop radio feel, like something from an early Sam Weber or Ron Sexsmith record. My only complaint about this EP is its brevity. With just three songs it’s all over in just 8 minutes. Serious boo hoo! Perhaps think about Songs for the Disenfranchised as more of a maxi-single teaser for an album that can’t arrive soon enough.

Clearly today the mailman brought me no more blues. After all, this is a poprock site.

Oh I could write a book: Amos Pitsch, Trapper Schoepp, and The Great American Novel

05 Friday Aug 2022

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As a young man one of my ambitions was to be a novelist. I plowed through a load of 19th century Russian and 20th century American novels in my early twenties so I was pretty sure I’d absorbed enough alienation and ennui to pull it off. But after many fruitless nights home alone with a typewriter it became clear that novelizing was not for me. I just couldn’t put my ideas into someone else’s mouth. I was more of a ‘lay it out direct’ kind of guy and damn the artistic pretences. Eventually I found an academic writing home but, happy ending, I do get my creative writing fix here with this blog. So today’s post riffs on the ‘novel’ side of music, with acts that exude a literary demeanor to me in one way or another.

This might seem like a stretch but Appleton, Wisconsin artist Amos Pitsch has a name that sounds like a character from a Harper Lee novel to me. I came to Pitsch’s work on his debut solo record, the bracing, delicately lyrical, mostly acoustic guitar-laden Lake Effect. To get a sense of the ambience you might check out “Lake of the Old Northeast,” a track that reminds me of The Shins or Guster in a mellow mood. Or dig the subtle melodic hook buried in the spare acoustic guitar and vocal performance of “Shiny Things to Stop Your Tears.” But the standout track here for me is the title song “Lake Effect,” a real poprock gem – again, simple and direct in execution with a wonderful swirl of vocals, up front rhythm guitar, and colourful piano lead lines. There’s a light Ben Folds air about the song. Pitsch’s new 2022 album Acid Rain departs from this ambience, adding more lyrical bite and musical distortion. Opening cut “I’m So Angry” lays it all out over a buzz of reverby, distorted guitar. The album is a incisive critical rumination on where America is now politically. “(We Got It Made) In the USA” bristles with sarcastic condemnation, practically sung through gritted teeth. There are upbeat moments too though, like the keyboard-riffic “It Feels So Good (To Know That You’re Around).” Or the seventies-positive Wings vibe on “In Our Old House, Part Two.” The album wraps with two tracks that capture the 1970s cross-over country feel of The Band. “Oak Hill Blues” is hit worthy and wouldn’t be amiss covered by The Sheepdogs. “Dying Young” has a more soul vamp, like 70s Hall and Oates meets Levon Helm. Basic takeaway: Pitsch is smart but relatable, like any good novelist should be.

Another novel-like character name is Trapper Schoepp. I can see him springing from the pages of Sinclair Lewis or even Jack Kerouac in his later period. Musically, this boy is a great big ball of talent. Over the course of five or so albums his crack band has conjured up an Americana sound with bits of influence from the Byrds, Tom Petty, Wilco and early Bruce Springsteen. “Pins and Needles” from 2012’s Run Engine Run is emblematic of this fun synthesis, vibing a Replacements-style ramshackle excitement. On 2016’s Rangers and Valentines producer Brendan Benson gives Schoepp’s word-packed tunes a wonderful poprock sheen. So many highlights here like “Mono, Pt. 2,” “Ogailala,” and “Settlin’ or Sleepin’.” The album oscillates between uptempo and more Dylanesque folky numbers. Check out the Springsteen River-ish feel on “Dream.” As an interlude 2017’s EP Bay Beach Amusement Park is a neo-1950s celebration of the rides on the midway. 2019 brought Shoepp’s tour-de-force recording Primetime Illusion. What a collection of tunes! Again, I hear some Springsteen, this time a less bleak Darkness-era aura, particularly on “Drive-Thru Divorce.” Shoepp’s strongly socially-conscious lyrics shine powerfully on his anti-sexual assault song “What You Do To Her.”  The album also contains his co-write with Bob Dylan on “On, Wisconsin” though my personal fave is “TV Shows” with its tasty guitar work. In 2021 Schoepp took a pastoral turn on May Day, mixing up the tempo from tune to tune, from the lovely “Paris Syndrome” to the more acid “Hotel Astor.” With song titles like “May Day” “Mr. President, Have Pity on the Working Man” and “My Comrade” there definitely something literary going on here.

Trapper Schoepp – Pins and Needles

And now for the inspiration behind today’s themed post, New York City’s The Great American Novel. These guys have got it all: literary references, wry humour, and hooks galore. The band’s debut Kissing is essentially a concept album revolving around the post-teenage experiences of the group’s creative force, Layne Montgomery. Songs deal with kissing, being good at kissing, sleeping alone, being bad with girls, and wanting to hang out, interspersed with numbers dropping clear literary references. Alienation and ennui? Check. But hold up, the tunes themselves belie such downer labels. “Sleeping Alone” is the peppiest rumination on the theme I’ve ever heard. “American Weekend” is a rollicking poprock romp.”Raymond Carver” lands where pub rock meets new wave, with great organ and background vocal highlights. “Kissing” sounds like it borrowed keyboards from the Penguin Café Orchestra. A year later album number 2 featured a harsher sound and a less coherent concept but the songs were still strong. I’d single out “Wish You Were Beer” and “Rad Education” for special mention. The next seven years would only see the occasional single or EP surface, like the punchy “Teenage Feelings.” In 2021 the band finally turned out a new LP, the very Sloan-ish Extremely Loud and Incredibly Online. The amps are turned up and the songs have a bit more attack: less jokey tentative, more rockin’ you direct. “Grabbin’ a Slice” sounds like 1990s FM radio hit single material. The short cut opener “Bad News, I Still Love You” is a winner too.

Well if today’s post has taught us anything it’s that some acts belt out the tunes and have something to say. In our visually saturated world, that is novel.

Photo courtesy Swizzle Gallery.

Beach blanket singles

23 Thursday Jun 2022

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Beach weather is finally here and nothing goes better with sand, sun, and surf than some suitably summer-proofed tunes. Today we offer 21 suggestions for your latest sun sojourning mixed tape.

A new record from Freedy Johnston is truly an occasion for celebration. He is a master story spinner and songwriter in the vein of John Hiatt, Robbie Fulks, and Elvis Costello. The new record will be called Back on the Road to You, Johnston’s 9th, due out in September. Right now we’ve got the pre-album release single “There Goes a Brooklyn Girl” and it’s a good as anything he’s ever released, with snappy, resonant lead guitar lines and a melodic hook that is teased out and then pulled taut at just the right moments. METZ bandleader Alex Edkins has a new solo project entitled Weird Nightmare and it’s a great big ball of wonderful guitar noise. Don’t let the guitar onslaught opening the second single from the self-titled album fool you, “Luisitania” has some genius pop instincts lurking behind its wall of sound, reminiscent of Catatonia at certain moments. It’s hard to keep up with Franco-American duo Freedom Fry. Seems like they’re putting out a new EP or single every month. I’m just going to hit pause on their many releases to appreciate “Strange for Love” from their May EP of the same name. The snazzy looping guitar licks are just so addictive in a fresh Fleetwood Mac sort of way. The vocal harmonies only reinforce the Lindsay and Stevie comparison. “Down the River” is Chicago’s Ratboys from their reinvented and re-recorded greatest hits collection Happy Birthday Ratboy. It is interesting to compare this latest version with the original. Where the former is somewhat stark and spare, the new version has a lovely pop candy-coating to it, with vocals that vibe The Weepies. Talk about timely tunes, Ireland’s No Monster Club “Waterfight” is just the right dose of that summer feeling. The song is a large bit of goofy fun, sounding very mid-1980s sonically and in its complete lack of seriousness.

Freedy Johnston – There Goes a Brooklyn Girl

Austin’s Phil Dutra writes big songs. I’m talking sweeping soundscapes that are cinematic in their intensity and presentation. His latest single “Is Anybody Home?” conjures images of all those over-the-top 1980s MTV moments full of heartbroken teens, hella-good hair products, and cars driving off into the distance. But wait for the unbreakable hook anchoring the chorus. Dutra knows how to deliver solid melodies, always with a slightly surprising twist. I’ve written about Portland’s Kurt Hagardorn before. He’s a reliably good rock and roll guy who can play in a variety of styles. But his new single is really something else. “Caveat Emptor” exudes 1970s rock and roll boogie time, a bit of CCR, a touch of The Sheepdogs, carried by solidly hooky rhythm guitar work, some tasty horn playing, and a judicious use of cowbell. Words like ‘shimmering’ spring to mind as soon as Mercvrial’s “Be That Someone” hits the turntable. The band is typically filed under the dreampop or shoegaze labels but what I hear is New Order in club dance mode. The driving keyboard riffs just propel the song along. On “Archipelago” from The Dreaded Larimie’s new EP Everything a Girl Could Ask all I can hear are echoes of Jane Siberry, if Siberry had joined The New Pornographers. The band call their sound a mix of power pop and femmecore, which combines slashing guitar chords and dreamy vocals. I call it a winner. Sweden’s Red Sleeping Beauty team up with indie songstress, sometimes economist, Amelia Fletcher on “Solid Gold.” It’s a jaunty number mixing a light Housemartins-style ambling pop sensibility with that reliable Swedish melancholia. Delightful guitar pop for anyone suffering though a bout of nostalgic self regret.

How does power pop legend Tommy Marolda keep sounding so cool? The guy’s been on overdrive since his famous 1979 long-weekend recordings as The Toms became every indie power pop fan’s must-have item. His band is back with a new LP called Stereo comprising 12 melodic pleasers. Currently I can’t get enough of “Atmosphere.” It’s so quirky and fresh-sounding and loaded with hooks. Portland’s Super Hit takes DIY chutzpah to new highs with his exciting deep cut “Run Away With Me.” Ok, this one’s not new. I’ve dug it up from his 2015 EP Pocket Rock. But man it deserves a second look. It kicks off in a pretty low key, sounding like something recorded in a someone’s bedroom register, but 53 seconds in a seriously wicked electric guitar kicks in and it’s deliciously hooky. Think trebly 1960s garage rock, just turned down a little. Sticking with Portland, I’m totally digging Shaylee’s single from last fall, “Ophelia.” The opening guitar work is so cool, sneaky yet delicate, weaving a bluesy-folk lick into your consciousness. By the time full band sound kicked in I was bewitched. The song is about the rush of new, sometimes brief, love and the music manages to mirror the rapturous roller coaster that relationships can be. When you take the Bryds into the 1980s you either get Tom Petty or the Grapes of Wrath, depending on how hard you hit the drums. John Larson and the Silver Fields are in the sweet spot, a little bit country, a whole lot rock and roll, with an accent on jangle on their most recent long-player The Great Pause. What is interesting to me is how different reviewers are raving over totally different tunes on the record. Personally I’m loving “Reversible Heart.” The jangle guitar sparkles and the tune is so Marshall Crenshaw meets Blue Rodeo. On Wide Awake Seattle’s Shake Some Action give the people what they want: jangle-infused psych poprock that shimmers and sparkles with electric energy. And the songs! There’s all the usual 1960s flavours here but I hear quite a good dose of Britpop too. Then there’s “Night Train to Munich,” a seductive gem of tune, its spare use of Rickenbacker nicely framing the haunting melody.

Artist Lucas Nathan is the band Jerry Paper and they are looking to just be themselves. In the case of Nathan that means identifying as non-binary, something the single “Kno Me” touches on. If that messes with your head the message here and on other cuts from the album Free Time is you’re just going to have to live with it. “Kno Me” cops an uber cool stance, challenging what we think we know about the singer and their gender. Meanwhile the chorus is pure pop bliss. When you’ve played with indie royalty like the New Pornographers and Woodpidgeon getting something new off the ground can fight to draw focus. But Frontperson deserves the spotlight. The title track from their new album Parade is so light and frothy, like unpredictable performance art (but not the boring self-indulgent kind). It kicks off so Laurie Anderson before the vocals turn more Joni Mitchell meets, well, the New Pornographers. The song’s got a thoroughly poppy positive vibe, despite the somewhat dire lyrics. You can’t help but feel a bit uplifted after hearing it. Japan’s The Kafers have so nailed the early Beatles sound it’s eerie. And I’ve heard a lot of Beatlesque numbers over the years. “Crying for the Moon Instead” sounds like it’s right off Please Please Me or With the Beatles, it’s got that Crickets-post-Holly vibe with guitars that are so 1963. If you listen to more than a few tunes by Mike Brunacini you’ll hear he’s got a distinctive piano pop thing going on, very Ben Folds. But I like his recent “Summer of 2009” in part because it’s such a departure. Sure it’s got piano but the guitar is pretty much in front for a lot of the tune. I love the variety he puts into performance, adding endearing bits of melodic ornamentation here and there to what is already a pretty strong number. fine.’s last album I’m Glad It’s Over Now is so listenable, the blending of the duo’s vocals a so smooth yet sibilant harmony. But the standout track for me is a bit of different, the so-this-post-topical “South by the Beach” with its accordion-sounding keyboard parts. The overall sound really reminds me of the synth-intimate atmosphere created by the likes of Long Island’s Red Barn.

The Kafers – Crying for the Moon Instead

Song 21 on our beach mix-tape odyssey is from Chris Castino’s new album Brazil. “Chinese Whispers” is a mellifluous pop number in a Paul Simon or Joshua Radin style. It’s a perfect accompaniment to your drive to beach, with the wind in your hair and some good feeling in your heart.

As Jonathan Richman once said, the beach be one of the best things we got. What makes that better? Tunes, of course. Stock up your playlist here!

Jangle Thursday: The Unswept, Man Behind Tree, Kevin Robertson, and West Coast Music Club

16 Thursday Jun 2022

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Time for a triumphant return of Jangle Thursday. Who doesn’t need an ample shot of sparkly guitar and songs bulging with hooks? That’s a rhetorical question. Today’s crew draw from 1960s faves, new wave revivalists, and various janglers who defy categorization. Set your reverb on those amps to maximum!

On Fast Casual Chicago’s The Unswept break out of their post-Beatles comfort zone to try a host of different song styles and sounds. Opening cut “You Keep Me Company” makes this clear, kicking things off with some early-Cars-era stripped-down guitar, handclaps and spacey synth. But then “Got Lucky” recalibrates the vibe, combining jangle and an Americana elan, particularly on the vocals. After that the change-ups just keep on coming: sunny pop in a Herman’s Hermits register on “Please Don’t Waste My Time,” a garage version of the Ohio Express with “Cheugy Choo Choo,” some Stonesy rhythm guitar defining a classic sounding rock and roll male/female duet on “Sometimes Always,” and so on. “Try to Forget You” simply rocks like it’s 1965 again with a killer guitar lead line hook. Really though, the record’s backbone is the series of seriously good lowkey poprock songs: “Lucinda Luann,” a cover of the Smithereens’ “Something New,” and my personal fave “Suggestion.” Other songs like “Forgot That Day” and “Codependent” remind me of California melodic rock wonders The Popravinas, specifically the distinctive vocal sound. Then for something different there’s “We’re Gonna Split” with its more ominous delivery and harmonic quality. Fast Casual is an LP seeing The Unswept taking chances and coming up aces.

Berlin, Germany’s Man Behind Tree describe themselves as a power/noise pop band, layering vocal harmonies over fuzzed out guitars. That’s definitely here on the band’s new album 3 but there’s so much more. Overall the sound is caught somewhere between San Francisco 1968 and side-trips to a host of bands also influenced by that period. The record begins with “California Zephyr,” a track that seems to draw more from discordant art rock than jangle, noisy but still alluring. With “Bird Survivors” the band channels a more recognizable late 1960s sound, one clearly on its way to country rock. “Picture Your Old Friends” is different again, starting simple and stark, adding a lead guitar with an ear-wormy tone and some fattened up vocals, sounding a bit CSN&Y meets Big Star. By contrast, “Japanese Mopeds” and “Better Now You Got It” feel more Teenage Fanclub to me. The 1960s California vibe is back on “Just Like Everyone” and “Can’t Stop Drinking” with their slightly more discordant take on the Byrds. Then there’s a departure on “86 Mustang” with its more rollicking pace and 1980s British indie feel. Man Behind Tree definitely dial up the excitement on 3. Things sound familiar but this is a band turning their influences into something new.

Surely the hardest working man in Aberdeen, Scotland show-business, Vapour Trails honcho Kevin Robertson is a back with another slice of delicious solo work. Teaspoon of Time is as jangle-loaded as any of his full band efforts but here the songs are crafted with a more delicate emphasis and serene execution. “Tough Times (Feel Like That)” opens things with a lonely electric 12 string riff that sounds very middle ages folk-music before breaking out into familiar Bryds/CS&N territory. “Trippin’ Back” is definitely the single, leaning on that 1980s folk rock revival sound and adding some funky keyboard lines. There are a few interesting excursions too, like the Sgt. Pepper-meets-Moody Blues atmosphere all over “Psychedelic Wedding Song” or the jazzy lead guitar extemporizations adding to the basic folk rock formula on “Forty-Five Losing Street.” And there’s a lot here that we’ve just come to love from this performer, like the Teenage Fanclub gene buried in “Rather Hide” or the nice, easy-going jangle guitar that defines “Sleepy Island Sounds” and “Magnify the Sun” or the spot-on late 1960s song structures and sounds of “Don’t You Dwell” and “Misty Dew Soaked Mountains.” Robertson is seeimgly unstoppable, reliably turning out amazing 1960s-influenced tunes. Teaspoon of Time will have you thinking the ‘be-in’ never ended.

West Kirby’s West Coast Music Club take our jangle theme into a more industrial direction, drawing from the usual folk rock suspects but sometimes adding a dollop of Jesus and Mary Chain. It gives the mix a bit of dissonance, an edge that says ‘turn this amp up to 11.’ The formula is all over album opener “Fanclub Favourite.” You can also hear it “Ouija Doll” and the rocking “Serendipity.” These sound like they emanate from a noise-poprock subgenre, so cleverly do the band hang on to the thread of the melodic hooks through the rocking haze. Some songs like “Now or Never” ply their jangle with a punky Rank and File looseness while others like “Faded Scrapbook” sounds like Bob Mould in a mellow mood. At other times the group just offer up strong 1960s-influenced guitar pop e.g. “Here It Comes Again” and “If You Only Knew,” the latter delivered in a Billy Bragg vocal style. This is another winning long-player ferried across the Mersey.

I don’t know about you but my ears are ringing, but in a good way. Add a bit of sparkle to your playlist by adding these bands to your must-hear list this jangle Thursday.

Southern tour: Television Man, Billiards!, The Windbreakers and Mattiel

12 Sunday Jun 2022

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Now that live music has opened up again it’s time for me to take that long delayed southern tour I’ve been promising myself. Welcome fellow travelers to a melodious excursion through the American deep south with a whistle stop in each of four bottom southeastern states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.

We begin our tour in Lafayette Louisiana with the guitar fabulous Television Man. Their 2017 long-player Always is packed full of great tunes leavened with some seriously tasty guitar work, super riffy and yet a bit chill at the same time. Opening track “Pay No Mind” is boppy fun while “Just Can’t Get Around” works a nice Bond riff into the tune. “Gator Girl” seems so Louisiana appropriate. But my choice cut here is the hooky guitar crash-out that is “Always” with its scent of Weezer. Hitting the road to Mississippi we time travel back to the 1980s to spend time with The Windbreakers, a band favourably compared to other southern alt-poprock contemporaries like REM. Their 1985 album Terminal is seen by many as their peak but I’m also partial to their 1991 farewell Electric Landlady (not to be confused with a similarly named album from Kirsty MacColl the same year). “Changeless” from the former is so mid-1980s in a Rank and Rile or True West sort of way while “The Girl From Washington” from the latter is more a Byrdsian throwback.

Moving on to Birmingham Alabama Billiards! have got a guitar sound found somewhere between the early to mid-period Beatles and the Monkees. Their 2019 self-titled debut is a bit of beat group revivalism that still manages to sound fresh and new. “Realize” has a touch of psych pop while “Just to be With You Tonight” has a folk rock touch. But ultimately it’s opening cut “Please Tell Her” that really grabs me with its hooky lead line and relentless swing. A year later their EP1 features a slightly tougher sound but is still folky psychedelic, vibing more 1968 than the previously dominant 1966. Heading off to Georgia we slide into Atlanta in time to catch the latest from Mattiel. The new album is Georgia Gothic but titles can be deceiving. Sure tracks like “Blood in the Yolk” and “Other Plans” have gothic-y feel. But so much of the album has a spirited spring to its step. Opening cut and early release single “Jeff Goldblum” motors along with an angelic cadence to the vocals and great guitar shots. Songs like “You Can Have It All” and “Lighthouse” have got hooks galore. My current album fave is “On The Run” with its psychedelic western vibe and a vocal that is so Neko Case meets Susan Jacks.

Our brief tour of the American south suggests there much more to the southern music scene than plastic country and good old boys. They’ve also got guitars, Cadillacs and some seriously hooky material to boot.

1920s American southern regional map fragment excerpted from Asprey’s Atlas of the World (London: Asprey, 1920), page 135, courtesy Maps Etc.