Category Archives: Poprock Themepark

Spin the big wheel

16 Sunday Nov 2025

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

There are so many great acts and accompanying singles, EPs, and albums coming at me I really can’t keep up. So today we play catch up and throw in a word or two about a host of great releases I’ve been sitting on. You can just spin the big wheel and drop in anywhere.

Indianapolis fuzz pop outfit Wishy are pushing the faders into the red all over their Planet Popstar EP. Opening cuts “Fly” and “Planet Popstar” offer up a bevy of distorted guitar hooks and vocals. “Over and Over” then cleans up the sound in a Sugar Ray sort of way. The EP shifts back and forth between a fuzzy and more pristine dreamy demeanor. LA band Momma also do dreamy but with a more conventional rock and roll backing on Welcome to My Blue Sky. Surefire single “Rodeo” launches with a killer lead guitar hook only to soften things up with a smooth, seductive vocal. “New Friend” is more soft, lilting acoustic guitar pop. Turning on Amazing Space’s recent album Parallel Dreams you’d be hard pressed to guess they’re from Bergen, Norway. They’ve really got the Americana sound down. The title track “Parallel Dreams” could be the Eagles. But other tracks diverge a bit from this formula. “Surrounded by the Absence” has great new wave-ish keyboards while “Go Easy On Me” vibes a dream-wash sibilance reminding me of fellow Swede The School Book Depository. Regina, Saskatchewan’s Christopher Sleightholm celebrates all things sunny and laid back on Still Summer. The style is 1960s reinvention with layers of jangle, pedal steel and Beatlesque melodic turns. “Summer Eyes” is so jangliciously Byrds. “Peppermint Fields” tips things toward the Bryds’ country turn. There’s also some serious instrumental guitar work here on tracks like “Hoppin’ Thru The Bog in Fog” and “Coyote at the Trailhead.”

It’s tough when a member of band becomes hugely popular and for something that has nothing to do with music. But that is the story of Post Animal when Stranger Things actor Joe Keery left the group in 2017. After a few albums apart Keery is now back with the band for a new album entitled Iron. The sound is very contemporary indie rock: sleek, intimate and subtley hooky. Obvious LP single is the singalong-ish “The Last Goodbye.” On Scarecrow II The Telephone Numbers dial up some serious jangle pretty consistently over the course of the LP. Standout jangling can be found on “Pulling Punchlines” with its propulsive wall-of-guitars sound and Grapes of Wrath vocals. “Goodbye Rock and Roll” is another standout. Taking things up to 11 for a moment Melvic Centre let a strong guitar grind wallpaper their album Trawler. But offsetting that are some great vocal harmonies. “First to Know” showcases how brilliantly these seemingly dissonant qualities can come together. While much of the album shades toward punk “Late Riser” and “Muddy Mae Suggins” unleash some serious melodic hooks. For me, Lawn’s new record God Made the Highway really takes off at track 3 with “Davie” and its ringing lead guitar work. “Barroom Wonder” is another lead guitar workout, deliciously drawing you in.

New Massage LP Coaster is a wildly inventive time-trip through an 1980s ambience that doesn’t sound in any way derivative. “No North Star” is Madchester jangly while “Daffy Duck” has a distinct New Order-ish vibe. “Without Your Love” has the period’s guitar tone down pat. Basically, the whole record envelopes you like a favourite fuzzy sweater. Durham UK’s Fortitude Valley have dropped some serious stylistic intensity into their recent Part of the Problem, Baby release. The guitar attack and pacing is relentless while the vocals ride over the musical drone with a distinctive air. Sometimes things are poppy, as on “Video (Right There With You).” Sometimes they are dissonant, like on “Totally.” Solid should-be hit single is “Sunshine State.” Nashville’s The Medium go all in for the team on their EP Sports! The atmosphere here is very Todd Rundgren meets 10cc, a 1970s compressed pop sound, particularly on “Feel the Dream” and “We’ve Got a Winner.” “Gimme Some Gas” is more a seventies rock and roll romp. Then “Me and My Glove” could be Harry Nilsson. Ottawa’s fanclubwallet shift the mood again to something more intimate and conversational on Living While Dying. This vibe is more contemporary, with compressed keyboard and hushed vocals. I love the hypnotic keyboard drone driving “Head On” forward. Then there’s the lush pop sound of “Do Over” with its otherworldly theremin solo. “New Distraction” sounds like the radio-ready song.

Get ready for some ripping reverb when you spin The Berries self-titled long-player The Berries. This is a guitar album, with fabulous nuanced amplifier tones all over its 10 tracks. Just check out the gorgeous spaciousness of the languid lead guitar guiding “Angelus.” Or there’s the striking back and forth between the guitar and vocals defining “Salt of the Earth.” I love the rippling Blue Oyster Cult-like lead guitar lines on “Lie in the Fire Again.” Toronto’s Vanity Mirror infuse a late 1960s psychedelic pop spirit over a lot of the tracks populating their Super Fluff Forever LP. It’s there strongly on “White Butterfly” while “Jack of All Trades” hits the Velvet Underground groove hard. But others lean into whimsy and piano. Or there’s “I Don’t Want to Hold Your Hand,” a brilliant inversion of Merseybeat sentiments. Sweet Nobody strike a more cinematic pose on Driving Off to Nowhere. The mood here is decisively moody, the vibe all indirect lighting and overflowing ennui. It’s there from the stark opening of “I Don’t Know When I’ll See You Again.” Mixing things up, a rippling guitar lead line gives “Revenge” a pulse-racing feel. “Home Sweet Hell” leans into a dark country vein. “Could You Be the One” sounds hit single-ish to me. Maura Weaver’s second solo album Strange Devotion is a collection of constant surprises. Each song is a carefully crafted sonic illustration, balancing both harmony and dissonance. “Cool Imagination” is the kind of song you instantly want to sing along with. “Do Nothing” is a brilliant example of alluring melodic minimalism. Meanwhile you also have tracks like “Breakfast” that go in a country direction.

I’ve spun the wheel on these fabulous albums, showcasing a few great tunes. But why take my word for it? Dig into the deep cuts on these LPs for yourself by hitting the hotlinks to the full album experience on bandcamp.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Mad as hell and not going to take it anymore

30 Thursday Oct 2025

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, ,

America: it is the best of countries, it is the worst of countries. Its bully face is on full display right now and has been in full force ever since 2025 became a thing. But the country’s silver lining can always be found wherever good people push back against the bullies. Like today’s featured artists. Each one draws a musical line in the sand with wit, compassion, and more than a few good hooks.

On their self-titled solo album debut Dish Pit Violet take aim at capitalism, bigotry, organized religion, the American Dream, and whole lot more. And seldom are such topics taken up with such delicious stylistic variety. “Hi I’m Violet” kicks things off with a Magnetic Fields kind of lyrical directness mapped against an incrementally expanding musical backdrop. It effectively sets the tone for what’s coming: straight-up social commentary set to alluring music. Violet then offers a truly liberatory take on success with “You Are My American Dream,” asking ‘can I get my kicks outside of this capitalist framework?’ and answering ‘I get my kicks when I talking to you.’ But the analysis goes deeper, noting that ‘working for someone else’s dollar, it will become your collar.’ Insight worthy of old German philosophers everywhere! By song #3 we’re primed for “Nobody’s Better,” the big production, crowd-singalong number and the album’s obvious single. It oozes the elan of those early 1980s dance numbers that defied categorization but still filled the dance floor. The bass line here really ties things together. For a second helping of singalong time check out “Rough String” and it’s catchy chorus. From there the album shakes things up, vibing a host of possible influences. “I Hate It When I Do That” exudes an airy Talking Heads kind of simple sophistication to my ears. “Back Up” launches right into some synth dance beats reminiscent of 1980s Soft Cell. “Tip-Top-Drop-Dead-Knock-Out” is the closest thing to a conventional pop song here and it’s still wonderfully eccentric. In terms of single-age, “I Hope I’m Ready For You” gets my vote with its hypnotic looping synth hooks. The LP draws to a close with two nouvelle vaudeville numbers, “You Picked Jesus Over Me” and “Sweetheart,” the latter offering some light McCartney-esque shading. Don’t let the garden-scene cover fool you, Dish Pit Violet is a record that mixes sharp hooks, biting commentary, and a whole lot of heart.

I’ve been a fan of David Woodard for a number of albums and EPs and with each release he tweaks what he’s doing in some interesting way. Everything Belongs maintains his unerring power pop chops but adds a layer of political insight that flashes a high degree of lyrical artistry. Take “Freedom Fries,” a rollicking rock number where Woodard sings ‘we grew up deep fried American, even the food was partisan’ where [we] ‘believed in truth and fries, served with a side of lies.’ Clearly Woodard is not holding back. The album opens with “Everything That’s Wrong with Everything,” a song whose ambitious scope reminds me of Alabama’s Lolas in both melody and message. “Scapegoat” is more of a chord cruncher that runs against the bully grain of American’s current dominant political strain. Then “Everything Belongs” guitar blasts through the hypocrisy of organized exclusion that is much of what passes for faith in today’s America. “Myth of a Nation” is even more hard hitting, calling out America’s bait and switch approach when it comes to immigrants and opportunity. “Metastupid World” leans into its critique of America’s current world leader pretend. However, the record is not all three-chord Chomsky lectures (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Woodard does pause to enthuse about “Coffee Houses” and “Baseball Cards.” Most importantly, the songs are brimming with his signature poppy hooks. And that’s gotta mean more satisfying fist-waving at those demos.

Minneapolis, Minnesota strummer Samuel Wilbur describes his latest album Ivory Tower as an ‘anti-capitalist end-of-the-world Rock Soap Opera,’ a description that really captures the critique suffusing nearly every song here. Sometimes it’s obvious, as on “Everything’s Falling Apart” or “Social Security Number.” But other tracks like “Hornet’s Nest” work up a metaphor to convey its message about inequality and the groupthink of those who struggle to maintain it.  Stylistically, the record is harder to define, the material toggling back and forth between Americana and a cosmopolitan pop vibe. Opening cut “Everything’s Falling Apart” exemplifies this genre-crossing practice, nodding to 1980s English guitar bands while throwing in some American indie rusticity. “Social Security Number” gives voice to the information exhaustion we all feel with the endless requests for all manner of identification, with guest vocalist Dani Michaele casting quite a different spell over the band sound. Another guest vocalist Meghan Kreidler gives a modern Kate Bush wash to “Ivory Tower” while “The Remainder” begins all Beatles before heading into the 1990s. By contrast, “Tired” moves entirely into a modern pop indie sound, sometimes grinding along, sometimes offering sweetness itself. The record ends with a rumination on consumption in “Everything Repeats,” wondering if we can stop ourselves before it’s too late.

Art is another way to do politics. It can be hard-hitting, insightful and definitely more fun than door-knocking. Help spread the word!

Photo ‘House of Women’ film still courtesy James Vaughn Flikr collection.

A little fright music

25 Saturday Oct 2025

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Throughout the year I try to set aside seasonal songs for a range of holidays and I have to say the quality and quantity of Halloween fare has been steadily improving. Here’s a spate of fright night singles and a top rank compilation album dedicated to chilling, thrilling and haunting your playlist. Candy not included.

Justin Kerecz says he’s living in “Devil Town.” The song kicks off with a mournful tone, almost Springsteen-esque. But things pick up halfway through, adding drama and depth. Toronto’s The Suffragettes rewrite a classic classical-music instrumental as “Satan’s Holiday,” leaning heavily on surf guitar. And they don’t spare the tremelo. It’s corpse cool for sure. Bloodshot Bill takes us back to a 1950s rockabilly monster rock with “Meet the Count.” Goofy but offset with deadly hip lead guitar work. Victoria’s The Origin strike some lighter pop notes on their winsome track “So You Think You Can Necromance.” I love the wordplay! A dip into Crater Creek’s Horror Anthology could expose you to some chilling screamcore. But the two songs featured here are anything but. “Caveman” is 25 seconds of blistering narrative development while “See Through” adds a Beach Boys beach-party campfire feel to a lovelorn ghost’s failure to connect with his human target. And it can’t be Halloween without an appearance from those reliable holiday pop punksters Vista Blue. “I Didn’t Get Invited to the Halloween Party” works on so many levels. It draws from neo-1950s disaster song motifs, elevating and intensifying the elements with a 1990s punky panache. These guys never get old (hm? Are they zombies?).

The major event this Halloween music season comes from Big Stir Records in the form of a compilation album entitled Chilling, Thrilling Hooks and Haunted Harmonies. The record contain 41 tracks, divided between 21 songs by different acts associated with the Big Stir stable of artists and 20 short spoken word/sound affects ‘link’ tracks that give the package a semblance of a thematic show. The album is an obvious homage to the 1964 Disneyland Records release Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House, right down the spoken word/sound effects components and a cover clearly inspired by Paul Wenzel’s distinctive artwork from the original. But it is the music that makes this release so special. Let’s face it, thematic holiday albums can often feel like forced, slapdash affairs. Not this one. The 21 original tunes here are quality power pop, holiday or not. Opening musical cut “Ghoul You Want” from Librarians With Hickeys sets the bar high with its subtle, smooth Zombies elan. This is the hit single, surely. Not that the other 19 songs aren’t worthy of maximum Halloween-radio rotation. Really, this is such a solid collection of songs, though more than I can cover in detail here. Instead I’ll just single out three more tracks that really caught my ear. First up I’d draw attention to Splitsville’s “I Was a Teenage Frankenstein.” Plenty of power in the pop here, melding melody-rich vocals with striking rhythm guitars. Then The Gold Needles crank up some hypnotic lead guitar lines on  “Ghost in the Airwaves.” I love hearing the reverby guitars ring. Last on, The Incurables give us a throwback to that 1950s meets seventies garage rock on “Halloween Bride.” The album’s short spoken-word segments performed by The Pepper’s Ghost Players could have descended into cringey cheese but instead evoke the fun over-the-top melodrama of 1960s monster movies. Chilling, Thrilling Hooks and Haunted Harmonies is a fabulous collection, lovingly crafted, expertly executed, and nicely priced. It’s a must-have double-album addition to your vinyl, CD, or digital music crypt.

I do the love the cheese of early 1960s fright night music/entertainment and, as you can see here, that tradition remains alive and well. Click on the links above to stock up on Halloween tunes while letting I. Jeziak and the Surfers guide you musically to the exits with their All Hallows’ Eve instrumental “Mummy Walk.”

Photo courtesy Kristina Alexanderson Flikr collection.

Carnival Treats: Uncle Funkle, The Lemons, Eerie Wanda, and Bloodshot Bill

19 Sunday Oct 2025

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Fall fairs abound in the small towns of many nations, with booths oscillating between the obvious and the obscene. In popular culture the ‘carnival’ particularly is often off the beaten track. In that spirit we offer up some musical acts that ride a fine line between family entertainment and not-ready-for-prime-time playing.

Let’s start with the most unready for prime time candidate, Uncle Funkle. The album is called Portrait of My Penis – need I say more? The album appears to have 46 tracks but nearly half amount to 30 seconds or so of AM radio send ups. And I’m not going to even try to capture what is going on here artistically. Every kind of style gets a look in, if only briefly, while the lyrical themes are typically wacky, decidedly unserious, and often obscene. But there are some good tunes and hilarious lyrics here. “Wilderness Survival” mocks end-of-times survivalists with a sing-along gusto. The electric guitars propelling “There’s Still Guitars in Country Music” seem to defy the ostensible genre-nod happening here but I’ll take them. “Last Night’s Dinner” is a 1950s derivative pop novelty number. And then late in the game comes a song that really rocks things up. “It’s All a Game” is the kind of a song that gets music nerds arguing about just where to draw the line between hard rock and power pop. Uncle Funkle may not be for everyone but the band is a great goofy blast in small doses.

Going in a totally different direction, The Lemons are suitable for everybody from kindergarten to the old folks home. The sound is seventies DIY, a bit folk rocky meets bubblegum pop. These guys could sub for the house band over at Schoolhouse Rocks, for sure. Another Yellow World is the group’s first record of originals in a decade and essentially takes up where they left off. These are mostly pretty pop tunes meant to be squeezed out of a small AM transistor radio speaker playing somewhere outside. Opening cut “Lemonade” is sweetness itself distilled into a minute and 16 seconds of melody. “I Love Lee” is so late 1960s radio ready while “Laura” begs to be a campfire crowd singalong. Despite the consistent aural texture of these recordings, there is variety. “Over and Over” reminds me of The Archies whereas “Honey” marries a brittle Byrds riffing to a stark vocal. Just when you think you’ve the measure of what is going here “My Submarine” throws in a garage rock feel. Closing track “Tallulah Falls” is real departure with its strong country vibe.

Dutch/Croatian artist Marina Tadic really is an original. Her Eerie Wanda records combine a performance art temperament with a folk pop aesthetic akin to Laurie Anderson, Suzanne Vega and Canadian Jane Siberry. Her best known work appears to be 2019’s Pet Town, a low key collection of sly tunes that gesture toward so many styles without really committing to any. It’s like the songs just take the shading but Tadic’s own inimitable songwriting and performance really define everything. Take “Rockabiller” as an example. It keeps us edging toward a more rocking blowout but Tadic never lets go the reins. The magic here is often in the subtle deployment of sounds. “Hands of the Devil” features a hypnotic use of handclaps. Opening cut and title track “Pet Town” gives you the whole treatment with a light, almost pixie-like playful array of strumming, keyboard notes and overlapping vocals. If there could a single from this collection, it would be the seductive “Magnetic Woman.” The project’s debut album Hum also has some great tunes, like the 1950s throwback “I am Over Here” and the Tristan-esque “The Reason.” By contrast, 2022’s Internal Radio moves in a decidedly more experimental direction.

Slip the needle onto Montreal native Bloodshot Bill’s latest album So Fed Up and you could be forgiven for locating him somewhere well south of the Mason-Dixon line. But as the presser for his 19th album spells it out, the sound is “equal parts wild-eyed ‘50s punk, greasy garage rock, and untamed hillbilly howl.” So in that sense it sorta belongs to everyone. And you’re gonna want a piece of this party platter. Things launch with the rockabilly dancer “Talk to You” before steadying the groove expertly on “Kissin Underwater.” “Rule Book” will get those heels kicking up pronto. “Say What You Want to Say” is just a classic 1950s country warbler. The slickest should-be radio single here would probably be “It Happens.” Personally I just love the guitar tones on this disc. “Please Don’t Break My Heart” kicks off with a Johnny Horton rockabilly guitar lead line before settling into a Nervous Norvus-style vocal. “The Very Thought of You” evokes the classic country sound Nashville seems to have forgotten with just a drop of John Fogerty-style swamp. Stumbling across Bloodshot Bill all I can say is ‘what a find!’

You’ve strolled down the midway at our online carnival and the treats are on display. Go ahead. Indulge yourself.

Photo ‘Almost Blues’ courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

I get mail: Elvis Eno, Star Collector, Rumble Strip, and many more!

07 Tuesday Oct 2025

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

It seems so old school but mail still regularly arrives, bills and grocery fliers mostly. Not so many envelopes with cheques as there used to be unfortunately. Luckily the electronic mail sack shows no sign of losing its girth. People write to tell me about their music and that gets me scribbling this note to you.

John Dunbar keeps exploring his alter ego Elvis Eno, mirroring the career of a slightly more famous not-from-Memphis Elvis on his recent LP I’ll See Myself Out. As other Elvis recorded an album with a classically minded quartet so too does this one with The Fragment Quartet. The effect is striking but underneath it all everything comes down to the songs. Here the stand out track for me is “A Lady of an Uncertain Age.” So XTC with a dash of Moody Blues. Ed Woltil has a new duo pairing, this time working with Kirk Adams to deliver a new LP Eat the Sunshine, Drink the Starshine. The record has got a well-crafted 1970s pop sound to my ears with so many interesting adornments tucked in here and there. “Last Call 4 Lost Dogs” is an exquisite mediation on pop tune-age with a bit swing. On album #7 Vancouver’s Star Collector have lost none of their star quality. The band kick out the jams on a number of rockers here but I’m loving the more low-key tunes. “Overblown” has a gentle pacing and lilting melody while “The Best Thing” is sunny poprock tossing off hooks like sparks.

Rumble Strip return with their affecting mix of folk and roots music on Sayonara, Baby. The songs are varied and maximum fun. “It Could Always Be Worse” sounds so Huey Lewis and News while “Uber Driver” has a vaudeville quality. “Adam West” is a great character-driven pop song. But the top track here gives the LP its name. Get a load of the deep psychedelic vibes coming your way from Seattle’s Acapulco Lips. Like The Primitives but with a more distortion pedal. “You Won’t” is from the band’s recent long-player Now and it just brims with pop excitement, driven by some fabulous reverb-drenched lead guitar work. It’s been awhile since we heard from Jonathan Rundman singing about librarians and such. Now he’s making Waves as his new release denotes and it’s an approachable mix of rootsy tunes with surprising hooks. “Veronika Ann” has a very Freedy Johnson feel while “Let’s Put on a Opera” is curio pop sophistication.

I’m a sucker for piano only albums. There is something stripped-down and reduced to essentials about a guy tickling the keys with just his voice for contrast. On Rich Restaino’s new record 88s and Heartaches: A Solo Piano Retrospective he goes out on solo piano limb and makes it work. “Drunk on the Company Dime” draws out the rich shades that only a piano can provide with lyrics that perfectly drape the tune.

Just popping this into the internet post for you. And you can carry on the chain mail with nary a stamp required. Just hit those hyperlinks for an express post to the music of your choice.

Photo ‘I wrote you a letter but forgot to mail it’ courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Shopping for singles

02 Thursday Oct 2025

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Back in the day the big decision was whether to pick up a 45 or go for the whole album. If you knew you were going to like it, the album was definitely the better deal financially. But in the era of physical product it was often hard to needle-drop across the full LP before ponying up the cash. Thankfully those days are over! Now you can sample these 21 new tunes with no commitment at all.

Brooklyn’s Cut Worms dial up the country vibe on their recent 45 “Evil Twin” in a very Wilco way, accent on acoustic guitars and tasty electric lead guitar licks. Game Theory are one of those legendary great lost bands whose fan base mostly consists of other musicians. Chris Richards and the Subtractions cover the band’s “Make Any Vows” with the loving care of real fans. The tune really suits their clashy guitar sound. Australian Gavin Bowles is not shy about sharing the details of his lady problems. This time his band Gavin Bowles and the Distractions lays it out on “She Hates My Guts.” Ouch. Plenty of ringing lead guitar lines and sad sack lyrics of the most enjoyable kind. The career of Daisy House is proof positive the charts are not just. Their ability to conjure up the best elements of the 1960s was unparalleled. Still, band leader Doug Hammond manages to find a few lost tracks here and there, like the striking ballad “The Seducer.” The aura is so Netflix Elizabethan-period drama love-scene. Check out the appetizing lead guitar work luring you in to Invisible Rays’ recent stand-alone single “I Don’t Dream of You.” The Boston combo are just so reliably good.

It was really hard to pick just one song to feature from Toronto’s The Young Novelists new album These Dark Canyons. At first I thought I’d go with the Americana-ish “All My Friends Are Leaving.” Then I was struck by the strong new wave hooks defining “Gimme Your Love.” But then I heard “Run Away” and that was it. The song kicks off very Golden Seals before settling into a sing-along chorus. You can always rely on Peter Yorn for something a bit different but still hooky. On “Ana Capri” you’ve got an AM radio chorus wrapped in verses that take up an inventive, intriguing soundscape. Have we got time for an oldie? If it’s Robert Ellis Oral the answer has to be yes. “Love’s On the Way” is from his 1986 album The War Between Us and it time-trips me back to a very special kind of poprock, one that could combine commercial chops with ear wormy hooks. Time to get back to the garage for some down and dirty rock that never loses grip on its magnetic melodic undercurrent. The Low Spirits “Can’t Love You Back” is a distilled drink of 1966. Another pull from the past is a song from Dave Paulson’s 2018 Tommy Boy themed album Sandusky, Ohio. “Don’t Let It Get You Down” sounds like a 1970s singer-songwriter romp, oscillating between different instruments and pacing while falling somewhere between Gilbert O’Sullivan and ELO.

Toronto’s Nicky Koro gets his jangle on with his recent summer 45 “Dreamin’.” Wow, this track has got ‘classic’ stamped all over its 2 minutes and 22 seconds. The shimmery guitars and seductive vocals meld together so pop perfectly. Not everyone in The Jerrys is named Jerry. The gal in their recent song “Kentucky Girl” may not even be from Kentucky. What we do know is the band combines an infectious hit of Merseybeat with the folk pop sensibility of bands like The Lilac Time. Nothing seems to be able arrest the creative energy of Power Pop Hall of Famers The Spongetones and that is a very good thing. Their most recent album is a 40th anniversary concert that also includes three newly recorded songs. They’re all so good it seems almost churlish to highlight one over another. Nevertheless, I’m leaning toward “Lulu’s In Love” as my current fave (but that could change by next week). More Toronto? Yes please. Ontario’s capital city gives us Octoberman and his indie folk rumination implicating “Harry Nilsson.” Things get a bit rocky in the middle but I’ve always like that kind of folkie flexibility from acts like Hayden and this one. Man has this band Pouts got the mid-sixties British Invasion sound down, with just a bit Britpop coating. “Stay Awhile” swings along, largely carried by its rhythm guitar with break out lead guitar lines adorning all the non-vocal spaces. Delightful!

Mark Ward’s new stand-alone track “I Don’t Care” launches hard with loud guitars before melting into a melody-drenched chorus. The overall feel is very early 1980s melodic rock while the sentiment is good old fashioned social critique. Grrrl Gang are an Indonesian force of nature. Their music is super-charged and danceable while their melodies are positively delectable. “O, My Love” is brimming with energy and insight – another winner, for sure. If we want to genre-shift to something a bit more homey and old time country-meets-rock and roll then The International Treasures fit the bill. “Last Regret” would have made a good number for the Everlys but this version is pretty sweet too. I’m getting my Canadian content in today, particularly from my own Toronto neighbourhood. Ron Sexsmith has a new album out and it is everything you’d expect: wistful, aching, and packed full of memorable melodies. I’m hitting replay on “It’s Been Awhile,” which captures my own longing for more Sexsmith material over the years. Another band with a new album are The Mommyheads. No Quietus is another installment of intelligent pop music, played with the pop sophistication of an XTC or Tally Hall. Check out “It’s Only Life” to get a taste of this superior pop product.

Ron Sexsmith “It’s Been Awhile”

One more time to the Toronto well for a wrap on our 21 single salute with Pony’s seismic song “Superglue.” This one has got the gloss, the shimmer, and the cheeky alluring hooks that just keep coming and coming. Surrender to the total sonic wash going on here.

Single shopping was never so easy as this. No salesman will call. Just hit on the hyperlinks and pile up your purchases from the comfort of your own couch.

Photo ‘Bruntsfield at night’ courtesy Bryonv2 Flikr collection.

A decade of Poprock Record

04 Thursday Sep 2025

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years since I started writing Poprock Record in 2015. When I began I was concerned about posting enough and finding enough material. With 740 posts mounted over the past decade and nearly half a million words written about pop rock it would appear that neither issue has proven to be a problem. What I couldn’t have anticipated is how much I would learn about a music genre I thought I had a pretty good handle on or how much I would enjoy shining a light on so many talented people and their fabulous music. Sure it’s been a challenge keeping the blog going amidst all the rival demands from life, work, family and crazy world events. But just when I was feeling a bit over-stretched I’d usually come across some absolutely killer hook-filled single that I knew I had to feature pronto. This place has also been a great outlet for creativity, commentary and a good deal of silliness. Whether riffing on popular culture or drawing in themes from my day job (politics!), coming up with new and novel themes for posts and making them work has made me a better writer. I discuss all these issues in my five year anniversary post here so I won’t belabour the points again. Suffice it to say, I’m still loving finding new music. I still feel that teenage excitement when a song really grabs me with a solid hook. And that makes me want to see the artist succeed and share it far and wide.

To celebrate producing a decade of Poprock Record I want to return to just one song from each of those ten years. I’m not saying these were the best song of the year or necessarily my favourite (though I’m not saying they weren’t either), they’re just a taste to remind me and you of where we’ve been or, if you’re just joining us now, what you’ve missed (but can still catch up on). Think of it as a Poprock Record sampler album. Hyperlinks will take you to the original post while the songs themselves appear below.

Family of the Year (2015) blew me away with their single “Make You Mine.” It’s such a perfectly crafted poprock single. Commercial without being derivative, it’s the kind of ear worm that compels you to hit repeat. Public Access TV (2016) demonstrates the stretch of our focus to acts with grittier, alternative tracks like “On Location.” Wiretree (2017) take this even further giving a very contemporary stamp to the vibe on “J.F. Sebastian.” But who am I kidding? So much of what I cover features cleverly recycled and reinvented motifs from the 1960s. Case in point, Daisy House (2018) on “Open Your Eyes.” The elements may be transported from another decade but they come together with timeless impact. If I could bottle Jeff Shelton’s sonic wash you’d have my blog in one readily consumable form. His band The Well Wishers (2019) “Feelin Fine” is poprock adrenaline from start to end.

Family of the Year – Make You Mine
Public Access TV – On Location

Gregory Pepper (2020) taps into another strong vein taken up on this blog: outsider and baroque pop themes. His songs are literate without being pretentious. The instruments are all over the map and the songs themselves nearly always short and concise. “Unchained Mystery” is from his brilliant concept album I Know Now Why You Cry. Jangle is another strong hue that appears in post after post, Scottish jangle particularly. I started with Dropkick but when their related band The Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness (2021) got going, it was heaven. “Don’t Mind” reflects well on their oeuvre. Then there are acts that hit the hooks hard, all the while sounding so pleasant. Dazy’s (2022) “Rollercoaster Ride” is an earworm central example. I also love when acts remake the genre with a bit of verve. Strange Neighbors’ (2023) “Hotline Psychic” is fun and hilarious and oh so catchy. Another poprock seam widely mined here are acoustic numbers, broadly defined.  “Morning Sun” by Used (2024) is gentle and lilting but no less engaging.

Used – Morning Sun

There you have ten years in ten songs. That makes sense if we’re counting years September to August. But if we’re counting calendar years this blog’s coverage has actually fallen across eleven (2015-2025). So I feel the need to squeeze in another choice. Keyside (2025) are a great example of how the basic rock and roll guitar combo remains appealing to some in the new generations. Their single “Nikita” is terrific blast of guitar pop goodness.

Let me end by thanking the artists. It’s been great promoting your work and interacting with so many of you over the years. Here’s to another decade of championing your music! And to my readers, thanks for coming along, your positive comments, and sending in so many great suggestions. You ultimately make this all worthwhile.

Pull up the covers

09 Saturday Aug 2025

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Covers can feel like an artistic cheat. Why write something new when there’s a wealth of material out there that’s already proven to be popular? But covers can be an equally exquisite creative outlet in the right artistic hands. So here we pull out some pretty fabulous covers from acts that certainly know their own way around a songwriter’s desk.

Our first song triplet reaches back to the sixties and seventies. Robert Crenshaw steps out of his brother’s shadow on his 2003 long-player Dog Days and takes on a real classic pop wonder with a cover of The Vogues 1966 hit “Five O’Clock World.” Artists as varied as Julian Cope, The Proclaimers and Bowling for Soup have taken a stab at it but Crenshaw’s version really lands. Mark Ward’s new album Translator offers a wide range of covers but his take on Badfinger’s “Baby Blue” hits the power pop guitar and vocal marks. Sometimes artists seem to deliberately take up material pretty far flung from their usual melodic haunts. Like Mark Aaron James’ cover of ABBA’s “The Name of the Game.” This is not an easy song to knock off at karaoke. It’s got strange pacing, plenty of tempo change-ups, and a melody that curves in unusual ways. James gets the tune across in an original way.

Robert Crenshaw – Five O’Clock World
Mark Aaron James – The Name of the Game

Moving toward the new wave turn of the decade capping off the 1970s The Pictures lead guy Davey Lane gives us a less English version of Squeeze’s kitchen-sink singalong “Up the Junction.” It’s got a rougher edge, slightly less winsome, perhaps more drink-along than sing-along – but good. The Dahlmanns know their Tom Petty and give us a taste on their 2024 Lucky EP. Their version of “A Thing About You” is less snarly, more power poppy, and utterly delightful. By contrast, Canadian Jeremy Fisher deconstructs The Cars super-hit “My Best Friend’s Girl,” adding mischief, some pipe solos, and background vocals with just enough cheese to be enjoyably ironic.

Arriving in the 1980s The Extensions reinvent the Simple Minds’ iconic movie tune “Don’t You (Forget About Me).” They seem to slow things down, lower the angst level, but dial into the song’s sincere heart. Lisa Mychols likes to collaborate and her new vehicle is The High Frequencies. Catch their magnetic cover of David Bowie’s “Modern Love.” It’s another song that sounds so easy to do but needs a certain kind of energy to really come together – this band does it justice. Another artist that is hard to cover is Aimee Mann. Her work is just so her that it’s hard to imagine other possible versions. But Marti Jones, another artist with a distinctive vocal approach, pulls it off on her cover of Mann’s “Put Me on Top” from her 1993 solo debut Whatever.

Marti Jones – Put Me On Top

Wrapping up this covers extravaganza is an elegant re-make of Elliott Smith’s “Waltz #2 (XO)” from the ever so piano-delightful Sofa City Sweetheart. The accompaniment is spare, just piano and Juan Antonio Lopez’s aching vocals.

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

Songs to sing and dance to: Tom Henry, The Jeanines, Autocamper, and The Airport 77s

19 Saturday Jul 2025

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

You never know when a dancing and singing mood will strike. Best to be stocked up with a ready source of material to draw from. Our four selections here will have you breaking out in song and trying out moves you didn’t know you had.

The inspiration for today’s post title comes from Tom Henry’s fabulous new collection of songs, Songs to Sing and Dance To. Henry is one of those random ‘if you like’ suggestions I picked up listening to someone else on Bandcamp. I’m so glad I was lured in! As the record’s presser claims, the LP’s got a bit of power pop, garage rock, psych, and folk going on. But let’s be frank, there’s a lot of Big Star happening here. Opening cut “Close Your Eyes” is a big bold Big Star/Byrdsian delight with harmony vocals that are shivery good. The Alex Chilton influence continues on tracks like “Closer Than Before” and “Oh, I Missed the Sun,” the latter echoing the emotional cadence of “Thirteen.” Hit single? Surely “I’ll Miss You” with its Big Star-meets-Apples in Stereo sound. The instrumental choices here are a bit wacky but work. “Bella” takes things in a different direction with a bit more of a Latin feel. Folk rock gets a work out on the Dylanesque “Look to my Side” and “Going Steady.” “Art House” leans into the Farfisa organ in a way that reminds me of Squeeze or Nick Lowe. Or listen to how “But I Loved Her” is just so Beatle Paul. Another candidate for hit single-age would be “Do You Want To Be With Me?” which has a folk pop sweetness akin to the Cyrkle. Album closer “Be Mine, Forever” is pop so good it’ll make you swoon.

The Jeanines’ How Long Can It Last is an cathartic album experience, emotionally deep without even trying. I’m hearing so many possible influences, from Peggy Seeger to Vashti Bunyan, to the Springfields to the Smiths. Opening cut “To Fall” features Alicia Jeanine’s plaintive vocals in such a striking way. Indeed, her vocal talents are what adds a degree of genius to what is going on here. Should-be hit single “What’s Done Is Done” leaks a Smiths kind of emotional tonality and intensity. Another possible single is definitely “On and On,” a tune that shifts from pretty good to great in the chorus, where the medieval vocal effect is gob-stoppingly good. “You’ll Figure It Out” mines a sixties folk pop vein while “Satisfied” is just great guitar pop. “Wrong Direction” reminds me of the pleasant pop of The Happy Somethings. I love the aching quality informing so many cuts here, like “What’s Lost” and “How Long Can It Last.” This is a moving album that is both emotionally gorgeous and lingering in its impact.

I’ve been digging Autocamper releases all this past year, none of which appear on the band’s first long-player What Do You Do All Day? That speaks of a certain kind of confidence, for sure. The ten tunes here continue to develop the band’s unique sound, combining a twee pop sensibility with a keen appreciation for unique instrumental choices. Listen to how opening cut “Again” kicks off with clashy guitars only to cut the effect with a running-brook kind of electric keyboard riff.  Both “Dogsitting” and “Foxes” work a similar magic crossing-cutting guitars and keyboards in a dynamic tension. “Proper” leans on the organ to carry things along into the chorus where an army of guitars come in for support. “Street View” slows things down without losing sight to the band’s distinctive melodic charms.

Sure The Airport 77s are all about a kind of late 1970s new wave rock and roll sound. Their new album Don’t Let Go doesn’t mess with the formula but that doesn’t mean they’re just idling on the tarmac. They continue to develop their considerable songwriting talents on this release. If you were there in the 1980s these songs are like a new lease on that life. If you weren’t there then these tracks can let you pretend you were. “1999 (Take Me Back)” gives you a pretty clear indication of what is to come, with a strong a blast of retro guitar and prominent bass work. “Like Falling in Love” then dials up the melodic hooks. “Anyone But You” is the first of the monster should-be hit singles included here, in the style of poprock masters like Cheap Trick. “Make ’Em Pay (Don’t Make It Easy)” even vibes a bit of country energy. “Summer Can’t Wait” is another radio ready bit of single-age. But if I had to choose just one song to launch this album I’d choose “Don’t Let Go.” So smooth and hooky! There’s variety here for sure, with a Knack kind of energy on “She’s Everything” or a more Beatlesque turn to “The Hands of Time.” This is one return trip to the 1980s that definitely deserves a five star rating.

Plenty here to sing about or work out a bit of soft shoe. The secret is practice, of course. Click on the hyperlinks to get the lyrics and the dance moves down.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Piping hot hits Vol. 2

12 Saturday Jul 2025

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

K-Tel had it coming and going in the 1970s. Single albums, double albums, double albums released as two single albums, and every combination in between. The point was, if they had concept that was selling they would keep selling it, any which way they could. In our second installment of Piping Hot Hits we take heed from the K-Tel gods and lay it on heavy.

Listen to how Fara San make their main guitar sing on “Long Lost Lover.” Lovingly exuding a 1960s folk rock vibe but deployed in a wholly different song register, more post-millennium indie rock with sweetly sung vocals. You never know quite what you’re going to get with any new release from The Krayolas. Could be a great lost unreleased track or a brand new retro charmer. “Surf’s Down” comes from a batch of songs recorded back in 1979 that never saw light of day. The Beach Boys notes are obvious but there’s hints of Harry Nilsson and Burt Bacharach too. Nashville’s The Tummies are also working the sixties side of the street on their self-proclaimed ‘summer ’25 road trip single.’ “Send Me a Picture” is an effortless bit of Beatlesque pop. A new Sloan album is certainly something to celebrate. Based on a Best Seller is due out in September but right now we’ve got “Live Together” and it’s everything that makes the band today’s most reliable should-be hit makers. It’s all hooks and harmonies, both familiar and surprising. And yet as they sing in this song, “The ‘90s nostalgia that you feel Is nothing compared to what’s to come.” So September can’t come soon enough. Danny Patrick is a guy who records great songs and put them up on the internet for free or whatever you want to pay. And it is great stuff. Like “A Girl Like You.” You’d swear this is time capsule 1980s radio find. The guitar sound could be any rough melodic FM rock radio band from the era while the harmony vocals conjure groups with a slight country edge.

Jean Caffeine’s new single “I Know You Know I Know” is a genius bit of pop restraint. It sounds so simple but the melodic arc shifts between an Everly Brothers and Marti Jones feel. The selection of subtle musical adornments are inspired. What is Joe Dilillo doing on his new single? Would we say it’s mining Billy Joel or perhaps Gilbert O’Sullivan? “When It Comes To Us” is such a beautiful tune, it definitely stands on its own but the melodic shading offers up hints of the masters in the details. Movie Movie’s muscular guitar pop rock returns on “After Hours” with a splash of 1980s synth, like The Fixx stopped by to jam. The Len Price 3 keep on rocking like it’s 1979 with their new song “Emily’s Shop.” It’s got a feel like The Jam or The Primitives and what’s not to like about that? Bret Tobias from The Bret Tobias Set is now apparently hanging out with Marty Wilson-Piper from the legendary Australian band The Church so not surprisingly his new song sounds pretty 1981 in the very best way. Just listen to the guitar shimmer dripping all over “Happiness Writes White.” Melodic magic!

The Len Price 3 – Emily’s Shop

Say hello to Liverpool’s Novelty Island and their upcoming LP release Jigsaw Causeway with their light sunny drop of McCartneyesque single-age “Foam Animals.” It’s dreamy with some mesmerizing keyboard work. In a very similar keyboard original register, Freedom Fry lull us with their usual signature lowkey whispery hooks on “Little Things.” Tchochtke ride some propulsive Beach Boys organ riffs with “Poor Girl” but the rest of the sonic pull on this song is seventies pop. By contrast Boston’s Invisible Rays is guitars to the front with a delightful bit of jangle launching “Lightning” that reaches new heights of hook-age in the chorus. When we last heard from Trevour Blendour he was Falling in Love but now it appears someone is Breaking Up With him. We don’t have all the details, other than the predictably super pre-release single “She’s Still My Baby.” It’s classic Blendour, full of updated fifties motifs and old school rock and roll guitars.

The Penrose Web is a new musical project that could be a great lost EP from the 1980s indie guitar scene. “Geraldine” captures the gentle pop vibe that could be Aztec Camera. From the not-so-gentle file, the recent Friends of Cesar Romero single “Can’t Get You” gets busy with clashy guitars and slightly screamy vocals but never loses the hooky plot. As we have come to expect. The Flashcubes returned recently with accolade-winning covers album but what fans always really wanted was some new material from the legendary 1970s power pop band. Now we’re getting it and disappointment is not in the cards. The new single “Reminisce” takes us back to the band’s classic sound with a tune that sounds perfect for the here and now. With help from The Figgs Mike Gent! Trim, Ireland’s Spearside embark with a slightly heavier guitar sound on their new EP Hatchet Man, cranking their amps well past 11. But on “Are Friends Electric” they bring back a more ringing bit of jangle guitar to contrast these heavier sounds and the results are explosively good. From a very different direction The Rallies focus their considerable pop talents on “Love.” It’s a jaunty, feel-good effort, full of their requisite harmonies and guitar hooks.

Hitting the inner groove of this second volume we have a double shot of The Brigadier. “Blessings” is breathy and dreamy with great guitar blasts coming in at regular intervals while “Perfect Surprise” embodies even more of those characteristics but perhaps Beach Boys enriched.

Well, there you have it, a second could-be K-Tel collection volume. Feel free to recombine these volumes in any form you like, re-arranging or cutting tracks as you see fit. After all, K-Tel certainly would have.