Category Archives: Poprock Themepark

A song at the five and dime

07 Saturday Sep 2024

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Time for another collection of 21 tunes populated from various sources over the past month. I think there’s something from every dark corner of the poprock-o-sphere here. And given the value for money, they’re all available for five and dime prices when you think about it.

Earlier this year Portland’s Blitzen Trapper brought out a monster of a new album 100’s of 1000’s, Millions of Billions. It’s pretty impressive how quickly they rivet out attention on their opening single “Hello Hallelujah” with just a few strums of the guitar. From there they just build the hooky tension till there’s no turning away. You are gonna hit replay on this one. Shifting north to Toronto The Celestophones nail a very particular seam of the Beatles sound, namely their love of the Everly Brothers and Buck Owens. They conjure both elements expertly on their light and frothy single “You and I Know.” Every time I notice Milwaukee’s Newski he seems to be on the road somewhere so I don’t where he gets time to lay down all these tracks. “Banking on Never Breaking Down Again” definitely has that ‘live on the road’ vibe. He manages to make his acoustic guitar sound like the quintessential rock instrument, one part Springsteen, another part Tom Petty. Askim Norway duo Herr Wade produce a lot of material, much of which skates outside of the zones set for this blog. But their “Theme From Chief Inspector Wade” is a wacky, inventive piece of work, reminding me of the Penguin Café Orchestra in its creative juxtaposition of instruments. Poprock legend Graham Gouldman has a new album out entitled I Have Notes and it rises to his usual standard of intense listenability. The most immediate hit single-ish tune to my ears is “It’s Time For Me To Go” but I’m also drawn to the finely structured ditty “Play Me (The Ukulele Song)” if only because the song’s sentiment is just so apropos of the fate of former school instruments.

On “Dashboard Jesus” Glenn Erb navigates a dead man’s curve with an alt country vibe but doesn’t quite make the turn. The effect creates a scene of eerie, low key desperation, despite the apparent wreckage. You’re going to want to add this to your disaster song playlist. A very different atmosphere is conjured up on Loose Buttons’ new single “I Saw Jon Hamm at the Beach.” Terms like languid, breezy, sun-stoked, and shameless name-dropping all come to mind. I am feeling more relaxed already. Rich Chance works up a sophisticated pop extravaganza on  “Azalea Close.” The song has so many interesting melodic and lyrical twists and turns, where suburbia is pleasantly hooky but not all it seems. Rangiora, New Zealand’s Best Bets return in fine form on their new single “Spooky Signals.” Fuzzy hooky goodness is what this song provides in abundance, an advance release from their new album The Hollow Husk of Feeling. When he’s not donning a mask with his instrumental guitar super group Los Straitjackets Greg Townson flashes a Chet Atkins guitar gentleman pose for a host of great solo singles and albums. Just this week he’s got a a new double-sided single out and personally I’m loving the stylish classy-ness of the “Spinning Top” selection. You can’t fake this kind of cool ambience.

When he’s not hanging out with those cool dudes from The Half Cubes veteran poprocker Randy Klawon offers up the occasional jangly single. This time “She’s More Than I Want” comes on like the second coming of the second iteration of The Searchers. His somewhat plaintive vocal pairs nicely with the bright La’s-like lead guitar lick that defines the tune. Our next cut is a bit of a cheat because Jeff Gordon’s “Hard Promises” is a re-release from his 2021 album Local Boy. But man this song is just so good! The vocal hooks are utterly seductive, framed by striking lead and rhythm guitar work. Haunting is the word I’m looking for. This is a tune that stays with you long after the record ends. On “Kinda Lost” The Junior League have managed to mash together sonic hues from two different decades, combining a mid-1960s George Harrison guitar jangle with a lush 1970s soft rock vocal. The end product amounts to an exquisite synthesis. It’s one of three new tunes on their recent EP Nattering Nabobs. Sydney, Australia’s The Stormy Sea remind me of a host of 1980s folk rock revival acts, with a touch of Dionne Warwick style thrown in. “You Scare Me” would fit in nicely on a Lilac Time album given its light bouncy air. I’ve liked a number of Boston band The Fatal Flaw’s past releases but their new single is a co-write with Wyatt Funderburk and that gives it a bit more of a head-turning quality to my ears. The band expertly squeeze every melodic hook out of the song with chugging guitars and a sweet vocal treatment.

Jeff Gordon “Hard Promises”

The Newds drop singles now and then, focusing our attention on one song at a time, each one a carefully concentrated blast of melody. “God of Small Things” is no exception, a recent offering that has so many subtle sonic elements going on. The song builds and builds without ever really blowing up. It’s almost meditative. If ever there was a band whose name jarred with their musical output it would Young Scum. The moniker surely denotes screaming punk or hardcore will result from hitting play? But this Richmond Virginia combo have a 1980s Manchester jangle sound that is relentlessly smiley on their new single “Peach Ice Cream.” Part of a whole album experience dubbed Lighter Blue due out soon. Chicago native Kenny Michaels is on to something with his new single “Must Be This Love of Mine.” Buoyant and sunny in both melodic and lyrical content, the song has a unmistakable early 1970s pop vibe, with some Turtles shading on the ‘ba ba ba’s. Another time trip single comes from Dragon Inn 3 with the recently released “Clock Machine.”  The intro guitar work is so jazzy 1970s, a period when it seemed every song had to feature some serious lead guitar motif. But then these sometime members of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin do their indie creative thing and add vocals that push everything in a different direction, with a wonderful effect. I love the organized cacophony on Shiverlane’s new song “Little English Pleasures.” The competing vocals particularly have a shambolic quality until they come together with a dynamic precision.

Kenny Michaels “Must Be This Love of Mine”

Last up on our five and dime specials, a pop-enriched summer stinger from The Glad Machine, “So High.” There’s Beatles name-dropping, laconic acoustic guitar swing, and a concentrated blast of sing-along melodic energy in the chorus. This will have you whistling as you leave the store.

The five and dime had it all and then some. Those bargains may be gone but great value on songs is even more true today. Click the hyperlinks to fill your basket before the checkout.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Something new II: Ethan Beck and the Charlie Browns, Laughing, and Chris Milam

03 Saturday Aug 2024

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Discovering new artists is pretty much our raison d’etre here at Poprock Record. But some artists are so new I haven’t heard nada about them. That’s today’s acts, absolutely brand new to me and perhaps you too. So let’s get the plastic wrap off this e-vinyl together.

On Duck Hollow Pittsburgh’s Ethan Beck and the Charlie Browns use steel town’s working class neighbourhoods as fodder for setting the scene over a handful of songs. Things kick off with a bit of guitar blast and hummable melodies on opening tunes “Fear and Loathing in Grammercy” and “Monk Eric.” Both fall somewhere between the Sam Roberts Band and Ruler on the manic guitar pop scale. Other songs like “And And And” and “North” have a more vulnerable pop vibe, in line with acts like Sam Weber, Matthew Milia and Nicholas Altobelli. And is that an Apples in Stereo melodic turn embedded in “Does This Bus Stop at Douglas Street”? Sounds that way to me. There are a few sonic departures on the album, like the Latin dance rhythm defining “Matthew Song.” Billy Joel even gets a look in when the couple from his “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” appear in “Brenda and Eddie.”  In the ‘my fave’ file, I love the ferocious poppy guitar grind driving “Fear and Loathing in Squirrel Hill.” All in all a visit to Duck Hollow is definitely worth the trip.

Montreal seems to be on fire in terms of cranking out great melodic rock bands of late. We’ve featured Los and The Wesleys recently just to name a few. Now you can add Laughing to that ever growing list with their self-titled debut LP. Giving this record a spin, it’d be easy to turn on opening cut “Easier Said” and declare Teenage Fanclub to be the sonic ghost haunting what is going on here. Ok, then “Pebble” comes along and it has pretty strong TF vibes too. But as we cruise along to “Bruised” the atmosphere subtlely shifts to a more muscular poprock sound.  “Narcissist Blues” even harshes up the lead guitar solo a bit. “Garden Path” continues this trend toward a rockier pop style. Then “Will She Ever Be A Friend of Mine” and “You and I” turn things back in more TF pop direction. For something different check out how “Don’t Care” and “Secret” amp up the country quotient. I also really like “Sour Note” which sounds like Sloan on a Byrds kick to me. Overall the band have a surprisingly coherent sound given that they have come together only recently, drawing members from a variety of acts like Nap Eyes, Monomyth, Human Music, and Fountain.

Thrumming is the word I’d use to describe Chris Milam’s new album Orchid South. Like a kid at the gates to an amusement park, the record positively bursts with barely contained excitement. Opening cut and title track “Orchid South” sets the album’s tone using elements of a Springsteen structured sonic landscape, with the alternating high and lows, upfront guitars, and requisite horn section. Then “Almost Gone” lays down shotgun rhythm guitar work draped with an Eagles-like harmony vocal precision. And those horns! “Always On My Mind” brings to mind recent poppy Americana-inflected work from the likes of Jim Larson and the Silver Fields. The record does ease up here and there with more atmospheric contemplative numbers, like “Bad Dream,” “Underwater,” and “Song of the Summer.” Or there are tracks like “Let Me Love You” and “Thoughts On Hold” where Milam expertly alters the pace and attack for maximum impact. “Out” is just a rollicking good time and amazing guitar solo workout. Overall Orchid South is an album rife with Americana energy that doesn’t neglect its pop hooks.

Here we have brand new artists that I’m sure will become old faves in the years to come. But you have start somewhere. Visit these artists online to get to know them better.

Photo ‘What Time Is It In Miami Beach’ courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Something new: Sergio Ceccanti, Terry Anderson and the Olympic Ass-Kicking Team, and Mark Alan Lofgren

23 Tuesday Jul 2024

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Today’s post is all new. I mean, most of the stuff I write about is new but this is a crew of talent I’ve heard nary a whisper about.

Everything about Sergio Ceccanti’s new album Mysterious Journey is freighted with retro cool. The guitar tones are like selections from a guitar pedals buffet. The song styles run the gamut of 1960s melodic forms. And yet, somehow, the album’s sonic aura is timeless. Opening track “Mystery Girl” captures the broader elan of the album with its distinctive lead guitar lines and hushed vocals. Jangle comes to the fore on tracks like “On My Way” with a Searchers buoyant energy. Then “You Dropped Me Alone” lightens the mood with a boppy bubblegum feel. Despite a consistent overall sound, the album does branch out in terms of sixties genres. “From My Mysterious Journey” suggests an early 1960s Roy Orbison intrigue while “Without You” tips things in a more Stones direction (in their more melodic moments). There are real departures here too, like the Teenage Fanclubby “Waiting Outside.” Or listen to how the guitar work on “Forget Me” pretty much guarantees that won’t happen. Really, this album is a summer sleeper chart climber.

It’s hard to know just how seriously to take Terry Anderson and the Olympic Ass-Kicking Team on their new record Got To Be Strong. I mean, the name invites guffaws aplenty. And then there’s the choice of song themes: chainsaws, bandanas, box wine, etc. Not topics that say serious song-smithing. But here’s the thing – the more I listen to this album the more I’m convinced these are fine specimens of sophisticated song craft. Stylistically, there’s more than hint of the Allman Brothers in their poppier moments. Things even stretch into Bachman Turner Overdrive territory on the opening cut “Chainsaw Repair Shop” with its chugging rhythm guitars. “My Bandana” sounds more pub rock/Rockpile era Nick Lowe. Then comes “Best Day Ever,” just the kind of feel-good rock and roll we really need right now, sustained by some serious organ backing. The album changes tempos effortlessly – things slow down on “Dilapidated Heart,” a song that really gets its Americana blight on (both material and spiritual), while “Magnificent” takes a more Byrds-meets-The Band approach. Then comes the album’s secret weapon “Regret Avenue,” a song whose jangle and hooks scream should-be hit single. I could go on loving up every song here but you get the picture. Got To Be Strong is just a great album experience from some very serious talent.

It happens. Turns out sometime over the past few years I bought Mark Alan Lofgren’s first volume of his Black Moon Book project but I never wrote about it. And that’s a shame because the record and follow up Black Moon Book 2 have got some lovely performances. Like “We Don’t Leave the Yard” from the latter – that synth work is utterly captivating. Well, making up for lost time I’m turning to the latest installment in the series Black Moon Book 3 and I can report it’s fabulous too. Just lay your ears on “Ne’er Do Well” and tell me if this doesn’t sound like a misplaced deep cut from the recent Real Estate offering Daniel. Damn but that lead guitar sound is to die for! “Get Out or We’ll Stay” works up a positively meditative drone that is so different but also very pleasing. “Perennials” has a English folkish feel compositionally, reminding me of Vashti Bunyan despite its delightful jangle coating. “The End of the Novel in Your Head” balances dreamy lead guitar and vocals in a perfect balance. Then “Ocean Drive” kicks things into a new lane, sounding more latter day XTC. “Glass Half Full” even threatens to break out into come classic Chuck Berry riffs, before art rocking the hell out of the arrangement. With this Black Moon Book triple play it’s clear Lofgren is just getting better and better.

There’s too many new somethings for one post – look for something new II, coming your way soon.

Photo courtesy James Vaughn Flikr collection.

Songs for a summer soiree

14 Sunday Jul 2024

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Clinking glasses beneath a dusky summer sky. You need music for that. Definitely. Here’s a curated list of party-approved poppy rock numbers suitable for friends, fading sunshine and a night full of stars.

LA’s The Dreambots thread some 1980s jangly guitar throughout their debut single “Tightrope” but that’s almost a distraction compared to the subtle earworm this melody turns out to be. The song’s main guitar tone reminds me of Steve Addabbo’s distinctive sound on Suzanne Vega’s self-titled debut LP back in 1985 but here it serves a totally different kind of tune. Repeated listening will just lead to further repeated listenings. Strange Neighbors were one of my fave finds of 2023. Their single (“Hotline Psychic”) and EP (Party of None) were number one on both my year-end singles and EP charts. They were that good. Some might say there’s nowhere to go from there but one listen to the band’s new single “Tell All Your Friends” and you’d know that’s wrong. The striking guitar lines, the harmony vocals, the build-up to a great killer chorus: this is the stuff of greatness. The internet is allowing a lot of old bands that didn’t quite make it to relaunch, if not for the big time then at least a smidgeon of the attention economy. The Hollywood Stars got a few record deals in the 1970s but never took off. Now fifty years later they’ve got a new album Starstruck. I’m really digging the Stonesy/Springsteen swagger of “Walking With an Angel.” Montreal’s The Wesleys also present as a contradiction. So much of their self-titled debut album almost leaps out of the speakers with high degree of rock and roll ferocity and menace. And then there’s “A Lot To Lose,” a gentle, almost languid jangle affair that floats a dreamy vocal over everything. Ever reliable guitar pop-meister 65MPH is back again with “Again.” This time the crashing guitars have a Bond-esque intrigue and Jam-worthy Paul Weller vocal attack.

New Jersey’s Sad About Girls is having a very productive 2024, releasing their third EP of the year Sad To Go in May. There’s some slow meditative material here and then there are songs that really cook. Like “Expect To Lose” with its ripping lead guitar lines and magnetically hooky chorus. “We Didn’t Do Anything Last Year” is another winner with its Everything But The Girl flavour. Another band with two really hot tracks on their most recent album is Melbourne’s Lava Fangs. From Sub Auroram “Photograph” really lands in the Jayhawks ballpark while “Lost For Words” motors along shifting its melodic attack in the most delightful ways. Nick Piunti delivers his signature refreshingly old-fashioned poppy rock and roll on his new one-off single with The Complicated Men, “Bottle It.” Attractively packaged and performed with a Bryan Adams easygoing feel. Most of The Twins of Franklin album This Life is a folky Americana excursion, delivered with a First Aid Kit freshness. But “Life By Design” is something else. The propulsive acoustic rhythm guitar keeps things thrumming on this song, only to be elevated by the electric shock vocal harmonies in the chorus. The title track from George Marinelli’s recent hybrid greatest hits/new material mega-album Except Always has to vie for attention with 25 other songs. But it’s got some notable features, like a Stones rhythm guitar sound and chorus hook that really delivers.

Papa Schmapa main man Joe DelVecchio put me on to a new project he’s got going and the vibe is so NRBQ it could be mistaken for those Louisville sloggers. The new band is SidePlay and the song I can’t get enough of is “Hit the Road Mac.” It’s got boogie and an old man kind of cool. Little Roger has got a ticklish question to put in his recent single “Does Susie Like Boys?” It’s the kind of query that could easily go wrong fast but Roger’s whole delivery seems supportive. The guitars here are so 1970s AM radio while the vocal reminds me of Billy Bremner in his more tender moments. Out of the blue former Irish band The Fireflys frontman Barry J. Walsh pops up with his first solo effort in decades “Rescue Me.” The song is a distillation of essential 1960s sounds: swinging London, Merseybeat, some pop psychedelia, and more. Let there be more is all I can say. Everything about Gary Kaluza’s single “On the Waterfront” says ‘classic’ – from the Silencers/Simple Minds guitar tone, to the stentorian singing from what sounds like the back of an empty echoey church, to the video with its Bogey and Bergman imagery. It’s not a new song but a very worthy re-release for sure. Perennial 1990s throwback Richard Turgeon swore he would take some time off from the last half decade’s punishing schedule of constantly writing and releasing new singles, albums and covers. But just seven months after this last album he’s back with a new single “This is the Last Song (I Write For You).”  What can I say? It’s reliably Turgeon great! And I highly doubt it won’t be followed by more good tunes to come in the days ahead.

SidePlay – Hit the Road Mac

Jon Hyde’s new album The Sad Lights is solidly in Americana territory, neither poppy nor rocky for the most part. But title track “The Sad Lights” swerves a bit into our lane with a very hum-able melody that ambles along with a peculiar but captivating charm. I love the mood that The Chris Vandalay Project strike on their new single “Better Than Before.” The synth suggests late night, a bit of indirect lighting, and some serious introspecting going on. The overall sound really reminds me of Liverpool’s Black from the 1980s. Cal Rifkin return with a single named for every power pop fan’s fave commercially unsuccessful supergroup, “Big Star.” The song’s connection to that Memphis combo is both lyrical and sonic, popping up in the tune’s narrative and overall jangly sound. And the song’s arrangement is outasight. Kurt Hagardorn has an exciting new project that concentrates his poppy rocky tendencies even more than his exemplary solo efforts. His new band is The High Elves and their debut single “Thirsty and Blue” is full of 1970s Steve Miller guitar tone and a killer rhythm guitar swing. It’s impossible not to hip sway within listening distance of this song. More please! The latest outing from The Bret Tobias Set is positively mercurial in its instrumental choices. “Fait Accompli” has got shoe-gazey vocals, slashes of reverby guitar, and an organ timbre straight out of a Vincent Price horror movie. And that is a very good combo.

When they’re not busy turning out great tunes for Starbelly Dennis Schocket and Cliff Hillis also like to put out duo numbers. Their newest is a sweet walk down melody lane boasting a title that gives away its inspiration. “For Everly” could be a certain brothers act circa 1965 or something more modern, say a nice deep cut from one of those Don Dixon and Marti Jones albums.

Your summer soiree is practically ready for guests with a song list like this on standby. You just have to strike up the bands.

Photo courtesy Tom Magliery Flikr collection.

Out in the country: Rural France and Valley Lodge

09 Tuesday Jul 2024

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As the sun hangs high in the summer sky roads spill over with those fleeing urban life for a bit of the country. And that needs some apropos musical accompaniment, of course. Enter our featured pair of bands. They can be enjoyed city or country, wherever you are, but their nom de plumes give me an excuse to slot them in here.

Whiltshire’s favourite jangle duo Rural France return with album #3 Exactomondo, still channeling their own unique interpretation of influences like Teenage Fanclub, Lemonheads, and Guided By Voices. Opening cut “Tag Along” has a sweet lofi charm, almost shoe-gazey. Other songs like “Sunslip” and “Guideropes” kick off with solid guitar hooks while the vocals ride a solid bed of jangle. “Ghost Dance” sounds like a single, launching with an alluring opening and crashing guitar chords. Though “Packhorse” is a solid second choice for chart action, a carefully calibrated assortment of sounds that swap out the spotlight. “Blabbermouth” deploys a pedal steel guitar to expertly add a country shade to everything. “Prize Goose” rides us out to the inner groove with an almost meditative Shins-like pop perfection, sliding into guitar god territory near the end. Looking back after hearing it all, Exactomondo is clearly full of great songs but it’s also a solid album experience.

On the new Valley Lodge LP Shadows in Paradise things open with a stunning should-be hit single: “Daylights.” From the relentless driving guitar work to the seductive interplay between the main and background vocals this song just never lets up on its addictive sonic attack. It’s a song that should be echoing out of car stereos all summer. From there the band showcase their amazing melodic dexterity, throwing hooks into multiple styles of poprock. Whether offering a Bruno Mars pop playfulness of “I Wrote a Song” or a more Vaccines-like party energy on “Trouble” there seems to be no subgenre they can’t excel at. You can find a new wave rock and roll attack on “After School,” a seventies disco and pop R&B flavour to “Secret Lover,” or even a 1980s Merseyside revival-style happening with “Dyin’.” The attention to song arrangements here is impressive. “Hanging Around” takes that classic “Latest Flame” guitar strum the Jam also used for “That’s Entertainment” and artfully arranges a kind of sonic tour, with a little acoustic guitar here, some keyboard shots there, all tied up with a very singable tune. Then there’s “Out Of Time,” my personal fave. So hummable – I love the lush background vocals and crashing guitar chords. Closing song “That Love” makes what could be a sitar sound almost upbeat with a tune and vocal hauntingly reminiscent of Ian Gomm.

Enjoy that country air with just the right mix to tunes. Like these ones. Hit those hyperlinks above to properly soundtrack your summer travels.

Photo ‘Tomorrow’s the Day my Bride’s Gonna Come’ courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

You can’t wait for summer

01 Monday Jul 2024

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Summer seems to come to different people at different times, depending on whether you’ve got kids in school or a job with a set vacation schedule or live in the United Kingdom. But July 1st is a definite dividing line on seasonal states of being. So let me say it, summer is now officially here.

To kick things off mood-wise, Sparkle*Jets U.K. have got the perfect single with “I Can’t Wait for Summer.” The band may not be from the UK but they certainly do sparkle on this new song, an homage to the Beach Boys that will appear on their first album of new material in two decades, to be called Box of Letters. The opening wash of background vocals on this song are just so California sixties pop, though the treatment drifts into a more modern sound as it goes along (and deliciously so in my view). The artwork for the single is itself a riff on the famous Beach Boys Endless Summer greatest hits cover design.

Now that summer has arrived you can just sit back and marvel at that big beautiful sunny blue sky. That’s what pop tunesmith Steven Wright-Mark advises on his brand new and oh-so-timely single “Summer Sky.” This one has got an earworm for a hook so sneaky you’ll be humming it long after your portable cassette player has run out of power. Shane Tutmarc gives the sun its due on his new Dolour long-player Daylight Upon Magic. Album deep-cut “Sun On My Brain” gives voice to that feeling of summer abandon where you’ve just got to break free from work and hit the beach. ‘Why am I working so hard?’ Tutmarc sings, ‘I can only get so far …’ Indeed. I’m pretty sure that the good people of Rapid City, South Dakota have no idea what indie power pop god resides within their midst. Friends of Cesar Romero have yet another fantastic EP out, the seasonally dubbed Last Summer A Year From Now. So many songs here just cook with a garage rock intensity that never fail to strike a strongly melodic chord. This could be your go-to summer party platter for this year. But make sure to hit replay on title track “Last Summer A Year From Now” to hear a master class in hard-hitting hooky poprock.

Of course for many summer means travel. I’m not recommending this locale as much as the EP and song about it. Ricky Rochelle serves up his signature punk pop vibe on this Cannibal Island Resort EP, particularly on the darkly poppy title track. I really appreciate all the extra sonic bits Rochelle mixes into his tunes that creates a complexity that belies their apparent punky simplicity. You’ll find four fun songs here but “Cannibal Island Resort” would be the single for sure.

No more waiting. Go to the front of the queue for your ration of summer-themed tune-age right now.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

The hooks are instrumental

22 Saturday Jun 2024

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Let’s face it, most killer hooks are instrumental. It’s a guitar lick, a piano riff, or even a trumpet solo. Today’s post pays tribute to those performers who have no words – just ever so alluring instrumental hooks.

We kick things off with the self-described ‘desert-influenced, surf-infused’ style of Austin, Texas band Sheverb. Their new album She Rides Again is a close study of what might be called the Morricone school of spaghetti-western guitar playing, with a strong touch of psychedelia in places. “Redemption of the River Witch” is so on point you can practically taste the dusty grit on your lips, complete with trumpet, whistling and some psych-guitar freak-out playing two-thirds in. Canada’s cold cold capital of Ottawa turns out some pretty hot guitar playing from the likes of The Reverb Syndicate. The title track from their last album Last of the V8 Interceptors is nothing but tasty licks all  the way through. I could ride that lead guitar melody into replay country all day long. For more dextrous lead guitar playing look no further than Messer Chups. These guys have a swamp monster rocking vibe and a strong sense of fun, well-illustrated with albums titles like Taste the Blood of Guitaracula and The Curse of Catzilla. From the former LP we feature the hot-blooded romp “The Hound of the Baskervilles.”

Time to take this party political, performatively speaking that is. Seems some bands can’t get enough of that Cold War nostalgia. While hailing from St. Catharines, Ontario The Kaputniks appear to love all things from our bygone bipolar world. “Politburo Dance Party” conjures images of rather rotund men in too-tight suits and uniforms dancing somewhat formally, like their lives might depend on it. In a similar vein People’s Defence Force evoke the menace and Bond-esque mystery of a cinematic 1960s Cold War on “Gear Head.” The deft application of rumbly lead guitar and few Balkan- style melodic interludes will have you reaching for the keys of your imaginary English sports car. Another group of attentive movie music aficionados can be found amongst the ranks of the music collective Morricone Youth. Their various film-themed LPs cover westerns, horror, socialist realism, porn scores and more! Here we feature two tunes from two different albums, “Barber Twist” from A Song of Two Humans and “Eva Kant” from Danger: Diabolik. Where the former gives off a retro Get Smart! vibe the latter has a much a more serious 1960s smart-pop sound.

Time to take things in more keyboard kind of direction. The Link Quartet hit the keys hard on their come-back single “The Saint​-​Tropez Heist.” Not that any guitar stood neglected. But just listen to that Hammond organ! It is driving the beat right over a cliff and then some. Toronto’s Cameronoise is also a keys guy, though his records sound like those sixties albums where someone plays the Beatles on a zither. In other words, his organ sound is out of this world, in a good way. The most recent EP is Id’s My Party and I love the way the guitar chords come crashing in on opening number “He Could.” Talk about bait and switch as this great guitar sound is quickly eclipsed by a wild bit of organ exposition. More Austin, Texas is here with uber productive performer Get Set Go. Sometimes he puts out albums where he sings, sometimes he doesn’t. Or, more to the point, there are times when he treats voice as just another instrument. Like on the all-instrumentals album Forgetting Things Done. Just listen to the crisp separation of lead guitar work and the vocal ‘la la la la’s that effortlessly propel the song along.

Let’s wrap this wordless journey with some classic 1960s instrumentalizing. On his recent EP Hot Rod Rampage Brad Marino pays tribute 1963 era surf and car music culture. So Jan and Dean and Beach Boys obviously. Given the period, a rumbly instrumental was de rigueur and Marino acquits himself admirably on the blistering “Tripwire.” Taking up the latter half of the decade LA’s Trabants crank the psychedelic side of sixties instrumentals with “Mantra.” Not to any Hendrix or Clapton excess, mind you. There is still are recognizable melody all the way through, even if things do get hazy in the final third.

Nobody needs the last word on this collection of uber cool and hooky instrumentals. Just hit play and let the hooks do the talking.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Production numbers: Ken Sharp, Bruce Moody, and Mo Troper

01 Saturday Jun 2024

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Some acts really put on a show. For them, it’s never just some songs. There’s a concept behind what’s there and an order to the proceedings that is every bit as important as the choice of instrumentation and editing of the lyrics. Today’s acts know how to take the spotlight.

Ken Sharp falls somewhere between the Beach Boys and the 5th Dimension. Except when he’s channeling David Bowie or the Beatles. Or Cat Stevens caught between his Brit poppy and pop-folk periods. His new album Welcome to Toytown features an astonishing 41 cuts, admittedly many clocking in at a brief 1-2 minutes. Still, that’s 41 distinct ideas he’s putting out there. One song does run a bit longer – “Toytown Suite” is a medley of three related songs that stretch to 9:43. Now I can’t possibly cover everything that appears here so I’ll leave 33 songs for your own self-discovery and give particular attention to 8 tunes that really grabbed me. Like “Just Hanging Around.” The flute, strings and ukulele are so late 1960s austere England, in a moody Moodies or Kinks mold. “In Betweens” nails that Beatle Paul at the piano. And just tell me “I am a Spaceman” is not a lost early Bowie b-side. “Listen” cranks up the handclaps and piano shots for a baroque excerpt from something off-Broadway. Sharp can even toss us back to the vaudeville era with the spot-on canter of “Got Your Number.” “Stuck in a River of Lies” sounds like the hit single to me. I love the acoustic guitar drive to this one. For a closer I pick the smooth Paul Simon-meets-Elliott Smith whisper vocal and low-key accompaniment of “When It Comes.” Set aside some time to spend with Welcome to Toytown. Trust me, you’ll want to stay awhile.

Bruce Moody revived his early 1980s recordings with a fabulous, sprawling package entitled Forever Fresh! to universal indie-scribe acclaim in 2020. But what comes after the belated happily-ever-after of releasing the songs of your earlier self? For Moody, that meant heading back to his old recordings cabinet to recycle even more ideas from his past. Yet on his new album PopCycle he doesn’t just echo his past efforts, he remakes those ideas, rerecording them while branching out from the sound and styles of his yesteryear. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still pretty eighties. But this time around he draws from a broader set of influences from that decade. “I’m Gonna Tell Her Tonight” has a classic 1980s guitar pop sheen. “Shy Girls” has an energy I associate with early 1980s Hall and Oates vibe. “Little By Little” moves into a more pop techno direction a la a daytime Gary Numan. “Labels” is so that decade, both in sound and content. I love the vocal arrangements on tracks like “It’s Not Like Mine” and “Keep It Together.” Then “Turn Away” sounds like the should-be hit-single to me with its carefully calibrated arrangement. So ear candy. With PopCycle Bruce Moody shows the 1980s have still got a lot more to give.

What is Mo Troper trying to say with his new long, long-player Svengali? That he is some evil pop master dominating us with mesmerizing melody? Because I’d sign up for that. Gladly. This new album is certainly captivating, spilling over with 23 songs that punch up multiple styles and include a 6 part instrumental Svengali theme. Things kick off with “Bleach,” a bit of dissonant power pop bliss with blown speakers. The sound comes on like it is being stretched and pulled into shape. Then “A Piece of You Broken Through My Heart” offers a high definition contrast, all jangle clear and buoyant sunshine pop. “The Billy Joel Fanclub” is a bit more mysterious. Serious or satire? The ambiguity is so Troper. Light and dark constantly alternate here. From the rough garage Apples In Stereo “Spark World” and freewheeling punky “The Face of Kindness” to sweet sweeping seventies pop numbers like “You Always Loved Me” and “You Can Call Me Your Baby.” And then there’s the showstopper, “For You To Sing.” The melodic arc on this tune has a magnetic pull that insists on an instant replay. But I’m also charmed by the breezy rollicking flow of “Like I Do.”

As you can hear, underneath all the high production trappings are some great songs. Enjoy the show over and over again via the artist hyperlinks. You don’t even have to buy a ticket (but that would be nice).

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Prepare for take-off: Sunken Planes, On the Runway, and The Speed of Sound

20 Monday May 2024

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As a metaphor, flight is pretty self-explanatory. To say things ‘take flight’ or end up ‘grounded’ lets the reader know where things stand fairly quickly. Today’s post sees three bands chart distinctive flight paths but you’ve got to listen carefully to see where each goes.

Sunken Planes have got an early REM vibe animating the tight collection of songs on their Intersections EP. You can definitely hear it on “Two Trains” and “The Ghost of Jennifer Bradley.” Should-be hit single “There’s a World” spreads the sonic influences a big further, over a host of other college bands from that decade. Then “Constellation Light” initially strikes a different mood before resolving into the band’s signature, self-described ‘jangle-shoe gaze’ sound. The most serious outlier on the record is “Doppelganger” with its almost jazzy chords and lead guitar lines and distinctive harmony vocals in the chorus. My only complaint here is that everything ends too soon, given the brevity of this EP’s five songs – start to finish barely cracks a quarter hour. A debut long-player can’t come fast enough for me.

With a name like On the Runway you might expect a sense of urgency from this band. But the songs on Tell Yourself It’s Pretty mostly vibe a pretty mellow jangle. Some are very early 1980s soft rock, like the atmospheric “Set For Life” and “Stuck On You.” Others have a more 1970s Fleetwood Mac feel – here “Loser Of The Year” comes to mind. Then you have tracks like “Consolation Prize” that exude a sombre intensity, even as they throw out some solid melodic hooks. For singles material I would nominate the guitar-driven “This Charade” and the almost anthemic “This Will Be Your Year.” The material on this alum is really something meant to heard on an AM transistor radio. For a study in tempo contrasts, check out how things really slow down on “House Is Not A Home,” a quiet pop song that is almost whispered but enlivened by ringing guitar tone, while “Bring Yourself Down” picks up speed right as the album ends.

Talk about an aptly named album. The Speed of Sound’s new LP A Cornucopia: Minerva really is buffet-style serving of multiple musical styles. There’s a bit of Bo Diddley boogie, Velvet Underground swagger, and 60s melodious beat – and that’s just the first three cuts. John Armstrong and Ann-Marie Crowley share vocals duties in a creative tension on nearly all the songs, the former pulling in an Anglo-Lou Reed direction, the latter evoking an Alison Moyet pop confidence. With 14 songs here there’s plenty to choose from in terms of highlights. Personally, I’m drawn the straightforward poprock efficiency of “Clickbait” with its slight snarl. “Yet Another Tuesday” sounds like a punked up Monkees to me. However, my fave is undoubtedly “Question Time.” I love the multiple guitar hooks as well as the spot-on lyrical sentiment.

You won’t need a boarding pass to access these high flyers. Just click the hyperlinks to get airborne.

Photo courtesy Swizzle Studios.

Moods for moderns: Hovvdy, Bull, Seasonal Falls, and Aaron Lee Tasjan

10 Friday May 2024

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Forget the Elvis Costello tune, today’s feature is really just a staging post for bands that know how to cast a moody ambience over their recordings. Some are dark, awash with shade and mood lighting, while others seem to tweak the brightness of each hook they throw. You can take your pick of moods on offer here.

Hovvdy are masters of textured atmosphere. It jumps out and envelops you on their stand-out single “Jean.” I hadn’t even written a line about them when I included that release in my top 5 folk pop list for 2023. Now they’re got a whole album of similarly intriguing material on their recently-released fifth long-player, the self-titled Hovvdy. The LP has 19 songs that feature their amazing talent for conjuring a sonic warm blanket out of a mixture of instruments and dreamy vocals. Some selections are little more than evocative fragments of melody that get incorporated and developed elsewhere. “Forever Piano” is a striking 21 second piano riff that loses a bit of bite but gains melodic depth on the longer “Forever.” Other tracks range across styles but keep to the album’s over-arching sonic décor. For instance “Clean” vibes a DIY, lofi Elliot Smith feel while “Make Ya Proud” has more studio polish. But both are just different flavours of what I might call ‘rogue folk,’ if you’re prepared to envision New Order as back up players here. Other highlights for me include “Big Blue” and “Portrait,” the latter sounding very country with a vocal that rumbles like it was recorded in a big empty room.

10 years after their debut LP She Looks Like Kim fell to earth and three years since their major label debut Discover Effortless Living York’s Bull deliver a sweet sweet third installment with Engines of Honey. Everything here is similar – but different. The design is punchier, the production is brighter, but the songs are familiarly good. Even though the band is back on independent footing having left EMI they clearly retain the poise and polish they gained there.  Album opener “Start a New” is a winning poppy number with a melodic skip in its step. From there it’s hooks aplenty, whether delivered as power pop as on “Head Exploder” and “Crick” or with a smoother sheen on “Sid” and “Stranger.” “Red Rooves” even vibes a bit of Bleachers to my ears. The departure tune is “Imaginary Conversations” which manages to overlay a choral vocal quality on its jaunty tune. And if you really want to see how far this band has come in a decade, check out their remake of “Jan Fin” from their first album. They really imbue the song with new life.

The new Seasonal Falls album Happy Days is a lush sonic vista, where the melodic detail and pacing choices on each of its nine tunes exhibits the care of a fine pointillist painting. Title track and opening cut “Happy Days” meanders into view, lulling us with its alluring melody. “Used To Be Fun” almost seems to skip along, picking up the pace ever so slightly. There is a McCartney-esque calibration of carefully worked out guitar motifs and vocals here. Then “Lie Down” almost breaks the album’s spell, vibing a more indie rock feel – almost. You could think of this album as different shades of the same colour, each song being distinctly different but clearly relatable to the others. It all comes down to choices on tempo and instrumentation. On this front “Girlfriend” is a masterful bit of song staging, opening with such precise restraint only to slowly add more colour and sonic depth along the way. Or listen to how the country-ish tinge to “Half Moon” lends a sense of urgency to the song. I also like how “Hey Girl” deploys ‘oh oh oh oh’s to good effect, creating an almost conventional pop tune. Should be hit single? Definitely “I Wish You All The Best” with its Neil Finn sense of low-key assurance.

Stellar Evolution is album #5 for Nashville’s Aaron Lee Tasjan, another installment in his genre-defying exploration of subtle melodic hookyness and lyrical openness. Times are tough in the American south and Tasjan gives voice to how the national right-wing war on diversity lands there with particular ferocity. As he sings on “Nightmare,” ‘I’m fearing for my life’ because ‘Mama they wanna kill me.’ The song’s relentless yet even synth backdrop effectively frames a harrowing narrative. Throughout the album Tasjan’s songs are snapshots of living amidst all a kind of social carnage. “Roll Your Windows Down” paints a joyous picture of connection that needn’t be tidy. “Bird” is a peppy track about getting up every day even if you’re going nowhere. And a host of songs here specifically capture queer alienation, like “Horror of It All.” But for caustic commentary on more explicitly political topics, see the hard-hitting “I Love America Better Than You.” Should-be hit single definitely would be “Alien Space Queen,” a boppy rumination on living with difference. But I also really like  “Cry Till You’re Laughing” for its Beatlesque grandeur and just a dab of ELO. Then things close starkly with “Young,” a track that will tug at your heart with the gravity of a queer Springsteen. On Stellar Evolution Aaron Lee Tasjan offers up beautiful, heartfelt testimony to coping with and even defying America’s current ugly mood.

We’ve offered moods for many occasions so take your pick. These artist are waiting to cast their spell via the hyperlinks appearing above.

Photo courtesy zaza23 (Jessica) Flikr collection.