Category Archives: Poprock Themepark

Record round up I

27 Wednesday Dec 2023

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

2023 is nearly done but my album review pile remains stacked with must-be-heard-now LPs. Some of these records only just came out while others arrived a while back but never quite fit into whatever posts I had on the go at that given moment. Whatever the reason, to get things sorted by year’s end it’s time for another seemingly annual record round-up. Or two. Brace yourself for an onslaught of quality tune-age.

Sam Roberts sounds so much like … Sam Roberts. What I mean is the guy has got a distinctive, immediately recognizable sound. Take his participation on last year’s Still Anyways LP from Canadian super-group Anyway Gang – his contribution “Out of Nowhere” couldn’t be mistaken as coming from any other group member. Album number 8 from the Sam Roberts Band is The Adventures of Ben Blank and the title track opens this affair in familiar Roberts territory: with a tune that is easygoing yet driving, pleasant and ear-wormy. “I Dream of You” and “Picture of Love” have been released as video singles and both are grin-inducing good time songs. Roberts’ tunes work as polished rocked-up affairs but you can tell they’d sound just as good solo on a battered acoustic guitar. “Everybody Needs Some Love” is a keeper too. I totally dug the punky ferocity of the Teenage Tom Petties self-titled debut album but one year later Tom Brown’s one man band has morphed into a total band experience. One result is that the songs on the new LP Hotbox Daydreams sounds more together, more focused. Or, as the band, say ‘supercharged, super melodic and super short.’ Case in point – “I Got It From Here.” I love the melodic twists here, one minute sweet, the next a bit sad. “Stoner” motors along with a rocking energy fueled by solid rhythm guitars and an ominous keyboard wash. “Find Me” sounds like a rough-hewn hit single. And there’s still plenty of rocked out fuzz on tracks like “Greenhorn” and “Trigger’s Broom.” “Deathtrap” even vibes some pop psychedelia.

Currently hanging in North Wales doing a PhD in Creative Writing, queer working class poet and musician Caleb Nichols has still managed to pump it out in 2023, releasing 3 EPs and this recent fantastic full length LP Let’s Look Back. The 11 songs here are a like a selection of chocolates, boxed in the same factory but all different flavours. “Demon Twink” comes on like a rush of Elliot Smith with a dash of Rogue Wave in the mix whereas “The Absolute Boy” gives off a bit Bryan Ferry meets Sparks. I hear some strong Shins influences all over “J’ai Vu La Lune” while “Blue Sky Blue” has a Tim Finn flavour to its melodic arc and vocal performance. Then there’s “Albatross” which stands out for its dark pop edge and  generally ominous aura. This record is clearly a winning collection. In 2022 LA’s The Uni Boys were universally lauded in the power pop press for their major label debut Do It All Next Week which somehow managed to melt down 1979 and compress it into 12 magic tunes. Now they’re back with Buy This Now! and I can heartedly endorse that sentiment. This outing has more of that winning guitar pop sound on tracks like “Two Years” and “Intentions,” with the latter’s twin lead guitar opening marking it as radio hit friendly. The split in the vocal duties pushes the band in a Rockpile/The Connection direction on “Don’t Want To Be Like You” and “I Want It Too” while “I Don’t Believe in Love” and “Say You’ll Make It Real” is more uber-cool Colin Blunstone smoothness. Lots to love here, with able production from The Lemon Twigs.

With Again Birmingham Alabama’s The Blips once again channel that 1970s new wave re-invention of classic rock and roll motifs. “Stay Up” serves notice that this record is going to be party time central, vibing a strong 1977 Nick Lowe energy. From there the record alternates between a garage rock stomp on tracks like “Slow Lane” and a more Stonesy saunter on “Good Lookin’ Liars.” Then “She Still Shouts” unleashes a bevy of hooky lead guitar licks in a dance floor crasher while “Laika” adds some jangle and fuzz to the mix. You’re gonna want to get your tickets pronto when The Blips come to your town because they are surely a rock and roll dance event. Now for a change of pace you could turn to Chicago’s Matt Tiegler. His recent release Hands Free Down Hill is all jaunty acoustic guitar and piano-based sunny pop songs. His early release single “Dream (reason for living)” set the tone, in a light and soft rock endearing sort of way. But quickly the album opens up in multiple and very pleasing directions. Like “I Didn’t Get You,” a rollicking pop ear worm, or the jangle-coated Beatlesque “I Want to Start a Religion With You.” Teigler rocks things up a bit more on the title track and there’s even a hint of XTC on “Murphy’s Hope.” And check out those seductive jazz guitar licks on “Summer Love Song.” Very Lane Steinberg.

Everybody is talking about Portland Oregon powerpop wunderkind Bory and his new album Who’s a Good Boy. With a talent like Mo Troper in the producer’s chair there was little doubt that this would be a quality pop product. Opening cut “The Flake” delivers with a bit of jangle and overall droney pop haze that is both distinctive and pleasantly familiar. Then “Feel the Burn” boosts the melodic hooks while “North Douglas” adds more fuzzy guitar to the overall pop goodness. Possible influences abound. “End of the World” showcases some delicate guitar work draping a Jon Brion bit of musical ennui, “We Both Won” has just a hint of Wings-era McCartney lurking in the song structure somewhere, and “Wreck” sounds so Elliott Smith to me. Then again, the stripped-down acoustic guitar ballad “Take It From Me” really shows the strength of Bory’s songwriting. Heading down the I-5 in Oregon we end up in Eugene, home of poprock oddballs Poppy Robbie. Their new LP Neighborhood Beautification Commission is almost a concept album, its disparate elements all contributing to a critique of modern living. “Heartbreak Scenario” gets things going with pop sneer vocal-phrasing reminiscent of a 1978 Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello or Graham Parker. From there “Homesteader” offers has a more Britpop jangle, “Robert Pollard Trading Card Collection” conjures a bit of Guided By Voices not surprisingly, and “(Still Bored) On the Weekend” nails that early Velvet Underground guitar sound. I also love the punky reinvention of Byrds influences in “Quite Alright” and the way that the vocal really carries the tune on “Distracted.” Poppy Robbie definitely has something to say and he’s going to say it now.

His day job playing guitar and keyboards for the Drive By Truckers clearly prepared Gonzalez Smith to hit the recording studio to Roll Up A Song for this solo effort. But the results are not what you might expect. The range of styles here are broader, rather exquisite and carefully curated. Take “Lexington Line,” a finely calibrated bit of baroque pop. Or “She’s My Girl,” a perfect example of undistilled power pop in the Greg Kihn tradition. “Margaret” is a lovely acoustic guitar led slice of early 1970s folk pop. And a song named for “Lindsay Buckingham” is naturally going to contain nice guitar lines for sure. I can’t decide if “I Stole Your Girlfriend” is more funny or sad. “Silhouette” is just gorgeous.  With 17 songs the LP is value for money too. Erik Voeks is one of those artists I keep trying to get to. His reputation for legendary melodic poprock crops up regularly on obscure music lists. So I’m digging in with his new Erik Voeks and The Ghosters release It Means Nothing Now. Wow, what was I waiting for? This record is maximum delight from the word go. Opening cut “It Means Nothing Now” vibes some Beach Boys and Beach Boys-influenced acts like Richard X. Heyman. “Hazy Mazes” has some addictive jangle pop hooks while “Everything Dissolves” add some XTC fuzz guitar. Some songs like “The Most Confusing Part” remind me of contemporary acts like Odds and others reinvent the past like “The One Before It” where I hear a new wave shimmering version of the Bryds. So many great songs here, though I’d single out the Marshall Crenshaw-ish “It Breaks You” and “Love You Anyway” which chugs along with good old fashioned rock and roll swing. No hesitation – this album goes directly to the ‘must have’ pile.

Round up one down, one round up to go.

Photo courtesy Megan Westerby Flikr collection.

So this is Crimble …

25 Monday Dec 2023

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

Hello world on this always weird, often worrisome, yet sometimes wonderful day. John Lennon’s nonsense greeting ‘Happy Crimble’ really captures my mood. I mean, regardless of what you do or don’t believe can we all pause for some secular or nondenominational joy? Because let’s face it, we’ve not been rocking the ‘peace on earth’ thing lately. All this conflict definitely puts a crimp in the holiday suspension of disbelief that all those Hallmark movies require. Call me a cock-eyed optometrist but I’m still looking for a bit of peace, love and understanding to break out in this wicked world. Or you may call me a dreamer …

You know what might do the trick? A last minute holiday EP release combining themes like California, falling in love, and a medley of Beatles and Beatles solo material that touch on the season. Luckily here we can turn to Caleb Nichols’ December 21 holiday gate-crasher EP So This Is Crimble. Just three songs but oh what a timely trio. “Christmas, California” kicks things off with an insistent hooky urgency, the tune evoking a pleasant John/Paul melodic tug of war. Then Nichols assembles an inspired five-part medley taking bits from all four fabs, both together and apart. His “Crimble Medley” nicks parts of the Beatles fan club release “Christmas Time Is Here Again,” Paul’s “Wonderful Christmastime,” George’s “Ding Dong Ding Dong,” John’s “Happy Christmas (War Is Over),” and Ringo’s “Photograph,” effortlessly weaving them together into a medley/mash-up combo. Finally to wrap things up, we come to the delicate and touching “I Fell In Love Christmas Day,” a closer that puts the tempo into slo-mo in a Josh Rouse contemplative way. And then it’s over.

Crimble comes but once a year but you can enjoy Caleb Nichols anytime. Check out their bandcamp catalogue here. And hey, let’s give peace a chance this new year.

Photo of ‘Scar of Bethlehem’ by Banksy, displayed in the Walled Off Hotel in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

Santa’s got the nightshift

17 Sunday Dec 2023

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

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

It’s popular to paint Santa in petit-bourgeois hues, as if he’s the boss of the North Pole. For many he’s like a festive foreman, running the workshop as a seasonal overseer. But what if Santa is just another worker, one perennially doomed to work the night shift? It’s plausible. I mean, it’s not like he charges for the toys – we’re told he gives them away to boys and girls for no more payment than good behaviour. That hardly seems the ethos of some kind of profit-obsessed Christmas CEO. And if you set aside the magically-conceived-baby thing (and let’s face it, most of us do) what you’re left with actually sounds pretty socialist. In a sharing, caring, skip the work-camps sort of way. So corral your work-team into the break room – it’s time for our annual spate of poprock holiday hymns.

My go-to source for hooky holiday material is NYC’s mysterious merrymakers Make Like Monkeys. Do they work hard for holidays? I count twenty separate seasonally-themed pages on the band’s Bandcamp page so the answer would be yes. Here they get us into the spirit of getting busy with “Let’s Go Christmas,” a song that levels with you about what is to come (and it may be painful). Another reality check comes from Norfolk, Virginia’s The Mockers as they dispel the make-believe culture war nonsense of the political right on “(There’s No War on Christmas) When Christmas Is In Your Heart.” Keeping to the reality theme Jeremy Fisher completes our initial trio of tunes with the inflation-timely “Economy Xmas.” With a chorus consisting of ‘I owe, I owe, I owe’ this is clearly a real singalong number for many this year. So if you’re just looking for a Quiet Christmas this year, check out Jeremy’s album of the same name.

Trees and presents are essential components of consumer Christmas – we have to cover them. But we’re not heading to that in-town Xmas three lot, no sir. Instead we’ve signed up Sweden’s The Genuine Fakes to take us to Taylor Swift’s “Christmas Tree Farm.” It’s in a rougher part of the outback than Taylor usually frequents. Sometimes the guitars get turned up to 11. Moving on to presents, well you never know what you might get. Here to monetize that anxiety are everyone’s fave pop punkers Vista Blue with a track from their new EP Christmas Every Day entitled “What Are You Gonna Get?” But why worry about stuff when there’s love on the line? The Mockers explore the real meaning of the season and good deal of NYC and its boroughs on their beat group-inspired “(What’s a Better Present) At Christmas Time.”

Christmas is also about geography. After all, Santa’s got to cover a lot of ground in just one night. Perennial pub rocker Geraint Watkins draws our attention to classic humanist theme of harmony and togetherness in his beautiful, piano-based ballad “Christmas Day All Over the World.” Chicago’s Alpine Subs have a more narrow focus, finding Santa “Over Wichita”. There’s a nice Shins-meets-Paul McCartney vibe going on here. LA’s Sofa City Sweetheart draws our attention to the less savory side of a sunshine state seasonal celebration on “Christmas in California.” Still, it’s sung so pretty everything still sounds like a pretty good time. And there’s a whole album to go with it – you can literally spend Christmas on the Sofa.

What about feelings? We know that all the hyped holiday togetherness wallpapered through Xmas advertising gets a lot of people down. Geoff Palmer gives voice to some of this on “Lonely Christmas Call.” It’s basically a George Jones family break-up song but done in a more Nick Lowe poprock style. Make Like Monkeys hit the Beatles pedal hard on “Found Love for Christmas.” It’s an old, old story – everyone can see your new flame is about to go out. Looks like you’re getting heartbreak for Christmas. By contrast, Tall Poppy Syndrome are taking it slow. Why not just “Come Some Christmas Eve”? Seems like a curious time for a drop-in date but what do I know? The song is an oldie from Robin Gibb while the band features Vince Maloney from the original sixties version of the Bee Gees. Their version is both sixties immaculate and rather timeless.

You know what makes Christmas cool? Ok sure, snow. But beyond that you need a healthy dose of surf guitar holiday song instrumentals. Toronto’s all woman Surfrajettes go on a lovely guitar-lick-filled “Marshmallow March.” Then to the Jersey shore where The Evergleams take up the tempo on “Marshmallow World.” So much marshmallow, so little fire. Guitar virtuoso Joel Paterson is back with a second installment of his Hi Fi Christmas Guitar series, dubbed The More The Merrier. So hard to choose just one song from this fabulous collection. His take on “O Tannenbaum” is so groovy, one part Vince Guaraldi, one part shake and shimmying goodness. But then his work on “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” takes a song most of can’t bear to hear again and makes it jump with new life. I’m just going to put them both right down here.

Wrapping things up, Vancouver’s Said the Whale remind us of the “Weight of the Season,” the different ways it affects us all. Now that Saint Shane is gone York’s Bull get my vote for most emotionally-charged Christmas tune with their new “Gay Days.” In their view the world may be shit and darkness reigns but as long as ‘you’re coming home for Christmas’ they can muster up a choir, some horns, and few penny whistles. We end our melodious journey where we began, with Make Like Monkeys and a focus on St. Nick. On “Father Christmas” the band reflect on the old man’s drive to make some good happen for those who believe while battling wind and weather and whatnot. Kinda like the rest of us (well, some of us).

It’s been a rough year for the working classes at home and abroad and wherever you may be. So please accept a merry happy whatever-you-celebrate this year from us here at Poprock Record.

Image courtesy Tatsuya Tanaka from his Miniature Calendar. I feature his image in part to help promote his great project – check it out here.

International Pop Overthrow: Toronto

29 Wednesday Nov 2023

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

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

David Bash returned to Toronto recently to close out this season of his traveling live music roadshow, the International Pop Overthrow musical festival. It was the last stop on a set of 10 dates that had him jetting from Liverpool and Copenhagen to Los Angeles and New York City. The Toronto dates offered four shows over three days featuring 20 local-ish acts, all playing at The Painted Lady live music venue. And Poprock Record was there to provide a snapshot of what you missed.

Things kicked off with a solo set from Dublin’s Barry O’Brien, leader of Slumberjet. So IPO Toronto was not all Canadian content. Fans of XTC and Pugwash won’t go wrong with O’Brien’s brand of melodic tunes. Then local boys The James Clark Institute featured a few tunes from their new album Under the Lampshade from a paired down version of the group. The results were more acoustic Mersey than the finished product but no less delightful. When The Nines took the stage it was like some joyous reunion concert. The audience seemed primed for every tune and if the band had been parted for some time you’d never know it. Another band that made the most of just having two members in attendance was Telejet. They cranked through a half dozen tracks from this year’s Spiritual Age record and the effect was magic. That album is a load of great tunes. Night #1 of IPO ended with an actual reunion of Halifax legends Cool Blue Halo. Chatting with the band’s former manager, the story he told me was so textbook: band on the brink of success breaks up. Still, this night they played tunes from their 1996 debut Kangaroo and you’d swear they were today’s latest new thing.

Slumberjet – Why Do You

Day #2 of IPO Toronto opened with the inimitable Blair Packham. Man, can this guy weave a tale. His songs are hooky and touching and Packham can hold an audience in a spell like few performers can. “One Hit Wonder” is a brilliantly-staged story-song with a chorus that will have you singing along. Moving Clockwise, this band have been around for decades but their performance here seemed to distil their sound to its sixties British invasion roots. On record, I love the over-sized pop charm of “Lift a Finger” from their 2000 release Accidentally on Purpose. By contrast, Carmen Toth conjured up the no-nonsense, new wavey rock and roll bounce of early Pat Benatar or Chrissie Hynde. “Pretty Dresses” is a clever rumination balancing feminist critique with individual desire. But you could dip in anywhere on her recent LP Fix the World for equally good results. Hands down the rocking-est moment of IPO Toronto happened when The Wasagas took the stage. With matching t-shirts and guitars, the band blasted through a series of way-cool, seriously dance-able instrumental surf numbers. Windows fogged? Check. Day #3 was an afternoon, all-ages event. Standard Electric definitely offered up some family fun, complete with stickers and buttons. Don’t worry if you missed the party, you can hear on the band’s 2020 album Overnight Lows and Afternoon Highs.

Clockwise – Lift a Finger

David Bash operates with a big tent approach to the power pop genre, big enough to encompass jangle, roots, surf, singer-songwriter, art rock, retro and indie. If you were there at IPO Toronto you got to savor them all. But if you missed it, click on the hyperlinks above to get a taste of what was some great IPO action.

Jangle Thursday: The Treasures of Mexico, U.S. Highball, and many more!

23 Thursday Nov 2023

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Nothing makes Thursday sparkle like a bit a jangle. Today’s selection offers up full albums and stand-alone singles to sate your reverb-craving appetite.

Former members of The Dentists, The Discords, and a host of other bands make up the membership of The Treasures of Mexico. Burn the Jets is their album number 3 and it’s a solid collection of tunes, awash in predictably sibilant guitar sounds. Opening cut “Beaming” practically sounds like a rainy day in by the fire, so suggestive is its aural atmosphere. “Monday Morning” is another strong contender for should-be hit single. On album #4 Glaswegian guitar pop band U.S. Highball clearly know how to stock an album full of melodic twists and turns. As previously noted in our preview of the record last summer, No Thievery, Just Cool has some strong singles contenders with “Irresponsible Holiday” and “Paris 2019.” But why stop there? The record is a veritable sea of highlights, with nifty offerings like “Picnic at Doughnut Groyne” and “Out of Time.” And how did I miss the link with the band name and American experimental musician Harry Partch’s magnum opus? Not sure why the band landed on that influence but an interesting connection nevertheless.

Now we move on the singles portion of our jangle programming. You might want to be sitting down for this next one. Japanese band Memory Girls have assembled a killer jangle roll out for their single “Our Freedom, Our Darkness.” As the song is sung in Japanese I have no idea how the sombre title connects with the rippling, mesmerizing jangle lead guitar work that drives the tune but, really, who cares? When the music is this good … Toronto’s Ducks Ltd. know how to throw down serious jangle. Their one-off single “The Main Thing” explodes into action and never lets up. The lead guitar workout is unbelievable, buffeted by a dreamy, ethereal vocal. More Canadian content comes from Kitchener, Ontario’s Hyness with “Weatherman.” The song has a folkie pop flavour, reminding me a bit of April Wine in some of their more jangle moments. Dutch janglers The Maureens have been teasing fans since September with a few new songs. “Rainy Day” speaks to all their strengths: sparkling guitars, effortless harmony vocals, and a subtle earwormy hook buried in the song. A new album from their Utrecht headquarters is highly anticipated.

Closing out this jangle Thursday, Johnny Marr’s new single “Somewhere.” A undeniable master of the genre from his time with The Smiths and  as a ‘guitar for hire’ since their breakup, his own solo work has often slipped under the radar. This song, the only new addition to a recent ‘best of’ collection, is just too Johnny jangle good to ignore.

Jangle Thursday is a kind of public service, helping you get to the weekend with your smile intact.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

I get mail: Dude, The Mother Z’s, Justin Levinson, and Elephonic

20 Monday Nov 2023

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

People write me. Really talented people. What can a poor scribe do but write about these great rock and roll bands?

With his band The Muggs Detroit rock and roll mainstay Tony Muggs has delivered 6 albums of distinctive heavy blues rock. But his solo albums have a decidedly different flavour. Under the Dude moniker he released 2012’s Kid Gloves and this year’s Autobiograffitti, the latter coinciding with his book of the same name, and the contents are more solidly pop. The vibe is very Beatles 1966. There’s whimsey, there’s drone, there’s sometimes even a heavy kick lurking beneath the poppy melodies. Having said all that, Kid Gloves’ opening cut “Not Exactly Where I Should Be” actually suggests a Monkees sense of fun. By contrast “Sweet Danielle” matches a more Beatles “I’m Only Sleeping” melancholy pop while “Two Minutes Hate” is more in “Tomorrow Never Knows” or “She Said She Said” vein. Then again “Soliloquy” sounds very Pugwash to me. A decade later the Beatles influences spread from 1966 to 1968 on Autobiograffitti. There’s a more loose, old school rock and roll vibe on tracks like “Ahh Geez Louise” or a touch of Nesmith’s country mode Monkees on “Devil’s In My Whiskey Once Again.” But other tracks like “Red Coat For Sale” are Revolver-era rocking tight. Both “Mary Mary (Quite Controversial)” and “You Are So Wonder” harken back to that “Doctor Robert” or “Paperback Writer” feel. Then the record ends on a more dreamy psychedelic pop note with “Tomorrow Is Promised to No One.”

The Mother Z’s are a brother and sister duo that have the DIY punky immediacy of Jonathan Richman or The Violent Femmes. It’s been almost ten years since they waved goodbye to fans with a variety of acoustic collections and b-sides. Since then brother Andy released a host of work as ARP! while sister Becca exited the music scene. But now they’re back together with a new EP Rest It Straight and the results are less frenetic, more acoustic, but no less engaging than their earlier work. “Non, Merci” launches things with a cool strut, evincing a Replacements kind of rough band togetherness. “Rest It Straight” offers up an alluring swing featuring a Spoon-like rhythm section. “Sheboygan” and “Meredith” have a country rock-folk feel akin to Rank and File while “Holy Smokes!” has the makings of an Americana classic. And don’t miss the tender openness on display within “Postcard from Chicago,” definitely the should-be single.

Collamer Circle represents some double-barrelled Vermont songwriting action from Justin Levinson and Ben Patton. I’ll admit, there were times when I thought I could discern when songs tipped more towards one writer or the other. For instance, having waded through Patton’s 12 fabulous albums, tracks like “Send Some Love My Way” and “Then and There” seemed to exude his distinctive turns of phrase and melody while “Mirabelle” just captured his penchant for old-timey whimsy. But for most of the album I couldn’t tell who wrote what, so aligned are these artists in their melodic MO. Opening cut “Madeline for the Win” is exhibit A, a classic Levinson/Patton cleverly structured pop song, both in tune and lyrics. Altogether I’d say the collaboration has a 1970s AM radio flavour. “California Sun” has a west coast beach sound washed with a bit of yacht rock. I hear something like Leo Sayer’s boppy pop singles on “Baby You’ve Arrived” while “I Need Somebody Now” builds to a brilliant melodic arc in the chorus. Then again, “Lead Me To You” could be seen as a more Beatlesque effort. But the record’s stand-out, should-be hit single is undoubtedly “Tin Foil Hat Parade.” This tune breaks out into more timeless poprock territory, conjuring the feel of any number great songs from Squeeze or Split Enz.

With his new Elephonic project Blow Pops and Lackloves leader Mike Jarvis attempts to distil the very essence of poppy rock and roll. And given a few plays of his new band’s self-titled debut I’d say he’s largely succeeded. Opening cut “Until the Sound” is a cacophony of sounds that still somehow gel together, vibing a load of 1980s English guitar bands. But other points reach farther back, reinventing a Merseyside feel on tracks like “Wonderin’.” I mean “Why Can’t You Listen” almost sounds like a With The Beatles deep cut, the song structure is so early Beatles but wrapped in a more contemporary sound. From there it’s like a tour of different decades, with the various songs accenting different pop music moments. There’s a 1960s Latin horns wash on “Durango,” a sunny early 1970s AM pop sheen to “Freedom Bells,” while “Rapid Transit” exudes a late 1970s penchant for acoustic rock with ominous overtones. And then we have songs that defy easy categorization like “Memphis UK.” This one swings with a “His Latest Flame” shimmy, touched up with some striking guitar flourishes. Really, Elephonic is an obvious ‘best of’ list addition.

Why Can’t You Listen
Memphis UK

Hard to believe people this talented have to write and send their own pressers but that’s what being an artist has come to today. Why not put paid to that effort by making it rain across the hyperlinked band sites added above for your convenience.

Photo ‘Mostly It Was Something To Fill Up Her Empty Days’ courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Autumn midway mixtape II

10 Friday Nov 2023

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

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

It may be getting cooler but there’s still time to catch a ride on a dilapidated wooden chute-the-chute or duck parts flying off a few demolition derby wrecks. You may need music for that. We’ve got your midway mixtape re-up ready right here.

Young Declan McKenna broke out big in 2015 with the mesmerizing single “Brazil” when he was barely breaking 16 years old. Since then he’s exceeded the one-hit wonder expectations of the British music press to ride a reliable wave of lyrically and musically challenging songs. His new album What Happened to the Beach is being readied for a 2024 release but a double-A sided single is out now and it’s pretty impressive. “Sympathy” has shades of early 1970s Bowie’s melodic intensity with some glam dance-slam going on while “Nothing Works” could be covered by Grouplove tracking back to a more new wave time. The latter song has just an echo of Maxine Nightingale’s “Right Back Where We Started From” buried in the tune like an Easter egg. Another artist moving on from a musically precocious adolescence is New Jersey’s Juniper. Her previous two albums covered retro girl group groups from the 1960s to 1980s but her most recent single is something else again. “I Was Thinking About You” defies such easy categorization, combining inventive horn work with a Talking Heads kind of folk/pop sensibility. B-side “Ride Between the Cars” is special too, a light and frothy bit of pop songcraft worthy of Marti Jones. LA’s Tony Marsico has played punk (The Plugz), indie rock (Cruzados), and in the background for a host of stars as a bass man for hire. But on his recent single “Rocket Girl” he unleashes a poppy rock and roll sound in league with Greg Kihn, Tommy Tutone and The Romantics. A full album in this style would not go overlooked around here. Lost and Found brings together a collection of 1990s tracks from Philadelphia’s Buzz Zeemer that didn’t make the record store racks. So many great tunes here (e.g. “Sometimes” and “Shelly Don’t Mind”) but I’m singling out a bit of an outlier, the country-ish “Answer My Prayers.” It’s as if Buck Owen’s main lead guitar man Don Rich had sprung back to life to anchor this tune. Sydney Australia’s Gavin Bowles and the Distractions have got their new long-player Phoning It In out in shops and we’re spoiled for choice in terms of what to feature. Here I’m drawn to “Here Comes the Heartache” with its unexpected melodic twists and turns and strong 1979 vibe.

The new Jean Caffeine single “I Don’t Want to Kill You Anymore” is hilarious and earworm infectious. Disguised as an homage to early 1960s girl group twee pop, Caffeine roughs everything up, from the guitar to the deadpan, almost punk sensibility of the vocal. This is one perfect feminist rock and roll statement, both hard-hitting and hooky. From the on-the-spot handclaps, to lyrics like ‘you put the whore in horrible,’ to the speed-up at the end of the record, Caffeine has produced a 3 and half minute masterpiece. York’s Bull uncork the party again with “Start a New,” a single full of swing and enough friendly bonhomie to make you want to sing along. There’s a definitely a Kinks-meet-The Pixies feel here. Santa Monica’s The Popravinas bring their candy-coated poprock back with new song “3 Month Situation.” There’s a more Brydsian country feel to this outing, though still plenty in common with the likes of The Connection and Tommy and the Rockets. The Jellybricks are teasing us with a single from their as yet unnamed new album. “Monday’s Never” is a ferocious slice of poppy rock, inspired by The Cure’s “Friday I’m In Love” but going its own way. It’s the kind of song that imprints on you more and more with every play as you hear more of the melodic nuance. The killer hooky chorus doesn’t hurt either. Kitchener Ontario’s Hyness go dark on “Driveway” with a song that lumbers along, drilling its hooks deep into your skull. The effect is hypnotic and meditatively pleasing but then brightens up in the chorus like clouds breaking to let through some sun. One of series of slow-drip release singles and that means a new album (yay!) cannot be far off.

The Jellybricks – Monday’s Never

Belfast’s Jet Black Tulips keep going from strength to singles strength. Their new double A-sided 45 is a blast of two distinct flavours of Britpop. “Young Love” rides a big guitar Oasis sound, sonorous and stadium fist-pumping good while “Dance to the Courteneers” is more Cast-acoustic fresh and poppy. A full album from this crew is going to be something else. Caleb Nichols is surely one of the most exciting and inventive artists to emerge over the past decade, comfortable in multiple genres and fiendishly creative. Last spring they dropped the EP She Is Not Your Shadow, a four song blast of bristling pop energy. Opening cut “Waylaid” struts along riding seductive guitar work and striking horn shots. There’s a Shins level of pop confidence happening here. Listening to Burner Herzog’s “Patient Zero” from his new record Random Person reminds me Rogue Wave. It’s the understated vocals and acoustic rhythm guitar dominating the mix. But it’s also the air of mystery shrouding everything. On “Thinking of You” Finnish power pop masters The Bablers dial into their Revolver-era time machine to nail the Beatles groove. It’s there in the guitar attack and oh-so smooth vocals. Right next door in Sweden Psychotic Youth offer us a few rougher edges on “Go.” From their new album Happy Songs, the song channels a more Ramones vein of punky poppy rock. Just one of 15 delightful party-worthy rock and roll tearaways.

We’ve written about theCatherines many times before. This new exclusive b-side “Where Do You Stand?” is a timely sentiment in our war-torn times, combining the band’s familiar fuzzy jangle with an urbane pop melody. Scranton, Pennsylvania’s The Menzingers deliver some heartfelt hooky Americana on their new album Some Of It Was True, nowhere more than on the should-be single “Come On Heartache.” There’s a touch of The Mavericks/Los Lobos sound here that I’m really liking. Geoff Palmer’s new album An Otherwise Negative Situation is an irrepressible capsule of explosively poppy rock and roll, one part Ramones, one part bubblegum. There just so many great tunes here. But I’m always one for outliers, like “Ignite” which leans heavily in a Nick Lowe/Ian Gomm direction. I’m also partial to “Backseat Driver” with its many melodic twists. The Golden Apples presser for their new album Bananasugarfire promises us fuzzed out guitars and joyful lyrics and that is what they deliver on  “Waiting for a Cloud,” a surging splash of sparkly guitar work and vocals with a smile. West Kirby’s (Merseyside) West Coast Music Club shift the mood on their recent single “There She Goes Again” offering up a melancholy melody. The atmosphere is rather sparse and cool, like a starlit sky in autumn.

Damn Dazy. You’ve delivered again. Another absolutely addictive earwormy single. “Forced Perspective” chugs along with a Sugar Ray-meets-Beck laid back swing, only to step on the hooks in the chorus. You can’t help but join in.

The carney’s are getting a last look in on the public before closing up shop for the season. Make your last visit a musically-accompanied one.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Autumn midway mixtape I

01 Wednesday Nov 2023

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

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

Autumn on the midway can conjure images of bright lights and romance or screaming kids and stale food. The same is true of midway music. To move your midway mixtape in the right direction we’ve selected 21 tunes that will survive an encounter with wildest rollercoaster ride. This is the first of two installments.

We kick things off with a reconstituted version of Gen 11’s “Month of Sundays,” a deep cut from their 2020 EP California Grown. This new version sounds fresher and more present than before, the rhythm guitar is louder and more to front of the mix. Definitely more ‘let’s party’ this time around. Next up Oklahoma City’s The Lunar Laugh and the advance single from their new album entitled “Born Weird.” The song combines so many traditions, a bit of pop punk with touches of more baroque pop influences, twin-fueled by chugging guitar work and a swirling mix of vocal styles. A new Rinehearts album is something to get excited about and Full Bloom does not disappoint. The record is full of that Perth-stamped poppy rock the town is so well known for. But for the moment, just sample “Falling Down” so you don’t get too over-excited. There are some classic FOW turns of melody and vocal phrasing here but so much more too. Now for something different, check out “Everyday I Find the Luck” from Carlisle UK’s Hardwicke Circus. It’s like Billy Bragg joined Haircut 100 and the results are fun, fun, fun. The vocal interplay is exquisite while the tune just charges along. Somerdale sounds like the name of some kind of American teen telenovella. But this band are a distilled dose of 1970s poppy guitar rock. “Come Enjoy” is from their first album in seven years, Let’s Get Started, and it vibes 1976 without even trying. It’s the guitar, it’s the tone on the lead vocal, it’s the wall of background vocals buffeting the tune. It’s the whole package.

It was a tough call between featuring SLD’s “A Perfect Day” or “Hiding.” The former has got a backbone of non-stop chilling background vocals anchoring the tune while the latter works a Lennon-esque combo of acoustic guitar and lonely vocal adding a surprising McCartney-ish twist one minute in. You can consult both for yourself from the band’s new LP Like Sunshine. I might be accused of choosing the off-brand tune from Dolph Chaney’s new record Mug with “Love Around You.” But the interplay between the tender vocal and heart-rending steel guitar lines is like a big hug and who doesn’t need that about now? Count me in. Chicago’s Bur have got an interesting mix of sounds going on their most recent LP We Are Bur, a combo of indie, punk, and Beatlesque elements all pulling in different directions. But it works. Like on the ear wormy “Kush Burns.” Smooth with wonderfully rough edges. With “All Your Heart Can Hold” Brooklyn’s Gerry Devine serves up poprock perfection. This is 80s hit radio good, so eminently listenable. And Devine is offering the whole LP In My Own Good Time for free. A slightly better known group from Liverpool are releasing their version of our next song “Now and Then” but give the indefatigable Super 8 his due, his version is pretty special. He fills out the tune and adds a few surprises along the way. Just one of 12 fab familiar reinventions from his free covers album Raindrops on Roses.

San Francisco’s The From have got a loose and friendly vibe. There’s a slacker indie rock and roll sheen to everything on their debut LP Tomorrow Was Better. With influences ranging from Cheap Trick to Any Trouble it’s all guitars and gas guzzling cars and rocking tunes. “Friend Collector” falls somewhere between 12 bar bluesing and a poppy boogie rock that Steve Miller Band invented. Late Bloomers mine a more early REM shoegaze jangle seam on “Bitter Pill.” The rest of their recent LP S/T is more of the good same. Another kind of rock throwback can be found the Mighty Dan Gerous record Everybody Needs a Hero. “Don’t Go” has got an early Cars new wave finesse combined with a more straightforward American heartland AOR FM radio sound. “Bitch I Love You” is pretty special too. Looking for a Merseybeat fix? The Newds have definitely got what you need on their one-off single “The Street Leads to the River.” It’s got jangly guitar and a lovely Billy J. Kramer breeziness. The mysterious Josh DC (from ‘England’ UK) puts a slight drone on the vocal of “Rip of the Rulebook” just like Beck might do. The song has got some interesting change ups and ear wormy quality.

I often refer to The Front Bottoms in talking about other bands, their sound is that distinctive to me. It’s a curious meld of dissonant indie rock with occasional folk flourishes. New album You Are Who You Hang Out With is no different.  “Outlook” kicks off all earnest vocals and acoustic guitar only to break out in the second third with a heavy guitar attack and a swell of harmony vocals. Vancouver band Autogramm entitle their soon-to-be-released new album Music That Humans Can Play and that fits the ambience of the first single “WannaBe.” It’s got a Thomas Dolby meets The Fixx feel, with slightly more ominous rhythm guitar work. The Half-Cubes continue to dazzle listeners with their ongoing reinvention of nearly forgotten power pop classics of yesteryear. This time the boys take on the Ducks Deluxe/Searchers seventies tune “Love’s Melody” and lay bare the track’s melodic genius. Swedish electro-pop merchant The School Book Depository continues to drop interesting singles, this time vibing Owl City on “I’m Done.” As with previous releases, the song is a glorious wash of keyboards and an arresting vocal interplay. Charleston, South Carolina group Band of Jays offer up a smooth pop sound, punctuated by clean organ/lead guitar lines and a vocal mix that is stunning. “He Never Does the Right Thing” could be mistaken for soft rock but there’s some grit mixed in too.

The School Book Depository – I’m Done

We call a wrap on this installment of midway mixtape suggestions with Detroit’s The High Strung from their recent long-player Address Unknown. “In The Lines” will leave you wondering, is it folk? Or Merseybeat? Mannered baroque pop? Does it even matter? No. You can enjoy this tune and 11 others on the album without playing name that genre.

The High Strung – In The Lines

With all these tunes you can hit the midway with an extra spring in your step this fall. And there’s even more to come shortly.

Photo ‘Learning How To Smile’ courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr Collection.

Scary monsters and super treats

26 Thursday Oct 2023

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

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

The annual march of mini monsters is nearly upon us. It’s a wonderfully spooky time where their voracious appetite for candy and mischief are on full display. Here at Poprock Record we dispense ear candy, of course. No tricks, just sweet sweet melodic treats.

Let’s get things started with that classic declaration from imaginative kid games: “You’re Dead.” The tune from Filipino-Panamanian-American folk singer Norma Tanega was initially recorded in the mid-1960s but recently experienced a resurrection as the theme song for Taika Waititi’s hilarious vampire movie and TV comedy What We Do In The Shadows. While originally written as an indictment of NYC’s competitive music scene the track seems perfectly suited for the show. I find its unusual folky tuning and metre absolutely captivating. Well, now that you’re dead, where do you hang? Sonny Falls’ exquisitely drone-y “Cemeteries” gives us clue. Falls provides a nice acoustic guitar-plus-synth kind of musical crypt to climb within. And who knows, you might meet some interesting people there. After all, Jersey City native Jonny Couch turns on a Simon Le Bon-worthy croon to announce he “Found Out You’re a Zombie.” That’s a bit of a date shocker.

Norma Tanega – You’re Dead

Well the monsters have been let loose so we might as well meet a few. Hi Tide Recordings specialise in the very coolest retro sounds, like Asbury Park’s Black Flamingos. Check out the wild instrumental guitar action all over the seasonally appropriate “Tales from the Crypt.” These surf guitar masters definitely stay true to their ghoul here. The Jack Rubies are a 1980s east London outfit back from the grave with their recent single “Poltergeist,” their latest in a series of recent releases after a break of three decades. The results are spooky and atmospheric and monstrously good.  Cheeky poprock outfit Scoopski opted for a whole EP of scary tunes on Halloween with Scoopski. I was torn between featuring  the poppy “Pumpkin Smile” or the more goof-rock “Monster in the Mirror.” What the hell, I’ll let you decide. NYC’s Dr. Ex and the Break-Ups have got the central-casting organ sound for Halloween tracks locked up on “Bye Bye Bizarro.” So groovy. I thought it was going an instrumental until the vocals burst in at the one minute mark. Ok, the song is not really festively ‘all hallows eve’ or anything being about Superman and all but the Bizarro villain focus seemed ‘Halloween-adjacent’ to me.

This year’s ‘ghoul-of-the-month’ are ghosts. Meddling ghosts, loitering ghosts, ghosts in the crosshairs. Big Stir Records have a great big Halloween holiday LP that has just arrived entitled Stir The Cauldron featuring 20 seasonally approved songs. I’m singling out Plasticsoul’s guitar pop delight “The Ghost In Between Us” for your special attention. There’s something so fresh sounding about this track. The guitars sparkle while the song structure falls somewhere between Squeeze and the Cure. Victoria, BC’s The Origin sound like they practically tip toe into the theatre before breaking out the electric guitars and letting loose on “The Ghosts,” featuring some great organ back up. Last year Atlanta-based Four Eyes came out with the freak folk festive The Freaky EP. So seasonally in tune with songs about vampires and the unresting dead. But we’re not going to talk about that now. Instead let’s feature the lofi fab “I’d Rather Be Ghost Hunting” from her 2019 album of the same name. Plucky, seemingly self-propulsive, with a ghostly vocal sheen.

It’s a holiday and oh, what’s that? A new Vista Blue release? Well that wasn’t unexpected. Everybody’s favourite pop culture-riffing pop punk band are back with another seasonal set of songs, this time dubbed Even Dracula Will Be There. Our featured tune is “I Gotta Rock,” a double entendre of culture quips, quoting Charlie Brown and the ever present punk need to just rock. Vista Blue, they’re holiday reliable.

You might be tempted to empty that candy bowl but you know better. Dip into all this ear candy instead – it’ll fill you up without rotting your teeth.

Photo from 1960 movie Village of the Damned courtesy James Vaughn Flikr collection.

Drive time regulars: Steve Marino, Taylor Young Band, Classic Traffic, and Rolling Numbers

13 Friday Oct 2023

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

Whether you’re driving or just enjoying the ride there are tunes that help while away the time getting from here to there. The term ‘drive time’ used to refer to that special captive-in-cars radio audience that could nonetheless shift stations. So DJs needed to serve up some pretty solid stuff, kinda like the four acts we feature here.

Steve Marino’s Too Late to Start Again has been my go-to ‘heading home from work’ album this fall. From the dreamy pop confection “Satisfy You” opener to the sweet DIY acoustic cover of Teenage Fanclub’s “I Don’t Want to Control You” that wraps things up, you won’t find a much more perfectly put together guitar pop album than this. The tunes vary but the track order makes the whole group gel as an album. Take the transition from the sunny pop feel on “Satisfy You” to the slightly more Beck-like dirge pop groove animating “Comedown.” You hardly notice the shift, so effortless is the change. Then the mood lightens appreciably with the “Got You (In My World Now)” Sugar Ray vibe and the basking-in-the-sunshine, smile-inducing “Kingdom.” The subtle background vocals on the latter really lift the song. Not that the record shies away from a bit of rocking out. “Tune You Out” sounds like bouncy, tuned-down version of a classic punk pop song. “Love You More Than Before” borrows distinctive psych pop elements, married with some languid Marshall Crenshaw lead guitar lines. “Blue” builds a buzz of sound around a great lead guitar hook, slipping into Swervedriver territory here and there. Other influences include Elliott Smith on “Leaning Off the Sun” and Teenage Fanclub on “Pins and Needles.” Trust me on this one, you’ll be starting Too Late to Start Again again and again and again …

I’m a bit late to the Taylor Young Band scene but 2020’s Mercury Transit just fell across my radar and I’m loving it’s relentless positivity and evocation of 1980s indie sounds. The album presser describes band leader Taylor Young as ‘Ted Lasso with a Telecaster’ and there is indeed something irrepressibly smile-inducing about this collection of songs. There’s jangly lead guitar, hushed candy-coated vocals, and hooks to spare. Dip into album opener “Get Around” and all the basic pieces that make this album great are there. And there’s something else, a faint echo of The Smithereens here and there, particularly Pat DiNizio’s distinctive vocal phrasing. I hear it on “Make You Want to Stay” and “Five Cents,” the latter pulling in some Nick Lowe-isms with the rumbly lead guitar intro. Bands like The Popravinas and Grapes of Wrath also come to mind. Or there’s a Blue Rodeo freewheeling rootsy pop feel to “Blue Eyed,” especially that great guitar lick that ties everything together, and a Sam Roberts finish all over “Out of My Mind.” Stylistically there’s loads of variety here: some soul pop vamp on “Shine on Me,” a 1980s FM melodic sheen to “Rattled,” and plenty of kick up your heels poppy country rock with “Daze of the Week” and “Drinkin.” And yet TYB marks everything with its own distinctive band sound. Should be hit single here, “Wrong Place, Wrong Time” for sure. Some seriously jaunty jangle that gets into your head – in a good way.

Another late-find band for me is New Jersey’s Classic Traffic. I was just about to start raving over their 2022 self-titled debut when I discovered they’ve got a newer release available and it is just as good. There’s a tension at the heart of this project that creates a groovy kind of alchemy, combining blistering guitars and hushed, soothing vocals. The ‘tude is very Twin Peaks or Parquet Courts though the sound is more Bob Mould. From the debut make sure to check out the opening cut “Solo Show.” Now that’s how you anchor a song in a killer hook. “Ten Minute Window” is pretty special too, like Teenage Fanclub with Marshall stacks. The new album is You Want It? We Got It! and boy do they ever. “Morbid Obit” launches this record on it’s rocking yet subdued trajectory. You know this would be live treat. Then “Crash Test Buddy” ups the melodic current in an addictive head boppin’ manner. “Paranoid Perfectionist” slows things down a bit with a solid rhythm guitar lurch. Then “High Wire Guy” again sounds like a cranked up Teenage Fanclub. The band do slow things down on occasion, like on the brooding “Return to Sender.” Singles? Definitely the breezy yet punchy “Lonely Palm Reader” and the almost pop punky “Out To Me.” You’ve got two solid slabs of noisy power pop album-age to enjoy here. But my hunch is that these tunes would really come alive in person. A Toronto tour stop can’t come soon enough for yours truly.

Chicago’s Rolling Numbers are a bit of an enigma. There’s stark 1980s lead guitar work tempered by a variety of subtle synth keyboard interventions, all in support of tunes full of mellow yet engaging melodies. “Figure It Out” kicks things off and here the solid rhythm guitar is very Moody Blues 2.0 or even The Shins. The contrasts really come out next with “Shimmering Eyes,” a song defined by intriguing yet restrained keyboard and guitar work as well as a subtle, sneak-up-on-you, Macca-worthy melodic hook. I hear a bit of McCartney circa 1970s Wings on “Underwater” too. Other tracks have faintly reminiscent vibes, like the Men at Work reggae feel to “The Lonely Night,” the Big Country-ish lead guitar flourishes on “I Don’t Mind,” or the Fleetwood Mac-like vocal hit of “Home Again.” Then there’s “It Takes Me Back,” your basic full-on country workout. And yet I’m struck by how the band nails a 1980s melodic melancholia that marked the soft rock of that decade on tracks like “Best of Luck” and “Be With You Tonight.” The former has an aching quality that ebbs and flows, vocally mournful then uplifted by the sometimes searing lead guitar work. The latter is a brilliant mix of 1980s synth keyboards, stark lead guitar lines, and oh-so melancholy vocals. This kind of stuff used to own AM radio once upon a time. I used to miss its exquisite polish – now I don’t have to.

Here are four new regulars for your drive time playlist. Click on the hotlinks above to pick your favourites.