The latest invasionary force emanating from Liverpool are the jangle-forward quartet Keyside. With just two EPs and handful of singles to their name they’ve been making waves throughout the UK since 2023 with their updated Britpop sound and socially conscious lyrics. Frankly I have difficulty understanding much of what singer Dan Parker is getting out, given his heavy Scouse brogue. But I know a should-be hitmaking sound when I hear it. New single “Rock My Love” is utterly captivating with its rippling reverb-heavy lead guitar lines. The overall aura has the impact of The Smiths or The The. When the lead guitar lick kicks in at regular intervals the vibe is electric. As they continue to tour their British isle this fall one can’t help but wonder what impact an entire debut album might have. My gut says, this is going to be La’s or Stone Roses big. You might as well get in on the ground floor now and avoid the bandwagon crush.
Keyside have all the usual internet real estate showcasing their wares. You’re gonna want to get caught up there.
The Beatlesque vibe on this song hits you right from the start and never lets up. “I’m Not You” should have been a monster chart hit from what should have Wanderlust’s second album for RCA. But the major label passed, leaving the song and its album to come out largely unnoticed on indie label Not Lame. Now it can found on the colossal 57 song collection Wanderlust A-Z at a very nice price. But back to “I’m Not You.” The song is not just a Beatles easter egg hunt, though there is plenty of that. There’s also some sweet 1970s Big Star and Cheap Trick asides too. The hooks here are so seductive and come chock-a-block one after another. The guitar licks get into your head, overlaid by vocals that cry out for a sing-along. While Wanderlust officially split in 1997 and songwriting partnership of Scot Sax and Rob Bonfiglio went on to other projects they have come back together at irregular intervals to reignite their obvious musical chemistry, most recently on 2021’s All of a View. If you’re just discovering Wanderlust, as I have, you’re in for something pretty special. One listen to “I’m Not You” should be enough to convince you. Just try not to hit repeat.
You can get caught up on most of the Wanderlust back catalogue at the band’s bandcamp page but the 2014 reunion album Record Time is tucked away at Scot Sax’s music shop.
Jaime Orr’s “Somebody Like You” starts innocently enough, even a bit on the low key side of things. But once it gets going the song builds quickly, adding layer upon layer of sonic goodness, only to hammer things home in a killer chorus. With a Matthew Sweet kind of melodic drone defining what’s up front, you can’t help but appreciate all the little things sprinkled throughout the tune. I love the way the background vocals creep up at various melodic turns. There’s even a bit of B52’s vocal punch here and there. And all along the ringing electric guitar work keeps grinding away, a solid backdrop for everything else that is working overtime here.
Perusing the usual musical services I see a little over a dozen singles from Orr, most wielding solid, chunky electric guitar hooks while a few take up a softer poprock style. Surely there’s enough here for an album? Stylistically I think they fit together as a coherent artist statement, though to my ears he’s really coming into own as a songwriter/performer with recent cuts like “Heartache,” “Not Below You or Above,” and of course “Somebody Like You” in nailing down his powered poprock chops.
Keep your ears open for Ireland’s Jaime Orr. He’s something big about to happen.
Last year I lauded Softjaw’s “Pleased With Me,” the opening track from their debut EP S/T. It was Stonesy singalong good fun. Now, as S.W. Lauden first noted on The Big Takeover and his Remember the Lightning substack, the band have returned this year with an enriched powerpop vibe. Both he and I caught the Big Star-meets-Cheap Trip drift of the opening riff on “I Need You” (as anyone would – you can’t miss it!). But when the vocals kick in the Beatles harmonies are unmistakable, aided by some classic Fabs descending guitar lines. The relentless pace of this brief two-and-half-minute song makes for a sonic thrill ride, an aural thing of beauty. You don’t get a much better distillation of power pop essence that this. And the nods to Big Star continue to run throughout the track. The video juxtaposes the band cranking out the tune with frenzied female Beatlesque crowd shots in a totally complementary way. I mean, this is a song made for jumping up and down. Since “I Need You” came out earlier this month another single has hit the airwaves (“Undercover Lover”), an indication of a full LP release sometime soon? Now that’s something I definitely need.
Fill your need for Softjaw at their Bandcamp site.
Time to rev up our annual Poprock Record should-be hit singles list of songs we’ve featured at some point during 2024. Let’s be honest up front, we barely scratched the surface of all that was going on out there music-wise, even within the confines of our own narrowly defined genre (what I’ve been calling poppy rock). As I peek at the lists of other melodic rock taste-makers I see loads of great acts I somehow missed out on. Oh well. There’s only so much needle-dropping your scribe can do. From what we did manage to cover I just want to take this space to remind you of some stand-out tracks. So today we single out 50 should-be hit singles from 2024, songs that deserve another shot at chart glory. Click on the hyperlinks to hear each of the songs and read the original write ups.
Drumroll please, here are Poprock Record’s top 50 should-be hit singles from 2024:
Music blogger extraordinaire Eclectic Music Lover put me on to Won Phreely’s captivating single and I was hooked. Both Real Estate and Used struck me as mining that elegant Shins brand of manicured poprock. Lo Fi Ho Hum grabbed my attention with his quirky, amusing video but his melody lingered long after. Tamar Berk just goes from strength to strength in her songwriting and you can hear it here. I could go on. This is a list bursting with jangle and heartbreak – and hooks, of course.
Next up, Poprock Record’s most inventive covers from 2023:
The covers just keep on coming and I’m fine with that. Poprock veterans The Half Cubes gave us a double album of carefully curated pop hits from the past but it was their cover of The Sighs’ signature song that really floored me. Georgia’s Mattiel could sing the phone book and keep most people happy but her cover of Terri Gibbs’ 1981 hit is nothing short of transformative. Then there’s Super Ratones doing Fountains of Wayne. Lovely and timely.
It’s been a tough year. It’s been a year full of great songs. We’ll certainly need more of the latter in the days ahead and Poprock Record with be there to bring you more should-be hits. So click on the links above to remind yourself how good 2024 was and make sure to visit the artists and wave a little cash in their direction.
My go-to source for breaking poprock should-be hits Sweet Sweet Music Blog featured Montana native Jacob Godbey’s pretty much one-man band Lo Fi Ho Hum back in July and since then “Never Been in Love” has been occupying a special set-aside corner of my new music mind space. I’ll admit, my initial engagement was with the hilarious video Godbey put together. His improv skills clearly come to fore as he visually portrays his song’s hapless protagonist on this quest for love. But make no mistake, this single is a killer song, combining Steve Miller-esque everyman sleek vocals with a slow burn melodic hook that just keep looping you back in. And the recurring bicycle bell shots are just a smile-inducing bonus.
The song is part of a short sharp shock of an extended play release Garage Pop, which really is apt description of the 19 minutes of music contained here. “Boundaries” is another strong cut, slightly dissonant and hooky, cut with the occasional buzzy guitar breakout and yelly punk vocals. “Open Mic Night” brings observation comedy to everyone’s mixed bag entertainment choice. But really the whole package is an enjoyable blast.
Lo Fi Ho Hum are high octane fun. Get over to their Mp3 distribution centre on bandcamp for more and then visit Godbey Creative to discover you’ve only just scratched the surface of Jacob Godbey’s considerable, multiple talents.
Quebec City band Los don’t appear to have gotten a lot of attention with the EP, double-sided single, and LP they released a decade ago. To my ears, that’s really hard to understand. Their one long-player Big Surf particularly is savagely good, bristling with a new romantic pop crispness but anchored by a whole load of killer lead guitar hooks. Just check out the excitement the opening strum gets going on “Harrison Slide” before adding in some pretty seductive harmony vocals. “Bellevue” has an acoustic guitar and layered vocals dreamy quality I associate with bands like Family of Year. Or listen closely to how “Seventeen On One” bends its minor chords in a heart rending way. But hey, the focus we’re here for is the album’s should-be hit-single IMHO: “Wonders.” As the LP’s opening cut, talk about starting out strong! Right out of the gate, the song says ‘don’t touch that dial’ with its striking lead guitar riffs and slightly melancholic guitar pop groove. As it goes on, the organ comes up in the background, buffeting and expanding the overall sound. Then in the instrumental break the lead guitar vibes a strong 1970s Wings urgency. By the song’s end the vocals overlap in a very sunny Beach Boys way.
The band appear to have changed their name more recently from Los to Lose while releasing two new singles, very much in the same dreamy atmospheric guitar pop style of their earlier work. And that’s fine by me.
With just three albums released since 2006 Peter Baldrachi is not going to win any productivity awards. But drop in anywhere on his catalogue and prepare for a jolt of pure pop excitement. These are epic recordings, melding a Replacements kind of great rock and roll flair with an ear for melody worthy of Matthew Sweet. And to be fair on the output markers, there are a few stand-alone singles and EPs in the mix. I got wind of his work when someone tipped me to Change, his fabulous 2019 collection of singles. But I ended up buying everything he’s put out. So – no surprise – I’m pretty sure I’ll be featuring a lot of Baldrachi in the days to come. But my initial needle-drop through these all these releases had one track really leap out as clear hit-single material, “You’re Gonna Miss Me Someday.”
The first version of the song appears on Baldrachi’s 2006 solo debut Solid Ground. The track opens with a sweet solo lead guitar line before easing into its acoustic guitar-centric rhythm pop sway. The melodic lead guitar riffs that pop up again and again are delightful while the harmony vocals build as things go on. Background vocalist Alice Austin adds a Go Go’s element to the mix with her contribution. All in all it is a fabulous album deep cut. But wait, there’s more. Baldrachi released a second version in 2015, remixed by power pop legend Ed Stasium. The new version is so subtly different yet the impact elevates the track to should-be hit-single status, it’s hidden charms now not so hidden. The opening lead guitar line is excised letting Baldrachi launch directly into the tune. Stasium then gives the track a bit more bite, lifting the faders on various guitar and drum tracks to increase the impact. Frankly, in my head I hear a third version produced by Steve Lillywhite that could slip on to Crenshaw’s Field Day but perhaps that’s just being greedy.
Peter Baldrachi is your unheralded star-of-the-day discovery. Or maybe you know his stuff? In which case, isn’t it great to hear it again? Either way, you too can buy all his releases at one convenient online stop.
Patrick Donders over at the Sweet Sweet Music interview blog put me on to Germany’s Usedand their recent sprawling double album-equivalent Sensationalize record. From the LP’s 18 tracks the band are currently promoting “Eleven Days” and “Take the Pain Away” as videos, both great songs worthy of singling out. But my own reading of the stand-out, should-be hit single from this collection is without question “Morning Sun.” The song crackles with energy from the outset, constantly shifting musical ground with clean and striking Beatlesque lead guitar work, hair-raising vocal harmonies, and an arrangement that is pop genius. While not sounding exactly like anybody else the sonic atmosphere brings to mind acts like Sunday Sun, Golden Seals, and Telekinesis for me.
Morning Sun
Now, if I may be so bold, every great 45 A side should have a complementary B side, something recognizably in the same register but with a different attack or leaning on different instrumental choices. Here I think “Seagull Island” strikes the right chord (literally), replacing the A side’s manic pacing with a more languid, Fountains of Wayne kind of melodic ennui.
Seagull Island
Used’s new LP Sensationalize is a lot to take in and enjoy. So start here and then travel on the band’s website to find out more. And for some unique acoustic, live-in-the-record store versions of these songs, check out the band’s YouTube page.
Some songs just gather you up and whisk you along wherever they might be going. There’s no getting off, if the artist knows what they’re doing. Ohio’s Good Shade have arrived at that level of song mastery with “When Will You See” from their recent LP Think Spring. The song bounds into action from the start, all guitars-to-the-front of the mix – that grabbed me. Then the chorused vocals come in with a magnetism I find irresistible. But the real magic happens 30 seconds along with the shift to the chorus – what a hook! Good Shade are primarily Shane Natalie’s one man band, working the pop punk scene hard over the course of now five albums. But what is interesting is how the sound has slowly tipped from the punk to pop side of that spectrum over time. Early albums are hard rocking affairs where the melodies get a bit buried. Now they’re up front, as you can hear on “When Will You See.” Even as the song is fading out under a heavenly bit of background vocals I’m already hitting replay. I think you might be too.
Tune in to the whole Good Shade catalogue on bandcamp. You can check out all the other tunes on their new album or just bask in the glow of this great single.
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