Bob of the Pops is a labour of love from Robyn Gibson, leader singer of The Junipers and, in this case, a one-man band performing all parts on this particular project. Sneaking in recording sessions after his main band was done work for the day, Gibson took five years putting together this amazing collection of covers. The range is spectacular, from rare to well known choices covering 1960s up to the 1990s. Gibson’s formula is simple: take catchy tunes and apply his unerring talent for recreating a jangly 1960s British poprock sound. The fit is obvious with his covers of sixties bands like the Hollies, the Springfields, the Who, the Beatles and the more obscure Honeybus, but it works just as well for later material from the Dentists, Kirsty MacColl, Teenage Fanclub, and the Laverne and Shirley TV theme.
Bob of the Pops is a strong collection but the standout track for me is Gibson’s reinvention of Nick Heyward’s “He Doesn’t Love You Like I Love You.” The song is a nice cut from Heyward’s 1993 album From Monday to Sunday, penned and ably performed by the former Haircut 100 front man. But Gibson brings out the song’s inner 1960s soul, tweaking the melody as if it had been a hit by the Searchers (the first time around). Besides, who refers to ‘rag dolls’ outside of the 1960s? Nobody. This is now the definitive version (sorry Nick).
Bob of the Pops deserves wide exposure, it’s that much fun. Tell your friends, give it to your relatives. You can get the album on Bandcamp and visit Robyn on Facebook.
It seemed like an interesting gimmick – 52 songs over 52 weeks. That was Timmy Sean’s promise for 2015. For just $20 (US), he would produce a song a week for a whole year. I signed up on the strength of this song alone. Sean is musically multi-dexterous, with material that pays homage to a broad array of poprockers ranging from Fountains of Wayne to Hall and Oates. But “Western Rodeo” is a departure in more ways than one. First, it’s country! None of the other 51 tracks really go there. Second, the song’s arrangement and performance are flawless. I like a lot of the 52 songs Sean served up but for me this single is a cut above. It has a lovely melancholy acoustic guitar foundation that builds slowly and solidly, adding pedal steel, lead guitar, and great backing vocals, delivering a sonic impact I usually associate with early Eagles or late Byrds material. Sean is a major talent just waiting to break.
This one seemed like a no brainer for this blog. Cartoon Spirits’ “Pop Rocks” could well be our theme song, except in this case it refers the exploding mouth candy. Oh well. There’s no taking away from what is still a great poprock single. Love the understated guitar and Michael Faherty’s solid everyman vocals. In fact, you won’t go far wrong with the whole EP. Crustacean is a focused 4 song batch of various classic sounding poprock influences. I definitely hear the Cheap Trick on “Remake the Stalls” while “Back to that Cult” is very Squeezy, without either being derivative. And “Common Law” name-checks Toronto, so what more needs to be said?
Sometime between 2011 and 2015 I realized I loved Teenage Fanclub. There was something dreamy about their melodies, their Byrdsian retro charm, the general feel-good aura that radiated from their music. Songs from Northern Britain, Manmade, Howdy! – with so many amazing albums no wonder Kurt Cobain called them his favourite band. But just as I grasped their poprock brilliance, the albums dried up, with 2010’s Shadows the seeming end of the line. Then last fall the band’s Facebook page announced they were working on new material and lo and behold the new record is almost here, literally entitled Here, and due out at the beginning of September. In the meantime, check out their fabulous new single, “I’m in Love.” The song is so in the Teenage Fanclub groove, it’s like they never left.
There is something quite wonderful about this impressive mash-up of late 1950s Felice and Boudleux Bryant-era songcraft with the fresh and contemporary sound of Thompson and Jones on this recording. The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison – we could imagine any of them recording this song, but that does not in any way take away from what is accomplished here. Great plinky piano, ghostly background organ, dead on handclaps, subtle guitar lines, and two vocalists who really know how to entwine a harmony. “Never Knew You’d Love Me Too” is featured on the duo’s new album Little Windows, which mines a seam of old-time American cross-over country and western that can only be described as ‘delightful.’ This is all the more impressive when one considers that neither performer is a dedicated country artist (though Thompson’s catalogue does include various country songs and one previous dedicated country album), and yet somehow they have the authentic feel for the genre that, frankly, a great deal of new country lacks. If we still had variety shows, these two would be your featured Saturday night special guests.
Poprock Record 