I had no idea how many people have got it in for Swedish furniture store IKEA. Ok, maybe they are responsible for creating a whole lot of cheap, crappy, disposable furniture. But it’s more than just the environmental degradation. For many there seems to be something emotionally degrading about going to IKEA, buying from IKEA, and attempting to assemble IKEA. Now, on the upside, that means a whole lotta musical inspiration.
Reaching way back to 1997 everyone’s fave dour melodic grungers Pavement kick things off with a “Date With IKEA.” And why not? Cheap meatballs, plenty of places to sit. Three years later Svensk Pop offer up a more Merseybeat-ish guitar pop treatment on “IKEA,” in Swedish naturally. American comic popster Jonathan Coulton just slays every cheap furniture store stereotype on his tribute to those using the store from 2003, again simply entitled “IKEA.” Spain’s Los Autócratas add a little grit to their melodic rumination on our theme called – you guessed it – “IKEA.” It’s seems song titles about IKEA have to be as generic as the featured furniture. From Canada, Hamilton’s B.A. Johnston gives us a bit more product labelling, demystifying the food and the IKEA’s impact on masculinity with “IKEA Hotdog” and “IKEA, I Used To Be A Man.” And last up, a whole EP dedicated to our Swedish furniture behemoth and it too is called IKEA. But the band name is pretty cool and on point: Monster Furniture.
Pavement – Date With IKEASvensk Pop – IKEAJonathan Coulton – IKEA
You don’t have to hate IKEA to love this music. But it might help. At least there’s no assembly required.
In round II of our Life at 45rpm postings some old and more recent favourites make a re-appearance, along with some totally brand new acts. Let the spinning commence.
Any day there’s new material from Pugwash main man Thomas Walsh is a very good day indeed. Rumours abound that “A Good Day For Me” is the advance single from a Walsh ‘solo’ outing to be entitled The Rest Is History (thanks PowerPopSquare!) due later this year. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Hit play on this single and drink up all those Pugwash-isms you’ve been missing. This is first-rank wistful, spring-breeze-in-your-hair poprock. Walsh conjures elements of Brian Wilson and Jeff Lynne here but mostly you’re just going to hear that classic Pugwash sound. Walsh is finally back and in fine form. Another welcome returnee is Seattle’s Ruler. His 2018 LP Winning Star Champion ruled my playlist for months. His new album is Extra Blue and High and the tunes are still winning. I’d pitch a double a-sided single just to capture his many moods. “Price Tag” shifts between high and low melodic attack with plenty of buzzy guitar in the chorus and instrumental break while “I Thought You Were There” has a more low-key Aimee Mann tempo and subtle hooks. Another new album packed with strong material is the latest from Steve Marino, Too Late to Start Again. There’ll be more coverage of Marino to come but for now sink your teeth into the album’s opening cut “Satisfy You.” It all starts so innocent, just some simple psychedelic guitar. But before you know it Marino has cast a hypnotic spell as the whole band comes in and a bit of vocal call and response gets going. Simple yet so striking. A band I’m glad to see promoting new material is the energetic Indonesian pop trio Grrrl Gang. When I discovered “Pop Princess” a few years back it was serious replay time. Their new album Spunky is just about out so to tempt you, I’m focusing on “Blue Stained Lips.” I’m hearing a strong early Go Go’s sonic palette at work here. Also in the ‘missing you’ file for me is Sofa City Sweetheart – loved their 2019 long-player Super(b) Exitos. Now we have a new single “It Wasn’t You.” At first listen it seems breezy but there’s a complicated melodic undercurrent that gives the tune a unique and engaging character.
Victoria BC outfit The Originwere out and about in the first decade of the new millennium then broke up. But nothing like a pandemic to spark reunions. Since 2020 new material has been coming out and their latest single suggests there is no end in sight. “I Pour Myself Out” rocks the keyboard in a way that reminds me of Scouting for Girls, with a similar ear for good hooks. Long Island pop punkers Black Suit Youth sweeten their sound and soften their attack somewhat on “Outsiders,” their new stand-alone single. There’s an ever so slight hint of Green Day in the melodic mix and that is no bad thing. Sea Glass and Sky Adler’s song “Weekend” starts off so slacker pop but then builds into a bit of a party jam. I love the stripped down acoustic guitar opening and the contrast with the energy in the chorus makes everything take off. The vibe is very Front Bottoms meets Sugar Ray. The Feeders are a band I’ve meant to write about, usually after I’ve purchased some new release. But somehow I’ve overlooked them, which is no negative comment on their high quality tune-age. Really, you won’t go wrong with anything from their catalogue or Sam Vicari’s solo work. Now let’s end the coverage drought on this band by focusing on their new song “Congratulations, By The Way.” It’s a grinder, a rocked up re-invention of a classic mid-1960s song style not far different from the fine work of The Friends of Cesar Romero or The Blendours. Another sonic blast from the past can be found on Richard Snow and the Inlaws new single “Analogue Calls.” It’s not just the concept that conjures the technology of yester-year, the tune’s whole vibe is so late 1970s poppy rock, the kind the radio used to play. Radios? Like phones mounted to the wall, they’re just about gone too. Both the artwork and song here would make a killer physical 45.
On “Revenge Body” Athens native Drew Beskin conjures up an intimate atmosphere that sounds one part Peter Gabriel, another part Sam Weber. The keyboard and percussion mix are in a perfect tension here. Can’t wait to hear what else is lurking on his upcoming EP Garrett. Brighton UK’s The Evening Sons ride a wave of hooky distorted rhythm guitars on their power pop blast of a single “Superspreader.” Terms like driving, relentless, and onslaught come to mind in trying to describe this song, but all in a good way. This is the first single from a soon-to-be released LP entitled Tracks. The critics were all over the last Uni Boys last album Do It All Next Week and rightly so, it was an ace 1970s power pop reinvention. Well another LP is on the way (Buy This Now!) and if the promo single is any indication, get ready for a drive to accolade city. “I Want It Too” mines the same 1970s poppy rock and roll feel of previous releases, though this time I hear some 1977 Nick Lowe or those young Irish upstarts The Strypes. The Whiffsonly just released their last album Scratch N’ Sniff last March but here they are with a new double a-sided single. I mean, bands usually milk an LP for a few singles before reaching for new material. Not that I’m complaining. “Satellite” b/w “As I Am” is a great 45 with the former cut reminding me of the loose rock and roll fun of The Connection while flip lets the lead guitar really ring. Chicago native Matt Tiegler returns with a new song, anticipating his long awaited third album Hands Free Down Hill. The painted cover art really captures the album title sentiment. The album pre-release single is the jangly “Dream (Reason for Living),” a light poppy rumination on connection, sung with an Al Stewart folk rock intensity.
West Kirby’s West Coast Music Club crank up their jangle machine on a new single entitled “Sick and Tired.” But with a difference this time. The song so reminds me of the melancholy strains of Pugwash, with perhaps a strong dose of The Byrds coming in on the instrumental break. Strange Neighbors return after releasing one of the strongest EPs this year (Party of None) with a stand-alone single, a cover of the late Gin Blossoms co-founder Doug Hopkins track “Quiet Beat.” It’s a gorgeous tune, perfectly suited to the band’s unique guitar/vocals combo. Italian composer/guitar player Andrea Calvo is Grand Drifter and the songs on his new EP Paradise Window sound deceptively simple. But the magic is in the arrangements. As Subjangle records honcho Darrin Lee dubs it, this is Burt Bacharach-ian ‘sophistico-pop.’ Take “As the Days Change.” I love how the acoustic guitar anchors things, only to have a delicate single note piano riff float over everything. Captivating with a Josh Rouse kind of pop maturity. Speckled Bird offer EP #2 this year with Captain Maximus and it’s four songs are a quality quartet. But “Paint It” stands out with its saucy psych pop insouciance. It dabs in a variety of musical elements with an artist’s eye for detail. How much do I love Big Country? A lot. But not to the point where I won’t consider other versions of their songs. Like I love what Ted Leo and the Pharmacists do to BC’s “Inwards.” Early on it hews pretty close to the original but then innovates in the instrumental breaks.
West Coast Music Club – Sick and Tired
Wrapping up this second instalment of Life at 45rpm the irrepressible Exbatswith their new single “Like It Like I Do.” I love the garagey feel of this band, though this song sounds a bit fuller than past releases. It’s got a hip-shaking sixties vibe that the Bangles would have owned. More to come with a whole new album called Song Machine.
Life at 45rpm is hard to maintain for long. With all these new tunes you can take a break, catch your breath, and then hit the links for more.
Living life at 45rpm makes for a fast-paced and ever-changing existence. Brace yourself for the first of two installments, 21 tracks at a time.
We’re going to ease you in to this installment of our singles variety pack with the low-key lush acoustic rush of 22 Oceans. They normally lean in a more electronic direction but “Country Home” is a Fleetwood Mac kind of Americana, riding a wave of up-front acoustic guitars and an oh-so-good blend of harmony vocals. Scoopski are a Philly couple that have been cranking out the singles this year. I was going to write about “Seasonal,” a solid bit of melodic melodrama, but then they came out with a super contribution to an innovative project entitled Short Music for Even Shorter Attention Spans. “30 Seconds (I Love You)” is indeed half a minute long, reminding me a bit of George Harrison’s “Piggies” with some ELO tagged at the end. Heck, you might as well check out the whole album. It’s free and you can run through its 17 contributions in just eight minutes. Melbourne Australia’s Cold Irons Bound nail the scruffy Americana sound of the US midwest on their recent album No Place I Can’t Find You. I’m particularly fond of “Book Some Weekend Time” which sounds like a Cerny Brothers deep cut. Check out the lively lead guitar line that opens Sunken Planes new single “There’s a World.” They describe themselves as a ‘jangle-gaze power trio’ and the power part definitely kicks in on the chorus. The Mike Jacoby Electric Trio managed to make a lot of noise on “The Calm Before the Storm” from their new album The Long Haul. There’s a Dwight Yoakam/Steve Earle countryfied rock and roll sound all over the record but this particular song has something extra, a propulsive drive, subtle hooks, and some Eagles-worthy harmony vocals in the chorus.
The Parallax Project are practically an indie supergroup with participation from members of The Split Squad, Minus 5, and the Junior League. Autologous is their first album of original tunes in 14 years but they don’t miss a beat. Hard to choose just one featured tune. “Mary Houdini” is a delightful poppy swinging number that sounds like a mid-1980s Athens 45 while “You Were Never Here” has a more country twang. Power pop legends The Flashcubes have got a winning project going with their new Pop Masters album where they record classic song covers with the bands that made them famous. Get a load of the heavenly collab with The Spongetones on their fab-tastic “Have You Ever Been Torn Apart?” From the “Hard Days Night” opening chord to the omnipresent jangly guitars to the shiver-inducing harmony vocals, this is the stuff of poprock dreams. With “Don’t Go for the Money” Dan Kibler comes out swinging on his new album Idiomatic, exuding a Michael Hutchence or Tommy Tutone swagger with just a touch of Beatles 65 in the verses. I’m also partial to the stunning “Mystery Girl,” such a perfect two minutes of pop song-writing. The Kind Hills are truly an international band, with members located in the US, UK, Hong Kong, Switzerland and Australia. Their self-described brand of ‘slacker indie pop’ is mellow and meditative for most of their debut LP Clusterluck. Except for “Let Youth Take Over.” Here the band get almost anthemic with a slow-burning ‘sneak up on you’ ear-worm. Imagine Vashti Bunyan leading Chumbawumba and you sort of get where this is going. Caper Clowns lead vocalist Rick Kingo has gone solo with his new EP The Truth, The Lies, The Lot, unleashing various shades of soft rock. But it is the opening cut, “Confident in Time,” that really stands out for me. Accompanied by a McCartney-esque acoustic guitar, Kingo unleashes his inner Neil Finn to good effect. And anyone who can fit the word ‘paradigm’ into a song without sounding awkward deserves an award.
Dan Kibler – Mystery GirlRick Kingo – Confident in Time
If Springsteen did grunge it might sound a little like Vancouver’s Slip-Ons. Title track of their new EP Heavy Machinery will give you the gist of their sibilant, psych-rock sound. And what a joy it is. Now depending on when you read this post it may or may not actually be Bandcamp Friday. No matter, whether it is or isn’t I think we can all agree it deserves a theme song. Cue those perennial pop-punkers Vista Blue with “Bandcamp Friday is Here,” winning hearts 15 cents at a time. I wrote about New Jersey’s Sad About Girls once before and they were too polite to correct me when I miswrote their name as simply Sad Girls. Their fab new song is excuse enough to make amends. “Lonely One” delightfully channels a load of Merseybeat riffs and verse/chorus transition turnarounds but with a “That Thing You Do” freshness. Richard Turgeon is like money in the power pop bank. His new single “Friend Zone” is more of his reliable brand of melodic rock and roll. The lead guitar opening riff has a seventies Fleetwood Mac tone while his vocals pull between dissonance and rich harmony. Certainly suitable for summer beach playlists. Another utterly reliable power-pop singles factory can be found in Birmingham Alabama. Lolas have been releasing a single every few months now and they never fail to grab me. “Jacqui” has got a host of classic rock and roll motifs going on but somehow they come together in a unique way. The verses remind me of Abba’s “Does Your Mother Know” while the chorus hits the pop boogie marks of The Sweet.
Burlington Ontario’s big bold sound is presently coming from The Penske File. Their new long-player Half Glow is hard to peg stylistically, with a bit of four on the floor sing-along stomping and a whole lot of rock and roll heart. I’d dip in with the single-worthy “Chorus Girl.” This is a track that shimmers and lurches along with a sonic intensity that seldom lets up. In the early 1980s Milwauki’s The Shivvers were an up and coming outfit sporting vintage guitar sounds and vocals that melded Debbie Harry and Chrissie Hynde. But then they folded. Fast forward and today they’ve got a dynamite new song “My Love Calling” that sounds like a peak form Pretenders single. The musical build up in the song is inspired, from the jangle guitar to piano riffs to the tension between the main and background vocals. Another band mining the that killer early 1980s rock sound are Worriers. The title track from their upcoming LP Trust My Gut combines an eighties sonic ambience with a Bleachers pop polish in various key moments of the song. Meanwhile Lauren Denitzio’s vocals pull everything together in a tight poprock package. The Make Three bring together members of the Brixton Riot and The Anderson Council to make music they describe as ‘more power, less pop.’ The album is You, Me, and The Make Three and it has got some rock muscle behind it, but with a pop flavour you’d associate with the likes of The Smithereens or The Lemonheads. Whet your whistle with “Emily Strange” to get a sense of what they’re all about. Toronto’s Vicky von Vicky are a new outfit with, as far as I can tell, just two songs out. “Jealousy” is straight up melodic rock, full of chunky guitar chords and a simple chorus that really hooks you in. More please.
The Shivvers – My Love Calling
We wrap things up on this session of Life at 45rmp with the latest single from South Korean band Say Sue Me. “Mind is Light” is bit more shoe-gazey than some of the group’s previous releases, floating along over a pleasant guitar buzz that is regularly punctuated by other sonic interventions. Things do get a bit psychedelic at times.
21 down, 21 to go. Stay tuned for part II of Life at 45rpm, coming soon.
Sometimes my mood swings across a pretty wide of arc of the poprock-o-sphere, from harshly loud to hush-like precious. Today our mood swinging extends to folk pop, sunshine psychedelia, guitar distortion, and emo drone. Let’s get moody.
The cover of Cloud Souvenirs has Chris Staples walking somewhere. Behind him a neat boxy house on stilts holds up a pale blue sky. My gut sense says it’s morning and he’s just a guy out with his thoughts, humming a tune. Listening to Cloud Souvenirs is like deciding to join that stroll, with light and breeze reflected in the textured variety of inventive, hypnotic sounds. Just listen to how the quiet vocals and acoustic guitar work of opening cut “Nasty Habit” draws you in to something very intimate, only to slowly open things up with electric piano and guitar and synth motifs that add space and a different resonance. In a way, every song on the record sort of does the same thing, balancing simplicity with complexity like a folk pop Steely Dan. In “Take Your Time” Staples embeds one of his classic killer guitar licks but envelops it in a meditative yet hooky tune. For a straight-up folkie elan “Souvenirs” delivers gut-wrenching small-town melancholia while, alternatively, “Do Whatever I Want” quickens the record’s pulse with its buoyant 1960s English pop sheen. “Burnout Together” is a standout track here, a gorgeous tune rich in nuance yet seemingly masquerading as something simple. Or I could single out “Dreams Come True” with its New Orleans horn section and a stripped-down piano melody framing a simple message. Then again, album closer “I Want to Get Lost” has the dissonant ennui of David Sylvian in Brilliant Trees mode, and so few people can pull that off. Staples has been honing his textured folk pop sound for some time now, over five previous solo releases. But with Cloud Souvenirs he may just have perfected it.
On Life and Life Only Brighton UK’s The Heavy Heavy offer up the unlikely marriage of sixties psychedelia and sunshine pop. One minute it’s all bluesy electric guitar and Hammond B3 organ, the next we’re awash in tight Mamas and Papas vocal harmonies. And that’s all just in the opening track “All My Dreams.” From there the bluesy shade of this record is notable, leaning in a pop gospel direction on “Go Down River” or with a more boogie riff driving “Man of the Hills.” “Miles and Miles” is the LPs clear should-be hit single, flashing a blast of hooky lead guitar like an aural tractor beam, reeling you in. The juxtaposed variety of songs here is striking. There’s the beautifully slow hippy groove that defines “Sleeping on Grassy Ground” contrasting the very Mamas and Papas sunshine pop glow of “Why Don’t You Call?” All this was a pretty impressive collection when it came out as an six-song EP in 2022 but now it’s been expanded to a full LP with five more tunes. And the extras are no mere rough demos or cast-off b-sides. The covers – of Father John Misty’s “Real Love Baby” and Jonathan Wilson’s “Desert Raven – are inspired re-workings. Though the show-stopper addition is the breathtaking reimagining of David Crosby’s psych-folk masterpiece “Guinnevere.” The album denouement is pretty good too, an acoustic rendition of “Go Down River” that infuses the track with a very different spirit.
This summer I’ve found myself returning to Grant Lindberg’s recent Future Ghost LP again and again. There’s something comforting about the wall-of-hazy, distorted guitars and vocals that swathe just about everything here. Opening tracks “All the Time” and “My Dear” hit the Matthew Sweet and Weezer marks pretty hard but over the record as a whole I can hear a kinship with loads of more contemporary acts. Bands like Ruler, Invisible Rays, Taking Meds, and Jet Black Tulips are all over Lindberg’s kind of chunky, droney rhythm guitar work and dissonant vocals. In terms of listenability, Future Ghost is a total play kind of record, there’s no filler here. But if I were to single out a few tunes I’d vote “Anything But You” as the should-be hit with the Sugar Ray-ish “Every Now and Then” a close second. There are a few surprises too, like the subtle McCartney-isms animating “Lost On You.” And Lindberg closes the record with the killer Matthew Sweet-meets-Mike Viola drenched “There Isn’t Time.” Trust me on this one, if you spend time with Future Ghost it will come back to haunt you (but in a good way).
Washington D.C. band Cal Rifkin fall somewhere on the emo spectrum of power pop. They cite all the usual suspects as influences – Matthew Sweet, Teenage Fanclub, Sloan – but their own sound is somehow both dialled down and dialled up. In the end, the combination of cranked guitars and low-key vocals coats their new EP Better Luck Next Year with an alluring vibe. “Down South” kicks things off with big chords and breathy vocals, only to add an extra guitar riff 25 seconds in that is positively addictive. Then comes “Break My Heart,” the obvious hit single. When the chorus hits, the hook is drop dead good. “I Know I Can’t Stay” has a Fountains of Wayne kind of suburban loner intimacy. Title track “Better Luck Next Year” changes things up with a groove that grabs you and won’t let go. It’s sorta western, sorta not. The final cut “Skater Vidz” is just a lovely lilting tune in a Real Estate/Teenage Fanclub register. You can just add Better Luck Next Year to your summer playlist, it’s a faultless EP. And while you wait for a debut long-player from the band you can always double back and check out their previous self-titled extended play.
I hope you’ve found a mood here you can dig or maybe even a few different moods. Click on the hyperlinked names if you’d like to swing a bit more.
Today’s acts sound like hit machines to me, so reliable are they in putting out solid albums year after year. In this post we’ve got psychedelia, postmodern new wave, and a return to the sixties American-style.
Portland is some kind of magical indie music city, so many great artists seem to hang out there. Like Eyelids. On their recent LP A Colossal Waste of Light their reliably hooky tunes get a more sonorous, dissonant treatment. Don’t be fooled by opening cut “Crawling Off Your Pages.” It’s all Brydsian turns with hints of early U2 and New Pornographers. But from there things get more spacey and psychedelic. “Swinging in The Circus” leads with its affecting, unadorned vocal, giving way to a Rogue Wave feel as it gets going. Love the guitar effects gently driving “That’s Not Real At All (B. Midweek Pg. 207).” Then “Only So Much” kicks off sounding like a low-key hit single. It’s smouldering, atmospheric, and magnetic – like something Simple Minds might cook up. Many of the tracks here step hard on the moody pedal but without losing their sense of melodic direction. “Colossal Waste of Light” comes on like a slow psychedelic mediation, “Runaway Yeah” colours the mood with an early U2 sort of vibe, while “Everything That I See You Better” has that textured Rogue Wave feel. “They Said No” and “I Can’t Be Told” do pick up the pace whereas “Misuse” goes in the opposite direction, working an acoustic guitar folk seam. A Colossal Waste of Light marks an interesting turn from a phenomenally talented bunch of players.
Album #9 from The New PornographersContinue as Guest is a blast of sonic pop goodness. From the get go “Really Really Light” kicks things off sounding like a sophisticated hit single, the mesh of vocals and thrown-in bits of what sound like computer alerts and quirky keyboard shots giving everything a Peter Gabriel/Kate Bush elevation. Then “Pontius Pilate’s Home Movies” is a classic TNP hooky pop number crowned with a literary lyrical precision. Elsewhere it’s like the songs come from New Pornographers central casting. “Last and Beautiful” offers up an off-kilter rock and roll pace with a sweet hooky melodic turn in the chorus. “Bottle Episodes” plays up an essential trick in the TNP song-writing formula, adding just a little melodic uplift in the chorus to make the song soar. Meanwhile “Marie and the Undersea” lets the acoustic and electric guitars keep the song simmering with barely contained energy. I could go on. Continue as Guest is no striking creative departure for The New Pornographers. It’s just another damn fine example of what they do best.
On their second record together Turning on the Century Vol. 2Marc Jonson & Ramirez Exposure pick up where they left off on Vol. 1, basically reinventing The Beach Boys Pet Sounds vibe for a new age. You can practically hear Carl, Mike and Brian lean into “Good Vibes Never Lie.” From there it’s an easy pivot to a seam of American sixties rock and roll that is less well travelled in our current era of nostalgic reinvention. Artists like Dion, who seems to haunt “Night Full of Dreams” with its invocation of 1963 emotional drama at the drive-in. Or I think The Four Seasons might be lurking somewhere in the mix of “Baby Gets Close.” By contrast, “Streetlight Boys” has the muscular rock and roll heft of a Mitch Ryder or Del Shannon, with the requisite killer organ fills. There is a bit of an English sixties feel to “I Don’t Wanna Go” with its arresting mix of instruments, particularly the strings and acoustic guitar. But the vocal is all-American. “When Worlds Collide” takes the sixties accents in a more modern direction, reminding me of The The and The Shins in places. Turning on the Century Vol. 2 opens and closes with “Happy Sparrow” and “In the Rain (Happy Sparrow)” which are essentially the same song but performed in two different distinct sunshine pop registers. With songs this good, perhaps a Vol. 3 is in order.
Mike Violacould easily crank out catchy hook-filled pop numbers like “That Thing You Do” and “Strawberry Blonde” for every release but he clearly prefers to challenge our expectations of what a conventional poprock song should be. His latest album Paul McCarthy is alternatively smooth and dissonant, hooky and dirge-like. Opening cut “Bill Viola” sets the scene, its spare opening electric guitar lines and isolated vocal coming to clash with a symphony-style rhythm guitar attack, all the while the song’s melodic hook struggles to surface – but it is definitely there. Next up “Water Makes Me Sick” resets everything to a more rough-edged Matthew Sweet melody and lurching pace. Then “Love Letters from a Childhood Friend” pulls back to a more recognizable Viola bittersweet commentary. And repeat throughout. As an album, Paul McCarthy repeatedly works the tension between the familiar and the jarring. “Scientist Alexis” starts with guitar reminiscent of Abbey Road-era Beatles but jams a talking blues vocal on top and a host of jazzy guitar and drum interludes throughout. “Paul McCarthy” reinvents Paul McCartney, not surprisingly, taking familiar Macca guitar sounds and vocal ticks but turns them on their head. The record has some classic Viola hooks too on tracks like “Torp,” the Private Eyes Hall and Oatesy “I Think I Thought Forever Proof,” and the Macca stomper “You Put the Light Back in My Face.” There’s even some gentle psychedelia to wrap things up on “2323.” You really should take the Paul McCarthy challenge. But remember, it’s more like Glenlivet than Pepsi or Coke.
Bill ViolaPaul McCarthy
This quartet of should-be hit records should keep you busy for a moment or two. Hit the hyperlinks to learn more about these hit machines.
The 1990s saviour of power pop was undeniably Matthew Sweet. While others indulged in the raw muscularity of grunge or the dissonant hooks of Weezer Sweet offered up album after album of supremely confident melodic rock tunes, successfully updating previous decades of the genre. Like many people I caught on to Sweet’s work via 1991’s Girlfriend and his damn near perfect poprock single “I’ve Been Waiting.” But as I continued to follow his career I discovered that Sweet didn’t just belong to the power pop crowd. He had an alter ego that vibed a rock god persona, complete with chunky power chords and blistering guitar solos. In fact, each of his post-Girlfriend albums showcased this dualism – poprock versus rock god – to some degree. Given our biases here at Poprock Record it won’t surprise you that we’ve scoured his catalogue for the hidden and not-so-hidden poppy rock gems you can find on every Matthew Sweet LP.
Sweet actually gets his start in eighties and listening to 1986’s Inside and 1989’s Earth it shows. The debut bears the production marks of that decade with its gated drum sound and punchy keyboards. Inside was Sweet’s only record for label behemoth Columbia and with ten different producers involved it’s pretty clear they weren’t sure what to do with him. Still, it’s a remarkably consistent-sounding the album. I’d single out the Don Dixon-produced “This Above All” and David Kahne-helmed “Blue Fools” for special mention, in part for the fabulous guest background vocals from Aimee Mann on the former and two of the Bangles on the latter. Three years later Earth turned in a more textured synth performance, enhanced by the arrival of Sweet’s own signature background vocal style, clearly evident on “Vixen.”
Blue FoolsVixen
Yet it was the 1990s that marked the artistic arrival of Matthew Sweet. That decade witnessed him produce five solid albums, all full of hooky wonders and explosive guitar solos. Girlfriend practically blew a hole in 1991, its 15 tracks were so consistently good. It’s easy to declare “I’ve Been Waiting” the album’s master cut but which track would you rank second, or third? I’m torn between “Thought I Knew You” and “I Wanted to Tell You.” Two years later Altered Beast offered up a fatter, rockier sound compared to its more spare, acoustically-guitar driven predecessor but the hooks came through on cuts like “Time Capsule,” “The Ugly Truth” and the sixties jangled “Devil with the Green Eyes.” 1995’s 100% Fun stands second to Girlfriend in terms of commercial appeal and stark hit singles potential. “Opening cut “Sick of Myself” is an obvious monster hook machine. But there are other killer should-be hits here, like the exquisite “Get Older” and more subtle “We’re the Same.” And I love the eerie, spooky feel to “Walk Out.” Another two years gone and 1997’s Blue Sky on Mars continued to deliver both light and heavy poprock numbers like “Until You Break,” “Back to You” and “Where You Get Love.” “All Over My Head” even manages to combine a bit of both. Sweet rounded out the nineties with 1999’s In Reverse, tipping the sonic balance back to pop with numbers like “If Time Permits” and “Future Shock.”
Thought I Knew YouDevil with the Green EyesGet OlderAll Over My HeadFuture Shock
Into the new millennium Sweet’s focus shifted somewhat from strictly solo releases to include the folk rock Thorns album with Pete Droge and Shaun Mullins and his series of Under the Covers albums with Susanna Hoffs. His first two solo albums of the new decade were initially only available in Japan, 2003’s Kimi Ga Suki and 2004’s Living Things. From the former “I Don’t Want to Know” sounds like a Girlfriend deep cut and “Wait” is pretty jangle special. Meanwhile “Sunlight” is the go to cut from the latter. 2008’s Sunshine Lies was heralded by some as Sweet’s comeback album but it didn’t spawn any break out hits, though “Brydgirl” and “Around You Now” sound reliably hit-worthy. By 2011 Modern Art definitely sounds more experimental, though the Sweet formula hooks are in evidence on “She Walks the Night,” “Another Chance” and “Sleeping.” The long gap until Sweet’s pair of Tomorrow albums in 2017-18 was worth the wait, producing 29 tracks. Between Tomorrow Forever and Tomorrow’s Daughter the latter really delivered for me, particularly jangle perfect “I Belong To You.” Later the same year he released Wicked System of Things and here I’d point you to “Eternity Now.” 2021’s Catspaw is Sweet doing all the things both fans and critics laud him for, i.e. layering on loads of hooks and disharmony, like on “Challenge the Gods” and “Come Home.”
SunlightAround You NowShe Walks the NightCome Home
In the 1990s we fans of Matthew Sweet patiently waited for the stratospheric take-off we were sure was coming for this artist. He consistently delivered but somehow never arrived, commercially that is. Instead, we’ve got a sweet sweet canon of melodic rock and roll to rediscover again and again.
Complete your Matthew Sweet hook library by visiting him online.
Who need lyrics anyway? Some artists just want to get right to the musical point. Like this crew of topnotch poprock instrumentalizers. Without words you just need to get your hummer tuned and ready.
Toronto’s Cameronoise is Tim Cameron, one man band. He described his 2022 self-titled debut EP as ‘Booker T & The MGs meet The Smithereens in Paul McCartney’s attic.’ You can definitely feel the dynamic tension he creates between his Stax-Volt approved organ lines and power pop guitar chords. So far he’s got two EPs out in 2023. Racing to the Next Red Light has got a killer should-be single going with “I’m Not Bitter.” These are some serious 1965 Mersey-ish keyboard and guitar hooks. His more recent Henry Shade of Winkler definitely wins the cheeky album title award. And it’s a damn fine listen. Stand out track this time is “Alternative Batgirl.” Great hooks on both guitar and organ and such a fun arrangement evoking biff-bam-pow good times.
Freehold Township isn’t right on the Jersey shore but you wouldn’t know it listening to locals The Volcanics blast through their surf-drenched long-player Concrete Carver. Man do they nail the 1965 surf rock sound and do it with a kind of sophistication usually reserved for jazzier exploits. Title track “Concrete Carver” should get anyone dancing even in the toughest beach sand. “Whiplash” hits all the Ventures notes effortlessly. When “The Ripper” came on it took all my self-control not to grab a surf board and hit the waves. You’d swear every tune here was designed to float up behind a Hawaii 5-O set deck – the album’s cinematic quality is inescapable. My favourite cut here is probably “Lollygaggin’.” It has such a joyful lead guitar bounce, reminding me of those ace instrumental melody-makers Los Straightjackets. For contrast there’s even a few lovely slow dances for you and your baby, like “Surfer’s Melody” and “Scenic Route.” Basically people, if loving this is wrong I don’t want to be right.
This next record is really something special. Oita Japan band The Routes perform ten classic tracks from Kraftwerk but in a distinctive 1960s guitar instrumental style. If ever a concept might be in danger of going too far you might think this would be it. But The Routes 2022 album The Twang Machine is a remarkable synthesis of seemingly antithetical styles that somehow works in spite of this tension. The guitar playing is deliriously good, the keyboards sly and subtle, while the overall song arrangements are inventive and brilliant. Opening cut “Computer Love” will get into your head with its rippling lead guitar lines and careful emphasis on the song’s heretofore obscured killer hooks. From there Kraftwerk fans can just take in the glorious, madcap, otherworldly character of these reinventions of Kraut rock.
On 14 Bullets from the Spaghetti West you get a mix of gunslinger-movie instrumental classics played with an exaggerated western aplomb. There’s electric and acoustic guitars, whistling, sombre vocal choruses, and plenty of sad, sonorous trumpet. The band is Melbourne Australia’s The Counterfeitand they have got the American west via Italian film biz chops. All 14 songs here are played beautifully – you can let the needle drop and have the record play through without skipping a beat. But the stand out tracks for me were the soulful, sad “Jerry’s Theme,” the arch, ceremonial “A Fistful of Dollars” (that trumpet player is earning his fee here), and the haunting, whistle-drenched “Spaghetti Time.” Fair warning: frequent listening will undoubtedly have you digging out your old Clint Eastwood DVDs for repeat movie nights.
Toronto’s Phono-Comb were a short-lived side project for members of The Sadies and Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet. Their one album is nearly all instrumental, offering up dirty surf and garage rock tunes. The songs are mostly just good fun, like watching a great bar band entertain the locals. But a few tunes really stand out. “Pummelled” starts slow but builds up a hooky melody, bending it into various shapes before returning to the main theme. “Clogs from the Crypt” and “Cliffhanger” both eventually rock out in a great party way. But the album’s exceptional track is undeniably “Marvin.” It’s rollicking easygoing pace is elevated with some signature SMOASP lead guitar work.
Think of instrumentals as lyrics-reduced tune-age. And you can make up your own song meanings without all those busy words getting in the way.
My news team takes a creative approach in defining just what is ‘breaking’ or not. Some of our acts have just come out with their new release while others hit the racks a while back. Needless to say, they are all ‘breaking’ to somebody somewhere. We’re going with that.
Words like ‘lush’ and ‘exquisite’ come to mind as you play through The Parlophonics dynamic second long-player Dying of the Light. This is sophisticated poppy rock of the highest order. Opening cut “Fill My Sky” sets the stage, mixing strings and sitars to create an eastern-influenced tapestry of sounds, punctuated by a few David Gilmour-worthy lead guitar solos. The ambience reminds me of Lord Huron’s Long Lost sound. That vibe is also definitely present on “Heaven Can Wait,” this album’s obvious should-be hit single. But this record defies easy categorization. Tracks like “Reading Kerouac” change things up, exuding a Style Council peppiness. So too “These Days” is light sunny pop. Contrast that to the sombre folk pop feel on “Believe in Something,” “The Dying of the Light” and “Paper Smile.” Then again I can’t help but hear a strong 1970s pop tradition here too, falling somewhere between Fleetwood Mac and Abba on cuts like “Underneath the Blue Sky” and “Song for a Lost Friend,” the former riding a seductive, hooky lead guitar lick and glossy vocals while the latter hits the chord changes hard, accompanied by a wall of vocals sing-along style. More rocky pop gets a look in on the album closer “Staring at the Sun,” the slight Oasis vibe unmistakeable. Despite all this variety Dying of the Light has a coherent sonic stamp to it. It’s a record-of-the-year list no brainer.
Diners new album Domino has an edgier, rockier feel to it compared to 2020’s Leisure World. I really liked Leisure World but I’m loving this new sound. You can definitely hear the influence of producer Mo Troper pushing the treble to the edge, both on guitar and vocals. Opening cut “Working on My Dreams” clearly signals this shift, slinging guitar chords with a real rock and roll swing. From there this new intensity takes different forms, like a rockier Apples in Stereo sound on “Domino,” a bit of Latin hustle in “So What,” or some straight-up Velvets strut on “Someday I’ll Go Surfing.” Half way through the record “The Power” lands with a thump. This is slicker, poppier bit of business, definitely the should-be hit single. The rocky impact here can be subtle. “I Don’t Think About You” is a more stripped-down affair but still the guitar rings out with emphasis, effectively framing the more lofi vocals. The album does include examples of Diners more classic curio, low-key pop material with songs like “Wisdom” and “Painted Pictures.” Personal fave – “From My Pillow.” This track bubbles with a rocky pop energy akin to bands like The Friends of Cesar Romero. With Domino Diners have definitely come out swinging and they don’t miss.
Oakland’s The Goods are the power pop shot in the arm you’ve been longing for. Their new self-titled EP The Goods is a 4 song blast of poppy rock goodness clearly drawing from indie stars like The Jam and Matthew Sweet and in step with more recent acts like The Rubs and Uni Boys. “David Jones is Dead” leans in with some Cheap Trick heavy guitar but quickly the song’s hooks overpower everything. By contrast, the lead guitar carrying “Dear Angeline” is light and poppy and delightful. “I’m Not the Only One” has a more Replacements rocky pop vibe. “Hear Me” sounds like it falls somewhere between Matthew Sweet and Marshall Crenshaw. Trust me, you need to get The Goods. My only complaint is, just four songs? Really? A full of album with this power pop template is a sure-fire winner.
Hamilton’s The Foreign Films celebrate the many flavours of 1970s AM pop on their recent record Magic Shadows. The whole affairs feels like a celebration, sponsored by Jeff Lynne. Seriously, kick off track “Cinema Girl” has a very ELO stamp, with a hint of early Springsteen stream-of-consciousness vocals. The ELO vibes carry though the album on a host of songs like “Rain Clouds (Sunshine in Your Heart),” “Midnight Movies,” and “Time Machine.” There are departures, of course. I agree with Sweet Sweet Music’s take on “Perfect Future” as a song that sounds like a marriage of Sparks and Roy Orbison. Or there’s the Hollies stamp on “Sparks in The Dark (Merry-Go-Round)” right down to the hooky lead guitar line and harmony vocals. Then “Cosmic Lover” cranks up the glam machine, vibing very “Spirit in the Sky” big guitar hooks. “Into the Light” could easily be a Tom Petty deep cut. “Daydream in the Sun (UFO Radio)” is an updated 1950s style vamp. Magic Shadows is an eminently playable slab of poppy rock – turn it on and let your cares drift away.
In terms of killer melodic rock, you’re sort of all caught up. Well, actually, no. There’s tons more to discover. You’ll just have to wait for film at 11.
Our summertime spotlight single would appear to be focused on the weather but that’s just a ruse designed to obscure an exploration of some darker themes. After a year of intermittent singles releases the most immediate vibe from Nottingham’s Davoli is a Jeff Tweedy Americana sort of feel. It’s the prominence of acoustic guitars in the mix and the slight twang embedded in proceedings. But on this most recent 45 he pushes the pop pedal a bit harder, shifting the results into a more Ben Kweller or Brendon Benson territory. “Sunny Day” has both a timely summer theme and a hooky strummy tune. It kinda sneaks up on you, kicking off with an even tempo and pacing, but throughout the lead guitar throws out striking licks and interventions that jar the listener in most pleasant ways. Vocally I hear Benson’s candy-coated, AM radio-worthy smooth delivery tying everything together. And yet the song’s sunny musical disposition seems strangely at odds with its more melancholy lyrical themes. Maybe that’s the tension that helps make this single soar. In terms of the arc of this artist’s musical development, I like where this is going. Past singles were great but this new direction has a bit more heft and impact to my ears. An album’s worth more of this good same would not go amiss in my record collection.
Deets on Davoli are sparse but you can check out his quintet of singles here.
Turning the radio dial used to be hard work sometimes if you wanted to find that perfect song. But this station has got your hooks if melody-driven rock is what you favour.
Minneapolis native Kevin Bowe has run with some pretty impressive company over the years, working with the likes of The Replacements, Wilco, Freedy Johnston, and many others. His early solo records were often compared to them, filed loosely under a broadly defined ‘Americana’ label. But listening to his new album Half Past Never Bowe shifts into a more commercial 1980s poprock lane I’d compare to work from Rob Fetters, Michael Slawter and Bill Lloyd. Just listen to the magic hit-single worthy melange of sound that is “California Sober.” The sparkling electric guitar lines buffet a smooth vocal melodic hook that just keeps on giving. Then “Put Me Out of Your Misery” eases in slow and easy, only to turn on magnetic hooks in the chorus. The Americana roots are still there, evident with the unmistakeable Tom Petty strut defining “Only Child” and the touching country ballad “Another Word for God.” And there are few stylistic departures, like the dreamy, achingly beautiful great American songbook-ish “I Hate Falling in Love.” But on the whole this record further develops the poppier sound Bowe experimented with on 2018’s Every Part of the Buffalo. Tracks like “Half Past Never,” “If I Was You” and “Hurt Me Beautiful” are straight-up melodic rock and roll of the first order. With Half Past Never Kevin Bowe and the Okemah Prophets have got a winner, a record that turns killer choruses into a kick-up your heels good time.
Dolour‘s Shane Tutmarc is a master of many musical styles but on his new EP Everything I Need they cohere into a distinctive sound. And that’s impressive because the five songs included here range from ear-wormy AM radio singles, to light and sunny pop, to synth-driven hook-traps, to country-tinged poprock. Title track “Everything I Need” kicks things off and sets the tone for the EP. The song begins with some edgy rhythm guitar but quickly morphs into a smooth AM radio-sounding hit. Then “Have I Finally Gone Insane” offers up a delightful dollop of updated sunshine pop. It’s got the light pop cadence of an early seventies Sedaka with McCartney in the producer’s chair. “When the World Stops Ending” has an attention-grabbing opening synth that just keeps returning to reel you in to a song with a Naked Eyes mellifluous melody. Things go a bit pop soul on “Moves Like Miyagi” in a very in Hall and Oates way, though Phil Thornalley has also been working this seam more recently. Album closer “The Comeback Kid” sounds like a super-charged Cactus Blossoms. The tune is pure poprock but the vocals give it a country tinge. In an interview with Sweet Sweet Music Blog Tutmarc tells us Everything I Need is really just half of a new album coming out later this year. I guess that means I don’t quite have everything I need yet.
The Electric Looking Glass members have a new project that takes their retro vibes in a slightly different direction. Basically, if their old band was Haight Ashbury then the new Vanity Mirror is more swinging London. On their debut record Puff the musical atmosphere shifts between late sixties Kinks and Moodies to early seventies solo McCartney and Emitt Rhodes. Opening cut “(I First Saw You There on) Tinpot Lane” sounds like something released on the sixties era Pye records. The keyboards and electric guitar have a brilliant brittleness while the vocals ooze baroque ambience. By contrast, early single “Tuesday News” is more Badfinger at Abbey Road. I hear Ray Davies listening to “Girl Feeding a Swan,” a whole lot of early solo McCartney on “Somehow You Know,” and a definite 1970s Lennon feel infusing “Look at the Clouds.” Meanwhile “Talking Walkie-Talkie Rice Krispies Blues” hits all the psych pop marks. Not everything here is time tripping though. “Dandelion Wish” could easily fit onto any recent Mo Troper album. Vanity Mirror look and sound like a yesterday you can still love today.
The 1970s had more than few over-the-top rock and roll moments where rough lead guitar riffs combined with a show tunes-like vocal precision. You can hear it from Alice Cooper in his poppier moments, Queen and Meatloaf obviously, and ELO when you wanted to meld classical and rock elements. But beneath it all were just great, feel-good rock songs. The Midnight Callers ace this challenging formula on their new LP Rattled Humming Heart. There are so many strong songs here but I’m going to point you right to the should-be monster hit single. “Girl on the Run” is a majestic rush of classic rock hooks right out of the Tom Petty or Bruce Springsteen playbook. The jangly lead guitar runs bristle with pent up energy, the rhythm section shifts between strutting and breaking wide open, while the vocals alternate tenderness with desperation. Really, I’ve worn out the replay button on this one. Another track ringing the hit singles bell is “Baby Let Me Be.” What a perfect balance between deep rock guitar riffing and a heavenly vocal arrangement. “What Goes Around” does something similar, though here the blasting guitar chords and lead lines are disciplined by a wall of harmony vocals. 1970s musical shout outs are all over this record: a glam rock groove defining “New York Tramp,” some Thin Lizzy on “Step,” an echo of Queen or ELO on “Without Ya,” and even an updated early Beatles vibe on “The Plan.” And then “Maggie” changes things up with a more poppy acoustic ballad. Good thing it’s summer because Rattled Humming Heart really should be your go-to party record.
Girl on the Run
Radio may not be the heart of rock and roll anymore but here the should-be hits just keep on coming. Follow the links above to dive deeper into these recommended playlist additions.
Poprock Record 