Pacific overture: Couple and Hoff Dylan

01 Tuesday Jul 2025

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Social media strangers often give me the best tips for out-of-the-way poprock gems. Like today’s acts, hailing from across the bright blue Pacific Ocean, one from Malaysia and the other from Japan. East definitely meets west in terms of sonic influences and dissonances. Get ready to set your translation settings to stunning.

Malaysia’s Couple put out a few albums in the millennium’s first decade but then hit pause until the release of 2022’s Poptimism. Wow, what a transformation occurred in the interim. Where the early albums were solid poprock with a hint of edginess their new venture added multiple layers of sonic sophistication, effortlessly melding different styles and influences while singing in both Malay and English. Things begin with “Marlam Minggu,” a track that really sets the scene. You know this is not going to be your average pop album. To be fair, the album features more than few off-the-shelf pleasant pop tunes like “Let Me Love You” and “I Do” that vibe classic 1950s and 1960s song motifs. By contrast “Think About It” comes on like some kind of new wave fifties reinvention. Then there are songs like “Be My Baby” that mess with the form, full of buzzy guitar at times and oh-so-smooth vocals. “KTYT” even brings in a screamcore interlude to break up the poppiness. In a throwback vein “Goddamn Mighty Tune” is a light pop punk tune with a Weezer-ish flavour. “Sedia Sedia” starts with striking guitars and then lays in some pretty keyboard work. Sometimes the guitars come in spare as on “Call Me,” only to flare out with a sudden addition wall of sound of multiple guitars, voices and synths. “Slap Slap Nak Raya” sounds like a single, shaped by classic vocal contrasts and a mellow but striking hook. Call me poptimistic but I think more Couple would make a welcome import.

Japan’s Hoff Dylan are an enigma in more than a couple of ways. First, they have so many LPs, EPs, compilations and one-off singles that it’s hard to navigate the band’s career and musical development. Then the band’s song titles are sometimes translated to English, or remain in Japanese but in Roman (i.e. English) lettering, or appear in Japanese script. And there’s the album content itself, which can range from Beatlesque to winsomely childlike. After needle-dropping as much of their catalogue as I can find I’ve pulled out 22 pretty solid cuts of the poppy rock variety but I’m sure there’s more. Here I’ll just highlight a few outstanding examples, IMHO. Starting with “Koi wa Itsumo Maboroshi no Youni” from the band’s breakthrough LP Washington, C.D. Check out the George Harrison-worthy lead guitar riffs, buffeted by classic 1970s keyboard tones. “Gokuraku wa Dokoda” from 1998’s self-titled Hoff Dylan kicks off with some BTO-ish guitar chords before bringing another great keyboard vibe. This is group that are masters at dropping in a recognizable musical phrase. Listen to how they evoke the Beatles “Dr. Robert” at the start of “Madman” or repurpose the opening lick of the Knack’s “My Sharona” for “Manamana.” After over two decades of releases, Hoff Dylan continue to rework disparate influences into something new, sometimes sounding like the Beatles, McCartney in Wings mode, 10cc, or even Sloan. Their most recent record is 2022’s Island and it is no exception, offering up pretty easy-listening poppy cuts like “Kaze no Sasoide.”

Koi wa Itsumo Maboroshi no Youni
Gokuraku wa Dokoda
Kaze no Sasoide

It’s a great big beautiful world out there, full of winning tunes and solid acts singing in all sorts of languages. You don’t need to understand the words to get their message. Tune in with the hyperlinks above.

Photo ‘An old school Tokyo record shop‘ courtesy Tokyo Times, May 18, 2022.

Spotlight single: Mike Browning “Lost In Conversation”

24 Tuesday Jun 2025

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Mike Browning has dug up a real gem of a minor hit from the 1960s to offer up as a cover. “Lost in Conversation” was originally recorded by Halifax, Nova Scotia band The Great Scots in 1965. Their story is a hilarious mix of lucky breaks and near misses, featuring tartan costumes and an apparent willingness to do anything to get attention. The band was originally known as The Beavers and all four members sported mohawk haircuts. This was 1962! Then as The Great Scots they donned kilts and working the Scottish Canadian angle mercilessly. Epic Records signed them to a record deal in 1965 but only put out a few singles, so quickly did fashions change in that era. Eventually, as sixties nostalgia created an audience for lost bands, two albums of material recorded by the band back in the day did get released. And it’s pretty good. You can check them out at their various internet real estate.

But back to Mike Browning’s new single. The original of “Lost In Conversation” comes off like a cross between Merseybeat and Paul Revere and the Raiders, jangly but with a muscular vocal. Browning’s version tweaks the jangle guitar, adding extra colour to the tone, while his vocal is more folk-rock innocent and slightly plaintive. It’s a winning formula, worthy of repeat plays. Now the question is, shall we expect more from Browning in this vein? Here’s hoping.

Mike’s more than just one cover song. You can dig into his back catalogue at his Bandcamp page.

Geek rock rules!

20 Friday Jun 2025

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I was minding my own business scouting out new Jonathan Coulton material on iTunes when out of the corner of my eye I spotted some crazy song titles in the ‘listeners also bought’ section. There seemed to be a heavy focus on superheroes and celebrating nerdiness. Well before I knew it I had needle-dropped my way through a hitherto unknown genre to me – geek rock. You can find plenty of essays online to tell you all about it but, suffice to say, it tends to be defined by quirky songwriting, a passion for outsider culture, and plenty of hooks. Here’s just a smattering of what this scene has to offer.

In many ways Chicago’s I Fight Dragons are the poster child for this genre with song titles like “Geeks Will Inherit the Earth,” “Save World Get Girl” and “No One Likes Superman Anymore.” Their on-the-cheap videos are pretty fun too. Personally I’m keen on “cRaZie$” from their 2011 album Kaboom! where they lampoon the cabin-in-the-woods horror genre. Now if you want an act that commits to the bit, check out Harry and the Potters. They have released something like four albums, six EPs and host of one-off singles and every song inhabits the Potter universe. As I don’t really know just where to start here, I’m featuring a cool track from the band’s last long-player Lumos entitled “The Banality of Evil (Song for Albert Runcorn)” that features a great guitar solo. Kirby Krackle dives deep into the geek rock bag of tricks with songs about superpowers and evil villains and the need for proper insurance for henchmen. But another side of the genre is all about riffing on recent pop culture. KK excels here with a load of stand-alone tunes, like this paean to Stranger Things heroine “Eleven, I’ll Wait For You.”

Given its goofball tendencies the geek rock genre can attract more than few one-off ‘we’re just passing through’ efforts. Grandpa Griffith have a whole album of songs about talking monkeys and unstoppable robots but nary a write up anywhere. Oh well. “Aquaman” from their LP Electric Scooter Holiday Blowout is worth grabbing your attention. Mark Aaron James also has songs about superheroes (“Aquaman’s Lament” “Batman’s Reply”) and science fiction TV obsession (“Shatner at the Convention”). But he also embodies the genre’s tendency for self-reflective protagonists.  Both “This Song’s About” and “This Song Would Be Better” have the singer tied in knots about what his songs mean and the meaning of success, in a style that marries Glass Houses era Billy Joel with early Elvis Costello. Unfortunately, neither is posted on bandcamp so you’re getting more Aquaman. Buffalo’s Ookla the Mok are spilling over with talent. It’s all here: superhero riffing, geek convention in-jokes, popular culture call outs, and monkey concept albums. But behind the jokey-ness is serious musical talent, akin to They Might Be Giants. You won’t go wrong dialing in to any of their albums but I’m starting you on “Medieval Evel Knievel” from their Nerdvana EP. Funny and oh so well played.

Grandpa Griffith – Aquaman

Jonathan Coulton definitely has plenty of geek rock material but I’m wrapping this feature with a song from his 2017 Solid State record that is simply a straightforward should-be hit single, “Sunshine.” There’s still plenty of Coulton’s lyrical cleverisms with lines like ‘The roaches took the kitchenette We just let it go.’ But the hooks in this chorus are blindingly good.

Get your geek on with any of these fine artists wherever geek rock is sold (hint – hit the hyperlinks for the e-store).

Photo: fragment of mast image from Ookla the Mok bandcamp page.

Breaking news: The Mayflies USA, Nelson Bragg, The Geezers, and Shake Some Action!

14 Saturday Jun 2025

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Serious news flash here this time out with a new release from a legendary band 23 years gone, a magisterial collection from a celebrated sideman to legends, a new album from some Germanic geezers, and a collection of EP tracks from a band of contemporary modsters. It’s a full program for sure.

I was super excited to hear about The Mayflies USA reunion. The band’s three turn-of-the-century albums are right up there with the best of that era’s hooky poprock (along with bands like Fountains of Wayne and Matthew Sweet). I could hit repeat on “Walking in a Straight Line” over and over again. The new album Kickless Kids leans more toward a poppy indie rock vibe rather than outright power pop, as evidenced by the opening cut, “Thought the Rain Was Gone.” But that is more than ok. “Calling the Bad Ones Home” even hits a few classic rock marks with a Keith Richards rhythm guitar swing before rolling out the hooks. “Kickless Kids” shifts things back into a more guitar pop register. Ringing guitars are definitely up front on tracks like “Railway Spines” and “Cabbagetown.” By contrast, a song like “Jewel of Russia” springs some particularly engaging melodic hooks in the chorus. There’s also a splash of country in places, like the Freedy Johnston-ish “Come On Down.” Or you can dial into a classic rock and rock jam feel on “Twilight Alright.” Welcome back Mayflies USA, it’s like you never left.

Veteran LA session player and longtime Brian Wilson sideman Nelson Bragg has still found time to put out his own music from time to time. Now he’s gathered together what he considers his poppiest material for Mélodie de Nelson: A Pop Anthology. It’s hard to argue with his choices. Songs like “Lived This Life Too Long” and “You Could Believe” are awash in harmony vocals and subtle hooks. Jangle is also here in spades on tracks like “Forever Days” and “I’m In No Mood.” And “Death of Caroline” is so obviously a Beach Boys love letter. Given his locale it’s perhaps not surprising that Bragg draws on a host of uniquely California influences from his catalogue. “Every Minute of the Day” has a 1970s California rock sound, with up front acoustic guitars and sonorous harmony vocals. “Glorious Days” sounds like a should-be hit single in an updated sunshine pop mode akin to recent bands like Daisy House. There are departures too. “The Last Girl I Ever Loved” has more of a rock edge, reminding me of Nada Surf with its breathy vocals. “We’re Gonna Laugh About It” is the new song recorded specifically for this collection and it sounds a bit like Pugwash’s Thomas Walsh to me. Then there are the baroque moments on both “Whitechapel Girl” and  “Seriously Girl,” the former with a strong McCartney vibe. Mélodie de Nelson: A Pop Anthology is a seriously good collection from a top rank act too long in the shadows.

Austria’s The Geezers have that Jeff Lynne magic in combining classic sounding rock and roll tunes with just a touch of synth (ok, sometimes a lot of synth), giving everything a modern but still somehow timeless sheen. This dynamic is nicely captured on “Harmony” where a spacey opening synth riff resolves into a robust and hooky poprock tune. The band’s new LP Music is full of just these sorts of surprises. The LP kicks off with “Home,” a song with a sonic wash that wouldn’t be out of place on a record from The Outfield. I love how “Echoes” marries choir-like background vocals with thrumming electric guitars before kicking into gear with a singalong worthy chorus. I want to say that the keyboard is the star here and you definitely feel its original imprint all over the record. “A Lifetime” uses jaunty keyboard work as a hook that won’t let go, leading into a killer chorus. “The Happy Life” takes its synth work into an almost Bronski Beat direction. And then there’s “Future Love” which has a sonorous edge comparable to Tears for Fears’ “Mad World.” But the guitar work on this release is no slouch either. “Modern Days” is a brilliant synthesis of 1960s power pop and more modern song styles. The opening lead guitar line is positively mesmerizing. “Bit By Bit” is a swirling jangly winner while “Candy Cane” launches with a driving guitar lead line that is eventually matched by surging rhythm guitars.

Seattle’s Shake Some Action! have a new album entitled Top Gear and it’s a reliable installment of their love of everything mod, mod, mod London circa 1966, with a dose of Britpop thrown in too. But wait, attentive readers might recognize that this package is not an entirely new collection of tunes. The album brings together the band’s two dynamite EPs from last year (reviewed here), adding three new cuts to the mix. Hearing “I Don’t Know Where She Goes” again alone is worth the price of admission. Those organ shots are exquisite! Click the hotlink to catch up on the material from those EPs. Surveying the new songs included here, they’re definitely not afterthoughts or cast-offs. “Fake It Till You Make It” has a dance floor energy that could be 1965 or 1995. “Never Let Me Go” is a more gritty 1960s beat group number. “What Did You Leave Behind” dives even deeper into the 1960s sounding more like 1964 era Merseybeat.

You’ve heard the news, there’s definitely good rocking at midnight (or any time you might choose to play these songs). Hit the hyperlinks to get more in-depth coverage of these breaking stories.

Photo courtesy of kasiQ Jungwoo Flikr collection.

What’s in a name?

08 Sunday Jun 2025

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I love interesting, off-the-beaten-path band names. And in today’s get-your-attention economy you’ve pretty much got to do all you can get eyes and ears on what you’re doing. So here are few recent finds with fun, out-there monikers.

As soon as I saw Megan From Work as the band name I knew I was going to check it out. It just conjures up a perfect image filled in by whatever work experience you’ve suffered from work. Anyone referred to as being that person ‘from work’ really says a lot about the connection or lack thereof. The band just put out a long-player last October and Girl Suits is great but now they’ve got a brand new single that to my ears moves into a slightly new sonic space. “Life Into a Movie” has an 1980s pop sheen not unlike The Motels or ‘Til Tuesday. Aukland New Zealand’s Dead Famous People have got an interesting story, getting started in the 1980s being briefly signed to Billy Bragg’s Utility Label. But nothing much happened then. More recently they’ve gotten back together to record new and old material and re-release a few lost gems. “Looking At Girls” from 2020’s Harry just springs out of the speakers with a bright energy. “Traitor to the Cause” from 2022’s Lost Person’s Area is biting and condemnatory in an unexpectedly pleasant poppy way. Their new record Wild Young Ways promises to resurrect a host of lost material and from the pre-release material I’m the loving singalong-worthy “Little Flashes of Yesterday.” Like Everything but the Girl or Allison Moyet with an acoustic guitar.

Northville, New York’s Frown Town’s vocal sound reminds me Canned Heat’s Alan Wilson at times and at others Elliott Smith. That’s range. It’s all there on the band’s new album Dark Green Curtains. The presser claims the record is a folk rock effort drawing on both Elliott and Paul McCartney and I can hear that. “Stranger to Everyone” and “Rich and Famous” definitely sounds like Smith/McCartney musical love children. “The Note” has the folk covered.  There’s also a great rendition of Jo Stafford’s 1952 hit “You Belong to Me.” Miami Florida has produced Mustard Service, a band with an unusual name and an arsenal of weirdly cool tunes. Previous album Zest Pop had tracks like “I’m Sorry I Hit You With My Flip Flop” and “Get F*cked.” The new record Vice City Magic has a tighter rock sound on “Big Time” and “Going Nowhere.” Except when the songs blow out into a big spacious 1970s vibe going a la ELO.

Stuttgart Germany’s Travelin’ Man is not a far out name but when you combine it with the band’s kooky material, it’s really something else. Most of what you’ll hear on their twenty song LP Let Others Do the Thinking is pretty gritty dark nightclub rock and rolling. It’s a solid garage feel, with just a touch of the Velvets showing up regularly. But the standout track is the goofy, propulsive “My Buns Are Burning.” It could mean anything, the more far out the better.

Nothing like an out-there name to stick in your mind. Along with some hooky tunes, of course.

Photo ‘Grand Theatre, Rocky Ford, Colorado’ courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

OK Go’s really Okay

03 Tuesday Jun 2025

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I’m not a die-hard OK Go fan. For years I’d read that power pop lovers should love their work, particularly their early albums. But I didn’t hear it. Creative indie rock, yes. Complex and innovative for sure but less focused on melody that my tastes usually desire. Basically, I’d put them in that modern music experimental camp I associate with Television and things that weren’t singles from the Talking Heads. Of course, they do know how to make a you-can’t-stop-watching-it music video. All this is to say that album #6 from Ok Go threw me for a loop. And the Adjacent Possible had me humming the tunes long after the last song hit the run out groove. Like me, you may have just tuned in for another fab OK Go video and there no denying “Love” is up to their usual videographic standards. But trust me, you’re gonna want to stick around for the non-video tracks this time.

Opening cut “Impulse Purchase” kicks off with a Portugal The Man kind of impact but quickly shifts to a carefully calibrated Tally Hall vibe. The precision on the performance and production here is pretty stellar. Then “A Stone Only Rolls Downhill” offers up a lilting lush feel where a melodica solo pops in with a bracing vibrancy. A slight hint of Wings circa 1976 appears here. Next up is “Love,” the aforementioned elaborate video single but don’t let the visuals obscure how this song really can stand on its auditory merits. From here the record delves into a variety of musical styles, all stamped with Ok Go’s distinctive sound. “Fantasy vs. Fantasy” initially seems like a vintage throwback but for the crisp modern production. There’s slow soul ballads (“This is How It Ends”) and solid dance struts (“Take Me With You”). “Better Than This” contrasts wonderfully melodic arcs with stop and start dance grooves. I hear a touch of Abbey Road “Going Home” and bit of that intimate Kate Bush/Peter Gabriel “Don’t Give Up” demeanor marking the aching “Don’t Give Up Now.” Listen to the orchestrated cacophony that is “Golden Devils” with its Queen-like mischievous mix of mannered pop. Singalong should-be AM pop single? Definitely “Once More With Feeling.”

It’s nice to be surprised by artists you’ve respected but not necessarily charted their every career move. With And the Adjacent Possible Ok Go move up my ‘pay attention to these guys’ list, delivering a summer 2025 constant rotation long-player.

People in your neighbourhood: Human Barbie and Smug Brothers

29 Thursday May 2025

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Are they the people that you meet when you’re walking down the street? I suspect not. But these two bands definitely deserve to be in your musical hood if you like something just a bit out of the poprock mainstream.

Human Barbie lives in Los Angeles. Like, duh. Where else would they be? I mean, Malibu was in the traditional brand somewhere. But there’s nothing plastic or assembly line about this living doll. Human Barbie the band is wonderfully warm and analog in its sonic signature. The group’s one long-player Get a Life contains such an interesting mix of instrument choices and song styles. Everything exhibits just a touch by a dreamy psychedelia, framed within spare guitar work and keyboards. Opening cut “We Disappeared” rides some solid harpsichord piano chords, punctuated by otherworldly synth lead lines. Altogether space agey. Title track “Get a Life” is contemplative, capturing a marked generational ennui with growing up. “The Truth is Coming” leans on keyboards to cast its uncertain glow, though the warm rumbly electric lead guitar break creates a nice juxtaposition. You can go back and forth in Human Barbie’s catalogue for plenty more great musical nuggets. “Nineteen 80” chugs along with a sombre poppy elan. “The Village Priest” is another winning stand-alone song, vibing mystery and a bit of folk rock. The band’s most recent single “Slow Down” has a fuller, more pastoral feel with an almost gospel shading in the sing-along chorus.

In the list of bands with a serious work ethic, Smug Brothers would surely get more than a footnote. Ok, there was that nine year break between albums one and two but since then they’ve been plying the record bins with singles, EPs and LPs with a clockwork consistency. Album number ten Stuck on Beta is almost out. From the tracks presently available the record is clearly following in the style of their previous LP In the Book of Bad Ideas with plenty of jangle. “Paper Jane” reminds me of those early Church records while “Take It Out On Me” has a rougher beat group edge but plenty of hooks too. While we wait for the full album release you won’t go wrong digging into the band’s catalogue. Check out “89 Lullabye” from their last album. Positively buoyant. Or you can enjoy the carefree poppyness of “It Seemed You To Me” from Application of a Twig. Or you could even reach back to Disco Maroon for the should have been a hit single track “My Little Crowd Pleaser.” Really you won’t go wrong needle-dropping your way through any of their LPs, there’s variety and plenty of it.

Sometimes you find the most interesting things poking round the shops in your neighourhood. Or looking further afield. Just because they don’t live next door doesn’t mean they can’t be part of your musical hood.

Photo of art by Mac Connor for the 1958 novel ‘Midtown Bomber’ courtesy zaza23 (Jessica)’s Flikr collection.

Poolside playlist

23 Friday May 2025

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We stand on the precipice of summer. Time to start stocking the poolside playlist. Doesn’t really matter if your particular pool is Olympic or inflatable, if you get the music right. So here are 21 tunes to get you started.

Seems the Stranger Things cast can’t stop multi-tasking. The latest to offer up some serious single-age is Finn Wolfhard, who was also the first in a way if you count his earlier releases with bands Calpurnia and The Aubreys. So far I’m loving what I’m hearing from his upcoming LP Happy Birthday, though it was hard to choose between the currently available singles. “Choose the Latter” has a great jangle while “Objections” reminds me of The Shins given its tight, tidy propulsive-ness. Adelaide, Australia’s Mode hit the intensity pedal on stand-alone single “Strange Girl,” with guitar hooks aplenty and what sounds like a horn section supporting a dynamite poppy melody. Philadelphia’s Labrador ride in on a wave of organ before Pat King’s southern fried rock vocals come in to completely change up the vibe on “Dry Out in June.” Between these two elements and the manic lead guitar work this is a band with very unique sound. I know Andy Shauf from this poppy folk numbers but I didn’t realize he had a band too. Foxwarren return after eight years with their second LP simply entitled 2. “Listen2me” has got a great aura going. The instrumentation here has a painter’s eye for sonic colour. When Larry Rosembaum isn’t busy touting The Dreambots he’s got another vehicle you should check out: The Super True. “Eyesore” has a curious melodic arc that bends and comes back, enveloped by some fabulous Beatlesque guitar work. “Right Here” is no slouch either with nice jangle lead guitar and harmony vocals.

Jeff and his Army of No One melds an arresting mix of sounds on his latest song “I’m Coming Back Tonight.” Elements of California 1970s rock mix with breathy pop folk and crunchy electric guitars for a track that builds in intensity as it goes along. Lowmoon shift the mood decisively with a New Order-ish thrumming sensibility on “Find a Reason.” The lead guitar work carries the song, tripping along with a sparkly resonance.  The Needmores sound a bit punky off the start but when their single “Lookin’” gets going there are wonderful melodic details tucked in here and there. The chorus borders on Beatle-manic with its chorused vocals. Vienna waits for you on Oehl’s new album lieben wir (we love in German). Everything is lush and stately, perfectly framing the standout vocals. The instrumental choices all over this record really are exquisite with strings and horns and synths all deftly deployed. Particularly on the obvious single, “I Love You.” Get ready to float away with this dreamy number. Upping the jangle quotient California’s Now couldn’t sound any more 1980s English. “In Pathécolor” exhibits a captivating rough and ready C86 sound.

For such a quiet song Sally Spitz’s “Tag Your Sign” exudes something big. This is mostly acoustic guitar and vocals, tarted up with a bit of record scratching. But the overall effect sounds like a bona fide classic, reminding me of Terence Trent D’arby’s impact. Martin Luke Brown sounds a bit stripped down and spare, but listen closely for the delicately arranged sonic layers on “To Be a Man.” There’s something Bill Fox or Chris Staples about the evocative sensibilities here. It’s soothing, intriguing, and mysterious all at the same time. Then for pop grandeur we can turn to Grant Lindberg on his recent single “Threes.” There’s a perfect blend of mellotron-like keyboards and crunchy, searing guitars. Meditative with a touch of dissonance as things develop. Clashing guitar chords launch Autocamper’s new song “Again” with a Lou Reed-ish vocal. It’s a winning combination, nuff said. Former Cheepskates member Tony Low has his own album to do. Well, an EP actually. From Really Real I like the opening track “Big Warm,” a sort of rocking singer-songwriter number that conjures a very 1970s feel.

Somehow I missed a new Andy Partridge release in 2024. Working with Chris Braide as a duo they released the Queen of the Planet Wow! EP. Most of the material is pretty pop loungey with Braide up front vocally for nearly all the tunes. But opening cut “I Like ‘Be’ With You” bears the clearly recognizable imprint of Mr. Partridge, his characteristic melodic turns and vocal inflections fully on display. “April in New York” also has a few strong Partridge moments, but only sporadically. Damn, I miss that era of regular XTC releases. NYC’s WYLDLIFE may also conjure memories of bands gone by. On “Fast Dreams” I hear both Springsteen and Tom Petty buzzed up on some kind of speed and the effect is pretty pleasing. West of the Mersey River, West Kirby’s West Coast Music Club have been putting out EPs every few months or so like clockwork this past year. Just to give you taste of what they’ve got going, check out “Summer Loving” from April’s Need You Beside Me EP. The looping lead guitar hook lulls you with hypnotic effect before the hooky melody grabs you in the chorus. Crossword Smiles have a new album Consequences and Detours and its full of their usual mellow poppy delights. Dip in anywhere and get a hint of the 1980s, a bit of Haircut 100 on “Girls Club” or Crowded House on “Counting by Fives.” But I’m gonna cut to the chase here and feature the should-be hit single: “Navigator Heart.” The opening guitars have a new wave crispness but what follows just won’t stop offering up delightful melodic turns and twists, particularly in the chorus. Instant replay mode here. Keelan Donovan’s “The Influence” has a spooky demeanor, a deeply personal song working the singer-songwriter seam pretty hard, with a touch a gospel emerging from time to time. Very moving.

Last up, the laconic, low-key recent track from Wallows cheekily entitled “Your New Favorite Song.” There’s so much going on in this mellow tune, the instrumentation carefully staged like a musical diorama. There’s folky acoustic guitar, a horn section, single piano notes, flute, and much more, not to mention an intimate, seductively quiet vocal. You want more? There’s an EP called … More.

Music for the pool, check. Now we just need sunshine. Gather your choice tunes from the above list by clicking through the hyperlinks.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Along the river Mersey

18 Sunday May 2025

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Merseybeat is the gift that keeps on giving. Whether full-blown homage or just an inflection there’s no mistaking that distinctive beat group influence. Here’s a crew of artists that all channel a bit of John, Paul, George and Ringo in their own creative ways.

It seems fitting to kick things off with Rad Venture’s aptly named long-player Merseyside. Owing more to the non-Fab acts in the roster (e.g. Gerry and the Pacemakers, Freddie and the Dreamers, The Big Three, etc.), what makes this record special is its expert replication of both the song styles of the period and its sonic hue. There’s something gritty, a bit pinched, and live-sounding to the recordings like “Please” and “Don’t Call Me.” “It Could Be You” nail the harmony vocals of the era. And check out the snappy lead guitar opening “Too Late Tomorrow.” Closer “Fog on the Mersey” casts a perfect 1963 instrumental mood. The Pale Lights lean more toward The Searchers on their recent self-titled LP,  particularly on “You and I.” But there’s a touch of Roddy Frame and Lloyd Cole there too in the vocals. So many tunes here sound like a later period of poppy beat group material, perhaps circa 1966, but the Mersey vibe infuses it too, particularly on tracks like “Girl on a Bridge” and “Golden Times.”

In listening to Cherrystone I kept thinking ‘man, these guys remind me of someone.’ Ok, The Beatles, obviously. But with a bit of digging I discovered the band is the precursor group to Cupid’s Carnival. This iteration of the band only put out one LP (entitled Our Life) but what a corker. Title track “Our Life” is Lennon spooky good while “Girl” anticipates the unique Cupid’s Carnival sound to come. But my faves are “I’m In Love” and “I Need Her” where the vocals veer strongly into Glenn Tilbrook territory. I’m not saying the Sorry Monks is always on the road to Liverpool’s Pier Head on his new album Perfect Hour but there are some strong indications he’s been there at some point. “I Can’t Make It” has a spot on Lennon 1965 vibe going while “I Know What’s On Your Mind” harkens back a bit further to that more sweet and innocent 1963 feel. “(It’s Just The) End of the Year” should get a honourable mention too.

Cherrystone – I’m In Love

Brazilian Banda AL9 have got an eerie Beatles sound-alike thing going on. So far they’ve got an EP and two albums out, the latter recorded in both Portuguese and English versions. The EP Isso E has got a bit of Brazilian jazzy flair which is pretty special but the most recent album The Ninth King (or O Nono Rei in Portuguese) hews more to the Merseybeaten track. “California” is so damn catchy, the lead guitar line and The Romantics worthy clapping demand an instant replay. “The Only One” sounds very early Fabs. “Movie Star” is more rocking, with a bass line that is positively addictive and a strong nod to “Drive My Car.” “My Love” hits the Help! era sweet spot. “You Called Me Up” is the single-along hit single. Clearly these guys love the Beatles but they are no slouches in the songwriting department. It’s one thing to ape the masters, it’s quote another to use their influence to drive your a unique contribution like these guys do.

 A stroll along the river Mersey. That would need music, yes? We’ve rounded up some pretty Merseylicious options here. Click on the links and fill your own ‘ferry across the Mersey’ playlist.

Photo: Tom Wood ‘Woodside Ferry Terminal 1986’ courtesy The Guardian, “Ferry across the memories: all aboard the Mersey crossing – in pictures,” January 24, 2018.

Around the dial: Keyside, Peter Baldrachi, and The Jellybricks

13 Tuesday May 2025

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New tunes show up in the damnedest places. This week’s discoveries come via social media, indie music platforms, and even my email in-box. Our ‘dial’ may be somewhat expanded from radio’s postwar heyday but the important thing is that the should-be hits keep on coming.

I stumbled across Liverpool’s Keyside when I caught their snippet of Squeeze’s “Up the Junction” as a TikTok reel. I immediately wanted more. Turns out the band have a few singles and two EPs, 2024’s Nikita and this year’s Michael (What’s Your Call?). The early stand-alone early singles “Paris to Marseille” and “Light Out” are delivered in such a strong Scouse brogue the lyrics are mostly indecipherable to outsiders, though no less delightful. The band are regularly compared to The La’s, Cast, Oasis etc. but songs like “Angeline” and “Down My Way” from the first EP channel a broader palate of influences: moodier, with jazzy inflections. “Nikita” is definitely a striking single. The formula is successfully reproduced on EP #2 with “Runaway” a strong opening single while “High to High” vibes strong Britpop. This is a quartet worth watching for what they might whip up for a long player.

It’s been five long years since Peter Baldrachi released his magisterial comeback LP Slow Recovery. There’s been a few singles since then, that’s true. But nothing stands in for a Baldrachi full album effect. So pull up and check out his new album Nothing Promised to get that feeling again. “Hard to Believe” kicks things off with a Peter Case vocal edge that successfully revives that driving Plimsouls sound. From there things get pretty country though not like you might expect. “Busted, Sad, Lonely and Blue” says country from the title alone but tune in for the Bakersfield sound. “You Brought the Love” balances tasty lead guitar riffs with sweet country pedal steel. Then “Go It Alone” sees the guitar work pulling the country feel in a jazz direction. “Wearing My Heart Around” dials up the honky tonk country vibe. But the coup de grace is undoubtedly the “In the Shadow” duet with Sonya Rae Taylor where a rumbly rockabilly lead guitar competes some spare country pedal steel to create real tension. Baldrachi does take a rocking turn or two as well. “Sometimes I Just Gotta Get Away” has a rollicking Replacements energy while “The Pieces of You” rides a great organ bed as you might hear on any number of Nick Lowe albums. Bookending the album is another hot should-be hit single, “Tomorrow,” a Matthew Sweet-worthy hooky guitar tune, with a hint of the Jayhawks in the vocal delivery. With Nothing Promised Baldrachi is back and as promising as ever.

The Jellybricks’ eighth release Dreaming in Stereo turns it out from the start. Opening cut “Age of Stupid” practically launches out of the speakers, the sonic assault evenly matching its pointed lyrical lash. Then the title track dials down the attack but cranks the melody meter with sweet guitar hooks and harmony vocals. “Sound of a Broken Heart” is almost a ballad, one that skips along over well-placed subtle hooks. “All About You” has a manic energy reminiscent of 1990s pop strut singles. There are times on this record you’d swear the band is doing some kind of new wave bait and switch. Both “Monday’s Never” and “Enchanted I Am” sound like different (equally good) bands, the former 1980s British, the latter 1990s AM poprock polished. There are so many great songs here I’ll just single out two more. After a rather jazzy experimental introduction “Follow That Girl” takes a jangle romp in new directions while “Shine On” closes things out with rocking bravado.

The search for great new tunes keep turning up trumps at this makeshift station. Click on the artist hyperlinks above to get a replay.

Photo courtesy Joe Haupt Flikr collection.