Tag Archives: David Woodard

Mad as hell and not going to take it anymore

30 Thursday Oct 2025

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America: it is the best of countries, it is the worst of countries. Its bully face is on full display right now and has been in full force ever since 2025 became a thing. But the country’s silver lining can always be found wherever good people push back against the bullies. Like today’s featured artists. Each one draws a musical line in the sand with wit, compassion, and more than a few good hooks.

On their self-titled solo album debut Dish Pit Violet take aim at capitalism, bigotry, organized religion, the American Dream, and whole lot more. And seldom are such topics taken up with such delicious stylistic variety. “Hi I’m Violet” kicks things off with a Magnetic Fields kind of lyrical directness mapped against an incrementally expanding musical backdrop. It effectively sets the tone for what’s coming: straight-up social commentary set to alluring music. Violet then offers a truly liberatory take on success with “You Are My American Dream,” asking ‘can I get my kicks outside of this capitalist framework?’ and answering ‘I get my kicks when I talking to you.’ But the analysis goes deeper, noting that ‘working for someone else’s dollar, it will become your collar.’ Insight worthy of old German philosophers everywhere! By song #3 we’re primed for “Nobody’s Better,” the big production, crowd-singalong number and the album’s obvious single. It oozes the elan of those early 1980s dance numbers that defied categorization but still filled the dance floor. The bass line here really ties things together. For a second helping of singalong time check out “Rough String” and it’s catchy chorus. From there the album shakes things up, vibing a host of possible influences. “I Hate It When I Do That” exudes an airy Talking Heads kind of simple sophistication to my ears. “Back Up” launches right into some synth dance beats reminiscent of 1980s Soft Cell. “Tip-Top-Drop-Dead-Knock-Out” is the closest thing to a conventional pop song here and it’s still wonderfully eccentric. In terms of single-age, “I Hope I’m Ready For You” gets my vote with its hypnotic looping synth hooks. The LP draws to a close with two nouvelle vaudeville numbers, “You Picked Jesus Over Me” and “Sweetheart,” the latter offering some light McCartney-esque shading. Don’t let the garden-scene cover fool you, Dish Pit Violet is a record that mixes sharp hooks, biting commentary, and a whole lot of heart.

I’ve been a fan of David Woodard for a number of albums and EPs and with each release he tweaks what he’s doing in some interesting way. Everything Belongs maintains his unerring power pop chops but adds a layer of political insight that flashes a high degree of lyrical artistry. Take “Freedom Fries,” a rollicking rock number where Woodard sings ‘we grew up deep fried American, even the food was partisan’ where [we] ‘believed in truth and fries, served with a side of lies.’ Clearly Woodard is not holding back. The album opens with “Everything That’s Wrong with Everything,” a song whose ambitious scope reminds me of Alabama’s Lolas in both melody and message. “Scapegoat” is more of a chord cruncher that runs against the bully grain of American’s current dominant political strain. Then “Everything Belongs” guitar blasts through the hypocrisy of organized exclusion that is much of what passes for faith in today’s America. “Myth of a Nation” is even more hard hitting, calling out America’s bait and switch approach when it comes to immigrants and opportunity. “Metastupid World” leans into its critique of America’s current world leader pretend. However, the record is not all three-chord Chomsky lectures (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Woodard does pause to enthuse about “Coffee Houses” and “Baseball Cards.” Most importantly, the songs are brimming with his signature poppy hooks. And that’s gotta mean more satisfying fist-waving at those demos.

Minneapolis, Minnesota strummer Samuel Wilbur describes his latest album Ivory Tower as an ‘anti-capitalist end-of-the-world Rock Soap Opera,’ a description that really captures the critique suffusing nearly every song here. Sometimes it’s obvious, as on “Everything’s Falling Apart” or “Social Security Number.” But other tracks like “Hornet’s Nest” work up a metaphor to convey its message about inequality and the groupthink of those who struggle to maintain it.  Stylistically, the record is harder to define, the material toggling back and forth between Americana and a cosmopolitan pop vibe. Opening cut “Everything’s Falling Apart” exemplifies this genre-crossing practice, nodding to 1980s English guitar bands while throwing in some American indie rusticity. “Social Security Number” gives voice to the information exhaustion we all feel with the endless requests for all manner of identification, with guest vocalist Dani Michaele casting quite a different spell over the band sound. Another guest vocalist Meghan Kreidler gives a modern Kate Bush wash to “Ivory Tower” while “The Remainder” begins all Beatles before heading into the 1990s. By contrast, “Tired” moves entirely into a modern pop indie sound, sometimes grinding along, sometimes offering sweetness itself. The record ends with a rumination on consumption in “Everything Repeats,” wondering if we can stop ourselves before it’s too late.

Art is another way to do politics. It can be hard-hitting, insightful and definitely more fun than door-knocking. Help spread the word!

Photo ‘House of Women’ film still courtesy James Vaughn Flikr collection.

Poprock Record’s 25 must-have LPs for 2024

09 Thursday Jan 2025

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

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Another year, another load of really good albums. Creativity was off the charts in 2024, in both senses unfortunately. But banish despair, here at Poprock Record we make up our own charts, shining light on a deserving collection of should-be stars. Here’s our list of 25 must-have albums from the past year and, trust me, you’ll find plenty of variety within our self-imposed parameters of poppy rock. You’ve got jangle (Ducks Ltd.), gender (Day Dreams) and heartbreak (Tamar Berk). There’s retro (Terry Anderson), metro (Super 8) and fun (Scoopski). We’ve got artists singing in Spanish (Star Trip) and wide variety of accents from the British Isles (the list would be too long). And so much more.

The envelope please, here are Poprock Record’s 25 must have LPs from 2024:

1. Day Dreems Day Dreems
2. Tamar Berk Good Times For a Change
3. Brent Seavers Exhibit B
4. Wesley Fuller All Fuller, No Filler
5. Ducks Ltd. Harm’s Way
6. Aaron Pinto Aaron Pinto
7. Chris Milam Orchid South
8. The Martial Arts In There Like Swimwear
9. The Armoires Octoberland
10. Terry Anderson and the Olympic Ass-Kicking Team Got To Be Strong
11. Star Trip Velocidad
12. Bull Engines of Honey
13. Real Estate Daniel
14. Phil Thornalley Holly Would
15. The Trafalgars About Time
16. Super 8 Retro Metro
17. Be Like Pablo A World Apart
18. Nick Piunti and the Complicated Men Up and Out of It
19. Rich Arithmetic Pushbutton Romance
20. Owen Adamcik Owen Adamcik’s Power Pop Paradise
21. Steve Robinson Window Seat
22. Sergio Ceccanti Mysterious Journey
23. John Larson and the Silver Fields Constellation Prize
24. Scoopski Time is a Thief
25. David Woodard Get It Good

Day Ricardo’s Day Dreems project was groundbreaking in so many ways, lyrically touching on gender, the body, ADHD, oppressive nostalgia and more, while musically mashing up hints of Squeeze, Crowded House and the Beatles into their own distinctive voice. It’s a most worthy choice to sit at #1. But close behind Tamar Berk wowed us with yet another winning collection of introspective yet downright hooky numbers. Brent Seavers, now there’s a guy who knows how to pack an LP full of highly listenable tunes. I mean, he does it again and again. I could go on … and do in the original posts hyperlinked above.

The EP format continues to offer artists a creative outlet that falls somewhere between the noble single and a more herculean long-playing effort. True for some it may amount to little more than a glorified single with additional alternative versions, demos and live cuts (not that I’m complaining). But for others it’s a carefully curated musical statement in its own right. I think our cast of 6 must-have EPs from 2024 lean more in the latter direction:

1. Lo Fi Ho Hum Garage Pop
2. Cliff Hillis and Dennis Schocket Pop, Girls, Etc.
3. Sunken Planes Intersections
4. Shake Some Action! Trip to Yesterday / Chase the Light
5. The Genuine Fakes Extended Play Vol. 1
6. The High Elves Early Works

I deliberately leave legacy artists – i.e. those that gained conventional chart success and still benefit from that or have a major label sponsor – off my yearly lists. They don’t really need any push from me. But I do love a lot of those acts and it is great to see them still putting out solid creative works. So here’s a legacy artist shout out to some notable releases in 2024:

1. JD McPherson Nite Owls
2. The Decemberists As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again
3. Fastball Sonic Ranch
4. Cast Love is the Call
5. Crowded House Gravity Stairs
6. Nick Lowe and Los  Straitjackets Indoor Safari

I’m a non-recovering Beatlemaniac, it’s true. I’m always on the lookout for some fun and creative riffs on the Fabs. This year Nick Frater blew away the competition with the further development of his Rutles project, a riff on a riff on the Beatles. So meta! Thus our best riff on the Beatles this year is:

Nick Frater Nick Frater presents The Rebutles 1967-70

Last year I singled out The Flashcubes for their amazing Pop Masters album. It was one where they covered a host of new wave era classics with members of the original bands. This year their spin-off band The Half Cubes produced their own version of that project with equally impressive results. You see where this is going. This year’s special award of awesome poprock merit goes to:

The Half-Cubes Pop Treasures

As I wrote in the original review, “Pop Treasures is a monster of a collection” that is ‘lovingly relentless’ in its coverage of 1970s and 1980s hit-makers and indie darlings. It’s a hits package worthy of K-Tel, and that is high praise coming from someone who lived through the seventies. So many great songs here, including our #1 most inventive cover for 2024 “Make You Cry.” Treat yourself, this is a guaranteed good time.

Album fans, the form is in safe hands if the releases from this past year are anything to go by. Sure the kids may not be into them the way their 1960s through 1990s peers were but they’ll have something to dip into when they get older.

Photo of John Baldessari’s art piece ‘Record Collector’ courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Poprock Record’s should-be hit singles for 2024

04 Saturday Jan 2025

Posted by in Should be a Hit Single

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Time to rev up our annual Poprock Record should-be hit singles list of songs we’ve featured at some point during 2024. Let’s be honest up front, we barely scratched the surface of all that was going on out there music-wise, even within the confines of our own narrowly defined genre (what I’ve been calling poppy rock). As I peek at the lists of other melodic rock taste-makers I see loads of great acts I somehow missed out on. Oh well. There’s only so much needle-dropping your scribe can do. From what we did manage to cover I just want to take this space to remind you of some stand-out tracks. So today we single out 50 should-be hit singles from 2024, songs that deserve another shot at chart glory. Click on the hyperlinks to hear each of the songs and read the original write ups.

Drumroll please, here are Poprock Record’s top 50 should-be hit singles from 2024:

1. Wons Phreely “The Faithful Heart”
2. Real Estate “Water Underground”
3. Used “Morning Sun”
4. Lo Fi Ho Hum “Never Been in Love”
5. Tamar Berk “Good Impression”
6. Frank Royster “Someday”
7. Wifey “Mary Ann Leaves the Band”
8. Peter Freebairn “I Got Lucky (I Got You)”
9. Mo Troper “A Piece of You Broken Through My Heart”
10. The Well Wishers “Good Side”
11. Blitzen Trapper “Hello Hallelujah”
12. Chime School “Wandering Song”
13. Strange Neighbors “Tell All Your Friends”
14. Steven Wright-Mark “Summer Sky”
15. Brent Seavers “Till It’s Over”
16. Ducks Ltd. “The Main Thing”
17. HOA “Push Man”
18. Dom Mariani “Jangleland”
19. Randy Klawon “She’s More Than I Want”
20. Kenny Michaels “Must Be This New Love of Mine”
21. Laughing “Bruised”
22. Cal Rifkin “Big Star”
23. Stephen Schijns “Carry On (The Way It Has To Be)”
24. 2nd Grade “Live From Missile Command”
25. Love Burns “What To Do About Us”
26. The Fatal Flaw “Stop Pushing Me Away”
27. Marc Jonson “November Paintbrush”
28. Sunken Planes “There’s a World”
29. Pale Lights “Twisting the Knife”
30. Paul Collins “In Another World”
31. The Rockyts “Without You”
32. Ward White “Our Town”
33. The Cynz “Crow Haired Boys”
34. Sad About Girls “She’s Not Here”
35. David Woodard “The Last of the Full Grown Men”
36. The Reflectors “Supernova”
37. Mark Alan Lofgren “Ne’er Do Wells”
38. The Dreambots “Tightrope”
39. Ethan Beck and the Charlie Browns “Does This Bus Stop at Douglas Street”
40. The Newds “God of Small Things”
41. Motorists “Phone Booth in the Desert of the Mind”
42. Neon Bone “Don’t Fall in Love With Her”
43. SidePlay “Hit the Road Mac”
44. Caddy “In a Heartbeat”
45. Glenn Erb “Dashboard Jesus”
46. Brother Dynamite “The Girl’s in Love”
47. Pony “Freezer”
48. Jupiter Motel “Playing with Ghosts”
49. Newski “Banking On Never Breaking Down Again”
50. Teenage Tom Petties “She Kissed Me in Seattle”

Music blogger extraordinaire Eclectic Music Lover put me on to Won Phreely’s captivating single and I was hooked. Both Real Estate and Used struck me as mining that elegant Shins brand of manicured poprock. Lo Fi Ho Hum grabbed my attention with his quirky, amusing video but his melody lingered long after. Tamar Berk just goes from strength to strength in her songwriting and you can hear it here. I could go on. This is a list bursting with jangle and heartbreak – and hooks, of course.

Next up, Poprock Record’s most inventive covers from 2023:

1. The Half-Cubes “Make You Cry”
2. Mattiel & Troy Stains “Somebody’s Knocking”
3. Super Ratones “Troubled Times”

The covers just keep on coming and I’m fine with that. Poprock veterans The Half Cubes gave us a double album of carefully curated pop hits from the past but it was their cover of The Sighs’ signature song that really floored me. Georgia’s Mattiel could sing the phone book and keep most people happy but her cover of Terri Gibbs’ 1981 hit is nothing short of transformative. Then there’s Super Ratones doing Fountains of Wayne. Lovely and timely.

It’s been a tough year. It’s been a year full of great songs. We’ll certainly need more of the latter in the days ahead and Poprock Record with be there to bring you more should-be hits. So click on the links above to remind yourself how good 2024 was and make sure to visit the artists and wave a little cash in their direction.

Photo courtesy of Sunsju Flikr collection.

Around the dial: The Embryos, David Woodard, Aerial and Harvey Gerard

25 Saturday May 2024

Posted by in Around the Dial

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Why waste time searching the radio dial for hooks when we’ve got you covered right here? Today’s post promises both something new and a return of familiar faves, all packaged up to be stylishly long-playing.

Just one spin of The Embryos new album Selling What You Want To Buy confirms they know their market research. There’s so much to love on these 11 finely crafted songs, performed in multiple styles. I continue to be impressed by the band’s easygoing facility with just about any rock subgenre, though if I were forced to slot this new album in somewhere I’d say it has a decidedly Americana accent in places. This was on display strongly on the pre-release single “Desiree,” a breezy mid-1970s Eagles country-ish romp. And it’s there again on the Band-like “Sweater in the Heather.” Then you have tracks like “He’s a Hypocrite” which exude a Marshall Crenshaw vibe that easily shades into Americana. But the band’s penchant for Brit influences remains too, mostly audibly on “Somehow She Knew” and the record’s hidden title track “The Embryos Live” which lyrically features the album title and some alluring psychedelic lead guitar. “Frozen City” sounds like the should-be single to me, with the light and bouncy “Fortunes” a close second.

For another aptly named release, you can turn to David Woodard’s latest LP Get It Good. Now given that his 2022 album Stupid Kid was not merely good but great can we expect Get It Good to be even better? The opening track “The Last of the Full Grown Men” is certainly promising, kicking off with a strong Beatles ’66 vibe before morphing into a kind of Fountains of Wayne suburban anxiety song. It also hints at a lyrical depth that defines this album as Woodard grapples with issues of aging (“I Used To Be Cool”), nostalgia (“Flower Power in the 80s”) and social alienation (“I Can’t Make The World A Better Place”) on various songs. Musically the record steers between sixties and eighties influences. For instance, like “The Last of the Full Grown Men” “Coming To Life” also launches with recognizable Beatles motifs before moving in a more Odds direction. There’s even some recognizably U2-ish lead guitar setting the atmosphere on “Crazy One.” But I think where he excels is with the more low-key, midtempo FOW numbers like “Grace Under Pressure,” “Get It Good” and “Awkward Conversations” because there’s no place to hide – the melody has got to be good (and they are).  “Riptide” is striking outlier here with its wistful electric piano layered over an ominous set of synth strings.

Apparently you can’t hurry a band like Aerial. It’s been ten years since this Scottish duo put out Why Don’t They Teach Heartbreak In School and that record had come 13 years after their debut LP Back Within Reach. But now they’ve returned with Activities of Daily Living and it’s like no time has passed at all. The title track opener signals strongly that the band’s power pop chops remain undiminished. Then “Pixelated Youth” adds a pinch of dissonance to the mix, offset by some sweetly melodic vocal work in the chorus. The band’s signature, self-described ‘smash and grab’ style of power pop can be found on both “An Encore and Cover Song” and “Bad Tattoo.” But there are departures too. “Hollywood Ghosts” has an AM radio hit-single sheen all over it while “Run These Lights” is more of a mellow, ambient mood-setter. The album also features a number of gorgeous, moving piano ballads like “Debutante” and “Silversand Beach.” But my personal faves lean into the Teenage Fanclub/FOW kind of melodic guitar pop, specifically “I Bet You Know Karate” and “Cadence.”

Harvey Gerard looks the part of a loveable loser and lyrically his work is etched full of trouble, chaos and social ennui. But musically he consistently manages to turn that frown upside-down on his latest album Cul De Sac. That’s kinda impressive. He may be singing about drunken nights on the bar stool (“Bar Stool”) or seasonal mental health episodes (“Quarterly Paranoid Cycle”) but somehow it comes out sounding like there’s an upside. The trick is to bring in some sweet harmony vocals and an extra hook somewhere, usually in the chorus. I mean, look at the structure of opening cut “Last Days of the Hated Family” where the deft application of back-up vocals in the chorus totally elevates the tune. The sound here is miles away from the trainwreck country vibe (not that there’s anything wrong with that) of his 2017 release Pickled Wisdom. Echoes of previous work can be found on the country-ish “Thin Lipped and Nordic” and “Left To My Own Devices” but overall that album leans poppy rock, particularly on tracks like “Phase Pedal” and “Nervous Energy.” Should-be hit-single is undoubtedly title-track “Cul De Sac.” Compositionally it’s got a McCartney-esque complexity, developing different sonic layers and delightful melodic twists throughout.

These LPs are not going to race up the charts all on their own. Click on the hotlinks to register your approval.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Poprock Record’s should-be hit singles for 2022

05 Thursday Jan 2023

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It was another busy year for melody-drenched rock and roll. Releases were coming fast and furious and frankly I could barely keep up. Still, I managed to get 82 posts up on the blog in 2022 and write over 64,000 words on the loosely-defined rock and roll sub-genre I call ‘poprock.’ I couldn’t write about everything that crossed my desk or what others may have necessarily thought was review-worthy, I just covered what caught my ear or worked itself into some kooky theme I cooked up. So let me be clear, what appears here is a completely arbitrary exercise in personal taste and discretion. I’m sure others may have a somewhat different set of worthy tunes that deserve more attention. And that is totally cool. The point is to celebrate the artists and perhaps give people another shot at checking them out.

So here it is, Poprock Record’s top 50 should-be hit singles from 2022:

1. Grrrl Gang “Pop Princess”
2. The Bleeding Idahos “The Beat Said”
3. Dazy “Rollercoaster Ride”
4. Bloody Norah “Shooting Star”
5. Allan Kaplon “Restless One”
6. Televisionaries “Over and Out”
7. John Larson and the Silver Fields “Reversible Heart”
8. Push Puppets “There’s No-one Else Like Lynette”
9. Tamar Berk “Your Permission”/“Tragic Endings”
10. Freddie Steady Krc “Bohemian Dandy”
11. The Toms “Atmosphere”
12. The Proctors “You and Me and the Sea”
13. The Minders “Home”
14. Richard Turgeon “Better With You”
15. Flipp “You Can Make It Happen”
16. Bill DeMain “Lone Ranger”
17. Limblifter “Haystack Rock”
18. Stephen Schijns “I Met Her Yesterday”
19. The Rubs “When I Dream About You”
20. Edward O’ Connell “Golden Light”
21. Superchunk “Endless Summer”
22. The Kryng “Get”
23. Freedy Johnston “There Goes a Brooklyn Girl”
24. Phil Thornalley “Fast Car”
25. Lawn “Down”
26. The Stroppies “The Perfect Crime”
27. Beachheads “Jupiter”
28. Martin Luther Lennon “jfkha”
29. David Woodard “Stupid Kid”
30. Linda XO “California Girl”
31. Richard X. Heyman “When the New Dawn Comes”
32. Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard “Break Right In”
33. Sloan “Magical Thinking”
34. Teenage Tom Petties “Boxroom Blues”
35. The Demos “Streetlight Glow”
36. Suburban HiFi “In Her Reverie”
37. Moonlight Parade “Amsterdam”
38. Ricky Rochelle “In a Dream With You”
39. The Telmos “What She Knows”
40. Marc Jonson and Ramirez Exposure “Tape Recording”
41. Sky Diving Penguins “Run Boy”
42. Novelty Island “Jangleheart”
43. Goodman “Au Pair”
44. Pictish Trail “Melody Something”
45. Kevin Robertson “Tough Times (Feel Like That)
46. U.S. Highball “(You’ve Got To) Activate a Carrot”
47. The Wends “What A Heart Is For”
48. The Rallies “Must Be Love”
49. Jane’s Party “It’s Been Years”
50. Frank Royster “Open Door”

There were so many great songs put out this past year, I was spoiled for choice. And choosing wasn’t easy. Sometimes I cheated a little. Grrrl Gang’s “Pop Princess” technically came out before 2022 but I only got around to writing about it this last year. What a tune! It’s a perfect example of the kind of excitement a great single can generate and, really, why I write this blog. People need to hear it! Or there’s the fresh indie hooks driving The Bleeding Idahos’ “The Beat Said” and Bloody Norah’s “Shooting Star.” Dazy had a knock out AM radio earworm with “Rollercoaster Ride.” And then there was veteran songster Allan Kaplon coming on like The Highwaymen at first only to let loose the Rockpile hooks in the chorus of “Restless Ones.” There were new faces and old favourites and surprises aplenty. Click on the links to go to the original posts featuring each song.

I had to create a few new categories this year, just to capture all that was good and groovy about 2022. The post-Covid covers album phenomenon continued and most were great fun. But some were particularly inspired. And then there were a lot of acoustic guitar-dominant tunes out this past year that I felt really needed to be singled out in a category I’ve dubbed folk pop.

So, without further ado, here are Poprock Record’s most inventive covers from 2022:

1. Kurt Lanham “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (The Beatles)
2. Lisa Mychols and Super 8 “I Can’t Explain” (The Who)
3. Bill Lloyd “The World Turns Around Her” (The Byrds)
4. Andy Bell “Light Flight” (Pentangle)
5. Murray Atkinson “Bus Stop” (The Hollies)

And here are Poprock Record’s top folk pop singles from 2022:

1. Fjord Mustang “Health Class Field Trip”
2. Rogers and Butler “Oh Romeo”
3. Bats “Golden Spoon”
4. *repeat repeat “Hm Feels Like”
5. Steve Robinson and Ed Woltil “Make Amends”
6. Chris Castino “Chinese Whispers”

I do love making lists but the choices do not amount to any big heavy pronouncement on anything – just my bit of fun and chance to celebrate these artists a little bit more. Check them out and see if you don’t agree, they’re seriously good!

Photo courtesy Fred Rockwood.

Late breaking debuts: Dave Woodard and Stephen Schijns

15 Thursday Dec 2022

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Some people save their debut for when they’re really good and ready. Like today’s artists – they’ve been treading the boards for years but are only just now getting around to slipping us a bona-fide long-playing album. But trust me, it’s been worth the wait.

Over the past few years David Woodard has produced a full album of material and then some. Thus far though he’s been more of an EP than LP kind of guy. Five EPs in fact. Now on Stupid Kid he stretches out a bit, presenting 12 tunes cast in a variety of power pop hues. Things start off strong with the magnificent title track “Stupid Kid,” a song for anyone whose teen self ever fantasized playing before adoring fans or just an adolescent crush. This song has new-wave throwback hit written all over it, a poppy rock delight in a solo Paul Collins or John Faye vein. “Literally Probably Maybe” keeps the 1980s guitar pop sheen shining brightly while “Right Through Me” takes this formula but adds a sweetness to the melody and vocal harmonies, courtesy the incomparable Lisa Mychols. If you really want to divine the magic behind what Woodard’s doing on this album just give a close listen to songs like “She Believes” and “More Than Happiness.”  They’re chock full of interesting melodic turns and creative vocal arrangements that allow them to really stand out. And then there’s the hooky guitar work. I love the guitar lick opening of “You’re Not Alone” but I’ll stay for the fabulous harmony vocals. With Stupid Kid David Woodard is all grown up and making power pop you really do want to hear.

Kelowna BC native Stephen Schijns (pronounced ‘Skines’) has been posting singles on Bandcamp for half a decade or so, whenever he cooked up something new. Now he’s gathered together some of those songs with a load of new material for his debut album Where Do We Go? The result is a jam-packed collection of melody-rich tunes, 18 in fact. Schijns’ style is a kind of everyman rock and roll, clearly informed by the sixties but with that smooth feel of the 1980s. Think Greg Kihn, Huey Lewis, Paul Collins, perhaps a splash of Jonathan Richman – that sort of thing. But what stands out here is the range and quality of song-writing, from the rollicking, freewheeling 1980s radio vibe of “What? Why?” and “MAP” to the sixties-infused “Friday Saturday Sunday O’ Clock” and “Round We Go,” the latter clearly an homage to those early 1960s dance numbers, complete with honking sax. There’s even a fun beach guitar workout on “Trans-Pacific Beach Bum.” But Schijns can also shift the mood dramatically with cuts like “1000 Miles From Nowhere” and “Take Your Life and Run,” both exuding a very Gordon Lightfoot feel and vocal phrasing. “Hard Edged World” even weaves a bit of old fashioned social commentary into the mix. For should-be hit singles adjust your set to play the light boppy “What Do I Know About Love?” and spot-on Brydsian re-creation “I Met Her Yesterday.” Where Do We Go? is that kind of record you can just play right through. And then maybe play again.

It’s never too late to make your debut. Some people just save what’s better for later.

Happy Crimble, a poprock holiday pageant

20 Monday Dec 2021

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I didn’t grow up in the Christmas pageant tradition. December 25th was more a social than religious sort of thing around my house. But is that going to stop me from launching my own poprock holiday pageant? No way. Get ready to feel the season with a righteous review of some off-the-beaten-path holiday tunes.

Let’s begin by setting the scene with Fascinations Grand Chorus and their Spector-ific proclamation of the season on “Holidays Are Here.” It’s from the Silent Stereo Records Christmas Spectacular collection but sounds like a great lost missing cut from Spector’s classic seasonal LP A Christmas Gift For You. Rochester’s The Hi Risers attempt to throw off their past Christmas blues in favour of getting into the spirit of things with the hooky “Christmas Lights.” The lovely melodic twists and turns make for a great tune and standout chorus! I almost feel like Juliana Hatfield “Christmas Cactus” was some sort of late night drinking game challenge. “Write a song about a Christmas cactus,” someone slurred after a few too many rum and eggnogs. But Hatfield delivers. The song is a subtle earworm, decorated with a host of endearing musical adornments. I loved Mike Doughty’s “I Hear the Bells” the first time I sort of heard it in the background of a Veronica Mars episode. It’s got an addictive dirge-like quality. It was so captivating that I only just noticed there’s hot make-out scene two-thirds of the way through. Definitely PG 13 Xmas tune-age. The late Frank Lee Sprague put a bit of Mersey into everything he recorded, most obviously on his Merry Merseybeat Christmas album. “Christmas Carol” draws on obvious influences but somehow makes it all sound timeless. Dave Woodard put me on to Dil Bourbonridge and the amazing story of his song, “The First Christmas Snow.” Based on a story written by his grandfather during WWII a teenage Dil fashioned it into a DIY holiday single in 1965. Despite being 56 years old, the song sounds like some new indie jangle-band release. Glasgow’s The Martial Arts add some much needed hooky drama to our proceedings, channeling some 1970s pop vibes on “Stockings.”

Mike Doughty – I Hear the Bells
Frankie Lee Sprague – Christmas Carol

Speaking of drama, can’t be a holiday without some dysfunctional family dynamics. That means it’s time to bring the family, in song of course. Laura Cantrell and Michael Shelley go all nuclear family with their cover of George Jones and Tammy Wynette’s “Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus.” It’s a delightful rendition that conjures up an idyllic 1940s Christmas movie. Martin Newell takes us out of the city centre with “Christmas in Suburbia” from his amazing 1993 album The Greatest Living Englishman. The record was produced by XTC’s Andy Partridge who clearly contributes to teasing out the melodic genius of the song. I somehow missed a gem of a seasonal song from power poppers Sloan in 2020, “Kids Come Back Again at Christmas.” But it’s never too late to catch up on holiday hooks. Getting a bit more specific, Eux Autres highlight the adolescent impact of all things merry on “Teenage Christmas.” It’s from their charming 2009 holiday EP Another Christmas at Home. Hm, sounds more like 2021 … The Krayolas add some gravity to this pageant on “Christmas with my Dad,” a bittersweet testament to loss, laughs and memory. The song title really should be “Christmas without my Dad” – that’s what they sing and sing about. The impressive thing here is how the sadness of loss is made to sound so uplifting.

Martin Newell “Christmas in Suburbia”
The Krayolas – Christmas With My Dad

Now it can’t be holiday event without some traditional tune-age, but we’re taking a rather broad interpretation of ‘tradition’ here. I spent my twenties listening to Vince Guaraldi’s Charlie Brown Christmas, that’s my holiday tradition. Game Theory add just a hint of menace to the familiar bop of “Linus and Lucy” in a creative re-interpretation, defined by some loud guitars. On the 1960s Ventures Christmas album they meld their holiday faves with distinctive riffs and guitar rhythms from other songs. For instance, their take on “Sleigh Ride” mashes the tune with their own hit “Walk, Don’t Run.” Mucho fun! I don’t know which is funnier, the album cover of wiaiwya’s 50,000 Elves Fans Can’t be Wrong or the girlish chatter in the middle of The Weisstronauts otherwise instrumental “Silent Night” listing off everything in the store and then some. Here’s another classic: David Woodard gives the power pop treatment to the traditional hymn “Oh Come All Ye Faithful” and it works. Meanwhile Peggy Sue put the brakes on the Elvis classic, “Blue Christmas.” More Orbison than Presley really. Last up, Canadian teen rock and roll sensations The Rockyts pull the melody to “Winter Wonderland” in all sorts of new and creative ways. Full marks for managing to do something different with an old reliable.

Game Theory – Linus and Lucy
The Ventures – Sleigh Ride
The Rockyts – Winter Wonderland

One last gasp of holiday spirit, that’s what our final clutch of tunes offer. The Kavanaghs love holiday tunes and want you to love them too, providing “A Song We All Can Sing.” It’s from their 2019 Complete Christmas Singles package, for those looking for more. Another ‘full marks for Christmas tune creativity’ winner is Marshall Holland with his inventive “Laughing All the Way.” He manages to create a wholly new song from something old and familiar while also interspersing a “Charlie’s Angels Theme” motif here and there. I did not see that coming. Taking an even more creative leap, Münster, Germany’s The Fisherman and his Soul (featuring The Radio Field) crank up the amp and expand our sense of appropriate holiday topics on “Santa’s Bat.” I love the punky elan coming off this tune. My holiday post tradition very much got started with The Rosebuds’ Christmas Tree Island album. It reinvents the sound, sounding old and contemporary simultaneously. This year I went back to the island, specifically the “Oh It’s Christmas” track digging its swinging, breezy feel. Ok, time for the show closer and this year is has to be the title track from David Woodard’s fab new holiday EP, Rocking Around the Power Pop Tree. If this pageant really had a story it would somehow lead to this hooky denouement – David really says (and plays) it all.

The Rosebuds – Oh It’s Christmas

John Lennon famously made up a lot of nonsense words and phrases, like our post title, so it seems an appropriate send off for this bit of nonsense. Happy Crimble everyone! Don’t forget a present ($) for your fave musical artists this season.

Spring singles hullabaloo

18 Tuesday May 2021

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

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Spring always comes a bit later than I reckon it should in my part of the geographical woods. But it is definitely here – at last – and that can only mean one thing: dance party. Even if I’m only dancing with myself I can still restock the singles bar with a load of exciting new singles!

The Fratellis have always been a bit off-the-beaten indie rock and roll track, utilizing uncommon, sometimes old-timey song structures. Their new album is no exception. Just one listen to title track “Half Drunk Under a Full Moon” had me hooked with its cinematic airy piano opening and striking lyrical imagery. I’m imagining my own b-side to that single would be “Lay Your Body Down,” a lovely throwback, could-be sing-a-long. Henry Chadwick is back with a new single “Tomorrow is Today,” a sleek modern slice of poprock. The song is so nicely put together, an effortless swirl of alternating sonic blasts of textured guitar and vocals, reminding me a bit of Ben Kweller and Mark Everett. A nice surprise arrived a few weeks back with a new single from Daisy House, a band on indefinite hiatus since 2018. “Last Wave Home” is what the band does best, evoking the magic of that mid-1960s California sun, sand and surf with a Beach Boys’ feel for melody and harmonies. The Go Go’s will be joining the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and rightly so, as their influence is unmistakable across a wide range of music and genders. I mean, check out Go Go’s vibe all over Hayley and Crushers rockin’ single, “Kiss Me So I Can.” The guitars are so Jane and Charlotte while the vocals really ace a Belinda delivery. And it’s a great tune as well. Major Murphy move in a new, darker direction with the title track on their new record Access. The song has an ominous undercurrent that is both hypnotic and catchy. The vocal harmonies that dominated their last album are back but put to slightly different harmonic purposes. The end result is captivating and unnerving, in a good way.

The Fratellis – Lay Your Body Down

I’ve been remiss in getting something written about Girlatones. “One Chord Too Many” came out about a year ago but my philosophy is that it’s never too late to sing a single’s praises. The song is very guitar pop, a bit of Belle and Sebastion meets the Byrds. My choice for b-side would be the fantastic 1960s-emoting “2 Young 2 Forget,” written in a style reminiscent of all those songs the Rolling Stones gave away (e.g. “Too Much in Love”). The lead guitar is so spot on 1966 jangle! Seattle’s Silver Torches sneak up on us with “Love Someone,” a song that ambles along until it suddenly blasts off in the chorus, fattening up the vocals and the sense of emotional release. Very movie montage-ish, cue hero overcoming whatever is holding them back. Travel Lanes’ Frank Brown put out a nice little EP a few months back entitled This One’s For You. Low-key, unassuming, the songs are just delightful small group sketches. I’m particularly partial to the rollicking, jaunty “Summer,” with a vocal delivery that reminds me of Dan Israel. Robyn Gibson’s amazing Bob of the Pops cover albums series has worked its way up to volume 5 with no loss of momentum or quality. Basically, Gibson takes both classic and forgotten singles of 1960s and 1970s yesteryear and reworks them into a slightly different 1960s register from their original. For instance, his cover of Marmalade’s 1971 song “Cousin Norman” moves away from the country rock feel of the original, putting it into a late 1960s beat group style. The result is a fresh take that gives the song swing and puts the melody more up front. This next group initially caught my eye for their name. The Lousy Pop Group is just so disarming, beating crabby reviewers to the punch. But the LGP are not lousy at all. “When I’m With You” is a great piece of lofi jangle, combining a Smiths-ian songwriting feel with a more low-key vocal and guitar delivery.

This party could use a bit more no-holds-barred rocking out so to that end we turn now to Italy, of course. Seriously, there’s some superior gritty but melodic rock and roll coming out of that country lately and Hearts Apart embody that. “Waste Time” is driven by its rough and ready rhythm guitar work and some nice call and response vocals. The rest of their almost released EP, Number One to No One, is more of the good same. My local punk popsters, Toronto’s Talk Show Host, never fail to please. The new record is the stylishly designed Mid-Century Modern and the two advance singles back me up. “Blood in the Sand” dials down the punk in favour of flooring the pop pedal, with plenty of catchy ‘oh ohs’ to fuel some audience sing-along-ing. Chris Catalyst has some great crashing guitars contrasting his polished vocal harmonies on “Divide and Rule” from his latest LP Kaleidoscopes. Something very Revolver going on here, filtered through a 1980s British power pop filter. I love the flexibility of Chicago’s The Embryos. One minute they’re vibing the Bryds and Teenage Fanclub, the next they’ve got a Church-meets-The La’s thing going. With their new stand-alone single, “Rattlesnakes,” they seem to be defining their own unique synthesis of all these influences. The song also has some killer organ fills and lead guitar lines. Ryan Allen and his Extra Arms reliably churn out highly-listenable full-band rock and roll. But his most recent EP Digital Hiss includes a hypnotic, largely acoustic-guitar driven ditty “Can You Take My Thoughts Away.” The song uses an economy of words and instrumentation but still manages to deliver an Elliott Smith level of performative punch. The song has a tension that seems poised to break out of its low key shell at any moment, even though it holds its powder.

Nova Waves are an interesting band for a host of reasons. They live in three different countries, and thus must send tapes around the world so each member can add their own something to the mix. The results vary, from revivalist 1960s rock to carefully crafted indie pop. “Radio Sound” is from their new album Going the Distance and captures this range, with an Apples in Stereo pristine pop sound, punctuated with 1969 Beatles ‘la’s la’s’ and guitar embellishments. The Coral also have a new album, Coral Island. I can’t decide my initial fave song, split between the obvious single “Change Your Mind” and the should-be sleeper hit “Vacancy” with its crazy good organ. There’s something very laid back 1970s California country rock mixed with The Zombies keyboard work all over this album. Johnathan Pushkar loves the Beatles and that influence is all over his new record Compositions. Yet with this outing he also moves more decisively into Fountains of Wayne territory with at least half the songs, particularly “Gonna Be Alright” where his phrasing and song structure is very Chris Collingwood. Another guy vibing a bit of FOW is David Woodard on this recent EP Butterfly Effect. It’s there on the opening to “the last word” but Woodard quickly takes the song in his own direction. The track has a low key hook so subtlely placed that its only on repeated listenings that it really gets into your head. Now, to wrap up, we’ll skip the vocals. A good instrumentals band makes it look so easy. You just replace the vocal melody with some twangy guitar right? But the magic is all in how you do that, the choice of guitar tone and timbre, how you lean into the melody line, the phrasing, etc. Nashville’s Los Straightjackets are the current masters of this genre and they showcase their considerable chops on an infectious reworking of The Hollies “Bus Stop.” Hard to add anything new to either the song or the original version but LS manage to cast some new light on the song’s melodic nuances. Magic stuff, for sure.

Johnathan Pushkar – Gonna Be Alright

Twenty new should-be hits for your spring dancing playlist. Shake your tailfeather on over these bands’ internet locales and get better acquainted with they’ve got on offer beyond these great songs.

Poprock Record’s should-be hit singles of 2020

09 Saturday Jan 2021

Posted by in Should be a Hit Single

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2020 was weird like no weirdness we’d experienced before. Thank goodness the music didn’t let us down. Paraphrasing some 1970s disk jockey, the should-be hits just kept on coming! My top 50 singles for 2020 covers the usual range of styles I jam into the poprock category, from Buddy Holly 1950s to Buck Owens country to various shades of jangle and new wave. I’m not saying these are the 50 best songs of the year, I’m saying these 50 had the hooks to keep me hitting repeat again and again. If Poprock Record were a radio station these tunes would have been in heavy rotation all this past year. The hyperlinks below will take you to the original post about each artist as they first appeared on the blog.

So let’s get to it, Poprock Record’s should-be hit singles for 2020:

1. Mo Troper “Your Boy”
2. Gregory Pepper and his Problems “Unsolved Mystery”
3. Dave Kuchler “Slave to Katy”
4. Emperor Penguin “You’ll Be the Death of Me”
5. Brian Jay Cline “Two Left Feet”
6. Hanemoon “Sunday Afternoon”
7. Danny McDonald “Cordyline”
8. Chris Church “Something’s Coming Fast”
9. Peralta “In Your Mind”
10. Steven Wright-Mark “Underground”
11. Brett Newski “Grow Your Garden”
12. Lolas “Wrecking Yard”
13. Peggy Sue “Motorcade”
14. Searching for Sylvia “SEMA (Sunday Evening Misery Attack)”
15. The Vapor Trails “Behind You”
16. The Well Wishers “We Grow Up”
17. The Top Boost “Tell Me That You’re Mine”
18. The Click Beetles “Don’t You Call My Name”
19. The Memories “Second Try”
20. The Bye Bye Blackbirds “Watch Them Chime”
21. Lisa Mycols and Super 8 “Honey Bee”
22. Nite Sobs “I Could Tell You”
23. Nick Pipitone “Hear Me Out Thienville”
24. David Myles “Loving You is Easy”
25. El Goodo “Home”
26. Steven Bradley “Pre-Emptive Strike”
27. The Happy Fits “No Instructions”
28. Greg Pope “Jump Back from the Light”
29. Mom “I Want You to Feel What I Feel”
30. The Amplifier Heads “Man on the Edge of a Ledge Contemplating a Jump”
31. Blitzen Trapper “Masonic Temple Microdose #1”
32. Dave Rave and the Governors “I Don’t Think So”
33. The Rockyts “Break My Heart Again”
34. The Feels “She’s Probably Not Thinking of Me”
35. Nuevos Hobbies “No Puedo Esperar”
36. David Woodard “Grand Scheme of Things”
37. Esther Rose “Keeps Me Running”
38. Talk Show “This Monologue”
39. Geoff Palmer and Lucy Ellis “Swim”
40. Irene Pena “Own Sweet Time”
41. Ed Woltil “When We Fall in Love”
42. Papills “What to Call It”
43. The August Teens “Crestfallen”
44. Richard Turgeon “Higher”
45. Nick Piunti and the Complicated Men “Bright Light”
46. Tom Curless and the 46% “Just Wanna Talk”
47. Brandi Ediss “Bees and Bees and Bees”
48. Mothboxer “Accelerator”
49. Honeywagen “For Love”
50. Nicholas Altobelli “Ghost”

So many great songs! So hard to make distinctions amongst them … But this year’s chart topper Mo Troper has got something really special going on with “Your Boy.” The track is a case study in should-be hit single construction and execution, from the opening guitar hooks to the silky smooth pop vocal to the exquisite synthesis of musical elements, like the plinky piano, the dash of distorted guitar here and there. The song is the earworm equivalent of a Dutch masters miniature painting. A very close second this year came from the boundlessly talented Canuck Gregory Pepper and his Problems with “Unsolved Mystery.” I can’t get enough of Pepper’s creative songwriting and unique approach to instrumentation. The song is a hook cocktail, a nonstop aural assault of vocal and instrumental melody. Former Soul Engines member Dave Kuchler slots into number 3 with an amazing comeback single, “Slave to Katy,” a song that ripples with Springsteen organ and hooky guitar leads. This is melodic heartland rock and roll at its best. Releasing an album and three EPs in 2020, Emperor Penguin definitely win the productivity award. But I’d have been happy if they’d just released one song, the Byrdsian “You’ll Be the Death of Me.” Rounding out the top 5 Brian Jay Cline “Two Left Feet” gives the harmonica a work out on a great driving poprock number. And I could go on about the remaining 45 should-be hits but for more on the rest of the list hit the hyperlinks for my original write-ups on each.

This year’s special mention award goes to Mondello for his wonderfully quirky one-off single “My Girl Goes By.” After taking 20 years putting together his debut album one year later there’s no sign of a sophomore slump with this follow up single. From the Tijuana horns to the unique guitar work to the way the hooky swinging chorus emerges out the discordant and offbeat body of the song, it’s magic. More? Yes please!

2020 has been devastating for artists that rely on live performances to make ends meet. Now more than ever it’s crucial that we all pull together to support music and the music-makers financially. Give what you can, buy directly from artists whenever you can, and share links for the music you discover with your friends and acquaintances.

Extended Play omnibus

09 Wednesday Dec 2020

Posted by in Poprock Themepark

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The rise and fall and rise of the Extended Play or ‘EP’ format is a story of technological innovation and the changing political economy of the music biz. American record companies RCA Victor and Columbia had a kind of techno arms race going on post-WWII, each vying to dominate the format of music delivery. Columbia pitched the 33rpm long-play or ‘LP’ format in 1948 while rival RCA introduced the 45rpm single in 1949 and the EP in 1952. For a while it was a ‘Betamax versus VHS’ or ‘DOS versus Apple’ sort of battle. But eventually the LP and 45 single came to serve distinct but complementary purposes. EPs, on the other hand, thrived for a while as a cheaper alternative to LPs (both Elvis and the Beatles sold millions of them) but eventually faded out by the late 1950s in the US and late 1960s in the UK. EPs got a death sentence reprieve with the rise of the DIY punk and indie scenes in the late seventies and eighties, basically as a more affordable product for non-mainstream acts. Then, more recently, the post millennium download era has heralded a new golden age of the EP as acts increasingly drip-release their music to maintain maximum public interest. So today we celebrate the EP – long may it hold our attention!

Austin’s Wiretree deliver another reliable slice of strummy, slightly ominous poprock with their 5 song EP Careless Creatures, perfectly embodied on the opening track “All the Girls” and the EP closer “Lovers Broken.” Some trippy keyboards introduce “Back to the Start,” a rockier tune with a distinctive ‘wall of vocals’ attack.  The keyboards continue to define things on the mellow “Nightlife” and “Out of Control,” both of which remind me of The Zolas and mid-period OMD in their general atmosphere. For a pretty much solo effort, the band’s creative force Kevin Peroni really turns out a dynamic performance here. I raved about David Woodard’s indie EPs I Used to be Cool and Everything in Between for their endearing jangle hookiness. But now Woodard is ready to join the big leagues with his fabulous new EP Grand Scheme of Things. The production quality and songwriting nuances on this release are Top 40 AM radio quality, in the best sense of the term. Just check out the vocal layering effects on the George Harrison-esque “You Don’t Even Know” that elevate the song to new heights. Personally, I think Woodard’s cover of the The Thorns “Among the Living” improves on the original, adding a strong Crosby, Stills and Nash vibe to the proceedings. But the highlights for me on this release are undoubtedly the two hit-single worthy tracks, “Applebees” and the title track. The former has a slow burn take up, reeling you in with its classic story of failed rock and roll ambition and just the right amount of Fountains of Wayne hooky pathos. The latter sails on a delightful low-key jangle wind until – bam – a killer chorus takes the listener into the stratosphere.

I already lauded Esther Rose and her cover of Nick Lowe’s “Blue on Blue” earlier this fall but the EP it appears on deserves more attention. My Favorite Mistakes is a Sheryl Crow song and the title of Rose’s small collection of covers, which includes the Crow tune and songs written by Hank Williams, Roy Orbison and the afore-mentioned Lowe. Rose’s vocal delivery and musical choices take this classic material in new directions. There are times she vibes the lyrical intimacy of Susanne Vega or vulnerability of Joni Mitchell. I have to add a shout out for her new single “Keeps Me Running,” a winning example of those Vega/Mitchell influences. Former Napalm Sunday frontman/songwriter Gerry McGoldrick remade his sound on his 2017 EP The Great Dispossession in a highly melodic and hooky poprock way. Now he’s returned this year with Swelter in Place and, like many artists, he offers a more stripped-down, solo acoustic effort while still maintaining his more recent poppy elan. “My Good Hand” has a great punky folk feel, very Old 97s. “Summer Friends” has that late period Nick Lowe warm swing. Or there’s my fave, “You Can Only Find Me,” a very Springsteen meets Chuck Prophet ode.

Emperor Penguin kicked off 2020 with a much-celebrated new album, Soak Up the Gravy. Other bands might have kicked back at that point, repair to the pub or perhaps get busy in the garden. But that’s not Emperor Penguin’s style apparently. Instead, they’ve kept busy releasing three EPs over this past summer and fall. June’s Taken for a Ride offers a bit of Revolver flavour on “Maserati” and “Hangar 9” or Rubber Soul on “Belgravia Affair,”  while the duet with Lisa Mychols is a pych pop delight, a real should-be hit single. By August the band seemed a bit more introspective on Palaces and Slums, with hooky Fountains of Wayne story songs like “Stay Out of the Sun” and “Blink.” Then there’s the pop lushness of “Hell in a Handcart” or, for contrast, “The Way the Cookie Crumbles” with its ska groove and break-out Squeeze chorus. October delivered Barbed Wire and Brass, a more cerebral rumination on themes like authoritarian leadership (“False Prophet”) and mob justice (“12 Angry Men”). Sonically, the record reminds me of The Beatles in White Album mode while the lyrics are so Elvis Costello or Scandinavia. The Junior League’s Joe Adragna is a master of 1960s musical motifs but on his latest EP Summer of Lies, a collaboration with producer Scott the Hoople, he restricts the focus to a Monkees-meets-country rock mood. “Summer of Flies” combines a “Subterranean Homesick Blues” vocal delivery with a rollicking Monkees pace. Meanwhile “Make Up Your Mind” and “Out on the Side” offer up different sides of the country rock scene, from Brydsian pep to achingly Eagles. The EP is a surprising, refreshing departure from an artist that could hardly be accused of sitting still creatively.

I wrote about The Amplifier Heads earlier this year in themed blog post but didn’t really do justice to what the band has put out, particularly on the EP Oh Golly Gee. At that point I was raving about the delicious “Short Pop Song about a Girl,” a song that seems so familiar and foreign at the same time.  Songwriter Sal Baglio combines familiar elements of popular songcraft but manages to turn them inside out: a bit of rumbly guitar, some accordion, a bouncy 1960s song structure, etc. Terms like ‘ironic detachment’ come to mind, except that Baglio seems entirely sincere. “Late to the Prom” is delivered in a style that seems both so 1950s hopeful and post-millennial indifferent. I love the catchy lead guitar bits sprinkled throughout “Short Pop Song about a Girl” and the “I Should Have Known Better” drive to “Man on the Edge of a Ledge Contemplating a Jump.” Brooklyn’s Fixtures blend a host influences on their new EP Weak Automatic. There’s definitely a strong dollop of a New Order melodic bass and synth, evident on the hooky opener “Five Ft One, Six Ft Ten.” But from there the band keeps us guessing. Things turn a bit Fleet Foxes vocally on “The Great Tequila Flood 2000-2018,” in a good way. “Jay’s Riff” has a Grouplove live party feel while “Sunshine” vibes a jazzy take on the Velvets. And I love the way the guitars seem to relentlessly rush the listener on “New Deal.” This band is stylistically going everywhere at once, and I like it.

The ‘extended play’ record began as a competitive technological gambit in a giant corporate game of musical chess, then revived and repurposed itself to serve an indie-DIY music esthetic, and has now emerged as a preferred form of packaging for music in the download/streaming era. It’s more than a sample and not quite a meal. Click on the hyperlinks above and let our artists know whether the EP is really meeting your needs.