Time for another unsolicited made-up album in the tradition of Decca Records’ late 1960s/early 1970s The World of [fill in band/artist name here] series. Acts given a The World of … treatment include Mantovani, Cat Stevens, and The Zombies, to name just a few. Now get ready to add another name to the ledger with The World of Kenny Michaels.
I first heard of Michaels last summer when he posted his single “Must Be This New Love of Mine” on Bandcamp. As I wrote about it at the time, the song is a sunny soft rock delight with shades of the Turtles on the ‘ba ba ba ba’ background vocals. Since then he’s added nine more songs to his roster, enough to be collected into an album proper, for sure. What is striking in this collection of tunes is the range, both in terms of songwriting and performance. Michaels can work up a beat group combo, Beatlesque orchestrations, blue-eyed soul, and heavier rock and roll numbers, with vocals that seamlessly adapt to the genre. Taking the tracks in order of release, “She’s a Charm” has a Bacharachian atmosphere with a vocal reminiscent of Freedy Johnson. “Don’t Look Down” launches with a “Hard Day’s Night” guitar glimmer before shifting to a bracing Jam-like pop punk intensity. It’s hard not to hear The Who-like keyboard work opening “Your House” but don’t neglect to spot those killer Who-like background vocals peppered throughout the tune. “Nowhere to Run” is 10cc-worthy in my view given its layered atmospheric effects, from the keyboard hook kicking things off to the rich harmony vocals. “Love of My Life” rocks along on the keyboard with a toe-tapping intensity and a blue-eyed soul vocal delivery. Then “Brand New Day” shifts the mood somewhat, with an orchestration giving off a “She’s Leaving Home” undercurrent of seriousness and class. “Be Here Soon” has a looser, late 1960s Cream vibe. I’d describe “All For You” as neo-Merseybeat, updated from the 1960s with an extra punch in the chorus. Lastly “Man Upstairs” has a “Lady Madonna” in your-face-piano style, while the vocal reminds me of Glenn Tilbrook in its elasticity.
Is The World of Kenny Michaels ready for the shops? Absolutely. Michaels has got more than enough quality material here for a long-player. But for now you can just collect all these individual songs and make them into an album all your own.
Visit Kenny Michaels on Bandcamp or catch up on some of his past releases at his spiffy website.
Time to rev up our annual Poprock Record should-be hit singles list of songs we’ve featured at some point during 2024. Let’s be honest up front, we barely scratched the surface of all that was going on out there music-wise, even within the confines of our own narrowly defined genre (what I’ve been calling poppy rock). As I peek at the lists of other melodic rock taste-makers I see loads of great acts I somehow missed out on. Oh well. There’s only so much needle-dropping your scribe can do. From what we did manage to cover I just want to take this space to remind you of some stand-out tracks. So today we single out 50 should-be hit singles from 2024, songs that deserve another shot at chart glory. Click on the hyperlinks to hear each of the songs and read the original write ups.
Drumroll please, here are Poprock Record’s top 50 should-be hit singles from 2024:
Music blogger extraordinaire Eclectic Music Lover put me on to Won Phreely’s captivating single and I was hooked. Both Real Estate and Used struck me as mining that elegant Shins brand of manicured poprock. Lo Fi Ho Hum grabbed my attention with his quirky, amusing video but his melody lingered long after. Tamar Berk just goes from strength to strength in her songwriting and you can hear it here. I could go on. This is a list bursting with jangle and heartbreak – and hooks, of course.
Next up, Poprock Record’s most inventive covers from 2023:
The covers just keep on coming and I’m fine with that. Poprock veterans The Half Cubes gave us a double album of carefully curated pop hits from the past but it was their cover of The Sighs’ signature song that really floored me. Georgia’s Mattiel could sing the phone book and keep most people happy but her cover of Terri Gibbs’ 1981 hit is nothing short of transformative. Then there’s Super Ratones doing Fountains of Wayne. Lovely and timely.
It’s been a tough year. It’s been a year full of great songs. We’ll certainly need more of the latter in the days ahead and Poprock Record with be there to bring you more should-be hits. So click on the links above to remind yourself how good 2024 was and make sure to visit the artists and wave a little cash in their direction.
Time for another collection of 21 tunes populated from various sources over the past month. I think there’s something from every dark corner of the poprock-o-sphere here. And given the value for money, they’re all available for five and dime prices when you think about it.
Earlier this year Portland’s Blitzen Trapper brought out a monster of a new album 100’s of 1000’s, Millions of Billions. It’s pretty impressive how quickly they rivet out attention on their opening single “Hello Hallelujah” with just a few strums of the guitar. From there they just build the hooky tension till there’s no turning away. You are gonna hit replay on this one. Shifting north to Toronto The Celestophones nail a very particular seam of the Beatles sound, namely their love of the Everly Brothers and Buck Owens. They conjure both elements expertly on their light and frothy single “You and I Know.” Every time I notice Milwaukee’s Newski he seems to be on the road somewhere so I don’t where he gets time to lay down all these tracks. “Banking on Never Breaking Down Again” definitely has that ‘live on the road’ vibe. He manages to make his acoustic guitar sound like the quintessential rock instrument, one part Springsteen, another part Tom Petty. Askim Norway duo Herr Wade produce a lot of material, much of which skates outside of the zones set for this blog. But their “Theme From Chief Inspector Wade” is a wacky, inventive piece of work, reminding me of the Penguin Café Orchestra in its creative juxtaposition of instruments. Poprock legend Graham Gouldman has a new album out entitled I Have Notes and it rises to his usual standard of intense listenability. The most immediate hit single-ish tune to my ears is “It’s Time For Me To Go” but I’m also drawn to the finely structured ditty “Play Me (The Ukulele Song)” if only because the song’s sentiment is just so apropos of the fate of former school instruments.
On “Dashboard Jesus” Glenn Erb navigates a dead man’s curve with an alt country vibe but doesn’t quite make the turn. The effect creates a scene of eerie, low key desperation, despite the apparent wreckage. You’re going to want to add this to your disaster song playlist. A very different atmosphere is conjured up on Loose Buttons’ new single “I Saw Jon Hamm at the Beach.” Terms like languid, breezy, sun-stoked, and shameless name-dropping all come to mind. I am feeling more relaxed already. Rich Chance works up a sophisticated pop extravaganza on “Azalea Close.” The song has so many interesting melodic and lyrical twists and turns, where suburbia is pleasantly hooky but not all it seems. Rangiora, New Zealand’s Best Bets return in fine form on their new single “Spooky Signals.” Fuzzy hooky goodness is what this song provides in abundance, an advance release from their new album The Hollow Husk of Feeling. When he’s not donning a mask with his instrumental guitar super group Los Straitjackets Greg Townson flashes a Chet Atkins guitar gentleman pose for a host of great solo singles and albums. Just this week he’s got a a new double-sided single out and personally I’m loving the stylish classy-ness of the “Spinning Top” selection. You can’t fake this kind of cool ambience.
When he’s not hanging out with those cool dudes from The Half Cubes veteran poprocker Randy Klawon offers up the occasional jangly single. This time “She’s More Than I Want” comes on like the second coming of the second iteration of The Searchers. His somewhat plaintive vocal pairs nicely with the bright La’s-like lead guitar lick that defines the tune. Our next cut is a bit of a cheat because Jeff Gordon’s “Hard Promises” is a re-release from his 2021 album Local Boy. But man this song is just so good! The vocal hooks are utterly seductive, framed by striking lead and rhythm guitar work. Haunting is the word I’m looking for. This is a tune that stays with you long after the record ends. On “Kinda Lost” The Junior League have managed to mash together sonic hues from two different decades, combining a mid-1960s George Harrison guitar jangle with a lush 1970s soft rock vocal. The end product amounts to an exquisite synthesis. It’s one of three new tunes on their recent EP Nattering Nabobs. Sydney, Australia’s The Stormy Sea remind me of a host of 1980s folk rock revival acts, with a touch of Dionne Warwick style thrown in. “You Scare Me” would fit in nicely on a Lilac Time album given its light bouncy air. I’ve liked a number of Boston band The Fatal Flaw’s past releases but their new single is a co-write with Wyatt Funderburk and that gives it a bit more of a head-turning quality to my ears. The band expertly squeeze every melodic hook out of the song with chugging guitars and a sweet vocal treatment.
Jeff Gordon “Hard Promises”
The Newds drop singles now and then, focusing our attention on one song at a time, each one a carefully concentrated blast of melody. “God of Small Things” is no exception, a recent offering that has so many subtle sonic elements going on. The song builds and builds without ever really blowing up. It’s almost meditative. If ever there was a band whose name jarred with their musical output it would Young Scum. The moniker surely denotes screaming punk or hardcore will result from hitting play? But this Richmond Virginia combo have a 1980s Manchester jangle sound that is relentlessly smiley on their new single “Peach Ice Cream.” Part of a whole album experience dubbed Lighter Blue due out soon. Chicago native Kenny Michaels is on to something with his new single “Must Be This Love of Mine.” Buoyant and sunny in both melodic and lyrical content, the song has a unmistakable early 1970s pop vibe, with some Turtles shading on the ‘ba ba ba’s. Another time trip single comes from Dragon Inn 3 with the recently released “Clock Machine.” The intro guitar work is so jazzy 1970s, a period when it seemed every song had to feature some serious lead guitar motif. But then these sometime members of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin do their indie creative thing and add vocals that push everything in a different direction, with a wonderful effect. I love the organized cacophony on Shiverlane’s new song “Little English Pleasures.” The competing vocals particularly have a shambolic quality until they come together with a dynamic precision.
Kenny Michaels “Must Be This Love of Mine”
Last up on our five and dime specials, a pop-enriched summer stinger from The Glad Machine, “So High.” There’s Beatles name-dropping, laconic acoustic guitar swing, and a concentrated blast of sing-along melodic energy in the chorus. This will have you whistling as you leave the store.
The five and dime had it all and then some. Those bargains may be gone but great value on songs is even more true today. Click the hyperlinks to fill your basket before the checkout.
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