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*repeat repeat, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Army Navy, Berwanger, Big Nothing, Bombadil, Brett, Bryan Estepa, Dave Molter, David Woodard, Dead Rituals, Deadbeat Beat, Drew Neely and the Essentials, Ducks Unlimited, Ezra Furman, Fruit Bats, Hollerado, Johnny Stanec, Juliana Hatfield, Lucille Furs, Martha, Matthew Logan Vasquez, Matthew Milia, Mike Adams at his Natural Weight, Nick Lowe, Omicrom J Trauma, Pernice Brothers, Perspective A Lovely Hand to Hold, Propeller, Richard Turgeon, Ryan Hamilton and the Harlequin Ghosts, Space Dingus, Taylor Knox, Telekinesis, The Boolevards, The Brothers Steve, The Cerny Brothers, The Cudas, The Dave Anderson Project, The Golden Seals, The Maple State, The Maureens, The Mommyheads, The Needs, The Rallies, The SmartHearts, The Well Wishers, Trolley, U.S. Highball, Wyatt Blair
2019 had plenty of jangle, hooks, harmonies and melody to spare. From an initial list of over 200 songs I’ve managed to whittle my should-be hit single list to just 50 chart toppers for this year. Man, it was hard. Because I only post music I like this whole exercise is a bit like choosing your favourite child. Well, IMHO, the 50 songs featured here all have a strong earwormy quality to them. But let me know if you agree or disagree! Hit the links below to find each artist as featured in my original blog post this past year.
So, without further ado (drum roll please!), here is Poprock Record’s should-be hit singles for 2019:
- The Golden Seals “Something Isn’t Happening”
- Juliana Hatfield “Sugar”
- The Well Wishers “Feeling Fine”
- Bombadil “The Man Who Loves You”
- Matthew Milia “Abruptly Old and Caffeinated”
- The Brothers Steve “She”
- The Maple State “Germany”
- Aaron Lee Tasjan “Songbird”
- Johnny Stanec “Secret World”
- The Maureens “Can’t Stop”
- Telekinesis “Like Nothing”
- Omicrom J Trauma “Leave You Alone”
- Matthew Logan Vasquez “Ghostwriters”
- Hollerado “Straight to Hell”
- *repeat repeat “Pressure”
- Space Dingus “Parchment Squire, Paper Knight”
- Taylor Knox “City at Night”
- Fruit Bats “Ocean”
- Berwanger “Bad Vibrations”
- The Cerny Brothers “American Whore”
- Pernice Brothers “Skinny Jeanne”
- Wyatt Blair “I’ll Keep Searching for You”
- Mike Adams at his Honest Weight “Do You One Better”
- U.S. Highball “Summer Boy”
- The Rallies “All Over Town”
- Richard Turgeon “Loneliness”
- Perspective, A Lovely Hand to Hold “One Wrong Turn”
- Deadbeat Beat “Baphomet”
- Bryan Estepa “Another Kind of Madness”
- Ezra Furman “In America”
- Nick Lowe “Blue on Blue”
- Lucille Furs “Paint Euphrosyne Blue”
- Brett “Wisdom Tooth”
- Martha “Heart is Healing”
- The Dave Anderson Project “Welcome”
- Drew Neely and the Heroes “Chasing Danielle”
- Dave Molter “Tell Me That You Love Me”
- The Boolevards “Take Me to the Top”
- Army Navy “Seismic”
- Trolley “I’ll Never Tell”
- Ducks Unlimited “Anhedonia”
- The Needs “I Regret It”
- The Cudas “The Kids Want Hits”
- Propeller “There Goes a Day”
- Dead Rituals “Run”
- David Woodard “Nine Hundred Ninety Nine”
- Ryan Hamilton and the Harlequin Ghosts “Feels Like Falling in Love”
- Big Nothing “Waste My Time”
- The Mommyheads “Wake Up a Scientist”
- The Smarthearts “The Man from the Company”
As you can see, the list is a bit all over the map. There’s hints of country and folk and a lot of rock and roll. Because I’m working a broad poprock vein (as opposed to a more narrow power pop) my list crosses lines that other melodic rock blogs might not. That means the pop folky Bombadil and Fruitbats can sidle up to the more edgy melodic punk of Ezra Furman or country rock of The Cerny Brothers. But most of the entries fall neatly into my definition of ‘poprock’ – as in, melodic rock and roll characterized by plenty of hooks and harmony vocals. It’s all there in my number one song from The Golden Seals “Something Isn’t Happening” with its swinging acoustic guitar base, various hooky lead guitar lines, and catchy vocal melody. Or you can hear it in the addictive guitar drone driving Juliana Hatfield’s great single, “Sugar.” Same goes for The Well Wishers’ fantastic poprock reinvention of Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 sound on “Feeling Fine.” And I could just go on dropping superlatives on every entry on this list. Instead, click on the links and check out my original posts about all these artist.
All these artists have instruments to keep in tune and studio time to pay for, not to mention all the time they take away from paying work to write the songs and practice performing them – all in aid of getting this exciting music out there for us to enjoy. Help them thrive by getting out to see them live and buying their music.
Ah the glorious single! Sometimes one 45 is enough, but at the best of times it’s the gateway drug to a whole album of super tunes. Multiple plays of Marshall Crenshaw’s hooky masterpiece of a single “Whenever You’re on my Mind” had me ransacking the record bins for his Field Day album in the hopes that more of the same lurked within. Today’s crop of singles might have the same effect.
The Fieros are more than a tribute to a discontinued Pontiac product line. The Dallas-born, now Brooklyn-based band rock out with a melodic twist on the 1960s psychedelic sound on their new single, “Who’s To Say.” Smooth vocals, crunchy guitar and a hooky chorus – it’s the total package. Want more? Check out their solid 2012 self-titled EP for a slightly rougher (but no less appealing) sound on tracks like “Get Back,” “In My Veins” and “Songbird.” Coming off a stupendous triple play of albums in 2018, Super 8 might have been forgiven for resting on his laurels a bit in 2019. But no, he’s back with another great single, appropriately titled “Something New.” The track kicks off with a classic late 1960s rock and roll sound, combining both buzzing and chiming guitars before dropping out here and there for a Donovan-meets-The Kinks acoustic vibe. Missed Super 8’s shining moments from 2018? You can catch up on this new single and the best of his previous releases on a soon-to-be-released compilation album from Subjangle Records.
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