This round of singles is obviously riffing on a 1965 Rolling Stones album that was itself a collection of bits and pieces from the band’s early years. So here’s some bits and pieces that have landed in month twelve and need to be shared.

When you’ve been a member of bands like The Stems, The Someloves, and DM3 people are going to have pretty high expectations for your solo efforts. Dom Mariani meets them and then some with a fabulous genre-crossing new single “Jangleland.” It’s power pop with a dash of country and some Bowie thrown in too. Video Age pay tribute to working music retail on their new song “Record Shop.” It’s pleasant pop surfing some great jangly guitar and fun keyboard work. The lyrics are spot on too – I think we’d all be in for those employee discounts! Events take a moodier turn on Cloakroom’s recent 45 “Unbelonging.” Things sound spooky, a bit gloomy even, but the guitar tone is so reverb gorgeous it’s utterly captivating. Sticking with the spooky vibe, The ChrisVandalay Project really set a scene with their latest song “Your Favorite War.” The feel is very Roxy Music or Kate Bush. Rounding out our first five tunes Sharon is Karen almost turn into the punk lane with “I Hate It Here” but the strong melody just refuses to be pushed into the background.

“Walk on Water” started out as a possible Trip Wire song but when Covid intervened it fell off the playlist. Now power pop master Jeff Shelton takes it up with one of his other bands and the results are guitar-shimmery good. Of all his fine musical projects I love The Well Wishers best for their perfect balance of insistent guitar hooks and smooth vocals, fully in evidence here. Oh Momma, I’m loving the tension embedded in your “Ohio All the Time” track. Big and bold guitars meet a sweet vocal mix. Keen to see where this band goes next. New The False Positives single “Long Distance Romance” starts all guitars-ablazing before settling into something more ambling along in Replacements mode. From the start of “Penny” Will Stewart’s vocal puts the country vibe up front but as the reverby guitars kick in the feeling turns more to Tom Petty. With a very nice sibilant lead guitar solo too. Music reviewer Hayley Scott says Autocamper ‘make the everyday gorgeous’ and I’d have to agree. The band’s recent double-sided single is a delightful slab of C86 80s pop. “Blanche” jangles but bustles with busy keyboards too. “Budge” is a bit more doleful in a Rilo Kiley sort of way.

Daisy House main man Doug Hammond returns in the guise of his solo project Vaughn Trapp with a slew of recent songs. “Go Back to Sleep” mines his command of late 1960s baroque pop, a bit of Shocking Blue meets Fifth Dimension. The Bye Bye Blackbirds have a solid recent release with the meandering, soulful “Mending Time.” But somehow I missed their amazing 2022 b-side “Fold Up Your Maps.” The vocal arrangement alone gives this track a hooky rush. The jangly guitars are just a bonus. On “Cherry” the dt’s take a host of classic rock and roll motifs and mash them up with good tune. And there’s some standout organ work in the background. Pierre Englebert returned this fall with another collection of urbane pop songs that manage to traverse multiple genres with ease. “Well, Your Daddy Was Wrong” showcases this talent, combining a “Friends of Mr. Cairo” staginess with some killer melodic turns in the chorus. Vancouver’s Buddie are “Impatient” with a broken world, pointless work, and being stuck for options about what do about it. The tune is short on answers but its dissonant emo/grungy elan certainly makes waiting more worthwhile.

Put members of El Goodo, Los Blancos and Trecco Beis into a new outfit and the results are poppy psych fun. They are the Eggmen Whoooooo! and their debut album Fuzzy Eggs, Please is a party platter from start to finish. Just sample “It’s Just Your Mind” to see what you’re in for. Killer lead guitar lick, check. Groovy organ backing, check. Psychedelic vocals/lyrics, check. Get your dancing shoes off the shelf. Chicano Beatlemaniacs The Krayolas pay tribute to Canadian folk legend Gordon Lightfoot on “Gordon Lightfoot (O Canada Version).” The dynamite Brydsian 12-string electric guitar opener doesn’t really conjure Canada’s dour folk troubadour directly but who am I to cast shade on this winning tribute. Dazy continues to drop great singles at regular intervals. Earlier this fall “Big End” set off Beck alarms for me, and that is a very good thing. Now “I Get Lost” is out, bundled with other great songs, and it’s Beck-ishly good too. Bret Tobias sent me “Butter Valley Malcontent” and shortly thereafter an EP of the same name from his combo The Bret Tobias Set. The package is full of subtle poppy gems but the title track is a slightly higher blast of slow burn power pop.  Kurt Baker knows how to turn the amps up to eleven on his crunchy guitar-centric poprock but only so he can better frame his solid hooky chops. His new song “Inner Demons” has an ear-wormy quality that will settle into your frontal lobe and take up residence for a while.

A new album from Dropkick is always something special despite the familiar sonic themes – jangly guitar, lush vocal harmonies, and a Byrds-meeet-Teenage Fanclub songwriting talent. The new album set for release in the new year is Primary Colours and so far the title track flies the brand flag with a tart impact.

December’s a bit of a rush but not so busy that we can’t sling a load of cool singles your way. Click the links to add to your ‘end of the year’ new discoveries list.

Photo ‘Table Hockey’ courtesy Kevin Dooley Flikr collection.