Tag Archives: The Decibels

Do you hear what I hear?

17 Wednesday Dec 2025

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If you’re strolling the mall or tuning into an AM radio playlist I’m just going to say it. No. You’re not hearing what I’m hearing. Of course, that’s why you’re here. To get the lowdown on the catchiest, poppiest, hookiest festive music fare available. Here are nearly two dozen holiday-infused melodic wonders to liven up your celebrations, whatever they may be.

Simon Love nails it. It seems like we’ve barely said ‘happy new year’ before the Santa ritual begins anew. “It’s Christmas All Over Again” gives us the bells and a ‘look on the bright side’ sentiment, all wrapped up in a Costello-ish taut melody. Next up it’s practically our holiday house band, Make Like Monkeys. As expected they’ve got yet another seasonal LP Make Like Christmas and just a sample of opening cut “Fa La La It’s Time for Christmas” will let you know it’s gonna be another special collection. Chris Lund strikes a more bittersweet chord on “Christmas Time” with its Lennonesque holiday atmosphere. It’s seasonally sombre with just a bit of uplift where it’s needed most. Then there’s Movie Movie’s distinctive, echoing lead guitar line strung like colourful Christmas lights throughout their call to enjoy the season on “Another Holiday.” Party like it’s 2099 indeed. For a bit of pop punk holiday spirit there’s Glenn Robinson’s “Jesus Christ (Can You Believe That It’s Christmas).” It’s rough and not quite ready for polite company but that’s what makes it so special. One of my new fave bands from 2025 give their Greenock, Scotland best to the season on “Favourite Time.” I know I’ve compared The Cords to The Primitives a lot but, come on, it’s pretty Coventry adjacent in the very best of ways.

And then there’s the people in our Christmas neighbourhood, the boys, the girls, and that dude having his birthday amidst it all. The Easy Button give us a story about a “Christmas Girl” who has got the holiday event down, with plenty of reverby guitar and a Difford/Tilbrook song style. By contrast the Spongetones give their “Christmas Boy” a touch of the old fashioned carol. Sort of folky with a twisty tune to suit. Of course, it can’t be Christmas without an appearance from a certain historical baby and we’ve got that covered with The Bret Tobias Set and their seasonal 45 “For Christ’s Sake.” The track’s got a swaying, singalong quality with some nice vocal help from Krista Umile.

On the presents front, we’ve got plenty of holiday-driven needs getting musical expression. I love the demented stoner consumerism of The Memories “Santa Bring Me Some Toys.” It’s just so hilariously dead serious and over the top. The Decibels hit more traditional ‘I want my baby on Xmas’ themes with their “Christmas Wish,” awash in plenty of jangly guitars. Parallax Project take up a related classic theme, the better man talking up the gal with the cheating boyfriend, on their equally jangling “All I Want for Christmas (is a Chance).” And to wrap up this presents focus, U.S. Highball take on the Fab Four novelty number “I Want a Beatle for Xmas” and manage to add sonic depth to what was a pretty throwaway exploitation number. Well done boys!

There’s also room here for some traditional holiday music fare, zhuzhed up poprock style naturally. Fur Trader gives “Silver Bells” a shoegazey glaze, with a children’s chorus to add some sparkle. theCatherines add some Cars-worthy guitar and a lovely duo vocal to “Let It Snow.” Then “Sleigh Ride” gets a full-on guitar workout from an aptly-named band that keeps the electric lead lines popping all over the tune. It’s just what one would expect from a group with a moniker like The Guitars. The Jeanines take Yoko Ono’s “Listen, The Snow is Falling” and turn out a masterful folky, poppy performance. Sounds pretty traditional to me.

A lot of holiday songs focus on matters of time. Dublin’s Music City give us a Spector-worthy mediation on that rush to get home in time on their “Only Home for Christmas” with plenty of cool vocal oohs and ahhs. The Successful Failures conjure that child-only panic that comes with trying to fall asleep on Christmas Eve so you can enjoy “Christmas Morning (Yellow Canary).” With plenty of crashing guitar chords to soothe you to sleep. Not done with this one and Mark Crozier is already on about “Next Christmas,” though it’s the snow he’s forecasting a year hence. Love the squealy keyboard solo mid-song.

If there’s something this ole world needs it’s a bit more love, joy and jollity. And maybe a bit more faith in the kind of society good people can create together if we really try. John Hopkins offers up lovely old fashioned sentiments on  “Jolly Old Nicholas” very much in a timeless but traditional form. Top pop songstress Lisa Mychols dials up the holiday good feeling on her irrepressibly hooky “Joy Is In the Giving.” Christchurch’s Imperial April ring out a big bell sound on their Christmas ode “I Love This Time of Year.” I could hear Blondie covering this. Wrapping up our holiday tour of duty through all the merry music I could scrape together this season we have Kirby Krackle and “I Believe in Christmas.” It’s poppy and moving and very much about the magic that can be this season.

Merry ho ho dear Poprock Record readers. I hope you get to enjoy peace, togetherness and some great music in whatever way you celebrate this time of year.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Poprock Record’s 25 must-have LPs for 2023

05 Friday Jan 2024

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The traditional rock and roll album ain’t dead, not by a long shot. Usurped for sure by new commercial formats and changing consumer listening patterns but the album – as a distinct collection of songs (sometimes forming a coherent whole) – remains the default mode of delivery for a wide swathe of guitar-based popular music. Proof? There was simply no shortage of fabulous, super-charged, pop-rocking long-players and extended plays to spend time with throughout 2023. From this embarrassment of musical riches we’ve whittled down a few different lists of LPs and EPs we feel rank as having ‘must have’ status. There’s something for every taste that falls somewhere across the broad, rather idiosyncratic category of ‘poprock’ we employ here. So dive in, see what you think, and do let us know about whatever egregious oversight you think we’ve undoubtedly committed. The hotlinks take you to the original reviews.

Cue drumroll – here we have it, Poprock Record’s 25 must-have LPs from 2023:

1. The Decibels When the Red Lights Flash
2. The McCharmlys The McCharmlys
3. The Parlophonics Dying of the Light
4. Miss Chain and the Broken Heels Storms
5. Buddie Agitator
6. Taking Meds Dial M for Meds
7. Good Shade Think Spring
8. Talking Kind It Did Bring Me Down
9. Caleb Nichols Let’s Look Back
10. Thomas Walsh The Rest is History
11. Steve Marino Too Late to Start Again
12. The Summertimes The Summertimes
13. Nite Sobs Fade Out
14. Bory Who’s a Good Boy
15. Richard Turgeon Life of the Party
16. The Small Square Ours and Others
17. Dave Kuchler Love and Glory
18. Classic Traffic You Want It? We Got It!
19. The Blusterfields The Blusterfields II
20. The Tubs Meat Factory
21. The Roves Needle Factory
22. Best Bets On an Unhistoric Night
23. The Blips Again
24. Erik Voeks and The Ghosters It Means Nothing Now
25. Rachel Angel Midnite Heart Attack

This year’s list tipped more toward some classic genre distinctions. The Decibels are beat group heaven for me and When the Red Lights Flash just proves their mastery of this form and seemingly bottomless creativity with it. By contrast, The McCharmlys conjure the ghost of 1950s west Texas rock and roll (even though they’re from California), effectively reinventing it for today. For a different slice, we’ve got the highly sophistico-pop of The Parlophonics. Such great songs, delivered so smoothly. And so on. Our list has got jangle (Buddie, Bory), new wave revival (The Blips, The Blusterfields), country tinges (The Tubs, Rachel Angel), and straight up melodic rock (Richard Turgeon, Dave Kuchler). Long may the LP reign in what’s left of the rock and roll universe.

But there’s more. The ongoing revival of the extended play record format has led to this list, Poprock Record’s must-have EPs from 2023:

1. Strange Neighbors Party of None
2. Joe Dillilo Superhero Star
3. Super 8 The Plus 4 EP #1
4. Dolour Sun on my Brain
5. Hearts Apart Bang! Wrong Again
6. Jose’s Bad Day Hi! Let’s Eat
7. Cal Rifkin Better Luck Next Year

The Strange Neighbors EP was hands down my favourite thing about 2023. It brought back a familiar teenage rush of excitement that used to accompany the discovery of something so cool and earworm addictive it just had to be played over and over. Also cool was Joe Dillilo’s oh-so smooth collection of songs, which saw him transitioning from behind the mixing board to the spotlight with ease. And what about Super 8’s alter ego project The Plus 4? An absolute jangle blast. EPs can be such a concentrated blast of melodic goodness, leaving you wanting more.

Before you go there’s one more album we’ve got to highlight. It’s a record so good we had to give it the special award of awesome poprock merit for 2023:

The Flashcubes Pop Masters

As I wrote in the original review, Pop Masters gives you “12 new wave era should-have-been hits, stylishly re-energized” and “celebrates what might-have-been with selections from bands that should have broken big but didn’t.” But the band don’t just celebrate the great songs of bands like The Pezband, The Spongetones, The Paley Brothers and The Shoes, they share the spotlight with them in what amounts to a series of power pop band duets. Let’s face it, this project could have gone very wrong. But again, from the original review, the “results are a pumped up, adrenaline-fueled romp through a host of power pop classics … where every cut is a highlight …” Believe the hype. The Flashcubes are, indeed, pop[rock] masters.

Spend some time with these LPs and EPs and I think you’ll agree, melodic rock and roll is in good health if not wealth. But you can help change that for the price of triple shot latte from your favourite beverage store. Go on, skip the coffee queue and click the links to these artists.

Photo courtesy Chris Friese Flikr collection.

Poprock Record’s should-be hit singles for 2023

01 Monday Jan 2024

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2023 was another banner year for melodic rock and roll. Here at Poprock Record we could spotlight only a small portion of what was go on. Still, we kept busy, writing 58,000 words over 77 posts about literally hundreds of artists. And we liked them all – that’s why we wrote about them. But some tunes had real staying power for our team of singles inspectors. So today we single out 50 should-be hit singles from 2023, songs that deserve another listen and a shot at chart glory. Click on the hyperlinks to hear each song and read the original write ups.

Getting to the main event, here are Poprock Record’s top 50 should-be hit singles from 2023:

1. Strange Neighbors “Hotline Psychic”
2. Taking Meds “Memory Lane
3. The Decibels “Why Bother With Us”
4. Good Shade “When Will You See”
5. The Goa Express “Portrait”
6. Billy Tibbals “Onwards and Upwards”
7. Strange Neighbors “Whoa! Is Me”
8. Ransom and the Subset “Perfect Crime”
9. The Tubs “I Don’t Know How It Works”
10. Buddie “Class Warfare”
11. Dignan Porch “Electric Threads”
12. The Tearaways “Easier Done Than Said”
13. Chris Church “One More Change to Get Over You”
14. The McCharmlys “Love Me Too”
15. Eyelids “That I Can See You Better”
16. The No Ones “Phil Ochs is Dead”
17. Canadian Invasion “Catch a Falling Knife”
18. Thomas Charlie Pederson “Yesterdays and Silly Ways”
19. Kevin Bowe “Put Me Out of Your Misery”
20. The Summertimes “Inside”
21. Gosh Diggity “Blast Off”
22. The Midnight Callers “Girl On the Run”
23. Parallax Project “Mary Houdini”
24. Dan Kibler “Don’t Go for the Money”
25. The Kind Hills “Let Youth Take Over”
26. Cal Rifkin “Break My Heart”
27. Ratboys “Morning Zoo”
28. Hurry “Like I Loved You”
29. Thomas Walsh “A Good Day For Me”
30. The Newds “The Street Leads to the River”
31. Dave Kuchler “She’s Rather Be With Me”
32. Hardwicke Circus “Everyday I Find Luck”
33. Worriers “Trust My Gut”
34. Tony Marsico “Rocket Girl”
35. Jean Caffeine “I Don’t Want to Kill You Anymore”
36. The Exbats “Like It Like I Do”
37. Dazy “Forced Perspective”
38. Miss Chain and the Broken Heels “Storms”
39. Bill Lloyd “Keep the Place Clean”
40. Kurt Hagardorn “Tractor Beam”
41. Nite Sobs “Julie Ann”
42. Turn Turn Turn “Power”
43. The Rockyts “I Get High”
44. The Blusterfields “Fear of Depths”
45. Dropkick “Telephone”
46. The Scarlet Goodbye “Angel Dust”
47. The Amplifier Heads “When We Go Home Again”
48. Steve Marino “Satisfy You”
49. Justin Levinson “I Need Somebody Now”
50. Moon Mates “Not Today”

New York’s Strange Neighbors grabbed me early in 2023 with their killer 45 “Hotline Psychic” and never really let go. The lyrics are so spot on, the chorus is mesmerizing, while the instrumental break threatens to break out into Blondie’s “Rapture.” The band is so good they placed another tune in my top 10, the delightful jangler “Whoa! Is Me.” Then Taking Meds and Good Shade seemed like two sides of a very good coin with songs that featured surging insistent hooks that simply demanded replay. The Goa Express tipped toward punk but without sacrificing melodic depth. And The Decibels returned with the modern beat group sound they own. There’s variety in this list, proving genre is no barrier to delivering poprock hooks.

Moving on, here are Poprock Record’s most inventive covers from 2023:

1. Juliana Hatfield “Don’t Bring Me Down” (Electric Light Orchestra)
2. Mo Troper “Citgo Sign” (Jon Brion)
3. Arthur Alexander “It’s Not Love Anymore #2” (The Sorrows)
4. The Jangles “Here Without You” (The Byrds)
5. The Flashcubes “Have You Ever Been Torn Apart?” (The Spongetones)

Covers remained fertile ground for music veterans and indie new-comers alike this past year. Juliana Hatfield delivered a whole album of ELO songs, mixing things up with a nicely curated collection of chart hits and deep cuts. Mo Troper introduced a new generation to the genius of Jon Brion with his album tribute, Troper sings Brion. Arthur Alexander covers himself, sort of, with his ace reinvention of the Sorrows’ “It’s Not Love Anymore #2.” And both The Jangles and The Flashcubes covers really revive some great songs for the here and now.

Rounding out our lists, here are Poprock Record’s top 5 folk pop singles from 2023:

1. Rachel Angel “I Can’t Win”
2. Talking Kind “Trouble”
3. Hovdy “Jean”
4. Benji Tranter “Speed Camera”
5. J. Matthews “Wanderlust”

While most of our coverage is pretty poppy we do shift into the folk lane from time to time where the melodies are strong or I just have a particular interest.

Another year, another slew of great songs. Click on the links to remind yourself how good a year it really was and make sure to let the artists know what you think in cash and/or commentary.

Photo courtesy of Raymond Clarke Images on Flikr.

Breaking news: The Decibels, Dropkick, Ransom and the Subset, and Cliff Hillis

18 Tuesday Apr 2023

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This iteration of breaking news marks the exciting return of a host of artists who seldom miss a beat. Definitely worthy of film at 11.

So where were we? Oh right, Sacramento’s reliable hook-meisters The Decibels were in the middle of recording a follow up to 2019’s smash LP Scene, Not Herd when a world-stopping pandemic hit, effectively pausing the tape machine. All was not lost however. Band member Brent Seaver did shift into solo gear, putting out a fabulous record entitled BS Stands For … But now the band have completed their interrupted sessions and the result – When Red Lights Flash – is everything you’ve been waiting for. Great songs, fab guitar tones, killer playing. Stylistically, it draws from both 1960s and 1980s poppy rock traditions. “Why Bother With Us” breaks things open with a skipping-in-the-sunshine bit of jangly guitar that seems to cross The Monkees with REM. “Enough” definitely revs the 1980s poprock engine a la the Paul Collins Beat. “There’s Just Something About You” has the happy-go-lucky early 1960s American pop sound, but with a bit more muscle. “Walk Away” vibes a crisp 1979 new wave sound while “In Remembrance” has a melodic arc that is reminiscent of an early 1960s song-writing style, but updated. And so goes the rest of the album, merrily shifting decades without ever seeming to jolt the listener. I love the almost early Go Go’s punky ferocity on “He Thinks He’s Right (But He’s Wrong),” particularly the sizzling lead guitar break, the Romantics-worthy chord changes and handclaps defining “We Don’t Need to Be Afraid,” and the Marshall Crenshaw-like “World Goes Around.”  Should-be hit single? I vote for “Looking Back.” I could totally hear The Smithereens covering this. If you’re looking for an album that hits the rock and roll melody pedal and never lets up, pick up a copy of When Red Lights Flash – it’s absolute listening pleasure.

Andrew Taylor must be one of those guys always scribbling down new song ideas on napkins or humming into his phone. Still, between recent releases as a solo artist, with Andrew Taylor and the Harmonizers, and The Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness, it’s hard to believe there could there be anything left for a new Dropkick record. But there is. Welcome Dropkick album #14, The Wireless Revolution. “Don’t Give Yourself Away” kicks things off like a coy suitor, somewhat tentative at first before easing into a comfortable familiarity. Then there’s “Telephone,” in many ways an exemplar of the band’s signature sound – so Teenage Fanclub but with Dropkick’s own original stamp. “Unwind” gives us gentle pop driven by ever so pleasant jangly guitars. Bringing out the band’s more country hues Alan Shields takes over both song-writing and lead singing duties on “The Other Side” in a very Jayhawks vein. I love the lead guitar runs and light keyboard touches that swathe “It Could Finally Happen.” I hear echoes of Neil Finn and his work with Crowded House throughout this song. Another guitar-charged pop beauty of a should-be single is “Ahead of My Time,” almost a Teenage Fanclub meets the Beatles mash. “Wouldn’t Know Why” also really delivers in the supremely pleasant pop tune department. Churning, chimey guitars – check. Lighter than air harmony vocals – check. Hitting replay again – check. Don’t let the title fool you, The Wireless Revolution delivers another jangle tour de force in the grand Dropkick tradition.

A month back we called Ransom and the Subset’s new single “Perfect Crime” ‘textured pop goodness’ and that judgement still stands. In fact, it can be extended to the whole of the band’s fabulous new album Perfect Crimes. These guys really know how put together a slick pop sound without sacrificing originality or nuance. Second single “Sara Kandi” showcases these strengths. It’s got a 1982 Alan Parsons Project clever sheen to it. Still, putting a name to the overall sound that defines this album is challenging. “Left Her at the Shinkansen” floats in an almost yacht rock vibe, punctuated by subtle lead guitar and pedal steel work plus a killer hook in the chorus. Stay with me here but I actually hear a lot of Rupert Holmes’ soft rock magnum opus Partners in Crime on this tune. Or perhaps the sound is more akin to the smooth poprock of Hall and Oates in their Private Eyes/H2O prime. I really do feel the pull of H&O on tracks like “Meet You Again” and “One Last Thing (Leaving).” Or check out the manicured pop precision on “Time in a Tunnel,” each element and instrument is so carefully conducted into the mix. Not that the band fails to turn up the rock from time to time. “Don’t Remember What Was Her Name,” “Should Have Said Nothing At All,” and “Fast Car” all ace that early 1980s poprock style. With Perfect Crimes Ransom and the Subset prove that perfectly polished pop songs are a thing of beauty.

On Be The Now Cliff Hillis marshals his considerable song-writing and performance talents to create a veritable poprock confectionary, something for all 1970s-inflected melodic tastes. There’s straight-up seventies AM radio soft rock (“Wanna Feel Good”) with a folkie chaser or some ELO-infused popcraft (“Motel Parking Lot”) introduced by a dose of Bacharach/Costello strings. At other points Hillis appears to be channeling Adam Schlesinger in both movie/TV (“Take Me As I Am”) and band modes (“Good Morning and Good Night”). I could really imagine Mike Viola belting out the latter tune. He even throws in some classic 1970s goof country on “Spring Forward” as well as a touching and fun tribute to folkie protest singer Dan Bern (with Bern echoing the sentiments to Hillis in a duet). But let’s get serious here – where is the hit single? Hillis rarely denies us some piece of dynamic should-be chart magic on his releases. The mellow FOW-ish “Just Drive” could be it. The sentiment is so summer car-driving playing-on your-radio. Then again “Goodbye Spider” sounds more like the jump-out-of-the-speakers uptempo hit. It’s got that killer sing-along chorus – just try not to join in. I’ve listened to Be The Now a number of times and I still don’t know what the ‘now’ is – but I want to be it.

The news cycle moves fast but I’d recommend taking it slow in reviewing these stories. You’ll want to tune into all the hooky details.

Top photo courtesy Heather David Flikr collection ‘1957 Wall-Tex scrubbable wallpaper ad.’

Around the Dial: Richie Mayer, Brent Seavers, and Rob Fetters

06 Thursday May 2021

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In this era of streaming and individual song downloads, we are told the album is dead. Or is it? Somebody clearly forgot to inform today’s featured artists. Gear up for a post full of five star quality LPs.

Richie Mayer’s experience shows on The Inn of Temporary Happiness. With a career stretching back to the late 1970s new wave scene, his new album effortlessly mixes influences from more than a half century of popular music. The record opens with the obvious single, “Dangerous Rhythm,” and it’s a winner. I love how it builds out of just voice and acoustic guitar, adding more instruments and taking unexpected melodic turns. There’s something a bit Colin Moulding in the chorus, a dash of ELO or Alan Parsons Project with the background vocals, and a heavy dollop of late Beatles guitar work in the solos. But don’t get comfortable because Mayer changes things up stylistically from track to track. There’s some folk rock (“The Inn of Temporary Happiness”), country-ish (“The Hall of Blame” ) and even music hall numbers (“How Can I Leave When I’m Already Gone”). But mostly there’s just great songwriting, in the way great 1970s and 1980s singles used to sound. The Beatles and Beach Boys figure prominently amongst the influences here, particularly “Love Will Find a Way” and “Warmth of the Sun,” though there’s a bit of a 10cc vibe on the former while the latter oozes some Hall and Oates Philly soul. “This is the Day” even has hints of Supertramp’s “Goodbye Stranger” particularly from the keyboards. I could go on – there’s not a weak track anywhere on the LP. Definitely check out the should-be single “She’s Taking It Too Well” (so many Beatle-istic touches here!) and the lovely acoustic guitar instrumental “Kat’s Guitar.” Spend some time with this record: your happiness will not be temporary.

The pandemic interrupted the recording of a new Decibels album so Brent Seavers filled the time making YouTube videos of himself covering a bevy of poprock classics (check out his fantastic cover of Marshall Crenshaw’s “You’re My Favorite Waste of Time” below) and recording a solo album. BS Stands for Brent Seavers sounds like The Decibels, not surprising, but also not like them too. The solo gig has allowed Seavers to drift a bit forward in time, from mid-1960s right up into the new millennium indie poprock scene. Obviously there some very Decibels material here, like “Out in the Rain,” “Clean Reflection,” and the jangle-heavy “All the Better.” The band’s sixties-meets-the-1980s vibe is also there on the Smithereens-ish “Flatline” and the muscled-up California pop hue all over “Running Me Down.” But I’m going to go out on a limb here to suggest the band haunting this record might actually be They Might Be Giants. That Brooklyn duo’s jocular sense of musical whimsey lurks on “Unlike Superman,” “Me and My Melancholy Face,” and most obviously on the fun sing-along “I Wrote a Song.” Seavers even sounds a bit like TMBG’s John Linnell vocally on the album opener, “Play.” On the other hand, should-be hit single “More Than a Friend” is Seaver’s own distinctive brand of melodic rocking out, with strong harmonies, and killer earworm chorus. This is another total album enjoyment collection.

I’ve been listening Rob Fetters’ new album Ship Shake on repeat for the last two weeks or so. The more I hear it, the more I like it. It’s the kind of record that grows on you, as more and more of its musical and lyrical subtleties reveal themselves. Part of the appeal is its hefty dose of positivity. “Turn This Ship Around” is an amazing slice of hooky, indie Americana but it’s also the message we need right now. Or “Not the End” highlights the little things we can do day to day to make the world just a little bit better, set to a carefree summer car-radio soundtrack. Not that all the message here is light. Fetters delves into issues of sexuality, abuse, loss and forgiveness with such a direct sincerity it’s disarming. Themes like these can get a bit preachy but he pulls it off. Ultimately Ship Shake is an album about what really matters in life: people, relationships, and what we’ve learned from our own experience. For instance, on the widely misinterpreted track “Nobody Now” Fetters sounds like he is complaining about the loss of fame and its trappings but what he’s really doing is moving beyond it. In the end, it’s the combination of this emotional depth with great tunes that will bring you back for more. Songs like “Can’t Take It Back” really capture this, showcasing Fetters’ hooky melodies and Tom Petty meets Warren Zevon vocal delivery. And let me say, the guitar playing on this record is pretty extraordinary. From the riff that kicks off the opening track, you know you are in presence of guitar god, but one that can temper technique with melody. This record is a must hear.

What did I tell you? The album is far from dead. Visit Richie Mayer, Brent Seavers, and Rob Fetters to get your living proof.

Cover Me! The Who “The Kids Are Alright”

22 Wednesday Jan 2020

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Screen Shot 2020-01-22 at 12.43.58 PMYou don’t get a much more perfect poprock song than The Who’s “The Kids Are Alright.” Crunchy guitar offset by a perfect vocal melody, backed by killer background vocals and harmonies at key points. Curiously then, the song has been both covered and not that covered since its 1965 release. A quick spin through the web-o-sphere reveals countless live versions by big name acts like Pearl Jam, pub rob darlings Eddie and Hot Rods, glammers The Glitter Band, and many many others. But studio versions don’t hit the major leagues as much. In fact, they’re far surpassed by punk and indie treatments. Personally, I find the punk ones tend to lose the sweetness of the melody by leaning on the song’s ennui. I get it – they love the rave up ‘I hate the world!’ potential. But in this post we’re going to hew to the hooky side of things.

American bands seemed to groove to The Who the earliest in the 1960s, with a decided garage and psychedelic bias (e.g. The Count Five covering two Who songs on their debut in 1966). El Paso’s The Legend cranked up a winning cover with some very groovy organ in 1968. Meanwhile Miami’s The Last Words offered a distinctive interpretation of the song in the same year, altering the melody of the chorus. Sweden gets into the act with the Lasse Lindbom Band’s 1979 more straight up poprock version. Then things take an indie/punk turn with France’s Les Calamités in 1984 but this version still manages to capture the song’s essential (and necessary) vulnerability. The last version from this early period is Pete Townshend’s own demo of the song, recorded in sixties but only released on his Another Scoop album in 1987.

The LegendThe Last WordsLasse Lindbom BandLes CalamitésPete Townshend

The new millennium has seen various acts cranking up power pop elements of the song. The normally very punky The Queers even out their sound to accent the song’s hooks. Not surprisingly, with Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs it’s all super sweet background vocals and harmonies while tempering the more combustible sonic aspects of the tune. Possibly my fave cover comes from the reliably hooky The Lolas, featured on the 2004 Who tribute album Who’s Not Forgotten. And then for something completely different, there’s Joe Goldmark’s kooky but charming country instrumental version with John McFee on pedal steel.

The QueersMatthew Sweet and Susanna HoffsThe LolasJoe Goldmark

More recently a new flurry of covers have emerged, demonstrating how this hit just keeps on coming. Both The Connection and Keith Klingensmith and the TM Collective offered up sleek candy-coated versions in 2013 while The Ravenonettes turned all shoe gaze with their cover in 2015. Just this last year Jean Caffeine put a bit of edge into her otherwise melodic treatment of the song while The Decibels hit the jangle pedal pretty hard in a more rocking rendition.

The Raveonettes

A great song is one that you can hear over and over and somehow never tire of. Not surprisingly, such tunes draw other acts to want to cover them. “The Kids Are Alright” is one of them and as you can hear above, it’s actually pretty hard to mess it up.

Brought to you by the letter D: The Demos and The Decibels

07 Tuesday Jan 2020

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Screen Shot 2020-01-07 at 12.45.09 PMToday’s duo of bands are like opposite ends of the Beatles influence circa 1966, with Rochester NY’s The Demos handling the sweet vocal harmonies and melody-driven tune-age while Sacramento California’s The Decibels grind out a bit more of the rockin’ jangle side of the equation. Both bands benefit from strong songwriting and some pretty inspired and unpredictable performances.

Screen Shot 2020-01-07 at 12.47.19 PMThe Demos debuted with a low key EP, 2008’s Your Girl Has Fun Without You. The band’s essential elements are all there in the opening track, “I Gotta Know” with its spare guitar work and layered vocals. Overall, the EP reminds me of more recent fab work from The Rallies. 2011’s full album Lovely fleshed out the band sound a bit, sounding slightly reminiscent of Farrah on tracks like “Nervous.” And check out the full on ELO vocal palate cushioning “Don’t Wake Me Up Again” – breathtaking!  2016’s Paramount Clouds EP takes things in more Rooney-ish direction, particularly with the keyboard focus on “I Don’t Mind.” Personally, I think the 2018 If You Only Knew EP may just be The Demos strongest outing, representing another slight departure style-wise changing up the keyboard and vocal delivery. Should-be hit singles “Make It Better” and “If You Only Knew” vibe a host great bands like Guster or Sunday Sun without losing any of their own originality. The spooky background vocals on “Make It Better” alone are worth the price of admission! The EP also features a nice reinterpretation of the previously released “Nervous.” Oh for the days when a ferry could taxi me over Lake Ontario to see this band.

I Gotta KnowMake It Better

Screen Shot 2020-01-07 at 12.48.39 PMThe story of The Decibels is like a script right out of indie rock and roll Hollywood. Promising band release a handful of great records to critical acclaim but poor sales. They break up. Then they’re brought back together for a one-off show and fan demand pushes them to reunite but, alas, poor health stalls the comeback. But somehow, years later, the band returns with new material and new lease on rock and roll life! The Decibels roared back into action in 2019 with not one but two new records, both critically acclaimed. Big Hits (plus twelve more!) was a rehearsal session of the band’s live act (focusing on cover tunes), originally taped to help them prepare to record new original material. But the record company liked the sound so much they insisted on releasing it. It was so the right decision. Compared to their other 2019 long-player, the feel of Big Hits (plus twelve more!) is a bit edgier, with a punky live vibe. It’s amazing to hear how they bring new life to songs like “Pictures of Matchstick Men” by picking up tempo (frankly, I found the original Status Quo version a bit plodding). The album is full of highlights like the glorious “Sometime in the Morning,” the melodically rocking “Ship Went Down” and “There’s a Place,” the vocally clever “Try and Stop Me” and the very 1979 stripped-down new wave sound of “Cover Girl.”

Screen Shot 2020-01-07 at 12.49.30 PMOf course, none of this is meant to suggest that their other 2019 release, Scene, Not Herd, is anything less than stupendous. The album is brimming with radio-ready should-be hits like “Hey Emily,” “I Need to Tell Her” and “Misery.” The renewed band sometime come off like a more indie version of The Wonders, the fictional group from the film That Thing You Do. At other times you could be forgiven for thinking The Plimsouls had got back together on tracks like “The Only Reason Left” and “Thinking About You.” And here’s a bonus if you just discovered The Decibels – there’s a pretty special back catalogue awaiting your attention! For instance, the band’s 1997 debut Create Action is a janglicious mix of 1960s-meets-1990s swinging tunes. Check out “Change,” “Something Good to Go By” and “Can’t Play Tag Alone,” the latter sounding like a compressed greatest hit of the 1966 mod rock and roll sound.

I don’t know what Sesame Street was on about but as the letter D has no money it clearly cannot be the real sponsor of today’s post. That, dear reader, is left to you, via your dutiful patronage of these fine artists. Visit The Demos and The Decibels to help sponsor ever more quality poprock programming.