The Junior League - The Moon Neither Noticed Or Ignored

 

I've been a fan of The Junior League for what seems forever, first as a listener, then as a writer. Joe Adragna has always been present particularly on the solo efforts of Anything Should Happen and then here. The guest appearances here, reveal the love that other musicians have for him.

Jay Ferguson and Scott Sutherland make guest appearances and JJ Murphy co -writes and plays on three of the songs. 20 years on, Adragna is as interesting now as he ever has been. The variety and ease of style and genre switching is totally admirable.

He is equally at ease with something like the straight ahead Petty-esque Rock of Matter Of Time, yet can come up with something as massive as Forget Me Forget Me Nots which builds and builds with a magnificent string arrangement courtesy of Michael Giblin.

Just As Long As I Have You feels very Country Rock, but as a wonderful Jangle to it, particularly on the solo. Waiting For You mixes Classic Rock with something that would be at home on Stiff Records. I Am Gonna Fight is built around a killer Taxman bassline with a great Psych Pop solo.

I Hate To Break It To You is surprisingly heavy, moody. very Psych and right up my street. It may be the best thing that Adragna has ever come up with. Power Pop lovers will adore Sunset Park. The Junior League never come up with the ordinary, this album is as great as Day 1, 20 years ago, perhaps even better.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available as a CD on the Kool Kat label here.

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Legs On Wheels - Gobble

 

I loved Legs On Wheels 2023 debut album L E G R O O M (Review here) and the follow up here is absolutely magnificent. The Manchester quartet are in peak power mode. Essentially melodic Prog with some wonderful changes of direction, but also much more.

There are journeys into Pop Rock, Art Rock, Psych Pop and much more. My constant banging on about Prog being a myriad of things, not just something to sniff at. If you pick the right band who want to write songs, not just show how well they can play their instruments, there is satisfaction guaranteed.

Gobble is an absolute masterpiece. It can remind you of other bands, but also be incredibly original and inventive. I marvel at the Angular, but when it is done here, it breaks into something massive sounding. Oysters On The Half Shelf sets the scene and even has a David Byrne like vocal.

The Prog excellence is throughout, but most so on the closer, Masteroid, which mixes Jazz Rock and Pop Rock with Proper Prog. yet A P E S develops into something near to Psych Pop and Glam Rock. Winner Winner could even be Intelligent Indie.

Peekaboo is a fantastic Pop song, even sounding a little Gabriel. Then there is the exact opposite with the intro Noise Rock of Dinnertime For Rat that becomes an ace slab of Angular Rock. But it is the Prog that engages me most.

Never repetitive, equally at home with old school or setting their own path. The Time Signature changes surprise you as much as the instrumentation. This is 45 minutes that will change your musical perceptions if you just let it.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl, CD and as a download.

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Derek Smith And The Cosmic Vultures - Temporary Circus Act 1 EP

I'm always delighted when a Listen To This Week Playlist submission leads me into a whole new world. I spend hours and hours seeking new music under my own steam and get a lot sent in unrequested, but there is just a great feeling when LTTW brings something more than just a playlist addition.

So it was with Boston quartet, Derek Smith And The Cosmic Vultures. Having added Hollow Choir to a recent playlist, I went back and discovered the two Temporary Circus EPs. I did think about reviewing both together, but it gets confusing for people when I've done that before, so I've gone with reviewing the first and hoping you lot go and listen to Act 2 too.

Indeed, even though the EPs are separated by months, there is a real argument for merging both together as an album, you listening Ray at Kool Kat?. There is a myriad of styles on display. I suppose the best label is Pop Rock merging late 60s with 70s Pop Rock, but that is maybe a bit too simplistic.

The whole EP is wonderfully put together soundscape that isn't afraid to tread wherever it wants to. There are hints of Americana, Funk and gentle Psych Pop within. At times a song is Piano Pop or Harmony led, at others, more Acoustic, gentle, yet enthralling.

Things may take contain a punchy social message or simply be a love song, both work. The smooth joy of Indie Darling and the not a million miles away from prime time 10CC title track are both winners. The Puppets Of Hypocrisy is punchy and lyrical adept. 

Strange Life edges towards Baroque Pop, Some Girls to Piano Pop. The whole thing is a corking listen. Beautifully arranged and produced. What a fine discovery these four are. Be sure to head over to Bandcamp and listen to Act 2 and the back catalogue.

You can listen to and buy the EP here. 

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Sadlands - Try To Have A Little Fun

 

I missed the original release late last year, but Wiretap Records have gotten hold of it and released it a couple of weeks ago and it does seem a natural fit for them. This is a really fun listen that at times is 100mph, but can cover all bases.

Brooklyn's Sadlands have all the genres covered. A little Punky, but equally adept at Guitar Pop. Sometimes the former reminds me of the early days of The Go-Go's, yes I am that old,. Running Out could even be the more modern version or even The Bangles.

But is the spikier stuff when the band delight the most. a quartet split 50/50 gender wise, but unusually, the ladies handle vocals and guitar, whilst the gents provide a killer rhythm section that drives, but equally at home with less pace. In those times, I'm reminded of bands like The Beths.

Wrong Idea is a great opener, rocking your socks off and adding a killer riff, yet the closer is the exact opposite. Chaos is beautifully sung, a rare ballad that is a relegation that picks up around another killer riff. 

There was a time when we were accused of being a boys club, which I defended vigorously. That was because all that we were hearing was breathy, almost silent, vocals or shouty angry deafening noise. But then again albums like this were not around then.

I'm reminded a lot here of Fortitude Valley, a band with an album that just missed our top spot in the Best 100 Albums Of 2025. The awesome Power Pop of Bad Idea is one of the best things that you will hear all year and Try To Have A Little Fun is a corking listen.

You can listen to and buy the album here. You can buy the Vinyl here.

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Listening To This Week Playlist 9 March

 

  

First up! What do you think of our new LTTW Logo courtesy of The Collective? Plus this week, we have a great complement as nineplanfailed have provided us with a special Anything Should Happen mix. Not only that! We have the return of Allen Clapp of The Orange Peels and Gary Klebe of Shoes. All this amongst 30 of the finest new songs around.

The weekly playlist is largely for submissions, not just the usual stuff that we dig out ourselves. The song order is not about song preference, but how the playlist flows.  All embeds open in new windows to aid scrolling. Links to the artists will also appear on I Don't Hear A Single Social Media sites over the next 24 hours. This will help you to discover more about those who appear here. 

nineplanfailed - Past The Sun (Anything Should Happen Mix)

Late Cambrian - How I Bleed

Cape Crush - Place Memory

The Suncharms - Motorway Bridge

The Petrov Affair - The Ballet

St. John Electric - Laughing Gull

Kingcaid - Drop That Man

Quiet As A Mouse - Miss Melody

Quiet as a Mouse · QUIET AS A MOUSE - Miss Melody

Silver Heir - A Few Words

Brown Horse - Sorrow Reigns

Peppermint Moon - Could You Walk Away?

The Projectors - Vices

Tom Minor- Expanding Universe

Legs On Wheels - Oysters On The Half Shell

Ryan Allen - This Ugly

Single Audio Channel - Don't Give Up On Yourself

Single Audio Channel · Don't Give Up On Yourself

Sloan Brothers - F33.2

the black watch - Living Backwards

Kewl Haze - Double Black Diamond

David Brookings And The Average Lookings - Time Bomb

Plasticine - Stay Awake  

Matthew Heller - Let's Go

The Yum Yum Tree - My Corner

Gary Klebe - Not Tough Enough

The Maureens - Me And My Friend

Sydney Riley - Hear No More

Plastic Manmade Sunshine Machine - Am I Talking?

The Tiki Idols - Stillwell And Surf

B.E.M. - How Did They Choose?

Green Seagull - They're Coming For You Barbara

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The Projectors - Modern Fiction

 

I am absolutely delighted to tell you that The Projectors are back. The Canadian five piece caught me by surprise in 2023 when their debut album reached my ears. It was beloved on here and appeared in our Best 100 Albums Of 2023. You can read my review here.

The follow up is every bit as good, if not better, this is Indie tinted Power Pop at its very best. At times that great influx of bands that came through so long ago, such as The Futureheads and Field Music. There's even a little Strokes feel vocally, but the songs are much bigger sounding and far less repetitive.

They are wonderfully angular, but the rhythm section and the twin Guitars don't allow them to be as basic as that type of stuff can be. The sound is massive and that allows the riffs to hit home and completely grip you. This is full of killer choruses throughout.

To think that I was concerned that they could never hit the heights of that self titled debut. How stupid was I? These 9 songs are totally celebratory and anthemic at times. A little less Pop Rock than the debut, but much more upfront. A little more UK New Wave maybe.

You'll be singing out the choruses loudly. I deliberately haven't mentioned the songs so that you go and listen to the whole thing. I know you'll love it. Wonderfully performed, arranged and produced, Modern Fiction is Album Of The Year Material. I've picked my favourite three songs today, but that will probably change tomorrow.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It cries out for a Physical release.

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The Suncharms - Darkening Sky

 

Sheffield's The Suncharms are back with their third album in five years. This time on Illinois's excellent Sunday Records label. You can read our review of their last album, 2023's Things Lost here. You can imagine Darrin Lee locking them in his Subjangle under the stairs cupboard.

They are a great Indie Rock band that touches Dream Pop, Jangle Pop, C86, Shoegaze, 80s Guitar Pop and more. They are lovingly laidback without ever ever being boring. The songs just completely drag you into blissful joy.

I mentioned in the previous review that they were previously looked upon as a darker Teenage Fanclub, well there is nothing dark about Darkening Sky. These are life affirming vibes, allowing you to think of nothing else but listening.

The songs are also performed differently to what you might expect. The riffs are mesmerising, often Jangling, but the backbeat at times feels more Power Pop. The default is Guitar led Dream Pop, but when they branch out, watch them go.

I've concentrated on the two heavier songs for the embeds, because they both show a different side to the band and are also amazing. Motorway Bridge is amazing, very dark, almost Bowie in Berlin production wise, yet slightly fuzzy Noise Rock.

1000 Years will get compared to noisier early Teenage Fanclub, but who cares when they do it so well? It is an absolute tour de force. I urge all to get into the album to both brighten your day and marvel at those two songs. This is an album that is absolutely outstanding.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl, CD and as a download.

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