Young Scum - Lighter Blue

 

I am not the expert of Jangle Pop and Indie Pop, that title belongs to my great friend Darrin lee and his essential Janglepophub. If it Jangles, he will tell you if it is the Bees Knees. Having said that, I think many of my peers will agree that Young Scum's 2018 self titled debut album was a wonderful example of both genres.

The obvious question is why it has taken so long for the Richmond, Virginia quartet to follow it up. I don't know the answer to that, but I do know that Lighter Blue is a corking second album. It takes what is great about that debut and ventures a little further.

At its heart, it is still 80s sounding Jangle Pop, very C86, almost Glasgow, beautifully arranged, performed and arranged. Gentle to the extreme with winsome vocals, memorable choruses and gentle meandering jangled riffs.

There are also surprises. Didn't Mean To for instance has a great double vocal and starts all tame and beautiful before slipping into something much pacier and See It Through rocks out more than expected and Wrong gets close to The Supernaturals or The Housemartins and Jangles like a good 'un.

Away is another pacier song with a killer riff. in fact a killer song. But special mention goes to Velvet Crush, a song title that betrays some influence and adds a meandering solo that is very close to Everything Flows. Lighter Blue is as Jangly and Melodic as you would expect, but adds more than you might expect.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl from Pretty Olivia Records here. American Vinyl orders will be sent from Portland to allow cheaper shipping costs.

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Ways In Waves - Matters To Ash

 

This is essentially an Indie site, but quite a few of you know of my love of Prog and where I think it is appropriate and may fit here, I add it in here. Edmonton, Alberta's Ways In Waves are essentially a one man Project with the aid of Drummer, Joel Jescke and some great Backing Vocalists.

That one man is Brian Raine and what a musical virtuoso he is. At its heart, the album is Modern Prog, Neo Prog maybe and it is very melodic at times and sounds as close as I've heard to my beloved, The Mommyheads.

Raine's vocals is very close to Mommyheads land as are some of the arrangements, particularly the more poppy and angular moments. That vocal can also sound a little like a mellow Jon Anderson. This is most relevant when Matters To Ash gets more Classic Prog.

That Classic Prog adventures are spot on, time signature and changes of direction, but the album can also be incredibly mellow on songs such as Enough Of Nothing. Raine can also do Electronic when he gets close to the likes of 80s stalwarts such as a deeper Howard Jones.

The closer, Love Enough, is part Pop Rock, part Eastern, completely out of context with what has gone before and adds great Sax from John Sweenie. But it is Who In War that best encompasses all the strengths of Ways In Waves when Raine is at his most melodic.

You can listen to and buy the album here. You can find out more about Ways In Waves here.

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No Parking For Caravans - Say Hello EP

 

A quick detour to a 3 Track EP, but what a great EP it is. No Parking For Caravans are a loose collective of Songwriters and Musicians with a great band name from Beverley in Yorkshire. Currently, a trio, these three songs reveal a surprising variety across the release.

Say Hello is great 80s Indie Guitar Pop, the type that we love. Last Train To The Coast is a bigger arrangement, piano led 70s Pop Rock. Then there is magnificent No Accident with its incredible mix of styles.

That closing track starts all Psych Pop, but takes in Shoegaze, Baggy and even Brit Pop. The Bassline is absolutely hypnotic. The whole EP reveals a variety that promises much more. A visit to their Bandcamp site will provide you with other singles from their recording debut in 2018.

Indeed, their debut album from 2019, Where The Fire Escape Touches The Ground, is available at Name Your Price currently. This lot are a collective that certainly deserves your attention and ears. I will be adding a track to the next Listening To This Week.

You can listen to and buy the EP here.

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The Bad Ups - Life Of Sin

 

There was a post on a Power Pop Facebook Group that suggested that Power Pop fans don't like Pop Punk. That may be true of the dismal old timers who want to gatekeep that genre with all sorts of don't do this, do that rules. Thankfully there are fewer of that breed these days.

Pop Punk is so close to a more aggressive Power Pop when you weed out the robotic vocal stuff. Listen to The Bad Ups and tell me this doesn't get close to Power Pop, particularly the new breed of bands that are livening up the genre splendidly.

The Philadelphia quartet have fashioned up a crackerjack album with a twin Guitar attack that is a storming listen. They come with a Punk or Pop Punk reputation, but Life Of Sin is far more Power Pop than that, rocked up to the limit, but wonderfully refreshing.

There's even nods to Indie Rock, Garage Rock and of course Pop Punk. There's also a nod to lead singer Travis McKayle's Jamaican roots with a little Ska on Lowes, guitars up to hilt of course. The album is really melodic and delivered at pace, but it is full of riffs.

There's even a surprise Acoustic closer in NTB which almost drifts towards Americana, completely out of kilter with the 10 songs that precede it which rarely come up for air. The Bad Ups follow the fine tenet in saying what you want to say and getting off. No boring extended songs are present here.

Better Than You reveals their Pop sensibilities as proven on the latest Listening To This Week. With a killer Rhythm Section (Chris Slaughter's drums get very Motorhead's Phil Taylor at times) and a magnetic front man, this is an album that gets you singing along and shaking your fist.

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

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The Rare Occasions - Through Moonshot Eyes

 

I'm not one for predictions, but I will get on my soapbox and say that The Rare Occasions are going to be massive. They are already on their way as the followers show and that grows and grows with the reaction to their current Tour.

I listen a lot to the new arrivals in Indie Rock and although I am delighted about the return of the Guitar band only a few years after being told that the instrument was dead. Yet so much of it is mediocre, if that, the next band sounding the same as the last one. So many seem to want to be Oasis and although they are gonna tour again, that time is approaching 3 decades ago. 

These three are the real deal. It isn't exactly my Future Of Rock And Roll moment, anyway the trio leans far more towards Pop. The trio hail from New England, now reside in Los Angeles and sound so Brit. They have a mastery of Guitar Pop that covers everything from the Glasgow Bands to Brit Pop to now.

Everything is just so great sounding. Great variance, a big sound, a maturity beyond their years and an ability to come at songs from different angles, yet be so dynamic and melodic. The opener, Mr Bubbles, could be a great lost Brit Pop song, but Brit Pop just appears in glances thereafter.

They also have that knack of turning songs on their heads by changing tack part way through a song, the almost Space Rock of Hummingbird being a fine example. Bury The Knife could be Franz Ferdinand and Black Ballons could be a less pompous version of The Killers.

Darling, The Planets is the song that introduced us to The Rare Occasions with its ace angular feel. Through Moonlight Eyes is the best debut album that I've heard in a long time. Follow the link and see if you think I'm right. Just remember my words in 2026!

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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The Nature Strip - Domesticated Beast

 

I suppose that for all our adventures around Indie and more, if we had a centre point, it would be intelligent melodic Guitar led Pop. Bands that are not of the lyrically banal, magpie, riff gathering persuasion. Here's a fine example of what I mean.

The Sydney quartet master the catchy with bigger than expected arrangements and gentle-ish vocals, but wrap surprisingly adept lyrics around instrumental excellence. If the past few years have been dominated by great Canadian albums, this year feels like the resurgence of Australia. 

Australia used to more than hold its own Power Pop wise, but it seemed to be overtaken by a mixture of Blues Rock and melodic Indie Pop. Add into that passive Psych and Prog, too many bands wanting to be King Gizzard. Vocalists seemed to want to be Jimmy Barnes or Neil Finn. Now the fightback is on.

You've already heard Wavelength on Listening To The Week and that is one of the singles of the year. The Nature Strip's fourth album adds 11 more songs and what songs they are! The variety on display is both delightful and a little jaw dropping at times.

You get Brass laden Summer Pop with Prime Time and even more Brass on the smooth 80s sounding Surgery. Sixth Sense is great 60s UK Beat Pop whilst Signature Move is more 70s Pop Rock and The Big Chorus gets close to Yacht Rock.

Baby Beast is all Psych Pop and there really should be more Mouth Organ in Indie Rock. Monday (Roll The Dice Forever) could easily be on an 80s Teen Movie Soundtrack and this lot can Rock testified by the superb opener, I Cannot Deny You which Jangles like a good 'un.

Both Wavelength and Prime Time even encroach into more recent Andy Partridge territory which is no bad thing. Domesticated Beast is an absolute belter of an album. An explanation at joyful Pop can be and how it can change the weariest of minds into something far more positive.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Listening To This Week Playlist

A nice unrounded number of 31 songs this week. Another crackerjack selection. Feels a bit Guitar Pop this week, but there are major exceptions. 

I do hope that you can listen to all the songs across this week. The last listed is as great as the first and you have plenty of time to listen. This weekly playlist is solely for submissions, not the usual stuff that we dig out ourselves. 

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 the artists who appear here. 

The Low Sixes - Turn On The Night

Sharp Class - Lights Out

Benny P - Some Days

The Bad Ups - Better Than You

The Successful Failures - Future Employers

The Meanies - Zamboni

Lawrence J-P - Walking But We've Got Our Bikes

Pullstring - Deadline

Creem Circus - Playgirl

Grand Belmont - Lie To Yourself

Who Saved Who - Pictures Have Sound

Hazel Terrace - Revelation

Andrew Gabbard - Magic Taxi

Grizzly Coast - Two Balloons

The Convertibles - Last October

Jonny And The Fellow Revellers - I Hope We Make It

Soft On Crime - Way Facing

Lost Henry - Fox & Goose

Current Swell - Peacekeeper

Michael Younker - Heart Control

Adulting - Sprung Leaks

7 Door Sedan - Juniper

Novelistme - Stop Think Conspiracy

The Backfires - Release It All

Ram Vela & The Easy Targets - Life Is Rigged

Jim Bell with Koach Mike - Stage Fright

Zerobridge - Refugee Citizen

Samuel Manning - All That's Forsaken Is Fading Away

Plastic Valley - Joshua Tree

Polyfillas - Own Youth Movement

Andy Martin - Exactly Where I'm Supposed To Be

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