Listening To This Week Playlist 29 December

 

The festive season and not doing Christmas songs catches up with us a bit this week. However, these 16 songs offer up something as great as ever. Absolute Quality! Cotton Mather fans will be delighted with the return of the opener. 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 the artists who appear here. 

Future Clouds And Radar - The Man Who Would Be King

Amateur Ornithologist - Winter Sun

The Projectors - Foreign Affairs

Heavy Sweater - I Heard

Alex Pester - Pearl And Dean

Super Cassette - A Man Was Never One

Plastic Manmade Sunshine Machine - Green Children Of  Woolpit

Supramundane - The Stars Are Very Bright

Tom Minor - Change It!

Tom Minor · Change It!

Somehow Sentient - A Certain Level

Joseph Nagle - Remember As You Say Goodbye

The Simpletons - When Will You Reply To Me?

Lighten Up, Francis - Sell The Smoke

The Eternal Lights - Maybe I'm Naïve

Erratix - Keepin' On Top

Keyton - Lucid Dream

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Sykofant - Red Sun

 

I covered Oslo's Sykofant after its 2024 release and it sort of reignited my faith in human nature. We are, essentially a place for Pop Rock and Indie, yet many of you know that away from here I am a massive Prog fan and this is proper Prog, not a plastic version of this.

The reaction from listeners was brilliant, it became a really popular review, hitting our 10 most popular for the next few months. I hoped you might like it and knew how many of you are Custard Flux fans and it warmed my heart to read the messages. A big plus for our diversions. That review is here.

The band are back with an EP, I call it an EP, but the three songs add up to almost 23 minutes, as long as some Power Pop albums that I receive. The good news is that is every bit as good as the self titled album, it may be even better.

The quartet master the genre without ever seeming retro. The title track is the most melodic, almost Neo Prog and close to Pop Rock at times. It underlines how in control of what they do. If this were the 70s, the label wouldn't be able to keep up with demand.

Ashes is very early 70s Pink Floyd, Embers is heavier, killer chunk riffs yet still manages to find Alex Lifeson's early Rush like melody interludes, a mind blowing listen. The longest track on display. Red Sun is an incredible listen explaining why I love the genre so much.

You can listen to and buy Red Sun here.

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The Finest Hour - Things We Said When We Were Younger

 

From Cleethorpes on the English East Coast, here are to wish you a melodic Pop Rock Christmas. Vocalist  Paul Kavanagh has a vocal that suits the genre really well and the three guitarists light up Guitarist, Rob Bywater's songs.

The sound is really big, beautifully arranged and produced bringing out the benefit of those three six stringers. Built on big riffs, hooks and killer choruses, you find yourself standing back and revelling in the melody, yet also allowing yourself to sing along, even shake your fist.

Although Pop Rock is a catch all genre, the band aren't afraid to step out. Brighter Day is fine 70s Classic Rock with a cracking Drum stomp and I defy you to not join in on the chorus. Everything & Nothing has big hints of Pop Punk.

Tired Eyes gets all Country instrumentally whilst Reality goes more 90s Rock although the Guitar Riff is more Lynyrd Skynyrd. Medicine is top notch Power Pop. Kavanagh even adds a song and Doubt is a big Brit Pop anthem.

Candle Wax visits Jangle Pop mixing it with 80s AOR and the opening title track starts things off splendidly, a sort of summary of all that the band can do and adding a Killer Riff. Extraordinary Guitar work on a song that gets a little rocked up Runrig at times. 

Things We Said When We Were Younger is a statement of the joy of the Electric Guitar. Cracking songs that get you moving and singing. There used to be a lot of these type of albums, sadly this seems to be an outlier, a wonderful one. A storming listen.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Dead Billionaires - More EP

 

We loved the Dead Billionaires album, Disaster Preparedness Colouring Book. So much so that it was well placed in our Best 100 Albums Of 2023. The Richmond, Virginia Power Trio are back with a new EP. More Indie Rock with a social conscience and these 4 songs are top notch.

They call themselves Ramshackle and they are, but I wish more bands were if this is what they come up. They are a locked in threesome and certainly Guitar led. At times, they are a little Green Day, but remind me more of Tsar.

They are no heads down band, direction changes match the killer riffs and they certainly know how to offer up a catch all chorus. Slowly Shifting Change is 100mph and completely grips you. Dead Billionaires, the song, is much slower and mighty close to Power Pop another memorable chorus.

Hopes And Dreams is classic Indie Rock, a little AOR, a little Emo and lyrically adept. It would make a great single. Busted Sideview Mirror is exactly what Pop Punk should be with not a robotic talky vocal in sight. I love what this lot come up with. Catchy, yet hypnotic.

You can listen to and buy the EP here. 

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Chill Still - We're Famous EP

 

Welcome to something wonderful. Chill Still are from Los Angeles, but sound much more Brit. At times, a little like Kim Wilde fronting a cracking C86 Guitar Pop band. It does sound very Indie Glasgow in the second half of the 80s.

Vocalist, CB Yevoli has a great range and a voice that suits this type of material wonderfully well. The arrangements are spot on, melodically top notch and the riffs are stunning. A little jangled as you might expect from my description.

As well as Yevoli's impressive pipes, credit too to a locked in rhythm section and the Guitar sound reminds me of being 21 again, perfect in every way. I can't recommend the splendid riffs highly enough and they round off a really impressive debut.

The mix of synth and Jangle that makes up Clothes That You Don't Wear is top notch as is the killer chorus. But my personal favourite is the short, but incredibly sweet, Death By Palm Tree with that awesome riff and the vocals at their most Kim Wilde. I can't wait to hear more in the future.

You can listen to and buy the EP here.

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Static In Verona - Altered State Lines (Bandcamp Name Your Price)

 

We've followed Rob Merz's Static In Verona adventures from the beginning. The Chicago musician initially started off with Guitar Pop excellence, but has since developed his sound into much more of a soundscape.

The sound now is enormous and all encompassing. Still Power Pop underneath, but the arrangements are not just bigger, but cross different genres. 2022's Maybe Mayhem was reviewed here and featured in our Best 100 Albums Of The Year.

The Power Pop blossoms in the stripped down sound of Camera, but that is brilliantly counter balanced by the likes of Flood, a song that drifts more towards Modern Prog.Idle Eyes again shows of the pop sensibilities, jaunty with a big chorus, but adding surprise steel Guitar.

Big Giant instrumentally is a little 90s Rock, but the gentle vocal more Lightning Seeds and the big Drum sound works really well. Demons is heavier sounding Rock with a massive chorus. Fearful is a little 80s Rock, but another wonderfully arranged song, a little AOR.

There is great variety on display on a splendidly performed and arranged album. I have to admit a real fondness for the vast sounding songs, none more so than the title track.Static In Verona albums are always at Name Your Price, that shouldn't be seen as a lesser quality impression, more of an encouragement to sample and buy. You will not be disappointed.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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The Lilac Time - The Lilac Time LIVE

 

This year has seen a revival of favourites from our Anything Should Happen days. Artists that we would never have thought would appear on here with us all being about the new. None were more special than Stephen Duffy and The Lilac Time.

Initially, new listeners thought only of the Tin Tin days, we sort of educated them to the magnificence of the back catalogue and that may be an understated description. Never a duff album or song, we never thought there would be a Live album release. We contented ourselves with what was in the Bootleg cupboard.

So with Duffy uncovering this recording, 17 years later, is a revelation. Often thought of as a studio band, this splendid sounding show reveals that The Lilac Time where much much more than that. The show breathes new life into favourites.

Recorded at the Griffin Theatre in Hereford, days before their appearance at The Green Man Festival in 2007. These 10 songs show more of an Americana side to songs that are originally glorious Pastoral Pop. It may sound corny to say that it is a beautiful listen, but it is.

Intelligent Indie has always been our bag. Duffy deserves far greater recognition as so many of his type do. Beloved by those who know, a community that forever wants to spread the word. A lyrical and studio genius that writes and performs masterful songs.

We rarely cover Live albums, but this is essential. Members from across the band's wonderful history are present to exude the warmth and gentleness treatment of the songs. Special mention too to Pete Paphides whose Needle Mythology label continue to bring excellent forgotten gems to delight newcomers ears. I sit here excitedly awaiting next year's Care release in February.

You can listen to the album here. This is an album that deserves to be heard on physical media, shown off to friends for years to come who will admire your taste. It is available on Vinyl and CD from all good Record Shops (and online).

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