Classic Traffic - Real Music

 

I've had this album for a while and have been waiting for it to appear on Bandcamp to be able to embed some songs and direct you to listen to the whole album and hopefully buy it. Now it has and it is a fantastic listen. You can read my review of 2024's Turn It Up here.

The New Jersey trio describe themselves as living somewhere between Thin Lizzy and Teenage Fanclub, but my ears have them closer to Cheap Trick except for the two mellower songs. I do see a lot of bands compared to Da Trick, most are nothing like this, these three are.

A lot of Power Pop fans like Cheap Trick even thought they aren't really of the genre. It is usually labelled Pop Rock and this is that, but the rhythm section of but Bass Player, Dogmeat and Drummer, Dante Fotino, provide a Power Pop beat. Fotino also adds the lyrics.

Andy Altodino is vocalist, a ringer from Robin Zander and Guitarist. It is the Guitar that grabs you most, big riffs and solos to match the killer choruses. Those solos probably deserve the Thin Lizzy comparisons, but also remind me of the likes of The Darkness.

The opener, My Rage, gets you right into the mood for what is to come, a real singalong, foot tapping and at times fist pumping. Ghost's Host does get a little Teenage Fanclub instrumentally, but then bursts out with an anthemic solo. 

Yet There With You is very close to Power Pop and Wanna Wish is much nearer Classic Rock. Sorry Songs closes the album with an incendiary Guitar solo. Real Music is a storming listen, proper Pop Rock and a joy that you want to put on again straight after it closes.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl and as a download. The band's Bandcamp site is here for their back catalogue.

..................

Listening To This Week Playlist 2 November

The first of five Playlists this month. Another great listen with the maximum 30 Songs. Great Guitar Pop, with some fine surprises and a closer that deviates from the norm.

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 later today. This will help you to discover more about those who appear here. 

2nd Grade - Cellophone Girls

Exploding Flowers - Flowers Under Cracked Cement

Joy Cleaner - Seven And Seven

Electric Pets - Glam!

Dear Darcy - Halo

Dear Darcy · Halo

The Slow Death - You're Not Coming Back

Hamlet - Columns

The Response - Keep Calm And Carry On

Pseud - Dressed To Kill

Egil Gustafsson - Hey, Mister Stumble

Egil · Hey, Mister Stumble

The Dim - Pay Day

Or Best Offer - Fast Strong Horse

The Plastic Pals - Keep An Eye On The Door

devices - Ideas Laid Out Like A Pattern To Follow

Trinket - If Not Soon Then Now

Brian Noyes - Colours Of Everything

Imperial Teen - Hands All Up

Soup Activists - Johnny

Starcleaner Reunion - Maschine Mock Up

Any Version Of Me - Until We Meet Again

Orange Farm - Affectionate Friction

Kramies - We're All Dead

Lisa Pedace - Panda Drummer

Lisa Pedace · Lisa Pedace - Panda Drummer

Ghost Party - Big Riff (du du duu du du du du du du du du)

Tooth Gore - Boxes

The Embrooks - Dear Ebenezer

Ape Hangers - Miss You Girl

fervid - Hot Mercedes

Ted Bunny - Out For Blood

Adam Giles Levy - Dopamine

........................

Welcome To November

 

Hope you are all catching up with October's extended 31 Reviews In 31 Days. November is more of the same as there are still plenty of albums to write up. It is also a month of 5 Listening To This Week Playlists. We are getting close to the 100 Best Of 2026 albums at the end of December and then the exciting things planned for January.

.................

Spygenius - Rhizomania

 

I am a writer, people tell me I'm a decent one, but I wish I could write as well as Peter Watts. His lyrics are inspired taking lyrical adeptness to higher levels. He has depth, a wonderful turn of phrase and a biting wit, he sees things that others see, but describes them at a higher level

A song like the vaudeville My Toxic Pal is 7 seconds short of a minute, but sums everything that I personally feel at this particular time. He also is the prime vocalist and guitarist. But this album is not just about Watts.

The album is totally a collaboration, all sing and the arrangements are stellar. They've not forgotten what they are good at, but this album takes them miles further. Previously known as a Psych Pop band, there isn't that much Psych Pop here. It is more Guitar Pop or Pop Rock.

I've had the chance to listen to the album many many times and at first you fall for the wit and the arrangements, particularly the choruses, but as you listen to it more, there are different songs that grab you and I want to mention my two current favourites are the closing two songs.

Different to the ones that precede them, they show off the band's skills to even greater extent. Beachcomber is the longest song and the most straight ahead, but it is totally engaging, there is a build, but not much of one. You hear flute, a little Baroque and mellotron, but the song doesn't want to deviate from what it is and nor should it.

Tre-Biwt is Welsh, Button in English. Ruth Rogers, bass player extroadanaire is Welsh and takes lead vocal on the song. It is superb Indie Pop with accompanying Brass and great harmony vocals. It is a complete surprise and spending listen.

Elsewhere, the delights are many. Watch Like Not One Is Dancing would be the ideal single and But Is It Powerpop takes the mick out of longstanding Power Pop group jokes and arrangements. Canute is great 60s Beat Pop, a little R and B with some top notch Farfisa.

Mr Blue Sky Thinking Blues has a really hilarious deep lyrical message, but is jaunty, full of vocal harmonies, barrel piano and Banjo. Horizon Shine has a real 60s Trippy message, opened by a sort of I Can't Let Maggie Go and has Pastoral Pop Psych vibes.

Alone Again, Orwell hints to their Psych Pop past. I know writers often state that this a band's best album ever, only for it to be thrown to history soon after. This probably is and certainly shows how much the quartet have progressed through 9 albums. Magnificent.

You can listen to and buy the album here. The CD can be bought from Canute Records here.

..................

Softjaw - Love Can't Kill You

 

I wanted to save two albums to close the latest 31 in 31. I've had both for a while, but the testament to both albums is that I'm still hearing new things as I listen to them again today. Both are so good, that followers have asked when they are going to be reviewed.

I'm sure Softjaw will have been reviewed gloriously elsewhere, but I have deliberately avoided all to form my own take on what will be up there in the Best Of 2026. Although technically their second album, the first was gathered as a sort of best of what had been around in one place. 

At its heart, Love Can't Kill You is a 60s album, not throughout, but certainly half of it. A wonderful 60s affair that takes in Merseybeat and dare I say it, the early Beatles albums. I do dread saying that because I get so much sent to me that notes it as Beatles and it isn't fit to wipe their shoes. These songs do though, not copyist, they stand up in their own right.

But a couple of songs get extremely close to prime time Cheap Trick. These being You May Be Right and the magnificent Flying High. There's also 70s UK Glam Rock with You Won't See Me Cry and I Know You Do, but mirror brilliant 7 inch singles from that age.

My heart is also melted by the glorious Psych Pop of Million Different People. All 12 songs are beautifully constructed. Beautifully produced and arranged. Riffs and harmonies everywhere and where one is needed, a killer Guitar solo.

It is the vocal arrangements that are most effective, particularly on the big choruses. I could have embedded any of the songs, but have chosen three to show the variety. As well as being a possible Album Of The Year, a special round of applause should go to Dandy Boy Records, which should definitely be the label of the year.

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

..................

Exploding Flowers - Alphabet Window

 

There's a really lovely piece from Niek in his review of the Exploding Flowers album on Add To Want List that notes what Indie writers are about and he is absolutely right. His review is great too and Alphabet Window is a cracker of an album.

This is wonderful gentle Pastoral Pop that just melts your heart. Essentially Guitar Pop, but with added keys and a slight raiding of the Instrument cupboard. Splendid harmonic colliding vocals light up a truly absorbing listen.

The three songs in the second quarter are slightly rockier and as good as anything that I've heard all year and even those are matched throughout. The glorious vocals on the Indie Pop of Build A Garden and the Paisley Psych Pop of A Youthful Hurricane.

Xylophone and Vibraphone light up Crumbles In The Sand and Catch the moment respectively, the latter even sounding a little Madchester. Teenage Fanclub have mellowed, how I wish they had developed into something like Space In Between.

Information Age even gets really close to 1974 UK Glam Rock. Janglers will love the Jangle, Guitar Pop fans will be cast back to the productive 80s. I thought nothing would beat the Psych of The Moon Upstairs, but with three quarters of that band here, this is even more endearing.

The arrangements have depth and are inspired. The interplay between the band stands out, This fourth album from the band finds them reaching their peak. If only this album could hit mainstream, I'm convinced that anyone you introduce to it will love it. Magnificent!

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

.................

I Don't Hear A Single News

 

The main news is that after thinking about it for most of the lifetime of I Don't Hear A Single, the plans to start our own label have advanced over the last few months. It will be on Bandcamp and begin slowly and gradually. More details are to follow as we discuss with the early artists to appear. All monies will go to the artists, IDHAS is just the middle man. There will be no contracts, all is planned to open doors for the relevant artists. The plan is to have the first release in the middle of January.

Why January? Simply because of the volume of Reviews still to be completed. The 31 in 31 in October will have the most Reviews ever. But there is still enough to fill November and a lot of December. We then  move on to the Best 100 Albums of 2026 which is always a big piece of work.

Talking of the 31 in 31, it has been one of the most popular ever with over 300,000 views anticipated before the end of the month. People have asked about a couple of albums that have been expected to be reviewed so far. These have been saved until towards the end of the month and will appear soon. 

As well as the start of the label, a couple of old features will be back in January. Here Is The News and The Garden Of Earthly Delights will reappear. The former informs you of upcoming releases. The latter covers albums that wouldn't normally fit our remit. The rest of the year concentrates on Reviews and the Listening To This Week Playlist.

Finally a reminder to submitters for the LTTW Playlist. We don't do Spotify or any similar streamers. Our embeds are via Bandcamp, Soundcloud or You Tube. It is always really helpful to provide any social media links for tagging. Most of our time is spent searching out such links and freeing up that time allows more time for Reviews.

Thanks as ever for your continued support, it is never taken for granted.

.......................

Joy Cleaner - Laugh A Minute

 

Joy Cleaner bring back memories of those great 90s days when Guitar bands decided to banish the I am really miserable Grunge days and embracing the College Rock and Bar scene when you could watch a great band any night of the week.

Economies and the internet have banished those days, so it is great to be reminded them by a band who know what they are about. Full on Guitar riffs and solos with big choruses, melodic, yet just a little bit noisy.

What you have hear is a great mix of Slacker Rock and Power Pop, never more so than on the splendid Ego Death, a song that is like early Teenage Fanclub doing Power Pop. The whole album wraps you in a whirlwind of engaging Guitar Pop Rock that allows you admire those magnificent Riffs.

World Of Good is anthemic as is Screwball. The choruses will soon have you singing along. Spiralling is a rare slow down and even sounds a little Elvis Costello. Postcard is great 80s Indie, a little Plimsouls and Something Like 25 Hammers is very Bob Mould.

Laugh A Minute may be a splendid Guitar album, but if you can concentrate on the lyrics, there is a sad sadness and reflection around. Not that you can really get to them with all this wonderful Guitar work taking over your mind. Superb!

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

..........................