Mothboxer - Twelve

 

One of the bands that have defined I Don't Hear A Single are Mothboxer. When I talk to people about IDHAS, which is getting rarer these days due to the monster that it has become for me personally, Mothboxer are mention. Now we have, as the title suggests, the 12th album in a career that has defined by quality.

Dave Ody's materiał has never lacked depth, but Twelve feels even deeper. There is the same melody led feel, massive choruses that underline the melody and catchiness of Mothboxer's Pop Rock credentials, but at times the songs venture further into territory that Ody has only trod one foot in previously.

Changes can be noted on repeated listens. The Keyboard cupboard has been opened, but the content is tastefully used. These are not the plinking plonking 80s version of the instrument, but more the 60s and 70s versions.

Ody has always described his music as Progressive Power Pop and Maybe It's Just Me is certainly wonderful Power Pop, but after earlier days when the Power Pop was more upfront, I've thought him more Progressive Pop Rock. 

The addition of extra keyboards may seem strange to avid listeners, bearing in mind the quality of his Guitar playing. But there is plenty of Guitar here and the keyboards are vital to the directions that he takes here. They also don't detract from the songs in any way.

The directions taken include Neo Prog, Classic Rock of the 70s, but there are also big parts that feel 60s. There is also Space Rock in which, he seems at his best. But fear not, the Psych Pop and late Beatle-esque Guitar Pop that has always been a strength are still around in spades.

There is the funkiness of the verse on Give It A Try that breaks into a Sunshine Pop chorus. Crazy Anyway gets all Pink Floyd and None The Wiser is pure Brit Pop mixed with 60s Beat. Dumber By The Day even gets a little Stealers Wheel and When The Lights Go Out is great 70s Pop Rock mixed with a Prog feel.

Then there is the 13 minute closer that is How Does It Feel? A song that encapsulates everything that Mothboxer are about. Raiding multi genres, through heavy and light and yet never losing touch with the harmony and melody in its magnificence. Mothboxer's best album yet? Possibly but that might denigrate the previous 11.

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

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Feet - Make It Up

 

People will tell you that the Indie Guitar market is overcrowded and to break through you need to have an angle, a story. a lot of money, whatever. It is crowded, but the contents are much of a muchness, too many sound the same as the next one, it is all a bit nothingness,

I'd like to say that talent will out, but Bandicoot anyone? A band that produced a debut album that became our Album Of The Year and a few months later were no more. Feet are not Bandicoot as we now have their second album and it is absolutely glorious.

They sound a little American, but are actually a five piece from Coventry. They could easily be thought of a time a couple of decades ago when the likes of The Killers and Kaiser Chiefs were hitting pay dirt. It is nigh on impossible to count the cash these days, but Feet deserve to.

There is a sense of Indie here in its true spirit. Songs are inventive both musically and lyrically. There is more than a little of Gravitas Pop about them. They have that vibe and touch of genuine originality of a Soft Boys or XTC,

Yet the songs will appeal to a wide audience. Beautifully performed across many moods with arrangements of unexpected beauty and unusualness, yet wrapped in a big production that never gets larger than the songs or drains their quality. 

There are splendid angular moments, some very left field and yet there are songs that have glorious choruses. You will note that I have unusually not mentioned any song descriptions, this is solely to encourage you to listen to the whole thing yourselves.

I've picked my three (today as it will change daily) and now you can pick yours. Here are 12 great songs, none the same as each other. This is Indie Inventiveness of the highest quality. A definite IDHAS Album Of The Year contender. This is an album that makes me realise how much I love what I do and above all, music.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl and CD at all good Record Stores. The Download is only £5 on Bandcamp. Further links can be found here.

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The Happy Somethings - Caught In The Web

 

I love The Happy Somethings. Their jauntiness has been a fine antidote to the gloom that seems to have descended on proceedings over recent years. They have encapsulated what is great about Indie Pop in a roundabout twee way.

But what is this I hear here? Our beloved Trio appear to be all grown up and only Smitten really compares to what we know, all Housemartins jangly. Caught In The Web seems more serious, deeper and reveals different strands to the band. This is a set of themed songs about disenchantment with the internet.

Emerald Green Eyes even has hints of French Pop in the chorus and A Quick Waylay treads into Toytown with light footsteps and has a big almost Glam chorus. Prey is wonderfully melancholic and sports a cracking instrumental arrangement.

Kiss Of Life almost attains The Seekers in a strumming all together now affair. The opener, Is This Thing Broken is Folk Pop. There is real lyrical depth on show that is admirable, previously missed in the happiness of previous songs. The Happy Somethings show a whole new side and it is splendid.

You can listen to and buy the EP here. It is currently at Name Your Price.

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Big Bad Bobby And the Shoe Horns - Like That, But Louder

 

You see a name like Big Bad Bobby And The Shoe Horns and sort of expect a Rock And Roll Revue, an altogether now and dance affair. Not a bit of it! This lot are a quintet from Braintree Massachusetts and very much a Pop Rock band.

Off the top of my head, the nearest comparison may be Vegas With Randolph. This is well produced, big sounding Rock, very commercial and melodic and the extra horn section is used sparingly and tastefully. A rockier version of AOR. I think you catch drift.

The major focus is on Harmonic Rock, all encompassing, almost 1980s, but with an eye cast to the next decade. Maybe It's Monday though is nearer Power Pop and may be the best song on show. Incredibly catchy with the focus more on Pop.

Stutter reverses the emphasis to Rock and is a song that threatens a harder rock, but thankfully never quite gets there, instead being a fine driving Rock song. This is an album that has to have a ballad and that is the closer, Where Were You?, but that is only half the story as half way through it becomes a storming instrumental that builds and builds. A great six minutes.

The template though is big melodic catchy Pop Rock. At times a little Styx in feel. Like That, But Louder is the sort of Rock that I haven't listened to in a long while and so you appreciate the strength of the arrangements and performances and realise that previous prejudices were because there was so much of it around. This is a great listen from a band that know exactly what they are about and which buttons to press.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Listening To This Week - The Mixcloud Version

 

As a trial, we are adding the LTTW Playlist to Mixcloud. It is exactly the same as the Monday playlist, just on an extra format and allows listeners to hear the whole thing without individual clicks. May even a great way to spend 90 minutes on a journey etc. We will see how popular this version is before deciding whether to continue when the trial ends.

A reminder of the song order is below. Links to the Mixcloud Playlist are also below.

01 Strange Neighbors - Tell All Your Friends

02 Secret Molecules - High Tide

03 Aldeconia - Someone I Knew

04 Hoaster - Spiderweb

05 Daryll-Ann - A Note About Time

06 Nepal Death - Freak Street Blues

07 The Jellybricks - That Way

08 Gustavo Warnunk - Double-Decker Dreamer

09 Kyle And The Juggernaut - Katarina

10 The Duskwhales - St. Anthony

11 Desert Kites - Holiday

12 MOVIE MOVIE - You Closed The Door

13 Reader - Nothing To Say

14 Nadia Vaeh - Rewind

15 Bandeliers - Maya

16 Iron Daisy - I Only Think Of You Sometimes

17 Midwest Royal - Bad Brain

18 Stannington - Roads

19 Dan Destiny - I Can't Dance

20 Grizzly Coast - Washed

21 Caravan Dream - Like No Tomorrow

22 Boyriot - All The Best, Jess!

23 Friends With Boats - Bumper Sticker Poetry

24 Rosetta West - Turning Upside Down

25 Sylvia - Found And Lost

26 High Pitched Scream - Morning Light

27 Weknewnothing - Forever

28 Couple Tracks - Bitterness

29 Kinsua - Common Fates

Mixcloud Link

Listening To This Week Playlist

First of all, a reminder that LTTW adds a second format to proceedings this week. Tomorrow, there will be a Mixcloud Edit of the Playlist posted. Another forum to hear the great weekly Indie choices that you seem to enjoy as much as us.

 29 gems for you this week. 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. 

Strange Neighbors - Tell All Your Friends

Secret Molecules - High Tide

Aldeconia - Someone I Knew

Hoaster - Spiderweb

Daryll-Ann - Everything I Knew

Nepal Death - Freak Street Blues

The Jellybricks - That Way

Gustavo Wornunk - Double-Decker Dreamer

Kyle And The Juggernaut - Katarina

The Duskwhales - St. Anthony

Desert Kites - Holiday

MOVIE MOVIE - You Closed the Door

Reader - Nothing To Say

Nadia Vaeh - Rewind

Bandeliers - Maya

Iron Daisy - I Only Think Of You Sometimes

Midwest Royal - Bad Brain

Stannington - Roads

Dan Destiny - I Can't Dance

Grizzly Coast - Washed

Caravan Dream - Like No Tomorrow

BOYR!OT - ALL THE BEST, JESS!

Friends With Boats - Bumper Sticker Poetry

Rosetta West - Turning Upside Down

Sylvia - Found And Lost

High Pitched Scream - Morning Light

WeKnewNothing - Forever

Couple Tracks - Bitterness

Kinzua - Common Fates

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Pontiac Flare - The Blueprint

 

I have always been a big fan of Strange Ranger and so I was always going to be interested in this solo project from Nathan Tucker and his Pontiac Flare project. The songs have great Power Pop at its heart, more the 90s version, but expands the three chords sound.. 

There is also a big jaunty feel akin to bands as far afield as The Lemonheads and The Rembrandts. All the materials required are present. Riffs, Jangle and hooks. Choruses matched with instruments such as organ which allows journeys into Classic Rock, Sunshine Pop and Pop Rock.

The album opens with After Yesterday, which is pure Prime Time Brit Pop to a tee. Get Your Feet Wet treads similar territory, but this time with a slight Teenage Fanclub tint. Both songs are big sounding anthemic affairs and Tucker does this incredibly well.

The Context and Couldn't Be Falling Faster are more of an Indie Guitar Pop sort. The latter Jangles lovingly A much more American slant prevails, an almost US TV Sitcom feel maintains the sheer catchiness of proceeding.

You Don't Have To Tell Me is more Classic Rock, West Coast maybe with a big hint of Americana, like a sped up Jayhawks. Dumbstruck has a wonderful Organ run and a real laidback feel, a little 70s Pop Rock, but also a Guitar line that is Classic Rock, even gentle Blues Pop.

You Remind Me Of Everything is the big closer, a ballad with an Embrace like instrumental, great Pop Rock. Overall, the album has more restrained slower moments than you might expect, bearing in mind, Tucker's background. But these work beautifully because they are so well performed and arranged, especially Can't Walk Away. The Blueprint is Pop Rock of the highest quality.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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