Listening To This Week Playlist

There appears to have been a theme recently of returning heroes for us recently. We don't decide release dates of course, but this week we have three in Joe Giddings, Nick Frater and Armstrong. A Top Notch 30 song listening experience awaits you.

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. 

Joe Giddings - Adrenalin

Radio75 - Luxury Of Bots

The Hong Kong Dollars - I can't believe you're dead

Nick Frater - One Minute

Tony Billings - These Are The Days

Smackbeat - 1999

Soft On Crime - Crackdown

MacEnstein - Old Boy

MacEnstein · Old Boy

Lemon Power - I'm An Animal

Armstrong - The Wall Of Love

Ape Bucket - Make Up My Mind

The Ratchets - Late State Capital

The Greeting - Over

Horse Chops - Bureaucratic Tone

Magic User - Nothing

Bird AKA Janie Price - Falling Like Stars

Bird · Falling Like Stars - Remastered 2024

Stanmore - My Australian Days

Sloan Brothers - Beathing Distress Blues (DOA PDA)

West Mark - Saw You Walk By Tonight

West Mark · Saw You Walk By Tonight - Master 1.3

The Men - Pony

Big Suze - Kevin 1

Big Suze · Kevin 1

The Haymakers - Get Me To Friday

Lima Shakes - One More Time

Souls Extolled - Gold

SLACK - Patina

Burly Wood - Savings Account

Housewyfe - a race for inner space

Soundserif Fab - My Ambition

Calico Mantra - Dream Machine

Omernac - AFK

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Radio75 - Screaming Out

 

I adore Barcelona 5 piece, Radio75. Screaming Out is their third album. I reviewed the debut album, Songs For Celine and then somehow went missing for the follow up, Mandatory. However, I am back in line now. Indeed, the band are the only band to appear on Listening To This Week,with the same song twice. That song was the title track of this album.

I suppose that you might call this lot Indie Rock, but that would in no way do them justice. They come in from many directions, Modern Rock, Pop Rock, Alt Rock, Psych Pop and even a little Prog and Space Rock. Indeed, the song Not Your Moans might just contain all of those.

Work Of Art is wonderful fuzzed up, melodic Noise Rock, yet Last Days Of May is pure Brit Pop. Live With That is like a less po faced Muse, yet Under The Lake Of Vostok really blows off the cobwebs. Those Lazy 20s even ventures into Prog.

Songs For Celine revealed hints of AOR and Pop Rock. Screaming Out is far more in your face. There are no Ballads here, not much coming up for air, but that is the strength of the album. It grabs hold of you and won't let go.

Songs are still incredibly melodic and built on riffs that just ooze Power. The closer comes as a complete surprise. All programmed beats and mellowness, a big move away from the Guitar and that works just as well. Yesteryear is equally as good as what has gone before, just very different. What a splendid album!

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl and as a download. You can find out more about Radio75 here.

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Blake - Louder Than Sound

 

I've been meaning to get around to this for a while and all the melee around IDHAS means I am full of regret that it has taken this long. Blake is one of those great English Singer Songwriters that doesn't get nearly enough credit for both his variety and ability to write the most captivating songs.

His arrangements are becoming legendary, just listen to Disguises and tell me that you are not moved by that delicate fragile melancholic instrumental track, emboldened, not by a Guitar, but by a wonderful Sax solo. Then contrast that to the following track, Coning In From The Cold as a comparison.

That song is just as well put together, yet it is jaunty 70s Pop Rock. That comparison tells you all you need to know about Blake. She's In My Heart contrasts with both as a cracking slab of 60s UK Beat with a gentle Psych Pop riff. We are only a quarter of the way in and I'm already delighted. 

Business Hours is great Rock and Roll whilst Strawberry Way is more Folk Pop. Slippery Slope is lyrically modern day, but sounds more like a 60s Troubadour offering. The centrepiece is the magnificent Sharks, a real let's do the song right here.

Being a little late with this review, I had the rare opportunity to read the reviews around. Power Pop is mentioned a lot, which as someone who started in that area, I don't really hear that. The exception is the splendid Everything About Her which is definitely so.

I hear more influences from the great artists over here. The Kinks, Stealers Wheel and even Canterbury Folk. Louder Than Sound is an awesome mix of the slow and the fast, both equally excellent. The Acoustic vibes ache and for the pacier songs, you lose control of your feet. A master at work!

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

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Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin - RECORDS

 

The catch up continues tonight with three very different albums that all fit the IDHAS Remit. I love Rob Moss and his Skin-Tight-Skin Trio lock together to allow the Guest Lead Guitarists create a noisy affair. You can probably hear the Boston sound from far afield.

The Guitarists really let rip, never more so than Curt Florcsak on Right Hook. Moss mixes storytelling and a have a good time all the time vibes without ever really coming up for air. This is certainly the loudest that I can remember him on his solo adventures. 

His background allows him to mix a Punk Attitude with a slightly Harder Rock via Indie Rock. His almost talky vocal style reminds me a little of Alice Cooper, not the Poison era AOR, but an album like Special Forces when the Horror was toned down and replaced with anthems.

RECORDS is like something on Burger Records when it gets really melodic and the Guitarists bring that extra something special.Charles Hansen is one of my favourite guitarists and he appears on two songs, We Just Don't Know and We Just Don't Dub. One is a great anthem, the other an extraordinary mix that works just as well.

Hey You (We're Sick Of You) edges towards a mix of UK Glam Rock and Punk before a blistering solo courtesy of Paul Armstrong. The World (Is A Playground) is an alternate joint vocal with Jen D'Angora which works beautifully. 

Randy Klawon's Guitar Track on You And Time is probably my favourite, but 11 are excellent and their talents matched with the band are splendid. This is a noisy, boisterous album, raw in places, but that adds to the joy. It more than hits the spot.

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

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The Mommyheads - One Eyed Band

 

I think many of you know that The Mommyheads have been with me forever. Those that don't, well they have. I think many of us have bands like this. Ones that are still around and continue to produce consistent quality. Ex Norwegian and Sparks are others for me. The latter dates me most as Propaganda was the first album that I bought under my own steam, 50 years ago.

I saw a review of the album recently that described them as Indie Pop. I can just imagine the faces of the young girls when they played a song from the album. They've also been lumped in with the likes of Radiohead, which is more apt, but not really accurate any more.

However, the magnificent Life Is A Dream is much poppier instrumentally than you might expect. With its 70s Disco feel and that ace Club 57 string arrangement and Brass. Yet it still sounds incredibly Mommyheads tempo wise.

Indeed, the band's continual need to develop shows here in little ways. More instruments, more keys, but that start a vibe and take it wherever it goes still applies. Cerebral to the extreme, there is no band like them and here the slight additions make me love them even more.

I could never imagine The Mommyheads doing a multi vocal arrangement, yet they do so on Season Of Our Sound. But there are also trademarks present. Architect does sound a little like Genius Killer 2, although no song ever could better that particular ditty.

For all their technical brilliance, Adam Elk can also deliver an incredibly effective fragile vocal that just melts you. Here, it is on Human Being and which other band could mix Prog with Calypso? Well listen to Risk It All and note that they succeed.

Weightless And Unbound gets surprisingly close to a ballad and Junk gets all Jazzy. None of their albums ever hit you first time. But by the second or third listen, you are hooked. It may show, but The Mommyheads are my favourite band in the whole wide world.

I know many of you trust my judgement, so Mommyhead virgins can grab it at Name Your Price. Incidentally, the band's debut album, Acorn, has just been reissued 35 years on. So you can compare and contrast the development. That is also available at Name Your Price here.

You can listen to and buy the album here at Name Your Price. It is also available to buy on Vinyl and CD.

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The Junior League - Our Broadcast Day

 

The Junior League have been around for now approaching two decades. Covington Louisiana's Joe Adragna's debut album, Catchy, remains one of the great Power Pop albums of all time and that genre marked his expertise.

He has never been afraid to step away from the obvious, for instance Adventureland is a magnificent example of an 80s album, three decades on. His last album, Bridge And Tunnel, was a much more laidback affair in places and Our Broadcast Day goes the whole hog.

The Pop is still present, particularly on the jaunty, twanging The Me And Them with its great Vocal arrangement. But elsewhere, the album feels very gentle West Coast fayre. It remains very melodic, but restrained and is a fine listen, but it may surprise long term fans.

At times, Our Broadcast Day becomes very Country, even a little Glen Campbell. This isn't Cowboy Hat, yeehaw my woman's left me Country, more beautifully written and atmospheric songs that could be Pop Rock if a stomping Guitar were added.

With this Country tinge, as you might expect, there is Americana at the edges. There are also Doolin' Dalton West Country Rock ventures. This is a beautifully arranged and performed album, every note in place.

There are two other songs worth special mention. The Piano Pop  of 1973 Nervous Breakdown is a wonderful song. Austin On The Beach is built around a killer riff and sounds more late 60s with a splendid vocal arrangement.

You can listen to and buy the album here. The CD is on the Kool Kat label and can be purchased here.

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Liar's Club - Drop Dead Resurrectum

 

30 years ago, not only relates to Sgt Pepper teaching the band to play, but marks the release of Liar's Club's Drop Dead album. Now it has been remastered in a shiny fashion and is here for you all to enjoy.  I absolutely idolised the quartet. 

Remember those were the days before the internet and a bit like the Premier League, Music existed before those days and still does, just as Football did. However, you really had to dig things out and your musical life was not about likes and "friends" who you hadn't a clue were. It was about like minded people and great record shops spreading the word.

Liar's Club were special. They were involved in that 90s Power Pop wave, but weren't really of that scene, more Guitar Pop, all wit and melody and charm, a little like what The Supernaturals provided over here. Their Internet cred increased with 2013's reformation album, Come And Go, which remains in my favourite 10 albums of all time. 

Our Anything Should Happen days celebrated Come And Go and made it Album Of The Year. Opening up a whole new audience to those heady 90s days. These Tacoma boys were so special and live on via Jayson Jarmon's Vanilla and Scott McPherson's many adventures since. I am proud to still be in touch with both.

So here you will hear the pure splendidness of what you've missed or reminded about what you loved. How heavy Charming is, how Andrew Gold Girl From Heaven sounds across its 38 seconds. How Brit Pop and jaunty My Heroin(e) sounds.

Then there is the wit and charm of The Redundant Romantic Fool is. The Beautiful South like Triage. The might of that solo on Someday and the let's do the show right here style of Marigolds And Coffee Spins with that Sax break.

This is an album that all should own. I compared the band to The Supernaturals, but that should be the other way round. For me, this is a reminder of great simpler times, but Drop Dead is an album that still sounds as fresh as it did then. A wonderful album, a wonderful band!

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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