Marc Valentine - Uncommon Side Effects.

 

Despite the majority of opinion that Power Pop was started in the UK, the majority these days seems to come from the States. There are exceptions like The Speedways, but it has been fairly absent since late 70s New Wave and a little bit of Brit Pop, despite the best efforts of David Bash's IPO.

Power Pop just doesn't seem to break through into the mainstream, the last time was probably Busted and McFly. However, there is a chance with the ongoing strength of Norwich's Marc Valentine's back catalogue.

I'm a big fan of the man, having covered 2023's Future Obscure here and 2024's Basement Kiss here. Both are great albums, largely Classic Power Pop, but both have twists as does Uncommon Side Effects. The Power Pop is superb.

It has all you might expect, great intros, killer riffs, big choruses and top notch guitar solos. The joy on the 80s sounding NY UAP is evident to all and the call and response is wonderful, as are the keys and the Guitar solo. But the Power Pop on both Tiger On Glass and You Are The Jet are just as good.

High In The Underground is rockier with a Jangle that seems desperate to get out, but never quite manages  it. The chunkier sound suits Valentine well. Hanging On A Dream edges towards UK Glam Rock whilst not losing that Power Pop feel and has an unexpected diversion in the middle.

Half-Moon Pendant slows things down beautifully with a splendid arrangement. Temporary Buzz is much edgier, 100 mph and more raw that what else is on show, Marc Valentine masters the genre and lights up Little Steven's Wicked Cool label.

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

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They Might Be Giants - The World Is To Dig

 

They Might Be Giants are neither new or under appreciated, but I've been with them since Lincoln, which is a key to my age. Many many will know Birdhouse In Your Soul, one video show included it in a One Hit Wonders show, what fools!

Formed in 1982 with releases since 1985, it is 36 years since Birdhouse, yet the duo have a Sparks like quality to still be original over such a long period. When they extended into a band in 1992, they got even better. There is not one duffer in their back catalogue.

They are currently on tour with an 8 piece band that includes a 3 person horn section. The pair remain incredibly inventive, a key force in Intelligent Indie. The World Is To Dig is all over the place, which is TMBG's strength. Who else could come up with a song like Character Flaw.

It is a song that shows how left field TMBG are and how lyrically adept. But expect to be taken on a journey that takes in Power Pop, Lounge, 70s Pop Rock (there's even a Raspberries cover), Psych Pop overtones, 80s New Wave and 90s Slacker. 

They can also be incredibly melodic on the likes of the Ben Folds like Piano Pop on What You Get. Slow is great Psych Pop and the closer,  In The Dead Mall is totally Andrew Gold, you just sit back and marvel at the lyrics.

Sleep's Older Sister is wonderful Slacker Pop mixed with Rock and Roll, Outside Wave is ace UK New Wave. I'm also not sure that you will hear a better Power song this year than Wu Tang. There's even a song sung in perfect French. As wonderful as ever and oh those lyrics.

You can listen to the full album here.  You can buy the digital album and listen to 4 songs here. You can buy the Vinyl, CD, Cassette and download from the TMBG shop here.

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Listening To This Week Playlist 13 April

An absolute cracker this week. A mix of returning faves, particularly at the front end and the new, even to us. It feels more like our base template at times, but there are some splendid surprises. 25 songs! 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 those who appear here. 

Swive - Del Rio

Mean Sea - Look Around

The Voltz - We'll Take This City

Deer Tick - Everything Born

Deer Tick · Everything Born

Brightmoon - First Light

The Yum Yum Tree - Turn Down The Noise

Adult Friends - S Is For Stress

Tigers Jaw - Head Is Like A Sinking Stone

The House Is Creaking - There's A Stench In The Air

Josey Wails - Sweet Darlin'

Labrador - The Rosy Red World

Marc Valentine - Tiger On Glass

Ricky - What's The Point

Ricky · What's the Point

Plastic Tones - Dirty Work

Cult Canyon - Real Sublime

Beaming - Stuck Here

Meeting People - Afterglow

Stephen Becker - Careless

Lucifers Beard - Beep Bop Report

Charlie Vaughan - Don't Wanna Drive

Deadbeat Beat - Peach Sprite

The Falling Spikes - Kicking On The Can

Yea-Ming And The Rumours - Paper Doll

Dinky Diamonds - Forever Days

The Kettle Zone - Anomie (Get Out Of My Head)

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Cat Nap - Free In Anarchy

 

Today's 3 Reviews have all had one thing in common, that being female lead singers. There's no reason for this, the three albums have been what I have been listening to recently and all three are different. Cat Nap benefit from an appearance on the LTTW Playlist, meaning I dug out the album, very pleasing.

The quartet from Amesbury Massachusetts are more Alt at times, but incredibly melodic and engaging at times. The title track is one of the best songs that I've heard all year and is great UK New Wave Guitar Pop, I can't stop listening to it.

But compare that to Lip Filler which is much heavier, more crunchy, a little Post Punk, a little 90s Rock. Toxic Feminity is a little more Garbage like with a sweeter vocal. Fight builds and builds around a killer heavy riff.

Joyride is another song built around a wonderful riff, a little more grunge. Apathy Killer is a great opener, the vocal again contrasting with the heavier rhythm and lead. All in all, a cracking listen. Few can be as melodic vocally and noisy instrumental. A great listen.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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The Corner Laughers - Concerns Of Wasp And Willow

 

The Corner Laughers first album in almost 6 years is a reason to celebrate. The follow up to 2020's Temescal Telegraph which was our album of the year. You can read my review here. It would always be some going to equal that album and they have.

I suspect many would label the quartet as Indie Pop and Karla Kane's dulcet tones underline that. But there is far more to the band that that with ventures into Folk, Americana and Jaunty Pop. Talking of the latter, Crumb Clean is Indie Pop excellence.

There is a mellowness that washes over you addictively. They are as ease with the dark or the light. The arrangements are superb, allowing the songs to breathe. The shuffle on Red Yarrow, Yellow Yarrow is partly let's do the song right here, but the arrangement shows the work that has gone into the song.

Rainbow Cardigan is troubadour Folk and even gives an inkling of The Seekers. Dusking is Easy Listening Joy, wonderful Pop. Dark Matter is all 60s Studio Pop with hints of the groovy. Victoria Sponge is splendid West Coast harmonic Pop.

My two favourites (and you will have different ones) are the dream like intensity of Larkspur Landing that has a stunning gentle Psych like arrangement. Then there is the arrangement of The Harvestman, a song that builds and builds with another stellar arrangement.

These are days when everything seems 100 mph, attention spans are short. Thank goodness for The Corner Laughers who provide a release that has to be listened to from start to finish. A release that underlines the benefit and strength of the album.

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

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Plastic Tones - Can You Keep A Secret?

The second album from Helsinki 5 Piece Plastic Tones is wonderfully scuzzy. Old school maybe, but highly effective and equal to anything from the likes of Rumbar. Up and at 'em, yet incredibly melodic and thoroughly enjoyable.

Energetic, but with similarities to Power Pop in the way it uses riffs, solos and choruses, but much noisier. A little Punk at times, A little Garage Rock at others, but also able to drop in songs that are more Guitar Pop such as Dynamo and Dirty Work.

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The latter is already slated to appear on next week's Listening To This Week Playlist. The opener, We're All In This Together rocks in like something from The Motors. Very UK New Wave and all the better for it, it states intent.

I'm The One shows other skills, a longer piece, that even edges towards Classic Rock. More brooding instrumentally, less in your face. Waste Another Day has a vocal that isn't a million miles away from Stevie Nicks and has a killer chorus.

Nothing Romantic is pure Power Pop and the closer. You Can Do Whatever You Wanna Do, is like a Punk-ish anthem, a little Eddie And The Hot Rods in style. It rounds off a great listen. Can You Keep A Secret? is a great album.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Playlist Submissions

 

Reviews continue tomorrow, but I wanted to just make a few suggestions about submissions to the Listening To This Week Playlist. It has become increasingly popular, which is great, but is taking up more and more time, not because of the music as I happily listen to everything, but the time creating it.

There is no angst from here, but I have to create more time for Reviews and so there are some things that have to change to allow that time. I hope this is taken in the spirit that is meant. So much of the work begins after a song is chosen.

I spend so much time searching for Social Media details for the tagging after it is published. So much so, that I have to ask submitters to add any details on submission. If they are easily searchable, I will try to find the relevant information, but if I can't find it, the song will not appear in the tagging.

It has been like this for a while, but last week was the worst with details arriving just in time. There is going to be a change in the social media posting. Looking at individual site posts weekly, there is real confusion including artists that are not on a particular social media site.

So from now on if you are not on any of Facebook, Instagram, Threads or Bluesky, the song will not be listed on the relevant site. It keeps such posts focussed and relevant. I just think it helps the artists more and we are all about helping the artists.

I still get submissions that are on Spotify, a reminder that we don't do Spotify. Which means. I have to make multiple searches or contact the artist about Bandcamp, Soundcloud or You Tube. We use these three because listeners don't have to sign up to listen. 

There is still a lot of submissions that only note Spotify links when they are on the likes of Bandcamp. We have no affinity to Bandcamp, but feel it is the best way for listeners to search an artist's other releases. It is all about getting people to listen and hopefully buy.

I am still surprised to get messages that ask for details of the site after the song has been chosen. The scattergun approach rarely works, a short look at IDHAS would tell you what is likely to be of interest. That should maybe standard for anyone submitting anywhere.

Finally, a reminder that we are an artist orientated site. So it is great to see musicians sharing details of other songs on the playlist if they like them. This works really well as artists have different followers. I, personally, listen to songs that are recommended by people that have covered by IDHAS.

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