Flavour - Zip It Up

 

Talking of Glam Rock, this is the real deal. Flavour are from Troy in New York and remind you of Butterfly Collars, Flares and Platform shoes. Wonderfully so, the quartet seem to revel in the glory of 1974, a year when singles were so important, particularly to myself in an industrial town. 

It felt like you couldn't wait to grow up and go to the Bright Lights and the Stardust. The album was led in by two great singles, both are here. Radiation Boogie is like Marc Bolan having the two Thin Lizzy Guitarists in his band.

The Tingler again sounds like Bolan, but this time the pace is much quicker, still very Glam, but rocked up towards the 1976 Time bomb with a slight Wizzard instrumental feel, particularly at the stop signs. These two songs are just a showcase of the full album, where the accompanying eight songs, don't let the quality drop.

Zip It Up is wall to wall Theme Park like joy. It reminds me of that time, but also demonstrates how much the generations that followed have missed. The beauty of Flavour is that they rock the songs with big riffs and top notch solos.

Every song is a sure fire winner resulting in a wonderful debut album and the best is left until last, all 7 and a half minutes of it. Flavour, Flavour has hints of The Darkness, but also evokes memories of the original period, a mix of the then and the Rock and Roll that preceded it that came from the likes of Wizzard and Mud.

But the closer takes you much further, with an extended groove that adds Barrel Piano, it will become a great closer at shows. The second half Jam is superb. Many try to hark back to the age, but few, if any, master it as well as Flavour.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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A.M. Slingers - To The Nines

 

Chicago's A.M. Slingers are a quartet that offer up a twin guitar attack with three of the four sharing lead vocals and To The Nines, their second album, certainly provides the goods. I reviewed the debut self titled album here. Six years on, the follow up arrives.

This is certainly a Guitar album, all killer Riffs and solos. The three vocalists allow the variety to flow and the choruses are especially big. This allows to raid the genres through Glam Rock, Pop Rock, Classic Rock, UK New Wave and Power Pop.

With a tight Rhythm Section that allows the Guitars to battle it out, the album rocks, but melodically. At times, there is a Cheap Trick feel, particularly on Whoopski and yet Treading Water is great 70s Classic Rock, a little Punk in places.

Cooler Healthy Hands is pure 1974 Glam Rock. Move On is really urgent, a mix of Punk that turned into New Wave in days gone by. The Twin Guitars really spring to life on Minor Dissent, a little Thin Lizzy-ish  feel to proceedings.

Knock It Off is great Pop Rock with the emphasis on Rock with big hints of Power Pop. To The Nines is great fun, catchy as catchy can be, but it is the riffs and solos that grab you most that demonstrates the joy of the instrument. A cracking listen.

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

British Birds - Murmurate, Oscillate

 

Oh, how we love Inventive Pop and British Birds are masters at it. Their second album, Silence Daedelus, was in our Best Albums Of 2025 (review here) and the joy continues here. Now on Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey's excellent Skep Wax label, the future is indeed bright.

As mentioned in that previous Review, the band are from Chorley, a town near to where I was born and still live near to. Towns that were once salt of the earth, but now seem to have turned ultra Right Wing with people banging on about the previous unmentionable.

The mix of brother and sister, Bobby And Emma Townson on vocals works beautifully and the Rhythm section of Dominic Lawson and James Robinson allow the angular songs to excel. Lyrically adept, there is no other band around quite like them.

Not necessarily influences, but you hear the likes of earlier XTC, Talking Heads, Franz Ferdinand and The Lovely Eggs spring to mind. Emma's vocal at times sounds a little St Etienne, but always has big sprinkles of 60s Girl Group Pop.

The songs are amazing, each one an amazing adventure in itself. Listen to the title track and prepare to be mesmerised, a mix of Lounge and heavy heavy. Throughout the album, you sense the band keep raiding the instrument cupboard, the arrangements are unique and hypnotic.

I'm not a fan generally of Talking vocals, but Emma's vocal on Blame Game is amazing, attached to a jaw dropping instrumental arrangement and Bobby's vocal interventions and wondrous Angular Guitar work. I have purposely not taken to mentioning individual songs.

That is simply because this is an album to be listened to from start to finish. But only a band of such extreme ability, could provide so much left field joy and then close with a song like Two Dead Bees which is wonderful Brit Pop.

Murmurate, Oscillate is a gobsmacking listen. Backed up with a big Tour next year and a growing Live reputation, the future is bright. This has Album Of The Year potential and is an album that few could come up with. Absolutely Top Notch!

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

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The Low Priorities - Dice

 

We start today off with the wonderful Guitar Pop of Sydney Trio, The Low Priorities. Dice is a debut album to be proud of and right up our street. Others may label this Power Pop, but it isn't really, it has far more in common with the better melodic Indie Guitar bands of the 80s.

It is built on great riffs, many of them jangling, great arrangements and the top notch mellow vocals of David Orwell. Unlike Trios who go for power, The Low Priorities go for catch all catchiness with some sterling Guitar solos.

The songs are memorable foot tapping throughout. Pop Rock at times, but not afraid to step into other areas. The Guitar work on Monochrome Sound is rockier and even gets a little Psych Pop. San Miguel does step heavily into Power Pop.

Strawberry Gum is great UK 80s Indie, close to the C86 brigade and Ruler Of Venice blows the doors off. Additional Guitar from Oliver Klein and Anthony Brown makes the guitar sound almost orchestral and the Brit Pop feel is enhanced by a Psych Pop breakout.

The opener, the title track, lets you know what you in for, a summer sounding feel good with more Psych Pop. Dice is ideally suited to the Summer, but with the cold and light drawing in and the troubling times around the world, this is exactly the album you need to brighten the spirits.

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

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Listening To This Week Playlist 19 October

The maximum 30 songs this week. You probably know the drill by now. A mix of what we are known for with other journeys off the beaten track and a great closer to finish proceedings. I love what the LTTW Playlist has brought to here and the artists that we have discovered.

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. 

Late Cambrian - Kin Precipice

Softjaw - You Won't See Me Cry

Sharp Pins - How Can I Explain What She Does To Me?

Credible Witness - Unopened Letters

Classic Traffic - My Rage

Classic Traffic · My Rage

The Yummy Fur - Blue Sunshine

Dear Darcy - The Star

Dear Darcy · The Star

Echo Kid - Cakewalkin' Man

Smallworld - I Will Not Self Destruct

scuss. - Rapture

The Wheelworkers - One Must Speak

The Carolyn - empty. hollow. over.

Cabin Beat - Better Days

The Boathouse - Like A Lover

Michele Bettencourt And Vampire Time - Taking Out The Trash

The Summertimes - Save You Now

Finblu - Hold The Line

Charlie's Hand Movements - Endless Loop

Ostersjoar - Finsk Design

Östersjöar Visby · Finsk design

Marsh Davis - Somewhere Up Below The Heavens

Marsh Davis · 3. Somewhere Up Below the Heavens

Fairfax Road Show - Not Today

John Steer - Little Love

Vennechomusic · Little Love

Camero Jones - Love Marauder

Camero Jones · Love Marauder

Binary Sunset - Sans Moi (feat. Nurit)

Yaang - Leech

8x8 - Spring Airlines

8X8 · Spring Airlines (feat. Lane Steinberg & Alexander Khodchenko)

Ghost Rebel Club - The Ghost Of Fandango

CrowsVsRavens - Who We Are

The Pretty Graves - Bluebird

The Silversound - Hands

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The XOXO's - The XOXO's

 

I just wanted to mention the recent Remaster of The XOXO's self titled album that was around a few years ago. It is scrappy DIY stuff from the Sheffield Trio that sort of touches what you could hear in 1977, when you could spot interesting bands who had a Punk ethic, but could play more than two notes.

It is the type of release that you could read about and hear on Josh's Faster And Louder Blog, one of our Like Minded Friends gang. A Blog that I recommend that you can discover unexpected delights. It has hard two small Vinyl Runs on the Do It Thissen Records label here. Both have sold out, hopefully there might be a third.

The release is on Delicious Clam Records as a download, both labels are from Sheffield and collaborate. This is Punk with a Power Pop backbeat, noisy, shouty even, but played in a style that is totally endearing. A little Ramones like in places. taking me back to an age when everything musical looked possible. 

Most of the 11 songs are up and at 'em, no coming up for air. But, unexpectedly, Anya Grace-Abrams adds violin to two songs, the closer My Love Is Real is the most interesting and at 5 minutes long bucks the 2 minute trend. The song is wonderfully hypnotic.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Dropkick - Throughlines

 

Dropkick are a band that has been intrinsically linked in comparisons to Teenage Fanclub, often unfairly, due to bow down that followers of that band had. The band have always had an ability to brighten your day across two decades.

Now could very well be their time. With real splits amongst TFC fans towards recent albums and particularly new one. totally coincidentally, Dropkick offer up their crunchiest album for quite some time and it does seem as the bands have changed musical positions.

I've been a fan of both from the earliest days of each and if you asked me at the moment which album I preferred to have, it would be this. There is still the Jangling that you know and love and in the quieter moments here, you do realise how great Dropkick are with sparse.

There is also the usual flirtation with Americana, particularly on Side Note. They also master West Coast Jangle Pop, as ever and even get slightly Psych Pop on The Start Of My Decline which may be the best song here, wonderful Psych Pop.

But this is a Guitar album and the Riffs and Solos are wonderful.  The Trio are splendidly tight and Andrew's Vocals still wash over you with a welcome gentleness, almost like a comfort blanket. Can't Get Back The Feeling is built on a killer rocking Riff.

Leave It Understood is more Guitar Joy and Relive It is Jangle Pop heaven. A Dropkick album is also something special to look forward too and every one is immensely satisfying, but Throughlines is up with their very best.

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

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The Oldman Sound - Fair-weather EP

The third of the 3 EP Reviews was again discovered via a Listening To This Week Submission and it is magnificent. The South Shields quartet offer up 3 songs, my only wish is that I would have loved more. This is melodic joy.

It is great to hear something wonderful from the UK. I don't know what it is about the North East, but bands seems to master Guitar Pop. The Oldman Sound certainly do. The EP is a cross between Pop Rock and Indie Pop.

Beautifully arranged and performed, particularly strong on Vocal harmonies. The three songs just melt your heart. Dead Strings takes me back to the glorious Pop Rock of the 70s, unappreciated at the time, but loved far more now. Lyrically adept and stunningly performed.

Tame (A Saints Life) is wonderfully pastoral, making me think of the likes of The Lilac Time and XTC's Skylarking. It changes directions at will and everything works. Incredibly jaunty and upbeat, exactly what we need in these times. 

The title track is more straight ahead Guitar Pop, built around a killer Riff and a catch all chorus. The solo is a thrill too. These three songs are the best thing that I have heard in ages. I can't wait for more. Well done all!

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

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