Listening To This Week Playlist 9 March

 

  

First up! What do you think of our new LTTW Logo courtesy of The Collective? Plus this week, we have a great complement as nineplanfailed have provided us with a special Anything Should Happen mix. Not only that! We have the return of Allen Clapp of The Orange Peels and Gary Klebe of Shoes. All this amongst 30 of the finest new songs around.

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. 

nineplanfailed - Past The Sun (Anything Should Happen Mix)

Late Cambrian - How I Bleed

Cape Crush - Place Memory

The Suncharms - Motorway Bridge

The Petrov Affair - The Ballet

St. John Electric - Laughing Gull

Kingcaid - Drop That Man

Quiet As A Mouse - Miss Melody

Quiet as a Mouse · QUIET AS A MOUSE - Miss Melody

Silver Heir - A Few Words

Brown Horse - Sorrow Reigns

Peppermint Moon - Could You Walk Away?

The Projectors - Vices

Tom Minor- Expanding Universe

Legs On Wheels - Oysters On The Half Shell

Ryan Allen - This Ugly

Single Audio Channel - Don't Give Up On Yourself

Single Audio Channel · Don't Give Up On Yourself

Sloan Brothers - F33.2

the black watch - Living Backwards

Kewl Haze - Double Black Diamond

David Brookings And The Average Lookings - Time Bomb

Plasticine - Stay Awake  

Matthew Heller - Let's Go

The Yum Yum Tree - My Corner

Gary Klebe - Not Tough Enough

The Maureens - Me And My Friend

Sydney Riley - Hear No More

Plastic Manmade Sunshine Machine - Am I Talking?

The Tiki Idols - Stillwell And Surf

B.E.M. - How Did They Choose?

Green Seagull - They're Coming For You Barbara

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The Projectors - Modern Fiction

 

I am absolutely delighted to tell you that The Projectors are back. The Canadian five piece caught me by surprise in 2023 when their debut album reached my ears. It was beloved on here and appeared in our Best 100 Albums Of 2023. You can read my review here.

The follow up is every bit as good, if not better, this is Indie tinted Power Pop at its very best. At times that great influx of bands that came through so long ago, such as The Futureheads and Field Music. There's even a little Strokes feel vocally, but the songs are much bigger sounding and far less repetitive.

They are wonderfully angular, but the rhythm section and the twin Guitars don't allow them to be as basic as that type of stuff can be. The sound is massive and that allows the riffs to hit home and completely grip you. This is full of killer choruses throughout.

To think that I was concerned that they could never hit the heights of that self titled debut. How stupid was I? These 9 songs are totally celebratory and anthemic at times. A little less Pop Rock than the debut, but much more upfront. A little more UK New Wave maybe.

You'll be singing out the choruses loudly. I deliberately haven't mentioned the songs so that you go and listen to the whole thing. I know you'll love it. Wonderfully performed, arranged and produced, Modern Fiction is Album Of The Year Material. I've picked my favourite three songs today, but that will probably change tomorrow.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It cries out for a Physical release.

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The Suncharms - Darkening Sky

 

Sheffield's The Suncharms are back with their third album in five years. This time on Illinois's excellent Sunday Records label. You can read our review of their last album, 2023's Things Lost here. You can imagine Darrin Lee locking them in his Subjangle under the stairs cupboard.

They are a great Indie Rock band that touches Dream Pop, Jangle Pop, C86, Shoegaze, 80s Guitar Pop and more. They are lovingly laidback without ever ever being boring. The songs just completely drag you into blissful joy.

I mentioned in the previous review that they were previously looked upon as a darker Teenage Fanclub, well there is nothing dark about Darkening Sky. These are life affirming vibes, allowing you to think of nothing else but listening.

The songs are also performed differently to what you might expect. The riffs are mesmerising, often Jangling, but the backbeat at times feels more Power Pop. The default is Guitar led Dream Pop, but when they branch out, watch them go.

I've concentrated on the two heavier songs for the embeds, because they both show a different side to the band and are also amazing. Motorway Bridge is amazing, very dark, almost Bowie in Berlin production wise, yet slightly fuzzy Noise Rock.

1000 Years will get compared to noisier early Teenage Fanclub, but who cares when they do it so well? It is an absolute tour de force. I urge all to get into the album to both brighten your day and marvel at those two songs. This is an album that is absolutely outstanding.

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

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Peppermint Moon - The Flipside

 

San Francisco's Colin Schlitt is Peppermint Moon and The Flipside is a wonderfully arranged affair from the opener onwards. That opener, Could You Walk Away? raids the instrument cupboard to offer up classic 60s gentle-ish Psych Pop.

The title track takes a different Retro route, a much rockier affair, sort of Classic Rock, but with a rhythm that is a little UK Glam Rock early on and a killer Guitar solo towards the end. Like You Used To Feel again mixes the instrumental. Psych in feel with a slightly 80s synth that comes and goes. Much Darker.

This is an album that feels a little lo-fi at times despite the biggest arrangements. The vocal is hazy purposely and the bass is well upfront, but that suits the songs perfectly and some of the guitar work is absolutely outstanding. 

There is a really cool vibe to the whole thing, almost like you are in another world. But, Schlitt easily does Pop Rock, particularly on Vanilla Whale. This Way Monsters Be is an exceptional listen, instruments come in from everywhere, slowed down until an absolute killer twanging solo comes from nowhere.

Get Off Your Knees mixes Psych Pop, Classic Rock and Twang into a heady mix. A song that would adorn Brit Pop and go beyond it. Throughout, the invention is high, the Guitar solos intense and throughout this gobsmacking offering, you are taken on a splendid unexpected trip.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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The Legal Matters - Lost At Sea

 

Having reviewed the new Nick Piunti album at the start of the month, I now turn to compatriots as I Don't Hear A Single opened its doors. I named these people, the Michigan Music Mafia. Both Donny Brown and  Andy Reed featured on the the current Piunti album and are here now. 

Andy Reed, Chris Richards and Keith Klingensmith are The Legal Matters and were part of that Michigan gang. Formed from excellent previous bands, this is now the band's fourth album and it has been a long  5 year wait. Now on the Big Stir Records label which has also felt like it should be their home.

Lost At Sea lands somewhere between 70s Pop Rock and Power Pop. Beautifully performed and arranged, they aren't afraid of stepping out of their space, but are most at home with melody. The songs are big productions without ever being Kitchen sink.

It Doesn't Matter is an incredible song that builds and builds with an exploding chorus. The dynamism of that song is very different to the Badfinger vibes of Let Me Explain with its orchestral build and the piano part that comes from nowhere. It is another stunning arrangement.

Compare those two songs to the jaunty California Pop of Stuck With Me and the gentle Psych Pop backing to the Beach Boys like harmony on The Exit Signs and you realise how much variety is on display and how much work has gone into the album.

Marching On gets all Simon And Garfunkel at the beginning and also hints at Psych Pop instrumentally before becoming harmonic joy. The Message is Power Pop Gold. Lost At Sea shows that you don't have to blow the bloody doors off to engage completely. Another storming addition to the great Legal Matters canon.  

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

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Slip-Ons - Overtime

 

I've been enjoying this album for a while, having investigated further after playing the magnificent opener, Overtime, on a recent Listening To This Week. I don't often look at other reviews before writing my own, but I thought I'd have a look at early reviews to see if others liked it as much as I did.

Pleasingly, there are quite a reviews and none were PR cut and pastes, so two ticks there. The main take is that the variety here is acknowledged by how different reviews sited different genres. Quite a complement for the Vancouver quartet.

Any album with Brock Pytel is always interesting, he has an arena volume vocal and this gives the album a real Rock feel as does the inspired Guitar from Rob Matharu. The riffs rattle the woodwork and the solos are heavier than you might expect.

Held together by the dynamic rhythm section of Brian Minato and Shane Wilson, I've read that the album is Punk Rock, Indie Rock, 90s Rock and Power Pop. It is some of those things, but Punk seems a bit skewed, although the genre is often defined by the idea of what Punk is from the listener.

It is a little heavy for Power Pop, sounding more like heavier Indie Rock. Although, there are hints of Sugar at times and the sound has a clarity similar to an R.E.M. album. The album rarely comes up for air, performed at a rapid, almost frenetic pace which suits the four of them. A great fist shaking joy!

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

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Laughing Week - Despite The Static

 

Los Angeles trio, Laughing Week openly acknowledge the nod to the 90s Power Pop revival, but the Power Pop here also head towards earlier times on Uncertainties and to the current noisier breed with the excellent Conspiracy.

Guitar solos even get  Classic Rock at times without ever losing sight of the Guitar Pop. There's even nod to Slacker Rock and Uncertainties certainly gets a little Weezer. But this is a smashing debut, the band express themselves really well.

The Riffs are splendid, anthemic at times, your attention is certainly caught. Outskirts has a great Power Pop Beat and underlines their genre aims. There's also some great synth, that hits New Wave levels and the vocals work with both the slower and noisier directions. Old Cassettes is a corker of a song.

There is loads of promise across the 5 songs. A great debut. Many think Power Pop is inconsequential, songs about love and fun. But in these darker times, it is harder to be upbeat and Laughing Week are definitely that, proven by this mighty fine debut.

You can listen to and buy the EP here. You can buy it on CD or as a download.

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