The Pretty Flowers - Never Felt Bitter

 

I absolutely adore The Pretty Flowers. They are everything you could want in a Guitar band. Never Felt Bitter is the band's third album and we've covered the previous two, Why Trains Crash here, A Company Sleeve here. As well as perpetually bothering the Listening To This Week Playlist.

The Los Angeles quartet are anything that you want them to be. A cross between The Replacements and The Killers and everything in-between. They are in touch with what is around that is modern, yet knowledgeable about the past. 

Every album progresses and here is no exception. Album No 3 is a real Guitar album, epic in sound, a big production that doesn't lose touch with their roots. You want something that is in touch with the new noisier breed of Power Pop?, here's Convent Walls.

You want something heavier, down and dirty Garage Rock like?, here's Never Felt Bitter (We Burn).  Something slower, almost ballad like?, here's Not Dissolve. Ring True mixes, Post Punk with Noise Rock, yet remains incredibly melodic. It is possibly my favourite diversion, what a Guitar sound!

There are also anthems. To Be So Cool and Came Back Kicking are great examples. The opener, Thief Of Time sets out the agenda with its surprise Twanging solo that lets you know that this is no ordinary album that you are about to witness.

There is a real lyrical adeptness to discover, courtesy of front man, Noah Green, if you can tear yourself away from the stellar arrangements. Everything you could want from a Guitar band is here. Album Of The Year contender? You betcha!

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

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Ceylon Sailor - the tiny wave EP.

I've been loving this EP and wanting to tell you all about it. It is finally here. Unusually, for a Brooklyn band, this is wonderfully gentle Power Pop The five piece master melody with ease and venture towards Indie Pop vocally.

There's even some wonderful Brass accompaniment on the songs. All are as catchy as catchy can be. Well produced, arranged and performed. The title track has been constantly played here, a pacier affair amongst the four songs.

Candy is more straight ahead Power Pop with hints of 70s Pop. It is the surprises that hit you most on the song, the drum rolls, the 80s synth reminders and most of all that splendid Brass that enhances each and every song.

The Brass Intro on Sold Me Down is killer, as is the chorus. Never And Ever is an Epic collection, a real fanfare. The arrangements are stellar and really mark the material distant from the ordinary. These sort of songs used to be everyday, but not any more, meaning that The Tiny Wave is a real bolt from the blue. Great stuff!

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Autos - Autos (Back In Print)

 

Great news from Bobby. Dandyboy are reissuing the Autos Mini Album. One of the best things on here last year. The debut is being reissued in time for Record Store Day on the 18th April. You can read my original review below and listen to the album as well as ordering this really hot ticket.

Dandyboy Records is a label that continually comes up with the goods and here is even more proof. Autos are a quartet that have a Power Pop starting point, but the quartet step further afield, partly due to the strength of Brandon Tomavic's laidback rasping vocals.

Adding in a driving rhythm section and a twin guitar attack, the world is their oyster. This allows them to cross boundaries with ease. Into The Grey heads into UK New Wave territory with its driving riffs and singalong chorus.

Yet on Spark In The Dark fairly races along across boundaries. It feels a little 80s New Wave, but also has a Feargal Sharkey tone to the vocal with some great Guitar Play. Drive gets even more Mainstream. Instrumentally, it is a little Blondie, yet also has hints of UL Glam Rock with a corking chiming riff.

Yet Breakin' The Ice comes across all IRS, even heads towards The Replacements. Whilst Arturo is a massive display of how inventive they can be over a longer time period. A killer jangling riff is accompanied by something much harder, whilst never letting the song break its restraints.

Power Poppers will love these six songs, but there is plenty here for the Indie Kids and Guitar Pop fans. I'm completely convinced, my only regret is that there isn't more to enjoy. I could listen to this forever. A wonderful example of how Guitar Pop can delight without every song having to sound the same.

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

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Sparrowhawk - Sunflowers In The Moonlight

Recommended to me by our great friends at Add To Want List via their review. We are very similar places and meet in the middle. They are a little punkier than us, we perhaps a little more Guitar Pop, but I consider both essential oasis's in a musical world of desert.

Niek mentions that we are in a period of Rock n Roll renaissance and he's absolutely right. I'm fortunate to hear stuff ahead and some of the albums that are to come are amazing. They seem to be centred around the same release dates, but Friday and 17 April are real hot spots.

Have no doubt that Minneapolis's Sparrowhawk are a Rock band. A have a good time all the time sort of band. Very Thin Lizzy in their twin Guitar attack. 70s Classic Rock as a base template, but with an ability to link in Power Pop and UK Glam Rock.

They don't come up for air, those guitars gripping you, shaking you into submission. All riffs and killer solos. Noisy neighbours, but incredibly melodic. The solo on Lonesome Operator is jawdroppingly great in a glad to be alive way.

Down The Line is all Boogie with a California Man riff diversion. Fool's Mercy is Glam Heaven and the riffathon that is Power And The Glory is simply overwhelmingly ace. Again there are Glam overtones, but heavier than you might expect.

Dog Track gets close to Punk and Still Talk About It rattles the dentures. Underneath The Moonlight is so Robertson - Gorman, as is Roll On To Better Things. How about closing things with a 11 minute rock out? The Ranch Trilogy does just that. Awesome!

There's even one small slowdown, just the one, with the Acoustic title track, that reveals an intriguing side to the band. Overall though, this is a little rocky compared to our usual choices. But it is 100% fun and takes you into another universe were all is more than well. Superb!

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

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Otoliths - Lithos

 

Great Guitar based Pop Rock from Oakland via Tom Smith's One Man Band, Otoliths. Everything that a riffaholic needs is here as Lithos cross genres at will with expertise and intent. Packed with melody and Guitar heaven.

The banging Riff and killer solo of Bi-Weekly Lady enhances the mix of 90s Rock and Slacker Rock, yet Maeve's Melody and Bar Pilots are great Jangle Pop and the hippy-ish Limb From Limb enters my beloved Psych Pop avenue.

Minna mixes Classic Rock with 70s Pop Rock and adds a weeping Peter Green like riff. Projectionist is hypnotic with its Americana like instrumental theme, yet it also sounds ethereal with its haunting Guitar accompaniment.

Too Slow goes all West Coast Rock with the gentle vocal and wonderful easy listening harmonies. Crenellations even treads down the Prog Road. Sense In Asking is very close to UK New Wave. Go To Sleep reveals another fine meandering instrumental arrangement.

If you want 11 songs that sound the same, this isn't the album for you. It is multi directional, equally held back and rocking. The variety is laudable. A really interesting listen that will delight you as much as it did me. Recommended to all.

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

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Headaches - Happy To Be Crappy

 

I love it when a submission for the Listening This Week Playlist leads me to the accompanying album. This is great album, right up our street from the North Devon Trio. Looking at the cover, you would expect something shouty. There's not a bit of that.

The pace is certainly quick and you can imagine what a great live act they are. There are big nods towards Power Pop and 70s New Wave, but also melodic Pop Punk, a little Green Day at times. The sheer energy grips you completely.

I have a lot of time for Pop Punk, but not the robotic vocal type, there's none of that either. At times, the trio instrumentally sound a little Len Price 3 without the mod overtones. The Power Poppers amongst us will adore the album and there is a Ramones feel to the lightning speed.

Picking favourite tracks is difficult because the joy of an album is that you can listen to something complete. I've picked my favourite three to embed, but I would urge all to listen and buy. What's Happenin' reminds me of the great Emo that came through in the 90s from bands that didn't wear half pants.

Scene To Be Scene is anthemic and we can all agree with the sentiments of Superheroes (Run Small Indy Venues). Bucky In The Truck is great Pop Punk. I Wanna Dance (But I Can't) has Canvey Island reminders and Time To Lose is great UK Beat and actually a little Mod Pop.

My only complaint is that the album is over too soon. I just want more and more. Great Riffs, big choruses, songs that you can sing along to. Surprise Guitar solos too. What more could you want? What a great listen!

You can listen to and buy the album for a bargain Fiver here.

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Listening To This Week Playlist 23 March

28 songs this week, all of them are essential listening. I don't go on Social Media too often apart from tagging this, but I spent the weekend on the music group on Threads and I was impressed with how engaged and passionate the people, largely musicians, are. None of the negativeness, all about how they can change things.

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. 

Rob Bonfiglio - Monsters

Robertson - Illusion To Me

Duncan And The Dragonslayers - Wish I Could Wish You

Hard To Miss - Spinning

Tory Silver - Microwave

Salieri And The Turnspit Dogs - The Thief In The Fruit Tree

Rizla Silvers - Disconnect

The Wave Pictures -  Alice

Headaches - Supermarket Fantasy

Ben Auld - Red Bandana

Benji Kaplan - Ticking Time Bomb Serenade

The Empty Page - A Feminine Ending

The Collective - Saturday Night In A Northern Town

The Greenberry Woods - Whenever You Want Me Too

Trial Tapes - 42

The Fast Camels - L.A.

Prism Shores - Magical Thinking

Pete Davies - I Didn't Want To Do That

Seadog - Against The Grain

Soft No - Oxford Street

Max Threat - Thrown

MAX THREAT · Thrown

Celestial Sailors - Yes You Can

Matthew Squires And Sunk Coast - Wing Song

Davey Harris - Burnin' 

Davey Harris · Burnin

Shake Some - Rest Hide

Telephone Romeo - Ways Of The World

Raine - Summer Rain

Boni - Serious

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