Catching up on loads of reviews and there are far more to come. In the meantime, it's Lap 15 of the I Don't Hear A Single Radio show is tomorrow. There's some great new stuff around, so just one archive track this week.
Broadcast on KOR Radio at 8pm UK Time on Fridays, repeated at the same time on Saturdays. Due to increased popularity, a Monday Night Repeat has been added at 8pm and there are plans for some more US Friendly times.
Narrowing this week down to just one hour was particularly tricky, so this may be the best show ever. Where as the weekly image on here is usually changed, it's still Lego this week, because I like it.
Also, a reminder that the show is archived the following week on Mixcloud. You can listen to the first fourteen shows here.
Here's what you are going to hear this week.
01 DM3 - Can't Get What You Want
02 Pugwash - What Are You Like
03 Chris Price - Algebra In The Sky
04 The Posies - Unlikely Places
05 The Stanleys - Amy
06 The Forty Nineteens - And Such And Such
07 Hey Hello - Glass Of Champagne
08 Deer Tick - Sea Of Clouds
09 The Dahlmanns - Connie Converse
10 American High - Bunny
11 Friday Giants - What You're Made Of
12 Per Gessle - Fyrklöver
13 Tommy Henriksen - Punk City
14 The Red Button - Solitude Saturday
15 Blitzen Trapper - Wild And Reckless
16 The Dopamines - Kaltes Ende
17 Tom Slatter - Happy People
I've been really remiss in not reviewing the new Chris Price solo album. Better late than never though. It's been five years since the magnificent debut, Homesick and in that time Price has been involved in the return of Linda Perhacs and most notably Emitt Rhodes.
Rainbow Ends, the Rhodes album, was joyous. An artist that we never thought we would hear again, encouraged by Chris Price and a stellar cast for the Jellyfish brigade, it was wonderful. Now it's back to the solo career.
Although I've seen comparisons to Billy Joel backed by The Beatles, I compare Price to two different artists that are more beloved to the Power Pop masses. I'd like to think that these are the sort of songs that Pete Ham would be writing if he were still with us.
There's also more than a touch of Todd Rundgren in comparisons. That Philly Soul meets Classic Rock vibe is certainly the in the likes of Stop Talking. Algebra In The Sky is classic mid 70s Pop Rock, an age that I wished I still lived in. Think Jigsaw, 10CC etc.
Sigh is Jeff Lynne-ish with again overtones of Rundgren. One Of Them is jaunty Piano Rock. In between all this great singalong Pop, there are some great acoustic songs such as Anhedonia and Hi Lo.
Man Down wouldn't be amiss on a John Howard band album and anyone who can write a song as beautiful as You And Me (And Everyone Else) is worth following forever. There has been a lack of great Singer Songwriter albums over the past few years. Stop Talking is up there with anything that has gone before.
This is a great example of great songwriting. It's sensational. You can buy it everywhere. You can also listen to it here and buy one of the few remaining copies on vinyl here.
It's been a fairly quiet Summer, release wise, but that's about to change with some fine releases due in the next couple of months. Few will match the new Arts & Leisure album, this is great Pop, putting the pop in poptastic.
The Sacramento band's breeziness and outright chirpiness is just what's needed in these times. The jangle mixes all that is great with California Sunshine Pop but with a more English sound. It works beautifully.
There are plenty of Girl Pop references, all of them good. Here I Go could be 60's Psych Pop, but Rescued Objects nods to the most harmonic examples of the genre. Part Time You is all 80's Postcard Pop with a real Orange Juice jangle.
The opener California Goth Pop is a stormer of a song, the vocal reminds me of Shelley Poole and her better Alisha's Attic adventures, Cure For Today is so Go-Go's. Call Down The Night could be Sarah Cracknell.
Violet Black could be Lush and the closer, the brooding Last Call is a splendid way to show that this is a band that are going places. Arts & Leisure are certainly not some retro tribute. There's so many musical directions, 60's Pop, 70's New Wave, 80's Indie and 90's Sub Pop. All blend into a crackerjack of an album.
Vocals wise, Gerri White reminds you of so many great pop vocalists away from those mentioned. Think Susanna Hoffs, Debbie Harry, Louise Wener, but this is very much a band album. There is some real guitar depth coming from Cory Vick. This is one of the best things that I've heard all year.
Special mention should also go to Allen Clapp's Mystery Lawn Music. I have long been a fan of The Orange Peels, but since MLM was set up, there are some fantastic albums coming through. Each one different. indeed another album from the stable will be reviewed later in the week.
You can listen to and buy the album here. You should!
The Manchester scene from 1988, coined Madchester a year later, has names that roll off the tongue. Amongst James, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and Inspiral Carpets, were The Mock Turtles. That scene, not unlike Brit Pop, had some real gems away from the obvious.
The Mock Turtles' 1990 album, Turtle Soup, was one such stand out. I'm really surprised that it's taken until now to reissue. The difference with this band was that although they had the Madchester template, trippy guitars, vocals a tad like Morrissey at times, there was far more depth.
Turtle Soup nods to a much wider area, there's late Sixties Beat, Psych and even mid 80's Goth Riffs. There is essentially a real pop heart to the album and riffs and jangles to hold on to. There are also early nods to Shoegazing. The sad thing is that most people will remember them for one song and those with a deeper knowledge for two of the band members.
Martin Coogan is the band leader and the older brother of Steve and actor, Martyn Glyn Murray was the guitarist. Also thanks to Vodafone and Sky Premier Football coverage, Can You Dig It has become anthemic and a reminder of those early 90's days. More recently, And Then She Smiles was the theme tune to the Sky TC Series Stella, again alerting the masses to what a great little band these were.
It's enough that Cherry Red have reissued the album itself, it deserves that, but unlike a lot of reissues, there are tons of extra stuff and it's not throwaway. Turtle Soup's 11 original songs have been expanded to a massive double disc affair of 41 tracks.
Amongst these extras are the early EP's, singles and b sides and seven demos. Those early EPs are again essential listening. The whole package is a credit to the label. Turtle Soup has been out of print for so long, that just throwing it out would have garnered much interest. The fact that this has been so properly curated makes it well worth your pocket money.
Catching up on loads of reviews and there are far more to come. In the meantime, it's the 14th I Don't Hear A Single Radio show is tomorrow.
Broadcast on KOR Radio at 8pm UK Time on Fridays, repeated at the same time on Saturdays. Due to increased popularity, a Monday Night Repeat has been added at 8pm and there are plans for some more US Friendly times.
15 new tracks including a splendid Ricky Ross solo version of Raintown and two archive tracks that bookend the excitement.
Also, a reminder that the show is archived the following week on Mixcloud. You can listen to the first thirteen shows here.
Here's what you are going to hear this week.
01 Northern Uproar - Any Way You Look
02 Deer Tick - Don't Hurt
03 Arts And Leisure - California Goth Pop
04 Together Panagea - Kenmore Ave
05 Ricky Ross - Raintown
06 Joey Sykes - That's American Life
07 Francobollo - Wonderful
08 The Movielife - Ghosts In the Photographs
09 The Heartache State - Honey Slide
10 El Goodo - I Sit And Wonder
11 Psychotic Youth - The Voice Of Summer
12 Watchfires - We Will Always Forget
13 Bubblegum Orchestra - The Other Side Of Midnight
14 Paul Bertolino - Typical Girl
15 The Toms - No Visual Signs Of Love
16 Declan McKenna - The Kids Don't Wanna Come Home
17 The Colourfield - Castles In The Air (Extended Version)
Francobollo's debut album has been a long time coming, but it's definitely been worth the wait. Although based in London, the band are predominantly Swedish and you know our thoughts about the Swedish Scene and it being so much more inventive than the UK for a number of years.
With most of the Scandanavian artists that are covered here, the emphasis is usually on Pop Hooks. Well Francobollo are very different. There are hints of everything and all of it is left field. There's a real Psych feel at times and on Kinky Lola, they are almost Beefheart.
There's also a real rustic feel, yet a song like Future Lover sounds like something off Drums And Wires. There are also times when early nineties indie springs to mind, but then they can get as noisy as The Jesus And Mary Chain.
It's the space that the band leave that appeals so much. You could compare them to a noisy Daryll-Ann.Radio sounds again like early XTC or more relevantly, Talking Heads.There's so much here to admire, but be warned Long Live Life needs repeated listening to fully appreciate what it does.
There's so much here for the listener, the album will appeal to left field Glam fans, early UK and US New Wave admirers, C86 and IRS lovers. The band also have a superb live reputation and are on tour in the UK next month, so it's a real chance to see them before they get massive.
I listen to a lot of stuff, probably too much, but my ears always prick up when I hear something that is great and more importantly, different. Long Live Life is that, you should buy it now. You can get the album on vinyl or CD here or buy it to download everywhere.
It's great to have The Movielife back in our lives after their split in 2003. Vinnie Caruana has since led I Am The Avalanche, whilst Brandon Reilly has been in Nightmare Of You. Although there's more than enough variation present here, it's the more melodic tones of the latter band that shine through.
I've always considered The Movielife as good as if not better than Taking Back Sunday, yet all the plaudits went to TBS. The great news is that the Long Island outfit are in as good a form as ever and have added a real maturity to their sound.
While Laugh Ourselves To Death and Blood Moon point to their past, Ghosts In The Photographs is bordering on Power Pop and there's even a ballad with Pour Two Glasses. The closer, Hearts is a dark moody strum.
Cities In Search Of A Heart is at it's best when it tones down the noise and lets the melody get out, most prevalent on Mercy Is Asleep At The Wheel, which could almost be Green Day. There's been quite a few reformations lately, good, bad and ugly. The Movielife are in the good camp.
Deer Tick offer up two albums released on the same day, but fear not, this is no Use Your Illusion providing one good album from the two. Volume 1 and 2 are distinctively different, perhaps underlining the schizophrenic nature of the band previously.
The difference can be compared a little to Neil Young when he plugs his guitar in or not, but that's a bit simplistic. The first album is a really interesting take on their Roots and Americana influences. The second rocks out in Replacements mode, the band you sense Deer Tick always wanted to be. You sense John McCauley always wanted to be Paul Westerberg.
The fact that the albums got made at all is testament to McCauley's recovery from the chaos in his private life. Father, Wife To Be, drugs, you name it and it's got in the way. So when the news came of potential recordings and a mellowness and settling down in all things personal was both a relief and also a concern.
Would this calmness dilute the band's strength, the erratic was at times the charm? It's true that things seem less intense musically, there seems far more sharing of duties, Dennis Ryan and Ian O'Neill get a turn at vocals and it works over this amount of material. It's still McCauley's drawl that works best.
Vol. 1 works beautifully and is almost a jam at times, interesting melodies, great strum alongs. Card House and the magnificent Sea Of Clouds work best. This is the sort of stuff that I generally listen to less, but the album captivated me in a way that surprised me.
I knew I'd love the second volume and oh how I do. It is more on my home territory. Plugging those guitars in completely changes Deer Tick, it's all riffs and organ, wonderfully ramshackle, yet incredibly focused.
McCauley's lazy vocal delivery works well with the riffs and choruses that integrate it and in Mr Nothing Gets Worse, you have a real Westerberg / The Replacements vibe. Both these albums are worth the admission. Don't be tempted to just buy the noise or the roots, both played side by side show the versatility of Deer Tick. The band's return is more than welcome.
You can buy the albums at the band's Bandcamp site here or they are available at all good record stores etc etc.
The Radio show has just been put to bed and is brought to you by the number 13 this week.
Broadcast on KOR Radio at 8pm UK Time on Fridays, repeated at the same time on Saturdays. Due to increased popularity, a Monday Night Repeat has been added at 8pm and there are plans for some more US Friendly times.
Also, a reminder that the show is archived the following week on Mixcloud. You can listen to the first twelve shows here.
Here's what you are going to hear this week.
01 The Supernaturals - The Day Before Yesterday's Man
02 Sparks - Missionary Position
03 David Myhr - Spellbound
04 Copper Dalton - Brand New Moon
05 Shout Out Louds - Jumbo Jet
06 The Sherlocks - Will You Be There
07 Ted Leo - The Future (Is Learning To...)
08 Nick Garrie - The Moon and The Village
09 Rooney - Two Steps Ahead
10 The 1957 Tail-Fin Fiasco - Swings And Roundabouts
11 Fake Laugh - You Do Know
12 Kyle Vincent - Wake Me Up (Original Version)
13 Sewage Farm - Top Of The World
14 The Cheap Cassettes - Worse 'N' Better
15 John Miles - Overture
Ted Leo has always given the impression of a man straining at the leash, even Aimee Man didn't seem to calm him too much. His angry new waved up Power Pop made you think he'd be Neil Finn if only he'd tone it down.
But why should he? 2004's Shake The Sheets was a perfect template for Political Indie Rock, all clever venom about the right to question things. Since then he suffered from two record label collapses and the economics of being an independent musician in these times. Hence there are no Pharmacists here, although Chris Wilson drums.
As excellent as The Both are and how Aimee Mann and Leo complement each other, there was a yearning here for a new solo album and it seemed that none would be forthcoming. The Hanged Man proves that wrong and is exactly why the man has been missed. The album sounds less urgent and direct than Leo's previous offerings and all the better for it. Anyone who can write a song as urgent as The Future (Is Learning To....) deserves a full listen and although that is the stand out song, there's much more to enjoy.
The Nazarene is very Neil Finn, compare that to the sheer noise of the opener, Moon Out Of Phase, a glammed up, fuzzed up joy. Run To The City is in classic mid 70's Pop Rock Territory, Can't Go Back is all jaunty Ben Folds piano pop.
The Little Smug Supper Club is so early Joe Jackson or Elvis Costello, an absolute cracker, Anthems Of None stays in that late 70's UK New Wave Territory. The closer, Let's Stay On The Moon is a brooding sprawling 6 minutes plus to calm every thing down, a really personal song that Ted Leo seems to want to get out of his system and you glad to hear the result.
It's been seven years since The Brutalist Bricks. The Hanged Man has made every hour of the wait worthwhile. All 14 songs add something more to the Leo Rucksack. This is an absolute gem of an album. You can buy the album everywhere and you should.
First up I am a Sparks fan, when the Queen Of Burtonwood grumbles about the amount of music here, I blame Ron and Russell Mael. 43 years ago the first album that I bought was Propaganda, so for four fifths of my life, Sparks have been close by. I'm also a little different to a lot of similar aged Sparks fans who think everything has always been fantastic and hunky dory. The 80's were not very kind to Sparks, there are some real clunkers away from Whomp That Sucker and Angst In My Pants.
Ron Mael should be celebrated as one of music's great lyricists, rather than the weird guy on the keyboards, no one writes lyrical couplets like Ron and that's why most of the 80's output irritates me because an album like In Outer Space sounds so twee and is lyrically banal. It's as though the songs were phoned in.Sparks have always moved in whichever direction they pleased and they've took a lot of the fans with them, but what they've also managed to do is bring the young along with them, appealing to a student audience whatever the year is.
There's also an irritation here concerning some reviews from people who are putting up Sparks as National Treasures who have always been beloved, they treat Jeff Lynne and ELO the same way, there were times when both couldn't get a decent hearing. The thing I love about the band is that they treat every album as though it was a debut and the people who buy it are assumed to be hearing Sparks for the first time.
This has been a fine approach and meant that the history isn't what brings a lot to the party, the listeners hooked at listening to Dick Around would listen to an album like Indiscreet, one of my Top 10 albums ever in bemusement if they heard it before Hello Young Lovers. This is their first song based studio album in nine years and the three before have been incredibly inventive, so how would Hippopotamus compare to their recent form and general back catalogue.
Well, the album is wonderful, truly so, no two songs are the same, it even closes with a duet with Operatic Soprano Rebecca Sjowall. The collaboration with Franz Ferdinand, FFS, revealed that Sparks were writing three minute pop songs again and there's plenty of that here with the likes of What The Hell Is It This Time?, A Little Bit Of Fun and the magnificent, Missionary Position with it's piano riff. The latter could be one of their best songs ever, praise indeed, it sits happily here and could sit just as well on Kimono My House.
Ron Mael's lyrics are at the top of their game, as are the song subjects which are as left field as you could ever want. The wonder of Ikea, people and their petty prayers and the title track asks how so many things got in the pool such as a Hippopotamus, a woman with an abacus and a Volkswagen Campervan. I can only think of one person with such lyrical depth about banal subjects and that's Randy Newman.
There's plenty here for those who, like me, like their Sparks weird and enough for those who like the dance and a host of great great Pop. Whatever stage you joined Sparks at, it is catered for and the album as a whole stands up alone beautifully, so you feel free to get hooked. The upcoming live tour promises much, particularly with the marvellous Mini Mansions in tow. Live you can expect lots of Hippopotamus in the set, 8 of the 15 songs I believe and all the favourites, plus a couple of surprise inclusions.
How many bands have survived 45 years and have a new album out that sounds as fresh as the first? Sparks don't rest on their greatest hits, they are interested in the now but are grateful that you like their past. Without doubt, this band changed my life and showed what music can mean to you. I wouldn't want to be the 11 year old me again, but thank goodness I've still got the Mael Brothers.
Norwich quartet Hello Bear's mini album is a splendid 7 track affair. Although still leaning towards Pop Punk, there's tons of influences to make it far from ordinary. Although many will hear Weezer here, it's not quite that.
Do You Want Ants? is a far more English take on the genre and so the emphasis is more on Pop. Strength Is Not Your Strength gets Glam Rock like at time, almost call call and response. Manuka Honey has a clever dual vocal.
There's also a cleverness in the lyrics that isn't always noted when listening to the riffs and you also feel that the Power Pop is fighting to get out. The album is at it's best on Afternoons Delight which is a bit like The Feeling on Speed. More of this jauntiness promises much for the future.
After a bad dose of Norton Internet Security Upgrades taking me back to 1998, the server is back in action and the reviews can recommence because I can get at the music. The service returns to normal with the start of a big catch up over the weekend.
The Radio show has just been put to bed and reaches the round dozen this week.
Broadcast on KOR Radio at 8pm UK Time on Fridays, repeated at the same time on Saturdays. Due to increased popularity, a Monday Night Repeat has been added at 8pm and there are plans for some more US Friendly times.
14 from the department marked new and three archive tracks for your listening pleasure.
Also, a reminder that the show is archived the following week on Mixcloud. You can listen to the first eleven shows here.
Here's a sneak preview of tomorrow night's excitement.
01 Tsar - I Don't Wanna Break-Up
02 DM3 - Monsters
03 Daisy House - Looking at Me (Stop!)
04 Pezband - Drop Me A Line
05 Neil Finn - The Law Is Always on Your Side
06 Owsley - Coming Up Roses
07 Bill Nelson - I'm Dancing
08 The Young Hearts - Medicine
09 Luke Seymoup - Jailbird Sing
10 The Hangabouts - Twelve Songs
11 City Boy - Walk On The Water
12 Bubble Gum Orchestra - The Beatles Made Me
13 Shake Some Action - Starting Again
14 Fernando Perdomo - Spotlight Smile
15 Oh Wonder - High On Humans
16 Gentlemen Jackals - Waiting for the Day
17 Mordecai Smyth - Heading Back West
