IDHAS Ten Songs Mix 53

Volume 52 is still live and currently at No 2 in the Mixcloud Global Power Pop Chart. Unusually, that was primarily aimed at that chart whereas normally we go for all 5. Volume 53 is very different, this is the usual eclectic mix and it may be the best Mix we have ever submitted.

It includes The 3 Clubmen, one of the three being Andy Partridge, with a song that sounds as though it could be on Mummer at times. Plus there is a 17 minute plus Prog masterpiece to end proceedings from Manchester's Legs On Wheels.

Overall, this is a splendid listen, full of depth, which we hope is what you expect from I Don't Hear A Single. 10 Songs in 49 minutes, longer than usual due to our Prog closer. A great way to end April on I Don't Hear A Single.

 Here is the playlist of the ten songs this week :

01 Missilkid - Never Gonna Feel The Same

02 Tyler Gilbert - Clueless

03 The 3 Clubmen - Aviatrix

04 Robocop Kraus - Cradle Of Filth

05 Kid Chameleon - Juniper

06 Friendly Antenna - Gurl You Are So Far Away

07 Bone Apple Tea - Spirit Released

08 No Press - Sensibility

09 Charming Arson - No One Going Nowhere

10 Legs On Wheels - Arnold The Slime King

IDHAS Ten Songs Mix 53

.....................................

Joe Dilillo - Superhero Star EP

 

Chicago's Joe Dilillo appears to be on the wrong coast with this splendid EP. This is laid back West Coast Pop Rock that suits his gentle vocal beautifully. It is a type of Melodic Pop that we used to hear often, but less so these days.

It hits the right spot, too often in the past the strength of the songs has been washed away by multi tracked vocal harmonies that you could easily admire but became bleh. You could admire the vocals once or twice, but for a while everything that was released seemed to sound the same.

There are also times that Dilillo isn't a million miles away from the slower songs of John Brodeur without the angst. These are wonderfully arranged and performed songs, none more so than the aching heart of Boulevard which features A Girl Called Eddy and a ripping solo that comes from nowhere.

The song has everything that is required including the country tinge that enhances such a song and an ace light orchestral arrangement. Much will be made of the lead single, Loser Girl, an excellent song in its own right, with the sadly defunct Lickerish Quartet accompaniment, but this is the gem.

Superhero Star runs it close and is the most upbeat offering with a hell of a hook. It is Pop Rock of the highest order. I'm Sorry is quite the opposite, very 70s in a good way, it almost weeps. Mind Your Heart was the second single and is the poppiest of the five songs.

Another song that is arranged to perfection, almost a little Andrew Gold at times, McCartney Pop at times with a splendid surprise keyboard run followed by a Glam Guitar solo. Superhero Star is a cracking listen. Great Pop doesn't have to be all about crashing guitars. You can sit back and enjoy this thoroughly/

You can listen to and buy the EP here.

......................

A Polite Request From I Don't Hear A Single

 

This week has seen a real spate of multiple repeat emails and messages about reviews and single playlisting. Some have been a little too passive aggressive which doesn't make me move any faster, quite the reverse. A few have been emailing daily, another artist has been messaging every other day. This problem has been growing and growing over the past few months. So I wanted to explain what we do. I Don't Hear A Single is primarily an Album Review site and can usually review about 20 albums a month except for the two 31 in 31 months. I get in roughly 200 a month and at least 50 of those would normally qualify for a review because I like 'em. 

It is pointless pushing and pushing for an immediate review as I have to deal with all that comes in and some that have been embargoed. I can get albums up to three months before release and they have to be slotted in where possible, I am a real fan of certain artists back to the ASH days and I would obviously want to tell people about them. I only review what I really rate and even if I've covered you before, it doesn't mean that I can give you priority. IDHAS is primarily about opening doors for the new and unappreciated artists. If there is a choice between someone who has been covered and not, I am gonna give priority to the latter.

I realised there was a weakness with how we covered Single songs and it didn't make sense to review individual songs. So I started the Listening To This Week solely for submissions and that has been incredibly popular with the once a week post. But that is completely over subscribed. Around 200 submissions arrive a week and with just a maximum of 17 slots a week, some people are going to be disappointed.  The LTTW is largely for artists that haven't been covered before. The IDHAS 10 Song Mix is completely different, it is solely my choice and closely related to the albums I review. No first time artists are generally covered on that.

I Don't Hear A Single gets around 25,000 views a month and so there is also the related emails and social media channel messages to deal with from that. I have also recently joined two Indie Music Panels and do work for a couple of Record labels. So there is little time to deal with impatience, aggression or mithering. I don't get angry about it, I just ignore it. Nothing is forgotten, if I like am album or single, it is put in a folder that I review at least daily, on most days multiple times. I will help anyone and everyone I can. I deliberately took a step back from every day social media to do this. But there are only so many hours in the day and music isn't my main job.

So please give me time. If I haven't responded, a gentle reminder is fine, but at least give me a few days. The success of I Don't Hear A Single is amazing considering it covers such a narrow remit. That's why I get so frustrated when people say there is no great new music. There obviously is as IDHAS proves. But I ask that people are patient and understanding to give me the space to do what I do. I do not want people to stop getting in touch, quite the reverse. I just hope that people will be patient.

........................................

Joe Normal - Public Works

 

Although cutting his teeth in the Glam Pop of The Zeros, I first came into contact with Joe Normal as Joe Hutchinson and the band, Hutch. The internet was taking off and it was a lot easier to get in touch with new friends, labels and artists.

I loved Hutch and took that love into the early days of Anything Should Happen where the Turn It Around album was a massive favourite of the community. It is to massive credit to Joe that he is still making great music decades on.

These days, he is a great Blue Collar Singer Songwriter, not a million miles away from my hero, Ian Hunter, who coincidentally has a new album out too. His songs are very much about his town and community which once stood tall, but now are almost devastated by neglect. My hometown suffers from exactly the same problems.

There is a real maturity in his songwriting and that allows him to hit his targets with ease. Equally at ease with a song as upbeat as Summer Jobs and as downbeat as the Dylan-esque style of I Ain't No. He can also throw up curve balls such as the sheer romantic feel of New England Girl which is probably the best Ian Hunter song that he didn't write.

Living In The Borough has a real "all together now" chorus, a great Acoustic Street song. Warinanco Pond is even great Piano Pop in the style of someone like John Howard. Ya Gotta Open Your Heart is real 70s Pop Rock joy, a ballad with a catch all chorus.

Small Town Factory has a real jangle to it, but all roads lead to The Unsung Heroes That Time Never Knew, a little Springsteen, but a melancholic moody affair, much further down compared to the rest of this album.

Public Works is a triumph. It is hard to believer that Normal is a one man band as this is such a joined up affair. Lyrically deep, beautifully played, it celebrates and regrets without ever preaching or appearing pessimistic. There is always hope and this album thrives on that. It is the sort of Classic album that we forget used to exist and still does proudly.

You can listen to and buy it here.

..............................

Bone Apple Tea - Bone Apple Tea

 

I've been loving Los Angeles's Bone Apple Tea's album for the past month or two. It's gentleness is a real antidote to the noisier affairs that have dominated my listening habits lately. They are really hard to pin down sound wise.

One minute there is a Jayhawks Americana vibe, the next there is a venture into Psych. They seem equally at home with West Coast Pop Rock and 70s Glam Rock, indeed the vocal at times is very Bolan-esque. 

However, this is not sleepy stuff, there is a real swagger in what they do and both the playing and arrangements are spot on. Honey Dew, for instance, develops from a gentle pastoral strum into Psych Pop joy and has a constant killer bass line. 

Just Like You is early Rock and Roll, whilst Want It Back could be on the big studio recordings of the 60s with the likes of the Wrecking Crew. BAT Theme is a real altogether now, almost show shuffle song. Baby Song is pure California Bubblegum Pop with some fine Acoustic Guitar playing.

Spirit Released is a wonderful slab of Psych, yet Roll On is perfect 70s Pop Rock. Long Lash Girl is real "let's do the show right here", almost Toytown in feel. Dialed You Up has the vibe of a 70's Sitcom Theme, but also has a real Orgone Box vibe at times.

Mackin' starts all T Rex riff but heads into UK Glam and Good Company is the best Jayhawks song not to be a Jayhawks song. The whole album is an absolute pleasure to listen to. Hard to believe that an album so beautifully written and played is a debut. Highly Recommended!

You can listen to and buy the album here.

...................................................

IDHAS Ten Songs Mix 52

Welcome to the Mixcloud Global Charts bothering IDHAS Ten Song Mix. It has been three weeks since the last one and we'd gathered 20 songs ready. We thought that would be too much to do an extended mix, so this one will have Volume 53 to keep it company from Sunday.

Again this one is very Indie Guitar Pop orientated, the songs we had chosen lent themselves to that, allowing us to provide a more eclectic mix next time. I suspect that the Power Pop forums will love this. 10 splendid songs in almost 35 minutes.

 Here is the playlist of the ten songs this week :

01 The Anderson Council - Alone With You

02 Spearside - Not Up To Much

03 Crocodiles - Love Beyond The Grave

04 Death In Venice - Mr Flight Controller

05 Buddie - Backwards Behind

06 Superviolet - Blue Bower

07 Nick Piunti - Heart Stops Beating

08 Easy - I Want To Say Forever

09 The Campbell Apartment - Fun In The Sun

10 Mr! Mouray - Spider Monkeys On Mars

IDHAS Ten Songs Mix 52

.....................................

Legs on Wheels - L E G R O O M

 

Manchester isn't a hotbed of Prog, so its refreshing to have something fairly nearby. I get the chance to get out my alter ego and put on a mask that has never heard any Indie Guitar Pop. I think many of you know that my life away from IDHAS involves listening to a fair bit Of Progressive Rock.

This is proper Prog, not your Billy Sherwood dominated kitchen sink stuff that is really AOR for people who can play their instruments. I like it so much that I'm gonna give Sid Smith a shout, who probably knows about it already. 

Like all good Prog, it steps into many directions. Psych, Jazz, Pop Rock, Space Rock and even a venture into Punk. Heaven's Gate is multi directional, about ten songs in one without ever losing the plot and The Big Squeeze gets close to Gabriel era Genesis at times, but far more weird and wonderful.

Marco Polo Goes To Movies even starts all Pearl And Dean Brass and is very Soft Machine, whilst Easy Prey gets pretty close to 70s King Crimson. That leaves the big closer, Arnold The Slime King which is as near Pop Rock as Legs On Wheels get.

It is the only time they get close to the more modern prog of say Big Big Train, it even gets choral and a little Steve Marriott at times. Five songs in 47 minutes, just as we like it, without ever being over played. An album to be listened to in its entirety that underlines the sheer wonder of Prog.

You can listen to and buy the album here. You can find a little more about Legs On Wheels here. The album is available on CD and as a download, but there is a Kickstarter here for a vinyl release here.

...............................

Buddie - Agitator

 

I've been sat on this for a while and then completely missed last Friday's release, I had better not make the mistake when the excellent Crafted Sound's upcoming release of label mates Silver Car Crash's new album. Buddie's second album is magnificent, every bit as good as I expected and more.

I reviewed the holding EP, Transplant, here and that was an absolute joy, but this full length album is even better. This is Indie Guitar Pop of the highest order, very 90s, but with an ability to trend across the genre. Incredibly melodic and riff driven, it will certainly push IDHAS followers buttons.

There's a real lyrical adeptness to match the catchiness. Class Warfare has a riff not a million miles away from Don't Fear The Reaper and leads into a big does of melodic pop until an almost Psych close. Buddie certainly pack a lot into individual songs.

We'll Never Break is fine Slacker Pop, Backwards Behind mirrors Teenage Fanclub, Worried is pure Weezer and Game Of Global Consequence could be something written by Andy Partridge. Move On even has a real Sunshine Pop vibe.

As with the EP, there are comparisons to Alex Lifeson's second half of the 80s Guitar riffs, particularly on Labyrinth, then there is noise rock fuzz of Ugly In The End and the best may be saved until last with the slowed down closer Restive Summer, an epic sign off.

Most will probably not notice the aims of the splendid lyrics being too busy tapping their feet and singing along to the choruses. I like to think that I know my subject (in a totally modest way of course) and to me Buddie are one of the most vital Pop Rock bands of recent years and Agitator is album of the year material.

You can listen to and buy the album here. There are also links here, where you can also find out more about the wonderful Crafted Sounds label.

..............................

Listening To This Week

 

Welcome to this week's LTTW playlist. Another 16 splendid songs providing a wide variety and underlining how interesting and enjoyable the Indie scene is. Links to the artists will also appear on I Don't Hear A Single Social Media sites over the next 24 hours.

We added "Listening To This Week" to I Don't Hear A Single, it was to allow more single songs to appear here as IDHAS is primarily a home for Album Reviews. The IDHAS 10 Song Mix consists of songs that we discover ourselves. 

The addition of something that covered submissions seemed another way to cover tracks as I felt it was impossible to devote Reviews to one song. It was also a way to discover artists that we might have missed and we have. Some of the songs we have published will eventually lead to Album Reviews from the same artists.

So I thought this weekly feature may be the best thing to tell you about these songs. This weekly fayre is solely for submissions, not the usual stuff that we dig out ourselves. This is a fine and varied selection of songs. Please investigate the artists further. All links open in new windows to aid scrolling.

Odds - Crash The Time Machine

FM Rodeo - Self-Titled National Anthem

The False Peak - In-Between

Kingfisher - Stand Back In

Audio Drones - Throw It Off A Bridge

Space Kitchen - The Arrival

Megafauna - Bi Postal

Light Atomic = Blades on the Night Stand

Necati Ozmucur - Echoes in the Abyss

The Creepy Crawlies - Frozen Lake

Charlie Vaughan - The Director

MOST UNLIKELY - Tears Won't Dry

The Great Heights Band - Kickstart the Feeling

Orca Station - Sylows

Twice Shy - Reflections (Hollywood)

Preston Pierce - Low Low

..................................

Finn's Motel - Last Year's Leaves EP

 

I do like surprises. There is no better feeling than hearing an album out of the blue that just lights up your day. St Louis, Missouri's Finn's Motel were the biggest example of this last year. Fireworks Or Lightning was so ace that it made the IDHAS Best Albums Of 2022. You can read the review here.

This is the follow up EP and it is splendid. Four new songs and a cover of Tommy Keene's Baby Face and the latter was incredibly poignant to me. The two biggest hits that I felt personally were the deaths of both Tommy and Will Owsley and I'm not someone who gets emotional or generally hangs out with musicians.

Tommy was different. When we talked it wasn't really about his music, it was about Prog and Rock and our dogs, Coco his Labrador and Crash, my Lurcher. Musically, it wasn't all crashing Power Pop Riffs, Baby Face is a lovely moving song and lit up Places That Are Gone.

But here, the band offer a version that is even more moving with a wonderful closing piano piece from Scott Roever replacing the original jangle. It is heart melting and probably the least Power Pop song on an EP that is very Power Pop influenced.

Where as Fire Or Lightning was melodic Prog, Classic Rock and Glam influenced, Last Year's Leaves is very different, much more restrained, but just as melodic. That Makes Us Two Of Us could be a 90's Sitcom Theme song.

It's Not The Same (It's Better) starts off with a sort of Losing My Religion intro but heads into a territory somewhere between 70s Pop Rock and 60s West Coast Beat. Beautifully sung, there is an ace Jangle throughout and a catch all chorus.

Don't Read It jangles even more continuing the Power Pop vibe with a surprise diversion into a dreamy section then a retro chatty bit with an Ian Hunter Ballad Of Mott reference. It is as though the band are calling up all my musical heroes.

After All is a fine closer, more Americana than you'd expect, but still jangling and twanging. This EP is just as good as the previous album, but very different, more from the heart maybe. My only disappointment is that this isn't an album. I want more and more and more.

You can listen to and buy the EP here.

..................................................

Robocop Kraus - Smile

 

Nuremberg's Robocop Kraus return with their first new album in 15 years and to be honest, it is like they've never been away. They can be as pop as the poppiest, but their adventures are a little more left field. Very adventurous 80s as a base, they spread their tentacles across New Wave, Post Punk, Indie and much more.

No matter which direction they take, songs are built around "all together now" choruses and verses are noted for the hook. What is most pleasing is that the long absence shows everyone what they've missed. They are back with a "We're Here" crash, providing what long time fans crave, but also ready for a new generation of fans.

Young Man burst in with its hypnotic chorus like an emerging Indie band, followed by Innocent Fun which is part Cars, part Rezillos and frenetically poptacular. Yet Savages is as near to Devo as you can get and On Repeat could be New Order. 

Cannonball comes across as 80s Roxy Music with that definitive Bass line, but Under Control is somewhere between Sparks In Outer Space period, Joy Division and Andrew WK. But World / Inferno could be on the Miami Vice soundtrack.

What I Wanted is an urgent slice of Post Punk, wonderfully in your face. The Foul Stench Of Our Time is 1977 UK Punk, a real surprise, faithfully approached, an absolute winner. The sense of humour is intact too, the paean to Cradle Of Faith is hilarious.

That song is incredibly close to Power Pop, revealing yet another side to the band. It will certainly be on the upcoming IDHAS 10 Song Mix. We had no right to expect something as great as Smile after such a long gap. An absolute winner!

You can buy the album by following the links here. You can listen everywhere.

..............................

Sam Saunders - Onto-Communication Rescue

 

I get more and more frustrated with the likes of CD Baby and Distro Kid and the likes. They convince artists that they will sort of make them a star with physical distribution, online presence then just seem to stick them on the streaming sites with no promotion, youtube being a favourite and then just move on to the next.

No promotion, no Bandcamp or Soundcloud, no social media. Nowhere to earn anything back for the artist. Musicians release a physical album and it is put on Amazon and left there. Who is ever gonna find it? We know how hard it is for Indie artists to get their work listened to without a helping hand. These people are paid and give nothing back.

Which brings us to Sam Saunders, who seems to have utilised CD Baby and as usual the awareness is zilch. I can normally help listeners make a decision by embedding three songs in the review, but of course I don't use the soulless streaming giants and so I can only direct you to them to listen.

But I can tell you how good this album and it is really really good, Plenty of the Pop Rock Guitar joy is wonderful, riffs and solos abound. There is also a healthy dose of 70s Rock and particularly Psych Pop that just completely lights my candle.

The riff on Be Enough lights up a 60s Psychy Beatles affair and To Waste All Your Love has a spacey feel on what is essentially is largely 70s Rock with bits of everything thrown in. Rock 'N' Rollism is a cracking slab of late Lennon Beatles. 

But it isn't all Guitar excellence, although most of it thankfully is. The Airport hints at Teenage Rock and Roll, B Minor (Sidewinder) gets all chilled, jazzy even and I Wouldn't Hide has an ace drawled and double tracked vocal, much more sedate yet still with hints of The Orgone Box.

Stargazer Gazing hints at trance and is quite a soundscape, yet Communication Rescue is anthemic with a great piano hook bringing back memories of gatefold sleeves and Fidelity Hi Fi Stereos. Peaceful Night even mixes Psych and Prog in the most melodic way possible.

There really is so much to like here. Unexpected noises and instrument additions and stellar Guitar playing. I'm not overstruck on the drum sound, but that is a minor quibble when this is such an exceptional intriguing and inventive listen.

Plea

se give this an album a listen on your favourite streaming site. Links are here and included is a link to buy the CD or download from Amazon.

....................................

Listening To This Week

 

16 songs this week to delight your lugs! Listening To This Week is now on its regular Monday slot. Links to the artists will also appear on I Don't Hear A Single Social Media sites over the next 24 hours.

We added "Listening To This Week" to I Don't Hear A Single, it was to allow more single songs to appear here as IDHAS is primarily a home for Album Reviews. The IDHAS 10 Song Mix consists of songs that we discover ourselves. 

The addition of something that covered submissions seemed another way to cover tracks as I felt it was impossible to devote Reviews to one song. It was also a way to discover artists that we might have missed and we have. Some of the songs we have published will eventually lead to Album Reviews from the same artists.

So I thought this weekly feature may be the best thing to tell you about these songs. This weekly fayre is solely for submissions, not the usual stuff that we dig out ourselves. This is a fine and varied selection of songs. Please investigate the artists further. All links open in new windows to aid scrolling.

Death in Venice - Mr Flight Controller 

missilkid - David Stole My Ride

No Press - Sensibility

The Slashes - Code Breaker

Forest Hall - Summer's Coming

John Tomaino - The Wolf of Lonely Street

Makeup - All My Friends Are High

Richard Lavers - What The News Is

The First Ones - Parallel Universe

Karmic Juggernaut - Sun Puzzle

Cormac Kavanagh - I Can't Wait

The Blonde Parade - 12 Nights

Springworks - Joke of the Season

Goalie Fight - Harden Your Heart

Paddy Keyes - Complicated

Humanity Deluxe - Get Up Get Loud

......................................

King Black Acid - The Rainbow Lodge

 

I've been waiting to tell you about this for a while, so its over to Portland Oregon and King Black Acid. King Black Acid is essentially Daniel Riddle with a fine selection of collaborators and though they may be new to many, they aren't actually at new at all. 

King Black Acid's debut album was in 1995 with Womb Star Session and three albums followed with Loves A Love Song ending the run in 2000. After being active in various guises, particularly film soundtracks, Riddle revived King Black Acid with the 2017 wonder that is Super Beautiful Magic. 

Six years on, we get the sixth album and the results are astounding. I suppose you would term The Rainbow Lodge, Indie Rock, but that would only be to give it a base, because this melodic extravaganza takes in Space Rock, Classic Rock, Neo Psych, Glam Rock and much more. You are in for a treat.

The biggest attention will be aimed at the recent single, Caterpillar Queen, with its Glam overtones and rightly so. It has the joy of say Ulysses, maybe without the wit, but with much more in it and adds a lovely string ending.

But to focus on that would be disrespectful to the quality elsewhere. Don't Want My Life To Be Like That is very Brit Pop (I know, I know, but it is) with overtones of a rockier Dodgy and the horn intro is reminiscent of Northern Uproar or The Boo Radleys in Wake Up Boo mode and then there's the outro.

Dreamers Ballad is splendid 70s Pop Rock with Space Rock instrumental hints, all at a frantic pace. The solo that opens In Love For The Last Time is all Flares and Butterfly Collars and the good news is that the riff returns. If anything, it is a little in the realm of The Darkness.

Fire On Gasoline is built on a heavier riff then explodes into a big AOR chorus. Yet, I'm The Dangerous Type is built around a quirky groove. I Wanna Get You High is more 80s with its synth runs and its all together now chorus.

Kissed At The Cemetery is the song that contains the most, constant chopping and changing, the nearest King Black Acid get to straight ahead Pop with its electronic drum beat. Throughout the album there are so many hooks.

The Rainbow Lodge is much different to those experimental 90s in that this album is much more commercial. However to produce an album as good as this 28 years on deserves massive applause. This is proper Melodic Rock with not a cliche in sight. Absolutely Wonderful!

You can listen to and buy the album here. You really should!

...........................

The Successful Failures - Wrong Together

 

We are long time fans of Trenton New Jersey's The Successful Failures and I've remarked before that Mick Chorba's writing is never less than interesting. I talk about versatility and there is no greater example than here, but I do think that it has held the band back a tad in the past.

How do you define a quartet that are equally at home with Americana, Noise Rock, Power Pop, New Wave, 70's Pop Rock, Country and even Pop Punk? The answer is you don't try. but that still doesn't help listeners who hear their first song and the second is nothing like it. Thankfully, Digital and FM Stations have picked up on them at last.

This variation is in their DNA and finally people have realised that what you do is listen to the whole album and choose which suit your show or a listener's mood. I am a massive advocate of listening to albums all the way through, a thing too many don't do, particularly some reviewers. I mean I can't count how many times that I read PR and it is nothing at all like the music, yet people print it verbatim.

I have to admit that my favourite Successful Failures song is one that they crash in on and this time's example is The Worst Of Our Kind. You want Rock you've got it and they even manage to slow it down to gradually let it blast again.

They become outlaws on Kings From Italy. yet All I Really Want is a lesser seen ballad, a little Southern, yet at the same time almost a Doo Wop Song. Learning What Is To Be Free is a sort of Campfire altogether, unusually gentle, but highly effective and includin a whistle.

The closer though revives that Chorba growl and adds a killer melodic solo. Kids Of Queens adds a twang, but has a rhythm not a million miles away from Glam Rock. Millions Of People, the lead single, still grabs every time with that riff.

New City is even very R.E.M. vocally and what a solo!. This does feel a more gentler softer album than times gone past. It also works because of that. Chorba's lyric writing is as spot on as ever. Few write songs similar to him and the band are as ace as ever. Highly Recommended as is all of the back catalogue.

You can listen to and buy the album here. There is also a fab Substack Page here.

......................................

The On And Ons - Let Ya Hair Down

 

Sydney Trio The On And Ons offer up their fifth album and as you'd expect it is grooviness personified. Indeed the opening title track is all Austin Powers Groovy Baby Swinging 60s. Whilst being set firmly in the 60s, there is a lot of deviation around the decade.

Covering everything from Beat to Psych Pop, Bubblegum to Rock and much more, this is an incredibly enjoyable listen. Games People Pay for instance could easily be The Who and Rub Tomorrow has a real R & B (no not that R and B) snd heads well into the territory of The Len price 3.

Give Me Time is Merseybeat with a real twang, yet It's Not Over is splendid melodic Psych Pop. With Your Heart is built around a driving bassline and wonderful organ strain, but is also bledded with a great Psychedelic Guitar solo that edges into 70s Rock as it progresses.

Patriot could appear on any of those massive Pop Rock albums from the 70s. Melodic with a great little drum roll, even the solo fits the genre. There is even time for a bigger Rock affair with a fine slurred vocal. It is an ace way to close the album.

You can imagine Lovin' Soul being played at a NME Winners Poll in 1966, but even poppier is Forlorn. A cracking slice of Power Pop that would light up any Facebook related forum. The beauty of The On And Ons is not just the variety, it is also their way with a hook.

Add that to the fab inclusion of Organ which lights up the songs it buts into. The band are not going to batter you with big riffs, there's a much appreciated gentleness to what they do, never losing sight of the song. Highly Recommended!

You can listen to and buy the album here. 

.................................................

The Golden Grass - Life Is Much Stranger

A Power Trio in every sense of the word, this is New York's The Golden Grass and they master 70s Rock with ease. They can venture into Psych and Classic Rock without ever losing sight of what they are about. They stay in a kind of groove without ever being dull.

At times, there is a touch of Thin Lizzy in the Guitar solos which always follow on seamlessly from the main riffs. At other times they edge on the AOR of say Boston or Kansas and when the feel becomes Hard Rock, it is never "Ooh baby yeah".

Not Without It's Charm is a little Southern Rock, yet Springtime On Stanwoods is more Paul Rodgers than anything vocally and has that real Lizzy feel Guitar wise, Island On Your Head even borders on Metal instrumentally.

The Answers Never Know even opens up with a Glam Rock intro. Yet A Particular Situation is more of Blues Boogie Rock with a killer wig out. It as while since I've been enthralled by something like this. I thought the sound had long gone. But the riffs, solos and groove are addictive and knitted together by a softer vocal than you might expect. A cracking listen!

You can listen to and buy the album here,

.................................

Listening To This Week

 

14 songs this week to delight your lugs! Listening To This Week is now on its anticipated regular Monday slot. 20 Songs this week, so I'll shut up to give you more chance to listen.

We added "Listening To This Week" to I Don't Hear A Single, it was to allow more single songs to appear here as IDHAS is primarily a home for Album Reviews. The IDHAS 10 Song Mix consists of songs that we discover ourselves. 

The addition of something that covered submissions seemed another way to cover tracks as I felt it was impossible to devote Reviews to one song. It was also a way to discover artists that we might have missed and we have. Some of the songs we have published will eventually lead to Album Reviews from the same artists.

So I thought this weekly feature may be the best thing to tell you about these songs. This weekly fayre is solely for submissions, not the usual stuff that we dig out ourselves. This is a fine and varied selection of songs. Please investigate the artists further. All links open in new windows to aid scrolling.

For The Monks - Instigator Organiser

Gavin Bowles & The Distractions - On the Telephone (I Used to Call You)

Denison & Friends - Etch-A-Sketch Mind

The Hermitts - The Moors 

FARUR - Escape Game

Dream Phases - Mrs. Songbyrd

Burning Jacobs Ladder - Seventh Fever Of The Mind

The Midwich Affair - Dressed For Fear

Great American Canyon Band - Fade Away

Radio Ghosts - Pop Song

Sleepy Sword - Look Like

Tired Kid - Scotch

New World Dreams - Lives Depart

letniy = Hot Gimmick

...........................

Sparks - Hello Young Lovers (2022 Remaster) (Pause Rewind Play)

 

This weekend's debut of Pause Rewind Replay has been really enjoyable. We must return to it again some time. The reaction has been amazing, but I Don't Hear A Single is about new albums and artists and its back to the day job tomorrow. Maybe on another Bank Holiday Weekend?

So to close, a return to my beloved Sparks, probably the band closest to my heart over the past five decades. From being 11 to now hitting 60, they have never let me down, well perhaps once with Pulling Rabbits Out Of A Hat.

This 2006 release was their 20th studio album and their best selling since the 70s. Amazing because Hello Young Lovers is nothing like a lot of their heyday material. Where as now, the Mael Brothers are much closer to those Island Years, here was the continuation of the direction heralded by Lil' Beethoven.

Symphonic at times, minimal at others, orchestral and based on the repetition of multi tracked vocals. Melodic, yet more hypnotic, there is one exception. That is the splendid Waterproof, a song that would sit happily on Indiscreet.

There were more drums and guitar utilised, but not too much. This was never more so on Dick Around which is a song that everyone who listens to gets hooked on. A song that gets mentioned by newcomers as much as This Town Ain't Big Enough. It is a revelation with its Heavy Metal Guitar breakout.

The fondness for Dick Around is probably helped by the fan base which more so than any act of a similar vintage has brought along not one younger generation, but two and the youngest look to the more recent stuff than those Island classics.

Perfume is a strum along that borders on Lounge, Rock Rock Rock is nothing like Rock, it is more classical in soundscape. There's No Such Thing As Aliens is like an expanded Victorian Parlour tune. The Very Next Fight has an overtone of impending doom, madness maybe.

Included as a Bonus Track is the cover of We Are The Clash. Originally on an Uncut Magazine Cover CD of Clash covers, it is absolutely inspired. You can tell what the song is, but it is totally Sparks, nothing like the original as I wish more covers were on the endless compilations.

Also included is a version of (Baby Baby) Can I Invade Your Country? with alternate lyrics. Hello Young Lovers proves that there is nothing wrong with repetition if it is relevant and you know what you are doing. Sparks have a new album out in May. You won't necessarily know the direction of travel, but you do know it will be wonderful.

...........................................

Various - Teenage Glampage : Can The Glam 2 (4CD) (Pause Rewind Play)

 

Following on from Cherry Red imprint 7Ts original set which was both critically lauded and commercially successful original set comes a second volume. Again beautifully presented, the cover description covers what is here succinctly. 

There are lots of Glam Rock compilations that have been released that cover the hits, but this is far more interesting. There are some real surprises, but as stated, there are some shockers and some that could in no way be described as Glam.

There are some stonewall classics, Mott The Hoople's wonderful Roll Away The Stone, my favourite Sweet single, Teenage Rampage, Wizzard's 7 Inch debut, Ball Park Incident and The Glitter Band's Tell Him are forever Top Notch.

Then there are songs from artists that you will know but be unfamiliar with this particular song. All are enjoyable and feature Mungo Jerry, John Paul Young, Kenny, Hello, Suzi Quatro etc. There are also bands that are not and never will be Glam such as Geordie and Angel.

It is nice to be reminded of such as Hector, Buster and in particular, Bilbo Baggins. There are bands that you wonder how the hell they ever sold anything. I mean Child's mediocre tosh was released at the height of Punk and New Wave. I would also be delighted if I never heard anything again from The Barron Knights and especially the dreadful ITV band, Flintlock.

But it is the more obscure and surprises that are most intriguing. I had no idea that The Sorrows Ex Lead Singer, Don Fardon, had released a 1974 cover of Geordie's Don't Do That or Spark's Trevor White's solo single, Crazy Kids. A similar surprise to me was The Easybeat's Stevie Wright singing the Vanda and Young written Hard Road. 

There's also Tiswas's Sally James and Max Bygraves son, Anthony present. This isn't a compilation for the casual listener who wants to sing along to See My Baby Jive. It is for the true music fan who wants to discover songs from the era that they would never have come across and be delighted that they did.

Over the 4 discs, there is a surprising lack of filler and masses of pleasant surprises. Cherry Red have become really good at this type of compilation and in a ;ot of ways they are a musical education. Too many compilations are about licensing deals, Can The Glam 2 has obviously put the work in and the results are ace.

.......................................

Arrows - The Complete Collection (2CD) (Pause Rewind Play)

 

Arrows were a Trio signed to Mickie Most's Rak label, home of Mud and Suzi Quatro. New Yorkers Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker joined Englishman Paul Varley and in 1974 their recording career began. Alan Merrill had already had a decent recording career in Japan, having moved there when his mother remarried. He released two solo albums, had a stint in Godzilla and then an album with Vodka Collins in 1973 called Tokyo - New York.

In 1974, Hooker persuaded Merrill to fly to London from Tokyo and paid his air fare. The band were signed to RAK and the hunt for singles began. Very much like Sweet's singles career with RCA, their five singles featured outside writers for the A Sides with the band handling the B Sides. It all started so well with Chinn and Chapman writing the debut, the splendid Touch Too Much which was a hit. That was followed by another Chinnichap song Toughen Up which failed to light up the charts.

The B Sides to both songs were impressive, We Can Make It Together has a great chorus and a splendid Jangle, Diesel Locomotive Dancer is a great slice of Glam Rock. 1975 brought three more singles with A Sides written by Roger Ferris, The first, My Last Night With You made the Top 30 but all three songs were more suited to Brotherhood Of Man. Again the band B Sides were far superior revealing a more earthy Blues Rock not a million miles away from Bad Company.

Why the mediocre Broken Down Heart was an A Side when the label had I Love Rock n Roll was put on the B Side, I know not. The mistake was realised and the single flipped, but it was all too late. Both Joan Jett and Britney Spears proved how big a mistake that was. Also included in the set are three tracks from Mickie Most Sessions in 1974. Wake Up is akin to what John Miles would gain success with whilst Bam Bam Boomerang added Cozy Powell as a second drummer for a great Bubblegum affair that would have made a great TV Theme,

The band were signed up by Granada TV for a TV Series in the Bay City Rollers slot that would go on to feature the Bolan TV Series. The show had two series with 29 episodes in all. This coincided with the band's only album, First Hit. Produced by Phil Coulter with four songs written by Coulter and his writing partner, Bill Martin, the album was a real mish mash of an affair. Martin and Coulter's four songs tried to turn the band into The Walker Brothers and some additions that were obviously aimed at the Teen market. But there are self written songs that are ace. First Hit, Don't Worry 'Bout Love and Feelin' This Way are great Bluesy songs, again in the Bad Company mode.

The second series of the show featured a spoof Eurovision segment when the band would play unreleased songs recorded in Granada's Four Track Studio. I can attest to the frustration of how Granada TV treated its archive, so much was taped over or discarded. In 2004, Alan Merrill went into London's Stone Room Studios to faithfully record five of those songs. Phil Hendriks who was part of those sessions writes detailed cover notes in the accompanying booklet. These recordings underline how Arrows should have been left to their own devices than use poorer material from outside writers.

Alan Merrill went on to form Runner and play with both Rick Derringer and Meatloaf in the 80s, before embarking on an underrated solo career. Paul Varley went on to form Darling and Jake Hooker went on to marry Judy Garland's daughter, Lorna Luft and manage her career. Sadly all three are no longer with us. During my Anything Should Happen days, Alan Merrill discovered the Blog and contacted me irregularly. We rarely talked about his own recordings, he wanted to talk about the music on ASH and those conversations were ace, he was a real music fan.

Arrows story is a chastening one. A band on a successful Singles label that were given the wrong songs when their own were better. The mismanagement of I Love Rock n Roll that should have been a monster band single. 29 episodes of a prime time kids Music show without a single being released. The guests alone on that series meant the audience figures would be high. A band that sadly never made it, yet deserved to. It is an all too familiar story.

You can buy the album here.

....................................

Bronco Bullfrog - Bronco Bullfrog (2LP) (Pause Rewind Play)

 



Originally released on CD in 1998, Bronco Bullfrog's debut album fully deserves a Reissue. A vinyl version was released a little later, but contained only 10 of the 17 tracks, so this is the album's first LP release as it was intended to be heard. This and The Orgone Box debut album remain two of my favourite 90s Psych Pop releases.

The trio of Andy Morten, Mike Poulson and Louis Wiggett took their name from the cult 1970 kids on the street film of the same name. The album does resemble a read through the pages of Shindig Magazine, coincidently due to Andy Morten's involvement in both.

Morten doubles up on Drums (excellently as it happens) and this makes the sound far wider than you would imagine for a trio. The feel is very 60s, somewhere between UK Beat and Psych Pop, but the full scope covers Bubblegum, Toytown, Pop Rock and much much more. There are plenty of mods to the likes Of The Who, The Kinks and The Move and to Britpop and beyond to a lot of what comes out of Medway and the West Coast now.

Lyrically, there is a lot of Village Green contained within as the song titles might indicate, this is most prevalent on the splendid Poor Mrs Witherspoon, a song that changes direction with ease and is built around a much rockier, almost Blues like, riff. 

Be My Friend is great Country, whilst Lazy Green Afternoon is splendid Psych Pop. Home To You is Sunshine West Coast Pop and Together starts off like second album The Move before turning into  Raspberries whilst maintaining that Move Riff. Welfare Snapshot is great 70s Pop Rock and Paper Mask is very very Badfinger and what a great Guitar solo!

There are times that the album sounds like a 60s Film Soundtrack and the Psych is never over done when it would be easy to get weird. Songs crash in and then change to something far more laid back and there are short one minute interludes that break things up really nicely rather than irritate. Three more Bronco Bullfrog albums followed this and you should collect 'em all.

The album is also available as a download. You can listen to and buy the album here.

.................................................