Mothboxer - Twelve

 

One of the bands that have defined I Don't Hear A Single are Mothboxer. When I talk to people about IDHAS, which is getting rarer these days due to the monster that it has become for me personally, Mothboxer are mention. Now we have, as the title suggests, the 12th album in a career that has defined by quality.

Dave Ody's materiał has never lacked depth, but Twelve feels even deeper. There is the same melody led feel, massive choruses that underline the melody and catchiness of Mothboxer's Pop Rock credentials, but at times the songs venture further into territory that Ody has only trod one foot in previously.

Changes can be noted on repeated listens. The Keyboard cupboard has been opened, but the content is tastefully used. These are not the plinking plonking 80s version of the instrument, but more the 60s and 70s versions.

Ody has always described his music as Progressive Power Pop and Maybe It's Just Me is certainly wonderful Power Pop, but after earlier days when the Power Pop was more upfront, I've thought him more Progressive Pop Rock. 

The addition of extra keyboards may seem strange to avid listeners, bearing in mind the quality of his Guitar playing. But there is plenty of Guitar here and the keyboards are vital to the directions that he takes here. They also don't detract from the songs in any way.

The directions taken include Neo Prog, Classic Rock of the 70s, but there are also big parts that feel 60s. There is also Space Rock in which, he seems at his best. But fear not, the Psych Pop and late Beatle-esque Guitar Pop that has always been a strength are still around in spades.

There is the funkiness of the verse on Give It A Try that breaks into a Sunshine Pop chorus. Crazy Anyway gets all Pink Floyd and None The Wiser is pure Brit Pop mixed with 60s Beat. Dumber By The Day even gets a little Stealers Wheel and When The Lights Go Out is great 70s Pop Rock mixed with a Prog feel.

Then there is the 13 minute closer that is How Does It Feel? A song that encapsulates everything that Mothboxer are about. Raiding multi genres, through heavy and light and yet never losing touch with the harmony and melody in its magnificence. Mothboxer's best album yet? Possibly but that might denigrate the previous 11.

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

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Feet - Make It Up

 

People will tell you that the Indie Guitar market is overcrowded and to break through you need to have an angle, a story. a lot of money, whatever. It is crowded, but the contents are much of a muchness, too many sound the same as the next one, it is all a bit nothingness,

I'd like to say that talent will out, but Bandicoot anyone? A band that produced a debut album that became our Album Of The Year and a few months later were no more. Feet are not Bandicoot as we now have their second album and it is absolutely glorious.

They sound a little American, but are actually a five piece from Coventry. They could easily be thought of a time a couple of decades ago when the likes of The Killers and Kaiser Chiefs were hitting pay dirt. It is nigh on impossible to count the cash these days, but Feet deserve to.

There is a sense of Indie here in its true spirit. Songs are inventive both musically and lyrically. There is more than a little of Gravitas Pop about them. They have that vibe and touch of genuine originality of a Soft Boys or XTC,

Yet the songs will appeal to a wide audience. Beautifully performed across many moods with arrangements of unexpected beauty and unusualness, yet wrapped in a big production that never gets larger than the songs or drains their quality. 

There are splendid angular moments, some very left field and yet there are songs that have glorious choruses. You will note that I have unusually not mentioned any song descriptions, this is solely to encourage you to listen to the whole thing yourselves.

I've picked my three (today as it will change daily) and now you can pick yours. Here are 12 great songs, none the same as each other. This is Indie Inventiveness of the highest quality. A definite IDHAS Album Of The Year contender. This is an album that makes me realise how much I love what I do and above all, music.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl and CD at all good Record Stores. The Download is only £5 on Bandcamp. Further links can be found here.

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The Happy Somethings - Caught In The Web

 

I love The Happy Somethings. Their jauntiness has been a fine antidote to the gloom that seems to have descended on proceedings over recent years. They have encapsulated what is great about Indie Pop in a roundabout twee way.

But what is this I hear here? Our beloved Trio appear to be all grown up and only Smitten really compares to what we know, all Housemartins jangly. Caught In The Web seems more serious, deeper and reveals different strands to the band. This is a set of themed songs about disenchantment with the internet.

Emerald Green Eyes even has hints of French Pop in the chorus and A Quick Waylay treads into Toytown with light footsteps and has a big almost Glam chorus. Prey is wonderfully melancholic and sports a cracking instrumental arrangement.

Kiss Of Life almost attains The Seekers in a strumming all together now affair. The opener, Is This Thing Broken is Folk Pop. There is real lyrical depth on show that is admirable, previously missed in the happiness of previous songs. The Happy Somethings show a whole new side and it is splendid.

You can listen to and buy the EP here. It is currently at Name Your Price.

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Big Bad Bobby And the Shoe Horns - Like That, But Louder

 

You see a name like Big Bad Bobby And The Shoe Horns and sort of expect a Rock And Roll Revue, an altogether now and dance affair. Not a bit of it! This lot are a quintet from Braintree Massachusetts and very much a Pop Rock band.

Off the top of my head, the nearest comparison may be Vegas With Randolph. This is well produced, big sounding Rock, very commercial and melodic and the extra horn section is used sparingly and tastefully. A rockier version of AOR. I think you catch drift.

The major focus is on Harmonic Rock, all encompassing, almost 1980s, but with an eye cast to the next decade. Maybe It's Monday though is nearer Power Pop and may be the best song on show. Incredibly catchy with the focus more on Pop.

Stutter reverses the emphasis to Rock and is a song that threatens a harder rock, but thankfully never quite gets there, instead being a fine driving Rock song. This is an album that has to have a ballad and that is the closer, Where Were You?, but that is only half the story as half way through it becomes a storming instrumental that builds and builds. A great six minutes.

The template though is big melodic catchy Pop Rock. At times a little Styx in feel. Like That, But Louder is the sort of Rock that I haven't listened to in a long while and so you appreciate the strength of the arrangements and performances and realise that previous prejudices were because there was so much of it around. This is a great listen from a band that know exactly what they are about and which buttons to press.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Listening To This Week - The Mixcloud Version

 

As a trial, we are adding the LTTW Playlist to Mixcloud. It is exactly the same as the Monday playlist, just on an extra format and allows listeners to hear the whole thing without individual clicks. May even a great way to spend 90 minutes on a journey etc. We will see how popular this version is before deciding whether to continue when the trial ends.

A reminder of the song order is below. Links to the Mixcloud Playlist are also below.

01 Strange Neighbors - Tell All Your Friends

02 Secret Molecules - High Tide

03 Aldeconia - Someone I Knew

04 Hoaster - Spiderweb

05 Daryll-Ann - A Note About Time

06 Nepal Death - Freak Street Blues

07 The Jellybricks - That Way

08 Gustavo Warnunk - Double-Decker Dreamer

09 Kyle And The Juggernaut - Katarina

10 The Duskwhales - St. Anthony

11 Desert Kites - Holiday

12 MOVIE MOVIE - You Closed The Door

13 Reader - Nothing To Say

14 Nadia Vaeh - Rewind

15 Bandeliers - Maya

16 Iron Daisy - I Only Think Of You Sometimes

17 Midwest Royal - Bad Brain

18 Stannington - Roads

19 Dan Destiny - I Can't Dance

20 Grizzly Coast - Washed

21 Caravan Dream - Like No Tomorrow

22 Boyriot - All The Best, Jess!

23 Friends With Boats - Bumper Sticker Poetry

24 Rosetta West - Turning Upside Down

25 Sylvia - Found And Lost

26 High Pitched Scream - Morning Light

27 Weknewnothing - Forever

28 Couple Tracks - Bitterness

29 Kinsua - Common Fates

Mixcloud Link

Listening To This Week Playlist

First of all, a reminder that LTTW adds a second format to proceedings this week. Tomorrow, there will be a Mixcloud Edit of the Playlist posted. Another forum to hear the great weekly Indie choices that you seem to enjoy as much as us.

 29 gems for you this week. I do hope that you can listen to all the songs across this week. The last listed is as great as the first and you have plenty of time to listen. This weekly playlist is solely for submissions, not the usual stuff that we dig out ourselves. 

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 the artists who appear here. 

Strange Neighbors - Tell All Your Friends

Secret Molecules - High Tide

Aldeconia - Someone I Knew

Hoaster - Spiderweb

Daryll-Ann - Everything I Knew

Nepal Death - Freak Street Blues

The Jellybricks - That Way

Gustavo Wornunk - Double-Decker Dreamer

Kyle And The Juggernaut - Katarina

The Duskwhales - St. Anthony

Desert Kites - Holiday

MOVIE MOVIE - You Closed the Door

Reader - Nothing To Say

Nadia Vaeh - Rewind

Bandeliers - Maya

Iron Daisy - I Only Think Of You Sometimes

Midwest Royal - Bad Brain

Stannington - Roads

Dan Destiny - I Can't Dance

Grizzly Coast - Washed

Caravan Dream - Like No Tomorrow

BOYR!OT - ALL THE BEST, JESS!

Friends With Boats - Bumper Sticker Poetry

Rosetta West - Turning Upside Down

Sylvia - Found And Lost

High Pitched Scream - Morning Light

WeKnewNothing - Forever

Couple Tracks - Bitterness

Kinzua - Common Fates

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Pontiac Flare - The Blueprint

 

I have always been a big fan of Strange Ranger and so I was always going to be interested in this solo project from Nathan Tucker and his Pontiac Flare project. The songs have great Power Pop at its heart, more the 90s version, but expands the three chords sound.. 

There is also a big jaunty feel akin to bands as far afield as The Lemonheads and The Rembrandts. All the materials required are present. Riffs, Jangle and hooks. Choruses matched with instruments such as organ which allows journeys into Classic Rock, Sunshine Pop and Pop Rock.

The album opens with After Yesterday, which is pure Prime Time Brit Pop to a tee. Get Your Feet Wet treads similar territory, but this time with a slight Teenage Fanclub tint. Both songs are big sounding anthemic affairs and Tucker does this incredibly well.

The Context and Couldn't Be Falling Faster are more of an Indie Guitar Pop sort. The latter Jangles lovingly A much more American slant prevails, an almost US TV Sitcom feel maintains the sheer catchiness of proceeding.

You Don't Have To Tell Me is more Classic Rock, West Coast maybe with a big hint of Americana, like a sped up Jayhawks. Dumbstruck has a wonderful Organ run and a real laidback feel, a little 70s Pop Rock, but also a Guitar line that is Classic Rock, even gentle Blues Pop.

You Remind Me Of Everything is the big closer, a ballad with an Embrace like instrumental, great Pop Rock. Overall, the album has more restrained slower moments than you might expect, bearing in mind, Tucker's background. But these work beautifully because they are so well performed and arranged, especially Can't Walk Away. The Blueprint is Pop Rock of the highest quality.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Chris Cohen - Paint A Room

 

I was always a fan of Deerhoof, so I feel really guilty about missing out on Chris Cohen until now, his fourth solo album. Paint A Room is adorned with magnificent unusual inventive arrangements that make you beat yourself up more about missing out on his previous three solo offerings.

Falling somewhere between a less character focussed Ward White and a less 60s orientated Mark Bacino. There is incredible depth. Yet on listening to the opener, Damage, you wouldn't be castigated for thinking this is a Jazzy Lounge album with its complex instrumentation.

Then you hear the title track with its Flute arrangement than leads into a mellow almost Costello vocal followed by the jaunty 60s Folk of Sunever with its hint of Pastoral Psych Pop and you know you are in for quite a ride.

Laughing is very experimental but heads into what is almost Prog. Wishing Well instrumentally mixes Dream Pop, 80s like Gravitas Pop and a riff that Robert Tripp would not be ashamed of.  Night Or Day has a lightness that you expect to break into Jangle Pop, another fine arrangement, almost jaunty.

Physical Address again edges towards Jazz and Prog without ever losing its melodic sensibility. At times, it seems like Cohen has raided the instrument cupboard, but all add effectively and generously to the arrangement.

This isn't the crash bang Guitar pop that you might expect from us. It is an album that will take more than one listen, but it is absolutely hypnotic. Such depth and talent has to be admired greatly. It maybe shows that we have come a long way from our just Power Pop days, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Paint A Room is a total musical education.

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

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Joy Buzzers - Shake On It!

 

I've banged on many times in the past about how close Pop Punk is to Power Pop. If you lose the robotic talky vocal for something more melodic, at times as if by magic, you have great Power Pop. Joy Buzzers' debut album is a great example of this. The songs become les aggressive and far more melodic.

I'm certainly not having a go at Pop Punk, we cover enough of it here to prove that. But Shake On It! is so much fun, surprisingly lyrically adept and not afraid to divert from the template. Riffs are aplenty and there is a real say what you wanna say then get off, something more bands should do. 

13 songs in 30 odd minutes is just dandy. You can listen to the album twice in just over an hour. People will bring out Weezer comparisons, when labelling the Chicago Trio, but truth be known, they are closer to a less serious Material Issue.

The longer songs work just as well as the shorter ones, they just have more to say or play. For example, Dusk is wonderfully different to what surrounds it, slower, darker, more Indie Rock.  Similarly, Bleed For You is a sped up joy, wonderful Power Pop.

Call Of The Wild has the urgency of the UK 1978 has Punk crossed over to New Wave. There's even Ska here, Brass and all on Naomi. The strength of the band is that they can mix the good time, this is us, witty stuff with songs of depth that belie their ages.

This week has been a real week of great debut albums. This is another as good as any of them. Beautifully performed Power Pop with a real sense of melody. In the wrong hands, this could have been woe is me Slacker Rock. This is exactly the opposite and thus absolutely splendid.

 

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

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Gustavo Warnunk - Semi​-​Detached Tales Vol. I

 

You know that feeling when something catches you completely by surprise, well I've got it. Gustavo Warnunk is Brazilian and living in Muswell Hill. My initial inkling of this album was via a submission for Listening To This Week.

That song is wonderful and will appear on next week's LTTW and is so good that I went and looked if Warnunk had recorded anything else and yes he has. It is so pleasing because that was what Listening To This Week was partly intended to do. The finding albums has took a back seat due to the sheer monster that LTTW has become as an outright playlist.

The album is very 60s and the periods that we love from that decade. There is a real Psych Pop bent, but big feet are trod into Classic Rock, Folk Rock and UK Beat. As you'd expect there's lots of wonderful Organ accompaniment.

At times there is a Brut strut, Kinks-ish on Semi-Detached Tale, Trippy on Day/Night which has an ace Indian Psych chant, a Classic Rock strut and strum on Finsbury Park. There is a real Alt Noir film soundtrack vibe on Woodberry Down.

480 Lockdown is even great Pop Rock and Mathew Street is jaunty Piano Pop that turns into technicolor Psych Pop playfulness. Double-Decker Dreamer enters Toytown with great effect. Wood Song is the big closer and six and a half minutes long. It is magnificent Canterbury Prog, flute and all.

People know what a Psych Pop fan I am and there is delight here in such. But there is much more. With the exception of pure Pop, it is the 60s that I listen to most. A real surprise and an absolutely awesome listen.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Secret Molecules - High Tide EP

 

Dordrecht's Secret Molecules' self titled 2022 album is a cracking debut album. We loved it so much that it made our Best Of Year. You can read the review here. The follow up EP is just as great, but in a different way as High Tide is much more Indie Pop for the majority of EP.

Having said, this will be one of the best things that you will hear this year. My only wish is that there were more, at least double what is on show. The back end also shows how varied they can be as the back end heads into very different directions.

The title track is wonderful 80s Indie Pop. Great vocal harmonies, lyrically adept and a tip top jauntiness, it is the ideal Summer Song. Whereas High Tide sounds very UK Pop, At The End Of The Day is more like the US Indie Pop variation of the genre. It also sounds a little Seekers at times.

Heaven's Band is equally melodic. Slower, but just as effective, maybe more 60s. Pick Up The Phone is an absolute gem with a quirky arrangement and a vibe that crosses the 60s, 70s and 80s. Much more Pop Rock than what has gone before.

That leaves Somewhere In Between which is splendid Country Pop, a real altogether now song. Secret Molecules are one of our best discoveries of recent years. All five songs here would grace anyone's playlist. Pop this great shouldn't be hidden away. Don't sit Secret Molecules in a corner.

You can listen to and buy the EP here.

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The Hollywood Freeway Ghosts - Broken Doll

 

Freeway Bill will tell you that Rock n Roll is a young man's game. This isn't his 90s in bands that are looking for a Record Deal. However, a move to Luxembourg revived a yearning to return to performing, initially Cover Bands.

Broken Doll is an album that is a tribute to those Hollywood days, over three decades ago. Whilst centring around Indie Rock, there is great variety, with some unusual instrument additions, but the focus is largely on the Electric Guitar with some enormous riffs.

The album is not a solo album, but a collaboration with musicians from as far afield as the UK, USA, Netherlands and Argentina. The strength of the album is that it sounds as though everyone was in the same studio. 

Whereas Invited is Classic Rock mixed with a 90s College Rock feel.Try is more 80s AOR, but built around a big Power Pop Riff. Never Mind is prime time melodic Pop Rock, but adds unexpected Brass and a killer Rock Guitar solo.

Better Days adds Brass too, but in a more dominant all encompassing role, to a killer chorus and a slight Jangle at times. Love Sick Mind is my favourite track, a real Alt Rock riff that is slightly Psych Pop. More restrained than what surrounds it, but hypnotic.

Is She Watching borders on Madchester, allowing Little Broken Doll to close proceedings with another killer riff on a more Blue Collar All American Blue Collar Rock. Beautifully performed and arranged, Broken Doll is a cracking 7 song affair.

You can listen to and buy the album here. 

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Listening To This Week Playlist

Another 30 splendid songs to see you through the next 7 days. This week's LTTW feels a little more mellow at times.  I do hope that you can listen to all the songs across this week. The last listed is as great as the first and you have plenty of time to listen. This weekly playlist is solely for submissions, not the usual stuff that we dig out ourselves. 

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 the artists who appear here. 

A reminder about the previous IDHAS post. From next week, the Listening To This Week Playlist will be duplicated as a Mixcloud mix.  Thank you for supporting the new music from Indie artists as always.

Laughing - Will She Ever Be A Friend Of Mine?

Cherry Fez - Superexcited

Caddy - Someone Like You

Midwest Royal - Baby You're The One

Paul Molloy - Luxury Bunker

The Breaks Inc. - The Ins + Outs Of Always Being Sad

Desi And Cody - I Really Like You

The Glad Machine - So High

The Junipers - Annie Almond

An Overnight Low - Lady Londonderry

AJ Baragar - accountable (dying in submarines)

Soft No - Melting Timelines

Sputnik The Band - King Of The L.E.S.

The Duke Of Surl - The Bells

Summer Fling - Never Ending

Lucifer Sunshine - My Immunity

The Crystal Teardrop - Running Out Of Time

A Days Wait - Lay It Down

Peel - Love Phobia      

My Loving Tiger - Cupboard Wars

Christina's Trip - Swim

Big Bad Bobby and the Shoe Horns - Moving On

Ardy - You Only Love Me When You're High

Casual Male - Half Cut

Capture This - Empty

Mingo Drive - Color Blind Stories

Guest In The Car - Music For The Kids

Dear Misses - 1% Suckers

Third Time's A Charm - Fading Innocence

executive dysfunction - Holy City

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Listening To This Week News

 

The success of Listening To This Week has absolutely gobsmacked us. It was only ever intended to be a way of giving non album singles a chance as primarily what we are is a Review site. But its popularity has caught us by surprise.

It is a fair bit of work as about 400 songs a week are listened to in deciding the 30 that go on the playlist, but it has added a whole new additional audience to IDHAS. With this in mind, we are going to extend it further to include Mixcloud.

After Monday's Playlist is posted, the plan will proceed and begin with the weekly playlist from Monday 22 July. The Mixcloud mix will be in the same order as the normal Playlist, but will give artists another chance of being listened to and all the songs will be together for one listen without having to open individual songs. 

We obviously deal with the songs in all ways, but all stream. However artists will be given the opportunity to provide a download for Mixcloud. If some artists don't wish to do this or don't reply, we will proceed with an edit that has those who wish to do so.

We need the download because we have to upload the playlist ourselves. The original playlist will appear on Monday morning as always. With the Mixcloud version going up later that evening. It is extra work, but we have always been solely about getting artists a bit of attention and so this adds to that.

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Laughing - Because It's True

 

There's been a building clamour for the release of Laughing's debut album. Bits that have been around have only added to the excitement. Canada has been the centre of intelligent Indie Guitar Pop for the past couple of years and now we have an Indie Supergroup.

The four voices meld and match so admirably and the different backgrounds allowing genres and boundaries to criss cross and what a mixture it is. The pedigree and vibe on show meant that there had to be a song ready for a Teenage Fanclub comparison and Bruised is just that.

Will She Ever Be A Friend Of Mine mixes Big Star with The Move and rolls the song into classic Gravitas Pop. It is an absolute joy of a song. Glue is great West Coast Rock with a dash of both Country and Classic Rock, a little Exile On Main Street even instrumentally.

Sour Note is classic 70s Pop Rock tinted with Country and Jangle, a real travelling band, all together now sort of thing. Garden Path even gets into Crazy Horse territory and Narcissist Blues is an object lesson in how to write a melodic rock song, all riff and harmony.

Pebble even dares to edge into Country Rock and adds a Rock out solo and the only word to describe Secret is beautiful. Because It's True may be a debut album, but it sounds more like a Classic one. The instrument box is raided, but used tastefully.

It is very rare that an Indie album that had built up a fair bit of hype actually delivers as well as this. Beautifully played, arranged and produced, this allows the songs to stand out revealing the talents of the four and allowing different directions to be taken. Wonderful!

/p>

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Ian St. George - Emergency Index

 

Ian St George's debut solo album is an unexpected diamond. I like to think I know everything about everything, but this caught me completely by surprise. It is very much in touch with the new wave of Power Pop, a slightly more aggressive version of the verse chorus and guitar break,

Having said that Kimberley is classic Power Pop and Everything Goes Wrong is a UK late 70s New Wave version of the genre. But there is much more inside than just that. Waste My Time even goes into the period that ran up to Brit Pop, a little Lemonheads maybe.

Yet Goin' Down borders on Garage Rock, a much aggressive sped up vibe. Much more Indie, wonderfully so. yet Anytime At All is all Jangle Pop and Polymorphia is a great take on 90s noisy US College Rock, the anti-venom to the sheer miserableness of Grunge. 

California's is Fuzz Rock of the highest quality with a driving rhythm track and a vocal that is aggressive C86, right in your face. But the Pop Rock fares equally well. No One Really Knows is a cracking Pop song that mixes in Psych Pop and Jangle with big shades of a rocked up early Teenage Fanclub.

Angel Flowers Hiking Song has a chaotic feel to it, but is a great opener. There's also a great Lo-Fi take on  Guided By Voices' How I Loft Am I? that breaks out splendidly. It sounds purposely scratchy, compared to the production of the rest of the album.

The five piece lock together beautifully, never more so on the magnificent Dreamer in all its nigh on 7 glorious minutes. Instrumental, apart from the added audio commentary. It is mesmerising Alt Rock that edges towards Psych. Hypnotic and jawdroppingly great, stunning. What a great listen Emergency Index is.

You can listen to and buy the album here. The album is available on Vinyl, a Super Deluxe Bundle that adds the CD and a T Shirt and as a download.

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Here Is The News

 

It has been a while, largely because there hasn't been so much. But over the past week, it has come flooding in.  The theme is largely about the return of IDHAS heroes.

Mothboxer - Twelve

Hot on the heels of February's Timelimes album (IDHAS Review here) Dave Ody is proving especially prolific this year, on fire really. 26 July will mark the release of a second album for 2024. Ody started recording after the release of Timelines.

Having heard the album, it is top notch. You know that Mothboxer never let you down, but the new one is simply wonderful. Look out for the nigh on 13 minutes closing track How Does It Feel. The album is called Twelve, being errrr Mothboxer's 12th album. 

Look out for further details and updates here and here.

Caddy - Someone Like You

There`s a 20 year anniversary for Caddy this year and Tomas Dahl wanted to write and record a new album for the occasion. The self titled album will be released on vinyl through Vestkyst Records and CD through Kool Kat. Release date is 22 August.

2023 was pretty rough for Dahl with losing both parents and two close friends within a period of 6 months.. The album is lyrically darker reflecting on those events,  The music is still very much melodic but there is much more Power on this album than in a long time, but the results from our Power Pop hero are outstanding.

A single has been released and you can listen to Someone Like You below. The song will also be included on next week's Listening To This Week Playlist from Monday 15 July. 

The Mommyheads - One Eyed Band

I think many of you know our love of The Mommyheads. We have been fans forever and ever amen. It has been wonderful to see the band in full flow over recent years with more Live shows than ever. We have seen the following grow and grow and still consider them as possibly our favourite band ever. 

A new album, One Eyed Band, will be released on 13 September and I know we can be biased, but it is truly magnificent. The tracklist is below. Look out for further details on the band's website here and Bandcamp site here.

 

Album Details :

01 Chicken Soup

02 Life Is A Dream

03 Season Of Our Sound

04 Architect

05 Human Being

06 Risk It All

07 One Eyed Man

08 Weightless And Unbound

09 Junk

10 The Gift

Derrero - Breezing Up

It is hard to believe that I have been a fan of Welsh Wizards, Derrero for 29 years. Through Brit Pop and Beyond. No one quite catches the mood like their albums do. So it is delightful to note that Derrero's sixth studio album, Breezing Up, will be released on 14 September.

The bulk of the album was recorded last October at Palm Tree Studios in Kent and features contributions from Dewi Parry (Ghosts Lawns, Siula) and Gid Goundrey (Gulp, Ghost Lawns, EYE) with additional brass from Ifan Rhys & Rob Halcrow.

Derrero have maintained a resolutely DIY and esoteric approach to music making cementing their reputation as a strident and confident band who remain steadfastly unafraid to swim against the tide and self-release uncompromising music outside of the mainstream

.

Breezing Up will be preceded by a single on 02.08.24 from when the album will be available for pre-order. The tracklisting is as follows :

01 Ride On Rider

02 Catherine

03 The Drive Home

04 A Line In Space

05 Breezing Up

06 Cosmic Shift

07 Painting With Sound

08 Mile After Mile

09 Creepy Crawlies

Cherry Fez - Superexcited Sessions 

 

It is an exciting time for Todd Shuster this year. Firstly, he has recorded an EP in Nashville with Brad Jones. The results are exhilarating and all four songs will delight Power Pop fans. The first track from those sessions has been released and you can listen to it below.

There may be more songs recorded later in the year and here's hoping a label will pick them up for a Physical Release as either an EP or mini album. Superexcited (the song) will also appear on next week's Listening To This Week Playlist (15 July).

In the meantime, the excellent Subjangle label is releasing a double CD compilation of Todd's old band, The Impossible Years called A Good Past Deserves Repeating. Provisional Release Date is 14 July. More details as I have them.

Finally Cherry Fez will be playing some IPO’s as Rick Kingo Featuring Cherry Fez at LA, San Diego, Vancouver and New York). It is great chance to see Rick and Chris from Caper Clowns with Cherry Fez. I am quite envious. IPO Details can be found here.

The Junipers - Annie Almond  

 

On the theme of returning heroes, there was a real Wow! hollow when we found out that The Junipers  were returning. First up is the wonderful single that is released on Thursday (11 July). Called Annie Almond, it is as ace as you would expect.  

A follow up single is initially planned for 1 August titled She Looked Up At the Stars. Even more exciting is the news that a new album is ready, provisionally planned for a release at the end of August. The album is likely to be called Imaginary Friends. 

The You Tube embed for Annie Almond is below.  It will not go live until after midnight on Thursday. Listening To This Week fans can also hear the single on next Monday's LTTW (15 July).

Sloan - Smeared Deluxe Vinyl Box Set

 

The fourth deluxe box set from Sloan and this time focusing on the debut LP, Smeared. Along with that album, it also contains an LP of demo recordings. Live recordings from the era are on the third LP and the 7" single. Lots of great photos, stories and ephemera in the excellently designed 12" x 12" 44-page booklet. Limited edition!

 Tracklist

 LP 1 - Smeared

Side A

01. Underwhelmed

02. Raspberry

03. I Am The Cancer

04. Median Strip

05. Take It In

06. 500 Up

Side B

01. Marcus Said

02. Sugartune

03. Left Of Centre

04. Lemonzinger

05. Two Seater

06. What's There To Decide?

 LP 2 - The Demos and Outtakes

Side A

01. Kool Aid (March 1990 Chris demo)

02. Left Of Centre (February 1991 demo)

03. In Her Place (February 1991 demo)

04. Pretty Voice (1991 Jay demo)

05. Caroline (1991 demo)

Side B

01. Underwhelmed (1991 demo)

02. Marcus Said (1991 demo)

03. 500 Up (October 1991 demo)

04. Raspberry (October 1991 demo)

05. Median Strip (Andrew vocal)

LP 3 - Live at McGill University June 17, 1993

Side A

01. Median Strip (live at McGill 06/17/93)

02. Take It In (live at McGill 06/17/93)

03. Sugartune (live at McGill 06/17/93)

04. Pillow Fight (live at McGill 06/17/93)

05. Coax Me (live at McGill 06/17/93)

Side B

01. Underwhelmed (live at McGill 06/17/93)

02. Penpals (live at McGill 06/17/93)

03. I Am The Cancer (live at McGill 06/17/93)

04. Rag Doll (live at McGill 06/17/93)

05. Left Of Centre (live at McGill 06/17/93)

7" single

01. Autobiography (live at The Grawood, Dalhousie 03/20/92)

02. Easily Fooled (live at The Grawood, Dalhousie 03/20/92)

Chris Church Underground Again

Chris Church is currently finishing off his latest album, some of which I have heard and those songs are top notch as ever. In the meantime, Chris has released the song, Underground Again. The definitive version of this song has eluded him, but he has always loved it.

This version is newly recorded in spring 2024, with Brian Beaver, friend and bandmate from DANG on Drums. Brian also painted the picture in this cover photo. Church wrote the song in the late '90s. A different version of it was recorded with THE FREDS several years ago. 

That version is titled "Fad Collectible" (first track on THE FREDS album "Heavens For Betsey"). Finally set free with no final mix or mastering. it is Church's final attempt at the song and well worth a listen.

The Glad Machine - So High

Finally, a most welcome return from The Glad Machine. It has been a couple of years since the excellent Hey album which featured heavily in our Best Albums Of 2022. You can read the IDHAS Review of that album here.

Suiting the season, if not the weather over here in the UK. A great blast of catchy Power Pop joy. Brad Thayer still has a fine set of pipes. We can't wait to hear more from the band.

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