Sharp Class - Welcome To The Matinee Show (Of The End Of The World)

 

Another Power Trio, but this time from the UK and in very different territory to The Deflators. Nottingham's Sharp Class are much more UK New Wave 1978, magnificently so. This album reminds me why I loved that New Wave scene.

They are not stuck in that era, there are big footsteps into the likes of Brit Pop, Indie Rock and the modern breed of Indie Guitar Pop bands, but the melody content is high and there is a real lyrical adeptness in these songs that few who cover similar ground manage.

There is a real Paul Weller Jam period to the words and at times the vocal, although less aggressive singing wise. Musically, they remind me a lot of The Len Price 3, but without their inclination for Mod Pop. We loved 2022's Teenage Of A Mind (review here) and this moves things on wonderfully.

The title track is probably the best thing here, New Wave of the highest order. Ordinary People is built on a killer riff, Where I'd Rather Be has a hint of Wreckless Eric, but the chorus is killer. Ivory Tower is very early The Jam with an added Jangling Riff.

Lights Out wipes the floor with most of the current new big wave of Guitar bands with another killer chorus. The whole offering rarely comes up for air, but does it without the need of a hammer. Sharp Class update the great past, bringing it into the now. Top Notch!

You can listen to and buy the album here. It certainly deserves a physical release.

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

The Deflators - Inside Out EP

 

We reviewed The Deflators' last EP, Check Your Pressure, just before Christmas last year. You can read that here. A lot of what is written there, still applies here and you wouldn't want it any other way. The EP is very Noo Joisey, wonderfully so. 

It is the sort of release that you wish was on Rumbar Records, same attitude, much more melodic though and maybe that's what that label misses. This is beefed up Power Pop, much rockier than the genre usually allows, but everything else is present.

The riffs are enormous, the call and response and the sheer catchiness of it all is spot on and these are songs that you can singalong to, yet shake your fist too. Plenty try this, but few succeed and so what was once everyday is now more of a rarity.

There is a real Power Trio feel to proceedings, nevermore so on the harder, even noisier, 2nd Child. A song that gets nearer to Hard Rock, more in your face, splendidly aggressive. Inside Out is a cracking listen and certainly shakes out the cobweb.

You can listen to and buy the EP here.

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

Teenage Frames - Everything Has Led To This

You've heard Brain Fever on the new Listening To This Week, so now for the long player. Everything Has Led To This brings back so many memories to where music started for me. Glam Rock was when I started to buy music under my own steam.

It was a very Singles led genre, albums largely, in the first instance, singles and a load of covers or tosh. Few ever made an album as consistently great as this. Also, there seems something bizarre about the best UK Glam Rock nowadays coming from the West Coast Of America.

Los Angeles have fashioned something that sounds so 1974, wonderfully so. It has grabbed the best of the genre and produced an album as fun as the singles were from that era. This could be 14 great singles from the time, beautifully done.

The detail is wonderful, hand claps, fade outs, big riffs, memorable singalong choruses and songs as catchy as catchy can be. I half expected them to appear on this week's Top Of The Pops or Lift Off With Ayshea. 

.

It isn't all Glam, but thankfully most of it is. However, the back end of Punk / beginning of New Wave is celebrated splendidly on Fighting Words. I'm also reminded of the heavier Sweet B Sides on Disappointment and Power Pop is well represented by the likes of Only Lonely Tonight.

There's even Blockbuster sirens on the fast and loud Agree To Disagree. Fats Domino's I'm Alive is obviously a well covered song, but I have never heard it as Power Popped and Glammed Up as here. Albums like this should be treasured, it is an absolute crackerjack of a release.

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

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

Zul!tas - The Trilogy (Name Your Price)

 

It is rare for us to write about an individual song, but this is great and it is three songs in one. Coming in at over 11 minutes long and it isn't Prog, whatever next? Zulitas is a band of independent underground artists from North Carolina.

The smorgasbord of interlinked bands provided a quartet and what a foursome! Originally a concept album written by Harry Harrison, wrote years ago, about his life to that point and was recorded to tape. Far more psychedelic, it was passed to Drummer, Marty, who promptly lost the only copy.

Harry had kept all the details of the songs in a binder and Marty and he co-wrote The Trilogy from three of those songs and re-recorded what you hear now with Taylor Casey on Bass and Matt Wentz on Guitar. You've heard an edited version of it on a recent Listening To This Week, here is the full monster.

As mentioned, we rarely cover individual songs away from the playlist, I can only remember one of similar length by Nick Frater years ago that we scribbled something for and that was very Todd Rundgren, again not Prog..

The song has everything from Pop Rock (although more Rock) to something Muse-ish, big heavy riffs to something more Blue Collar show song style. It is an astounding listen, truly awesome and more than worth your time. I can't wait to hear more from these four.

You can listen to and buy the song here.

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

Listening To This Week Playlist

We get so tired of people saying that there is no great new music around. Here are 32 examples to prove that is nonsense with a corking Listening To 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. 

Steve Robinson - The King Of Scatterbrain

Teenage Frames - Brain Fever

Keeley - Forever Froze (Edit)

Swive - Mirrors

The Amnesia - Vampire

Bottlecap Mountain - Fire In The Hole

The Nature Strip - Wavelength

The Old Ceremony - Valerie Solanas

Dear Misses - Mosquito Dance

Some Gifts - Sympathy For The Free Market

Hijack Hayley - Oh My God

Mt. Misery - Sunday Song

Dress Kit - Front Lawn

Ruby Blushing - This Must Not Be The Place

Your Friend And Mine - Acceptance

Ty Walker And The Humanoids - All Hat, No Cattle

Rick Kingo feat. Cherry Fez - In Our Solitude

Daydream Keys - Neo-Trauma

Splikak! - Low-Hanging Fruit

David WILTs - Mibi I'll

THE STRAZE - Losing My Mind

Liteweight Champion - Everyone Is Wrong Most Of The Time

The paper monsters - River On Omega

Noah Sties - Indiana

the Snorts - pocket cowboys

No Flowers - Original

ECHO FRAME - Call Me Luci

Pentire - Love On TV

Have Fun! - Gaslighter

Loser Demon - Business Days

Third Ward - Alleluia

Oh Doom! - We Lost Our Friends

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

Sunbuzz - Hello Again EP

 

I've been loving this 5 Track EP. Although it is available to stream here and elsewhere, I just wish it was available on the likes of Bandcamp where people could buy the thing. Sunbuzz are a trio from Northport New York and this is great Pop Rock.

Very 70s in feel, at times almost Piano Pop, Andrew Gold like sort of, but the EP also gets Jaunty and even Rocks.Desiree Today for instance opens up with a Riff that could be on The Clash's London Calling. Sunny Days could be Ben Folds.

Let It Ride gets close to Brit Pop and sounds a little Lennon 70s instrumentally. Rock & Roll Saved My Life is the jaunty addition. Lyrically reflective and racing along. Find Your Way Back Home is the Lighters Out closer, a little 80s in vibe.

Splendidly arranged, performed and produced, I just wish there were more of it. Discovered via our Listening To This Week, we've already chosen two of the five songs on weekly episodes. This is the sort of melodic joy that we know and love on IDHAS.

You can listen to the album here and at the links above.

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

The Duke Of Surl - Borneo

 

Will Brown describes The Duke Of Surl songs as being recorded in New York low end Basements. I know from the amount of new music that I hear that when you read the words "Home Recording", you are not quite sure what to expect. It really can be the good, the bad and the ugly.

But Borneo is more on the wonderful side. Very inventive, varied and extremely interesting. At times, the album is quite insular, dark even, but at other times, songs can break out into wonderful Psych. It is the Psych that stands out most, it is all groove rather than in your face weird.

That Psych can venture into Psych pop, but it is never anything other than hypnotic. The groove just washes over you. The Bells features awesome Guitar work, but also adds Jangle and a cracking Bassline, whilst Whispers is almost Folk, Psych Folk of Course.

The riffs are awesome, particularly on the mind-blowing Reflections and Luther's Rock lands somewhere between Garage Rock and The Coral. There's even a hint of Glam Rock in the song. The Lie is wonderfully chaotic, starting almost Medieval and then breaking into something like Mark Knopfler riffing on something very outer 1967.

There are two bigger pieces when not a minute is wasted. Brown's Lullaby is as mellow as the album gets, more mainstream, nearly a ballad, but the six minutes plus builds and builds into something noisy and cerebral, almost ceremonial.

The Walk / The Storm is a minute longer and is half 70s Classic Rock until the song absolutely explodes into paint stripping Psych. This doesn't sound like a home recording. Psych and Prog have recently been waylaid by bands who want to show their ethereal side. This is proper Psych. absolutely splendid! Special mention to Bubbles, an hypnotic instrumental joy.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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

Steve Robinson - Window Seat

 

We do like what Steve Robinson does. His 2021 album, Swallowing The Sun is a cracking example of Pastoral Pop and featured in our Best 100 Albums Of The Year. You can read our review here. Window Seat is his solo follow up to that album.

However, in between these two albums was a duo album with Ed Woltil, Shadow Play, their second, in which I described it as the pensive meeting the jaunty. You can read that Review here. That album appeared in our Best Albums Of 2022.

So we were expecting big things from this release and boy do we get them. Ed Woltil is again present on production duties and adding some exceptional Guitar. Dave Gregory again guests on two songs, one of which is a dead ringer for XTC.

Dealing with that song first, The King Of Scatterbrain is very much a sort of Mr Empty Head Part 2, but Gregory is present on this one and Robinson's vocal is so Andy Partridge whilst the arrangement is very Oranges And Lemons with acoustic hints that are more Mummer. Emma Robinson even sounds a little Colin Moulding at the end. It is Psych Pop of the highest order.

Robinson is a long time Englishman abroad and the songs do sound more than a little Brit, but the closest that his gentle melodic vocal comes is to that of Neil Finn. The album does feel even more laidback than previous albums, there are less burst out moments than what has gone before.

That doesn't lessen the album, quite the reverse, because the lyrical adeptness reveals itself far more and these songs are lit up by inspired Guitar moments. There are also some real standout moments.Are We There Yet? is wonderfully brooding and builds and builds.

Hesitation Blues is great 70s Pop Rock with a vocal that is very Gilbert O'Sullivan and Unnecessary Wars is a corker of a song with a killer chorus and again a fine turn from Gregory. An album to be listened to from start to finish. Why Oh Why is Steve Robinson not much bigger?

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

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

Here Is The News,

 

The new Here Is The News is delighted to tell you about some upcoming releases, quite a few of which are close to our heart from our Anything Should Happen days. We are excited to see them and it has brought back some really fond memories.

This issue is slightly curtailed due to us being behind, so some releases intended are coming up for Review due to the albums coming close to street date. However, this selection is really exciting.

The Lilac Time - Astronauts   

As long time fans of Stephen Duffy and The Lilac Time, the remastered edition of The Lilac Time's 1991 album, Astronauts on Pete Paphides's Needle Mythology label. The label of course is named after a Duffy song. 

Astronauts is a wonderful album, a little unappreciated at the time as it marked the end of the Pastoral Pop before it and was also completely out of kilter with what was around in 1991. It is an album that has grown in esteem over the years and remains maybe our favourite album by the band.

The new edition is available in both 3 LP and 3 CD Versions. The original album is remastered, Album 2 contains works in progress at the time and Album 3 gathers live performances from the period. Both versions contain an 11,000 word history of the album, written by Paphides.

Details here.

The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band - Still Barking

I am a large collector of Bonzo related offerings, including solo post Bonzo adventures. This set is a must have for me, despite the high price tag. 7 Years in the making, it is the absolute document of the band's career across 17 CDs and 3 DVDs. It is accompanied by a 148 page Coffee Table Book within.

Stereo versions of all of the band's original albums, carefully remastered to capture their idiosyncratic charm. 

Additional remastered versions 'Gorilla' and 'The Doughnut In Granny's Greenhouse' in their original mono mixes. 

A newly compiled remastered CD of all the band's singles. 

Two discs of demos, rehearsals, and outtakes. 

A single disc of backing tracks. 

Three discs of BBC Sessions that capture the band's eccentric live energy. 

Two live discs: Studio Bellevue, Amsterdam. Recorded: November 1968. Transmission date: 3 January 1969. Fillmore East, NYC, 17 October 1969. 

A CD featuring a live show from London's Marquee Club and additional material of band rehearsals from the Manor Studios in Oxfordshire. 

Plus: Three DVDs of TV performances, including the complete 'Do Not Adjust Your Set' shows, 'Colour Me Pop', 'Beat Club', and more. Highlights include rare appearances, short films, and vintage footage from the height of their career. The Release Date is 13 December 2024.

Details here.

Bill Nelson - Quit Dreaming & Get On the Beam, 3CD/1Blu-ray Deluxe Box Set

Cherry Red are on fire at the moment, as the next three releases will prove. Bill Nelson goes solo with this 1981 release and this Deluxe 3 CD and 1 Blu-Ray Edition is the be all and end all of the release. The original album is here, plus the remastered 2024 version.

The new Stereo Mix and the 5.1 Surround Mix add 2 outtakes and Disc 2 is a collection of singles and B Sides plus Radio Sessions across 23 tracks. The release date is 6 December 2024.

Details here.

Mark Wirtz: - Dream Dream Dream - The Anthology, 5CD Deluxe Clamshell Box

Mark Wirtz, the master of Toytown is celebrated in this 5 Disc Set. Wirtz was prolific in both his collaborations and his own career as revealed here. Disc 5 contains a 27 collection of curios, Outtakes, Demos and Remixes.

Buyers will also receive a download of an additional 35 Tracks. The Release Date is 15 November 2024.

Details here.

Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club: The Definitive Anthology 1977-1981, 3CD

Another Anything Should Happen New Wave attention grabber was Bruce Wooley. Known maybe only as the co-writer of The Buggles' singles Video Killed The Radio Star and Clean Clean, the one album released, English Garden, is a cracking album. It also contains the original versions of those two singles.

The Camera Club included Thomas Dolby on keyboards. The band offered CBS a second album which the label refused to release. The 69 track collection contains that unreleased album and much more.

Disc 3 contains two Live Radio Broadcasts, one from the UK, one from the States. A 28 page booklet is included with quotes from Bruce Woolley, Dave Birch and Thomas Dolby. The 3 CD Set is released on 15 November.

Details here.

Nick Piunti And The Complicated Men - Up And Out Of It

Now for something more current. Nick Piunti's brand of Power Pop has been regularly covered on IDHAS, deservedly so. Riff driven with big choruses and incredibly melodic, Up And Out Of It is no different. 

Memorable sing along joy has already been shown with the three single releases. Feel good Pop Rock awaits you with this 18 October release on the Jim Records label.

Details here.

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

Caddy - Caddy

 

Caddy made their debut on here in our first month with the Vinyl release of The Better End on the splendid, but sadly now defunct, Sugarbush Records label. With been with Tomas Dahl ever since and he's never ever let us down.

There`s a 20 year anniversary for Caddy this year and Dahl wanted to write and record a new album for the occasion. 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, it is very muscular, all big riffs that accompany the expected big singalong choruses.

Into Oblivion for instance steps beyond Indie Rock, into slightly heavier territory Guitar wise and that works just as well as the usual chiming chords. Why Worry is similarly crunchy on the verse, but still offers up a catch all chorus. 

Sealed Lips And Sealed Books is probably the noisiest song on show and includes a magnificent in your face solo, it is a song that rocks your socks off. 25 Ways is incredibly Weezer. One regular trick of Dahl's is to finish on a big closer to leave you wanting more and Bleeding Now is no exception.

This may be the best Caddy album yet. The trademark hooks are top of the tree as always, the choruses as big as ever and the more muscular sound work beautifully, offering 

You can listen to the 10 individual songs here. The album is available on CD on the Kool Kat label here. It is available on the Vestkyst Records label here.

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

Paul Molloy - The Madmen Of Apocalypso

 

It is hard to believe that the splendid debut album from Paul Molloy, The Fifth Dandelion was four years ago. You can read our review here. Since then, The Coral has taken up a lot of Molloy's time, so it is delightful to finally have a follow up.

The Madmen Of Apocalypso is different to that debut, just as melodic, but not as Psych Pop and more. There is much more Pop here, influenced by a myriad of styles. For instance, Apocalypso is a calypso, all Brass and swing, wonderfully if a little surprisingly.

Luxury Bunker is more vaudeville, Music Hall like, but also contains Spaghetti Western Brass. So that's the two singles dealt with, what about the other nine songs. Well, Hey Nancy is part McCartney Piano Pop, part Ukelele thirties all together now fayre.

In similar fashion, Doomsday Bottle Of Wine is pure Ragtime and Apocalypse Rag is something that you might expect on a Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band album. Little Green Man is pre Beatles 60s Pop, a little Larry Parnes prodigy with a Joe Meek keyboard run.

There is still Psych Pop on show. Dolly The Sheep is splendidly so, whilst Absent Friends is all together now strumming 70s Pop Rock. Silicon Valley is singer songwriter American and Artificial Intelligence returns to the Jeeves And Wooster territory.

The album is described as a musical satire and I get that, but there is a real pop sensibility here that crosses across a century. It leaves you realising how much great music there was before Rock and Roll. Wonderfully performed and arranged, The Madmen Of Apocalypso is something that you couldn't imagine being in anyone else's hands. Magnificent!

You can buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl and CD. You can listen to all 11 songs here. It is also available on the links here.

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

Bees & Sawdust - Teething

 

I wouldn't have Teething down as an easy listen, but it is an incredible listen. Built around mesmerising memorable riffs, it draws influences from everywhere, Post Punk, Psych, Prog and more. It is wonderfully noisy. A little Radiohead feel at times.  

The fact that these were secondary school friends and are now at University makes this even more intriguing as you'd expect this to be by some gnarled journeymen who have joined together after various adventures in various bands.

The five piece from Galway offer up a type of Noise Rock that approaches Hard Rock and certainly Alt Rock, but those riffs are awesome and angular. It isn't for the faint hearted, but continued listening gets you hooked.

The Guitar sound is awesome and the album is much closer to Psych than you might imagine, particularly the vibe. It does get a bit shouty at times which suits the soundtrack, but is definitely something that few are doing at present. Open ears will be certainly rewarded.

You can listen to and buy the album here

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

Owen Marchildon - Dangling Towards Heavy Sunlight

 

Ontario's Owen Marchildon has a long career of different projects under different names, but this is his first album under his own name. Dangling Towards Heavy Sunlight is essentially a Jangle Pop album, but it is not only that.

The Jangle Pop also steps into varied areas.Heavy Dreams is a cross between 60s West Coast Jangle and Merseybeat. Celebrity Singles vocally gets all Tom Petty and Weather Gurl, the stand out single candidate, is cracking jangling Power Pop.

There is also an ability to tell a story, particularly on Desperately Cruel, wonderfully so, with more than a hint pf Elvis Costello in the vocal. The Dumbness Of Love is another storytelling affair, but much darker, even hinting at Americana. 

There's even real melancholia with the dark moody Slaughter and Ginger Norwegian is similarly pensive, a little 80s Post Rock, even a little Classic Rock and adds a crackerjack of a solo. These songs reveal to the man than the joy of jangle.

The real delight here is the closer. Silver Screen sort of brings everything together in a jaunty Pop Rock affair. It is a song that sort of brings everything together in one song. Marchildon has offered up an album that will please Janglers, but underneath there is a real singer songwriter craft. Excellent!

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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

31 Reviews In 31 Days In October

 

October is traditionally an I Don't Hear A Single 31 in 31 month. There may be days without a review, but overall at least 31 Reviews will be posted over the whole month. To be honest we are expecting there may be more than that with a couple of special features planned.

September wasn't as productive as usual here, so there is a fair bit to catch up on wit us having a large Review backlog. Onwards and errrrrrrrr Upwards.

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