Rural France - Exactamondo!

 

RF was/is a fantastic album.  I did worry, well I didn't really, if RF could be followed, it was so good. Well fear ye not,  our Wiltshire friends Tom Brown and Rob Fawkes have lost none of their chops, in fact Exactomondo feels like their balls have grown, it certainly sounds noisier and meatier.

Released on Meritorio Records, one of our favourite labels, the vibe is very 90s Indie Rock orientated, but tells you little about what is on show. At times it feels very UK, Scottish probably and yet it also edges towards US Slacker Rock. Instrumentally, it is quite a racket, wonderfully so.

The two openers are very prime time Teenage Fanclub. I know that's a lazy comparison, but they are. But elsewhere, this could be Dinosaur Jr. In between, there is Fuzz, Jangle, Power Pop and even a little Country Guitar. The odd time, the album heads into the Garage territory of say Guided By Voices.

There is a real edge on occasion, but songs never lose the sight of the melody and catchiness. Prize Goose, which closes the album, is probably the most gentle thing here, but the pair still manage to finish on a maelstrom Guitar outro.

Sunsplit jangles with a great intro. Blabbermouth strums along and contains that weeping Country Guitar and yet Guideropes is all Slacker and 90s College wrong with a great addition of Twang. Stay Away From The Widow, Sidney is great Garage Power Pop.

The latter's song title demonstrates the sly wit across the album, sort of Half Man Half Biscuit like. Indeed, there is a real lyrical adeptness across the whole piece that adds to the enjoyment through repeated  listens. Exactomondo will chime with followers here and hopefully add a whole new set of fans to the retinue. This album certainly deserves that.

You can listen and buy the album here. Please also visit Meritorio when you get chance here. It is a beacon of light in a darkening world.

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Mythical Motors - Upside Down World

 

It seems to be a month of returning heroes and May is gonna continue the trend with albums at the ready awaiting their release dates. So we are catching up nicely due to the amount of albums that will be covered next month.

Matt Addison is certainly prolific, very much like his biggest comparison, Guided By Voices. Hot on the heels of revelling in being I Don't Hear A Single's Best Album Of 2023 with The Sunshine Registry, (Review here), we have another.

That album was reviewed towards the end of last December and within hours, Upside Down World appeared, so I have had a lot of time to get familiar with it and it again revels in its lo-fi glory. It will delight those who know and may his most accessible yet in welcoming new believers.

People have said to me what I think a big studio budget would bring to Mythical Motors, most thinking that the resulting album would be massive.But I'm not so sure if I'd want that. There is a home made charm that makes the material intimate and special and would you want to take that homeliness away?

There is an IRS vibe present on Upside Down World, a mid 80s UK Jangle and even a Psych tinge across the album. It is certainly less Power Pop, more Indie charm as Addison's gentle vocal compliments the inventive riffs and diversions.

I watched Teenage Superstars for the umpteenth time last night and a lot of what Mythical Motors do reminded me of that Glasgow 80s vibe. The album also revels in the say what you want and get off attitude There is no room for extended solos or repeat ad infinitum choruses.

I've deliberately not mentioned the songs here, but have chosen my three favourites. The hope is that you will head off and listen to the complete album. It will only take you 27 minutes or so and your life will be much richer. I'm still not convinced that the world needs cassettes again, but I am not the arbiter of taste.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is also available on Cassette, so buy yourself a pencil.

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Your Academy - #2 Record

I loved Your Academy's debut album when I reviewed the 2021 Release. You can read that here. So I was really looking forward to the follow up from the Memphis 5 piece and I am not disappointed in the slightest.

#2 Record continues where the self titled album left off and nails the five piece's reputation. I suppose you would label this Pop Rock, but there are ventures into other directions. The base is very Posies at times, but this time, it is the mellower moments that also stand out.

Our Stars gets very close to Country Rock, yet also edges towards West Coast 70s vibes. Just A Little Time is part Classic Rock, but a big reminder of those great American 70s Pop Rock bands. Wasting Time is a jaunty all together now affair.

B 612 even ventures into a mix of Psych Pop and gentle melodic Prog whilst remaining in kilter with what is around, adding some corking understated guitar and Brass. But there is also plenty of Pace, particularly on the stand out Marilu.

The riff that opens Miss Amphetamine is a bit Pretty Vacant, but soon turns into The Posies territory. My Near Catastrophe puts big feet in modern day Teenage Fanclub land with a big solo. Overall, the album feels a little more restrained than the debut, a little gentler maybe.

However vocally and arrangement wise, the album is bang on. Songs are beautifully produced and performed with the melody washing over you and leaving you feel more content after every listen. #2 Record is a reminder that you don't have to blow the bloody doors off to engage an audience.

You can listen to and buy the album here. The CD is available on the Kool Kat label here.

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Dave Cope And The Sass - Hidden From The World

A Dave Cope And The Sass album is always something to look forward to and it is wonderful to see more people celebrating what they do. Cope first came into my orbit at the start of 2010s, but it was 2014's Davey Cope And The English Breakfast that really made a siren sound loudly in my ears.

I Don't Hear A Single only began in the middle of 2016 and so it was well on the way to being established when the self titled Dave Cope And The Sass album was released and what a debut it is. Since then no Genre has been safe. From Folk to Psych and everything in-between.

The base is somewhere between Classic Rock and 70s Pop Rock, but that doesn't tell half the story, Cope has been well covered here and the albums have constantly bothered the IDHAS Best Albums Of The Year has I have no doubt that this one will.

I was also delighted to preview One Hell Of A Ride and this is one of the highlights here, but in no way the only one. There is a splendid manner in the way songs change directions.Take for instance Crooked Picture which takes in comparisons to Pugwash, Marmalade and 60s UK Beat in under 3 minutes.

I Wish I Had A Garden edges towards Prog and yet Precious Heart is all Jangle and yet could be played at an Austin Powers party. Next To Nothing is top notch Power Pop, but All Alright is an ace Anthem, the sort that Cope comes up with at will.

Where Have I Been All My Life is a real Singer Songwriter Troubadour sort of thing and The Soldier is all eastern sounding tableau, a really special arrangement. Just A Dream I Had Of Lizzie is gentle and Acoustic, almost Folk, but also has an exceptional Baroque arrangement.

The album is dedicated to Cope's brother, Ian, and West Of The Setting Sun is a marvellous tribute. Suitably melancholic, but heartbreaking wrenching with an almost Country feel at times, but maybe more of a Desert Ballad. It is incredibly atmospheric.

But if you really want to know what Cope is about in one song, then the title track is the one to begin with. Harmonic Pop Rock of the highest order, but also gets both a little 60s and 80s with a Jangle bursting to get out.

I know, people say it all the time for every album release, but this really is Dave Cope And The Sass at their very best. 12 songs without a duffer. Come on world! Cope has been here all the time, where've you been? An album to be listened to from start to finish and then put on again.

You can listen to and buy the album here. The CD is available at Kool Kat here.

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Listening To This Week Playlist

30 fine songs for your listening delight to get you through the next seven days.There is no song preference in track order, just what we think flows.  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 all week 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. Thank you for supporting the new music from Indie artists.

Midnight Morning - The Interstate

T Is For Thomas Band - More Or Less A King

Lettuce Inn - I Am The Wizard, Said The Wizard

Three Lefts and A Right - Lovulator

Goodman - Only Testimony

The Wesleys - Radio Circus

(Martin) Draax - Pigeons & People

Roscoe Tripp - Big Dreams

Martyn Cuthbert - Time Machine

The Peawees - The Wolf

Aubrey Straw - Swarfega

Little Oil - I Wanna Know

Eric St-Cyr - Stars Align

The Everminds - 21 Grams of Insta

Square Wave - Too Far

Immortal Fish - Somebody Else

Spiders From Uranus - Glad You Came

James Haro In Storage - Verses

Nathanael Saposnikoff - Trail of Fools

bad wives - Lost and Found

BEHOR - Angel

You Fool! - Nock, Draw, Loose

Gold Stars For Everyone - Parallax

The New Attention!- Kick Out The Jams

Rum Jungle - Did The Morning Let You Down

The Dares - Call It In

Sammi Starlight - The End

Kitty-May - Take Me Back

Ted Bunny - Little Orange Time Machine

Fun While It Lasted - Your Face Could Light Up The Room

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The Reflectors - Going Out Of Fashion

Los Angeles's The Reflectors reach their third album. Their last, Faster Action featured in our Best Albums Of 2021. You can read the review here. The quartet know exactly what they are doing and when you are as good as this, why alter the format too much?

The new wave of Power Pop is a heavier scuzzier brand of the genre. The Reflectors want none of that. This is the classic late 70s UK New Wave / early 80s version that was adored by the more open to the new participants on Power Pop Facebook groups.

I have to say that my life become much less stressful when I stopped frequenting those groups, but there are still a couple of great ones around such as Power Pop Overdose and Power Pop Record and members of those particular groups will absolutely love this, just as I do.

The band are particularly great when the pace quickens. Silhouette and Going Out Of Fashion are great examples. The former gets a little Hey Hey Let's Go, the latter is very UK 1978, almost Punk and should translate wonderfully well live.

Living In A Dream gets all Rubinoos, Just Can't Get Enough Of It is in The Speedways territory and Space And Time even gets more than a little UK Glam Rock. Time Is All I Have opens with a crackerjack of a riff and has more in common with the Not Lame Days.

Both All The Way Down and I Gotta Run are more in line with the basic template, but both are great melodic catchy Guitar Pop. The band though are comfortable in whichever direction they head and Going Out Of Fashion is in now way 14 songs that are all similar. There is great variety and this is great Power Pop.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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James Sullivan - Vital Signs

 

I loved More Kicks, you can read the review of 2022's Punch Drunk here, and so now that James Sullivan has gone solo, it is interesting to see which direction he takes. Not only the direction, but More Kicks were such a great Power Trio, it is also interesting to hear the sound and vibe,

Sullivan was the leader of that particular trio, so you expect the songs to be great and they are. There are a couple of songs that you can imagine More Kicks doing, but this album is much more Indie and stripped back. This allows Sullivan to venture much further than the trio format.

There is a real Indie 80s vibe, the inventiveness and Gravitas Pop of say a Robin Hitchcock. The major surprise is that such a previously electric anthemic artist excels most on the Acoustic songs. La Rochelle is magnificent Baroque Pop that edges towards Psych Pop.

All I Wanna Do (Is Nothing With You) is a wonderfully gentle Acoustic, almost Americana song. There are also numerous surprises. Guilty As Charged is a cracking story telling song with a talking vocal and a fantastic Noise Rock accompaniment.

Back To The Start goes all Folky Dylan. Dronify is great 60s Psych. But there are also moments that you might expect bearing in mind Sullivan's past. Day Late Dollar Start is the sort of up and at 'em Guitar Pop that jangles and fuzzes melodically.

My Best Friend is another that nods to what was his major songwriting strength. The album is a little sparse instrumentally, but that suits the material. Vital Signs is an outstanding listen, different to most that is currently around. A real Indie songwriter album with a side order of unexpected arrangements.

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

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The Dirty Nil - Free Range To Passions Deluxe Edition

 

Rather than tell you how great this album is all over again. My review from last year is below. The album sounds just as great as it did then. Now there is a link below of the newly released Deluxe Edition. The recent new single. Am I The Menace? and a rocked up cover of Total Eclipse Of The Heart. is added along with 9 Demos.

Incidentally, the band are in the UK for 5 dates from tomorrow and well worth opening your purse for. Should be a real Rock Out!

Ontario's The Dirty Nil offer up a raucous fourth album. Wonderful Pop Rock edging more towards Rock with a melodic swagger, the band are a perfect example of my preachy theme this year. The bands that are moving up the stairs most are Pop Punk bands that have matured.

Whereas, most progress is a move into a noisier Power Pop, The Dirty Nil have gone one step further, more akin towards potential Stadium Rock. Cheap Trick like in their appeal, if not exactly in their material, these four are a much rockier and noisier affair.

They haven't totally lost touch with their roots, Land Of Clover is wayward enough to remind you of past glories, but overall Free Rein To Passions is anthemic, riff laden joy, led by the top notch vocals of Luke Bentham. He has a voice that embraces the hooks, yet is equally at home with the loud.

Stupid Jobs gets all early Queen in shape and form and the title track even treads boldly into the Hair Rock of the 80s, all shouty attitude with an absolutely killer riff. Celebration also starts with some serious shredding, a little Extreme Pornograffiti in mood and more than a little Classic Rock.

Nicer Guy is a real "are you with us" anthem, pied piper like big Rock. Undefeated is well into Cheap Trick territory, splendid Pop Rock and the only time the band come up for air is on the closer, The Light, The Void And Everything when the Lighters come out for an Aerospace-ish corker of a song.

The Dirty Nil are a little noisier, a little rockier than you may be used to on here. But the album is a triumph and deserves a wider audience, hopefully appealing to people with a dozen cds to switch off Spotify. Beautifully produced, Free Rein is an absolute storm.

You can listen to and buy the the Deluxe Edition here.

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Richard Turgeon - Life Of The Party

 

I like Richard Turgeon a lot. He specialises in Guitar led Pop Rock that leans towards Power Pop It is fair to say that when I first covered him in 2017 for his In Between The Spaces album, which featured in our 2017's In Between The Spaces, this brand of Pop Rock was around a fair bit.

I don't quite no way, because the genre is generally a great listen, but the intervening years have been less forthcoming. Maybe it's the demise of the Bloggers and Review sites that were around then or musicians have given in with how difficult it is to get coverage, yet alone make a living. 

Turgeon is even more impressive as he plays, records and produces everything himself and his albums always sound impressive, so well made and performed. There is a default template that is always spot on. All Alone, Forgiveness and Our Fair City are good examples of this. All contain riffs that resonate.

But there are also times when he lets go. The riffs get heavier and the songs noisier. This is when he is at his best. I've Got You Now and What Could Have Been sound chunkier and edge towards Indie Rock. Sweet As Pie even gets close to The Posies.

Turgeon even masters the great Pop Rock of the 70s with the closer, Don't Forget Me When You've Gone with its string arrangement and piano pop feel. The vocal arrangement is particularly excellent and shows a different side to the Guitar maestro and adds a belting nostalgic solo.

Life Of The Party is a cracking album, as are Turgeon's other six. With all the melody, harmony, riffs and vocal excellence, you tend to forget what a great guitarist he is. He never overplays, every guitar interlude suits the song and if you like melodic Guitar Pop, this is definitely the album for you.

You can listen to and buy the album here. The CD is available on the Kool Kat label here.

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The Flashpot Moments - Bombastic Fantastic

 

Having enjoyed 2022's So Far greatly. I feel guilty for missing out on 2023's mini album, Lucky Human Illusion, so I'm delighted to remedy my remiss with 2024 offering. Very Far was in our Best Albums Of 2022 and you can read the review here.

Although it planted its feet in Pop Rock, it wasn't afraid to rock out and venture into AOR and Classic Rock. Bombastic Fantastic heads into similar territory with a focus that is more on the AOR than the Pop without ever losing its melody or riff count.

The vibe is a little over the top, lyrically a little personal, but Tim Cawley never ever loses sight of the sheer catchy chorus led joy that constantly marks out his material. Reclamation is one of the opening songs on the current Listening To This Week Playlist and that gives you a good indication of what you are in for.

Having built up the Rock element, there are a couple of quieter moments that reveal that there is more here than meets the eye. Go Figure is gentle affair, almost Americana at times instrumentally with a weeping violin and a male - female vocal.

Feelgood Hit of The Winter starts gently, very 80s AOR with a big chorus and the Guitar constantly wanting to burst out. But the album is at its best when the tempo is high. A Phantom Taste rocks out of the blocks with its background riff. You sense that the song wants to blast without ever quite managing it.

Pull Spector is very Butch Walker or maybe more how Walker should be instead of the layered vocals and handclaps. Again the Guitar stands out and you realise that is the thing that grabs you most. You realise Commercial Rock can be addictive, if done this well.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Listening To This Week Playlist

We normally don't want to go over 30 songs and I don't think that we've ever reached that, although we've been close. So it is with a little trepidation and concern that this week we go with 32. It is largely due to the amount that were Friday releases as we don't add to the playlist until a song has been released.We did consider doing a Part 1 and Part 2, but felt that that would take away the focus of the recommends.

There is a real quality and variety here and so we felt that holding a couple of songs back would be unfair to the relevant artists.  There is no song preference in track order, just what we think flows.  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 all week 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. Thank you for supporting the new music from Indie artists.

The Gold Watch - Look Out Mars

The Flashpoint Moments - Reclamation

Ex-Giant - Dry Mouth

Tony Billings - Face The Fire (Single Mix)

Goddamn Wolves - Ah, Maria

Fallon Cush - Sweet Johanna

Plastic Tofu - Have Some Faith

The Soods - Astrid (Drive Away Slowly)

The Human Fund - Circa 1994

SMACKBEAT - Last Summer

Little Oil - Fig Leaf Crown

Corella - Lady Messiah

St. Jimi Sebastian Cricket Club - Soothing Nights

Eurekas - While The World Was Ending (I Was In A Rock & Roll Band)

Now Or Ever - Right Things AWAIT

Humdrum Book Club - 1997

Numb - Hello

Talkradio - Down

Oxsener - Disappointed

Jett Rose - YOU

Robbie Rapids - Dream Away (Reimagined Version)

Opt Out - Same Game

Lame Drivers - Become An Island

dapmuzyk - Rapture

Austin McGrath - Getting Real

High Tiny Hairs - Only Lonely

SMOON - So.. Sick

Oli Barton - The Light

Pluto The Racer - I Might Even

Rise Bailey Rise - Poster Boy

The Mosfets - Welcome To The Apartment Jungle

Work Wear - 64

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R.E. Seraphin - Fool's Mate

 

Ray Seraphin still lives in his lo-fi Indie world and for that we are incredibly thankful. You can read our reviews of Tiny Shapes and Swingshift here and here. So it is now time to write about his new album and it is suitably splendid.

When I say Lo-Fi, it can be a bit of a misnomer as Seraphin songs generally sound as though they have been devised in a big soundscape and then scaled down. Fool's Mate also finds him as part of a band and what a band it is. The album feels more Indie Rock orientated and definitely lyricaaly, it is a much darker affair.

Joel Cusumano of Sob Stories is guitarist, Daniel Pearce of Red, Pinks and Purples is Drummer, Josh Miller of Chime School plays some incredible Bass and Luje Robins is on keyboards. Add in that Owen Adair Kelley of Sleepy Sun guests on Acoustic and Slide Guitar and Jason Quever of Papercuts records and mixes at his studio and you have quite a cast.

I've compared Seraphin to The Feelies in the past and there is still a bit of that here, but the album feels more UK Indie 80s and IRS, largely due to the band format. Seraphin's gentle, almost whisper though holds all together and so ensures that the change is not dramatic.

The man can also be incredibly melodic. The Indie Pop of What We Don't Know is a touching affair about his relationship with his wife, Hannah Moriah, who accompanies him on vocals. Clock Without Hands is probably as jaunty as Seraphin gets, which isn't really that jaunty.

The album also flirts with Psych Pop, most notably on Contraband. There is even an unexpected Twang on the opener, End Of The Start. There's even a Lennon's Double Fantasy vibe to Argument Stand and Virtue Of Being Wrong is instrumentally incredibly addictive. Fool's Mate isn't an album that will get you belting out choruses, more sitting back in full admiration.

You can listen to and buy the album here. The album is also available on Vinyl.

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Paul Crane And The Overend Watts - Halfway Home EP

 

We don't often review 3 Track EPs, but this is the great American Classic Power Pop that we know and love/ Plus the faint connection to Mott The Hoople sucks us in with trio naming themselves after our beloved Overend sealing things.

Paul Crane of Bastards Of Melody fame has fashioned up great examples of the genre. All the pre-requisites are here. Big riffs, great choruses and melody explode out and I'm sure the DJs will be after individual songs for their Internet Radio shows.

Halfway House is the most straight ahead with its killer riff and its ace solo which includes a twang. Wondering is all Jangle, a little more laid back, but still adds a crackerjack of a solo. Dypsomaniak feels much more Not Lame 90s.

The song adds synth from Chris Bolger and the solo even gets a little Thin Lizzy and rounds off a fine EP. This is the sort of thing that I heard often, but much less these days. Hopefully, we might get an album in future because is the sort of joyous Power Pop that deserves to be heard.

You can listen to and buy the EP here.

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The Phase Problem - The Power Of Positive Thinking

The second album from The Phase Problem is superb. Largely, it compares with the current now of rocked up Power Pop. What's more it is on the excellent Cardiff label, Brassneck Records, and the whole thing is blowing out the water all of the UK being a musical wasteland arguments.

I'm not gonna get on my defence of Pop Punk box, but the genre suffers the same as another love of mine, Prog. The genres are obviously very different. But just as Prog gives the avoiders the notion of terminal solos and the flute, Pop Punk gives the impression of robotic talky vocals and songs at 100mph.

It would be a shame to label The Phase Problem as Pop Punk, even if that is the participants background is such, because The Power Of Positive Thinking has little of what the non followers would think the genre is. This is melodic catchy Guitar Pop of the highest order.

It is wonderfully noisy without ever getting shouty. There are all also departures such as the Hey Hey Let's Go of Demon Girl, the heavier Indie Rock of Fork In The Road with its blistering Guitar Solo and the UK 70s Punk of Middle Aged Lobotomy.

Indeed, at times there is a real 70s feel, very New Wave Guitar band and the better Punk bands who could hold a tune and play their instruments. Fallen Apart and Broken Word are fine examples of this. There's also an affinity with the States the odd time, especially Denouement.

The band can also get anthemic on the likes of Shadow Of Me and the excellent Heart On My Sleeve. They only come up for air on the closer, It's True and that still rocks out after the verse and may yet be the song that opens many more deserved doors. Absolutely Splendid!

You can listen to the album here. You can buy the album here, here or here.

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Get A Move On Man!

 

This week is traditionally one of the busiest real life non music weeks for me. So we are behind Review Wise and have loads to catch up on. Reviews will return at full speed tomorrow and with the exception of the Listening To This Week Playlist on Mondays, Reviews will be the sole focus for the rest of the month.

Loads of great albums to come!

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Listening To This Week Playlist

Another week speeds by and 26 songs await you to cover the next 7 days. Every one is a winner. There is no song preference in track order, just what we think flows.  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 all week 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. Thank you for supporting the new music from Indie artists.

Born Lost - Sell The News

minuscule 605 - My Kind of Guy

Belefold - Am I?

Stanmore - A Ballad For Jennie

Late Cambrian - Late Bloomer

Spuzbet - Horrifying Clichés

Forgotten Tides - Help Me!

Alan Fakeman - Calling The Waters

Wine Lips - Stimulation

Ed Moody-Pugh - Guru Dev

The Wesleys - 25

The Midland Affair - Do You Hear Me Now

Jerry Velona - When I Wake Up

Screen Frogs - Transistor

Mansfield - Dreams Of Desire

The Looniest Toon - Analysis Paralysis

Crawling Crows - Alright

Woozlemania - All My New Pals!

Dying Habit - Hard To Say No

Big In Congo - TICK TICK TICK

Lizzie Esau - Wait Too Late

Cristian James - That's Alright With Me

Hollow Bodies - Battery Park Wallflower

Max Bernstein - Mirrors

Kirt - Thanks For Nothing

Kirt · Thanks For Nothing

Vero Strange - King Of Dogs

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