Listening To This Week 15 December

 

24 songs this week. A little more diverse than usual and a little noisier in parts without losing sight of what we are about. Plus, the return of Andy Partridge to begin proceedings. The weekly playlist is largely for submissions, not just the usual stuff that we dig out ourselves. 

The song order is not about song preference, but how the playlist flows.  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. 

Andy Partridge & Chris Braide - I Like 'Be' With You

Drool Brothers - The Song That Nobody Heard

Anamanaguchi - Sparkler

you, always - Xanax

Felix Tandem - Hey Now (Back To The 90s)

Fatecrimes - Chemical Default

Teenage Tom Petties - Kudzu Pop

Shapes Like People - Under The Rainbow

The Finest Hour - Needle & Thread

The Planes - Cliff Diver

Fish Night - Splicetime!

furiousball - Separate The Laundry

furiousball · Separate the Laundry

The Unknowns - All Grown Up

Alexa Kate - Forever

Alexa Kate · Forever

Vanilla - Hollow Man

Greg Hill - Glass Blown House

Chris Roach - The World's A Match And He's Dynamite

CrowsVSRavens - Beyond Repair (Monday Mirror)

Oli Swan - Sit And Wait

Oli Swan · Sit and Wait

Hollow Star - Capital

Lemon Ants - The Hill

Stone Tribe - Syncing

Deep Sea Camels - Same Rules Apply

Arn-Identified Flying Objects And Alien Friends - The Crow

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The Magic Castles - The Lore Of Mysticore

 

We don't cover many re-releases, simply because there is so much to deal with that is new. We do make the odd exception and this is one. I've loved this album since its initial release in 2008. I picked it up around 2015.  However, it now gets a Cream Vinyl Release courtesy of the new label, Dust And Memory.

Dust And Memory is a reissue label set up by Alvaro Lisson, owner of one our favourite labels, Meritorio Records which is a massive supporter of the new. The Magic Castles are a five piece band from Minneapolis and the album's base camp is gentle melodic Pastoral Psych Pop.

The album is very much a soundscape, filtering in Shoegaze, Chill Out, Folk Rock and Shoegaze whilst remaining incredibly melodic and engaging. The Psych Pop excels on 10,100. Largely, these are shorter songs than the usual length of this sort of genre.

But, the band do lengthy well too. All Of My Prayers morphs into heavier Psychedelic Guitar and gets very hippy trippy.  Ballad Of The Golden Bird is more wordy, a little shoegaze, but equally Prog, an hypnotic listen.

Hey Kids is surprisingly noisier, true Psych with the Organ sound drilling into your head and revealing how well the vocals work with the sounds. It even gets a little Madchester. The download is available separately but free with the Vinyl and adds the mind-blowing 13 minutes that is Cave Troll Blues. The whole thing is an hypnotic listen.

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You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Greg Hill - twenty-seven

 

I first came across Bighampton New York's Greg Hill via a Listening To This Week submission and Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind still sounds as wonderful. Pop Rock with a hint of the 80s and a tint of Prog, it is a top notch slice of Pop.

A look at Hill's Bandcamp page lists a whole mass of Genres, ambitious hyperbole you might think, but to be honest there are others that he has missed. twenty-seven is quite astonishing for a self performed, arranged and produced album. There is some talent here.

A song like Head First, Upside Down is ace 70s Pop Rock, a little Alan Parsons Project at times, beautifully and performed. Hill does Pop Rock so well, melodic, catchy with big choruses, Glass Blown House sounds more modern, but hits similar targets.

There are changes in direction too. 40 Miles is 80s Synth Pop, Honestly is Acoustic, stripped, a sort of Porch song, a little folk.Dissipate is built around piano and a mesmerising Guitar sound, very West Coast laidback in feel and adds a splendid Guitar solo.

I Know I'm Running Late is something that would bother the current Top 40, hypnotising in places and I haven't yet mentioned the stand out Great Escape. twenty-seven is an awe inspiring piece of art mixing the old and the new. What a great listen.

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

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The Planes - Motel For Lightning Bug

 

If we could turn back time and then name bands that should be on the IRS label,  Brooklyn's The Planes would be high on the list. They have an ability to be straight ahead and yet wonderfully obtuse. Sounding Post Punk one minute, yet 90s Rock the next. An ability to be noisy, but then follow it with something so Indie Rock.

If I was to choose my favourite of the six songs, it would be the magnificent Cliff Diver, noisy as hell, but built on a groove, a little Psych, yet stunning avant garde heaviness. But that would be an arrangement that perfectly fits what I listen to away from me.

Tear The World Apart fits more tastes, a hypnotic riff matched by a driving bass. Great Post Punk that breaks into a 90s Rock chorus. This is the band at their most accessible. Radio Summer runs it close though with its UK Indie C86 vibe.

Sleep / Gash is beautifully arranged, a little Radiohead like perhaps. The beauty of this quartet is that they can be incredibly inventive on the like of The Box, but change direction into something less chaotic and frantic. This isn't something for the Pop Kids, more something to blow your mind.

You can listen to and buy the album here. 

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Drool Brothers - Psychology

 

I've been waiting to tell you about this for quite a while and you will now be reading about an Album Of The Year. Well into their third decade, expanded from a trio to a quartet with the addition of a third Mancillas, Natalie.

Psychology is a wonderful statement of the joy of the Guitar and the chorus. It is also an album that is all over the place, magnificently so. The variety is endless from Angular to Brit Pop via Psych and Pop Rock. It is a splendid listen.

Compare the just over 2 minutes glorious Brit Pop of The Song That Nobody Heard to the heavy 6 minutes Psych of Green Jesus and you will appreciate that you are quite a ride. Those songs follow one another and so you will understand that there is a lot going on here.

Snack And Treats is a mix of Fuzz and Jangle Pop that blends perfectly. Dumb comes across as glorious UK 1978 New Wave with a touch of Noo Yawk sneeze and an unforgettable Telstar interlude. Fame Whore  is all 60s Beat built around another great Riff.

The title track starts with a top notch Bassline that recalls the band's earlier Funk, it is more New Wave though, a little Talking Heads instrumentally and an adventure in itself. It even gets a little dancey. Kaleidoscope is fantastically Angular with a killer chorus.

Have Fuzz Will Travel maybe sums up the band most, certainly here and adds a sort of Screamadelica woo hoo hoo and a Guitar break that adds to the raiding of the instrument cupboard. A stunning set of songs from Chuck Mancillas, stunning Guitar work and a locked in Rhythm section, what more could you want? A stunning listen!

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

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The Moats - Pleased To Meet You

 

You will hear The Moats on the current Listening To This Week, second song in with the splendid Find Someone Who Cares. The resulting 7 track album continues the joy. The Brighton quartet sound like a crack 80s Indie band, but certainly not an everyday one. 

There is plenty of great Jangle Pop on display, Glasgow related TFC and Dropkick at times, but there are also West Coast influences such as The Byrds when the pace lets up and a Paisley Park and IRS label feel at other times. 

The pacy I Want To shows that you can Jangle, yet Rock, something too few bands try and the slight Fuzz and energy makes the song an absolute joy to listen to. Lead Hat is very Three O'Clock like, yet Stupid Things is laid back is very San Franciscan jangle.

Internal Logic runs Find Someone who cares really close. More gentle Psych Pop than what else is on show, but this is in contrast to Diamond Ring which is very C86 and beautifully put together as the whole album is.

Pleased To Meet You is Jangle heaven, but what it does is show that there are many forms of the genre. It doesn't have to be sedate, enjoy quietly stuff. There is tons of energy here and variation that make the album a great listen.

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

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Linear Television - Sandy Beach EP. (Name Your Price)

 

Munster's Sandy Beach seem to have been thrown in Old School Punk, I get that a little. Marie Von Medipops does get very close to vintage Buzzcocks, wonderfully so. But for the most part, the Sandy Beach EP reminds me more of the UK New Wave that followed Punk.

That time sorted out the bands that could play and were a little more melodic than shouty. The other three songs fit this description perfectly. Opening with a great Guitar Intro that completely sucks you in. The riffs are awesome too.

There is high energy here with memorable choruses. There may be attitude, but it is tempered by some wonderful playing and memorable choruses. Stay Strong is probably the best example of this, but the intro to Sandy Beach just grips you completely.

Sedated By The Television gets close to Pop Punk instrumentally, but thankfully without the robotic talky vocal that tends to make that genre formulaic. There's great pace and energy and songs that you just can't help sing along to. A fine effort and I hope to hear more in the new future.

You can listen to and buy the EP here. It is available on Cassette or as a download.

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Maw Sit Sit - Songs Into Your Head

 

There is a real revival of the French music scene of late. Most of it is Indie, Garage and Punk, Paris five piece, Maw Sit Sit are certainly not any of those. Although, Far Away From You gets very close, a fine slab of energetic Noise Rock.

That though is out of kilter with the other five songs on show which are more soundscapes, beautifully arranged, very close to Symphonic Prog, but with vocal harmonies not a million miles away from Beach Boys West Coast territory.

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At times, these songs sound like cinematic dream sequences, but they are fascinating and capture your imagination wonderfully. Bass, Drums and Guitar are present and the rhythm section knits together really well, but there is also a heavy keyboard lead. Guitars and Keyboards resonate perfectly.

The four part vocal harmonies are what engage you most. Unusual for material of this sort. It works well, but completely surprises you. Far Away From You does sound like a totally different band, but reveals that the five have a lot in their armoury.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Quick Update

 

There's a lot to get through before the end of the month, Review Wise with albums not featuring in our Best 100 Albums Of The Year if not reviewed. Unusual working hours in my real life job explain days without posts. It will however get quieter there after this week aided by Album releases being fewer and not bothering with Christmas songs and albums.

I am also off on leave from next Wednesday for 5 days which will allow Reviews to be completed. Reviews go up until the end of December. I don't really see the point of releasing lists until every opportunity has been taken to listen to as much as you can.

A reminder that the 8 month Spotify trial is now over. Today, I completely deleted the account as I have a real problem with what Spotify does (or doesn't do) for artists. It is about people with no interest in music gathering all the cash.

Four Reviews are about to be released shortly and I will fit as much as I can in before Wednesday.

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Listening To This Week Playlist 8 December

 

29 more songs this week, none of them Christmas ditties. Another whisk around our musical tastes. Something for everyone you might say. The weekly playlist is largely for submissions, not just the usual stuff that we dig out ourselves. 

The song order is not about song preference, but how the playlist flows.  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. 

He's Dead Jim - Avenues and Alleyways

The Moats - Find Someone Who Cares

The Plastic Pals - Get To The Point

Shaw's Trailer Park - Pretty Hat Club

1910 Chainsaw Company - Baby Blue

NONTHEWISER - We'll All Be Dead

COMEDY - L.A. Perfume

Marc Valentine - You Are The Jet  

Bad Flamingo - Shame

Beauty - Daisy

No Point Intended - Over The Moon

The Arcade Lights - Remember The Days

Tennis Courts - Keep The Car Running

Joe Giddings - Stay In Nowhere

Douglas & The World - The Pink Burger Bar (Part 1)

Moon Construction Kit - Chemicals

Moon Construction Kit · Chemicals

Little King - Sweet Jessie James

Static In Verona - Big Giant

The Elbow Patches - The Day Got Away With Me

Inland Years - Same Old Town

Peter Cat - Starchamber

Space Jaguar - Go Home

Robin Taylor Zander - She Can't Turn Back Now

Draped Apes - Making It (Up)

The Casbahs - Different Way Home

Svenssen - The Making Of Art

Barry & The Visitors - And Yours Too

Barry & The Visitors · And Yours Too

Rusty Reid - Let's Just Talk

Candytuft - Sour Flower

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The 1910 Chainsaw Company - Everything's Better

 

This is an album released in October 2024, but I've only just discovered it via a recommendation and it is a corking listen, With the catch up starting on Album Reviews today, it makes sense to close with something more akin with our general reputation.

The Philadelphia Quartet offer up a 60s leaning Pop Masterpiece. All vocal harmony, Summer West Coast Bubblegum, catchy as catchy can be. There are also hints of Psych Pop with the emphasis on Pop and Merseybeat.

The latter is underlined by the jaunty Hitchin' A Ride, Brass is added to an Everly Brothers feel on Goodbye Daydream and Beach Boys style vocals and sound adorn Jennington Obelisk. The title track is wonderful gentle Psych Pop done in a Partridge Family let's do the show right here style.

Baby Blue is a stunning atmospheric closer, initially, vocal and organ only, but bursts into a spectacular 70s Pop Rock arrangement, but it doesn't end there. This four songs in one then gets all together now Marmalade like before closing at pace with a Wizzard like effect.. It is a superb song. It just has to be the opening embed.

Band Aid adds even more variety, part 60s Rock and Roll, part Eddy And The Falcons. Better Than All The Rest is a little Daydream Believer and Spider Paws is all UK 70s Glam Rock. The whole album is so well put together, it is a joyful listen. Kick of 2005's Blues and get your singing voice prepared.

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

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Little King - Lente Viviente

 

Just as Bowie said that he'd found his Jeff Beck with Mick Ronson, I've finally found my Rush replacement with Tucson, Arizona's Little King. Little King are no newcomers, this is their 8th album in a career approaching three decades, but they are new to me.

The trio (another essential) are doppelgängers for 90s and beyond Rush, definitely instrumentally, arrangement wise and many times vocally. The song structure  are very similar as are the changes in direction. They also seem to suffer the same genre calls as non followers of the Canadians beseeched on them.

You will find them reviewed on Metal and Prog  sites, when in reality they are neither of those. They certainly Rock and the arrangements are complex, but at times there are Pop Rock sentiments. Ryan Rosoff is the leader as vocalist, guitarist and songwriter, but the trio are locked in.

David Hamilton plays Bass (and cello on the magnificent Sweet Jessie James) and Tony Bojorquez, Drums. This isn't a long album at 25 minutes for the 7 songs, so there is no excess weight, but the songs do contain such a lot within them.

The biggest I Can't Believe It's Not Rush is the opener Catch And Release, but the signs are everywhere. But these are no copycats. There is the trio's indelible stamp across the album. Who's Illegal is more slowed down, a little AOR maybe with a driving rhythm track and lyrical sentiments that most sensible listeners can agree with.

The Living Lens is a great closer, a sort of round up of everything they do, but the stand out is Sweet Jessie James, a splendid arrangement, the cello is magnificent, more restrained vocally and instrumentally. But overall, Lente Vivienne is an awesome listen.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Shaw's Trailer Park - French Litter

 

Shaw's Trailer Park is one of the finest albums of this year (reviewed here) and we now have another offering from the Brighton quartet. French Litter feels a little looser and raw than its predecessor, but it is every bit as interesting and engaging.

The feel is a heavier, the Psych quotient more noticeable and the UK Beat twists are magnificent. As you might expect, it is the Psych that interests me most and this is wonderfully presented mixing pure Psych, Psych Pop and Paisley Underground.

So let's begin unusually at the end. The closer, Pretty Hat Club is 5 minutes plus of magnificent Psych, it is a fist shaking monster of a song with a groove that hooks you completely. It is a brilliant way to send you off to your everyday duties with your head still focussed on the song. 

It will feature heavily on tomorrow's Listening To This Week Playlist. Compare that to the Garage Rock of Anyone There and the mid 60s UK Beat of the groovy Jaywalker and you realise that this lot are no one trick pony.

The lead single, Phone Wars, is again very 60s, all bass and riff driven. But is the noisier stuff that grips me most. Trailer Park Blues is in your face, part groove, part Guitar extravaganza, it just hooks you in. Patience is all locked in groove, mesmerising at times, wonderful Psych pop.

I'd love to see the band live. These songs are built to be played Live in a sweaty club, removing you of all energy until your legs can't take any more. This type of music doesn't come along as much as it used to which is unfortunate for you all.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Sweet Nobody - Driving Off To Nowhere

 

The second song in on the current Listening To This Week is Sweet Nobody's Making It Right. One of the standout songs of the year. Joy Deyo's sugar sweet vocal is matched by a splendid melodic arrangement that borders on Classic ELO.

Deyo's vocal is one of the highlights throughout, comparable to Elizabeth Stokes of The Beths, but the locked in more Indie Rock arrangements show the band as a sum of their parts. The band's second album, We're Trying Our Best was recorded in the lockdown conditions of Covid, this one isn't and it shows.

The Long Beach quartet are all in the same room and the integration reveals a band locked in. The Lasting Kind shows a real maturity, a song built on a wonderful arrangement with a haunting Guitar Sound and sounding alike a slightly rocked up version of The Sundays.

Finally Free is the exact opposite, yet completely engaging, bass led Indie Pop that has a haunting atmospheric opening, but that bass sound makes the song a little funky. Driving Off To Nowhere is even more varied. A big Drum sound and an arrangement that sounds a little like 60s Studio big arrangement with a Twang that drops in beautifully.

The Lasting Kind is anthemic as a good deal of the album is.  Forget Me is a rare noisier departure with a heavier guitar sound that resonates wonderfully. Revenge is superb jaunty 80s UK Indie Pop and the opener, I Don't Know When I'll See You Again is a top notch statement of intent.

The whole album is a Tour De Force. Beautifully arranged and produced. Instrumentally almost perfect, adding variety and technical excellence and then you have Joy Deyo's incredible vocals. Melodic, but not afraid to take chances. A superb listen.

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

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The James Rocket - Seen

 

I've been helping The James Rocket a little more than time usually allows for the simple reason that I love what they are trying to do. After hearing stuff on Listening To This Week, the album is here for your delectation. I adore the care that has gone into it.

I know of no other band that send me an album and tag all the tracks with different genres. It shows that they won't be labelled, but also the variety that the quartet offer up. I was just blown away by the variety. I'd have to say that it was Even Our Closest Friends Are Distant which opens the album which drew me to them.

It is a song that is right up my street, noisy, interesting, all over the place and completely engaging. It isn't really representative of what they do, but it sucked me in completely. For instance, Autumn is late 60s UK Psych Beat and Chip is pure Brit Pop, so you'll understand that you are in for quite a journey.

Pharaohs is Noo Yawk Sleeze, Ugly Room is almost Classic Rock and Winter Flowers is wonderful Art Rock. Sea Of Dolls is slightly Garage Rock and Penny is the sound of my youth, top notch UK New Wave attitude beautifully presented.

Ripping Off The Mitchells was the second song that I fell off, splendidly spiteful both musically and lyrically. All street attitude. A little bit like the sound of Woking with an absolute corker of a solo which is almost experimental and unexpected.

Seen is a wonderful example of how time and patience provides excellence. Great variety, but not performed to seem so. Enough attitude to be meaningful, but with a willingness to experiment and not be content the norm. An absolute cracker!

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

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Christmas Songs

 

Those who have been with us a while know that we don't do Christmas songs or albums. I may be seen as the biggest grouch, but we never have. I mention it now, because with the massive popularity of Listening To This Week this year, we have been inundated with Christmas IDHAS submissions and emails about potential Album Reviews.

Don't get me wrong, there are some great Christmas songs, some bitter, but most are not and are usually rhyming mistletoe with snow with a forced jolliness that becomes unbearable. We do listen to everything and if there is something that we particularly like, we will reply with a we don't do them message, but we love the song and if you have something more everyday, we'd love to hear it sort of thing.

The main reason though is that we set up I Don't Hear A Single, with particular concentration on Google Analytics, so that older reviews continually get read and listened to. You will have seen albums reviewed 6 or 7 years ago feature in our Top 10 most viewed monthly the Left Hand Side of the site. With this in mind, we don't see the point of any time spent on music that only interests people for 3 or 4 weeks a year.

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NONTHEWISER - Injustice For All EP

 

Gothenburg's NONTHEWISER have a reputation for great Punk, but as this EP proves they are much much more than that. There's an obvious link to Hard Rock, particularly on the 100mph 21 Down which is Motorhead pace.

But these five are so damn melodic. Taking in elements of 90s Rock, Prog and delivering really crunching riffs. Dire Hesitation is similarly fast and loud, but gets a little Pop Punk and is real shake your fist stuff. Prior to these two songs are a bit calmer.

Justice Undone is a little AOR times and carries a great chorus. We'll All Be Dead is brought to you by an earth shattering riff, a little Classic Rock, but still rocking your socks off. Yes this is really loud and in your face, but also incredibly listenable.

You can listen to and buy the EP here.

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Listening To This Week Playlist 1 December

 

29 songs this week  Diverse as always, whilst not forgetting what our strengths are. 

The weekly playlist is largely for submissions, not just the usual stuff that we dig out ourselves. The song order is not about song preference, but how the playlist flows.  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. 

Le Corbeau - Black Lightning In The Eyelid's Shade

Sweet Nobody - Making It Right

Pantomime Horses - Everyone's A Ghost

Lone Wolf - High All The Time

The Legal Matters - Everybody Knows

Hand Gestures - Why Try

Dodgy - Hello Beautiful

Ojahara - The Days. 

Vanilla.6 - LAST DANCE

Doing Juliet - W**

Doing Juliet · W**

Hospital Radio - L.A.

Hospital Radio. · L.A.

Livingmore - Away Away Away

Train Conductor - Sad Man In The Moon

Sunshine Lust - Mellow Blue

Sunshine Lust · Mellow Blue

Ted Morris - Wrong To Be Right

Mercy Kelly - Out In The Night

The Notwist - X-Ray

The Empty Page - When We Gonna Run?

SilverHorizon - Going Too Fast

Wesley David - Silent Rides

Alex Hellcat - Kids From Broken Homes

Jeremy & The Harlequins - Thunderbolt

Neil Soiland - Think It Twice

T. G. Shand - Levitating The Knife

T. G. Shand · Levitating The Knife

Bikini Test Failure - When Your Heart's Not In It Anymore

Video Store - Sleepless

Pocket Lint - It's Very Relaxing

Pocket Lint · It's Very Relaxing

First Day Of Spring - PARTYZEIT!

Invisible Joe & The Mushroom Gorilla - Fate

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