Superchunk - Songs In The Key Of Yikes

 

We adore the current revival of Power Pop, a different generation is bringing a noisier version to the genre. So to turn the tables nicely, this current wave is joined by a band well into their fourth decade who demonstrate that Guitars, Bass and Drums are not just for youth.

This year is fast becoming the year of returning heroes who want to show you what you've missed. It is becoming a modern day version of our previous retro home, Anything Should Happen. what with the likes of Splitsville, Cheap Trick and these four returning.

The quartet's 2022 album, Wild Loneliness is a magnificent listen, but leans more towards Pop Rock. You can read my review here. This follow up is a much much noisier affair. Mac McGaughan is partly worried, partly angry about these times and he's gonna tell you why.

This may be the 12th album in, but it sounds as new and fresh as a debut album. Past releases are acknowledged, but this is a much more straight ahead rocked up Power Pop. It is a slightly punkier affair with the rhythm section holding the whole thing together.

The female duo of founder member, Laura Ballance and Laura King are locked in allowing the twin guitar assault from McCaughan and Jim Wilburn the freedom to let loose. The whole album just completely grips you from start to finish.

The riffs are massive, the choruses stay with you and are killer and the solos just grab a hold of you. Songs In The Key Of Yikes. The calmer parts sound like the likes of Weezer have been given a slap, told to get angrier and ditch all the modern pop nonsense. But is those heavier riffs that really light up your life. Absolutely Superb!

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

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Listening To This Week Playlist 25 August

 

The last LTTW Playlist of August offers up another wonderful 28 songs. As usual, returning heroes and new artists for us and maybe you. It is a cracking listen. As well as the traditional version, we have put the playlist on Spotify and you will see the link below. 

Remember this is early days on Spotify for us, so the following there is nowhere near our one here. 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. 

The Spotify Version   (JJ Sizza is not on Spotify)

Link To Spotify

Cheap Trick - Twelve Gates

KEYS - The Greatest Joke Of All

KEYS · The Greatest Joke of All

Ex Press - The Man Who Cured Your Boredom

Maple Mars - Couldn't Have Been A Better Time

Desert Kites - Ostrich (Sleep Until I'm Dead)

Thom Chapman - Lucy Hides

The Len Price 3 - Gypsy Magick

The Len Price 3 · Gypsy Magick

Harker - I Ruin Everything

Pummelled - Ferris Wheel

Fascinations Grand Chorus - Static Heartbreaks

The Energies - Island Of Tears

Bird Streets - It's A Start

The Boojums - Wings Of Fire

Jets Overhead - Ordinary Dreamers

Noah Sties - Have You Moved On Yet? (Sandcastles)

Repeat - Day After Day

Garry Pitcairn - People Eat People

The Penske File - Lions

Tom Adamson - Payphone

JJ Sizza - Warts, Flaws & All (Not On Spotify)

Michael Michael Motorcycle - Mr. Fantastic

Marni - Washed Up

The Valery Trails - Universe

Baba Chaka - Stupid People

Baba Chaka · Stupid People

Kid Blank - Just Begun

Robot Dinosaurs - Turn This Ship Around

Slumberland - Days Like These

Garrett Anthony Rice - I Found Myself Today

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Richard Turgeon - Shungite

 

I'm a big fan of San Francisco's Richard Turgeon. We've covered a few of his albums, the last being his previous album, Life Of The Party. You can read my review here. He normally specialises in Pop Rock that treads heavily into Power Pop, but Shungite is a little different.

This is a crunchier affair. The riffs are just as great, but a little rockier. The albums does feel like a breakout from Turgeon to a more Indie Rock, slightly 90s area, although this is the 90s of the melodic, not the self reflection and woe is me that dominated the earlier part of the decade.

Fortunately, the chorus are still killer which will keep long time fans happy, but the different direction suits Turgeon well. The more balls effect is a bit more shake your fist affair than the previous tap your feet joy. The man has been let loose.

The best example of the new direction is Small Fry which is 100mph in your face excellence that changes direction at will without ever calming down. That can be contrasted to This Is The Last Song which is nearer to the Power Pop that Turgeon is noted for, a rockier version maybe with a killer guitar solo.

There is even room for a closer that slows things down with Deep Cuts that even sounds like Soundgarden when they calmed down a bit and the Guitar solo strips paint. The album is at its best when it keeps the gripping riffs of Turgeon's back catalogue such as on the title track.

Songs Of Discontent and Signs are other great examples, both opening with memorable riffs. Shungite is a cracking listen. As always, it is available on CD of the Kool Kat label with 4 Bonus Tracks. The whole thing is a celebration of the joy of the Guitar.

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

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Various - I Wanna Be A Teen Again : North American Power Pop Of The 80s (3CD)

 

I'm taken back to my Anything Should Happen Days with this ace 3 set. Cherry Red do a really good job on these collections and this is Prime Time ASH. In some sets, label problems prevent  completion and so some artists get multiple songs.

There is also usually tracks that seem to have tenuous links to the chosen period. Not a bit of that here, this set really does what it says on the tin. This is a great selection of songs that cover the period. It is too good to list individual descriptions of songs.

Those in the know about American Power Pop in the 80s may have a lot, but there are many surprises and rarities. You look for a weakness and can't really find one. There are certainly some forgotten artists, but plenty that you'll know.

It is also a great introduction to the younger members of our following about how joyous the genre can be as well as a great way of having wall to wall quality. 75 songs and a 13,000 word will delight.

This sort of thing will be a more regular feature on I Don't Hear A Single. We will always be a place for the new, but the occasional celebration of the past seems in order. Another feature that will return is Here Is The News. 

The coverage of upcoming releases was incredibly popular, but we just haven't had the time lately to get round to one. lately. That will now continue as a once a month post. Look out for the next one that will appear before the end of the month.

Disc 1

1  Stiv Bators - Not That Way Anymore

2  The Knack - I Want Ya

3  The Know - (I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence Dear

4  The Romantics - When I Look In Your Eyes

5  Nikki & The Corvettes - Just What I Need

6  Zeros - They Say That (Everything's Alright)

7  Mn'M's - I'm Tired

8  The Flashcubes - It's You Tonight (Basement Tapes Version)

9  Radio City - Don't Mistake Love

10  Screen Test - Nothing Really Matters When You're Young

11  Moondogs - When Sixteen Wasn't So Sweet

12  The Pranks - What's The Point

13  NRBQ - You Can't Hide

14  Utopia - I Just Want To Touch You

15  The Shivvers - Please Stand By

16  Eric Carmen - It' Hurts Too Much

17  Hilly Michaels - Calling All Girls

18  Promise - Back In My Heart

19  The Late Show - Take A Chance

20  The Heats – Remember Me

21  Off Broadway - Quick Turns

22  Shoes - She Satisfies

23  The Everythingers - Saccharine

24  Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl

25  SVT - Love Blind

26  Tommy Hoehn - Get Away

27  Phil Seymour - Precious To Me

28  David Quinton - Make Up Your Mind

Disc 2

1  The Flamin' Groovies - So Much In Love

2  The Plimsouls – Now

3  20/20 - The Night I Heard A Scream

4  Great Buildings - Hold On To Something

5  The Go-Gos - How Much More

6  The Wigs - Tell It All

7  The Rubinoos - Let's Make It Tonight

8  The Toms - (I Wanna Be A) Teen Again

9  The Michael Guthrie Band - Sorry About That

10  Eddy Best - Things I Should've Said

11  The Decoys - Not The Tremblin' Kind

12  Marshall Crenshaw - Cynical Girl

13  The Bongos - The Bulrushes

14  The Floor Models - You'll Come Around

15  Paul Collins' Beat - The Kids Are The Same

16  Dwight Twilley - I'm Back Again

17  Cheap Trick - If You Want My Love

18  Bruce Moody - AM Romance

19  The Bangles - Mary Street

20  The Spongetones - Here I Go Again

21  The Fad - Where The Colours Are

22  Club Wow - What's With You

23  Jim Basnight & The Moberlys - I Want To Be Yours

24 Steve Rosenbaum - Girl From Seventeen

25 Let's Active - Every Word Means No

Disc 3

1  Ramones - My My Kind Of Girl

2  Fastbacks - Now Is The Time

3  Game Theory - Too Late For Tears

4  The dB's - Love Is For Lovers

5  Katrina And The Waves - Do You Want Crying

6  Candy - Whatever Happened to Fun…

7  Julian Leal - You And I

8  Riff Doctors - Turn Me On

9  The Beat Rodeo - Just Friends

10  Gary Herrewig - Hurt You Too

11  Windbreakers - Can't Go On This Way

12  Tommy Keene - Places That Are Gone (Geoff Emerick Version)

13  The Smithereens - Strangers When We Meet

14  The Mosquitos - That Was Then, This Is Now

15  Sex Clark Five - I Want You Mine

16  The Patriots - It Don't Show

17  Flying Color - Dear Friend (Album Version)

18  Bill Lloyd - Lisa Anne

19  The Long Ryders - I Want You Bad

20  Chris 'Klondike' Masuak - How Could He Resist?

21  The Infidels - I Can't Make You Mine

22  Redd Kross - Ballad Of A Love Doll

23  Material Issue - Renee Remains The Same

24  The Pursuit of Happiness - She's So Young

25  Velvet Crush - Walking Out On Love

You can buy the set directly from Cherry Red here. It is available in the States from Kool Kat here.

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No Tears - Heart Shaped Eyes (Vinyl Edition)

 

I originally reviewed the album in November 2023. It is worth revisiting as the excellent Beluga Records released the album on Vinyl today. The original review was posted when IDHAS was on a trial of writing without embedding tracks to encourage listeners to visit the album and discover favourites themselves. I wasn't sure that that experiment worked.

It is refreshing to listen to an album that is unashamedly Power Pop. Retro vibe wise, indeed reminiscent of the great 80s Power Pop when keyboards became a part of the mix and No tears have such a lot in common with say Donnie Iris. 

No Tears is Kristianstad's Christoffer Karlsson and Heart Shaped Eyes is a wonderful joyous listen. If you like Power Pop, you will love this. There is also a side issue to be discussed about how a country like Sweden continues to produce so much great Guitar Pop.

Just listen to Electric Eyes and you will be hooked. The song has everything from the opening riff through the chorus and hooks that you can ever need. Even when Karlsson deviates from the template, it is to some other period of the genre.

Echo In My Head is pure UK New Wave with a big hint of Glam Rock. Get Away even gets close to The Glitter Band. Broken Mirror adds some great Sax to its 60s feel and the background could be Wizzard. It is left the two closing songs to really divert your attention.

The Silence Is Speaking is largely instrumental, 80s style and a little melancholic. Without Your Love is Grand Ole Opry fayre and a fine duet with Beatrice Rosdahl. But is the Power Pop that will grab listeners most, particularly as there has been so little like this lately.

You can buy the Vinyl Edition from Beluga here. You can listen the album here and buy the download.

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The Nines - Echoes Of Past Future

 

Another returning hero. I've been following The Nines since the 1998 debut album, which probably makes Steve Eggers feel as old as I. This is Eggers back in default mode, great Pop Rock. This revives the 1970s glory years of the genre. Real singalong stuff.

Yet again, Bill Majoros helps out, another hero of ours. It has been too long since we last had an album from The Foreign Films. Eggers raids the genre wonderfully. At times, the album sounds very Paul McCartney And Wings.

So you should expect big arrangements, singalong choruses and melody Morth, East South and West. The harmonies are extraordinarily good as with most great albums of the 70s. Fans of Raspberries, Badfinger, 10CC and ELO will love this.

Away From You has a real Deceptive Bends feel, right down to the keyboard sound. Don't Worry Susan is a fab Pop Song, almost Power Pop, but also a little West Coast with its Beach Boy harmonies. Mexico is again very McCartney 70s, with a little Andrew Gold and a splendid arrangement.

Summers Never Been The Same is prime time ELO. If only McCartney was writing ballads now as great as Song For Rachel, the lost decades would be long forgotten, another top notch arrangement. Give Your Heart Away still sounds great, the perfect lead single.

To keep it in period, the album was recorded on Vintage Tascam and Yahama Cassette without any drop in sound quality. Echoes Of Past Future may be Retro, but no one does Pop Rock and Power Pop as well as The Nines. It is great to have Steve Egger back.

You can listen to and buy the album here. The CD is already sold out in four days. Hopefully, there will be a reprint.

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The Feel Alrights - How Do You Feel?

 

Sometimes, I am so busy searching for something new that I forget how embracing a more Classic Rock listen can be. Well Perth's The Feel Alrights are here to remind you with the quartets's new album on the excellent Zero Hour Records label.

How Do You Feel offers up a mix of Classic Rock and UK Beat that ventures into the likes of Psych Pop, New Wave and Pop Rock. Relying heavily on the sounds of the 60s and 70s, it is a reminder of how great those decades are when performed by a band who know what they are doing.

The 11 original songs here completely engage you in a way that makes you sad when the album ends. Celebrate is a great example of 70s Rock with an opening that sounds a little Come Together-ish. It is the UK Beat that resonates most, particularly when it mixes it with Rhythm And Blues.

The Look On Your Face is a great example, very Dr Feelgood. I Feel Alright and the title track are two more great examples of how the genre grabs you, particularly when played this well. Yet, Forget About Me is wonderful 70s Pop Rock, makes you think of the likes of Liverpool Express.

The Psych Pop is ace too. Tomorrow Never Rains melts my heart, it is top notch and you know how I love that type of stuff.  Sun Goes Down gets close too with added Twang and Jangle. Fashionistas gets more UK New Wave, all rhythm driven,

Off The Hip is more jaunty, but works just as well, very early Stones, Manfred Mann even. Girl Down There even gets all Jangle Pop and very close to Power Pop. Beautifully arranged and performed, How Do You Feel? is a cracking listen.

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

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doublevee - Periscope At Midnight

 

Quite a lot of you will know Allan Vest, particularly from our Anything Should Happen days. He was the lead figure in Starlight Mints who offered up four outstanding albums up till 2009. doublevee began in 2012 with Barb, who became his wife in 2015.

A debut album arrived in 2017 and a second followed in 2022. This mini album features six new songs that are right up our street. The reaction to Submarine Number Three Vee has been great after its appearance on the current Listening To This Week.

This is varied Intelligent Guitar Pop, quirky and not afraid to tread into different genres at will. For instance, the closer, Everyone's Lonely Under The Sea, sung by Barb, is a heady mix of New Wave, Psych Pop and even a little B52s.

With the Starlight Mints connection, you'd expect some Power Pop and Diamond Thumb provides this with a killer riff and a slight spacey keyboard accompaniment. Natural Selection is more Bossa Nova, with  Spanish sounding Acoustic Guitar and a little Brass, wonderfully haunting.

Modern Times is built around a splendid arrangement, with sounds coming from everywhere and another corking riff. It sounds a little Nik Kershaw at times. Maybe Tonight (What's Inside Of Me?) is more straight ahead Pop Rock, Piano led with additional left field guitar.

Submarine Number Three Bee remains as great a listen as ever. The Baroque Pop arrangement is superb, this is definitely one of the singles of the year. Periscope is beautifully arranged and produced, a really special offering.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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KEYS - Acid Communism

 

KEYS are back on the splendid Libertino for their eighth album. Now into their third decade and having never released a mediocre note. I love them. The one frustration that I have is that I just don't understand how a band of this quality are not massive. Their social media following is pitiful in relation to the brilliance of their output. 

I suppose what you might label them Intelligent Indie these days, but I defy anyone to be able to produce two different songs such as What Flavour? and The Greatest Joke Of All. The former, all early XTC, the latter wonderful beautifully arranged melodic Pop Rock.

KEYS · The Greatest Joke of All

The Psych Pop is thankfully not forgotten. My Temporary Game is as great an example of the genre that you could wish for. Who Stands To Gain is a very 80s, bass guitar driven, a heady mix of Post Punk and the more interesting side of 80s Indie Guitar. It builds perfectly.

Your Shoes is great beat driven 1978 UK New Wave. What Do I Have To Do is a much heavier affair, a great album closer. Almost Cock Rock in parts, very different to what surrounds it, it may be my biggest surprise and my favourite song on the album. A real fist shaker.

KEYS · What Flavour?

KEYS are still known as Welsh wonders when a musical wider world is screaming out for this level of ability. If you want an anthem for now listen to There Is No I In Teams. Matthew Evans is at the top of his songwriting journey. This is, without doubt, Album Of The Year Material.

KEYS · What Do I Have to Do?

You can listen to and the album everywhere including here.

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