Girl For Samson - Blend All The Seasons

 

I rarely get to converse with anyone these days. Here seems to be all consuming and there seems little time for the activity I used to have with all the listening, writing and selecting. So it has been nice exchanging emails with Johnny Marie.

One of the topics that came up was getting coverage and it wasn't the usual moans about not appreciated, music dying or Spotify taking all the air. It was about genres and how hard it is for a band who offer variety to get around the labels and you know how I adore variety

This is Johnny Marie and Patrick Meagher's fifth album as Girl For Samson and lest we forget they are also active as The Real Flower Pots and then there is Marie's solo career. But we concentrate here on Girl For Samson and Blend For All Seasons is a superb album.

It will suit both followers and the Like Minded Reviewers on the Right Hand Side of IDHAS. The variety is commendable and attempting to label it seems pointless and unnecessary, so how does it get listened to? Maybe we should all help with the word of mouth,

Girl For Samson are a Kansas City quartet who offer up a heady melodic mix of what might be sketchily called Pop Rock, but remember we are not labelling. The shared vocals of Marie and Meagher adds even great variation.

The former has a vocal suited to the likes of Brit Pop, Pop Rock or Indie Rock. Meagher's voice suits itself more to Modern Prog, Classic Rock as well as Shoegaze. All of these areas and more filter into the results here.

Faking Your Beauty for instance as a blend of harmonies that would fit easily amongst the West Coast brigade, yet (You Took) One Of Everything is a mixture of 70s Easy Listening and Prog. Yet the killer single, Cigarette, is pure Brit Pop and edges into Psych Pop.

The title track hints at Shoegaze and adds a mesmerising Guitar solo, but You Better Run is vocal harmony led gentle Prog. Soon just washes over you, feeling slightly 80s, yet Get Off That Stake is simply a cinematic soundscape.

You can probably sense from these words that this is a wonderful album to listen to. Beautifully arranged and produced, it is an enthralling listen that deserves a much wider audience. Blend For All Seasons is an album that you just don't want to end.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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

The Move - Message From The Country (2025 Remaster And Expanded)

 

It may seem strange to kick off 2025 properly with an album from 1971. But that album has been remastered from the original Harvest Tapes and extended on Cherry Red's Esoteric label for release at the end of the month and it is time for a reassessment of what for a long time was looked upon as the least favourable of The Move's four album career. There are those more occasional fans that think everything beyond the first album was strange. Why were such a fine singles band messing about with longer songs when they could create three minute joys. But that was The Move with every album offering something different.

More regular fans point to Shazam as their favourite. It is a fantastic album, but very cover heavy, although these covers translated into some extraordinarily great live performances. Looking On is my favourite, a magnificent mixture of Prog and Psych and of course Brontosaurus. My own dalliance with The Move began when I was armed with a £10 Record Token for my birthday and under my own steam chose the first albums under my own steam. I had £2 left and all I could afford was an MFP compilation and I went for The Move. That album opened up an incredible world, one that stays with me five decades on. 

Compilation wise, nothing ever appeared from Message In The Country, due to it being on Harvest and so I had to dig out that album and it seemed very different. It was definitely a Lynne or Wood album, very experimental with Wood raiding the instrument cupboard. There was a lot going on in The Move camp. This album was being recorded at the same time as the first ELO album, the reason that Lynne had joined and Wood was also recording his solo album, Boulders. So material was switched around.

Roy Wood's slower material went on ELO 1 and Boulders, so here you are getting him in Rocker mode. Lynne was still very much in Idle Race land at times, his Psych Pop on this album is exceptional, indeed it does get overlooked that Lynne was a master of the genre. The Minister and the title track were as good as anything you heard from supposed superior artists. My Marge is pure Toytown. Words Of Aaron hints big time at what was to come in the early Lynne led ELO. Wood doesn't shrink from the challenge.

Ella James and Until Your Mama's Gone are stompers in the Brontosaurus manner. It Wasn't My Idea To Dance gets splendidly Proggy and revives that wonderful Feel Too Good vibe. Don't Mess Me Up gives indication of some of the stuff to come on Wizzard's Brew. Ben Crawley Steel Company is Bev Bevan being Johnny Cash and we can't forget No Time. Lynne at his most delicate with Wood adding instrumentation from everywhere, including flute. It would be enough if it ended there, but there was another side to the band, the singles.

The three singles were not on the album, but showed a very different Pop side. All three are here and as a series of singles, Tonight, Chinatown and California Man match any run you care to mention. The B Sides, Down On The Bay (another Move song covered by Cheap Trick) and the original version of Do Ya, made famous when orchestrated by ELO on A New World Record.There are also four alternate versions present here among the 19 tracks. Don't Mess Me Up is all vocal harmony without the instrumentation. Words Of Aaron and DO Ya sound like early versions with distinct differences. My Marge adds studio chatter at the end.

I have to admit that although having multiple versions of each album, I usually go back to my original Vinyl versions of the albums. There is something special in hearing the cracks and pops that take me back to the time that I bought them. For the embeds, I have gone to the 2005 Remaster, but the new 2025 version is far superior.

Message In The Country is released on 28 February. You can pre-order the album here.

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

Listening To This Week Playlist

With all that Best Of 2024 dominating January, at last it feels like it is 2025. Here's The latest LTTW! 31 songs this week. Plenty of what you might expect, but this weeks it sounds a little mellower at times, yet also a little more AOR the odd time. Splendid stuff though plus the return of Armoury Show and Strange Neighbors.

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

All embeds open in new windows to aid scrolling. Links to the artists will also appear on I Don't Hear A Single Social Media sites over the next 24 hours. This will help you to discover more about the artists who appear here. 

Strange Neighbors - Influencer 

The Straze - Wild Nights

Boohai And The Gustav Checkov Complex - Hear Me Calling

Armory Show - Harry Dean Stanton

Crack! Bang! Pow! - Hey

Pink Chameleons - Wrong Future

Girl For Samson - Soon

Pale Sailor - Undoing

Steve Creep And The Wildcards - Revolution Radio

Nova Cult - For Now

Rich Chance - Azalea Close

BONE WARS - Terrible Lizards

Kristian Montgomery And The Winterkill Band - Leaving Texas

True Primitives - Rise

WES SP8 - Grey

WES SP8 · Grey master

Public Order - Joker

Public Order · Joker

Jeff Vidov - State Of Innocence

Polyglots - A Cleansing Cure

Tourist Attraction - I Came For Love

Tourist Attraction · I Came For Love

Black Opal - Feel Free

The Hollowmen Project - Man In Black

The Tisburys - Forever

Tommy The Animal - Golden Ghost

Say Less - Not Feeling This

Daisy Chain - Mind Over Matter

Jacob And The Starry Eyed Shadows - The Last One

The Criticals - Mother Of Style

Shaky - In The Quiet Of The Night

Market Street Station - Gehenna

Pink Maskerade - Can't Stop Me

Lee Smythe - Do It Again

Lee Smythe · Do It Again

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

I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2024 : The Cut Out And Keep Guide

 

Here's the full list of our Best 100 Albums Of 2024. You can keep it handy to enrich your audio life.

1 The Armoires - Octoberland

2 The Mommyheads - One Eyed Band

3 Teenage Frames - Everything Has Led To This

4 King Black Acid - Victory For Mad Love

5 Emperor Penguin - Gentlemen Thieves

6 Silk Cut - Silk Cut

7 Amateur Ornithologist - Hide

8 Silent Forum - Domestic Majestic

9 Ward White - Here Comes The Dowsers

10 James Sullivan - Vital Signs

11 Custard Flux - Einsteinium Delirium

12 Feet - Make It Up

13 Log Flume - Splash Hit

14 Quivers - Oyster Cuts

15 Tom Minor - Eleven Easy Pieces On Anger & Disappoi...

16 Tamar Berk - Good Times For A Change.

17 The Vegetarians - Space Age Pagliacci

18 Custard - Suburban Curtains

19 Steve Robinson - Window Seat

20 The Trafalgars - About Time

21 Aerial - Activities Of Daily Living

22 Sykofant - Sykofant

23 Mothboxer - Twelve

24 Nick Piunti And The Complicated Men - Up And Out O...

25 Motorists - Touched By The Stuff

26 The Low Sixes - The Oshawa Tree

27 Willie Dowling - The Simpleton

28 The Nature Strip - Domesticated Beast

29 Derrero - Breezing Up

30 James Clarke Five - Zoom And The Gadflies

31 Lunchbox - Pop And Circumstance

32 Pulse Park - First Second

33 Rural France - Exactamondo!

34 Supermilk - High Precision Ghosts

35 Velvet Attack - Visions From Inner Space

36 Alex Pester - Boy

37 The Society Of Rockets - Tough Trip Through Paradise

38 The Smashing Times - Mrs Ladyships and the Cleaner...

39 The Special Pillow - Meets The Space Monster

40 Sharp Class - Welcome To The Matinee Show (Of The ...

41 Gentlemen Rogues - Surface Noise

42 Macseal - Permanent Repeat 

43 Mt. Misery - Love In Mind

44 I Do You Do Karate - III

45 Caddy - Caddy

46 The Junipers - Imaginary Friends

47 Steve Conte - The Concrete Jangle

48 Nick Frater - The Rebutles 1967-1970

49 The Resonars - Electricity Plus

50 Extra Arms - Radar

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

52 8X8 - Life During Wartime

53 The Reflectors - Going Out Of Fashion

54 Lava Fangs - Sub Auroram

55 Dave Cope And The Sass - Hidden From The World

56 Hoaster - Everything Is Great 

57 Brent Seavers - Exhibit B

58 The Martial Arts - In There Like Swimwear

59 Pantomime Horses - Forever Polyester

60 The Drywall Heels - Today's Top Hits Playlist

61 Dan Miraldi - Ulysses

62 Ian St. George - Emergency Index

63 The Phase Problem - The Power Of Positive Thinking

64 ahem - Avoider

65 The Shop Window - Daysdream

66 The Violet Twilight - Above The Clouds

67 Mark & The Clouds - Machines Can't Hear You

68 Raised On TV - Make Time To Make Time

69 The Real Numbers - Thank You

70 Spiral Heads - 'Til I'm Dead

71 Evening Standards - The Shining

72 Mythical Motors - Seven Is Circular

73 The Rare Occasions - Through Moonshot Eyes

74 Wild Yaks - Monumental Deeds

75 Mythical Motors - Upside Down World

76 The Dynamo Hymn - The Dynamo Hymn

77 Joy Buzzers - Shake On It!

78 Boyracer - Seaside Riot

79 The Blackburns - The Blackburns

80 Your Academy - #2 Record

81 Shenanygans - On Monte Verita

82 Mothboxer - Timelines

83 Lions Of The Interstate - Strange Empires

84 The Toms - Rock Paper Scissors

85 Bottlecap Mountain - Electric Love Spree

86 Them Elephants - Come Calling

87 Mountain Movers - Walking After Dark

88 Swiftumz - Simply The Best

89 Wesley Fuller - All Fuller No Filler

90 StoneDog - About Time

91 Day Dreems - Day Dreems

92 The Duke Of Surl - Borneo

93 The Proctors - Snowdrops & Hot Air Balloons

94 The Duskwhales - Strawflower Lane

95 The Hard-Ons - I Like You A Lot Getting Older

96 The Successful Failures - Enemy Sublime

97 Radio75 - Screaming Out

98 Love Fiend -Handle With Care

99 Neon Bone - Eager To Please

100 Young Scum - Lighter Blue

I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2024 : Top 10

 

So we get to our Best 10 Albums Of 2024. Any of these 10 could have been Number 1 and this reflected how diverse I Don't Hear A Single has become over the years. It is essentially a home for Indie Pop Rock, but it isn't afraid of taking different paths. For instance Prog and Psych is placed well amongst the 100 albums, which is a testament to how open the ears of followers are.

We chose The Armoires because we believe it was so different to much of everything else we heard in 2024. But, any album that is reviewed on IDHAS is recommended. We only review what we have liked. The 100 albums will be posted as a list later.

1 The Armoires - Octoberland     IDHAS Review

2 The Mommyheads - One Eyed Band      IDHAS Review

3 Teenage Frames - Everything Has Led To This     IDHAS Review

4 King Black Acid - Victory For Mad Love    IDHAS Review

5 Emperor Penguin - Gentlemen Thieves     IDHAS Review

6 Silk Cut - Silk Cut       IDHAS Review

7 Amateur Ornithologist - Hide      IDHAS Review

8 Silent Forum - Domestic Majestic      IDHAS Review

9 Ward White - Here Comes The Dowsers      IDHAS Review

  

10      James Sullivan - Vital Signs     IDHAS Review

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

I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2024 : 11-20

 

For the last eight years We have compiled annual Best Of 's  because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. A reminder that anything reviewed on I Don't Hear A Single is highly recommended. A reminder that only new albums are included among these 100.

Narrowing things down to this 100 has been really difficult. The 100 albums are posted in reverse batches of 10. For each album, A song is embedded from the album and a link is provided to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album.

The Top 10 appears tomorrow.

11 Custard Flux - Einsteinium Delirium     IDHAS Review

12 Feet - Make It Up      IDHAS Review

13 Log Flume - Splash Hit     IDHAS Review

14 Quivers - Oyster Cuts    IDHAS Review

15 Tom Minor - Eleven Easy Pieces On Anger & Disappointment     IDHAS Review

16 Tamar Berk - Good Times For A Change        IDHAS Review

17 The Vegetarians - Space Age Pagliacci      IDHAS Review

18 Custard - Suburban Curtains      IDHAS Review

19 Steve Robinson - Window Seat      IDHAS Review

  

20 The Trafalgars - About Time     IDHAS Review

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

I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2024 : 21-30

 

For the last eight years We have compiled annual Best Of 's  because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. A reminder that anything reviewed on I Don't Hear A Single is highly recommended. A reminder that only new albums are included among these 100.

Narrowing things down to this 100 has been really difficult. The 100 albums are posted in reverse batches of 10. For each album, A song is embedded from the album and a link is provided to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album.

Into our Top 30 on The IDHAS Best Albums Of 2024 with Numbers 21 - 30.

31 Aerial - Activities Of Daily Living      IDHAS Review

22 Sykofant - Sykofant      IDHAS Review

23 Mothboxer - Twelve     IDHAS Review

24 Nick Piunti And The Complicated Men - Up And Out Of It     IDHAS Review

25 Motorists - Touched By The Stuff     IDHAS Review

26 The Low Sixes - The Oshawa Tree        IDHAS Review

27 Willie Dowling - The Simpleton      IDHAS Review

28 The Nature Strip - Domesticated Beast      IDHAS Review

29 Derrero - Breezing Up      IDHAS Review

  

30 James Clarke Five - Zoom And The Gadflies     IDHAS Review

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

I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2024 : 31-40

 

For the last eight years We have compiled annual Best Of 's  because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. A reminder that anything reviewed on I Don't Hear A Single is highly recommended. A reminder that only new albums are included among these 100.

Narrowing things down to this 100 has been really difficult. The 100 albums are posted in reverse batches of 10. For each album, A song is embedded from the album and a link is provided to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album.

31 Lunchbox - Pop And Circumstance     IDHAS Review

32 The Society Of Rockets - Tough Trip Through Paradise      IDHAS Review

33 The Smashing Times - Mrs Ladyships and the Cleanerhouse Boys     IDHAS Review

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

35 Alex Pester - Boy     IDHAS Review

36 Supermilk - High Precision Ghosts        IDHAS Review

37 Velvet Attack - Visions From Inner Space      IDHAS Review

38 Pulse Park - First Second      IDHAS Review

39 Rural France - Exactamondo!      IDHAS Review

  

40 The Special Pillow - Meets The Space Monster     IDHAS Review

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

I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2024 : 41-50

 

For the last eight years We have compiled annual Best Of 's  because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. A reminder that anything reviewed on I Don't Hear A Single is highly recommended. A reminder that only new albums are included among these 100.

Narrowing things down to this 100 has been really difficult. The 100 albums are posted in reverse batches of 10. For each album, A song is embedded from the album and a link is provided to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album.

41 Gentlemen Rogues - Surface Noise     IDHAS Review

42 Macseal - Permanent Repeat       IDHAS Review

43 Mt. Misery - Love In Mind     IDHAS Review

44 I Do You Do Karate - III      IDHAS Review

45 Caddy - Caddy     IDHAS Review

46 The Junipers - Imaginary Friends        IDHAS Review

47 Steve Conte - The Concrete Jangle      IDHAS Review

48 Nick Frater - The Rebutles 1967-1970      IDHAS Review

49 The Resonars - Electricity Plus      IDHAS Review

  

50 Extra Arms - Radar     IDHAS Review

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

I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2024 : 51-60

 

For the last eight years We have compiled annual Best Of 's  because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. A reminder that anything reviewed on I Don't Hear A Single is highly recommended. A reminder that only new albums are included among these 100.

Narrowing things down to this 100 has been really difficult. The 100 albums are posted in reverse batches of 10. For each album, A song is embedded from the album and a link is provided to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album.

We now reach the halfway point.

51 Gustavo Warnunk - Semi​-​Detached Tales Vol. I      IDHAS Review

52 8X8 - Life During Wartime      IDHAS Review

53 The Reflectors - Going Out Of Fashion     IDHAS Review

54 Lava Fangs - Sub Auroram      IDHAS Review

55 Dave Cope And The Sass - Hidden From The World     IDHAS Review

56 Hoaster - Everything Is Great        IDHAS Review

57 Brent Seavers - Exhibit B      Exhibit B by Brent Seavers

58 The Martial Arts - In There Like Swimwear      IDHAS Review

59 Pantomime Horses - Forever Polyester      IDHAS Review

  

60 The Drywall Heels - Today's Top Hits Playlist     IDHAS Review

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

I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2024 : 61-70

 

For the last eight years We have compiled annual Best Of 's  because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. A reminder that anything reviewed on I Don't Hear A Single is highly recommended. A reminder that only new albums are included among these 100.

Narrowing things down to this 100 has been really difficult. The 100 albums are posted in reverse batches of 10. For each album, A song is embedded from the album and a link is provided to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album.

61 Dan Miraldi - Ulysses      IDHAS Review

62 Ian St. George - Emergency Index      IDHAS Review

63 The Phase Problem - The Power Of Positive Thinking      IDHAS Review

64 ahem - Avoider      IDHAS Review

65 The Shop Window - Daysdream     IDHAS Review

66 The Violet Twilight - Above The Clouds       IDHAS Review

67 Mark & The Clouds - Machines Can't Hear You      IDHAS Review

68 Raised On TV - Make Time To Make Time      IDHAS Review

69 The Real Numbers - Thank You      IDHAS Review

  

70 Spiral Heads - 'Til I'm Dead     IDHAS Review

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