Janus 4-14 - All The Kids Are Doing It

Janus 4-14 are a trio from Mount Airy, North Carolina and happen to be one of our finest discoveries of last year. We reviewed both 6 Track EPs which were available at Name Your Price. Ghosts From Your Past here and  Blue To Infinity here.

You can read the Reviews, but the embeds are no longer available, because the two have been collected as a Vinyl album, All The Kids Are Doing It. You can still listen to and download the 12 songs, but Vinyl is the key. They are a band made for that format.

Both EPs were exceptional and so the album is. These three have a way of mastering whatever they turn their hand to which ranges from Americana to Brit Pop, College Rock to 89s Indie Rock. Guitar Pop to Blue Collar. Gentle to Heavy, Pop To Rock.

In my three embeds here, I've gone for the more Guitar Pop songs, simply because that is what we are known for and what many followers expect. However, the whole album will take you all over the place with a defined excellence.

Of my three choices, I Never Wanna See You Again has been a long time favourite, played at a rapid pace. Modern Girl is splendid Guitar Pop with a little feel of Van Morrison. Blue To Infinity is slightly noisier 80s Indie Rock, a little UK C86 and possibly my fave.

You can listen to and buy the album here. As previously mentioned, it is available on Vinyl and as a download.

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Listening To This Week Playlist 20 April

A little earlier than usual, here are the 29 songs on the new LTTW Playlist. Much more of our wider tastes are included, but also plenty of the Guitar Pop for which we are noted. 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 those who appear here. 

Phenomenal Cat - The Little Islanders

Ambulance - Bad News

High On Stress - Over / Thru

The Violet Twilight - Fade Away

The Second Summer - I Should

Livingmore - Ready To Escape

The Get Alongs - Come On

Eroica - I Remind You Of Your Mother

The Yummy Fur - New T-Shirt

Third Time Luckie - Heart Break Summer

White Marble Statues - Stars In Paradise

General Chaos - The Idiots Have Taken Over

Noah Colton - Stuck Here On The Ceiling

Brown House - Total Dive

Suneaters - Home

Little Billy Lost - Tonight

Linn Cervell - Zelda (Sweet And Sour)

Christina's Trip - F.B.A.T.

Heart Sauce - How Many Tears Does The Human Race Cry In A Year?

Maureens - Oceans Apart

The Paisley Daze - Tell 'Em Where To Go

Kerosene Cocktail - Polaroids

Dead Reynolds - Hideaway

Dead Reynolds · 08 - HIDE AWAY

The Fast Camels - Lost To This World

Amped Up Alley - Thinking About Thinking About You

Krooked Tongue - I Know A Place

OK Goodnight - 22

The Rockerati - Little Black Book

Odd By Midnight - The Digit (Tempus Meum Fugit)

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Phenomenal Cat - Dreamland (Supermarket Is A Warhol Painting)

Samuel Carney is a wonderful lyricist. He builds characters in the way Ray Davies, Andy Partridge and Daman Albarn did. Very British, very reflective in a way that suits multi genres. His takedown of the typical Brit on 21st Century Englishman is truly exceptional. 

He fronts the six piece Phenomenal Cat, who haven't released anything since 2017's Pop Wasteland. The band are described Psychedelic Power Pop, but with two of the members being on Brass you get much more than that.

The lyrical intent is matched beautifully, by the instrumentals. Brass helps of course, but there is Angular Guitar and a Power Pop vibe at times, as much as there is Toytown and UK New Wave and even a cracking synth run.

Seatown® is the most Power Pop, but there is a Brass burst akin to XTC's Smalltown on the chorus. The Little Islanders is part UK New Wave and part Toytown. a celebratory dissing. Everything + Nothing is pure Brit Pop with a stunning arrangement.

Don't Wanna Be Alan No More shows the benefit of the Brass matched to some Killer Guitar work, something that could have easily been On Blur's The Great Esape, but for the splendid Psych towards the end. You've heard the wonderful title track on the IDHAS LTTW Playlist and sounds even better surrounded by the other 7 songs. Very UK 70s Glam Rock instrumentally.

The band are named after a song on The Village Green Preservation Society which fits beautifully with what they do. This is a wonderfully inventive album, a joy to listen to and it will feature heavily in our end of year best albums.

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

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Brass Camel - Brass Camel

Get ready to Rock! We covered Brass Camel's second album last year (here) and hot on its heels comes the third and it is every bit as good, if not better, than its predecessor. The Prog scene has sort of left behind the whimsical of recent years and rediscovered the Rockier element with much more melody.

11 minute plus opener and closers bookended Camel, there's none of that here, just 8 songs that only touch 5 minutes on a couple of occasions. The Prog is present, but not as often upfront as this feels more Classic Rock at times, but they are not afraid of adding a Prog interruption into those.

The funk is still around, wonderfully so, particularly on Ice Cold. But the Pop Rock is around too on the splendid Why Bother which is very early Queen, particularly the harmonies and Careful What You Wish For gets close to the genre.

Everybody Loves A Scandal starts like something from The Mommyheads, before turning into a Classic Rock monster. Last Call breaches AOR. Overall, there is a Led Zeppelin feel, but the harmonies and Guitar work do resemble Queen I and Queen II.

There is still plenty of room for Prog, especially on the opener, You've Got Time. which mixes prime time Yes and early Rush. A bit like Geddy Lee fronting Yes. What Are You Doing is Prog Funk, the whole album is a scorcher.

The band sound more commercial without losing their street cred. Songs change genres unexpectedly and are packed with unexpected diversions. The biggest take is the strength of the harmonies and proof that Canad isn't only about Guitar Pop.

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

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The On And Ons - Luminary

 

I love Sydney's The On And Ons. In fact, I got pissed off at missing there 2015 debut album, Calling, when I reviewed the follow up Welcome Aboard as I had followed the guys elsewhere. They've constantly bothered our Best Albums Of The Year.

 You can read previous reviews here, here and here. America will love them and so I'm really pleased that Marty Scott's Jem label. They are very 60s in sound, but across the decade. not stuck in one place and they are also not afraid of taking different avenues.

So you get songs that sound Merseybeat, UK Beat, Psych Pop, West Coast Jangle and more. They certainly master the sound in original fashion, the 60s comparison is the sound. This lot are no copy band on another beautifully produced album.

There are others who follow this path, but none are so consistent. Just one listen to Coming On Strong underlines this. Yet there are also variations aplenty. Something New, mixes Psych Pop with Jangle Pop and adds some great vocal harmonies.

Ramblin' Ruth is a doppelgänger for early The Who. Ride Away is wonderful gentle Psych Pop. Yet Speck Of Smiling Faces is classic Power Pop. My Old Ways even gets close to Motown, very soulful. The opener, White Ships, is more 70s, not a million miles away from Glam Rock.

Luminary never drops below high quality across the 14 songs. Wonderfully arranged and performed, this is an album of great choruses that you will soon be singing along to. Guitar Pop at its finest as it has always been throughout the band's career.

You can listen to and buy the album here. The CD is available everywhere.

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Marc Valentine - Uncommon Side Effects.

 

Despite the majority of opinion that Power Pop was started in the UK, the majority these days seems to come from the States. There are exceptions like The Speedways, but it has been fairly absent since late 70s New Wave and a little bit of Brit Pop, despite the best efforts of David Bash's IPO.

Power Pop just doesn't seem to break through into the mainstream, the last time was probably Busted and McFly. However, there is a chance with the ongoing strength of Norwich's Marc Valentine's back catalogue.

I'm a big fan of the man, having covered 2023's Future Obscure here and 2024's Basement Kiss here. Both are great albums, largely Classic Power Pop, but both have twists as does Uncommon Side Effects. The Power Pop is superb.

It has all you might expect, great intros, killer riffs, big choruses and top notch guitar solos. The joy on the 80s sounding NY UAP is evident to all and the call and response is wonderful, as are the keys and the Guitar solo. But the Power Pop on both Tiger On Glass and You Are The Jet are just as good.

High In The Underground is rockier with a Jangle that seems desperate to get out, but never quite manages  it. The chunkier sound suits Valentine well. Hanging On A Dream edges towards UK Glam Rock whilst not losing that Power Pop feel and has an unexpected diversion in the middle.

Half-Moon Pendant slows things down beautifully with a splendid arrangement. Temporary Buzz is much edgier, 100 mph and more raw that what else is on show, Marc Valentine masters the genre and lights up Little Steven's Wicked Cool label.

You can listen to the whole album here. You can buy the Vinyl and CD here.

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They Might Be Giants - The World Is To Dig

 

They Might Be Giants are neither new or under appreciated, but I've been with them since Lincoln, which is a key to my age. Many many will know Birdhouse In Your Soul, one video show included it in a One Hit Wonders show, what fools!

Formed in 1982 with releases since 1985, it is 36 years since Birdhouse, yet the duo have a Sparks like quality to still be original over such a long period. When they extended into a band in 1992, they got even better. There is not one duffer in their back catalogue.

They are currently on tour with an 8 piece band that includes a 3 person horn section. The pair remain incredibly inventive, a key force in Intelligent Indie. The World Is To Dig is all over the place, which is TMBG's strength. Who else could come up with a song like Character Flaw.

It is a song that shows how left field TMBG are and how lyrically adept. But expect to be taken on a journey that takes in Power Pop, Lounge, 70s Pop Rock (there's even a Raspberries cover), Psych Pop overtones, 80s New Wave and 90s Slacker. 

They can also be incredibly melodic on the likes of the Ben Folds like Piano Pop on What You Get. Slow is great Psych Pop and the closer,  In The Dead Mall is totally Andrew Gold, you just sit back and marvel at the lyrics.

Sleep's Older Sister is wonderful Slacker Pop mixed with Rock and Roll, Outside Wave is ace UK New Wave. I'm also not sure that you will hear a better Power song this year than Wu Tang. There's even a song sung in perfect French. As wonderful as ever and oh those lyrics.

You can listen to the full album here.  You can buy the digital album and listen to 4 songs here. You can buy the Vinyl, CD, Cassette and download from the TMBG shop here.

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Listening To This Week Playlist 13 April

An absolute cracker this week. A mix of returning faves, particularly at the front end and the new, even to us. It feels more like our base template at times, but there are some splendid surprises. 25 songs! 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 those who appear here. 

Swive - Del Rio

Mean Sea - Look Around

The Voltz - We'll Take This City

Deer Tick - Everything Born

Deer Tick · Everything Born

Brightmoon - First Light

The Yum Yum Tree - Turn Down The Noise

Adult Friends - S Is For Stress

Tigers Jaw - Head Is Like A Sinking Stone

The House Is Creaking - There's A Stench In The Air

Josey Wails - Sweet Darlin'

Labrador - The Rosy Red World

Marc Valentine - Tiger On Glass

Ricky - What's The Point

Ricky · What's the Point

Plastic Tones - Dirty Work

Cult Canyon - Real Sublime

Beaming - Stuck Here

Meeting People - Afterglow

Stephen Becker - Careless

Lucifers Beard - Beep Bop Report

Charlie Vaughan - Don't Wanna Drive

Deadbeat Beat - Peach Sprite

The Falling Spikes - Kicking On The Can

Yea-Ming And The Rumours - Paper Doll

Dinky Diamonds - Forever Days

The Kettle Zone - Anomie (Get Out Of My Head)

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Cat Nap - Free In Anarchy

 

Today's 3 Reviews have all had one thing in common, that being female lead singers. There's no reason for this, the three albums have been what I have been listening to recently and all three are different. Cat Nap benefit from an appearance on the LTTW Playlist, meaning I dug out the album, very pleasing.

The quartet from Amesbury Massachusetts are more Alt at times, but incredibly melodic and engaging at times. The title track is one of the best songs that I've heard all year and is great UK New Wave Guitar Pop, I can't stop listening to it.

But compare that to Lip Filler which is much heavier, more crunchy, a little Post Punk, a little 90s Rock. Toxic Feminity is a little more Garbage like with a sweeter vocal. Fight builds and builds around a killer heavy riff.

Joyride is another song built around a wonderful riff, a little more grunge. Apathy Killer is a great opener, the vocal again contrasting with the heavier rhythm and lead. All in all, a cracking listen. Few can be as melodic vocally and noisy instrumental. A great listen.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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The Corner Laughers - Concerns Of Wasp And Willow

 

The Corner Laughers first album in almost 6 years is a reason to celebrate. The follow up to 2020's Temescal Telegraph which was our album of the year. You can read my review here. It would always be some going to equal that album and they have.

I suspect many would label the quartet as Indie Pop and Karla Kane's dulcet tones underline that. But there is far more to the band that that with ventures into Folk, Americana and Jaunty Pop. Talking of the latter, Crumb Clean is Indie Pop excellence.

There is a mellowness that washes over you addictively. They are as ease with the dark or the light. The arrangements are superb, allowing the songs to breathe. The shuffle on Red Yarrow, Yellow Yarrow is partly let's do the song right here, but the arrangement shows the work that has gone into the song.

Rainbow Cardigan is troubadour Folk and even gives an inkling of The Seekers. Dusking is Easy Listening Joy, wonderful Pop. Dark Matter is all 60s Studio Pop with hints of the groovy. Victoria Sponge is splendid West Coast harmonic Pop.

My two favourites (and you will have different ones) are the dream like intensity of Larkspur Landing that has a stunning gentle Psych like arrangement. Then there is the arrangement of The Harvestman, a song that builds and builds with another stellar arrangement.

These are days when everything seems 100 mph, attention spans are short. Thank goodness for The Corner Laughers who provide a release that has to be listened to from start to finish. A release that underlines the benefit and strength of the album.

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

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Plastic Tones - Can You Keep A Secret?

The second album from Helsinki 5 Piece Plastic Tones is wonderfully scuzzy. Old school maybe, but highly effective and equal to anything from the likes of Rumbar. Up and at 'em, yet incredibly melodic and thoroughly enjoyable.

Energetic, but with similarities to Power Pop in the way it uses riffs, solos and choruses, but much noisier. A little Punk at times, A little Garage Rock at others, but also able to drop in songs that are more Guitar Pop such as Dynamo and Dirty Work.

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The latter is already slated to appear on next week's Listening To This Week Playlist. The opener, We're All In This Together rocks in like something from The Motors. Very UK New Wave and all the better for it, it states intent.

I'm The One shows other skills, a longer piece, that even edges towards Classic Rock. More brooding instrumentally, less in your face. Waste Another Day has a vocal that isn't a million miles away from Stevie Nicks and has a killer chorus.

Nothing Romantic is pure Power Pop and the closer. You Can Do Whatever You Wanna Do, is like a Punk-ish anthem, a little Eddie And The Hot Rods in style. It rounds off a great listen. Can You Keep A Secret? is a great album.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Playlist Submissions

 

Reviews continue tomorrow, but I wanted to just make a few suggestions about submissions to the Listening To This Week Playlist. It has become increasingly popular, which is great, but is taking up more and more time, not because of the music as I happily listen to everything, but the time creating it.

There is no angst from here, but I have to create more time for Reviews and so there are some things that have to change to allow that time. I hope this is taken in the spirit that is meant. So much of the work begins after a song is chosen.

I spend so much time searching for Social Media details for the tagging after it is published. So much so, that I have to ask submitters to add any details on submission. If they are easily searchable, I will try to find the relevant information, but if I can't find it, the song will not appear in the tagging.

It has been like this for a while, but last week was the worst with details arriving just in time. There is going to be a change in the social media posting. Looking at individual site posts weekly, there is real confusion including artists that are not on a particular social media site.

So from now on if you are not on any of Facebook, Instagram, Threads or Bluesky, the song will not be listed on the relevant site. It keeps such posts focussed and relevant. I just think it helps the artists more and we are all about helping the artists.

I still get submissions that are on Spotify, a reminder that we don't do Spotify. Which means. I have to make multiple searches or contact the artist about Bandcamp, Soundcloud or You Tube. We use these three because listeners don't have to sign up to listen. 

There is still a lot of submissions that only note Spotify links when they are on the likes of Bandcamp. We have no affinity to Bandcamp, but feel it is the best way for listeners to search an artist's other releases. It is all about getting people to listen and hopefully buy.

I am still surprised to get messages that ask for details of the site after the song has been chosen. The scattergun approach rarely works, a short look at IDHAS would tell you what is likely to be of interest. That should maybe standard for anyone submitting anywhere.

Finally, a reminder that we are an artist orientated site. So it is great to see musicians sharing details of other songs on the playlist if they like them. This works really well as artists have different followers. I, personally, listen to songs that are recommended by people that have covered by IDHAS.

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Listening To This Week Playlist 6 April 2026

28 songs on this week's LTTW. As Easter ends, here is something to keep you upbeat for the rest of the week. A cracking selection that shows what we are noted for, yet offers up surprises. 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 those who appear here. 

Whelligan - Game Over

Cat Nap - Free In Anarchy

Dumb Crush - Had It

Soraia - Queen And Pharaohs

Rockvyn - Space Station Earth

Lavventura - Lady Bug

Conor Miley - Raise Your Red Flag

The Essence Of The Universe - Ave Maria

Uni Boys - You'll Curse His Name Again

Honey I'm Home - Hyperspace Mountain

Heir To The Squandered Millions - Thin Aspiration

Hubbell Benson - Born To Lose  

AWAIT

WISP. - Wonderland

Morvern Hum - New Patterns

Sparrowhawk - Power And The Glory

Nothing In Return - Monotony

J. Moriarty - Waste My Mind

Chorus Truly - Your Name

Paper Pools - Nightdays

The Council Gritters - The Angels Call Your Name

Radio Days - Bang Bang

Bretton Kyle - Better Man

Norwegian Blue - A Different Light

Matinée Recordings · Norwegian Blue - A Different Light

The Grimly Pleased - Right Turn Wrong Way

Dog Pops - Beige Hell

Lyons Grove - Cali's Burning

Lyons Grove · Lyons Grove - Cali's Burning

Modern Holiday - Goodbye Grand Street

Susurrus Station - Meshes Of The Afterlife

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SOFTJAW - SOFTJAW

 

I reviewed Softjaw's 2024 EP and now the splendid Dandy Boy Records label has gotten hold it for a Physical release and made it into an album by adding four songs. It is an essential listen for you Power Pop kids.

The Longbeach quartet have more than enough in common with the new breed of the genre, but primarily this will appeal to lovers of 70s Power Pop. Having said that, there is a lot of UK New Wave in these recordings.

Those five EP songs sound just as great as they did then and I've embedded the 2 songs that I chose then. But the two singles that are added are exemplary, particularly Underground Lover, which may very well be the best listen on here.

There are two covers and these coincidentally are two of my favourite songs from two of my favourite bands. The Nerves' Working Too Hard is a Power Pop classic written by Paul Collins and Playing Bogart, written by 23 Jewel's Nick Simpson.

Playing Bogart is more noted as a song from Any Trouble's debut album and Mick did an exhaustive interview with Clive Gregson here. This self titled debut album is an absolute joy. Big choruses, great riffs and pure energy.

The future of Power Pop is in safe hands, indeed the genre is as popular as it as ever been. Guitar Pop joy should be mandatory for all. The Vinyl album is available to buy from Dandy Boy in the Us and from Bachelor Records in Europe.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Fingerless - Repeater

 

Brisbane Trio Fingerless offer up a fine Pop Rock album. Covering a fair bit of music from Oz, I'm more used to hearing Guitar Pop or something much noisier. Repeater does seem an outlier, with its 70s tints. The music here continues to surprise here.

The stunning Guitar solo on Yes Today for instance that is Classic Rock excellence, it is a surprise and a wonderful listen. It is very different to the Piano led Charlie with its sparser arrangement and melancholic, slightly breathy, vocal.

You will, of course, have heard Portfolio on a recent Listening To This Week Playlist and it is one of the songs of the year and sounds as great as it did. More Guitar Pop than what surrounds it, the vocal harmonies and raiding of the instrument cupboard shine.

Cry A Little goes all early 60s, Roy Orbison like, yet The Same Stream gets a little more Eric Stewart 10CC, uncannily so. Grotesque is even a little Travis. More To Come mixes Brit Pop with something that could have been wrote by Billy Kinsley for Liverpool Express.

People decry some of the 70s Pop Rock, I have no idea why. This album revises that  joy. Beautifully performed, arranged and produced with a good deal of variety. Melodic great choruses ring out on a splendid listen.

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

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Back Tomorrow!

 

I've had a few days away from music working on something completely different. Seemed the right time with the Easter Holiday starting. Expect Reviews and more tomorrow starting off what promises to be a very busy month here.

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