I Don't Hear A Single Best 100 Albums Of 2025 : 61- 70

 

Today we reach Numbers 61-70 in our Best Albums Of 2025. It has been really pleasing to see followers visit the albums thus far. 2025 was a great year for the type of music we cover and it is very competitive for the remaining 60 albums in the countdown.

With it being our 10th year we thought that we could back to the old images that were posted as a bit of fun with the Audio Extravaganzas. A reminder of the old, much quieter, days for us and hopefully a bit of fun for newcomers. 

61 The Len Price 3 - Misty Medway Magick      IDHAS Review

The Len Price 3 · Emily's Shop

62 Jumbo Chords - Throw Away (Buy Another One)      IDHAS Review

63 Nick Frater - OH CONTRAIRE!      IDHAS Review

64 Lolas - Big Hits And Freak Disasters      IDHAS Review

65 Girl For Samson - Blend All The Seasons      IDHAS Review

66 Cherry Fez - SUPEREXCITED     IDHAS Review

67 He's Dead Jim - Head Like A Toyshop    IDHAS Review

68   Them Elephants - Quattro    IDHAS Review

69 The Elbow Patches - Achingly Familiar     IDHAS Review

70 Drugs In Sport - If Only We Could Use These Powers For Good     IDHAS Review

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Cherry Fez - SUPEREXCITED!

 

Pennsylvania's Todd Shuster has been with us since the Anything Should Happen days and Todd is Cherry Fez. Latterly, he's been touring with our other long termers, Caper Clowns. A sort of marriage made in heaven.

Superexcited was released in July and I feel really guilty about taking so long to write about it. I was fortunate to hear the title track in its very early days and the collaboration with the legend that is Brad Jones really excited me.

That song still sounds wonderful now and is the ideal opener, but the album is even more special. There is a mix here of Jangle and Acoustic. The Electric is what you might expect, but the more ethereal songs suit Shuster's wonderful vocal really well. That voice could sing the Phone Book and make it interesting.

This is never more so than on Deep Shades Of Fate which is a haunting, melancholic affair that melts you and almost makes you cry. It also has a splendid string arrangement. Awake With A Lullaby follows a similar vibe, but this time a little more Americana.

However fans of Cherry Fez will be looking out for the plugged in songs and there is much of interest her. Happy Hour is top notch Power Pop that Jangles like a good un'. You've Got A Lot Of Nerve sounds very IRS 80s Indie. 

The King Of Everything races along, not a million miles away from UK Beat with a great Psych Pop solo. You Got A Lot Of Nerve shows what a great songwriter Shuster is. The whole thing is an absolute joy and shows a uniqueness at times. Beautifully arranged and produced. Sn absolute cracker!

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

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Here Is The News

 

It has been a while, largely because there hasn't been so much. But over the past week, it has come flooding in.  The theme is largely about the return of IDHAS heroes.

Mothboxer - Twelve

Hot on the heels of February's Timelimes album (IDHAS Review here) Dave Ody is proving especially prolific this year, on fire really. 26 July will mark the release of a second album for 2024. Ody started recording after the release of Timelines.

Having heard the album, it is top notch. You know that Mothboxer never let you down, but the new one is simply wonderful. Look out for the nigh on 13 minutes closing track How Does It Feel. The album is called Twelve, being errrr Mothboxer's 12th album. 

Look out for further details and updates here and here.

Caddy - Someone Like You

There`s a 20 year anniversary for Caddy this year and Tomas Dahl wanted to write and record a new album for the occasion. The self titled album will be released on vinyl through Vestkyst Records and CD through Kool Kat. Release date is 22 August.

2023 was pretty rough for Dahl with losing both parents and two close friends within a period of 6 months.. The album is lyrically darker reflecting on those events,  The music is still very much melodic but there is much more Power on this album than in a long time, but the results from our Power Pop hero are outstanding.

A single has been released and you can listen to Someone Like You below. The song will also be included on next week's Listening To This Week Playlist from Monday 15 July. 

The Mommyheads - One Eyed Band

I think many of you know our love of The Mommyheads. We have been fans forever and ever amen. It has been wonderful to see the band in full flow over recent years with more Live shows than ever. We have seen the following grow and grow and still consider them as possibly our favourite band ever. 

A new album, One Eyed Band, will be released on 13 September and I know we can be biased, but it is truly magnificent. The tracklist is below. Look out for further details on the band's website here and Bandcamp site here.

 

Album Details :

01 Chicken Soup

02 Life Is A Dream

03 Season Of Our Sound

04 Architect

05 Human Being

06 Risk It All

07 One Eyed Man

08 Weightless And Unbound

09 Junk

10 The Gift

Derrero - Breezing Up

It is hard to believe that I have been a fan of Welsh Wizards, Derrero for 29 years. Through Brit Pop and Beyond. No one quite catches the mood like their albums do. So it is delightful to note that Derrero's sixth studio album, Breezing Up, will be released on 14 September.

The bulk of the album was recorded last October at Palm Tree Studios in Kent and features contributions from Dewi Parry (Ghosts Lawns, Siula) and Gid Goundrey (Gulp, Ghost Lawns, EYE) with additional brass from Ifan Rhys & Rob Halcrow.

Derrero have maintained a resolutely DIY and esoteric approach to music making cementing their reputation as a strident and confident band who remain steadfastly unafraid to swim against the tide and self-release uncompromising music outside of the mainstream

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Breezing Up will be preceded by a single on 02.08.24 from when the album will be available for pre-order. The tracklisting is as follows :

01 Ride On Rider

02 Catherine

03 The Drive Home

04 A Line In Space

05 Breezing Up

06 Cosmic Shift

07 Painting With Sound

08 Mile After Mile

09 Creepy Crawlies

Cherry Fez - Superexcited Sessions 

 

It is an exciting time for Todd Shuster this year. Firstly, he has recorded an EP in Nashville with Brad Jones. The results are exhilarating and all four songs will delight Power Pop fans. The first track from those sessions has been released and you can listen to it below.

There may be more songs recorded later in the year and here's hoping a label will pick them up for a Physical Release as either an EP or mini album. Superexcited (the song) will also appear on next week's Listening To This Week Playlist (15 July).

In the meantime, the excellent Subjangle label is releasing a double CD compilation of Todd's old band, The Impossible Years called A Good Past Deserves Repeating. Provisional Release Date is 14 July. More details as I have them.

Finally Cherry Fez will be playing some IPO’s as Rick Kingo Featuring Cherry Fez at LA, San Diego, Vancouver and New York). It is great chance to see Rick and Chris from Caper Clowns with Cherry Fez. I am quite envious. IPO Details can be found here.

The Junipers - Annie Almond  

 

On the theme of returning heroes, there was a real Wow! hollow when we found out that The Junipers  were returning. First up is the wonderful single that is released on Thursday (11 July). Called Annie Almond, it is as ace as you would expect.  

A follow up single is initially planned for 1 August titled She Looked Up At the Stars. Even more exciting is the news that a new album is ready, provisionally planned for a release at the end of August. The album is likely to be called Imaginary Friends. 

The You Tube embed for Annie Almond is below.  It will not go live until after midnight on Thursday. Listening To This Week fans can also hear the single on next Monday's LTTW (15 July).

Sloan - Smeared Deluxe Vinyl Box Set

 

The fourth deluxe box set from Sloan and this time focusing on the debut LP, Smeared. Along with that album, it also contains an LP of demo recordings. Live recordings from the era are on the third LP and the 7" single. Lots of great photos, stories and ephemera in the excellently designed 12" x 12" 44-page booklet. Limited edition!

 Tracklist

 LP 1 - Smeared

Side A

01. Underwhelmed

02. Raspberry

03. I Am The Cancer

04. Median Strip

05. Take It In

06. 500 Up

Side B

01. Marcus Said

02. Sugartune

03. Left Of Centre

04. Lemonzinger

05. Two Seater

06. What's There To Decide?

 LP 2 - The Demos and Outtakes

Side A

01. Kool Aid (March 1990 Chris demo)

02. Left Of Centre (February 1991 demo)

03. In Her Place (February 1991 demo)

04. Pretty Voice (1991 Jay demo)

05. Caroline (1991 demo)

Side B

01. Underwhelmed (1991 demo)

02. Marcus Said (1991 demo)

03. 500 Up (October 1991 demo)

04. Raspberry (October 1991 demo)

05. Median Strip (Andrew vocal)

LP 3 - Live at McGill University June 17, 1993

Side A

01. Median Strip (live at McGill 06/17/93)

02. Take It In (live at McGill 06/17/93)

03. Sugartune (live at McGill 06/17/93)

04. Pillow Fight (live at McGill 06/17/93)

05. Coax Me (live at McGill 06/17/93)

Side B

01. Underwhelmed (live at McGill 06/17/93)

02. Penpals (live at McGill 06/17/93)

03. I Am The Cancer (live at McGill 06/17/93)

04. Rag Doll (live at McGill 06/17/93)

05. Left Of Centre (live at McGill 06/17/93)

7" single

01. Autobiography (live at The Grawood, Dalhousie 03/20/92)

02. Easily Fooled (live at The Grawood, Dalhousie 03/20/92)

Chris Church Underground Again

Chris Church is currently finishing off his latest album, some of which I have heard and those songs are top notch as ever. In the meantime, Chris has released the song, Underground Again. The definitive version of this song has eluded him, but he has always loved it.

This version is newly recorded in spring 2024, with Brian Beaver, friend and bandmate from DANG on Drums. Brian also painted the picture in this cover photo. Church wrote the song in the late '90s. A different version of it was recorded with THE FREDS several years ago. 

That version is titled "Fad Collectible" (first track on THE FREDS album "Heavens For Betsey"). Finally set free with no final mix or mastering. it is Church's final attempt at the song and well worth a listen.

The Glad Machine - So High

Finally, a most welcome return from The Glad Machine. It has been a couple of years since the excellent Hey album which featured heavily in our Best Albums Of 2022. You can read the IDHAS Review of that album here.

Suiting the season, if not the weather over here in the UK. A great blast of catchy Power Pop joy. Brad Thayer still has a fine set of pipes. We can't wait to hear more from the band.

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I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2023 : 51-60

 

For the last few 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. 

Narrowing things down to this 100 has been really difficult. The countdown is 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.

51 This Day In History - Years Of Wear & Tear      IDHAS Review    

  

52 the black watch - future strangers      IDHAS Review 

53 Rinehearts - Full Bloom  -   IDHAS Review 

54 The On And Ons - Let Ya Hair Down      IDHAS Review 

55 Cherry Fez - Honeycomb Tearoom       IDHAS Review 

56 The Whiffs - Scratch 'N' Sniff       IDHAS Review 

57 Lane Steinberg - Headspace       IDHAS Review 

58 Mo Troper - Troper Sings Brion      IDHAS Review 

59 Trademark Issues - 601 Deluxe      IDHAS Review 

60 Pacific Avenue - Flowers      IDHAS Review 

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Cherry Fez - Honeycomb Tearoom (Name Your Price)

 

Cherry Fez aren't on Social Media and my usual frustration with this was absent, more of a nod of agreement. Have no doubt, if it weren't For I Don't Hear A Single, I wouldn't be either. It has become a place for people of my age to moan about everything musically. However, Todd Shuster is and he is Cherry Fez with help from guest drummer Mark Hayner.

Honeycomb Tearoom is the sound of London, surprising because Shuster is from Abbington Township in Pennsylvania. Cherry Fez though inhabits both the world of UK New Wave circa 1978 - 1979 and the Beat Pop of the second half of the 60s.

There are some wonderful digressions such as the top notch Psych Pop of It Wasn't Meant To Be. There is a wonderful Jangle that frequents part of the album's excellent Guitar Pop. All 10 songs here are joy filled offerings to lighten the February Gloom.

Scuster's vocal masters the New Wave, but is also gentle enough to nail the slower songs such as the great 70s Pop Rock, B Isn't Sharp And F Isn't Flat. The closer, No Reprise is wonderfully moody and melancholic, it brings tears to the eyes.

It is however that the pacier Pop grabs you most. The Jam with a Jangle on Her Metro Card. The Marquee Mod Pop of No Gift Like The Present which even adds a Country riff. Something Died is all Carnaby Street and Books That No One Read may just be the jauntiest thing that you will all hear this year.

The album is a Name Your Price download, so you can get the enjoyment now.. Just download as this is one of the finest listens that you will find in a long while. A CD Release will follow shortly and I will update this post when it does. I thought this type of album was long gone. Thankfully it isn't!

You can listen to and buy the album here. Some of the Cherry Fez Back Catalogue is at Name Your Price too.

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