What once appeared to be a solo shoot off from the excellent Starter Jackets is now the real main thing. Lannie Durbin is back on the excellent Stardumb Records label with his classic Power Pop that adds a slightly modern touch.
You got the warning with Sticky Menu on the latest Listening To This Week Playlist and here is the full palette. People note The Speedways as heading the revival of the genre, but Local Drags have carried the load just as much.
Everything that you need in a Power Pop album is here. Great melodic vocals, thrilling Riffs and big Choruses. It takes talent to nail the format and Durbin has it in spades. Cool If We Split? is more American than many which underlines what the country brought to the genre.
The Riffs are everything here, never more so than on the superb Bitter Fruit, a song than you will be singing in the shower for weeks to come. High Beams is a little more UK 1979 with its brain drilling Riff which underlines what a way the man has with catchiness.
Can't Get Through is wonderfully anthemic and Little Grief harks more to the 60s Guitar Pop. The best may be saved till the last. Feeling Down Is On The Way Out is slower and has more in common with the 90s Slacker Pop.
The link to Starter Jackets is still here with Luke McNeill records, mixes and masters Cool If We Split? If you wanted to know what Power Pop means to the fans, this album shows how it can revive the spirits, no matter how bad things are personally and worldwide, there is an ability to listen and forget all the outside noise.
You can listen to and buy the album here, You can buy the Vinyl and CD from Stardumb here.
We've covered Local Drags quite extensively and what seemed like Lanny Durbin's side project initially has now taken on a life of its own. Last year's Mess Of Everything waltzed into our Best Albums Of 2023, more than deservedly so. You can read the review here.
The great Power Pop is still here, but City In A Room feels a more personal reflective affair. It is a little more restrained and laidback at times and this allows the songs to breath. The album seems more heartfelt, certainly mellower and songs are more led by vibe than chiming guitars.
There is a healthy Jangle at times, less AOR leaning and more groove. Yer Anchor even sounds a little country and the killer almost weeping solo on Solid State has more in common with 70s Pop Rock than the three chord delights.
Indeed, there is a Tom Petty vibe at times, not necessarily vocally, but certainly instrumentally. Arrangements are all encompassing more held back Rock than Guitar Pop. Never more so, on the magnificent Don't You Think.
There is more than a hint of melancholia here and repeated listens reveal the influence of Americana and even Country Rock. Durbin's gentle melodic vocal suits the material perfectly. You can still hear the Pop Rock, but it is more in the background.
This is less Tommy Keene like than previous, but the closer, Yours If You Want certainly revels in that territory to underline how great at Power Pop, Durbin is. City In A Room sounds like a more grown up album and may bring an even wider audience, it certainly deserves to. A special mention should also be given to the growing reputation of the splendid Stardumb Records label.
You can listen to and buy the album here. You can buy the album on Vinyl or CD from Stardumb Records here. The Vinyl is also available in the States from The Machine Shop here.
Welcome to the first Here Is The News, a new addition to the IDHAS jollity. It is intended to be a weekly affair that informs followers about upcoming releases, gigs, labels and much more. As with everything on I Don't Hear A Single, it contains no influence whatsoever from anyone but us. We get lots of releases, PR, label contact, but we have always decided what we like and want to tell you about.
We are only ever limited by time. We only review what we like. People mention from time to time that we don't seem to do negative reviews. It is actually much easier to do a negative review than a positive one, but why waste that energy? From the beginning, we were only ever going to write about what we like and there is more of that than we could ever cover.
As IDHAS approaches 8, the Blogging world is very different than when we started. The influence that Blogs have has decreased at a rapid rate. It is hard to keep interest and even grow as streaming playlists seem to be the in thing.
There is no doubt that we have evolved and compare to different Blogs than when we first started. But we are still here and hope that we help artists on the way. We are never going to make mega stars, not that we would really ever want to. Adding things like this keeps interest and hopefully informs.
This is a cut down version of what this section is intended to be. A sort of test the water to gauge reaction.
King Black Acid - There's A Spirit Moving In Your House
I think you know how much we like King Black Acid. Portland Oregon must be so proud of this lot. Our review of the new album, Victory For Mad Love, has been really popular. You can read that here. There is now a video for you to enjoy of the new single, There's A Spirit Moving In Your House. You can buy and listen to the album here.
The Supernaturals
It is frightening to think that I have been listening to The Supernaturals for half my life. Initially, through their jaunty wit filled Pop Rock, but I've sort of matured with them as they have experimented and shown completely different sides to the band. Many will know of the big singles and albums, but the early cassette releases were like Rocking Horse shit.
So the archive releases from the pre It Doesn't Matter Anymore days are a godsend to both established and the new fans that the band has been gaining at a rapid rate. Both Big 7 and Sitting In The Sun join Let It Bleat as CD and Download releases. Both will be reviewed on here in the coming week.
It is less than a fortnight away from Local Drags' fourth album. We've covered them well on here and the last album, Mess Of Everything, appeared in our Best 100 Albums Of Last Year. You can read that review here. The new one sounds less noisy than what has gone before, more reflective, but is every bit as good as you might expect.
The CD and Vinyl are available from Stardumb Records. There are alternate covers depending on the format you choose. The album will also be on the Bandcamp site. A review will be on here, just after the release date. City In A Room should certainly gain many appreciative ears.
It has been too long since we covered Winston-Salem's Michael Slawter. Ashamedly, he hasn't appeared here since 2017's An Assassination Of Someone You New. There's an ethical theme to his new mini album and it is a cracker. Great Pop Rock that edges towards Power Pop.
There will be obvious connections to The dBs and Mitch Easter, but Slawter is very much his own man. You can pre-order the CD or Digital album now. It is a great listen. A review will appear on here shortly after the release date.
Canadian Guitar Pop has had an exceptional couple of years and Motorists are another example. Their second album is on Madrid's excellent Bobo Integral label. Touched By The Stuff revels in its 90s Power Pop vibe with heaps of Jangle Pop.
The band are not afraid to spread further afield though and this is an album that underlines the slow but sure return of Classic Power Pop. It knows its influences, but also adds its own take bringing the genre to a new generation.The album is available on Vinyl and digitally and will be reviewed here shortly after release.
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
Lanny Durbin underlines how great classic Power Pop can be when offered up by someone who knows what he is doing. Durbin across Starter Jackets and Local Drags never ever fails to deliver the hooks and choruses that are a pre-requisite of the genre in a beautifully arranged and produced format.
Local Drags is his solo project and he as always nails it across all areas. At pace, he compares with the likes of Lannie Flowers in his ability to not miss a beat. On the slower songs, he compares to Jeff Whalen with a vocal that never makes the song mawkish, too many do the latter.
Aloe is a riff driven crackerjack of a song, a gripping riff, a chorus to just applaud and a guitar break that is just the right length. On The Side is 80s Power Pop equal to the mighty Tommy Keene and Totally Down just jangles you into submission before the awesome solo kicks in.
Good For Nothin' reveals Durbin's other side, a melancholic acoustic joy that builds and builds into a fine singalong and even gets a little Americana towards the end. Heard About It is probably what Local Drags do best, a pacy riff driven with a great twanging solo.
The closer, Better Now is a little heavier sounding than what goes before, it reminds me a lot of The Speedways. It even feels looser than the other nine songs, but the constant building up just leaves you wanting more.
A lot gets said about Power Pop, a lot of it uncomplimentary. It may do people well to bear in mind that is essentially happy songs about unhappy relationships. Power Pop should put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Local Drags are Power Pop. Stop here first before you have any misconceptions and how great a listen, it can be.
You can listen to and buy the album here. You can buy the CD here.
It has been a while since we had an Extended Play feature, so here are 5 EP's for you to cut out and keep. Gothenburg's City Maze offer up a four track Pop Rock EP of the highest order. There mainly be four songs, but all show enough variety to convince that this lot are no one trick pony.
Whereas I'm The One is Classic 80's New Wave Power Pop, Heavy Art is even more commercial, a sort of The Motors do AOR. Poison Girl is more of a fist pumper, very 80's, let's say The Alarm hitting a Final Countdown vibe.
Honestly has a real UK New Wave Beat Pop feel on the verses. The whole EP is impressive, almost like a Showcase that reveals what City Maze can do and that's a fair bit. Well worth your attention as great Pop Rock isn't easy to find at the moment.
The EP is around all the streaming sites. I will update links to buy as soon as I have them.
Out Of My Hair - The Return
One of the absolute delights of last year was the return of Comfort and Out Of My Hair. You can read Mick's outstanding interview with Simon here. This return is rounded off by the appearance of new material and there is no resting on past glories in sight.
All three songs provide the expected gentle soundscape at which Out Of My Hair excel at. Two Stones opens up a realm of Prog Folk, all Scarborough Fair with Flute. Telepathy Planes is the nearest you'll get to a Rock Out solely for the breakout electric guitar in the middle.
The stand out here is In The Morning, a pastoral acoustic led gem of a song. The vocal is a bit Gilbert O'Sullivan but the sound and vibe is wondeful providing chill out for the pop generation. The EP is magnificent, it's great to have Comfort around again and he promises much more to come.
I covered Local Drags' Shit's Lookin' Up here and The Boys Are Still In Town maintains, maybe even exceeds the quality of that release. What appeared to be a temporary offshoot, looks a more permanent affair and that's very welcome.
I mentioned Cheap Trick last time round and there's certainly that feel again, certainly hook wise. Girls In denim Jackets is a joyous romp whilst Fast Rewind is a bit like The Ramones doing The Damned. Pins is a real riffathon.
Pins reminds me a lot of the current Power Pop sensations, The Speedways and Big Apple 3.A.M. is so Replacements that it could be them. All four songs here are spot on. Hopefully, Local Drags are here to stay because they are great at what they do.
Singing Lungs are from Grand Rapids, Michigan and provide a much noisier alternative to the other four selections reviewed here. Mutter feels very 90's Indie College Rock when bands cemented their reputations on live performances.
This is up and at 'em stuff, splendidly so, from the anthem that is The Kids I used To Know to the early R.E.M. like Leave The Lights On. Even something that starts more mellow like Demo Tape, breaks out into something louder. It has to be said wonderfully so.
Time Well Spent is close to Garage Punk, something that would feel at home on the Rumbar Records label. All five songs are dandy, the best is probably I Don't Remember Much which has an Irish New Wave feel, almost Pogues like without the twiddly bits. This is excellent.
Illinois's Cal Gun return with a welcome EP. The feel is very Weezer. That's Weezer before they wanted to be a Boy Band. This is never more so on the wonderful Pop Rock of Beauty Community, which is enhanced by a killer riff and a great guitar solo.
Happy Just To Dance With You is very 60's, almost Merseybeat. Merseybeat is thankfully less in abundance lately, because a lot of it is Karaoke, this song however shows that when it's done well, the toe tapping count is high and this is done really well.
Pizza Community is an alternate take on Beauty Community. But if you think that you don't get much bang for your bucks, worry ye not, because there is potentially no cost with this EP at Name Your Price on Bandcamp. I look forward to hearing far more from Cal Gun.
I'm a big fan of Starter Jacket's Decisions album from last year and Lanny Durbin and Matt Sailor are present here in the offshoot, Local Drags. Where as Starter Jackets leaned more on 80's Power Pop with plenty of Pop Punk. Local Drags are far more straight ahead.
There will be comparisons with The Replacements, aren't there always, but Shit's Lookin' Up nods more towards the likes of Cheap Trick. They are at their best when the pace quickens up, Trash Bones being an obvious example.
Plot Holes is classic FM material, a real guitar-athon, even the slowed down Metal Guitar Winter has a mini Guitar orchestra. Plot Holes is the real gem here, it's classic Power Pop, very 70's New Wave, in fact wonderfully so.
Overall there's a real 70's feel here and the album is Ramones like in it's say what you've got to say and move on to the next song. 10 songs, 22 and a half minutes and get the next album out. This is a really impressive debut and begs the question of which band has more legs. Perhaps a mixture of both is the answer.
