I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2022 : 31-40

 

This year, the standard has been the highest since IDHAS began six and a half years ago. Narrowing things down to this 100 as been really difficult. For each album, I've posted a song from it and a link to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album.

A reminder that anything reviewed on I Don't Hear A Single is highly recommended. 

No 31 : The Bye Bye Blackbirds - August Lightning Complex    IDHAS Review

No 32 : Emperor Penguin - Sunday Carvery        IDHAS Review





No 33 : The Summer Holiday - Acqua     IDHAS Review

No 34 : Andy Bopp - An Andy Bopp Compilation          IDHAS Review

      

No 35 : Elvis Eno - A Startling Realization Of The Obvious     IDHAS Review

No 36 : Whelligan - In The Mean Meantime      IDHAS Review


  


No 37 : Phil Yates & the Affiliates - A Thin Thread      IDHAS Review

No 38 :  Derrero - Curvy Lines    IDHAS Review

  

No 39 : Librarians With Hickeys - Handclaps & Tambourines   IDHAS Review 

 
No 40 : The Glad Machine - Hey       IDHAS Review

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Phil Yates & the Affiliates - A Thin Thread

 

I was looking through which albums that I'd like to review for the rest of the week and was a bit bemused. There are plenty that deserve to be reviewed, but a lot are, let's say, laidback and I fancied something with a little oomph. To be honest, lots were just too nice.

Thankfully, the July 15th release schedule has offered three albums that fit the current mood and I'll tell you about them over coming days as well as choosing some of the ones I looked over midweek. The first is something that I've wanted to tell you about for a while.

It has been four years since Party Music and for his fourth album, Phil Yates gathers a new Chicago line up of The Affiliates and it really shows. Party Music was all great UK New Wave, but A Thin Thread is far far more, dare I say a grown up album.

That isn't to denigrate what has gone before, because all of it is ace, just very different to this. This album is like a collection of influences that just revels in its variety. As melodic and beautifully produced as ever, but there seems an edge, an itch to show there is more to live than Joe Jackson and Graham Parker.

Yates can do Power Pop in his sleep, but here when he ventures into the genre there is much more than three chords and a big chorus. On Secret Decoder Ring, it is a bit like Tom Petty fronting Extra Arms, catchy as hell, but down and dirty too. 

I Can't Wait is near to what has gone before with its Guitar Jangle Pop, but the riff is more prominent and the vocal more direct. It is a great opener, but not an indicator of what's to come. Gun=Gun has a real country twang and The New York is New York sleeze with a Glam Rock interlude.

Ode To A Cafe Waitress has an undercurrent of Film Noire, a little 70s, certainly darker than the songs that accompany it. Yet, The Door is great Lennon Pop. Caraway Master has a wonderful hypnotic theme with a vocal drawl and then bursts into a Brass arrangement.

But the song that grabs me most is Trash Carrots, it edges on Psych with its distorted vocal and carries a threat that you can't quite explain. Phil Yates is one of the nicest guys that you could meet. A wicked sense of humour, hilarious, but not quite as funny as me of course.

This line up of The Affiliates is a bit like comparing apples to pears, but more than anything A Thin Thread feels and sounds like a band album. Inventive with great variety, but edgier, People will say about many new releases that it is the subject's best album. This truly is. Highly Recommended!

You can listen to the album here and buy it as a download, on CD or as a Vinyl LP.

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I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2018 : 41-50

2018 has been a fantastic year for the type of music that we like. It's been difficult to get these choices down to 100. I'm also not a believer in saying one album is better than another. Most of the time you are comparing Apples To Oranges. I'm not a Top 10 person, I just think what's the point.

However, for the first time last year, I did a Top 50, normally I just say what my favourite album of the year is. I've simply done it again, because those five posts of last year were so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists.

As I said the standard this year is incredibly high, so much so that I've extended the choice to 100 albums. There is no meaning or judgement on an album that is Number 1, Number 100 or not on the list. Anything that I review on here, mention on Social Media or play on the Radio Show is as highly recommended.

For each album, I've posted a song from it and a link to the IDHAS Review if applicable.


No 41 : Cinderpop - Bricolage       IDHAS Review here.







No 42 : The Stan Laurels - Maybe      IDHAS Review here.






No 43 : The Supahip - The Two Sided Face      IDHAS Review here.






No 44 : Hurry- Every Little Thought 






No 45 : P. Hux - This Is The One      IDHAS Review here.

No 46 : Phil Yates And The Affiliates - Party Music!      IDHAS Review here.






No 47 : Dot Dash - Proto Retro      IDHAS Review here.






No 48 : William Duke - Quatro      IDHAS Review here.






No 49 : The Yancys - The End       IDHAS Review here.






No 50 : The Cleaners From Venus - Life In A Time Machine






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Phil Yates And The Affiliates - Party Music!

I'm in far more familiar territory here as Phil Yates And The Affilliates's third album is released on the joyous Futureman Records label. Party Music! is pure Power Pop, leaning a little to the UK New Wave of the late 70's.

I make that reference because although the feel is very jangly and melodic, there are unusual choruses on the likes of Triple Fisting and Nothing Happened. It tends to be a UK thing at times, a slowed down chorus with more words than you'd expect and it works beautifully. The likes of Joe Jackson and Graham Parker do it really well, as does Phil Yates.







Tom Petty is another adept at this and there are plenty of similarities to Yates's vocal, Petty Wise, there's also a hint of Ian Broudie. The Lead Guitar work is exemplary and I'm constantly reminded of Brinsley Schwarz in Rumour mode.

All tnis matters not one jot, because Party Music! is excellent fayre, beautifully written songs with some bitter lyrics dressed up in a sugar coating. One Man's Trash is like a Sun Studio Version of Power Pop.





Drink Myself Blind is all Labelled With Love and Peter Francis Geraci is Clash like until the slowed down Costello like Chorus. It's a belter of a song ending up like a buzzed up Monkees. Bite Your Tongue is a lyrically excellent It's You And Me and It's A Quarter To Three Piano affair.

If you wanted to know what the band are really about though it's probably best with the opener, My Favourite Bag. It's a jangling riff happy wisp of a song, exactly what a great Power Pop song should be. Phil Yates And The Affiliates have offered up a crackerjack of an album. Well Done All!







You can listen to and buy the album here.