The Junipers - The Solid And The Hollow

 

Just as with David Brookings, I return to our very early days, a decade ago, when I reviewed The Junipers' Red Bouquet Fair. I've been with them ever since and enjoyed Robyn Gibson's Bob Of The Pops adventures through the period to now.

A new Junipers album is also a reason to celebrate as they bring my beloved Psych Pop back to life. More recently, the quartet have been as interesting as ever, but been a little more mellow. None of that here, this is a real Guitar album, back to earlier days and a full revelation of how great Psych Pop is. 

The Solid And The Hollow not only makes an old man very happy, but is also one of the best Psych Pop albums for a long time.The whole thing is beautifully arranged, the instrumentals are works of art and show off Gibson's dulcet tones beautifully. 

It really sounds as though it could have been recorded in those hazy 60's days when the genre took off. But there are also hints of the late 80s revival. The album offers up both Beat and the more mellow, but all are arranged perfectly, providing a dreamlike vibe or a killer Psych Beat. 

I'm deliberately trying not to mention songs because this is a proper album to be listened to from start to finish. But as you head over you may want to compare the 60s Beat of When She Turns with the wonderful Piano led closing masterpiece that is Moments Of Truth.

In between you get everything that the band is great at, Mellotron, Jangle and stunning mood setters. The Junipers have never released a duff album, but this is more of a Guitar album, a step back to the early days if you like and no one masters Psych Pop like these four. Absolutely Essential!

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

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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

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The Junipers - Imaginary Friends

 

We prepare Review posts ahead as we never release ahead of a time that we can embed three selections and so most are on or just after the official release date. But we do get the benefit of plenty of listens before the words and music get posted.

This is making September really busy and The Junipers are first up, probably as they always should be, with this more than welcome new album. It also brings back memories of the start of IDHAS, 8 years ago. There were reviews of Vinyl issues of albums by both The Junipers and Caddy on the much missed Sugarbush Records label. Caddy follow this week.

Imaginary Friends is, as you might expect from them, a very melodic gentle affair. Crossing the boundary between 60s Psych Pop and 70s Pop Rock, but this time around there is a lot of time spent in my beloved Toytown.

My Imaginary Friend, already heard by many as a single, is a great example of the Toytown on display. All village like and jaunty, but with added Lieutenant Pigeon piano and a slight air of Horace Wimp. But they are not all about whimsy. 

Red Song is simply beautiful, an hypnotic melotron arrangement on a song that has a slight Americana and Folk vibe. While You preside picks up the pace and gets a little West Coast funky with a rhythm that chugs gloriously.

You're My Sugar And Spice is all mid 60s Bubblegum and The Swarthy Smith is easy listening on opening, but then floats away, a fine piece of Piano Pop. Monday On My Back may be the gentlest thing on here, but is a great opportunity to reveal a splendid set of Backing Vocals.

Annie Almond is wonderful Psych Pop and there is the great marching bassline on Mary In The Rain and Hollow Song again gives the opportunity to their Beach Boys harmonies on a jaunty closer. Just wait for the twee solo. This is an album wonderfully performed and arranged, Imaginary Friends is an absolute joy. 

The mellotron is used to great effect rather than obviously and the Fairground feel on certain songs just adds to their appeal/ It is also ace to see Manchester's Portable Radio as part of the group. They are also a band that we know and adore who also feature on past reviews.

The album can be listened to and bought here. It is currently available on CD or as a download. A Vinyl version can be pre-ordered on via the same link and that will be released on November 15.

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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

.

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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The BOTP Band - Bob Of The Pops Volume 4 (Name Your Price)

I absolutely love Robyn Gibson's Bob Of The Pops albums, he selects great songs to cover which are done incredibly well. I talked to Robyn last year about the project becoming a band at IPO Liverpool 2018. You can read that interview here.

The previous three volumes have solo affairs, now BOTP is a band and so Volume 4 becomes Gibson's first group album since The Junipers.  Versions of The Kinks' She's Got Everything and Teenage Fanclub's Ain't That Enough stand out.






He gets help from Divine Comedy's excellent Guitarist, Tosh Flood with wife, Lorraine Wilson on Emitt Rhodes's Somebody Made For Me. The equally excellent Duncan Maitland adds Harpsichord and Keyboards to the same song  and The Haystack's A Letter To Josephine. The latter continues the excellent choices of previous volumes.

Incredibly, there is even a mellow cover of Chas And Dave's Ain't No Pleasing You. I'm looking forward to Volume 5's Special Guests singing Snooker Loopy. Seriously though, the album is not just about the song selections, Gibson's voice is as splendid as ever.






There's another Carter / Lewis / Alquist cover to follow A Letter To Josephine on Aye-O, a real party hand clapping vibe. Smile A Little Smile For Mr is another inspired choice, Tony MacAulay and Geoff Stephen's song for The Flying Machine.

It's not all about the Sixties though. There are splendid versions of Madness's Disappear and Joe Pernice's Working Girls. All in all, this is a fantastic offering, appearing once more on the wonderful Futureman Records Label. It's a fine addition to the Bob Of The Pops collection, but also a great listen for first timers.







You can listen to and buy the album at Name Your Price here.


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IPO Liverpool 2018 Preview : Bob Of The Pops

I've always been a fan of The Junipers. I've always thought of them as a more modern day Diesel Park West. Maybe it's the Leicester connection, but more that Robyn Gibson has an almost unique Gentle Vocal, slightly different to John Butler. but just as good. You can read my review of Red Bouquet Fair here.

Gibson had always wanted to record a cover album and so after the weekly Junipers' rehearsals, he recorded the first Bob Of The Pops album over those years and was astonished at the fantastic reaction that the resulting album gathered. You can read my review of the first album here.

The Junipers were now mothballed and so Robyn set about recording the excellent Volume 2 in five months, a tenth of the time of the previous album. Volume 2 is equally excellent and thise Teenage Fanclub comparisons from Volume 1, feel more so on Volume 2.

Then Bob Of The Pops became a band, so this seems the right time for Robyn to tell the story to this point.






"The only purpose of this whole thing is for the sole purpose of fun.  I started recording solo cover versions initially as a teenager, enjoying the chance to make a 'band' sound by playing drums, guitars bass etc. Just to play to mates (for fun.)

Cut to years later and I've managed to get my foot into the door of one of my favourite bands by accidentally becoming their singer (I joined as guitars/harmonies, that was the plan anyway.)  My first band practise with the group, the original singer didn't turn up and in fact, never did again.  Quite lucky aren't I?

The idea for a solo covers album had been a constant 'one day.. I'll try to do this' notion for years, but finally happened when I suddenly had enough fun solo covers (which I'd knock up after band practises or recording sessions with the Junipers, staying behind afterwards to record drums) to actually make up an album's worth.

So this was volume one.  It took about five years to get enough songs recorded.  You know, just for fun..  The idea was always to make it to give away, (Absolutely so, as I couldn't take any credit for all the fantastic songs I was getting to sing. These are written by creative geniuses!)"






"I was so astonished at the positive reactions to Vol.1 and secretly a tad proud to have finally made 'an album' by myself, that I couldn't help but attempt a second volume straight away. Which I managed to get done in about five months, this time...  (Due mainly to the fact that the Junipers had gone into the deep freeze for the time being... What's a feller to do when the weekly band practises are knocked on the head, temporarily?  There's an empty studio, just sitting there... Impossible not to spend a night or two per week doing music, even if it's less sociable on your own..)

Whilst about halfway through recording volume 3, earlier this year, I got my old pal Ben, who'd been missing the Junipers' nights as much as myself, but hadn't had the luxury of still going 'down the room' every week, to come and play drums.

It only takes two mates to change a solo thing to a band, it turned out. We should have done this months ago!  We've been constantly meeting up every week since to record or play together.  We were even offered a gig (Playing support to the unbelievably good El Goodo), so by default, needing a name to put on a poster, 'Bob of the Pops' became the name of the band."







The first gig was done, (for the sheer fun of it), as a drums and guitar 'band', but a bass would have made it even better... So for the IPO, we've enlisted Ash, also a Juniper. (I'm seeing a pattern here)  All of a sudden I've got 'my own band' (for the first time in 30 years of playing in groups...)  Ash and Ben are such a great rhythm section, we've known each other as mates and band mates for many many years. We all have a laugh, almost all the time... I love it.

I am astonished at my luck and fortune to be having seen this grow into what it now is, all by itself, almost by accident. Like I say, quite lucky, aren't I really?"


You can listen to the first two Bob Of The Pops Albums and download them for free here. Bob Of The Pops play both The Cavern Pub and The Cavern Club on Sunday 20 May.

Robyn Gibson - Bob Of The Pops Volume 1

Robyn Gibson's band The Junipers are from Leicester and I don't know what it is about the city, but it seems to produce Jingle Jangle bands of the highest order. I've always been a fan of Diesel Park West and The Junipers are in the same mould. If you've never heard of them, you should chastise yourself and head off and grab their two albums.

Bob Of The Pops Volume 1 is an album of covers and what's more it's absolutely FREE. The album is as jangly as you'd expect from Mr Juniper, but the song selection is inspired. I'm particularly glad to see Nick Heyward's He Doesn't Love You Like I Do, an underrated gem from an underrated album.





Elsewhere, you'd expect to see some Teenage Fanclub, but not necessarily Slow Fade and Did I Say. The Power Pop nod is there with They Don't Know and the obligatory Lennon and McCartney, again Nowhere Man is a much wiser choice than the usual Hide Your Love Away.

It's also fantastic to hear The Dentists and Wire's Outdoor Miner and Honeybus's How Long is something that I don't recall being performed too often. The influences build up with The Rutles' With A Girl Like You.




The Springfields' Island Of Dreams is better than the original and there's even the theme tune to Laverne and Shirley. There's even one of Gibson's own songs to round things off. The spoof Top Of The Pops album cover is inspired, not the usual suggestive female pose and I definitely want one of those cardigans.




Well done Robyn! You can download the album free here and you can discover more about The Junipers here.

The Junipers - Red Bouquet Fair

Leicester seems the centre of the universe at the moment and The Junipers are doing their bit to keep it that way. Their 2014 debut, Paint The Ground, but this follow up is even better. There's added depth and melody.

The mellow vibe is still there as is the vocal strength, but the arrangements add far more. It's classic Psych Pop but not stuck in that mode. There are times that they could be The Idle Race and yet others when they could be China Crisis and of course, Beatles comparisons spring far and wide.

Robyn Gibson's voice is a thing of beauty and everything seems aimed at enhancing that. It's one of those albums that you play all the way through.




You can buy the album for download or on CD here. The best way to listen to this though is on Vinyl and Sugarbush have released limited editions on Black or Red Vinyl. You can buy these from the Bandcamp site, but International Dwellers get free postage direct from Sugarbush.

The band celebrate the album's release with a show at The Musician in Leicester on Thursday 25th. The support is the wonderful, Duncan Maitland, well worth six quid of your money.