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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The On And Ons - Come On In

 

We are long term fans of Sydney's The On and Ons. Their fifth album, Let Ya Hair Down, featured in our Best 100 Albums Of 2023. You can read the review here. 5 Tracks from that album feature amongst the 13 here. Come On In is a compilation selected from their previous albums with three new songs added.

We also reviewed 2018's Welcome Aboard here. It is great that Jem have brought the band to the American market, as the reach out of Australia evaded them and all of their albums particularly suit that country. The three new songs are great. Sadly, the 2 of the 3 streams for those songs are not available in the UK. 

The On and Ons · Roller Coaster

I have posted the Soundcloud links for the newbies, knowing that listeners elsewhere will be able to hear them. The other 10 songs can be heard on the band's Bandcamp site and there are three song embeds in each of the two reviews.

The sound is very 60s lead, taking in UK Beat, Psych Pop and Pop Rock. They easily venture into Power Pop, Merseybeat and Brit Pop as well as other Guitar Pop genres. Games People Play still sounds as great here as it ever did with its UK New Wave 70s joy.

The On and Ons · (Scare Me) Outta My Mind

As with any compilation, the selection for long time fans may be disagreed with. I know that I would have chosen Run To Tomorrow and Patriot from Let Ya Hair Down, but the album isn't aimed at me, nor should it be. The remaster sounds wonderful and it really is exciting that the band may get a much deserved wider audience.

The On and Ons · Been There

The CD is available from all music retailers worldwide. You can listen to and buy the back catalogue of the band here.

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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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The On And Ons - Let Ya Hair Down

 

Sydney Trio The On And Ons offer up their fifth album and as you'd expect it is grooviness personified. Indeed the opening title track is all Austin Powers Groovy Baby Swinging 60s. Whilst being set firmly in the 60s, there is a lot of deviation around the decade.

Covering everything from Beat to Psych Pop, Bubblegum to Rock and much more, this is an incredibly enjoyable listen. Games People Pay for instance could easily be The Who and Rub Tomorrow has a real R & B (no not that R and B) snd heads well into the territory of The Len price 3.

Give Me Time is Merseybeat with a real twang, yet It's Not Over is splendid melodic Psych Pop. With Your Heart is built around a driving bassline and wonderful organ strain, but is also bledded with a great Psychedelic Guitar solo that edges into 70s Rock as it progresses.

Patriot could appear on any of those massive Pop Rock albums from the 70s. Melodic with a great little drum roll, even the solo fits the genre. There is even time for a bigger Rock affair with a fine slurred vocal. It is an ace way to close the album.

You can imagine Lovin' Soul being played at a NME Winners Poll in 1966, but even poppier is Forlorn. A cracking slice of Power Pop that would light up any Facebook related forum. The beauty of The On And Ons is not just the variety, it is also their way with a hook.

Add that to the fab inclusion of Organ which lights up the songs it buts into. The band are not going to batter you with big riffs, there's a much appreciated gentleness to what they do, never losing sight of the song. Highly Recommended!

You can listen to and buy the album here. 

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I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2018 : 51-60

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 51 : The On and Ons - Welcome Aboard      IDHAS Review here.

No 52 : Odd Robot - Amnesiatic     IDHAS Review here.







No 53 : Half Man Half Biscuit - No One Cares About Your Creative Hub So Get Your Fuckin' Hedge Cut

No 54 : The Amazing - In Transit 






No 55 : Rob Clarke and The Wooltones - Big Night 







No 56 : Glowbox - Fossil Few       IDHAS Review here.







No 57 : Extra Arms - Headacher







No 58 : Big Sunset - Big Sunset      IDHAS Review here.

No 59 : Michael Simmons - First Days of Summer







No 60 : Valley Lodge - Fog Machine 







.

The On and Ons - Welcome Aboard

In The Big Sunset album review I mentioned the joy of discovering a new band that you knew nothing about. It's also great to discover a band that you've missed, but that is mixed with an irritation that you should have noticed them much earlier.

That irritation is increased when you realise that you know of the four band members through other things. Sydney's The On And Ons released their second album about 12 months ago, so now is the time that we can all catch up on what we've missed.

Brothers Glenn and Brian Morris were in The Zeros and then became part of Paul Collins Beat in 2012, touring the US and Australia in 2012. Clyde Bramley was in The Hoodoo Gurus and Jon Roberts was in The Barbarellas.

Welcome Aboard is on the excellent Aussie Label Citadel, another plus and the album offers up some good old fashioned Power Pop. Old Fashioned is meant as a compliment, I listen to so much Power Pop that isn't really such, that I've tried to separate it with a Pop Rock tag.

The On And Ons offer up a mixture of 60's Power Pop, also think The Knack and splendid Psych Pop. They are also not afraid to Jangle. There are also hints of the 90's Pop revival of Cast etc. All 13 songs speed by, leaving you with a "that was ace" feeling.

Glenn Morris's laid back vocal works on whatever they turn their hand to and there is plenty of variation. Mystic Eyes is very Big Star, Things I Love is Gallagher-esque with a great hippy trippy guitar solo. She's Leaving is great early Beatles Pop. To Die For is Jangle Heaven. Not The Only One, pure mod pop.

It is however the straight ahead Power Pop that appeals most to these ears, it's so refreshing to hear it done well, most notably on No Good For Yourself and (Not A) Sweet Girl. Welcome Abroad is a charming slice of Power Pop that deserves your attention.

You can find further details on buying the album at Citadel here. It's also available for download on the likes of iTunes here.