Little Steven - Soulfire

There's far more to Little Steven than Springsteen's sidekick, although my greatest image of him is that. I always thought of The River as Van Zandt's album, I couldn't tell you why, but seeing the E Street Band on that 1981 Tour was a revelation. Of course, he'll be known to others from The Sopranos and his production work, but there are two other reasons why he remains in my heart.

His political conscience is admiral and not just about Sun City, he's never afraid to speak out about justice and fairness.But more importantly for me, he is a great Town Cryer for the new and under appreciated artists. His love of music shines through with his promotion of new bands on his Underground Radio show and Wicked Cool Label. In between all of this, his E Street Band Commitments and work on Lilyhammer, it's time for a new solo album. It's been 18 years since the last one.

Songs he's been involved in as writer, producer or player are revisited and it's an absolute joy. Don't expect it to sound too much like the E Street Band or the Garage Rock / Power Pop he celebrates. Soulfire has more in common with Southside Johnny And The Asbury Jukes, a band intrinsically linked to him, but with even more horns and a real gospel soul tinge.

Five of the 12 tracks are Asbury Jukes related, including the magnificent, I Don't Want To Go Home. There isn't a mass of difference in these five songs, a lot more soul certainly, but you do realise what great songs they are. Love On The Wrong Side Of Town, in particular, sounds incredible, it even has a jingle jangle intro.

Whilst these songs are making me dig out those Southside Johnny albums for the first time in a while, it's away from those where the album gets really interesting. The Doo Wop of The City Weeps Tonight, the Blues Rock of Blues Is My Business. The Shaft vibe on Down And Out In New York City is ace and Gary U.S. Bond's Standing In The Line Of Fire has a Spaghetti Western Intro.

Saint Valentine's Days is turned into a sort of Tom Petty with Horns and the title track comes over all Huey Lewis. As an album, Soulfire stands up on it's own. Most of these songs will be new to people and this is a really coherent album. For those who do know some of Little Steven's history, they will be a reminder of how much history he has got and how great it is. He's criminally underrated as a songwriter and arranger.

More recently, I haven't been listening to this sort of album, it's been boys jangling their guitars. What a fool I've been. I'm off to raid my vinyl and in the meantime, this should certainly be a purchase for you to consider. It's a real feel good album, beautifully done and more than welcome here. I'm looking forward to his show with The Disciples Of Soul in Manchester on 18 June.


You can buy the album at Amazon and everywhere.

One Way Ticket - And Life Just Simply Moves Along

One Way Ticket are from Besancon in France and they have released a Power Pop album that puts current offerings from the supposed masters in the US, UK and Australia to shame. It;s 8 songs and 26 minutes of joy, a cracking listen.

The trio remind me of The Vapors and The Motors and that's the way to my heart. It's very much late 70's New Wave Pop bossed by the likes of The Records and it's simply great. It doesn't rest with UK Influences though, they even get near to my beloved Sparks on Finger Snap.






I hear nods to The Plimsouls, Paul Collins, The Knack and The Undertones. Much to our utter bemusement, Power Pop is not going to change the world, but if it could, One Way Ticket would be leading us out of The Trenches. It's a long while since I've heard a Power Pop album as good as this.





A driving rhythm section, killer riffs and songs that you just can't help sing along to. On the rare occasion that they slow things down, they even get that right, particularly on the closer, Beside You. And Life Simply Moves Along is one of the best things I've heard this year.





You can listen to and should buy the album here.

Life On Mars - The Resurrection Of Ants

Life On Mars is the collaboration between New York Singer Songwriter, Earl Kayoss and Fernando Perdomo. Aided by Durga McBroom and Ruti Celli, the band have fashioned up one of those great 70's Classic Rock albums.

Kayoss's voice pitches somewhere between Roger's Daltrey and Chapman and it's when The Ressurection Of Ants rocks that the album is at it's best and particularly suited to his voice. Perdomo's guitar is outstanding throughout, riffs all over the place, he certainly lets loose.






Fernando Perdomo has had an astonishing year and now he seems to be a go to producer and sidekick. His work on the Cait Brennan and Gretchen's Wheel albums are just two examples of how great he can be.

I'm Alright is a real rock out, constant tempo changes that compares favourably with a lot of the US Stadium Rockers of the late 70's. The Guitar solo on I Can Save Your Planet is a revelation and the female vocal on Technology reminds me of Maggie Reilly and has a wonderful Ruti Celli Cello addition.





Get Real takes you back to the Marquee in the late 60's, a real blues rock treat and Kayoss's voice sounds Peter Gabriel-ish on Either Way. The ballads don't always work, they get a bit clunky and may be more suited to Fernando Perdomo's voice as on Crying Time, which sounds so Alan Parsons Project.

The album is a little long at 64 minutes, but this is a minor and regular gripe of mine. The Ressurection Of Ants is a cracking listen though and Perdomo's guitar is up to 11 which is exactly how it should be. The album is well worth your money.






You can listen to and buy the album here.

The Garden Of Earthly Delights

Welcome to another Garden Of Earthly Delights, where we take four new, but very different albums, all equally excellent and tell you about them.

The Terminals - Antiseptic

New Zealand's The Terminals bring their particular brand of noise pop back into the public arena and how welcome it is. Although they are firmly linked with the Flying Nun scene from it's inception, they are very different to the jaunty pop established with the New Zealand scene. It's been ten years since Last Days Of The Sun and it's worth the wait.

For the uninitiated, imagine a cross between The Velvet Underground and Midnight Oil. Wonderfully inventive and very hypnotic. Early Eno like in it's keyboards, but Nicole Moffat's violin hammers home like a lead guitar.





You can buy the album here or here.

The Bopp - Power My Pop

The Bopp feature a revolving cast of musicians centred around Jessie Bordeaux. French Power Pop isn't a widely known phenomenon, but The Bopp certainly press all the right buttons reminding me of anything from the UK New Wave to Brit Pop. That takes in comparisons to The Knack, Rain Parade and C86.

Two things stand out. This is really melodic stuff and the organ runs are so Inspiral Carpets like. There's even ventures into Dr Feelgood lite and Glam Rock. Bordeaux's voice is a laid back swoon rather than a belt out and that makes Power My Pop even more interesting.







You can listen to and buy the album here.

Post War Glamour Girls - Swan Songs

Leeds foursome, Post War Glamour Girls have threatened to break through for a while. This is studio album number three since 2014 and you really feel they are getting there. They are one of the few of the new crop of bands that you could see holding a large venue's attention.

All their essential elements are still there. Hints of Psych, Goth, Post Punk and plenty of crunching guitar. The only thing I felt they needed was a bit more of a nod to mainstream rock and that's certainly showing on Swan Songs. The example I've chosen is Guiding Light, a sort of The Mission meets the first album of The Killers. This lot are certainly destined for bigger things.







You can listen to and buy the album here.

The Singing Skies - Head In The Trees, Heart On The Ground

The Singing Skies is the project led by Kell Derrig-Hall. You'd expect the moody Country Folk to come from the Mid West, not the haven of Guitar Pop that is Sydney. Derrig-Hall treads right into the territory of Chris Isaak, apt perhaps with Twin Peaks back in vogue.

You'd expect this sort of acoustic folk to get a bit dull after a while, but the arrangements are so strong and the atmosphere created so gripping that the whole album is a fine listen. Head In The Trees, Heart In The Ground is not the sort of album that I'd normally listen to. I'm so glad that I did.






You can listen to and buy the album here.

Jane's Party - Tunnel Visions

There's something really endearing about Jane's Party. It's all very reminiscent of the mid 70's and Liverpool Express and John Miles. There's a groove to the music and it's the chorus heavy songs mean you can imagine them being intro'd in on Supersonic.

This isn't a criticism, in fact quite the opposite. The Four piece from Toronto are really adept at what they do and so few doing it. The arrangements are absolutely spot on, wonderfully retro. Tunnel Visions is the band's third album and their reputation has grown via some great live shows and word of mouth.




Although the album is very much in easy listening territory, it's wonderfully so. When they do get up tempo on Cigarette Buzz they are a completely different band, poptastic at a pace. Tunnel Visions is a laid back chill out album. It reminds you of a time when life seemed much simpler and it's really enjoyable to listen to an album that has been constructed as such rather than singles led.

Think Gilbert O'Sullivan, Jigsaw and in particular Liverpool Express and you'll be close to the sound and that's a great comparison to have. The album is available on Bandcamp as a Name Your Price. What have you got to lose?






You can listen to and download the album here.

Fastball - Step Into Light

One of the more pleasing things this year thus far is the return of Fastball. The Austin Texas Trio are back with album number six after an eight year gap. Both Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga have both released excellent solo albums in the interim with My Favourite Year and These Ghosts Have Bones respectively, but it is fantastic to have the trio back with us.

Fastball are one of those classic examples of a band selling less albums as they got better. I suspect most in the UK will only remember them for The Way and the album that contained that mega single, their second album, All The Pain Money Can Buy. Well those who concentrate on great Pop will know that any one of their previous five albums is well worth the admission and Step Into Light stands up with anything that has gone before.

They've always come across as if they were a cross between Elvis Costello and Matthew Sweet and there's some of that here, particularly on Just Another Dream but there is so much variation here. All bases are covered, Lilian Gish is pure Psych Pop whilst the closer, Frenchy And The Punk is Vaudeville.

It's the melodic pop that they excel in though, Beatlesque on Behind The Sun, Jangly on Best Friend, New Wave Mod Pop on Love Comes In Waves, 60's Beat on Secret Agent Love. I Will Never Let You down reminds me of Del Amitri. Step Into Light is a stormer of an album, sing along songs that seem simple but repeated listens reveal far more complexity. Another excellent offering to add to their two decade plus canon. You should buy it.

You can buy the album as a download, CD or Vinyl everywhere.

California Hits Manchester

I rarely do previews of upcoming shows. It's not really what I usually get involved in, but I have to tell you about this. There's a number of reasons why I should, but I'll limit it to two. I've long moaned and groaned about how hard it is to see great Power Pop or Pop Rock in the UK. In the past, we've had great bands coming across from the States, Europe and as far afield as Australia, with the odd exception such as The Posies, that's much less so now.

So when you get an opportunity to see four on the same bill with the added bonus of two of the best UK offerings on your doorstep, we have to get out and support it. Six bands for a fiver, it's like I really do live in 1975.

Secondly, if ever a line up explained what I Don't Hear A Single is about, it would be this one and it's a rare chance for people to see these acts in the flesh. From my own side too, I never fail to be surprised at how IDHAS took off and how it has become known worldwide. I don't get out and about as much these days and so it's even a chance to talk to me about the new stuff that you think I should be covering.

I won't make this too long, so I'll try to briefly give you some idea of what you could witness. I can attest that one of the bands that get the most interest amongst us are The Cherry Bluestorms and they are especially delighted to play in Manchester. The review of their See No Evil single remains one of the most popular posts on here, unknown for a single. The UK influence is written all over their music, it's like a 60's Beat Pop version of The Byrds and of course you have The Dickies connection.

It's been eight years since Plasticsoul's magnificent Peacock Swagger. Well they are back with the newly released Therapy album. Steven Wilson hasn't lost anything in the gap. The album is a real rock out. It's melodic rock at it's finest and you'll see the review of it here tomorrow.

One of my favourite bands are The Armoires. Rex Broome and Christina Bulbenko's brand of sunny California Pop with a twang is an absolute joy to listen to. Bulbenko has the voice of an angel and I defy anyone not to be tapping their feet within seconds. Rex is also the brains behind Big Stir, a monthly Power Pop live showcase that is Big Stir. A Californian treat that receives rave reviews rightly.

It's wonderful to see Spygenius back in the live arena. The Canterbury four piece remind me so much of those Not Lame days. Imagine Robyn Hitchcock in a 60's Psych Pop band. Peter Watts describes himself as a magpie, but it's the way it's all put together. Wonderfully inventive and the nearest the UK has to the type of bands that we adore from the States.

Without hesitation, I'd say the band that grabbed me most at IPO was Huxley Rittman And The Rusty Hitmen. Very much the future of Power Pop, in line with Denmark's The Caper Clowns. I'd heard a couple of their EP's and liked them, but was not prepared for what an incendiary live band they are. Their set was over far too quickly and it was outstanding. They are currently recording their debut album, but these will be definitely a band that you will tell everyone in ten years time that you saw in a small venue.

Last, but very much not least, we have David Jaggs, leader of the North West's pride and joy, The Ragamuffins. I come across a lot of local bands, no one does what they do. There's a real lyrical depth in songs with organ and brass. I like to think of them as a modern day Dexy's, but there is far far more of them than this.

So this is not going to be a thing that I do to often, but I cannot miss the opportunity to go out and support these artists. What a night it is going to be.