I Don't Hear A Single Radio Show Episode 15

Catching up on loads of reviews and there are far more to come. In the meantime, it's Lap 15 of the I Don't Hear A Single Radio show is tomorrow. There's some great new stuff around, so just one archive track this week.

Broadcast on KOR Radio at 8pm UK Time on Fridays, repeated at the same time on Saturdays. Due to increased popularity, a Monday Night Repeat has been added at 8pm and there are plans for some more US Friendly times.

You can listen to it here.

Narrowing this week down to just one hour was particularly tricky, so this may be the best show ever. Where as the weekly image on here is usually changed, it's still Lego this week, because I like it.

Also, a reminder that the show is archived the following week on Mixcloud. You can listen to the first fourteen shows here.

Here's what you are going to hear this week.

01 DM3 - Can't Get What You Want
02 Pugwash - What Are You Like
03 Chris Price - Algebra In The Sky
04 The Posies - Unlikely Places
05 The Stanleys - Amy
06 The Forty Nineteens - And Such And Such
07 Hey Hello - Glass Of Champagne
08 Deer Tick - Sea Of Clouds
09 The Dahlmanns - Connie Converse
10 American High - Bunny
11 Friday Giants - What You're Made Of
12 Per Gessle - Fyrklöver
13 Tommy Henriksen - Punk City
14 The Red Button - Solitude Saturday
15 Blitzen Trapper - Wild And Reckless
16 The Dopamines - Kaltes Ende
17 Tom Slatter - Happy People

Chris Price - Stop Talking

I've been really remiss in not reviewing the new Chris Price solo album. Better late than never though. It's been five years since the magnificent debut, Homesick and in that time Price has been involved in the return of Linda Perhacs and most notably Emitt Rhodes.

Rainbow Ends, the Rhodes album, was joyous. An artist that we never thought we would hear again, encouraged by Chris Price and a stellar cast for the Jellyfish brigade, it was wonderful. Now it's back to the solo career.






Although I've seen comparisons to Billy Joel backed by The Beatles, I compare Price to two different artists that are more beloved to the Power Pop masses. I'd like to think that these are the sort of songs that Pete Ham would be writing if he were still with us.

There's also more than a touch of Todd Rundgren in comparisons. That Philly Soul meets Classic Rock vibe is certainly the in the likes of  Stop Talking. Algebra In The Sky is classic mid 70s Pop Rock, an age that I wished I still lived in. Think Jigsaw, 10CC etc.





Sigh is Jeff Lynne-ish with again overtones of Rundgren. One Of Them is jaunty Piano Rock. In between all this great singalong Pop, there are some great acoustic songs such as Anhedonia and Hi Lo.

Man Down wouldn't be amiss on a John Howard band album and anyone who can write a song as beautiful as You And Me (And Everyone Else) is worth following forever. There has been a lack of great Singer Songwriter albums over the past few years. Stop Talking is up there with anything that has gone before.





This is a great example of great songwriting. It's sensational. You can buy it everywhere. You can also listen to it here and buy one of the few remaining copies on vinyl here.

Arts & Leisure - Rescued Objects

It's been a fairly quiet Summer, release wise, but that's about to change with some fine releases due in the next couple of months. Few will match the new Arts & Leisure album, this is great Pop, putting the pop in poptastic.

The Sacramento band's breeziness and outright chirpiness is just what's needed in these times. The jangle mixes all that is great with California Sunshine Pop but with a more English sound. It works beautifully.

There are plenty of Girl Pop references, all of them good. Here I Go could be 60's Psych Pop, but Rescued Objects nods to the most harmonic examples of the genre. Part Time You is all 80's Postcard Pop with a real Orange Juice jangle.






The opener California Goth Pop is a stormer of a song, the vocal reminds me of Shelley Poole and her better Alisha's Attic adventures, Cure For Today is so Go-Go's. Call Down The Night could be Sarah Cracknell.

Violet Black could be Lush and the closer, the brooding Last Call is a splendid way to show that this is a band that are going places. Arts & Leisure are certainly not some retro tribute. There's so many musical directions, 60's Pop, 70's New Wave, 80's Indie and 90's Sub Pop. All blend into a crackerjack of an album.






Vocals wise, Gerri White reminds you of so many great pop vocalists away from those mentioned. Think Susanna Hoffs, Debbie Harry, Louise Wener, but this is very much a band album. There is some real guitar depth coming from Cory Vick. This is one of the best things that I've heard all year.

Special mention should also go to Allen Clapp's Mystery Lawn Music. I have long been a fan of The Orange Peels, but since MLM was set up, there are some fantastic albums coming through. Each one different. indeed another album from the stable will be reviewed later in the week.






You can listen to and buy the album here. You should!

The Mock Turtles - Turtle Soup Expanded Edition

The Manchester scene from 1988, coined Madchester a year later, has names that roll off the tongue. Amongst James, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and Inspiral Carpets, were The Mock Turtles. That scene, not unlike Brit Pop, had some real gems away from the obvious.

The Mock Turtles' 1990 album, Turtle Soup, was one such stand out. I'm really surprised that it's taken until now to reissue. The difference with this band was that although they had the Madchester template, trippy guitars, vocals a tad like Morrissey at times, there was far more depth.

Turtle Soup nods to a much wider area, there's late Sixties Beat, Psych and even mid 80's Goth Riffs. There is essentially a real pop heart to the album and riffs and jangles to hold on to. There are also early nods to Shoegazing. The sad thing is that most people will remember them for one song and those with a deeper knowledge for two of the band members.

Martin Coogan is the band leader and the older brother of Steve and actor, Martyn Glyn Murray was the guitarist. Also thanks to Vodafone and Sky Premier Football coverage, Can You Dig It has become anthemic and a reminder of those early 90's days. More recently, And Then She Smiles was the theme tune to the Sky TC Series Stella, again alerting the masses to what a great little band these were.

It's enough that Cherry Red have reissued the album itself, it deserves that, but unlike a lot of reissues, there are tons of extra stuff and it's not throwaway. Turtle Soup's 11 original songs have been expanded to a massive double disc affair of 41 tracks.

Amongst these extras are the early EP's, singles and b sides and seven demos. Those early EPs are again essential listening. The whole package is a credit to the label. Turtle Soup has been out of print for so long, that just throwing it out would have garnered much interest. The fact that this has been so properly curated makes it well worth your pocket money.


You can buy the album here and everywhere.

I Don't Hear A Single Radio Show Episode 14

Catching up on loads of reviews and there are far more to come. In the meantime, it's the 14th I Don't Hear A Single Radio show is tomorrow.

Broadcast on KOR Radio at 8pm UK Time on Fridays, repeated at the same time on Saturdays. Due to increased popularity, a Monday Night Repeat has been added at 8pm and there are plans for some more US Friendly times.

You can listen to it here.

15 new tracks including a splendid Ricky Ross solo version of Raintown and two archive tracks that bookend the excitement.

Also, a reminder that the show is archived the following week on Mixcloud. You can listen to the first thirteen shows here.

Here's what you are going to hear this week.

01 Northern Uproar - Any Way You Look
02 Deer Tick - Don't Hurt
03 Arts And Leisure - California Goth Pop
04 Together Panagea - Kenmore Ave
05 Ricky Ross - Raintown
06 Joey Sykes - That's American Life
07 Francobollo - Wonderful
08 The Movielife - Ghosts In the Photographs
09 The Heartache State - Honey Slide
10 El Goodo - I Sit And Wonder
11 Psychotic Youth - The Voice Of Summer
12 Watchfires - We Will Always Forget
13 Bubblegum Orchestra - The Other Side Of Midnight
14 Paul Bertolino - Typical Girl
15 The Toms - No Visual Signs Of Love
16 Declan McKenna - The Kids Don't Wanna Come Home
17 The Colourfield - Castles In The Air (Extended Version)

Francobollo - Long Live Life

Francobollo's debut album has been a long time coming, but it's definitely been worth the wait. Although based in London, the band are predominantly Swedish and you know our thoughts about the Swedish Scene and it being so much more inventive than the UK for a number of years.

With most of the Scandanavian artists that are covered here, the emphasis is usually on Pop Hooks. Well Francobollo are very different. There are hints of everything and all of it is left field. There's a real Psych feel at times and on Kinky Lola, they are almost Beefheart.






There's also a real rustic feel, yet a song like Future Lover sounds like something off Drums And Wires. There are also times when early nineties indie springs to mind, but then they can get as noisy as The Jesus And Mary Chain.

It's the space that the band leave that appeals so much. You could compare them to a noisy Daryll-Ann.Radio sounds again like early XTC or more relevantly, Talking Heads.There's so much here to admire, but be warned Long Live Life needs repeated listening to fully appreciate what it does.






There's so much here for the listener, the album will appeal to left field Glam fans, early UK and US New Wave admirers, C86 and IRS lovers. The band also have a superb live reputation and are on tour in the UK next month, so it's a real chance to see them before they get massive.

I listen to a lot of stuff, probably too much, but my ears always prick up when I hear something that is great and more importantly, different. Long Live Life is that, you should buy it now. You can get the album on vinyl or CD here or buy it to download everywhere.

The Movielife - Cities In Search Of A Heart

It's great to have The Movielife back in our lives after their split in 2003. Vinnie Caruana has since led I Am The Avalanche, whilst Brandon Reilly has been in Nightmare Of You. Although there's more than enough variation present here, it's the more melodic tones of the latter band that shine through.

I've always considered The Movielife as good as if not better than Taking Back Sunday, yet all the plaudits went to TBS. The great news is that the Long Island outfit are in as good a form as ever and have added a real maturity to their sound.

While Laugh Ourselves To Death and Blood Moon point to their past, Ghosts In The Photographs is bordering on Power Pop and there's even a ballad with Pour Two Glasses. The closer, Hearts is a dark moody strum.

Cities In Search Of A Heart is at it's best when it tones down the noise and lets the melody get out, most prevalent on Mercy Is Asleep At The Wheel, which could almost be Green Day. There's been quite a few reformations lately, good, bad and ugly. The Movielife are in the good camp.

You can buy the album here and everywhere.