Alice And The Lovers - Boneyard

Alice Offley's Alice And The Lovers have made great appearances at Liverpool's IPO and fit in well with the surrounding Power Poppers. This is despite, the trio, veering more towards Indie Rock tinged with Blues Rock. Imagine a more interesting and chance taking Sheryl Crow.As well as being a great Bass Player, her Solo performances are on Piano when the depth of her songs are revealed even more.

The new single is a corker, released for Halloween. Boneyard is produced by fellow Swindon acolyte and IDHAS hero, Andy Partridge. Not only that, but it's mixed by Mike Chapman. It's a humdinger of a song, a bit Dusty Springfield leading a Power Trio. Highly Recommended.

You can buy the single here and find out more about Alice here.

The Nature Strip - Beetle Bones

I covered The Nature Strip's Presents album in March here and so I'm delighted to tell you that the band's third full length album is with us. The Sydney based outfit have built on their excellent past, but reached out further with this splendid affair.

The songwriting has previously been handled by John Encarnacao, this time round it's split 50 / 50 with Pete Marley. So all the New Wave influences are still there, but they've been broadened to include departures into Funk, Blues Rock and even Synth Pop.






Fear not though, these departures are all still held together by Encarnacao's vocals. Even something heavier like Hildegard unt Winifred could still be The Sugarplastic if it were not for the Guitar riffs and solo.

There's also great detail in the album, experimentation and depth. The Brass on Eye Section is another interesting departure, an almost Andy Partridge type intrusion. The XTC comparisons continue and so it will be no surprise that John Encarnacao and Drummer Jess Ciampa are part of probably the best XTC Tribute band, Scarecrow People.







Great Big Wave is a corking slice of Psych Pop, Save The Hive could easily be an outtake from XTC's Mummer and the Stripped Down I Wanna Do The Right Thing is great New Wave. Miss You More could be on a mid 70's Jigsaw album. The centrepiece is probably Waterfall, far more laid back, very Jefferson Airplane, with a sublime organ solo.

There's more than enough here to keep previous followers happy, but there is also a departure to drag more in. These departures enhance what you hear rather than deflect. Beetle Bones is professionally recorded and arranged in a way that continues the band's journey forward without deflecting from what they are good at.







This is a great album and deserves your attention. You can listen to and buy the album here.

Chris Church - Limitations Of Source Tape

John Borack rightly recently compared Chris Church to Matthew Sweet. The difference this year is that Limitations Of Source Tape is better than Sweet's recent Together Forever. That's not decrying the Matthew Sweet album, it was fine, just a little too much of the same, this album is far more enjoyable.

The album is a varied selection underlining why he's so highly rated in the Power Pop World. The CD Release show featured guest appearances from Lannie Flowers, Bill Lloyd and The Pengwins which shows what exalted company he is in.

The beauty of Chris Church is that there is an energy that flows through his songs. Whether they are slowed down or move apace, there's never a disappointment. Fall Into Me and Something Completely bear classic Matthew Sweet comparisons but the trippy Psych Pop of Ostinato has hints of Michael Stipe.

Understudy Blues is also reminiscent of those IRS Glory Days, I Can Feel is wonderfully moody, Perfecto could be The Jayhawks. Saving the best until last, Better The Devil You Know is a crackerjack of a song, a little Del Amitri, it's an absolute smasher.

Limitations Of Source Tape is a really beautifully crafted affair, unexpected chord changes, songs that break out, songs that slow down, a great listen. There's been some fine albums this year, this is another. If not the best album thus far, then certainly one of them.

You can listen to sound samples and then buy the album on Amazon here or Kool Kat have the physical version here. It should at the very least be on your Christmas list.

The Saints Of Second Chances - For Everyone

The Saints Of Second Chances are a five piece hailing from Austin Texas. They've fashioned up a crackerjack of an album that mixes everything from Classic Rock to Power Pop to American Glam Metal.

Steve Weisburd's vocals lend their self more to those harder moments, but Too Soon To Tell is such fine Classic Rock song, all chorus and rock riffs, that the album is worth the admission for this alone. You may have heard it on last week's radio show.

Bitter End could be The Cult, Running Away is almost melodic metal with an Alex Lifeson like Moving Pictures chime. Move Along is Glam Metal. Long Way Home starts with a Tie Your Mother Down riff and almost becomes Slade.

Room For Everyone is classic Pop Rock, all Pilot or Jigsaw like, even classic Sweet with the high pitched voices. Gone reminds me a lot of Mr Big, the UK ones, not the big haired Yanks. The two You Tube examples here show that the band can do great Pop Rock. Turn Around is a cross between Liverpool Express And The Motors. Running Away is built around a killer riff.

The Saints Of Second Chances cover all the bases and there's a lot of music in these 14 songs. Probably best when they rock, they are a great addition to the IDHAS archives. You can but the album at CD Baby here and at other establishments.

Pink Beam - 2017 Singles EP

I get a fair few submissions and I listen to them all. There's a sadness when something doesn't push your buttons. I hope I never lose sight of music being so precious to those who make it and realise that I am not the arbiter of taste.

Having said that, there is nothing more satisfying than a band submitting something that pricks up your ears and makes you query why you haven't heard of them earlier. There's something special about a band that makes you think I must get this on the radio show, people have to hear this.







Double that specialness when you find that your good friend Wayne Lundqvist Ford is putting that same song on his radio show as the second track on his upcoming show. In less motivated moments, I feel sometimes that Wayne and I are single handedly trying to keep Power Pop and Pop Rock relevant in Europe.

We vary off in different directions, but always meet in the middle and what I do with the Radio Show was inspired by Wayne. I always start the I Don't Hear a Single off with an archive song, so I always look at the second song as the crucial one, the one that makes the statement.







Write Me A Letter is just that, it has everything that you want in a Power Pop song, hooks galore. something you sing along to after three listens and just can't get out of your head. I wake up humming the tune.

I only ever associated Rockford with my beloved Cheap Trick, now I can Pink Beam add because this three song EP is the bees knees.  It's really varied. Did You Ever Really Think You'd Fall In Love is a spiralling song. Starts like Joe Jackson and ends with a lead guitar anthem reminding you of the better days of Brit Pop.







Boys On The Side is like a popped up Del Amitri. This EP promises so much, I can't wait to hear future stuff from this four piece, this is a mighty effort. I'm going to change the format of the end of year award as I've only ever gone for the album of the year. There's been so much great stuff this year and Pink Beam will be amongst the deserving.


You can buy and listen to the EP here.

I Don't Hear A Single Radio Show Episode 19

The I Don't Hear A Single Radio show reaches the Number 19 tomorrow.

This may be the best episode yet, he says in using all his marketing savvy. It is a cracker though and to continue the shameless linking, there's a Halloween reference or two. Be thankful I am not displaying my Christmas wares.

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.

You can listen to it here.

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

Here is this week's playlist :

01 Dodgy - Making The Most Of
02 Pink Beam - Wrote Me A Letter
03 Partner - Everybody Knows
04 The Connection - (It's A) Monsters' Holiday
05 Alice And The Lovers - Boneyard
06 Catholic Action - New Year
07 The Pengwins - Go Away
08 The Saints Of Second Chances - Too Soon To Tell
09 Chris Church - Better The Devil You Know
10 The Len Price 3 - Start Stop Lilly
11 The Dollyrots - I Do
12 Cotton Mather - 40 Watt Solution
13 Chris Lund - Remember The Daze
14 Sparkle Jets UK - She May Be Nice
15 Gift Horse - Down In The Valley
16 Johnny Chastain - Now Here Nowhere
17 The Incredible Vickers Brothers - Mirrors
18 Dave Kerzner - State of Innocence

Groovy Uncle - A Clip Round The Ear

The Medway collective led by Chatham's Glenn Prangnell return for Album Number Six and it's their best yet. This is Psych Pop at it's very best, more on the Pop side, say more the first incarnation of The Move than Pink Floyd. Having said that, Oil And Colour Man would fit comfortably on Relics.

Cardiff's Suzi Chunk is again present and this allows the album to be divided into two. When Suzi moves to the Mic Stand, it's more for Burt Bacharach type kitchen sink dramas and these work equally as well as the great Pop that surrounds it. An exception to this is Got Up And Gone which could be Jacqui Abbott in it's delivery and pace. It also has a great Pearl And Dean type ending.





The duet on Things I've Been Meaning To Say is wonderful, part Peter Paul And Mary, almost The Seekers. Above My Station is a charming little ditty with it's early Lennon like vocal. It's the Psych Pop that appeals most to me, but that's probably because it's been such a while since I've heard it done so well.

Mrs Saywell Says and Our Gary's No Fool are splendid affairs that you can imagine being in a technicolor film starring Michael Bates. The aforementioned Oil And Colour Man is a revelation of song.

The whole album takes you back to a more innocent age. Little Essays about a world before everyone knew everything. Not only is it charming, but it's also beautifully arranged. The vocals from Prangnell and Chunk are spot on. Both deserve a wider audience.

You can buy the album on vinyl from the band's website here. Ray at the excellent Kool-Kat has the release on CD here. A Clip Round The Ear is also available for download at the likes of Amazon here. The album and the band's back catalogue is also available on iTunes.