We end January in far more familiar territory. The release of this album, 16 years after their last, It's A Good Life, marked a welcome return for the Canadian Pop Rockers. Add to that delight with the addition of Kevin Kane to the three founding members. IDHAS have been long time fans of The Grapes Of Wrath,
Kane is not only restoring the second guitar to the band, he's all over the album, The Pop sensibilities that The Northern Pikes have always been noted for are present and correct, but Kane seems to have added an edge that enhances everything.
The title track has a wonderful mix of Goth and Psych Pop, a crackerjack of a song. Mr Unhappy is a strum along a charming Summer Of Love feel with the guitars bursting to get out. Draw From The Deck could be Glasgow 1989, wonderfully so.
Elephant Who Lives Here has a 70's Fleetwood Mac feel, it's a fine gentle soothing affair. Juliana could be Al Stewart, Folk Rock with a big chorus. King In His Castle has everything, mixing a down and dirty verse with a Petty-esque chorus.
Although the Psych feel of King In His Castle is top notch, the stand out song here is one of much more simplicity. Canada Boy is a classic slab Of Power Pop, as good as anything you will hear anywhere. It's all hooks and nets.
It's really welcome to have The Northern Pikes. Forest Of Love provides even more joy in revealing that they are not a heritage band. Forest Of Love is a splendid album that stands up with anything around at present. Well done you four!
You can buy and listen to the album everywhere. You can find out more about the band and buy physical product here. See you in February!
I am not going to preach again about Punk being labelled and so the bands can't play. Both Zach Quinn and Brian Wahlstrom have made their names in Hardcore Punk, the former in Pears and the latter markedly in Scorpio. The pair are joined by Paul Rucker from Armchair Martians and Chris Fogal of The Gamits.
Bandaid Brigade are not Punk, nowhere near it. This is great Pop Rock, bordering AOR and at times Modern Prog. The San Diego quartet have fashioned up an incredibly Commercial album that pushes all the right buttons at the right time.
We have a community joke that most ex Record Company people have an Arista 1975 attitude. They still act like it's 1975 and expect masses to flock to their independent releases as if music like the wheel had been reinvented. Well, Bandaid Brigade feel more 1985 and that's a compliment.
That's not to say that there isn't a versatility about them, because there is and some. The Soft Rock of Holding Steady (Sax and all) is very different to the Footloose like, Break The Grid. Attila has the feel of an AOR version of The Motors whilst Nothing Matters is pure 70s Soft Rock.
Nothing goes all Tom Waits, yet Stay Busy is pure Lounge Funk. Travel Light is all Love Boat Tropicana. The band are at their best though when the Pop breaks out. Everything is a wonderful slice of UK New Wave Pop and the stand out song is Treat Me Like A Christmas Tree.
That song perfectly blends the catch all of Modern Prog with a big AOR Chorus, there's even a blistering guitar Solo to close it out. Who would have thought these four would record something so catchy. I'm glad they are and I hope to here more in the future. I'm Separate is Top Notch.
We reach Number 90 in the world of Audio Extravaganzas. 21 splendid songs to show those that say there is no great new music around how wrong they are. They can sit there with Raspberries blaring out (again), learning nothing.
A reminder that these episodes are compiled with great care. The aim is to produce a sort of mix tape. Hopefully this will be the soundtrack to your day. I've also learned that if you use the mixcloud player at the bottom of this page, each song title is shown as it plays.
Thanks as always to Jim Moody for his technical excellence. You can listen to the previous IDHAS Audio Extravaganzas on Mixcloud here.
Here's Volume 90's playlist.
01 City Maze - I'm The One
02 Local Drags - Pins
03 The Industry - Limbo
04 Gal Gun - Beauty Community
05 Nada Surf - Live Learn And Forget
06 Willie Wisely - Cut Your Groove
07 Jeff Whalen - Ground Game For Worm
08 Creem Circus - Automatic Style
09 Pea Green Boat - Cook Robotic Chef
10 Beach Slang - Let It Ride
11 Kiwi Jr - Leslie
12 Ex Norwegian - Buffalo Billycan
13 Alexandra Savior - Saving Grace
14 Michael Shuler - Nevergirl
15 Clive Gregson - April Turnaround
16 Basic Plumbing - As You Disappear
17 Neutral Snap - Bed Sweats
18 Rob Martinez - Seems Like Only Yesterday
19 Surface To Air Missive - Easy Way
20 Øyvind Holm - After The Bees
21 The Society Of Rockets - Witch Trials Revisited
Remember when Indie meant something? It wasn't a category to lump everything in that didn't fit elsewhere. Is It Pop? No! Is It Rock? No! Oh It's Indie then. It was largely a scene for inventive bands, which you either loved or hated, that the majors would go nowhere near.
Indie may not have credibility any more, but moaning that there aren't any great new bands around now, says more about you. There patently are some incredibly talented left field groups in circulation. You just have to look rather than be spoon fed or wait for another misguided If You Like This.
Canadians, Kiwi Jr are one such band. They come across as a sort of Modern Lovers for the next generation, but there is far more to them than that. Much more. There's a lyrical with and depth that compares to stalwarts like The Sugarplastic, even XTC.
Kiwi Jr. are quirky and come at songs from unusual angles, but they are not as Lo Fi as people would have you believe. The sparser arrangements complement the songs perfectly. There's also plenty of Wit on offer and a fair bit of Jangle.
It may be that the underlying vibe is Power Pop, although they are probably too cool admit that. There's a great deal of fun on display, although very much like, say, The Housemartins, this is hidden in the subject matter which is more about the banal.
All ten of these songs stand up in their own right. Whether they have big choruses or are all over the place, matters not one jot. Lyrically brilliant, highly observational with some killer stand alone lines. Football Money is a fantastic listen and it's all done in 28 minutes, so you can play it twice in an hour.
Los Angeles's Willie Wisely has released his eighth studio album, his first since 2012 and the Singer Songwriter has lost none of his chops. Face The Sun confirms his versatility. Wisely divides his time between Laurel Canyon and Nashville and those two locations offer some influence to his music.
Fall Inside Your Eyes reveals this most with the mix of West Coast and Country. It is a fine cover of the Jackie Lomax song. The overall vibe is a mellow one, although it should be noted that the album takes on a new life when he lets go as the Pop sensibilities really come to the fore.
Sutures Loose bounces along like a cross between Christie and The Tremeloes. It's a splendid song, beaten only by the magnificent, Cut Your Groove which is great 60's Pop with unusual twists like the keyboard break which is joyous.
Illumination is a special slice of Psych Pop with a fine vocal reminiscent of Nick Heyward. No Surprises is beautifully laid back with it's country tinge via some ace Pedal Steel. The title track that closes the album has a dream like quality and another fine vocal.
At times here, I'm reminded of Stephen Bishop. The variety is commendable and largely works, although the lounge funk of It's Better Not To Care is a bit hard work. Overall, some great songs are recorded beautifully and I could listen to Wisely's voice endlessly. Face The Sun is a fine listen.
I'm often asked where I got my love of music from. Fortunately, I had Parents who influenced me as I know many more had to put up with James Last and Mantovani. I was raised on Buddy Holly and The Beatles, with a liberal dose of Hank Williams.
But most influences come when you started to buy music under your own steam. With 70's kids, particularly boys, everyone bought singles and I was incredibly lucky to have Glam Rock to start with as a nine year old.
My collecting got more serious when I started to buy albums and Glam Rock was never really about albums. But that two year period between 1972 and 1974 was such fun. Bands dressed up, were outrageous in a cartoon way and of course it was your music, Parents hated it.
Few bands have mastered evoking those times without looking like a bad parody. The Darkness, although they nodded to the Big Hair Rock of the 80's. Ulysses, certainly at times, although there is far more to them that. Now you can add Creem Circus and they are star spangled Glam or Glitter if you live in the States, which they do.
Creem Circus are the brainchild of Chris DiPinto, owner of DiPinto Guitars in Fishtown, Philadelphia. Away from the day job of building Guitars, the album was fashioned in the shop basement. The quartet which consists of DiPinto, Ben Brower, Gloria Goodrich and Rock Bottom Rob offer up a glorious glamtastic affair, hand claps and all.
The thing about most of the original Glam Rock bands is that the playing wasn't so adept, certainly not as adept as these four and this technical ability enhances the enjoyment. This isn't throwaway stuff or satire, this is top quality listening.
There is an underlying tongue in cheek wit that gets right under the skin of the period. Yes it is all fun, but the songs stand up really well in their own right, plus you can spot the influences. The Drum sound, those hand claps, the call and respond and those fantastic twin guitars.
La Machine is like one of those rockier Sweet B Sides, Rock And Roll Party is Marc Bolan backed by The Glitter Band. Pretty Rebel is a chirpy Lou Reed Transformer era, Come On Laddie could be Suzi Quatro if it were not for the Male Vocal.
Allegehny Bvm could be The Steve Gibbons Band with a Chinn And Chapman chorus. Automatic Style is T Rex until some splendid Blistering Guitar at the end. Those Shoes starts like Mud, again definitely Chinn Chapman.
As well as attempting a Tyrannosaurus Rex length album title, Creem Circus have nailed the peiod without ever sounding derivative. The album is a reminder of a time when people bought music when it didn't matter what was going on in the world, because you had your music. Sadly now, music doesn't sell, it is largely given away and the songs reflect the outside world.
This is a magnificent departure from the norm, providing the benefits that music should have. It should be enjoyable. It should be sing a long. It should be fun. Creem Circus caught me by surprise and I'm grateful that they did. Everything seems fine now, so well done you four. This is a revelation and an essential purchase.
You can listen to and buy the album everywhere. It is also available on CD or Vinyl from the likes of Amazon and more importantly, great independent record shops.
San Francisco's The Society Of Rockets have always felt like a well kept secret. Seven albums in and the band have evolved. Initially known for some fine Psych Rock, their last album, Family Ways, marked a move into a more laid back sound.
Family Ways was a much more laid back affair, excellent in its way, but a bit hard to quantify with what had gone before. The playing was as great as ever, as were the hooks, but the Country Rock was definitely a new path.
Unearthed follows on from that album, but takes the material on a pace. There's also reminders to the past. Failure Industry is a crackerjack of a song, venomous yet incredibly melodic with a killer riff and unexpected noises, it is a joyous affair.
Don't be afraid of the Country Rock reference either. There are no Cowboy Hats here, indeed I'm more reminded of a band like Del Amitri. Calico is the nearest to straight ahead and Open Season is moody Americana, but both work beautifully. This is largely due to the quality of the songwriting and playing.
The World Is Wrong is in CSNY territory, but again more modern, think Brent Rademaker. Bummertown is another example of the band stretching out, with it's killer guitar ramping up the noise quota.
Error Era ends the album wonderfully with a gentle moody affair that borders more on the Indie earnestness of younger pretenders and it threatens to explore at the end. Unearthed is a fine album. Forget what has gone before, treat the album on its own merit, because this is a fine listen.
It has been a while since we had an Extended Play feature, so here are 5 EP's for you to cut out and keep. Gothenburg's City Maze offer up a four track Pop Rock EP of the highest order. There mainly be four songs, but all show enough variety to convince that this lot are no one trick pony.
Whereas I'm The One is Classic 80's New Wave Power Pop, Heavy Art is even more commercial, a sort of The Motors do AOR. Poison Girl is more of a fist pumper, very 80's, let's say The Alarm hitting a Final Countdown vibe.
Honestly has a real UK New Wave Beat Pop feel on the verses. The whole EP is impressive, almost like a Showcase that reveals what City Maze can do and that's a fair bit. Well worth your attention as great Pop Rock isn't easy to find at the moment.
The EP is around all the streaming sites. I will update links to buy as soon as I have them.
Out Of My Hair - The Return
One of the absolute delights of last year was the return of Comfort and Out Of My Hair. You can read Mick's outstanding interview with Simon here. This return is rounded off by the appearance of new material and there is no resting on past glories in sight.
All three songs provide the expected gentle soundscape at which Out Of My Hair excel at. Two Stones opens up a realm of Prog Folk, all Scarborough Fair with Flute. Telepathy Planes is the nearest you'll get to a Rock Out solely for the breakout electric guitar in the middle.
The stand out here is In The Morning, a pastoral acoustic led gem of a song. The vocal is a bit Gilbert O'Sullivan but the sound and vibe is wondeful providing chill out for the pop generation. The EP is magnificent, it's great to have Comfort around again and he promises much more to come.
I covered Local Drags' Shit's Lookin' Up here and The Boys Are Still In Town maintains, maybe even exceeds the quality of that release. What appeared to be a temporary offshoot, looks a more permanent affair and that's very welcome.
I mentioned Cheap Trick last time round and there's certainly that feel again, certainly hook wise. Girls In denim Jackets is a joyous romp whilst Fast Rewind is a bit like The Ramones doing The Damned. Pins is a real riffathon.
Pins reminds me a lot of the current Power Pop sensations, The Speedways and Big Apple 3.A.M. is so Replacements that it could be them. All four songs here are spot on. Hopefully, Local Drags are here to stay because they are great at what they do.
Singing Lungs are from Grand Rapids, Michigan and provide a much noisier alternative to the other four selections reviewed here. Mutter feels very 90's Indie College Rock when bands cemented their reputations on live performances.
This is up and at 'em stuff, splendidly so, from the anthem that is The Kids I used To Know to the early R.E.M. like Leave The Lights On. Even something that starts more mellow like Demo Tape, breaks out into something louder. It has to be said wonderfully so.
Time Well Spent is close to Garage Punk, something that would feel at home on the Rumbar Records label. All five songs are dandy, the best is probably I Don't Remember Much which has an Irish New Wave feel, almost Pogues like without the twiddly bits. This is excellent.
Illinois's Cal Gun return with a welcome EP. The feel is very Weezer. That's Weezer before they wanted to be a Boy Band. This is never more so on the wonderful Pop Rock of Beauty Community, which is enhanced by a killer riff and a great guitar solo.
Happy Just To Dance With You is very 60's, almost Merseybeat. Merseybeat is thankfully less in abundance lately, because a lot of it is Karaoke, this song however shows that when it's done well, the toe tapping count is high and this is done really well.
Pizza Community is an alternate take on Beauty Community. But if you think that you don't get much bang for your bucks, worry ye not, because there is potentially no cost with this EP at Name Your Price on Bandcamp. I look forward to hearing far more from Cal Gun.
