Svenssen - Falling Out Of Fashion EP

 

Over to Byrne in Norway for the five piece that is Svennsen and they offer up a very 60s orientated fifth release. Beautifully done, dripping with melody and splendidly arranged. Catchiness is the word that sums it up.

Dutch Courage is top notch Jangle Pop, mixing 60s Merseybeat and the more modern Indie Guitar Pop variety.Yet We Are Animals enters my beloved Psych Pop with a cracking slab of Toytown fused Guitar ripping.

Hair Of The Dog becomes almost Piano Pop showing the mellower side of UK Beat, but then it launches into a real hippy trippy guitar ending that is wonderful. Falling Out Of Fashion sounds almost straight ahead compared to what surrounds it.

Of course it isn't. It contains some great harmonies and is a jaunty affair, again very 60s, almost Medway. The pace is quickened and it is a great opener. A fine song that doesn't reveal the twists that will follow. Falling Out Of A Fashion is a melodic tour de force!

You can listen to and buy the EP here.

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Fuzziliers - Would You Believe EP (Name Your Price)

 

Fuzziliers are a quartet from St Petersburg, now resident in Istanbul and this EP is an absolute revolution crossing genres at will. It successfully straddles influences from Psych Pop to Brit Pop via 70s Pop Rock, yet the band make these sounds their own.

For instance The Tea Song sounds somewhere between Cockney Rebel and Medicine Head, incredibly melodic with a catch all chorus. Would You Believe evokes memories of great 60s Psych Pop and UK Beat, yet is also near to the great Gravitas Guitar Pop of the 80s. 

The arrangements in both songs are jam-packed and reveal a band that knows what they are about musically, but also have a great record collection. Irene is all jollity instrumentally, a little Marmalade, a little Jigsaw with added wonderful fuzzed up guitar. It is a crackerjack of a song.

Don't See Me sounds more modern, a song that would grace Brit Pop, wonderfully put together as all four songs are. Would You Believe is such an engaging listen, the only regret is that there is not more. Hopefully, we will get an album and I'd jump at the chance to listen. The EP is available at Name Your Price, so what have you got to lose? Satisfaction is guaranteed.

You can listen to and buy the EP here. 

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Mopar Stars - Shoot The Moon EP

 

Add To Want List is one of my regular visits and possibly show how my group of peers has changed over the years. What was once was largely Power Pop related has changed to something wider and these sites have a much more open attitude to new music of all types.

It is from there that I was turned on to the Philadelphia Trio, Mopar Stars and this EP is right up my street. It is very Indie 90's post Grunge in feel. It certainly has that scuzzy sound with its underproduced sort of cellar production and say what you want to say and get off vibe.

But there are also elements of 70s UK New Wave and Power Pop with great hooks and fuzz that make the songs memorable. It gives the appearance of being tossed off, but repeated listens reveal more and more and it is incredibly melodic. 

Waiting For The Man is great sped up Slacker Rock whilst Straight Piped Dodge comes across like a more interesting, much less bland Feeder. Five Grand is anthem, yet still adds touches of Glam Rock and even includes a riff that could be 80s Rush.

Finally, Cold And Loud may be the best of the four, all attitude, it could be UK New Wave if it was slowed down. The whole thing is obviously American, but it is also very UK if that makes sense. I can't wait to hear more from the trio.

You can listen to and buy the EP here.

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Jonesy - Doppelgangbangers EP

 

I'm a big fan of the Montreal quartet Jonesy. They mix UK Glam Rock with the looseness of The Faces and create mini anthems that demand you sing along with. This is a little different to the debut album which added bigger elements of New Wave and Punk Lite.

There is definitely a real 70s vibe, splendidly so. The opener, (I Don't Do) Blondes (No More) is joyous and adds piano that is very Ian McLagan. Gudbuy is pure 1974 UK Glam Rock down to the stomps and revives a time when music was about Singles and Fun.

(If It's Not Rock & Roll) Go To Hell is rockier with some blazing Guitar, but still manages to retain the stomp, although it is a little heavier. The wit is also present with a Smoke In The Water line followed by that particular riff. 

Furry White Fury completes the EP adding all the trademarks in one song. With its Glitter Band feel, particularly in the chorus and the sleazy lyrics. It reminds me a lot of Ulysses and I can give it no greater compliment.

The production is deliberately of the period as is the suggestiveness in the song titles. Jones couldn't be accused of being Right On, but it does take me back to a time when music was about the joy of the song, not the lyrics and this is a splendid listen. Buy the debut album while you are at it.

You can listen to and buy the EP here.

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Welcome To 2024

 
Happy New Year To You All. We are back in the room after a really busy 2023. Halfway through our eighth year and averaging a post a day, I am still amazed at how this place grows and grows.

We had planned to start getting down to compiling the Best 100 Albums of 2023, but I've spent most of the day listening to recent albums and the quality has been splendid, so the plan is to spend the next week or so getting the best of those reviewed before turning to the Best Of Year.

The biggest surprise has been the success of Listening To This Week, something we were concerned about starting as we didn't want to take the emphasis away from Album Reviews. We expected submissions for LTTW to go much quieter through the holiday period, but the last couple of days have seen submissions flowing in.

We did a test this week with there being two posts, one with solely Spotify links. As expected, the Spotify Link post has been over three times quieter than the traditional post, which is heartwarming. Moving forward, a Spotify embed will only be posted if either no other link is available or the artist specifically requests it. Remember that we do not have a Spotify account and don't intend to start one.

Finally, the success of Listening To This Week and the time it involves getting it together means that the IDHAS 10 Song Mix is currently on hold. It will return with Specials occasionally, but we can't divert any more time away from Album Reviews and having two singles related posts can take the attention further away from what we are known for.

I am still gladdened by the fact that a site that concentrates on New Music gets the attention it does and long may it continue.

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Listening To This Week Playlist

18 songs this week, as you might expect a much quieter submission week. With less songs, we thought we would do something a little different. We constantly asked about posting Spotify embeds. We aren't on Spotify and to be honest see little benefit for the new Indie artist, particularly with recent changes.

We usually only add a Spotify link if no other is available. So we thought lets see what reaction artists get from doing two versions of LTTW, one with the normal links and one with Spotify links. Two versions will not be a regular thing, this is just a test.

At best we would include a Spotify link if requested to do so. As usual, there is no song preference in track order, just what we think flows.  I do hope that you can listen to all the songs across this week. The last listed is as great as the first and you have all week to listen.

This weekly playlist is solely for submissions, not the usual stuff that we dig out ourselves. All embeds open in new windows to aid scrolling. Links to the artists will also appear on I Don't Hear A Single Social Media sites over the next 24 hours. This will help you to discover more about the artists who appear here.

Equipment - LO/FO

Shplang - Understood

Vinyl Floor - Anything You Want

dogtired - Hudson Street

Poppy Robbie - Neighborhood Beautification Commission

The Friends - Make Believe

LKFFCT - N.J. Rain

Sprinter - Petty Pistol

Repeat - You Would Know

Bobby Wallisch Jr. - Panta Rhea

The Rainman Suite - Save Your Prayers

Mindwipes - Originally

Fake Jr. - Luv Amnesia

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Front Porch Beatnik - The Boy On Tumbleweed Road

One Last Job - Safe Mode

Living In Frames - Better

Straight Pepper Diet - I-I∆rd T0 Und3r$t∆nd

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Listening To This Week Playlist (With Spotify Links)

18 songs this week, as you might expect a much quieter submission week. With less songs, we thought we would do something a little different. We constantly asked about posting Spotify embeds. We aren't on Spotify and to be honest see little benefit for the new Indie artist, particularly with recent changes.

We usually only add a Spotify link if no other is available. So we thought lets see what reaction artists get from doing two versions of LTTW, one with the normal links and one with Spotify links. Two versions will not be a regular thing, this is just a test.

At best we would include a Spotify link if requested to do so. As usual, there is no song preference in track order, just what we think flows.  I do hope that you can listen to all the songs across this week. The last listed is as great as the first and you have all week to listen.

This weekly playlist is solely for submissions, not the usual stuff that we dig out ourselves. All embeds open in new windows to aid scrolling. Links to the artists will also appear on I Don't Hear A Single Social Media sites over the next 24 hours. This will help you to discover more about the artists who appear here.

Equipment - LO/FO

Shplang - Understood

Vinyl Floor - Anything You Want

dogtired - Hudson Street

Poppy Robbie - Neighborhood Beautification Commission

The Friends - Make Believe

LKFFCT - N.J. Rain

Sprinter - Petty Pistol

Repeat - You Would Know

Bobby Wallisch Jr. - Panta Rhea

The Rainman Suite - Save Your Prayers

Mindwipes - Originally

Fake Jr. - Luv Amnesia

Front Porch Beatnik - The Boy On Tumbleweed Road

One Last Job - Safe Mode

Living In Frames - Better

Straight Pepper Diet - I-I∆rd T0 Und3r$t∆nd

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