The Temponauts - The Summer Rain Archive

The Temponauts are from Italy and another example of a Listening To This Week Playlist submission leading to us going rooting further and what a cracking album The Summer Rain Archive is. The sort of album that Power Pop has been waiting all year for.

The revival of the genre has largely been due to a meatier sounding version, so it is wonderful to hear something more classic again. Plus, in Backstreets, Freckles, Afternoons they have one of the great Power Pop songs of the year.

But they don't stay in one place, they Jangle a hell of lot, sometimes gently, most times a little more upfront and there are hints of Psych Pop,  Paisley Pop and some great 60s sounding Guitar Pop. The whole album is a feel good affair.

The stand out is how addictive the riffs are, the songs are melodic, but this is a real Guitar album that just drills into your brain. The immersive Guitar Sound matches the choruses, but dominates proceedings throughout, never letting hold.

As a Psych Pop freak, Outer Dark makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. How We Lost The War is cracking Merseybeat and Sunday Eyes goes all Americana. The Girl Who Wasn't There is 100mph joy and Is It You? is Paisley heaven with a hint of UK New Wave.

It may be the Jangle that grabs you most, but the diversions work just as well. 12 songs, not one of them a duff, the album is superb Guitar Pop, played with expertise and depth. A totally splendid listen that demands your attention.

You can listen to and buy the album here. I'm hoping someone like Kool Kat will pick this up for a physical release.

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Motorcycle - Relive It

 

Dandyboy Records are never far from hitting the bullseye and they've certainly got the maximum 50 score with Sacramento Trio, Motorcycle. Most of the Trios that we cover are either Power Pop or Power Trio, these three are neither.

This is great boisterous Pop, Guitar Pop if it weren't for the great 80s sounding keyboard sound that enhances everything. The arrangements are exceptional, as catchy as catchy can be, a little New Wave at times, but the trio are never stuck in one place.

The shared male / female vocal also aids things considerably. Chris's vocal is a little more rock and direct, Kortnee's more Pop, a little Sarah Cracknell at times. The former adds killer riffs, the latter provides a killer rhythm section with Matt. 

Here But Not Here is not a million miles away from New Order, yet Don't Even Try goes all 90s Rock and Forget Who My Friends Are is very close to The Killers. Just For Me is classic Synth Rock and Spinning Out is so 80s and the title track, great Power Pop.

Friday The 13th is like Rachel Sweet leading a synth band and in these days of front loaded albums, it is really pleasing to report that the best listen is probably the 9th song. Get Caught is but around a stomp and it just hooks you. The keyword here is fun and Relive It is absolutely fun packed.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl and as a download.

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Listening To This Week Playlist 7 September

The maximum 30 songs this week. A really strong playlist, we've been inundated with submissions, so much so that a few have been carried over to next week. The usual mix of Guitar Pop with plenty of diversions into other genres. As always, a wonderful closer.

The song order is not about song preference, but how the playlist flows.  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 those who appear here. 

Chris Church - Surprise

Motorcycle - Get Caught

Hamlet - Borrowed Light

Herr Nilsson - October Surprise

The Creepy Jingles - Throw Me In Some Rice

The Temponauts - Made Of Nothing

Dropkick - it’s a Long Way To Fall Down

Knives In The Champion - Mind Dagger

Drawing Room - What I Want

Ne Pas de Machine - Jelly Legged

Willie Dowling - Rats In The Maze

Homework - Heroes Welcome

Radio Karma - Sweetheart Deal

The Rupert Selection - Riddance

The No Good Crowd - Dennis Wilson

The Gamma Rays - A Mystery

Eric Silverman - Trapped In Reverse (Raw Honey Version)

Dale John Max - Castles In The Sand

Sunday Mourners - Biograph

Federale - A Strange Vice

Creatures Of The Sun - Kaleidoscope

Caleb Hawley - Artificial Accent

The Carringtons - Noise

The Carringtons · NOISE

Dynamo Stairs - Polarized

Soda Gumball - Double Trouble

Ollie Ander White - Kiki

New Age New Wavers - Biggar Pengar

Kid Blank - In My Head

Quiz Show - Xono

Det Enda Havet - Alla Drommar Tror Pa Dig

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The Escape Society - The Escape Society

 

Hearing something great from Canada is no surprise here. The country has been one of the greatest contributors to reviews here and has a vibrant Guitar Pop scene that offers up great album again and again. Ottawa's The Escape Society are a little more Pop Rock, but just as great a listen.

Incredibly melodic, they flirt with AOR, but are just as ease with Modern Prog on the likes of Derelicts Of The Fungus Shed. On Sociopath, they are more Stadium Rock, a little hint of The Darkness and an altogether now Pomp Rock.

Useless Machine is an incredible song that featured on a recent Listening To This Week Playlist and still sounds as great. Yet compare that gentleness to the straight ahead AOR of Shut Up And Drive with its all encompassing chorus.

Tantamount To War is an epic closer that extends beyond 8 minutes. A little Vegas With Randolph like, it builds and builds with surprise synth Prog and organ runs that delight. Wonderfully arranged and totally engaging.

This is a wonderfully arranged and produced album, perhaps a little more commercial than we usually cover, but a wonderful listen. Great depth, its steps into Prog are accessible and beautifully put together. A cracking listen.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It certainly deserves a Physical Release.

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Helicopter Leaves - Sabrina Nickels

Anthony Vaccaro puts aside his Beach Bunny adventures to release his second album as Helicopter Leaves, an extraordinarily great solo project. It sounds less DIY than the debut, Get Stuck In and delves into areas that will certainly please our followers.

It is incredibly melodic, the chunky Guitar Pop being perfectly suited to Vaccaro's gentle vocal. There are hints of the likes of Dinosaur Jr. and even Teenage Fanclub and frequent ventures into Slacker Rock, but this is essentially a Guitar album.

Moments spring out surprisingly. I Should Have Been Listening is magnificent mixing genres such as Psych Pop and Fuzz Rock, but built on a laidback vocal surrounded by some great guitar. It desperately wants to be a Pop Song, but is a little complicated to be one.

Yet, Dreaming About Everyone But You is more of a rockathon with a killer chorus and an unexpected Psych Pop Guitar solo. What's One More Place is much more in your face. Feeling Nothing Is Worse is ace Power Pop and It Really Never Did is superb Slacker.

Dedicated to Sabrina Nickels, a childhood family friend, who formed Nickels musical tastes and encouraged his songwriting. The album is built on Riffs that drill into your brain, providing a great example of the joy of Guitar Pop.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl and as a download.

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Chris Church - Surprise EP

 

There's a lot to catch up on, so I'd better get cracking and what a way to start with Chris Church of whom I've been a long time fan. Chris let me hear the opener and title track a few months ago and I thought it was precursor for his next album, due next year. 

So I was surprised myself to see this 5 track EP released and it is everything that I wanted to hear. It is a return to the thing that got me into the man. Church has never stayed still and that is admirable, but this return to sort of the start is the most welcome thing this year.

It is guitartastic, loose and riff heavy, the Matthew Sweet vocal comparisons surface again and it as though Sweet is backed by Crazy Horse. There is a real Neil Young feel at times. It Rocks as much as you could ever want something to Rock.

As ever, a solo affair, although this time with Brian Beaver on Drums. Church plays the Guitar as though his life depends on it without ever losing sight of the song and the melody. I may be selfish, but this is how I want to hear Chris Church, it is what he is best at.

It is a Rock EP of the highest order. The riff on the frantic Yes, This Is The Blues is worth the admission alone and the chorus is more than a little early R.E.M. Alt Rock of the highest quality with a feel of Garage Rock Frenzy. Angrier than the man might normally be.

The closer, Absolutely Nothing, comes up for air, still Guitar led, but more of the storytelling that Church is noted for, restrained, but you get the intent. During my absence, I've managed to gather some stunning releases, but this may be the best of them. Chris Church is back and we should all be grateful.

You can listen to and buy the EP here. It is available on CD and as a download.

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Spygenius - rhizomania

Genres are for direction only, but where do you start with Canterbury's Spygenius? The quartet are seven albums in, a back catalogue to die for, but they are still hard to nail down. Many call them Power Pop, but there is much more depth than that. Others note, their ease with UK Beat, but again that is too simplistic.

I've always thought of them as Psych Pop, a genre that allows experimentation and lyrical adeptness, but doesn't forget the melody. There is again much more to the band than this, but Psych Pop with the emphasis on Pop does seem to be a good place to start.

What Spygenius are about though is community. They have built their reputation on this, celebrating others, sharing gigs and building their own place in the musical world. If there isn't a scene, start one, seems to be their ethic.

It is hard in this day and age to make an impact, bands want to get noticed, not for the money, there is none, but don't want a "like" and then forever forgotten. It is about bringing that scene to more listeners and the Spygenius scene stretches across the UK, Europe and the States.

So for the band's 8th album, a different approach has been taken to achieve this. They have started a new label with the Excellent Caper Clowns called Canute Records here. The Danish outfit are close friends and allies with the Danish band, who are more Pop associated with Pop Rock. 

Plus, what direction do you go in for your 8th album? A tricky question for a band well into their second decade. The answer is simple, rhizomania! keeps what they are known for and expands into other areas. The album is noticeable in embracing both Guitar Pop and experimental depth.

Watch Like No One's Watching is a great opener, Poptastic and that and Horizon Shine benefit from the joint vocals of Peter Watts and Bass Player, Ruth Rogers. The latter is fine Jangle Pop. Rogers takes up more of a lead vocal on Tre-biwt that meanders more and adds a big slab of Brass. She also is a half of the locked in rhythm section with Drummer, Alan Cannings.

Peter Watts remains an extra-ordinary songwriter, front man and Guitarist and the keyboards of Matt Byrne take the bands into special areas. Throughout, the album there is the lyrical with associated with the four.

The Mr Blue-Sky Thinking is incredibly jaunty with Banjo and Barrel Piano, the instrumental is in contrast to the biting lyrics. But Is It Powerpop is built on an addictive riff and a killer chorus and again gets across its message.

My Toxic Pal is hilarious and full on Music Hall. Cnut is top notch 60s Beat and in Beachcomber, Watts sings as though his life depends on it, superbly deep with an instrumental outro that thrills. All four sing, all four play and all four deserve your undivided attention.

rhizomania! is released on 3 October. The full review will be available on release.

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