Joe Giddings - Stories With Guitars

 

I've been with Joe Giddings from the very beginning. I was introduced to the Star Collector debut album, Songs For The Whole Family, just after its 1999 release. It was beloved in Bucketful Of Brains circles. Just one album from them and then Giddings resurfaced on Not Lame (who else?) in 2002 with The JTG Implosion's All The People Some Of The Time.

Both are still played regularly at IDHAS Towers. I also gathered the 4 volumes of the self released download only All Themes Considered between 2012 - 2014. IDHAS started in 2016 after the release of his solo album, Better From Here, earlier in the year.

Joe Giddings made his debut here with the Kool Kat Reissue of Better From Here in 2020. You can read that review here. Keith Klingensmith's Futureman Records label has also done a fine job of keeping all things Giddings alive download wise.

So to 2025 and the excellent Stories With Guitars. All the trademark Giddings strengths are here and more. Often slotted into Power Pop, a genre that doesn't naturally fit as it doesn't with the likes of Cheap Trick, who Rock far more. Giddings strength as a Guitarist allows meatier fayre as well as an ability tread into AOR at times.

Buth there are traits of Jellyfishe her, particularly on You Are The Star and Song At The End Of The World. He also gets instrumentally into the territory of The Darkness on both My Riviera and Adrenalin. But vocal wise, there is ease with fast and slow and there is a real strength in the vocal harmonies.

Songs are written as stories at times and the strength of those vocal harmonies and the instrumentals overshadow how lyrically adept the man is. These 11 songs may be melodic overload, but they are never heads down.

Then there is David Stepanski, as good a Jangle Pop song that you will hear all year. The stand out for me is Pandora's Brand New Box, a Glam Rock gem, a genre that Giddings has also excelled at, that turns into a surprise jaunty Pop Rock sing along. Stories With Guitars is essential listening.

You can listen to and buy the album here. The CD is available on the Kool Kat label here.

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Various - Pop Aid 2

 

We don't normally cover compilations. There is no antipathy towards them in any way, some are really good. Others great and this double CD falls into the great. Our reasons are that with limited space, you can't acknowledge everyone and always feel guilty for those that you leave out. 

We also traditionally embed three songs and so that makes the rest seem less important, when you review a one artist album, that applies less so. But Pop Aid 2 is so much like an advert for what I Don't Hear A Single. We have reviewed and / or played so many of the artists present.

If you want an introduction to Pop Rock and Power Pop etc (and I see many who ask), there is no finer place to start than here. Kool Kat and Thrift Star Halo's Frank Gradishar have gathered together a splendid line up in support of those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

All 23 songs could make up an I Don't Hear A Single Playlist and cover around 80% of what we do genre wise. All the pre-requisites of Melodic Guitar Pop are present from Jangle Pop to Psych Pop, Power Pop to the crunchierangles. Big Riffs and big Choruses are everywhere.

So my 3 choices to embed could have taken on many paths, different styles, fast and slow, but I decided be a bit selfish and concentrate on three artists that have a long association with us. Psych Pop as my favourite genre ever is obviously well represented.

This relies on you to listen to the rest and discover the joy of what Pop Rock brings. Then, hopefully, you will do the right thing and but the CD or download to aid the victims and bag yourself a collection that can be listened to over and over, particularly with Summer here, a season that ideally suits this type of material.

You can listen to and buy the download here. You can by the CD from Kool Kat here.

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Dominic Lavoie - Round Trip

 

I like to think thatI know everything about the genres I cover, I obviously don't and this more than underlined when you listen to an album as wonderful as this. Even more surprising when you discover that this is Lavoie's 7th (count 'em) album.

Portland Maine's Dominic Lavoie is joined by Full On Voltron to offer up one of the great Pop Rock albums of recent times. Beautifully arranged and performed, it sounds so modern and yet equally Retro. Lavoie's dulcet tones dominate the album, but is the arrangements that make the album so great.

From the funk driven opener, 1.21 Charliewatts to the anthemic closer Norumbega, not a minute is wasted, Round Trip is absolute Gold dust. Built on Vocal Harmonies and riffs with massive choruses, it is an album that benefits from raiding the instrument cupboard.

You'll hear Farfisa, Sax, Clavinet and Brass are all present, yet none interfere with the sheer catchiness of song after song. Lavoie is not afraid to include a blistering Guitar solo. Sunkist Bliss 90s Superhaze is an example of this, a song that is in tune with the new breed of Guitar Pop.

Yet at other times, songs are like a bigger sounding Ben Folds or Andrew Gold. There are hints of Glam Rock and Americana.  Instrumentally, Karmic Rodeo sounds like The E Street Band on The River, all mouth organ, keyboard runs and twanging Guitar. 

Martin The Martian, the latest single is flawless jaunty Jangle Pop with a hint of New Wave. But, this is an album to be listened to from start to finish. Maybe the sound of the summer, it certainly is a feel good affair and a joy to listen to. A corking repeat listening singalong album.

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

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M Ross Perkins - What's The Matter, M Ross?

 

After the slightly embarassing self congratulatory 2 million celebrations, it is back to catching up on the backlog of album reviews that we want you to hear about. Who better to start the avalanche than the wonderful M Ross Perkins.

Perkins has the knack of hiding lyrically dept self confessions into great Pop songs. This is his third outing and he is calmly asserting one of the great Pop Singer Songwriters around. Very 60s in vine and Jngling wherever possible.

His last album, E Pluribus M Ross was and still is sensational. It hit our Best 100 albums of 2022, you can read my review here. His third outing feels a little more mellow than the second, but it is stacked high with great great Guitar Pop.

There are also four interupting interludes that break up the album. Recorded old outside segments enquiring What's The Matter With? All unrelated to Perkins, sort of like Frontier Psychiatrist. They should Hittite, but instead drag you in.

These are in complete contrast that the 60s Melodic Pop that surround them. There are diversions of course across the15 tracks. A Date For One is Acoustic and a little Simon and Garfunkel. That's Fine is very West Coast, almost Country, Rock.

Bouquet is a splendidly put together affair, edging into Psych Pop, but covering multi genres, all in just over two minutes. But it the Pop that enthrals most. The jangling Merseybeat of Hey Man/Hey Self, The Beatles 1964 vibe of Gone (In The Morning).

The Byrds like, Crying In My Sleep even gets a little Jeff Lynne. The UK Beat of Spiritual Kick with its Lennon like vocal and there is even an almost Bossa Nova easy listening smoothness to I Feel So Numb. The whole album has the feel of a musician who knows what he wants to achieve and M Ross Perkins does that and more.

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

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Two Million Hits

 

It is gobsmacking to get to 2 million hits as IDHAS approaches its 9th birthday. The second million took just two and a half years. Thanks are to the artists who are covered. There are those who say that there is no great new music. IDHAS is proof that if you find the right artists, there is an engaged audience out there who want to hear and read about it. Thanks to the musicians. This place is about them.

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Listening To This Week Playlist

 

A little earlier than usual, here are the 26 songs that make up this week's LTTW. May the best one yet. As well as the traditional version, we have put the playlist on Spotify and you will see the link below. Remember this is early days on Spotify, so the following there is nowhere near our one here. Only 24 of the 26 songs are available on Spotify.

The weekly playlist is largely for submissions, not just the usual stuff that we dig out ourselves. 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 the artists who appear here. 

The Spotify Version    (The Optdemics and Ryan Cassata songs are not on Spotify)

Link To Spotify

Las Gargantas - Profecia Autocumplida

DelCobras - Untied (She's The One)

Shortwaves - History Man

Optdemics - No Good Deeds (Not On Spotify)

Spiders On Drugs - Postcard From Amsterdam

Parent Teacher - Fire Door

Faces On Film - Where Love Goes

Faces on Film · Where Love Goes

Moberod - Pieces

Chatterbox - Dark Days

John Steer - Writing On The Wall

John Steer · Writing on the wall

Flutter - When You Love Somebody

Tin Cry - The Revolution Started (With A Song)

[Eagle Noise] - Joni Mitchell

The Slow Summits - Dream On

The Infamists - Lonestar Woes

SOPE - DYBIRL

The Electric Sons - Don't Need Much

The Electric Sons · Dont Need Much

The Fisherman Three - Out Of Style

Matilda Grace - Not Your Ex Yet!

Shoemaker Levee - The Resistance

Cupid And The Cowboy - Last Of The Red Hot Luvas

A Grieving Mind - My Heartache

Nordic Slang - Clever Cliché

Nicholas Shaw - Lovesick

Ryan Cassata - A Knack Of Overthinking (Not On Spotify)

Lola - I Came Here To Conquer

Lola · I Came Here to Conquer

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The Chemistry Set - An Introduction To The Chemistry Set (2CD)

 

Oh how I love The Chemistry Set. Paul Lake and Dave McLean started out in 1987 and they are still here, offering up delightful Psych Pop. It is also another chance to celebrate Fruits De Mer, a label that is a beacon of light in the UK that blows away the tumbleweed.

Too many people think that FdeM is a label of way out Psych, it isn't at all and this is partially proof .I reviewed the last album from The Chemistry Set, Pink Felt Tip, and it was in our Best 100 Albums Of The Year. You can read that review here.

This double album is a compilation of their intensive career on the label, Selected by the duo and gives a sense of just how Pop they could be especially when they enter Toytown, which they frequently do. Indeed, just listen to Lovely Cup Of Tea and realise how close Toytown could get to Madness.

This Will Never Happen Again is top notch Jangle Pop that sounds New Wave, something that you can imagine Rockville singing. Marvel at the harmonies. Albert Hoffman is magnificent Psych Pop demonstrating and wit as well as just how catchy they can be.

I've chosen three songs that I love. But there is 2 and a half hours of music here to delight in. Included is something from the debut solo releases of both. They are in touch with music across the decades, at times a little Syd Barrett, XTC, Brit Pop etc.

The release will be hard to find now but the likes of Shiny Beast still have copies here. There may also be some in the usual good UK Retaillers. Fear not though, you can pick up the songs and albums on The Chemistry Set's Bandcamp site here.

You can find out more about the set here.

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The Setting Son - Cul-De-Sac

 

Wow! Proving that Caper Clowns are not the only good thing to come out of Denmark are Caper Clowns, of which you will hear more of in the next few days, Sebastian Kristiansen's The Setting Son are back with their fourth album, the first since 2012's Before I Eat My Eyes And Ears.

I thought I had heard the last of them, so you can probably see the smile on my face from wherever you are. A couple of singles have trailed the album on the Listening To This Week Playlist. but I didn't expect as great a returning album as this.

I know many of you know of my love of Psych Pop and this lot took on the mantle of my beloved Orgone Box between 2007 and 2012 with three splendid albums. The best description of what they do is sort of mix Psych Pop with Brit Pop.

Here are three minute songs that never outstay their welcome. Melodic to the extreme with choruses to die for. Beautifully performed and arranged with killer riffs. They are probably the nearest Psych Pop band to Guitar Pop. Any song could be a single.

In a way they are bringing Psych Pop to the masses but the way of UK Beat, Pop Rock and Jangle Pop. Just listen to how anthemic (Do You Want To Know) It is, pure Brit Pop. But then compare it Sleep which is swinging Carnaby Street Psych Pop of the highest order and my favourite thing here.

I Still Can't Decide What I Want is glorious Glasgow second half of the 80s Jangle Pop that adds a blistering Guitar Solo.. All 10 songs will light up your life, an album to listen to from start to finish. I can't put completely into words how over the moon to have The Setting Son back. Better not be 13 years to the next one.

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

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