Listening To This Week Playlist

A nice unrounded number of 31 songs this week. Another crackerjack selection. Feels a bit Guitar Pop this week, but there are major exceptions. 

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 plenty of time 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. 

The Low Sixes - Turn On The Night

Sharp Class - Lights Out

Benny P - Some Days

The Bad Ups - Better Than You

The Successful Failures - Future Employers

The Meanies - Zamboni

Lawrence J-P - Walking But We've Got Our Bikes

Pullstring - Deadline

Creem Circus - Playgirl

Grand Belmont - Lie To Yourself

Who Saved Who - Pictures Have Sound

Hazel Terrace - Revelation

Andrew Gabbard - Magic Taxi

Grizzly Coast - Two Balloons

The Convertibles - Last October

Jonny And The Fellow Revellers - I Hope We Make It

Soft On Crime - Way Facing

Lost Henry - Fox & Goose

Current Swell - Peacekeeper

Michael Younker - Heart Control

Adulting - Sprung Leaks

7 Door Sedan - Juniper

Novelistme - Stop Think Conspiracy

The Backfires - Release It All

Ram Vela & The Easy Targets - Life Is Rigged

Jim Bell with Koach Mike - Stage Fright

Zerobridge - Refugee Citizen

Samuel Manning - All That's Forsaken Is Fading Away

Plastic Valley - Joshua Tree

Polyfillas - Own Youth Movement

Andy Martin - Exactly Where I'm Supposed To Be

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The Successful Failures - Enemy Sublime

The 11th Studio album from The Successful Failures and the Trenton, New Jersey quartet know what they are about. Mick Chorba's vocal is so distinctive and lends itself to what ever direction he wants to take. Be that Indie Rock, Power Pop, Classic Rock and Americana.

You are always going to hear some awesome Electric Guitar, be it riffs or solos. This is never more so here and on Future Employers, it may the best ever Guitar Rock song that they've ever added to an album, it is a mind bending guitar fest, yet never plank spanking, it is so damn melodic.

Yet the band's well known versatility can offer the Americana Twang of Costume Party and the Country Rock and Roll all together now with Sad x Bad x Three. Then there's the Classic Rock of Alone In Texas and the Power Pop of Tell Me Again.

Yet they can be incredibly gentle, witnessed by Face The Face and they can Jangle with the best of them as on A Song Is Always On My Mind. Adelaide is great Pop Rock, again riff heavy, but with a Country slant. 

Worried All The Time is as heavy as they've ever been, a real rock yer socks affair. I just love this lot as the past reviews here reveal, but there's never been a duff album and the versatility, performances and arrangements are just dynamite.

Chorba's vocals are something that I could listen to forever. This is a Guitar album through and through, but new listeners will find something they like due to the variation. More mainstream than we normally write about maybe and certainly more Rocky, but exceptional in every way.

You can listen to and buy the album here. You can buy it on Vinyl, CD or as a Download.

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The Low Sixes - The Oshawa Tree

 

Canada does it again as Montreal's The Low Sixes release their debut on Chicago's excellent Forge Again Records label. The quartet are no newcomers, coming together after various exploits with other bands, most notably Doughboys, but they have the energy of something much newer, yet reminiscent of previous golden days.

This is rocked up Power Pop delivered at pace with nods to Indie Rock and even Classic Rock. There feels a lot of Cheap Trick in them, but are maybe even rockier and certainly more Power Pop. To call them Pop Rock wouldn't do them justice because they are far more urgent.

Everything that would please a long time I Don't Hear A Single listener is present and superbly dispatched. Massive Riffs, Huge Choruses and Solos that come in (and end) at exactly the right time. Incredibly catchy, but leaving plenty of room to shake your fist.

Talking of Cheap Trick, The Worst Is Yet To Come is probably the best Rick Nielsen song that he hasn't written, even down to the Guitar solo and the Zander like vocal. New Action is the Rockiest song on show, nearing Classic Rock, a little Glam and massive Thin Lizzy style solos. 

The pace only slows down one one of the nine songs, Leave The Radio On and that is no ballad, just a little slower and very FM friendly. On the closer, Smoking Hash All Summer Long, The Low Sixes get very close to The Replacements and add a great Brit Pop change of direction a couple of times.

Teenage Crime Wave may be the best Power Pop song that you will hear this year. The Oshawa Tree is an album that be referenced for years to come. An album like they used to be, a refreshing change from some of the too Kool For Skool nonsense we have been hearing from many Indie bands lately. High marks for the album title pun too. Definitely a Top 10 of the year contender,

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

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Submissions

 

Just a few Tips For Teens about submissions to IDHAS, mainly to help the artist.

We listen to everything, but if you are sending a download via the likes of Google or Dropbox, it may include folders for WAV and MP3. We are going to listen in MP3 first, but if the folder is just marked "mp3" and when opened only the song titles are tagged, we may love it, but not be able to find who it is by. We get sent so many downloads, that we tend to download in batches and listen to the music as soon as we can. PR People are most guilty of this. 

A reminder that we do not have a Spotify account. It is too late to start one now, so any artist who submits only a Spotify link will not benefit from us linking to that as we don't have Spotify followers. Secondly, without us signing up, we personally cannot listen to the song. We believe that the type of artist we cover, gets zero benefit from Spotify anyway. We want to open doors for artists, not get someone to half listen to their song once.

Also we don't do seasonal music. I think many know my opinion on Christmas music, all that forced jollity and cat sat on the mat lyrics just don't appeal in a what rhymes with snow way. The same applies to Halloween. We used to, but to be honest, there is so much mediocre stuff. There are some great seasonal songs by great artists, but when we have included them in the past, we get snotty replies when we say we don't cover seasonal songs in a well you played them manner. Also, we got inundated with songs we would never play and so it was easier to say we don't do any.

Finally, for Listening To This Week song submissions, a reminder that we don't add Covers of Live songs. Both are welcome for Album or EP Review songs. With 300 or so Playlist submissions a week being narrowed down to 30, we prefer to concentrate on new songs, not covers of old songs. 

.......and on the subject of Tips For Teens!

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Simon Chesterfield - Simon Chesterfield

 

This is absolutely wonderful. Simon Chesterfield of The Chesterfields revisits six of his own songs to reimagine them into Orchestral Versions. Gone is the Jangle Pop and C86 notes as this is magnificent Baroque and Orchestral Pop.

An ensemble of Wessex Musicians were gathered together for the year long project. Charles Harrison's  arrangements are stunning and Chesterfield's vocal remains the focal point despite the arrangements that surround it.

When people tackle this sort of album, they generally fail with the thing sounding sparse or overblown. There isn't a hint of that here. The beauty of the album is the way the strings enhance the song and THAT voice. You recognise the songs, but these are treated in a completely different away.

The strings are a key part obviously, but additions like the Brass  are simply splendid. There is a weeping quality to the arrangements and even when traditional instruments creep in such as the Bass and Drums on Two Buttons, there is never a distraction from the song. Indeed the Brass arrangement on that closer is jaw dropping.

The standout song is Something, slightly mournful, but hypnotic and captivating. Sadness never sounded so good. I'm envious of those attending tonight's Live presentation in Bridport at The Lyric Theatre. This Solo debut is totally memorable.

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

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I Do You Do Karate - III

 

Bergen's I Do You Do Karate caused quite a stir when we reviewed their second album, One Last Job In Mexico in 2020. This was largely because it ticked so many boxes of what the average IDHAS follower likes. It went on to feature in the Top 10 of our Best 100 Albums of that year.

With a following here that has grown and added a younger audience, it will be interesting to see if Album 3 (or III) has a similar reaction. I think it will. Again on the splendid Australian label, Half A Cow label, the band's third outing is a cracker.

Peanut Carter kicks in with an Another Girl Another Planet Intro before raving up into great 80s Indie Rock with a hint of Jangle. Secretly Australian is great Jangle Rock, more like the American version, particularly vocal with a spectacular riff and solo.

Buckle Bunnies picks up the pace even more, but in a great UK late 70s way and Royal Loggerheads gets all Weezer. Plywood To The Moon is a much more laid back affair, almost Lounge, until another Guitar Solo lets loose.

HCF comes across as a more melodic New York Dolls and Egas Moniz mixes Brit Pop with the more modern-day Guitar Pop bands. Irene gets all Countrified, but gets very close to TFC. Indeed the inevitable early Teenage Fanclub comparisons may come from elsewhere. But if they are accurate, it is more a vibe, or the odd backing track. There isn't a song that is a direct nod.

What there is however is a real lyrical wit to accompany the big riffs and awesome Guitar solos. III is a real rock out, but also so melodic, littered with big choruses and sheer joy. The band name may confuse some, but the songs will absolutely delight.

You can listen to and buy the album here. You can find out more about the Half A Cow label here.

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Electric Hero - Another Time

 

Chris Clarke has had an extensive career. Probably best known to us as the Bass Payer in Danny And The Champions Of The World, but this is not Americana. It doesn't really point at rest of his career, bands maybe a little of his time with Pete Astor.

Another Time mixes Indie Rock with 70s Pop Rock as well as stepping into New Wave, Psych Pop and even Glam Rock. There is a really big hint Ian Hunter in both the vocal and instrumentally, so Classic Rock is never out of the question.

Who Decides? starts a little David Essex Hold Me Close, but expands into something closer to The Faces. Let's Blow The Whole Thing Up is great Power Pop, yet On The Outside Looking In has some great Jangle Psych Pop on show.

Yesterday's Tomorrows is classic late 60s Rock with an added unexpected 80s Synth intrusion, whilst All That Remains goes all flared trousers Glam and Good Times instrumentally gets close to The Black Crowes. 

The Long Way Round does the Dylan meets The Rolling Stones well and One Last Time is more Classic Rock, with a little late 70s Punk rolled in. After dealing with recent reviews that were Americans sounding Brit, it is refreshing to hear a Brit sounding American. The album is more Rock leaning than we normally go, but it is a cracking album.

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

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Sharp Class - Welcome To The Matinee Show (Of The End Of The World)

 

Another Power Trio, but this time from the UK and in very different territory to The Deflators. Nottingham's Sharp Class are much more UK New Wave 1978, magnificently so. This album reminds me why I loved that New Wave scene.

They are not stuck in that era, there are big footsteps into the likes of Brit Pop, Indie Rock and the modern breed of Indie Guitar Pop bands, but the melody content is high and there is a real lyrical adeptness in these songs that few who cover similar ground manage.

There is a real Paul Weller Jam period to the words and at times the vocal, although less aggressive singing wise. Musically, they remind me a lot of The Len Price 3, but without their inclination for Mod Pop. We loved 2022's Teenage Of A Mind (review here) and this moves things on wonderfully.

The title track is probably the best thing here, New Wave of the highest order. Ordinary People is built on a killer riff, Where I'd Rather Be has a hint of Wreckless Eric, but the chorus is killer. Ivory Tower is very early The Jam with an added Jangling Riff.

Lights Out wipes the floor with most of the current new big wave of Guitar bands with another killer chorus. The whole offering rarely comes up for air, but does it without the need of a hammer. Sharp Class update the great past, bringing it into the now. Top Notch!

You can listen to and buy the album here. The CD can be ordered via the band's website here. The Vinyl can be ordered here.

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