Radio Radio

Various people have mentioned that I don't cover the local scene as much as I did and that's true. I Don't Hear A Single with it's largely Power Pop and Pop Rock remit has spread it's tentacles worldwide in search of the new and under appreciated artists. However I do know a man who can.

Cliff Howarth is a good friend and has long been a supporter of the Liverpool and North West Scene. His show on Maghull Radio attracted a wide audience and now he's branching out. Radio Radio will still provide his mix of local artists old and new, with a good dose of Classic Tracks to accompany them.

His show has now moved to a podcast on Anchor FM and Episode 3 is up now. You can also listen to the first two episodes there and hear some archive interviews. There is also a link on the site to take you to an additional ten apps that you can access the broadcast from including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast and TuneIn. You can access the site here.

Radio Radio is an ace listen and I'm hoping it will follow the I Don't Hear A Single Radio show on it's new adventures when that returns next week. There'll be more about that and the exhaustive new IDHAS things during next week. In the meantime please do give Cliff's show a listen.

Here's this week's Radio Radio Playlist.

The Stranglers - Something Better Change
Stryder - Bloom
Squeeze - Haywire
John Jenkins And The James Street Band - Be Careful What You Wish For
Sons Of Mowgli - Lose Our Minds
David Ryan - Give Me Your Love
Smash Palace - Right As Rain
The I Society - Together We Fall
Neil Young - Harvest Moon
The Proclaimers - Angry Cyclist
Ian McNabb - Aquamarine
Joe Symes And The Loving Kind - Fine Line
Elvis Costello - Under Line
Chris Mullin - Sooner Or Later
Marc Vormawah - Strictly Confidential

Balkan Falcon - MMishering Light

There's a hell of a lot going on on Balkan Falcon's debut full length album. Indeed, the opener, BF IS BTS has an album worth of ideas in itself. Anyone fancying a quiet evening should look away. The noisy Baltimore Trio's sound certainly fills a room.

It's really hard to define what they do, because the influences are wonderfully all over the place. You think Post Punk Pop and then a song like J Robby Is Pissed enters the fray which is all Prog or Psych Pop.







Having said that, there are real traces of Garage Rock, even Metal, but all are built around angular New Wave Riffs. Some times they feel like Noise Pop, at others, they hit the Clever Clever sound of Mew, particularly on Rasmussen The Assen which becomes almost Alex Harvey.

A final reference would be a more melodic Stooges, but have no doubt that this trio can play, Gary Lee Barrett is certainly a guitarist of some ability. Very Andy Summers at times. The band's constant tempo changes work beautifully, particularly on the poppy Up All Nite.








The closer, Skyhopper, is almost Rush in Vapor Trails mode. With all the references that I've mentioned here, you'll have worked out this is a diverse album. But, it's Pop Sensibilities are there and Psych and Prog fans will love it just as much as the New Wavers and Garage Rockers. It's a corker of an album.








The album is released tomorrow. In the meantime you can listen to the three songs embedded in this review and buy the album here. It's a bargain 7 dollars.

Caddy - Ten Times Four

I've been waiting impatiently for the new Caddy album all year and today is the day that it's Poptopia is unleashed on the world. It's been too long since The Better End. You can read the review of that album here.

Since then, Tom Dahl became a Stanley and the band's debut album was lauded as one of the best Power Pop albums of last year, rightly so. You can read my review of that album here. Ten Times Four lands somewhere in the middle of those two albums, gloriously so.

The Better End is beautifully arranged, but the songwriting is reflective, a little melancholic, when it breaks out, it does it gently. In The Basement here mines similar territory. The Stanleys album is more heads down, have a good time, Power Pop and that influence is also revealed here.

At times, these songs are built on meandering memorable riffs, never more so than on Not The One and Somewhere Beautiful, a song that wouldn't be out of place on The Stanleys album. The moody Roadblocks is built around a slow sinister riff, far different to the rest of the upbeat songs.








Reverie is a Jangle Fest, all Teenage Fanclub, a wonderfully melodic strum along building to an Everything Flows bridge. The closer, The Good Ones is a splendid anthem, a real sing your heart out building to a Thin Lizzy Twin Guitar crescendo.

If Miracle Turn is the ideal opener with it's glorious chorus, then The Good Ones ends the album in similar feel good mode. Special mention has to go to Safe Travels, a Glam Rock masterpiece with some fine Beach Boys harmonies. There's so much packed in to it's four minutes.

I've followed Tom Dahl's career since The Yums Yums and I can honestly say this is his best album yet. It's magnificently feel good, epic in it's Pop Scope. It's so easy to forget that Caddy is a One Man Band.

This year thus far has been a fine year for Pop Rock. Ten Times Four is another contender for album of the year. As soon as the album finishes, you want to play it again. Forget about what's happening in the world, this will make you feel that everything is A OK.









Ten Times Four can be bought as a download from the likes of Amazon here. It is available on CD from Ray at Kook Kat from 31 August, you can pre-order here. Ace news for you Vinyl freaks, Markus will be releasing it on Sugarbush later in the year.

Odd Robot - Amnesiatic

One of my favourite albums from last year was Odd Robot's A Late Night Panic. You can read that review here. I'm surprised that the Californian Quartet didn't catch on quicker after that outstanding debut album. The great news is that the follow up album, Amnesiatic is now with us and so you can remedy that loss.

Amnesiatic moves full blast into Power Pop. You can imagine the title track on the Stiff Label, equally Rescue, Rescue could be on Bomp. Billie Joe Armstrong's The Longshot have been garnering deserved praise this year, well this album is every bit as good. It also benefits from it's brevity. 14 songs in 30 minutes is Ramones like.






A song such as Cemetary Business Model has a fine hook and a big Rock Riff. Green And Yellow as a song is nothing like The Proclaimers, but the song structure is. Boil Through is a sped up joy with a solo akin to The Motors.

Hole Inside is so Joe Jackson, but with a Glam Rock Riff. West Coast Girls is rocked up Mod Pop. The biggest surprise is the closer, Screech The Turns. It's over three minutes and a slow strum. After the 100 mph journey to the last track, this is a fine closer, showing another string to Odd Robot's bow.






Amnesiatic races through at lightning speed, it's a fine fine listen and a suitably great second album.It's heads down great Power Pop. More of a UK feel this time, but a cracking listen. I can't recommend the album more highly.






You can listen to and buy the album here.

Extra Arms - Headacher

This is more of a heads up really as I don't want to give too much away. It's been two long years since Ryan Allen's wonderful Basement Punk album, you can read that review here.  When Allen was playing shows for that album, his assembled stage band developed outstanding live reviews.

So for Headacher, that live quartet became a band and Extra Arms was born. Some of you may know of Ryan from his assistance on Nick Piunti's albums or from his solo play everything himself albums. Well, he had a great band history before his solo days and the new four piece really works.

The album sounds even more rounded and it's noisier than Allen's solo stuff, if that's positive. It's all hooks and solos. There is still the anger, but it's far more framed. From the window smashing speed of You Make The Life You Want and the New Wave drive of the excellent Push The Button to the acoustic closer, The Last One, this is exceptional material.

There's even a song that would be at home on a Nick Piunti album, the splendid Honey Brown. I know some Top 20's for the year that come out, bizarrely, in October. Well I wouldn't advise many of my peers to take this approach.

Headacher is released in all formats on 12 October, you can pre-order the Limited Edition Vinyl now by heading here. The uninitiated can also catch up with the Ryan Allen Back Catalogue there. There will be a full album review nearer the release date.

The Smittens - City Rock Dove

Burlington, Vermomt, Six Piece, The Smittens have released their sixth album, the third on London's Fika Recordings Label. City Rock Dove is wonderful Twee Pop, caught somewhere between C86 and the Swinging 60's.

With four songwriters in the band, the material and lead vocals allow great variation. Default is an easy listening joy of a listen reminding you of everyone from Belle And Sebastian to The Seekers, from Saint Etienne to Peter Paul and Mary.






The variance of the material is enhanced by some lovely backing vocals, shoop shoop arrangements that work so well, most prevalent on the excellent, Love Is A Word. This is splendid chilled out stuff. Well Done All!

You can listen to and buy the album here.

Dot Dash - Proto Retro

I'm a Dot Dash admirer and they certainly are prolific. This is Album Number 6 in just 7 years and it's an absolute corker. In my review of the previous album, Searchlights, here, I remarked that it seemed a move away from their Garage Rock roots to a slightly noisy New Wave Power Pop. That direction has become far more apparent.

Now a trio, the Washington DC band, have edged nearer and nearer to a Power Pop Trio. Proto Retro has far more in common with The dB's or even more relevant, the Glasgow scene of Teenage Fanclub and BMX Bandits.







There's a real emphasis on Jangle here, the pace is slowed down in favour of melody and harmony. Terry Banks's Vocals are a revelation and it seems the tighter trio format suits them. I recently reviewed Black Vinyl Shoes for a magazine and the vibe here is pretty similar.

It's not all Scots Pop, there are departures, Green On Red is a noisy departure that works well and the excellent TV / Radio is splendid UK New Wave Power Pop, all sing along. Run And Duck For Cover is The Byrds doing Madchester.







The real joy though is that jangle. Never more so on the superb, Unfair Weather which could be The Housemartins. Special mention too for World's Last Payphone, a wonderful song that can be downloaded free. Proto Retro is a million miles away from the ramshackle earlier Dot Dash Days. Both are equally great, but this much nearer to my heart.

There's a lot of Jangle around at the moment from lost bands to new wannabes, much of it is mediocre, few can do it this well. This album is a corker and should be added to your collection forthwith. What are you waiting for?







You can listen to and buy the album here.