The Stayawakes and Guided By Voices

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The Stayawakes

The Stayawakes “Dogs and Cats / Living Together”

Portsmouth, UK band The Stayawakes will keep you on your toes with a blend of pounding percussion and guitars similar in spirit to Gin Blossoms, Lemondheads, or the Goo Goo Dolls. “Slumbers ” and “Keepsakes” jump out at you right away. Lead singer Andrew Ricks delivers more of a character study with “Jake” and the infectious chorus helps. “Little Explorer” also stands out with its dense production and late ’90s vibe.

While this did come out under the radar in 2018, Kool Kat decided to reissue this and it definitely deserves to be heard. The music here is consistently very good, although the band tends to step on the gas and not ease the tempo until “Sophie,” the lone mid-tempo ballad. The bonus tracks here include acoustic versions of “No Shame” and “Inevitable Truth” that outshine the originals.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Guided By Voices

Guided By Voices “La La Land”

The prolific Guided By Voices seems omnipresent. Robert Pollard and his band have always dabbled in power pop, raw garage energy, and creativity for over 40 years. La La Land is a classic addition to the band’s extensive discography. Although the influences start with Pete Townshend and Peter Gabriel, Pollard’s rough-around-the-edges quality and haunting diversions always make GBV a unique experience.

The opening track “Another Day to Heal” sets the tone with its driving guitar riffs and the album never lets up from there. The songs are perfectly sequenced as “Released Into Dementia” envelops the listener in glorious fuzz.  Standout tracks like the jangling “Ballroom Etiquette” offset the more intense “Insect Dwelling” which gives us Robert Pollard’s brilliant lyrical skills. Slower mood pieces like “Queen of Spaces” and “Wild Kingdom” serve to balance out the more upbeat songs, but even here it’s a testament to the enduring appeal of Pollard and his band and a reminder of why they’ve been such a beloved part of the indie rock scene for so many years. Overall it’s another triumph for Guided By Voices. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

New singles for February: Mike Viola, Lemon Twigs, Popsicko, Matweeds, Dropkick, Hot Nun, Wesson

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Rejoice! A new Mike Viola album will soon be upon us! The first track “Paul McCarthy” is a not-so-subtle look at the life of a certain Beatle. The Lemon Twigs also have an advance single release, and “Corner of My Eye” features a heart-breaking lead vocal. Big Stir releases a new single from the late 90’s band Popsicko, and “Ashtray Mouth” was written by frontman Keith Brown. RumBar Records release the rare Boston punk pop band Matweeds only recorded material, a “lost” classic for sure.  The prolific Dropkick is also back (does Andrew Taylor ever sleep?) and we’ve got the advance “Telephone.” After scoring in our top ten last year, Jeff Shelton is back with the heavy riffs of Hot Nun again, although this track feels really closer to The Well Wishers style. Finally Brit alt. rocker Chris Wesson is a new discovery for me, and he deserves to be heard by you.







Steve Stoeckel and Stephen Lawrenson

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Steve Stoeckel

Steve Stoeckel “The Power of And”

Steve Stoeckel  (The Spongetones, Pop Co-Op, Jamie and Steve) steps out on his own with his debut solo album on Big Stir Records. Stoeckel has been very active of late, and his new album is chock full of memorable tunes. It opens with the fast-paced “Laura Lynn,” then goes madrigal on the simplistic “Birds.” Steve plays to those Spongetones fans with the wonderful “Mod Girl,” and then gives us a very McCartneyesque “Strange Cameo.”

“The Emerald Sea” is a Celtic pop gem with fuzz guitar and flute doing a call and response. “Skippy’s Parade” is a jaunty folk instrumental, after the slow fade we get the rocker “Christine” which leads us to the XTC-like whimsy of “Just One Kiss.” Not everything has that magic — but more than enough songs here will dazzle you. It’s hard to belive that this is Stoeckel’s first solo, so yes it’s Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Big Stir Records


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Stephen Lawrenson

Stephen Lawrenson “Chants Of A Lifetime”

It’s been a long time since we heard from Stephen Lawrenson. From the first notes of the opening track, “Really Good,” it’s clear that he feels “good to be back home” with strong riffs and melody. Stephen incorporates more heavy rock and folk influences into this album. “In Circles” harkens back to his past work, but “Blue Room” is Lawrenson at his best, with a memorable hook in the verse, and a spacey chorus. His powerful instrumentation draws on a diverse range of influences, but he shines when his heavy riffs are married to a hook like on “Once Upon A Time” and “Thank You.”

He tries out different directions, like the acoustic strum and harmonies of “My Muse” and the heavier riffs of “The Horizon” but unfortunately, these songs don’t stick inside your head. He easily seems to find great guitar rhythms, like “King of Sympathy” but often falls into the mundane with others. While this does not match the majesty of 2013’s Obscuriosity, this still has plenty of good music worth hearing. Check it out.

Amazon

End-of-January Singles, EPs and a Freebie: Ryan Allen, Luddites, Ilko Birov, Floral Portrait, Brock Pytel

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After a relatively warm January, we settle in and see Ryan Allen is already following up his #7 album of 2022 with a new concept album. This is a taste, we’ll review the entire LP soon. Boston’s Luddites does a good job with old-school power pop riffs, and Bulgarian singer-songwriter Ilko Birov knocks this single “Mrs. James” out of the park. Fans of Elliott Smith and Dave Davies will enjoy this. Jason Bronson and Jacob Chisenhall bring us the warmth of Floral Portrait, a slice of sunny orchestral pop in the tradition of Brian Wilson. Fans of The Wondermints will appreciate it and it’s our freebie. On a louder note,  Brock Pytel (formerly of The Doughboys, the Montreal punk band and NOT Richard X. Heyman’s band) has a new single and it’s got a catchy fatalism, akin to Bob Mould playing The Rolling Stones. Onward to Spam… I mean, February!






The Shang Hi Los and Baby Scream

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The Shang Hi Los

The Shang Hi Los “Aces Eights & Heartbreaks”

The Shang Hi Los are Jen D’Angora (Vocals and Guitar), Dan Kopko (Vocals and Guitar), Lee Harrington (Bass and Vocals), and Chuck Ferreira (Drums and Percussion). Kopko knows a good guitar anthem, as he’s done them with his previous band Watts. From the opening track, “Takes One To Know One,” it’s clear that the band is firing on all cylinders, with driving guitar riffs, pounding drums, and a frenetic energy that is impossible to resist.

Jen D’Angora owns “Monsieur Valentine,” a catchy mid-tempo ballad that really stands out. “Plymouth Rock” is a rambunctious, foot-stomping anthem that’s guaranteed to get stuck in your head for days. The band’s chemistry is evident in each song, creating a sound that is both polished and raw. “Billy” adds a little Ennio Morricone, and “Victoria’s Garden” recalls a lost Blondie single. With only nine tracks, it’s considered an EP – but there is no filler here. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

Ian M. Bailey

Baby Scream “Castell de Pop”

Argentinian musician Juan Pablo Mazzola returns with a sparse acoustic guitar and a series of songs that questions the nature of life. In some ways, this is the most depressing soul-searching he has done. As a “Castaway” in the opening track his darkness “comes and goes” but on “Kill Your Idols” he plunges into the black with resignation, as he cries “Nobody’s gonna help you with your hell/So you might as well pretend you are doing well.” The tender “Back Home” adds Ky Anto and its a bright spot, plus “Chillin'” explores the joys of a quiet day.

Often I’ve compared Juan to John Lennon in approach. “Panic Room” recalls this if Lennon got paranoid and yelled, “everyone to go fuck themselves.” The gentle guitar couplet on the title track is another highlight, but the heavy emotional nature of the material might put off some. Still, this is an album that deserves to be heard.

Exile Records