Summer is slowly fading, but we have plenty of good music. Ex-Norwegian is back with an eclectic single “Thot Patrol” which combines so many sounds, it defies categorization. Ezrat presents a light indie-pop that floats on by a bed of synths. The Dowling Poole lays it all down with a bombastic rocker backed by lush orchestral strings about fiddling through the apocalypse. Getting tripper is the melodic stylings of Bagful of Bees “Syco” which brings to mind XTC and I’ll be happy to hear the rest of this LP soon. French rocker Tommy Lorente finds a sweet guitar hook in the sparse reggae beat on “A Mes Yeux.” Mo Troper still has some acoustic demos from Natural Beauty and it sounds great, so check it out. We started with an “Ex,” so let’s end with a real Norwegian band I Was A King, who sounds damn good with those jangling pop hooks, hear “happy.”
Gary Olson is the frontman with the band Ladybug Transistor. His first solo album is full of lush arrangements and as it opens, “Navy Boats” recalls early ’70s AOR pop with its delicate horns and strings. “Giovanna Please” has a similar wistful presentation, and the flowing folk-pop of “Some Advice” keeps things moving along. The breezy “All Points North” makes the best use of the brass here, and its a standout track.
The songs do tend to blend together as the tone and tempo barely change much. A few moments like the guitar instrumental “Initials DC” break the pattern, and the chiming jangle of “A Dream For A Memory” and “The Old Twin” quicken the tempo a little, but the lack of hooks can be an issue with these songs. There is only so much that fine musicianship can accomplish here. Still, fans of The Pearlfishers and Belle & Sebastian will definitely enjoy this album. It’s music that deserves to be heard.
Ex Norwegian chugs along with their 10th studio album “Hue Spotting.” Like the cover design suggests, its a modern psyche-pop collection that utilizes synth beats, echoing guitars and Mellotron keys. Starting with “Fear Backwards” it’s driven by a solid rhythm and lead singer Roger Houdaille’s layered vocals. “Comfort Sands” incorporates these older influences (Farfisa organ, sitar) with modern guitar and bass structures to create something unique. “Bloody Parrots!” is another standout with its warbling vocal about an occult crime scene over an organ solo. It can stray into some quite trippy moments that bring to mind Pink Floyd, Spaceman 3, and The Resonars. But there are still great hooks here, as evidenced on both “Something” and the amusing gem “Post Post Malone.”
As a bonus, Roger also released “Spotting Hues,” an album that covers rare nuggets from the psychedelic era. Songs from The Nice, The End, West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Billy Nicholls, and more. Many of these songs are so obscure, for most it will be like “brand new” material, making it a perfect companion album to the originals. Both are highly recommended.
What can I say? The Empty Hearts are a kick-ass power pop band and they’ve got a Beatle on the skins for this nostalgic look back. It’s awesome to see Ringo here, but I liked the B-side “Tell Me Reasons Why” even better. Can’t wait for the album!
Ex-Norwegian is back after his greatest hits LP from last year, and we’ve got this sweet marching tune to chew on.
Kai Danzberg is joined by Drake Bell on this slick pop tune. It’s got some nice orchestration, a cool guitar break and worth a listen. Maybe it’s part of an upcoming album?
UK musician Chris Catalyst gives us a good example of teenage angst played into a positive theme that is really catchy. “Happy” will make you smile for sure, and its a FREE download.
Richard Turgeon gets into Jackson Browne territory with this mid-tempo guitar song. Another FREE download, and totally worth it.
Rozwell Kid is more punk-pop, check out the Weezer-like “Letterman” is loaded with melodic fuzz and “Let The Spider Chill” is cool and the brilliant closer “Dr. Doom” is another winner. This EP is a FREE download.
Atlanta based TM Collective has been creating a lot of cover albums over the past few years, just a group of musicians getting together to sing and play favorite artists and soundtracks from Devo, Amy Winehouse, to Rocky Horror. The Beach Boys tribute caught my eye and its got plenty of charm. A big FREE download — explore the band’s catalog!
A freshly minted follow up to Kai’s new LP Not Only Sunshine – get it at Big Stir Records
A Freebie! Chris Church’s single is very much a lost 70s-styled gem
This is a super fun single with its acapella beat, rock rhythm, and innocent lyric.
The Ramones-like chords and handclaps are awesome here.
Toronto band Oscar Tango is the brainchild of Ryan Farley, and this is a 4-song EP featuring classic power pop guitar. Amoeba Teen (Stourbridge UK) new A-Side “Suit & Tie” is a supercharged preview of the band’s upcoming Medium Wave album, and the B-Side “Caught in the Middle” is a completely exclusive release from the same sessions as the album. “Suit & Tie” delivers power and never stops!
Get it at Big Stir Records
Despite having a terrific debut with Suburban Sunshine over 2 years ago, this British group’s sophomore LP has slipped quietly under the radar. The self-titled sophomore release slowly fades in with “The Light,” a Creedence-styled rocker with dense layers of crisp electric guitars and smooth harmonies. And the complexity increases with “Make Up My Mind,” a gem with multiple vocal layers all played to a simple melody. While brilliantly performed, these songs unfortunately don’t tend to stick in your head for long.
Luckily there are several exceptions. One of the best tunes here is “Hey Blue” with its sunshine-filled strumming and the sweet chord shifts on the melodic “How Do You Ever?” Unlike the debut, the influences are less power pop and more spread around (although the ‘70s California style is dominant). The bands musicianship is beyond question, as each tune has subtle details that pop fans will gravitate to. It may be a case of the band trying to do too much, but I’d keep my eye on these London lads.
Roger Houdaille and Lucia Perez are back with a decidedly more fuzzed out garage effort on Glazer/Hazerr. The anthemic “Life” is something that would’ve fit nicely on an Outrageous Cherry LP (I still miss the Rainbow Quartz label.) The reverb drenched “Reverse” is another highlight of this 60’s influenced album. Houdaille’s echoing vocals harken back to the classic era of melodic song writing on the simple riff driven gems “Sensation” and “Modern Art Brigade.” Perez gives a spirited vocal solo on “Father Goose” that sounds like a lost Jefferson Airplane single. While it doesn’t exactly break new ground, this is a good album and will fit nicely in your retro pop collection.
