I've been aware of Australian Power Pop/Psych band - The On and Ons for a while. Their previous 2 albums have some great hook-laden melodic pop songs, including a favourite of mine 'Before Our Eyes'. The new EP opens with 'Menacing Smile' which has 60s garage and Psych vibes. Their sound is a fusion of The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and also fellow Australian band - The Stems. 'Don't Wanna Talk About It' heavily draws from The Beatles but like so much of this music, its a hugely enjoyable listen, which is the most important thing. 'Monday Blues' is anthemic and remains melodic with some great harmonies. 'Change of Heart' has hints of Highway to Hell and it is a lot of fun. A superb EP. Catchy guitar pop at its best.
Librarians With Hickeys, from Ohio, are a new discovery for me, and this is their full length debut album. Their sound is very jangly and reminiscent of The Byrds and R.E.M. The strength of the songs here shows they have the edge over many purveyors of this genre. It opens with 'Until There Was You' which is perfect guitar pop full of great hooks. 'And Then She's Gone' is probably my favourite on the album - a very sweet and emotional song about moving away to make a better life for yourself. 'Be My Plus One' demonstrates superb songwriting and shows why a lot of the time, simple songs are the most effective. The harmonies and added ukulele make it even more perfect. 'Next Time' sounds like it could be a lost radio hit from the 80s. Other highlights include 'Leave Me Alone' which is full of Punk energy and angrier in tone. It is really effective and adds variety. 'Alex' is beautifully atmospheric and laid back Summer evening listening. It ends on the very upbeat 'Black Velvet Dress' with more superb pop hooks and melodies. A wonderful album, highly recommended to any fans of the guitar pop genre.
I don't review that many singles here but had to with this one. Mom are a Power Pop band from Sweden and a new discovery for me. 'Tonight' is a great example of anthemic guitar pop. It vaguely recalls The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action, and is just as exciting and energetic. The B-Side is a wonderful cover of the Smokey Robinson & The Miracles classic - 'Tracks of my Tears', which is one of my favourite songs. It works so well done in a Power Pop style and it blew me away. Just when you think it can't get any better, there is a superb guitar solo. A really enjoyable single, from a band well worth looking out for. It is also perfect Summer listening. Highly recommended.
Super 8 and Lisa Mychols are two prominent artists in the Power Pop genre and on this new album they join forces. It is a wonderfully retro listening experience! It opens with 'What Will Be?' which has strong 60s Psych vibes. 'Time Bomb' is a brilliant homage to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. It has strong hooks and a slightly Rock edge. Other highlights include 'You and Me, Me and You' which has more Soul/Motown vibes. Lisa's sweet vocals suit the music perfectly, with backing harmonies from Trip.
'Flying Close To The Sun' is an epic Beatlesesque ballad. There is also a cover of the Harpers Bizarre classic - Wichi Tai To. It is a very moving version and fits so well on the album. 'Laguna Nights To Remember' is more stripped back and has hints of Big Star - The Ballad of El Goodo. It ends on the gloriously epic - 'The Arms of Water'. A wonderful album full of 60s charm, and the collaboration between the two artists works perfectly. Highly recommended Summer listening.
Chicago's Alpine Subs return with their second album after last year's self titled debut. The first had hints of 60s lo-fi jangle and this is a step forward. On the whole, the production is bigger with more 70s country rock vibes. Their overall sound here is similar to Crosby, Stills & Nash and also the more recent band - Woods. It opens with 'The Freeze' which is quite epic and atmospheric, singing of mountain climbing. There are some superb guitar riffs and it is easily my favourite on the album. Other highlights include 'Your Someone', a big love song which is reminiscent of The Band's 'The Weight' in places. 'Live Forever' is highly melodic and sounded vaguely like Elvis - 'Suspicious Minds'.
'Keeping You' is one of the strongest songs here, with an anthemic chorus. It ends on the beautifully delicate love song 'Remain' which has wistful and melancholic lyrics. A strong follow up album and their new 70s rock edge really works well. Highly recommended.
This is another wonderful release from Futureman, who are already becoming one of my favourite Record Labels. The Click Beetles are a new discovery for me and according to discogs, they had one previous album in 2014 (Wake Up to Music) Their sound is a lovely blend of The Byrds and the 80s/90s Power Pop of The Smithereens and Material Issue (right up my street, obviously). 'If Not Now Then When?' is a perfect opening song and insanely catchy. It has the Byrdsian charm and big 80s Pop sound.
Other highlights include 'Don't You Call My Name' which is more of the same and also has Tom Petty vibes. 'Nobody's Girl' is great fun and very anthemic. 'Roseanne' has a simple yet superb melody running throughout and is more moody sounding. A hugely enjoyable album, which may not be doing anything different, but is not short of brilliant memorable songs. For me, this is what great music is about.
Exactly a year ago today, I started my music blog - Colours Through The Air. It was something I had wanted to do for a while but never really had the confidence or the motivation. To be honest, I never thought I would keep it going (just about) for a year. I'd like to thank everyone who has shown an interest as without peoples support and encouragement, I could not have continued it. It has gone on to achieve tens of thousands of views across the world, and a lot of great feedback from record labels, bands and bloggers alike. I know its only small, in the grand scheme of things. But its good to know that I have made a difference and helped people find great music, which they may not otherwise have heard. It is so sad that such a lot of wonderful music, goes largely unheard and under the radar. There seems to be less interest in well-written songs. Much of the music in the mainstream, for me, is style over substance and has little emotional depth. For me, a great song is about the melody and feeling it creates. I wanted to use this opportunity to talk about some of the songs which inspired me to start a blog. They are all, on the whole, underappreciated. There is also a new Spotify playlist (Colours Through The Air Lost Classics) in which the music can be from any year.
1. RW Hedges - Signal Man (2018, from Hunters in the Snow) It won't be a surprise to anyone, but this song was the main reason I started the blog. The album completely passed me by in 2018 as it got very little coverage. Everything about it is so magical. It captures the feeling of the original Dickens ghost story perfectly. Luca Nieri co-wrote and produced it and a review of his new album can be found on this blog too.
2. Shack - Cornish Town (1999, from HMS Fable) My favourite song ever. I know that Shack probably weren't that underappreciated but I think John Head is definitely overlooked as a songwriter in his own right. The younger brother of Michael Head who NME called 'Our Greatest Songwriter' and featured on the cover, back in 99. This song is gloriously uplifting to listen to, no matter how many hundreds of times you play it! 3. Michael Head & The Strands - Something Like You (1997, from The Magical World of The Strands) I still think Michael Head is underappreciated as a songwriter on a larger scale. When you look at how much more recognition bands like Oasis, The Stone Roses e.t.c. have. Just over 10 years ago, I had never heard of Michael Head and many people still haven't. He should be better known with songs like this. A beautiful song, which changed the way I saw music. 4. Material Issue - Valerie Loves Me (1991, from International Pop Overthrow) A wonderful Power Pop band from the 90s. Jim Ellison was a fantastic songwriter who wrote many gems like this, until he sadly took his own life in 96. I had only heard of the band since about 4 years ago and was blown away by everything I heard. Many of the songs were so emotional yet with brilliant pop hooks. 5. The Bevis Frond - He'd Be A Diamond (1991, from New River Head) Superb Byrdsian jangle from a really overlooked band. Teenage Fanclub covered this pop gem and it was a highlight of seeing them live. Nick Saloman is a great lost Psych songwriter. 6. The Lilac Time - Return to Yesterday (1987, from The Lilac Time) Stephen Duffy did have a few 'hits' and was on Top of the Pops in the 80s. But his later solo songs and with his band The Lilac Time were largely underappreciated by the mainstream. It was hard to choose one song as so many of them are great. The albums 'Astronauts' and 'Looking for a Day in the Night' are lost classics too. 7. The Corner Laughers - The Girl, America (2015, from The Matilda Effect) A lost pop gem. I only found out recently it was written by Anton Barbeau, a great songwriter who I discovered since writing this blog. It is Karla Kane's lovely voice and the production which makes the song so perfect though. Their new album is superb too and the review can be found on here. 8. The Fernweh - Next Time Around (2018, from The Fernweh) It fills me with joy, every time I hear this song. So wonderfully retro and melodic, from a brilliant debut album. Really looking forward to seeing what they do next. 9. The Left Banke - Pretty Ballerina (1967, from Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina) I wasn't aware of this song until about 5 years ago. It is one of my favourite songs and so magical. Compared to a lot of 60s bands, The Left Banke are underappreciated, especially now. They were mainly known for 'Walk Away Renee' which was covered by the more famous group - Four Tops.
10. Attic Lights - Shiver the Trees (2008, from Wendy single) Scottish band Attic Lights were signed to a major label back in 2008 but never got as much success as they deserved. They came at the end of the wave of guitar bands emerging in the mid 00s and I think were a bit too late. This lost gem was actually a B-Side. They have many perfect songs but this one often gets played on repeat as its so addictive! You can listen to the Spotify playlist, including more songs here:
