Hooton Tennis Club - Highest Point In Cliff Town

Tennis, anyone?  OK, that isn't the most original lead-in, and Liverpool's Hooton Tennis Club most likely has heard it more than a few times.  But often you get what you pay for, and I write for free.

Hooton Tennis Club, which is named after an actual tennis club is comprised of Ryan Murphy, Jaes Madden, Callum McFadden, and Harry Chalmers, long time friends whose demos attracted the attention of Heavenly Recordings.  Signatures on the dotted line led to recording The Highest Point In Cliff Town -- twelve tracks of swaggering indie rock that sounds like a cross of '90s Britpop and Scott & Charlene's Wedding.  Breezy in attitude, loose at the edges, and muscular when it needs to be, it varies among powerpop anthems, woozy jams and party sing-alongs.  We found it a very satisfying album, and if you like well constructed and good-natured guitar rock as much as we do, you owe it to yourself to check this album out.  I expect it will be on a few year-end lists, and I think it may make mine.








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Heavenly Recordings page for Highest Point In Cliff Town

REVIEW: Gramercy Arms - The Seasons of Love

Gramercy Arms is a revolving cast of well-known artists based in NYC and led by Dave Derby, who spent time with Dambuilders and Lloyd Cole, among others. Their second album is The Seasons of Love. Cole is in the cast here, along with Joan Wasser (Joan as Policewoman), Doug Gillard and Kevin March of GbV and Tanya Donnelly, to name just a few. While the large cast does bring some variety to the sound, Derby's done a great job of tying it all together. The general approach is very upbeat and poppy, but this cast has the talent to make upbeat, poppy music that sticks.

Here's the lead track, "Always In Love" - a bouncy, guitar and piano approach with horns scattered throughout back Derby's just-right vocal. For most of the song, he sounds just tremendously cynical and burnt-out, but at the end he reveals his real desire. Hey, that's the first step, right?



Here's the video for "Beautiful Disguise" - Lloyd Cole and Joan Wasser (Joan as Policewoman) play wonderfully together, as a pair that just can't seem to get through to one another:





Other highlights include "Winterlight", which is as light, airy and catchy a song as you will hear this year, and "Novemberlong", which features some terrific vocal harmonies throughout and is propelled nicely by piano on the beat with the drums (and more of those bright-sounding horn parts throughout). There are some pretty ballads, too - "Playing With Fire" calls to mind that great collaboration of Ronnie Lane and Pete Townshend, Rough Mix. And the title cut has a Brazilian lilt - ethereal vocal harmonies over a gently rocking Latin rhythm. I could keep naming songs, but I'd be saying the same thing. They're all well-written and very well-realized.

The Seasons of Love is out now (July 22, 2014) on Reveal Records. It's a terrific pop record - perfectly suitable for driving, or just walking on a sunny day.

Gramercy Arms website
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REVIEW: Slow Club - Complete Surrender

Slow Club is a British soul duo consisting of Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor. Both are excellent vocalists and each play a variety of instruments. Since forming in Sheffield in 2006, they have released two EPs and two albums, the latest and current one being the delightfully soulful and wide-ranging Complete Surrender. From the opener, "Tears of Joy", which sounds a bit like a cross between the modern dance rock of Arcade Fire and classic 70's folk rock, to "The Pieces", a swinging, soulful combination of rock instrumentation, horns and lush vocal harmonies, the album is a joy to listen to all the way through.

Complete Surrender is, in essence, an exploration of five or six decades of radio-friendly sounds with a refreshing willingness to embrace modern (or post-modern?) production techniques that somehow makes the whole thing even better - anchored in classic soul and pop, but a few degrees off from the often-heard "retro soul" sound. Those horns, those vocal harmonies, the insistent drumbeats, it's all of a piece and makes for one of the best records you'll hear in 2014.





The vocals and guitar lines on the ballad “Not Mine To Love” are extremely well-done, classic guitar pop - nothing new, but a classic sound that is presented just about perfectly. As it should be, the song is a showcase for Rebecca Taylor's vocals. Her range and just the variety in presentation are impressive. As slow and evocative as this track is, she switches to a quicker, poppier sound on the title track and the contrast between the quickened drumbeat and the lush strings throughout the track, as well as her multi-tracked vocals in the chorus, are terrific touches.



There's a big, Motown-meets-British-soul feel to "Suffering You, Suffering Me".



Watson has a few impressive vocal turns as well, and his quiet ballad "Paraguay and Panama" provides a nice counterpoint to the lush, full pop stuff.

Giving a bit of background to what drives their sound, Watson says: “We really didn’t want it to sound ‘retro,’ but we wanted it to have that grace and sort of respect for itself. I think it’s in the playing really. A lot of those old records they’re not coated in reverb and that’s what people tend to go for. It tends to just be really amazing players that have practiced and locked in. We just tried to practice the best we could.” And that, to me, is the point of Complete Surrender and where Slow Club have succeeded. They have clearly practiced, and certainly locked in. Like so much of the big radio rock we loved in days gone by (Fleetwood Mac, Hall & Oates, to name a few), these two are able to combine reverence and creativity in a delightful way. Take note of this record and these two musicians. They're at a very high level. The album is out now (released July 15) on Wichita Recordings.

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NEW SONG: Gemma Ray - "Shake Baby Shake"

Gemma Ray is a British chanteuse, currently living in Berlin. She has released a free download of "Shake Baby Shake" off her upcoming album Milk For Your Motors, which will be out 8/26 via Bronze Rat Records. You can download the track at her website in exchange for your email address - how else are you gonna know when the album comes out? I'm a fan of the sound, and specifically the way this song is put together. Her breathy vocal over that guitar reverb is a nice contrast, and the transitions into the chorus, and later the orchestral parts, are just about perfectly done:



Here's an in-studio performance of the tune:



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Gemma Ray at Bronze Rat Records

New Brit-Pop Flamenco Discovery: Mike Hughes - "That Girl Is Misery"

Here's something new... Mike Hughes is a Yorkshire singer/songwriter - a real troubador who can stand and deliver with his acoustic guitar and big voice. But he also serves as frontman of his own band playing an intriguing mix of folk-rock and, of all things, flamenco. Here's his single, "That Girl is Misery":





His team describes it as "Apocalyptic Gospel Blues" - okay by me. Intriguing for sure - looking forward to hearing what else he's up to. If you'd like to hear more, you can get a free EP at his website - link below.

Mike Hughes website
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NEW SONG: Babeshadow - "Lonely Morning"

Here's a super-catchy bit of Britpop-meets-doo-wop from East London duo Babeshadow. The single is out now (released July 29). Having started out as two childhood friends who honed their craft busking across the streets of Europe, the duo of Tom Cawte and David Thornley eventually played at Glastonbury, supported artists like Florence + The Machine, and headlined their own UK and Italian tours.

‘Lonely Morning’ is the first track taken from those sessions - true to what you'd expect from a duo consisting of old friends, their vocal harmonies are somehow tight and breezy at the same time. And there's great interplay between the rhythm and the light, cheerful guitar lines:





When we hear more, we'll let you know. You can read more, and buy music, at their website.

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NEW SONG: Lizzie and the Yes Men - New Single "Unstoppable" - and free download of Beyonce's "Why Don't You Love Me?"

Lizzie and the Yes Men are a female-fronted surf-pop band from London. They describe their sound as "Tarantino surf pop" - I get it. They use the surf drumrolls, heavy reverb and even some Dick Dale-inspired speedy guitar runs. It's very catchy stuff - especially notable is the contrast between the band's jagged sound and her high, clear vocals. The band consist of Lizzie Holdforth, Andy Goodman, Keir Greenaway and Brendan Bailey. They've just released their first single, "Unstoppable" and are at work on an album to be released early in 2014. Here's the video for the song - a creative use of the time-lapse technique:

And just for fun, here's a cover they are giving away - their cover of Beyonce's "Why Don't You Love Me":



And a killer, really upbeat cover of "Don't Worry Baby":



Tarantino, Spector - artistically, I applaud their taste in musical influences. And I'll just trust them to eschew the gun stuff...

Lizzie and the Yes Men website
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NEW SONG: Gaoler's Daughter - "Cordelia" from upcoming How To Make Time

Gaoler's Daughter is a South London guitar pop band with a terrific sense of melody and they've recently completed a new album, How To Make Time, for release in August, with a preview single available to listen now and buy August 12.

Here's the advance track, "Cordelia" - just about a perfect 3:00 slice of guitar pop, featuring everything you like about that kind of music:





Looking forward to hearing the rest of the album, and you can learn more about the band at their site or Facebook.

Gaoler's Daughter website
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New EP from Turnpike Glow - Fünke Pop

Turnpike Glow is an Italian/UK guitar rock band we have featured on WYMA before (WYMA review here). Founders Giuseppe La Mela (vocals/bass/keys) and Sandro Schiena (vocals/guitar/keys) are joined by Anthony J. Hutchinson (drums) and Tom P. Griffiths (guitar/backing vocals), and the group's wildly creative, eclectic, try-anything approach reflects both the band members' creativity and the variety in their backgrounds.

They're back with a new EP, Fünke Pop (named after Tobias, as they are Arrested Development fans) and it features more of their upbeat rhythms and all kinds of guitars - skittering leads, afro-pop influenced runs and even some electric guitar solos. The vocals are somewhat reminiscent of other European pop bands like Phoenix, or in places the psychedelic approach of the namesakes of this track, "Her Flaming Lips":

Explaining the inspiration of this song, Schiena said: “The story of this girl is essentially the way The Flaming Lips’ music and live shows make us feel. There’s a really powerful message of love that comes across when you listen to their songs or attend one of their shows, which we wanted to capture in this song.” I think the spirit of the Flaming Lips is also captured in the EP's opening cut "Heels In Madrid", a song about enjoying being lost in a great city.

The record was released last week (July 2) and they've made it available to stream or buy at Bandcamp.

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NEW SONG: Eyes And No Eyes - "If No One Else Saw It" b/w "Flying Machine"

Eyes and No Eyes is a London-based folk rock band with an engaging sound - on these songs they feature an almost delicate sound, mostly acoustic at start but building with drums, guitars and strings to a bit of a crescendo, before being consumed by, in their words "an Italian tape echo unit named Melos". They apparently met at art school in Brighton, so yeah, they're creative. And talented.

Here's "If No One Else Saw It":





And here's "Flying Machine", which starts quietly, this time with electronics behind the vocal, to which they add strings and rock sounds about 1:30 in.



They've got a full album out soon, but these two tracks are available now, for "name your price" - you can click through either of the Bandcamp tracks above to get it, or order a special edition vinyl.

The group consists of Tristram Bawtree on vocals and guitar, Becca Mears on cello, Thomas Heather on drums and Marcus Hamblett on bass. They are also working on an electronic side project EP exploring the extinction of birds, fish, languages and technology. The EP is more in the conceptual tradition of Matmos and Kraftwerk, using keyboards, drum machines, found sounds and samples.

REVIEW: Guided by Voices - English Little League

By now, especially if you pay attention to the comings and goings of Robert Pollard and Guided by Voices, you may have already heard 5 of the 17 tracks on English Little League, and you're wondering what kind of sonic delights GbV have given us to accompany them. You won't be disappointed. 

The opening track is "Xeno Pariah" - one of the previously released singles that's jangly and short and sweet. It's a classic Pollard guitar pop track with at least two expansive yet economical guitar lines and bass/drum work that's perfectly-played - in and out in 2:03, almost before you can shake your head and wonder, again, how the hell he keeps coming up with these:



And, as on albums like Alien Lanes, it melts into the following track "Know Me As Heavy", which features slurred vocals from both Sprout and Pollard over meandering guitar lines that, about 45 seconds in, build to a hard rock frenzy, including the first appearance of cowbell that I can recall since "Rhine Jive Click"! (did I say "Auditorium"?)

Next comes one of the creamiest, catchiest Sprout tracks ever - one of the singles, "Islands (She Talks In Rainbows)" - it's British Invasion guitar pop with impeccable vocal harmonies:



Followed by a proggy Pollard single, "Trash Can Full of Nails" - but of course, not all proggy, as it features a jangly chorus:



Followed by a guitar/vocal track "Send to Celeste (And The Cosmic Athletes)" - it's played pretty much as a demo for about the first 1:15, then the drums, bass and full guitar sounds kick in as it builds to a crescendo, strips back down to guitar only behind more stream-of-consciousness lyrics, and builds to about a 20-second full-band outro. Like a lot of great GbV songs, it's composed of what sound like three or four separate songs that are woven together seamlessly. And if all you pay attention to are the singles, you'll rob yourself of the fun of discovering a different favorite track on each listen - like the next track, a Sprout psychedelic guitar jam "Quiet Game" that finds him sounding, to me, a bit like Syd Barrett... yes, it will be my favorite at some point. As will the next one, one of the singles, "Noble Insect". It is nearly an epic GbV track - interestingly, it starts out very much like a vintage Tobin Sprout track, until a Pollard vocal kicks in: "Japan/Japan/Japan/Friction in Japan..."



It's got a simple rhythm and the lyrics are pretty spare, with the emphasis being on several rising and falling guitar lines, some swelling keyboards and Pollard's pronunciation of the lyrics... each repetition of line finds him emphasizing a different word or sound. On the album, of course, something this bombastic would want to be followed by an acoustic snippet like "Sir Garlic Breath" - where Pollard, over a couple of strummed guitar lines (one acoustic, one electric) is intoning random lyrics about "five little girls wrapped in pearls" and the apparent hero of the song: "cloven, woven, Sir G". It's all a bit reminiscent of a song like "The Old Grunt", and of course a perfect fit on a GbV record with five singles.

That's eight tracks of the 17 on the album, and I assure you each one will be a favorite upon one of your passes through the album - as will any of the next nine. Hell, who even gives you eight good songs on an album anymore? You know, it's funny. If you're one of those people who doesn't believe in "the album" anymore - you can certainly get more than your money's worth buying the singles. In fact, you might never know what you're missing. But you will be missing some amazing stuff. Get the singles, but get the album. And the next one, and the one after that...

Guided by Voices at Rockathon

GBV Digital

Introducing: Bypassers

Bypassers are a four-piece based in Helsinki, Finland.  Their interest is in creating uplifting Britpop songs in the style of Oasis and Richard Ashcroft.  They have two previous EPs to their credit, and recently released a two-track single consisting of "Some Nothing Song" and "Tonight's Tonight".





Bypassers are Nillo Klemetti (vocals, guitar), Pontus Ranta (guitar, backing vocals), Markus Muinonen (bass), and Juho Orjala (drums).

"Bye Bye" is another Bypassers track.  It is not on the new single.



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New Italian/Brit-Pop Discovery: Turnpike Glow - Inflatable Optimism EP

From Italy by way of the UK comes Turnpike Glow, whose 4-song EP Inflatable Optimism will be released in the US January 15.

Their sound is upbeat, catchy and guitar-centric and the record was produced by Dave Newfeld, whose credits also include Broken Social Scene and Los Campesinos.

Video for "1986":



And here's a video for "The Turn, The Pike and The Glow", another cut on the record - my favorite, mainly because of the guitar work:



That's 50% of their output, but there's more to come. This has been out in Europe since mid-2012, and they've been working with Newfeld on another release. You can stream the whole EP at Bandcamp:

New Folk/Rock Discovery: Professor Penguin, "Pirate" (from upcoming release Planes)

Professor Penguin is a London-based nine-piece band playing a terrifically melodic brand of folk/rock. Good vocals, understated chiming guitar and gentle beat, but with a nice release at the end via a pretty good guitar solo. Check it out:



The single will be available Monday (3/19) and the album is due out early in April.



Professor Penguin website

Davy Jones

Davy Jones, a member of the Monkees, died Wednesday of a heart attack near his home in Indiantown, Fla., just months after he, Peter Tork and Mickey Dolenz had completed a tour marking The Monkees’ 45th anniversary. He was 66. It is a case of you had to be there. When the Monkees first appeared in the fall of 1966, many heaped scorn upon them because they were “made for TV.” and did not play their own instruments or write their own songs. Soon they became everyone's guilty pleasure. Each Monday night for the next two years, people would tune into NBC to see the comical trials and tribulations of four young musicians who tooled around in a tricked-out car called the Monkeemobile. 

Jones, the onetime child star of the British musical stage, quickly became the group’s heartthrob. With his boyish good looks and endearing British accent augmented by a strong, Broadway-trained singing voice, it was a role he would play for the rest of his life. Born in Manchester, England, on Dec. 30, 1945, Jones had been a child star in his native country, appearing on television and stage, including a heralded role as “The Artful Dodger” in a London production of the play “Oliver.” When the show came to Broadway, he earned a Tony nomination at age 16 for the role, a success that brought him to the attention of Columbia Pictures/Screen Gems Television, which created “The Monkees.” At 5-feet-3 inches, he was by far the shortest member of the group — a fact often made light of on the show. But he also was its dreamboat, mirroring Paul McCartney’s role in the Beatles.

The Monkees used some of the best pop songwriters of the period. Neil Diamond, the Boyce-Hart partnership, Jack Keller, Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Harry Nilsson, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, and many other highly regarded writers had songs recorded by the Monkees. The cream of LA session artists – the Wrecking Crew – worked on the Monkee sessions. Dr. John, Leon Russell, Carol Kaye, James Burton, Glen Campbell, Hal Blaine and James Burton were just a few of the musicians who were the core of the Crew. Their chops graced recordings from the Beach Boys, the Byrds, Nancy Sinatra, Simon and Garfunkel and the Mamas and Papas.

In the final analysis, the Monkees were central to many pop classics. Here are three songs Davy sang lead on. The first is "Valleri" with a memorable opening lead and more by Glen Campbell:




"Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" reached #2 on the pop charts.



The biggest hit he sang lead on was John Stewart's "Daydream Believer" which reached #1.



Rhino Records released a double disk of the Monkees' Greatest Hits. Buy it or burn it.

Pop/Punk Update: New Cassettes - Winterhead, out March 6

New Cassettes are a Northhampton rock band that, to my ears, are working in the place where The Foo Fighters might meet up with Franz Ferdinand. It's heavy on two of the P's - pop and punk. I've always felt that to do this kind of music well, a good drummer is essential and they've got a good one. Band consists of Dan Battison (bass), Nik Gray (guitar/vocals), Tom Stubbs (vocals), Tommy Francis (drums/vocals) and Owen Reed (guitar/vocals).

We featured their EP, Silent Guns, here back in the fall. Here's a video for the song "Bite Your Lip":





Winterhead will be out March 6, but you can check out some of the music now and learn more at these sites:

New Cassettes on Facebook

New Cassettes Website

New Discovery: Republic of Letters - Stories

Republic of Letters is a San Diego band playing Britpop a la Snow Patrol, Coldplay, stuff like that - heavy emotional content, very good lead guitars and soaring melodies.

Here's the video for lead track "Lost Chord" - a big-sounding track with galloping drums and chiming guitars:



And just this week, they released a new video for "Karma", for my money, the rockingest track on the record:



Republic of Letters Website (listen and buy)