Cool Sounds - BUG0BEAT

 

In our opinion, Melbourne's Cool Sounds has their own sub-genre. We call it Discoglamjangle (no, no one has ever hired us to create advertising campaigns). The components are a sturdy, danceable beat, a glammy '70s soft rock sound and dose of jangle, and they never fail to wield it in a way that brings a high level of aural satisfaction. Cool Sounds has made their 2024 appearance with a six-track EP titled BUG0BEAT. The song is the lead and title track of their upcoming EP, which is due March 1 via Chapter Music. Press play and enjoy the Discoglamjangle. We have embedded the entire EP below because, well, it makes us so happy that we firmly believe that everyone needs BUG0BEAT.

The main man of Cool Sounds is Dainis Lacey, who is joined by Dylan Young for the creation of the BUG0BEAT EP. The EP is out now via Chapter Music.

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Cool Sounds - Like That

 

For some time Cool Sounds has been our go-to band for brightly colored soft rock with a good dose of jangle. However, they don't stay in a single lane and in prior releases they have flavored the compositions with dream pop, country and indie pop. In Like That, their new album, the core of soft rock remains, but the band has added some glam to the proceedings. Now, this isn't a sea change because Cool Sounds' songs have always seemed to have a propulsive swagger and sparkly polish. But the glam element pushes to the front edge here and, to our satisfied ears, is a delightfully fresh addition. As often is the case for Cool Sounds a lot of sonic details are packed into the songs (including horns), as well as plenty of whimsey and humor. But it all is in service of a good song and, we suggest, some very danceable tunes.

The main man of Cool Sounds is Dainis Lacey, who writes and sings the songs and, for Like That, played nearly all of the instruments. But he draws on talented friends such as Ambrin Hasnain, Dylan Young and Pierce Morton to round out the proceedings. In our view Lacey is a very talented musical cook and on this album he got the glam, the bounce, the melodies and all of the other ingredients just right. It is a very enjoyable set of songs and is available now via Chapter Music.

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"Hello, Alright, You Got That?" by Cool Sounds

Music from Cool Sounds is the most versatile and durable feel good material available. There is none of the jitters like after drinking a second flat white right after the first. And no hangover like after one or more pints past our limit. You can just keep playing them and vibing to the, well, cool sounds. So when we learned that Cool Sounds has a new song, we didn't delay in playing it. And we have played it quite a bit today.

"Hello, Alright, You Got That?" is the first single from the upcoming LP, Like That. This edition of the project marks a change for the project in that Dainis Lacey does most of the playing, as well as the singing and writing -- albeit with some contributions from Pierce Morton, Dylan Young and Ambrin Hasnain. We are advised to anticipate a bit of glam added to the Cool Sounds sound as well, so it will be an adventure. And speaking of adventure, check out the video for "Hello, Alright, You Got That?" It appears to be Dainis and Ambrin relaxing at home with a pool guy in the background, but things aren't quite what they seem. Oh, and we want the 'pool guy's' shirt. Very much.

Like That will be out in October 7 via Chapter Music.

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"Cael Chdi Nol" by BOI

 

What I needed to end my day was a rousing, rocking stomper. And getting it with a bit of glam atmosphere via "Cael Chdi Nol" is just icing on the cupcake. The song. the title of which translates to 'Get You Back', is the first single released from Coron O Chwinc, the debut album by Welsh band BOI. It has an infectious spirit and a chorus that invites you to join in. The unabashed guitar/drums assault reminds me of Finland's Black Twig (link), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and some of Sonic Youth. Good stuff, and it has us quite interested in the upcoming album. Oh, the lyrics are in Welsh, and that's perfectly fine with usl
 

Boi are Rhodri Sion, Osian Gwynedd, Heledd Watkins, Ifan Emlyn, and Dafydd Owen. The album will be released on June 25 via Welsh label Recordiau Crwn.

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Peter Cat - Plays Well With Others

We are not fans of false advertising, so we issue a few demerits to Glasgow project Peter Cat for having neither a cat nor a frontman named Peter.  However, we believe in forgiveness (and we have a feline-like curiosity), so we listened to the band's recent album, Plays Well With Others, and we are very glad that we did so.  The songs are an infectious mix of indie pop rock, cabaret, glam, and art school.  The vibe is upbeat and fun, and the listener may have the feeling that they are experiencing a musical stage show as Peter Cat slips from one song style to another like different costumes for each scene.  And by the way, the band provides the lyrics, which are well written, humorous and enhance the listening experience.

Peter Cat are Graham Neil Gillespie and some like-minded collaborators.  Plays Well With Others is out now in digital and cassette formats.








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"Starlight City" by New Silver Girl

We are conflicted.  We don't want summer to leave us (although the forest fire haze could blow away anytime soon, thank you very much), but we want a little bit of October to be here right now.  Which part of October?  Well, you probably are thinking of Octoberfest, but that isn't the right answer.  While we are quite fond of the brew, we are thinking of the debut album from Finland's New Silver Girl, which is coming via Soliti Music in a couple of months.  And to justify our conflict, we offer the video version of the "Starlight City", the second track from the album shared by the band.  The song is a eminently danceable jolt of glam-inflected rock and roll, and we think it fully justifies our anticipation of the album.

New Silver Girl are Olli Happonen, Samuli Sulku, Ilmo Cantell, and Niilo Suihko.




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Kyle Craft - Full Circle Nightmare

Kyle Craft has a throwback '70s rock voice, and on his new album, Full Circle Nightmare, he uses it ably to sing his tales of dangerous females and dodgy situations.  The soundtrack is an addictive concoction of southern rock, classic rock and a dose of glam.  If it reminds you of the Rolling Stones and Bowie, it won't offend Craft, because he admires those artists and uses them as a touchstone for his efforts.  As a songwriter, he takes great care with his lyrics, but he doesn't shirk his duties as a performer and arranger, either.  These songs have plenty of punch and drama, and if the tales are a bit lurid, well, that's entertainment, folks!  Cue up this album and you can imagine yourself in a roadside bar listening to Craft and the band while similar tales are unfolding all around you.  Good fun.

Full Circle Nightmare is out now via Sub Pop.










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Kyle Craft - Dolls Of Highland

Kyle Craft's debult album Dolls of Highland is a very good album.  More than that, I think that it is a good time for an album like this to appear on the rock music landscape.  In a music world increasingly saturated with indie pop, electronica, synth-pop, Americana, and hip hop (and much of the foregoing list I love dearly), and the push back from blues rock and heavy metal, Kyle Craft has swaggered in with a old fashioned rock album that seems to take the best of Southern rock, glam, Britpop and '70s pub rock.  It is attitude set to music, with guitars, bass, drums and a sassy piano, and voiced with an instrument that would meet the approval of any top notch rocker.  The performances are spirited and passionate.  The album has the feel of a recording made in a honky tonk, and you can almost taste the beer and feel the sawdust under your feet as you listen.  Of course, not knowing where and how you live, you may actually be drinking beer and standing in sawdust as you listen.  We don't judge.

Craft now makes his home in Portland, Oregon, but he is a Louisiana boy and recorded the album while back home.  It seems to us that bayou flavoring has provided a unique taste to already excellent rock songs.  And not just in the instrumentation and arrangements.  The stories reveal a songwriter with a knack for observations and a genuine talent for encapsulating what he sees.  Don't miss this one folks.  When you see it on numerous year-end lists, you want the satisfaction of having enjoyed it for many months.

Dolls of Highland is out now via Sub Pop.







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"L.U.V." by Catholic Action

Not to get all religious on everyone, but it seems to me that it is time for some Catholic Action.  There are no mandatory rites involved, although some may be prompted to dance, or at least bob the old noggin, to the somewhat garagey glam rock this Glasgow four-piece creates.  Their latest creation is "L.U.V.", which will be released on vinyl and as a digital download on March 18 via Luv Luv Luv Records.  This is a band that will go places -- get in on the action.



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Motopony - Welcome You

Welcome You is Motopony's second album, following 2011's self-titled debut.  The line-up has gone through some changes, and the music has morphed a bit as well.  But the Seattle band's ability to craft interesting songs remains.  Stylistically, the eleven tracks could earn tags such as folk rock, dramatic pop, synth pop, glam, jam rock, psychedelic, and glitch dance rock (there is a chance I invented that one).  However, the demarcation between the genres is gleefully blurred, and what remains is a full, even lush, sound with plenty of delightful and surprising touches and a double live show dose of energy.  One does not want to set unnecessary standards for measuring achievement, but I will note that there is a bit of the Fab Four in the audacity of the vision on Welcome You.  This is a band that paints on a bit canvas with bold strokes and bright colors.

I think the best way to take this album is to let it take you.  If you approach it with expectations of what you are going to hear you may be confused or even disappointed.  But if you press play and let Motopony take you on a journey, I expect that you will have a very good time.



For Welcome You, Motopony founder Daniel Blue is joined by Forrest Mauvais, Mike Notter, Terry Mattson, Andrew Butler, and Nate Daley.

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Warm Soda - Symbolic Dream

Warm Soda's Symbolic Dream is for two kinds of music fans: Teenagers; and people who remember being teenagers.  If you don't fall into one of those narrow categories, you may want to skip to another post.  But the rest of us will find this album a tasty treat.  Using a template artfully constructed from a vintage '70s mix of garage, glam, power pop and bubblegum, seasoning it with teenage angst and then glazing it with sugary hooks, this is the good times soundtrack for the start of your summer.

And while the hooks, energy and sweet glaze make all 12 songs worth your while, what makes this album a cut above others in the genre is just how well it is constructed.  Music that is direct and immediately pleasing isn't necessarily simple to make.  But on Symbolic Dream the performances and incredibly tight and the production spot on.  If you are wondering whether summer is here, this album likely will help you make up your mind.

The band is beginning a one-month tour in Europe next week.



Warm Soda, now located in Austin, Texas, is Matthew Melton, Austin Shockley, Max Eaton and Caleb Dawson.  Symbolic Dream is released by Castle Face Records.

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John Krautner - Fun With Gum Vol. 1

Are you confident enough in yourself to admit that sometimes bubblegum and glam sound really, really good?  Yes, I thought you were.  So we present John Krautner's Fun With Gum Vol. 1.  The Detroit rocker is a veteran of The Go and Conspiracy of Owls.  For this outing he has enlisted the assistance of Ben Luckett, Steve Nawara, and Justin Walker, and together they channel AM-worthy gooey tunes and crunchy chords.  This isn't the kind of music ones discusses at length; this is music that you just play while sitting back and with a big smile on your face.  You can stream the entire LP below.  If you only have time for two, I recommend "I Can Cry Too" and "Lion Eyes".

The little hidden gem here is the 'Vol. 1' designation.  Dare we think this means there will be more fun with gum in the future?



Fun With Gum Vol. 1 is out today on Burger Records on cassette, CD, and vinyl.  Digital downloads are available from iTunes and Amazon.

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Friday Nuggets - "Personality Crisis" The New York Dolls

The connection between 60's garage rock and 70's punk rock is a direct one.  But it isn't as if the lights went dim between 1968 and the introduction of the Ramones in 1976.
For example, after the Stooges and before the Ramones came the flamboyant New York Dolls whose 1973 eponymous debut was voted both the Year's Best and Year's Worst by the readers of influential Creem magazine. Glam, raw, hard rock and over the top in every way.

So our Nugget this week is a live TV performance from 1973 of "Personality Crisis":

The 1973 lineup of the New York Dolls was:

David Johansen – lead vocals, harmonica, gong
Arthur "Killer" Kane – bass guitar (deceased)
Jerry Nolan – drums (deceased)
Sylvain Sylvain – rhythm guitar, piano, vocals
Johnny Thunders – lead guitar, vocals (deceased)
 
The record was produced Todd Rundgren whom the band fought openly with throughout the recording (Johansen on Rundgren: "An expert on second rate rock 'n' roll." Rundgren: "Get the glitter out of your asses and play").

It doesn't get much more rock'n'roll than the New York Dolls.

REVIEW: Fortress Social Club - Dreamin' The Life

Fortress Social Club is an LA-based collective of creative, productive pop musicians led by vocalist Shawn Harris and guitarist Mykul Lee who record at The Fortress, a well-respected studio in Los Angeles, and who wear their influences and their intentions proudly on the outside. Whether it's British Invasion rock, the guitar jangle and choruses of 70's American power pop, some surf, doo-wop, or a bit of punk backbeat, they hold nothing back in their quest to make catchy music designed to make you have fun. Try this: play "I Had to Laugh" at your next gathering.

Here's the video:





At the risk of using "Beatlesque", well, hell, that one's just absolutely Beatlesque, in the most delightful way. It's Beatlesque in the way some of the best music of The Hollies and Big Star was. Fortress Social Club has a way with a nice variety of pop hooks, guitars and choruses - you'll find yourself nodding, bobbing and singing along as the stuff grows on you. As a rock vocalist, Harris is a star - sort of a cross between Marc Bolan and John Lennon. And Lee's guitar is in the grand California surf-rock tradition of artists like Dick Dale. But there's so much more than just guitar and vocals going on, and that's what makes this album so much fun to come back to. Horns, harmonicas and even a British lady doing a countdown, they've thrown in everything but the kitchen sink.

Here's the lead track "Business By Day, Business By Night":



It's pop/punk - definitely further along toward the pure pop side, but with enough backbeat and swagger to make me recommend it to those of you who like your guitar pop flavored with punk, surf, glam and similar leavenings. And a lot of the songs on this record just swing with abandon. Fortress Social Club are talented, and clearly having a great time. And that's when some of the best albums are made.

The album's out June 18.

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REVIEW: Burnt Ones - You'll Never Walk Alone

You'll Never Walk Alone, the sophomore LP from San Francisco's Burnt Ones doesn't bother to choose whether it is garage, glam or psychedelic album.  It is all three, in varying degrees depending on the track.  It also is an album that is thematically introspective and dark, but generally vibrant musically.  It starts out with the stately 80 seconds of "Glitter Death", but then kicks into gear with "Web" psychedelic song featuring a bouncy bass line.  The garage/glam strain gets even stronger with "Freak In The Fog", then turns a bit more psychedelic again with "Hologram Dropouts" and "Vision Forever".  But the glam that always is bubbling at least near the surface takes center stage in standout track "Fountain of Youth" --



"Clock" is a glorious, triumphant slice of glittery psych-pop.  Then "I Care - I Don't Care" takes the glittery psych-pop and layers on a bit of bubblegum.  "Getting Brighter Blues" and "Country Mouth Honey" have quieter moments, but never leave behind the confident drums and bass, chunky guitar riffs or soaring harmonies.  The album closes with the "Move On", an excellent tune performed at a slow tempo but which always seems ready to bust loose.

It seems to me that in infusing life into the San Francisco garage scene Burnt Ones have added some spice from the T. Rex and Mott the Hoople section of the cupboard.  And from the vantage point of my listening chair, the choice of seasoning seems inspired.  I'm a garage rock fan, but I must admit that often a garage rock album is as good as it is going to get in the first listen.  The varied textures and quality songwriting of You'll Never Walk Alone result in a garage rock album that allows for increased appreciation with repeated listens.



Burnt Ones are Mark Tester, Amy Crouch and Brian Allen.  You'll Never Walk Alone is out today on Burger Records.

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REVIEW: Warm Soda - Someone For You

From its opening notes until it ends less than half an hour later, Someone for You, the debut album from Warm Soda, immerses the listener in up-tempo songs full of glammy power pop hooks.  And I dare say, unless you are mostly dead you will be very happy to swim in Warm Soda's pool.  The set up is simple enough -- a quartet consisting of Matthew Melton (vocals), Chase Oren (bass), Rob Good (guitar) and Ian McBrayer (drums) and the sound is classic.  From the punky garage of opener "Violent Blue" to the power pop of the title track to the deliciously gritty bubblegum of "Jeanie Loves Pop", these are the sounds we anticipated from our radios when ... well ... back when we paid attention to radios.  The songs are just long enough to make an impression, and never so long as to wear out the welcome for the simple melodies.  And you didn't mind the narrow playlists because the songs were songs that you wanted to hear often.  This is music to play in your car with the windows down on that first day of real spring.  And we always need music like that.



Matthew Melton founded Warm Soda soon after his former band, Bare Wires, suffered a messy on-stage break up at SXSW 2012.  In a short time, he announced the new project, and a year later we have physical evidence that all is good in Matthew's musical world.  And that makes things better in our musical world.



Warm Soda has been touring to support the album.  The remaining dates are:

4/6 - CHICAGO IL - SPACE CLUB
4/7 - MILWAUKEE WI- LOOKOUT FEST
4/8 - MADISON WI - GOOD STYLE SHOP
4/9 - FARGO ND - THE AQUARIUM 
4/12 - SEATTLE WA - THE COMET w/WHITE MYSTERY, NIGHT BEATS
4/13 - PORTLAND OR - BENDER FEST
4/14 - ARCATA CA - THE FACEMENT
4/20 - SAN FRANCISCO CA - BRICK & MORTAR w/ WHITE MYSTERY

Someone for You is out now on Castle Face Records.

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REVIEW: Team Spirit - Team Spirit EP

If you love raucous power pop with great energy, a plenitude of hooks and a genuine sense of fun, then the five-track, self-titled, EP from New York's Team Spirit should be first on your list for your April 9 trip to the record store.  The bass lines are wonderfully thick, the two-guitar attack shredtastick, and the vocals combine glam half-scream with power pop choruses.  An up-tempo party album for 2013? Sure, thanks to your about to be overworked repeat button.

Try it out on "MRDR It's Ok" --



Ayad Al Adhamy, who has toured with Passion Pit and runs his own indie label (Black Bell Records) apparently formed Team Spirit to get back to his guitar rock roots.  I hope he likes how the project has evolved, because I certainly do.

The opening track --



Team Spirit is Ayad Al Adhamy (lead vocals/guitars), Cosmo Kilburn DiGiulio (guitars), Roman Tobias Pettigrew (backing vocals/bass), and Mike Addesso (drums).  The EP is released on Vice Records.

One of the tracks, "F*ck the Beach", boasts an official video created by Swedish animators Hannes and Johannes.  Be forewarned, it is decidedly NSFW --


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New Welsh Glam/Punk Discovery: Beard of Wolves - new EP, video, free download

Beard Of Wolves are a North Wales duo playing heavy glam/punk/metal. If you like to consider what old T Rex, filtered through industrial stuff like Depeche Mode, might sound like, give this a listen. The single ‘Wet Mouth’ is out now on limited edition 7" white vinyl through the Too Pure singles club. The new track ‘My Father Drives The Death Star’ is also available to download for free:

Beard Of Wolves self-titled EP was released March 18, and the band also released a video for another track. Here's "Wet Mouth":

More music and more tour dates to come soon. The band claims that playing live is their real love: "We wanted BOW to be fun to play live before anything else. If people can see you're into it, they're more inclined to take notice of you. And that's what we want. We want people to take notice, we want people to watch us play live, lots of them"

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New High-Energy Guitar Rock Discovery: All Sensory Void - Relax Man You're Actually Just Energy Condensed To A Slow Vibration

With that reassuring (and true, as far as it goes) title, Nico Blues member Eric Goldberg (aka All Sensory Void) embarks on a terrific six-song pop/punk journey. Guitars and vocals are very good, and the pace is exhilarating. I like the growling guitar in the leads, and I like the slashing guitars behind the chorus in songs like "Essentially Existential". Yeah, I just like guitars. So this is right in my sweet spot.

Here's the first track, "All Sensory..."




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REVIEW: Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic

We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic is Foxygen's second record, and the first proper album from the San Francisco duo (Sam France, Jonathan Rado). And it's terrific, a real joyride through various rock and pop styles - you will see various sources throughout the music press try to name them all, and the fun part is that they are probably all correct:  Mick Jagger/early Stones, Lou Reed/VU, 60's Elvis, Dylan, Eric Burdon/Animals... and I'm just getting started.

Lead singer France sounds a bit like he's singing through a filter, but his voice comes through fine, if that makes any sense. To me, this record works fine as a pastiche of found old rock sounds, but it works better as something completely new - hence the title. Foxygen are not the 20th century ambassadors of peace and magic - hippies and acidheads - they are something more self-aware and their music is more consciously constructed, but no less fun for that.

To go through song-by-song would take quite a while, but suffice it to say that I really love the countrypolitan-meets-John Wesley Harding-era Dylan-meets Metamorphosis-era Stones touches of "No Destruction" (piano on the beat, gently chugging rhythm and softly sighed backing vocals on the choruses, to name a few). There are so many truly delightful touches to this record, they would be impossible to list... and I'm certain I'd miss some. In a way, I'm reminded of Paul's Boutique - and the fact that people are still cataloging the references and artistic debts in that sucker has in no way limited our 23 years of enjoyment.

It's impossible to resist the instant recall most of these songs cause - "San Francisco", with its Summer of Love vibe (and lyrical references), is an example. But it's also an example of how they're having fun::

I left my love in San Francisco
[female response vocal] "That's okay, I was bored anyway"
I left my love in a field
"That's okay, I was born in L.A."

Video for "San Francisco":





And "Shuggie" is a little masterpiece of psychedelic funk with some glam/soul touches - it engages in the kind of gear-shifting that characterized last year's Take The Kids Off Broadway, and ends with a sing-along chorus:





They've come a long way in less than a year, since Take The Kids first showed up - and this record is bursting with creativity and really wonderful sounds. It makes you want to allow yourself some optimism about what their next step may be - Foxygen certainly has left a lot of doors open for themselves, and demonstrated a ton of talent.

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