Sweet Madness - Made In Spokane 1978-1981 Volume 2

Why the hell didn't I know of this band sooner?  Why didn't all of us know of this band sooner (you can't blame music bloggers, because the "art form" didn't exist back then)?  I suppose the answer is that Spokane, Washington was no more a major music capital in the 1978-1981 span than it is today.  But during that time span Sweet Madness created a wealth of songs that strut the boundary where punk, garage, new wave and power pop join.  So at times they will sound like The Jam, and at times they will sound like The Clash, and there are definite strains of the British invasion and their Pacific Northwest brethren such as The Sonics, The Fastbacks and the Wipers.

Sweet Madness is Jan Gregor (vocals/guitar), John Robison (vocals/keys and synths), Mark Fenton (drums/backing vocals), and Don Lynd (bass/backing vocals).  Benefiting from two talented songwriters in Gregor and Robison, and solid vocals and musicianship throughout the lineup, their significant role in their area of the Pacific Northwest is that they were the first band to push past the rock and blues rock common in their area and fuse the underground sounds of new wave to their garage rock and punk.  Their songs are concise, sharp and focused.  Stuttering rhythms support spiky guitar lines and well-crafted lyrics.  Listening to this collection I can't help thinking that I'm listening to the greatest hits of some past band with decades of prominence and multiple major label albums.  The reality that this is the second fifteen songs from a short period of productivity of a Spokane, Washington band is mind-blowing.

Get a copy for Dad for Father's Day.  Then get a copy for yourself so you can discuss it with him, but really just because it is that damn good.  After a few spins, you likely will be motivated to chase down a copy of Volume 1.  I second that emotion.

The digital album is a mere $7 at the Bandcamp site below, at which you can stream the entire album.  The vinyl version is distributed via Seattle's Light In The Attic.










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Midnight World Pop Scout: Nova Heart and HoneyChrome

A few years ago we ran a weekly series briefly featuring artists and releases from around the world.  We thought this would be a good time to resurrect the series.  Today's artists are from China and Brooklyn.
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"Lackluster" from Nova Heart

 Nova Heart is a Chinese trio headed by Helen Feng (vocals/keys), with Bo Xuan (bass) and Shi Lu (drums).  Released last week, "Lackluster" offers a fresh take on icy electro pop.  The band will tour Europe in late June and July, including an appearance at Glastonbury.  An LP is coming in the fall.




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"Machine" from HoneyChrome

Brooklyn electronic/EMD wizard HoneyChrome will release the six-track EP All The Right Places on July 20.  You can sample "Machine" below (note that it is a free download), and you can pre-order the EP at the Bandcamp link.



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The Yellow Melodies - Students of Life: A Tribute to BMX Bandits

This delightful little release combines my love of discovering current indie pop talents with my passion for Scottish indie rock.  In the spirit of true international cooperation, we have Murcia, Spain's The Yellow Melodies with a tribute record for Glasgow's Duglas T. Stewart and his BMX Bandits, released by the excellent Canadian label The Beautiful Music, as brought to you by a blogger in Seattle, Washington.

Duglas Stewart was a central figure in the so-called C-86 movement of the mid-'80s, and the scene that produced Scottish bands Teenage Fanclub, Superstar and The Soup Dragons, among others. His BMX Bandits were purveyors of energetic indie pop with a sense of humor.  While never reaching beyond cult status, their rich catalog contains many fine songs.  Students of Life: A Tribute To BMX Bandits give a tasty twist to six of them.  While the songs are great, and I count myself a big fan of BMX Bandits, the stars here are The Yellow Melodies, who put a vibrant sheen on each track, with appealing hooks and great harmonies.  I encourage you to use the "replay" button, because this record with burrow further into your brain with each play, and you won't complain in the least.

The Yellow Melodies are Rafa Skam, Pilar Aparisi, Mar, and Jose Angel.  The CD of Students of Life: A Tribute To BMX Bandits is available from The Beautiful Music.  Vinyl can be found at the Spanish Distributor Sweet Grooves Records.  Digital Downloads at the Bandcamp link below.  You can stream the entire EP at the Soundcloud link.







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Soliti Turns 4: Free Anniversary Download from Soliti Music

It has been our pleasure to feature a number of releases from Soliti Music in the last few years.  The Helsinki label has a tasteful roster of artists spanning guitar pop, psychedelic, electronic, folk and shoegaze.  To celebrate their fourth anniversary, Soliti has made available a compilation of mostly exclusive covers by Soliti artists.  For example, Satellite Stories provides an excellent cover of Calvin Harris' "Outside".  Mumrunner reinterprets Stratovarius' "Speed Of Light".  The hard rocking Gim Kordon offers a stripped down version of The Sonic's hit "Psycho".  The recently formed The Ghost of Jack Nance contributes their feedback laden cover of The Shangri Las "Heaven Only Knows".  Streams of those tracks are provided below.  You can stream or download the entire compilation at the Soundcloud or Bandcamp links below.








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REVIEW: Mallee Songs - Natural Times

A while back we featured Gum Creek and Other Songs (here) from Mallee Songs, the solo recording project of Michael Skinner.  Now recording with a full band, Skinner has released Natural Times, a collection of songs he wrote in recent years.  I don't know how much press the album will receive, and I don't see any evidence that there is a big public relations budget.  So I'll carry some water to the millions who read this blog religiously and say this with the full weight of my formidable reputation: Natural Times is one of the best guitar pop albums of the year so far.  The songs initially appear relaxed and unassuming, but the melodies have an epic lyrical flow, with a generous helping of earworms.  The guitar lines are supple and engaging.  The atmosphere is both warm and melancholy -- an accepting look at life in all its facets.  The songwriting is masterful, touching on varied approaches to guitar pop without disrupting the soothing flow.  So there is psychedelia, dream pop, and a bit of country rock.  Folk rock touches abound, and a few tracks, such as "Water", seem to have crossed the big ditch from Dunedin, New Zealand. But as a whole, it is a wonderful and delightfully detailed tapestry.

Certainly, it is hard not to laud an album that contains not one, but several of my favorite songs of the year so far.  "Water", album closer "Nothing Abides", "Warm Breeze" and "Since the Kingdom" are all on my top songs playlist.  And that is before mentioning my favorite song on the album, "Christmas '93".

For my tastes, this is an excellent summer album.  I go out to the courtyard as the sun drops below the horizon, and listen to Natural Times on repeat while consuming several bottles of bone-strengthening IPA to recover from my recent cycling foibles.




Mallee Songs - Since the Kingdom from AVBadham on Vimeo.



In addition to Michael Skinner, Mallee Songs is Gerard Smith, Pascal Babare and James Allen.  Natural Times is available from Gaga Digi and at iTunes and Spotify, and in Europe the CD edition is available from Beko

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"Broken Doll" from Richard Thompson

I usually wouldn't refer to an active musician as a legend, but when you have put out quality music for as long as Richard Thompson, rules can be broken. A superb songwriter, and folk artist who easily transitions to rock, he has released over 40 album in group or solo guise.  His co-founding of Fairport Convention in the UK in his teens would have been enough to ensure a certain level of fame, but at this point that period is but one badge on a well-decorated chest.  His distinctive tenor and songwriting skills will again be on display on the upcoming LP Still.  Test drive album track "Broken Doll" below.




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"Trust Trust" by Knives At Noon

Dunedin, New Zealand's Knives At Noon were a band, then they weren't a band, and now after three years, three of the four original members have decided that they are a band again.  Given that history, it seems appropriate that their comeback track is a dark song about control issues in a relationship.  But in addition to being dark, the tune offers a great groove to accompany the post punk guitars and keys and vocals with a touch of grit.  Good stuff, and we look forward to more.

Knives At Noon are Tim McCartney (vocals/guitar), Tim Couch (drummer), and Oli Wilson (keys).  A bit later this year the band will release a new EP, for which this single is the title track.



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Finnmark! - Things Always Change

Things Always Change from Leeds, UK quartet Finnmark! seems to have dropped quietly on the indie landscape, and that is a sad thing as I find it a very, very enjoyable album.  Jangling guitar pop with echos of The Bats, spare but melodic keyboard and a pleasant baritone lead vocals.  There is a bit of Scandinavian melancholy which comes naturally to a band formed in, and spending a lot of time in, Sweden.  If you are an indie pop fan, you don't want to miss this one.

Things Always Change is available as a digital download at the Bandcamp link below (the limited edition CD version is sold out).





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The Sandwitches - Our Toast

In the ultra competitive blogging race for eyeballs, we constantly evaluate how to elevate our game to beat out our competition.  So today, we are offering lunch.  Yes, indeed, we have Our Toast from San Francisco's The Sandwitches.  Of course, you could argue petty details, such as the fact that this nine-course lunch isn't free, or that it isn't even edible, or taking refuge in the realm of pendants, that the name of the group is misspelled.   Well, life isn't perfect and it is about time that someone that owns their own internet device learns that hard fact.  Better now than after you move off you ex's sofa and go out in the real world.

So, are you staying for lunch?  What we have are three female vocalists and musicians (hence the sly spelling of the band's name) -- Heidi Alexander, Grace Cooper and Roxanne Young -- who make an appealing melancholy brand of quirky garage pop.  In a way, I think of their music as a bit of a public service.  They wallow in life's offenses, heartaches and sadnesses so you don't have to.  You can listen to Our Toast and say "well, that's taken care of", and get on with your life.  And you'll do it with a bounce in your step.  And there is no lack of humor, as evidenced by the fact that the decision that the band was toast led to the album title.  Song titles include "Play It Again Dick", "Sleeping Practice", "Dead Prudence", and "Personal Hell".

Our Toast is a very satisfying little treasure, whether consumed for lunch or dinner.  And use can store without refrigeration and reuse without heating.  It is available via Empty Cellar Records in vinyl, CD or digital download formats.  See the Bandcamp link for details and a full stream of the record.







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Milton Star - Things Fall Apart

Scots duo Milton Star have become a musical drug of choice for this writer.  Simple arrangements evocative of both the American west and the dark corners of your mind that one does not voluntarily confront.  Their current offering is "Things fall Apart".  Presented below in video form, it presents a surrender to hopelessness and a slide to the bottom, accompanied by waves of tremolo guitar an rolling piano from Alan "Lug" Wyllie and Graeme "Kid" Currie.

"Things Fall Apart" is available as a digital download on June 15.




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Bel Etage - Quiet Town / Lonesome Heartache Constellation

While listening to medical professionals drone on about the physical carnage of my recent bike crash and the various medicines being deployed, it actually occurred to me that it all would be much easier to take if it were sung by one of my favorite female indie vocalists, like Pam Berry.  Of course, I don't have a recording of Pam Berry telling me when to take pain killers, but I can bring all of you something much more useful for your lives -- Bel Etage.  Bel Etage consists of Ms. Berry and Lupe Núñez-Fernández.  Combining their formidable talents, honed in Black Tambourine, Withered Hand, Bart and Friends, Pipas, and Amor de Dias, among others, the duo brings a '60s sensibility to their melodic guitar pop.  The opener, "Quiet Town" is a slow-paced acoustic track with a slightly ominous undertone.  "Lonesome Heartache Constellation" is a brighter, more C-86 adorned tune.  Both will be a welcome edition to your summer days.

The record is out now on 7" vinyl or as a digital download.  If you crave the former, act fast.  By the way, there has been talk of an album from this combination, but the world is uncertain.  Grab this single while you can.





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Introducing: Jimi Charles Moody

Following a week of no posts due to my bicycle crash and subsequent journey through modern pain pharmacology, it seems appropriate to recommence activity with a singer songwriter about which we can write very little, because very little is known.  According to one theory, Jimi Charles Moody is the alter ego of an artist that has charted well in another guise.  We assume that he is in the UK, as that is where his publicist is based.  What we do know is that he has unleashed two very good songs this year.    He sounds to me like Kelvin Swaby of The Heavy, but I'm on drugs anyway.  The most recent is "Other Man".  The impassioned vocals, piano and organ, and big choruses may take you back to Joe Cocker or the heyday of Stax Records.  And Jimi, while we can feel your virtual pain on seeing your love with another man, we love the resulting song.

The other track is the earlier released "Blue Honey", which delivers a lighter touch on keyboard-driven soul rock.

Jimi Charles Moody has that voice that we hope for when we listen to new music, and the songwriting chops to showcase it appropriately.  This is great stuff, folks.





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Interruption of Music Babbling

The regular visitor to this site probably noticed that there have been no new posts for over a week.  The blog silence has nothing to do with a lack of interesting pop music, and everything to do with my mistakes and bad fortune riding my bicycle last Sunday.  Fatigue, a change in road conditions and lighting and a few other factors resulted in me flying over the handle bars and landing on my head and shoulder.  The result was two ambulance rides, a stay in the ICU of the regional trauma center, one operation, a concussion, a broken clavicle, six broken ribs, and a partially deflated and punctured lung.  It has taken this long to feel like thinking and writing about music.  I plan to ease back into it today.

Michael O - Really?

Michael Olivares is the frontman for The Mantles, one of our favorite Bay Area bands.  He has released some solo work recently, but I think Really? marks his first solo album.  And of course, it would be surprising if there was no similarity with The Mantles, but it is in no way another album from that group released under a new banner.  The introspection is more overt, the instrumentation more subtle.  Those twin shifts seem small in print, but when added to a more sedate pace you have, at least in terms I use, an album that lives inside your head more than outside your head.  That makes a difference in when and how I listen to piece of music.  For example, I'm writing this review after 10pm with a large IPA at my side, a dog at my feet and no light except the monitor.  It is that kind of album.  The triumph for Michael O is that  I feel very satisfied with this set up.  And when the album finishes, I expect I'll listen to it again (that likely will require another IPA, but we music writers are willing to suffer for our art).  Introspective but unsentimental bedroom pop with solid melodies and a bit of jangle.  This is good stuff.









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Sick Sad World - Fear and Lies

Seattle isn't really known for guitar pop, but it should be.  The Emerald City has a wealth of indie bands covering a wide range of styles.  Favorites we've covered in the past couple of years include Zebra Hunt, La Luz, Posse, Dude York, Seapony, Unlikely Friends, and Tangerine.  Now we are adding young Jake Jones, who records as Sick Sad World, to the list.  Jake has assembled 11 of his songs on Fear and Lies, and we think it is a stunning debut.  Full of hooks and riffs, he spreads his songcraft over crunchy power pop, smeared '60s jams (for example, "Orange Lazarus" and "Being Weird") and raucous slacker pop with a few touches of swaggering glam.

This isn't the skatboarding Jones' first rodeo, as he is a vet of harder edged bands, but to our knowledge this is his first pop project.  His mastery of the vocabulary is obvious, but what makes it really special is his ability to put his own spin on guitar pop.  The result is songs with personality and an accessibility the inspires me to sing along (I apologize in advance to those within earshot).  Without being the least bit saccharine, they are sunny tunes that remind me of how happy I am that summer is here.  So I'll leave you to to sample the goods.  It is beer-thirty and I'm going down to the car, opening the sun roof and putting on Fear and Lies very loud.









Fear and Lies is out now via Seattle's Help Yourself Records.  Source the digital at the Bandcamp link or get the vinyl with a digital download at the next link down.  The record was recorded at Olympia's Dub Narcotic Studio with Jake playing all of the instruments.

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The Treasures of Mexico - Holding Pattern

As much as we would like to do so as fans, we can't will The Dentists back into existence.  But we have some excellent news for fans of that beloved '90s UK band -- The Treasures of Mexico are here.  The band includes former members of The Dentists Mark Matthews and Bob Collins, with the timekeeping duties handled by Russ Baxter.  Keeping the various projects of inveterate songwriters Matthews and Collins would take more time than I have, but to keep things straight, the 13 tracks on Holding Pattern are "Mark songs"  ("Bob songs" will be coming on the Bob Collins & the Full Nelson album coming soon), and the album started as a solo project.  Having invited Bob and Russ to join him, The Treasures of Mexico offer you the sort of delightful pop gems that underscore the second word in the band's name.  The songs are direct, melodic and energetic, the lyrics and themes well developed, and the performances are tight.  While the songs reflect adult concerns and a bit of a mature perspective, the songs remain bright and vital.  Depending on the song, listeners likely will find similarities to work by The Dentists, The Feelies, The Go-Betweens and The Wolfhounds.  And that range of references is deliberately broad, because Holding Pattern doesn't mine a single groove.  Some songs feature an aggressive pace and buzzing, crunchy guitars (e.g. "Dependence Day" and "Falling Over", and some songs feature jangling guitars dancing over a relaxed rhythm.  My favorite tracks at this point are "Holding Pattern", "Dependence Day", "Let's Start At The Beginning", "Tiny Lies", and "Stars".  You can sample a couple of those songs below.

Consider this album the shaggy dog that followed you home.  You didn't expect it, but you are happy it is here and want it to stay.






Holding Pattern is out now as a digital release from Shelflife Records.

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"High" from Royal Headache

One of the best items of music news I've heard in a long time is that Sydney's Royal Headache will release a new album, titled High, on August 21 via the What's Your Rupture? label, and will tour North America in support of the release.  Happily, rumors that the band had folded were incorrect.  For the virgins in the audience, Royal Headache unleashes melodic, high energy garage-punk and power pop with vocals that contain a strong vein of Stax-style soul.  The title track is the first single from the record and is available to stream below.  Give it a spin, order the album and then look at the tour dates and locations at the bottom of the post to see if you will get lucky in August.  I expect to be at opening night.



The album will be released via the What's Your Rupture label in North America and via the band's own Distant and Vague label in Australia.  Both labels are accepting pre-orders now.

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ROYAL HEADACHE TOUR DATES:
Mon. Aug. 10 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
Tue. Aug. 11 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
Thu. Aug. 13 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop *
Sat. Aug. 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Berserktown Festival
Mon. Aug. 17 – Austin, TX @ Red 7
Wed. Aug. 19 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle #
Thu. Aug. 20 – Detroit, MI @ UFO #
Fri. Aug. 21 – Toronto, ON @ Silver Dollar
Sat. Aug. 22 – Montreal, QC @ La Vitrola
Mon. Aug. 24 – Boston, MA @ The Great Scott #
Tue. Aug. 25 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade #
Thu. Aug. 27 – Baltimore, MD @ Windup Space #
Fri. Aug. 28 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA #
Sat. Aug. 29 – Brooklyn, NY @ Palisades #

* w/ Total Control
# w/ Sheer Mag

Expert Alterations - Expert Alterations EP

Expert Alterations have done some tailoring of my beloved jangle pop genre, and I must say the results are very flattering.  The Baltimore trio of Alan, Patrick, and Paul have stripped down the sound a bit to make it a bit more elemental.  It seems to me that the result add more effect to the elements that remain, giving it a scrappy, semi-punk flavor.  With equal parts of energy, melody and anxiety, their Expert Alterations EP is an quick and exciting listen.

The five song set begins with the racing pace, pounding drums and jangling guitar of "Venetian Blinds".  The following "Bell" begins with a Velvet Underground vibe, but then launches into full bore jangling.   Showcase track "Midnight Garden" sits in the middle of the record and provides its most fully realized moment.  "Memory Glands" and "Three Signs" close out the proceedings with all of the band's attributes -- and in particular the rhythm section -- on full display.

You may find resemblance to bands such as The Clean, Toy Love, The Wedding Present and Human Television.  If you are judged by the virtual company you keep, you can judge Expert Alterations a good band to keep your ears on.  We know we will.





Expert Alterations EP is out now on vinyl from Slumberland Records and Kanine Records.  You also can buy the digital at the Bandcamp link below.  Check your local record shop or hit the links below.

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Little Children - Traveling Through Darkness EP

Sometimes it is all about the children.  In this case, Little Children.  The band is centered around Linus Lutti, with contributions from Andreas Soderstrom and Mathias Bergkvist.  Known previously for collaborations with other artists, Little Children worked alone to record the Traveling Through Darkness EP, receiving the help of female vocalist Titiyo on but one track.   Comments by Lutti suggest that this record is the fruit of his personal mission to make music that represented his feelings and artistic vision.  Not knowing the man, I can only let him judge how well he succeeded in that goal, but from the perspective of this listener, these are excellent songs.

When I hit the play button for the first track, I knew nothing of Little Children.  Since I was working on some documents, I let the EP play in the background while I continued my business.  At some point -- I think during the second song -- I realized that I was listening to something special.  I put aside my work and began the EP again from the beginning.  The minor key melodies manage to be simultaneously cathartic and soothing.  The songs carry an emotional charge, but swathed in bright instrumentation and a propulsive rhythm track the overall effect is positive and memorable.  The sound is rich, with thick low-end bass and percussion and dancing high end synths.  And there is no mystery regarding the sweet spot for these songs, as Traveling Through Darkness EP is the best late night driving music I've heard in a very long time.





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The Catenary Wires - Red Red Skies

Sometimes heartbreak, disappointments and crumbling relationships can sound beautiful.  Well, maybe not if you are one on the participants.  But if you aren't, it can be grist for a beautiful set of music, as it is for Red Red Skies, the new album from The Catenary Wires.  The band consists of duo Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey, partners off the stage as well, who have worked together for decades in Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, Marine Research and Tender Trap.  Playing all of the instruments themselves and shedding the jangling electric guitars and pace of some of their earlier work for gentler tunes infused with quiet emotion, and a bit of humor, they have crafted a debut album of intense, melancholy beauty with a few dashes of impish pop joy.

Instrumentation includes guitars, keys, and bells, but the stars of the show are the vocals -- Amelia's fragile but clear highs and Rob's best Calvin Johnson croon.  Their differences blend well and give depth to the quality of their songwriting, as ably demonstrated on album opener "Intravenous" (stream below).  Other standout tracks include "When You Walk Away" and "Throw Another Love Song On The Fire" (see video version below).  The latter focuses on heartbreak, but in a way that pokes fun at songs about heartbreak.  I don't know whether that makes it a happy song or a sad song.  Maybe it is a happy sad song, but it is in any case a very good song and gives Rob a nice showcase for his vocals.  There is a lot to like in this mini album, and there is a lot of promise in the comfortable intensity of Amelia and Rob as a performing partnership.  I hope that this is just the beginning for The Catenary Wires.

Red Red Skies is out this week on Elefant Records in Europe and Matinee Recordings in North America.








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