Category: Singles Only

Singles: Radio Days, Justine and The Unclean, The Sorels, Ken Sharp, Cult Stars From Mars

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Lots of goodies to comb through to satisfy that power pop fix. Italy’s finest import Radio Days teases us with a ballad, then Boston band Justine and The Unclean misses those great drinks I used to get at bars near Faneuil Hall. On a similar party note; The Sorels just can’t wait for the winter to end with this rockin’ theme. Ken Sharp covers Kiss luminaries Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, so those debates about “Is Kiss power pop?” can start all over again. Cult Stars From Mars are created from the ashes of legends Fuzzbubble. This is top-shelf power pop, and if you want a freebie; check out their One Chord Progression.


Singles and EPs: The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club, Nerd Magnet, Squire, Devon Kay, The Unswept, The Dowling Poole, Katie Kuffel

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So much singles goodness here, starting with the strong riffs of The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club. The Nerd Magnet (from Japan) also delivers crunchy guitar goodness that will attract power pop fans. Squire recalls a bit of the ’80s rhythm with that echoing jangle and a Beatlesque composition. Devon Kay & The Solutions has rich harmonies and a catchy chorus that made me like them “a little bit.” Our EPs feature The Unswept covering some power pop greats and The Dowling Poole has a fitting tribute to our former President. Katie Kuffel is releasing “1999” as a wistful look at parent-child relationships. Enjoy!

New Year, New Singles: The Morning Line, Ken Sharp, Jeremy Porter and The Tucos, The Click Beetles, Baby Scream

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While I plan to write several reviews about albums I missed in 2020, that doesn’t mean we don’t recognize that new music is already here. Enjoy these brand new singles from some of my favorites! 

 

The Top 10 EPs of 2020 and some final singles

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The Top 10 EPs from 2020

    1. Aaron Lee Tasjan “Found Songs Vol.1”
    2. Brad Marino “False Alarm”
    3. The Unswept “The Codependent EP”
    4. Cliff Hillis “Life Gets Strange”
    5. Dear Stella “Time Zones”
    6. The Lickerish Quartet “Threesome Vol. 1”
    7. The Amplifier Heads “The Man With The Sun For A Head”
    8. The Blakes “Readymade Blakeup”
    9. Jim Trainor “Glass Half Full”
    10. Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves “Corona Drive” and Mike Gibson “Never Seen Star Wars”

Still digging out of 2020. I enjoy this month because I get to see all the other bloggers’ lists and compare. I know there are always a couple of gems out there I missed. I already have some new music for 2021, but first I will try to review some of the LPs that missed the list. In the meantime, enjoy this last pack of 2020 singles:

Name Dropping 101: Matthew Sweet, The Stars Explode and me

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Matthew Sweet has released a new single titled “Stars Explode” from the forthcoming album Catspaw, due to release through Omnivore Recordings on January 15, 2021.

“Recently, I heard a song called ‘Matthew Sweet’ by a band from Chapel Hill, N.C. named The Stars Explode. I was flattered and liked the song and their band name, so I decided to use it in my song “Stars Explode.” The music ‘arrived,’ so to speak, together with the title. I’ve always been interested in Space and the greater nature of things; I love the concept that “we are all stardust.” I explored that idea in the lyrics. ‘Stellar winds she comes riding upon/with a nebulous intent…’ The female character here is sort of a Mother Nature of the Cosmos—maybe the queen of the universe! The way I come in singing that repeated note in the first verse reminded me a little bit of something Neil Young might do melodically. I had a lot of fun with the lead guitars on this one too.” —Matthew Sweet

 


Here is the track “Matthew Sweet” by The Stars Explode. Incidentally, the same band was also responsible for writing and recording the theme song for my power-pop show on 11L Radio New York International back in 2012. That’s only 3 degrees of separation!