June 14th, 2022
The Latest, Circling Back and more Playlisted music for your listening pleasure.
Hey y’all, it’s me again!
I don’t have a whole lot to say here, aside from inspiration to write these coming in fits and starts. This is a pretty jam-packed edition of the newsletter so I’m just going to let the music do the talkin’!
Enjoy some music, and as always let me know what you’ve been spinning these days on Twitter!
Malamute - Una Gran Decepción (2022, Intromúsica)
Power-pop indie-rock from Spain that sounds like That Dog and The Rentals on a Beach Boys bender. Makes me want to crack open a soda and sit in the sun while huge hooks, crunchy guitar riffs and earworm synths surround me for hours. Hit play on the album and within 15 seconds you’ll know what’s up.
B.A. Johnston - Werewolves of London, Ontario (2022, Self-Released)
The long-running Canadian songwriter is back with another stack of songs about uniquely Canadian yet oddly universal stuff like: eating wings on the wrong night, buying weed off a guy name Steve, sporadic dentist visits, and the comforting late-night friendship of a glowing Cannon Films logo (“The only logo I’d get as a face tattoo!”). The man deserves an award if you ask me. One of the best talents in all of the Great White North.
Smoking Room - Everything Ends (2022, Come to Brazil)
Genre-hopping debut from Mikey Phillips aka Smoking Room, based out of Brighton, UK. What starts as a 90s shoegazey indie-rock record quickly zooms out to reveal influences of post-hardcore, noise-rock, folk, dream-pop, and musique concrète. One of the most fascinatingly addictive records of 2022, easily. Like Pedro the Lion and Helvetia jamming in a practice space next door to a stoner metal band.
Graham Hunt - If You Knew Would You Believe It? (2022, Smoking Room)
In 2013, “King of Pop” by Midnight Reruns was one of those songs I listened into the damn ground. I kept my ears on the band as they released a few more records, but cut to this week when I hit play on If You Knew Would You Believe It? and was flooded with a vague feeling of familiarity. Where did I know this talent from? And it hit me, Graham Hunt, from Midnight Reruns! I’ve missed their other solo releases, but immediately this record impressed upon me that their knack for huge pop tunes has not diluted one bit.
Hot Pets - Trick Pony Run (2022, Self-Released)
My good friend Casey has re-teamed with Joey of their previous band Sitcom for this new project Hot Pets. Their debut single “Trick Pony Run” landed as a surprise the other day and I’m all about it. Casey is a wildly talented songwriter and I can’t wait to hear what is on the horizon… hopefully a full-length?! 👀
Adult Magic - Self-Titled (2019, Dead Broke Rekerds)
Any day is a good day to revisit this 2019 album of Superchunk-y indie-punk/pop from Adult Magic, a super-group of sorts featuring members of Broadcaster, Crow Bait and Iron Chic, plus a guest spot from the underrated Mimi Gallagher of NONA and Golden Apples.
Power Hour: Girls Against Boys
Been spinning a bunch of Girls Against Boys these days, and wondered aloud on Twitter recently… for a band that sat in such a perfect pocket of genres that have all had resurgences since they were active… where are all the bands that sound like GVSB? In my mind they are a wildly influential band, but when I try and pinpoint bands in my mind that sound like ‘em… I’m at a loss! Anyway, their catalogue is phenomenal and why not take the Power Hour above for a spin?
“Climbing Frame” by Mobiles off Self-Titled (1982)
Mobiles are well-known around synthpop circles for their moody and beautifully textured track “Drowning in Berlin” but this mid-album cut “Climbing Frame” is one that bounces between my ears at least once every few days lately.
📅 6 Albums a Year: 1985 - Present Date
I’ve fallen off my Twitter thread where I was picking 6 albums a year from my date of birth (1985) through to present day… but if you wanna peruse all the picks in one place, there’s a playlist for that.
📝 2022 Long List
If you want to keep track of every release that has caught my ear so far in 2022, there’s also a playlist I have for that! This long-list is used at the end of the year usually to make sure I am able to revisit stuff that didn’t land on my on-going heavy rotation list. It’s a lot to keep track of, but I recommend sorting the long-list so the latest additions appear at top. Either that, or shuffle to your heart’s content!
That’s it, that’s all. Be excellent to one other.