Tag Archives: synth pop

Album review: JOHNNY HATES JAZZ – Wide Awake

Posted on June 11, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

[Release date 14.08.20] Johnny Hates Jazz’s return in 2013 was well received, with a comeback album ‘Magnetized’ gathering airplay and even a short tour in 2016 (when we saw them in downtown Darwen Library Theatre) and a handful of festival … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview | Tagged 80s, album, Clark Datchler, eighties, interview, Johnny Hates Jazz, Mike Nocito, pop, pop rock, review, synth pop, Wide Awake | Leave a comment

Album review: CHRIS ROSANDER – King Of Hearts

Posted on May 10, 2020 by jason

AOR Heaven [Release date 26.06.20] Christian Rosander is a 22-year-old musician and songwriter from Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. Since he was 14 years old, he’d been writing songs in the AOR/Melodic and Westcoast genre. To be fair you’d been pretty certain the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, AOR, AOR Heaven, Chris Rosander, King Of Hearts, melodic rock, review, synth pop, Toto | Leave a comment

Album review: THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE – Diamonds

Posted on April 26, 2020 by jason

Metropolis Records [Release date 27.03.20] Diamonds is the eighth studio album from Canadian gothic rock outfit The Birthday Massacre. That genre embraces a whole range of musical styles, of course, and the influences here lean heavily towards the electro-pop end … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, Diamonds, electro, gothic, pop, review, rock, synth pop, the Birthday Massacre | 1 Comment

Album review: MISSING PERSONS featuring Dale Bozzio – Dreaming

Posted on April 6, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Cleopatra Records [Release date 20.03.20] A ‘household name’ back in the early days of MTV – as lead singer of Missing Persons – Dale Bozzio is said to have influenced Lady Gaga via Madonna. Also known for her work with … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, Dale Bozzio, Dreaming, electronica, Missing Persons, review, synth, synth pop | Leave a comment

Album review: LEAGUE OF LIGHTS – In The In Between

Posted on February 9, 2020 by jason

Website [Release date 27.09.19] Second album from League Of Lights, who are the husband and wife duo Farrah and Richard West – the latter best known for being a member of Threshold. Their self-titled debut album released back in 2011, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, Farrah West, In The In Between, League Of Lights, pop rock, progressive, review, Richard West, rock, synth pop, Threshold | Leave a comment

Album review: ROBERT HART – Pure

Posted on February 6, 2020 by jason

Escape Music [Release date 20.02.20] Vocalist Robert Hart sang on one of my all-time favourite albums, ‘Under The One Sky’ by The Distance, added to his solo album ‘Cries & Whispers’ is still revered in AOR circles. He has also … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, AOR, Bad Company, classic rock, FM, funk, Power Station, Pure, review, Robert Hart, rock, synth pop, Tommy Denander | Leave a comment

Quick plays: KIWI JR, OF MONTREAL

Posted on January 22, 2020 by jason

KIWI JR. – Football Money Persona Non Grata [Release date 17.01.20] Kiwi Jr. hail from Canada and feature Alvvays’ guitarist Brian Murphy amongst their ranks, with the group’s main songwriter being Jeremy Gaudet. They pack it in with ten songs … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Alvvays, Football Money, indie pop, Kevin Barnes, Kiwi Jr, of Montreal, pop, quirky, review, synth pop, ur fun | Leave a comment

Album review: SPARKS – Past Tense: The Best Of Sparks

Posted on November 12, 2019 by jason

BMG [Release date 08.11.19] For many people of a certain age Sparks are famed for the high vocals and scary looking bloke on the keyboards, yet there is so much more to their music aside from the big hits ‘This … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, best of, classic rock, dance, Franz Ferdinand, pop, quirky, review, rock, Ron Mael, Russell Mael, SPARKS, synth pop | Leave a comment

Album review: SPARKS – Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins

Posted on November 10, 2019 by jason

BMG [Release date 01.11.19] ‘Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins’ originally came out in 1994 and came after a six year gap by Sparks since 1988’s ‘Interior Design’ album. The band were said to be on hiatus, something Ron Mael takes … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, Reissues | Tagged album, Christo Haydon, dance, Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins, pop, quirky, review, Ron Mael, Russell Mael, SPARKS, synth pop, Techno | Leave a comment

Gig review: SQUEEZE – New Theatre, Oxford, 25 October 2019

Posted on October 26, 2019 by jason

A packed out New Theatre were eagerly awaiting Squeeze, however before the main event we had Heaven 17, a band who had plenty of chart success in the early-mid 80’s. Still featuring two thirds of the original line-up in vocalist … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Chris Difford, classic pop, concert, gig, Glenn Gregory, Glenn Tilbrook, Heaven 17, New Wave, Oxford, pop, pop rock, review, singer songwriter, Squeeze, synth pop | Leave a comment

Gig review: FLIGHT BRIGADE – Telford’s Warehouse, Chester, 4 October 2019

Posted on October 5, 2019 by GRTR! HQ

What’s not to like? An architecturally interesting venue for food, drink and music. A beer festival. And a free gig!! The first thing you might say about Flight Brigade, two days into a 14-date tour, is “where are the girls?”. … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 4 October 2019, alternative, Chester, eighties, Flight Brigade, gig, indie, pop, review, synth, synth pop, Telford's Warehouse | Leave a comment

Album review: SWIM DEEP – Emerald Classics

Posted on September 9, 2019 by jason

[Release date 04.10.19] Swim Deep formed in 2011 and their first two albums made the UK album charts. However, last year they were sat at a crossroads in their local pub – The Emerald, from which the album takes its … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, dream pop, electro pop, Emerald Classics, indie pop, melodic, OMD, Pet Shop Boys, pop, review, Ride, Swim Deep, synth pop | Leave a comment

Album review: BERLIN – Transcendance

Posted on August 21, 2019 by GRTR! HQ

Cleopatra Records [Release date 16.08.19] OK, hands up who can name a Berlin number other than ‘Take My Breath Away’? I certainly can’t, and I used to have a vinyl copy of their 1984 album Love Life. But to be … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, Berlin, pop rock, review, synth pop, Teri Nunn, Transcendance | Leave a comment

Album review: PRINCE – Originals

Posted on June 9, 2019 by jason

Warner Brothers Records [Release date 07.06.19 exclusively on Tidal, 21.06.2019 CD, vinyl, streaming] In this multi-platform, content driven age it would be hard to imagine an artist ever producing too much material but such were his prolific studio habits, that … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, funk, Kenny Rogers, Originals, pop, pop rock, Prince, rarities, review, rock, Sinead O'Connor, synth pop, The Bangles, The Time | Leave a comment

Album review: THE BETA MACHINE – Intruder

Posted on April 6, 2019 by jason

T-Boy/UMe [Release date 29.03.19] The Beta Machine hail from Los Angeles, led by A Perfect Circle’s rhythm section of bassist, vocalist and keyboardist Matt McJunkins and drummer Jeff Friedl. They are joined by vocalist Claire Acey and guitarist and keyboardist … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged A Perfect Circle, album, alternative, Depeche Mode, Electronic Rock, Intruder, review, rock, synth pop, the Beta Machine | Leave a comment

Album review: PHIL VINCENT – Hypocrite

Posted on March 5, 2019 by jason

Rock Company [Release date 27.02.19] Hot on the heels of the recently released second album from Cranston, Phil Vincent releases his twenty first solo album. Yes that’s right, 21 solo albums in addition to his work on the aforementioned Cranston, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, D'Ercole, Hypocrite, melodic rock, metal, Phil Vincent, review, rock, synth pop, Tragik | 1 Comment

Album review: MAGIC DANCE – New Eyes

Posted on December 30, 2018 by Davoski

Frontiers Music [release date: 07.12.18] Prime driver for this melodic rock/AOR outfit is Jon Siejka who created Magic Dance as a solo project in 2012. ‘New Eyes’ follows an earlier album ‘Vanishings’ and is the first output since the band … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, AOR, Jon Siejka, Magic Dance, melodic rock, New Eyes, review, synth pop | Leave a comment

Album review: LEFT WITH PICTURES – Afterlife

Posted on February 29, 2016 by jason

Organ Grinder Records [Release date 29.04.16] Left With Pictures describe their music as an orchestral pop ensemble. They have been around since 2005 and consist of Tom Walker, Toby Knowles and Stuart Barter. They have released a series of EP’s … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged Afterlife, album, atmospheric, classical, Left With Pictures, Organ Grinder Records, pop, review, synth pop, synths | Leave a comment

Gig review: SIMPLE MINDS and ULTRAVOX, O2 Arena, London, 30 November 2013

Posted on December 1, 2013 by jason

Simple Minds, Liverpool Empire, 20 April 2013

It’s an 80’s revival tonight with one of the 80’s big stadium bands Simple Minds headlining, but first we had Ultravox who had their own series of hit singles in the early to mid-80’s. They reformed with their classic line-up … Continue reading →