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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: SOUTH OF SALEM – Thekla, Bristol, 27 March 2025
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Gig review: JIZZY PEARL’S LOVE/HATE – The Underworld, Camden, March 13 2025
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Gig review: GRAHAM GOULDMAN – Cadogan Hall, London, 20 March 2025
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Gig review: THE DARKNESS – G Live, Guildford, 11 March 2025
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Gig review: FISH – O2 Academy, Glasgow, 9 March 2025
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Gig review: WILL WILDE- 100 Club, London, 4 March 2025
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Featured Album Reviews
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Tag Archives: pop rock
EP review: THE LICKERISH QUARTET – Threesome Vol. 3
Lojinx [Release date 20.05.22] The Lickerish Quartet – ex-Jellyfish members Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (Beck, Imperial Drag), Tim Smith (Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Finn Brothers) and Eric Dover (Imperial Drag, Slash’s Snakepit, Alice Cooper) – release their third … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged ELO, EP, Jellyfish, pop rock, power pop, review, rock, Supertramp, the Lickerish Quartet, Threesome Vol. 3
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Single review: THE PETAL FALLS – Somebody to Love Me
Website [Release date 29.04.22] It’s no secret that I am a fan of this band since reviewing the band’s debut album, ‘Workin All Night, Workin All Day’ released during lockdown, and the follow up album last September, “All These Years” … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Keith Leahy, melodic rock, pop rock, review, rock, single, Somebody to Love Me, the Petal Falls
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Album review: NANAUE – 281F
Rattsburg Records [Release date 26.11.21] www. nanaue.com Based on the liner note, it seems this project has been some 11 years in the making. Evidently one of those internet phenomenons with recording bounced across Italy, Spain and Belgium. The main … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 281F, album, classic rock, Emiliano Deferrari, Matteo Nahum, Nanaue, pop rock, progressive, review
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Album review: CIRCLE OF FRIENDS – The Garden
Escape Records [Release date 25.03.22] ‘The Garden’ is the album put together by Bruce Mee (of Fireworks magazine) as a tribute to his mother, who died of cancer in 2020. The studio project is called Circle of Friends because the … Continue reading
Album review: CHIP Z’NUFF – Perfectly Imperfect
Frontiers [Release date: 18.03.22] New solo album from Grammy nominated musician, Chip Z’Nuff. As much of today’s pop and rock degenerate into pro-tooled, prefabricated, flatpack blandness, Z’Nuff makes the case for home made, rough around the edges rock. He’s still … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Beatles, Cheap Trick, Chip Z'nuff, Enuff Z'Nuff, Joel Hoekstra, Mott, pop rock, Powerpop, review
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Quick plays: TAYLOR YOUNG BAND, AUTUMN’S CHILD
TAYLOR YOUNG BAND Mercury Transit Handrawn Records [Release date 08.10.21] Taylor Young drummed for the likes of The O’s, Young Heart Attack and Polyphonic Spree. Now he takes on the role of band leader and is joined by guitarist, vocalist … Continue reading
Book review: On Track…ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA by Barry Delve
Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 03.12.21] After a highly readable book on Queen a couple of years ago Sonicbond now publish a book based on my other all-time favourite band the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). Wisely Barry Delve focusses solely on … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged Barry Dalve, Bev Bevan, book, classic rock, Electric Light Orchestra - Every Album, ELO, Every Song, Jeff Lynne, melodic, pop, pop rock, review, Roy Wood, Sonicbond Publishing
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Album review: PEPPERKID2 – Adventures In Pepperland
Website [Release date 12.11.21] Pepperkid2 is the brainchild of FM’s keyboardist Jem Davis. Joining Jem is Mike Dyer (Grand Slam) as the main vocalist/co-writer. Also appearing on the album is Dyer’s fellow Grand Slam band member guitarist Laurence Archer, along … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Adventures In Pepperland, album, Cats In Space, FM, Grand Slam, Jellyfish, Jem Davis, melodic, pop rock, power pop, review
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Album review: RADIO STARS – Broadcasting To The Nation
Easy Action [Release date 3.12.21] Cherry Red’s superb 2017 “Thinking Inside The Box” set appeared to be the final word on Radio Stars, compiling both albums, singles/rarities and BBC sessions. The emergence of an unreleased third album on Easy Action … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Andy Ellison, Broadcasting To The Nation, Marc Bolan, pop rock, Radio Stars, review, rock
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Book review: Please Please Tell Me Now – The Duran Duran Story by Stephen Davis
Hachette Books [Publication date 15.07.21] Renowned American music biographer Stephen Davis is probably best known for the excellent “Hammer of The Gods” Led Zeppelin biography, but he has also written outstanding books on the likes of Aerosmith, Guns n Roses … Continue reading
Album review: THE VAPORS – Waiting For The Weekend (The United Artists & Liberty Records Recordings)
Cherry Red Records The original recordings by The Vapors have been largely unavailable on CD for many years. Cherry Red / RT Industries address this perfectly with a comprehensive 4CD set, which not only rounds up both albums and all … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars, Reissues
Tagged box set, Bruce Foxton, Cherry Red Records, Howard Smith, New Wave, pop, pop rock, review, The Jam, The United Artists & Liberty Records Recordings, The Vapors, Waiting For The Weekend
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EP review: ANDY PARTRIDGE – My Failed Songwriting Career Vol. 1
Ape House [Release date 23.7.21] When XTC was put on hiatus following 2000’s “Wasp Star”, Andy Partridge decided it was time to write for other artists. A number of successful co-writes came to fruition (Steven Wilson, Pugwash, Miles Kane), along … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Andy Partridge, Dukes of Stratosphear, EP, melodic, My Failed Songwriting Career Vol. 1, pop, pop rock, quirky pop, review, XTC
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EP review: COUNCIL – It Runs In The Blood
Facebook [Release date 17.09.21] Council is made up of the 3 brothers Reeves (Andy, Doug and Pat) who traded in a life of farming to pursue their true dream: writing and performing music. Last year’s EP was highly impressive and … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Council, electronica, EP, Imagine Dragons, It Runs In The Blood, melodic, pop, pop rock, review
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Album review: CATS IN SPACE – Diamonds (The Best Of)
Harmony Factory [Release date 10.09.21] The last time I saw CiS was in December 2019 – little did we know that a few months later the live music scene would change dramatically. A pre-Xmas gig it certainly emphasised just how … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Cats In Space, compilation, Diamonds, pop rock, review, The Best Of
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Album review: BARENAKED LADIES – Detour de Force
Raisin’ Records [Release date 16.07.21] It has been four years since Barenaked Ladies released their excellent ‘Fake Nudes’ and like many artists it was started before the outbreak of the pandemic, which delayed its completion and has played havoc with … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Barenaked Ladies, BNL, Detour de Force, folk, pop, pop rock, quirky pop, review
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Album review: TRAGEDY – Disco Balls To The Wall
Napalm Records [Release date 30.07.21] It was a genius idea to take some classic disco and pop music hits from the 70’s and 80’s, add some very loud guitars into the mix and crank things up to the max. Fortunately, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Abba, album, Bee Gees, disco, Disco Balls To The Wall, glam rock, pop rock, review, rock, Tragedy
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Album review: VARIOUS ARTISTS – Rockets Of Love! Power Pop Gems From The 70s, 80s & 90s
Big Beat / Ace [Release date 25.6.21] Power pop collections are never going to be top sellers, so it’s encouraging to find Ace’s Big Beat imprint following up 2019’s “Come On Let’s Go” and last year’s “Girls Go Power Pop” … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Cheap Trick, compilation, Josh Rouse, pop, pop rock, power pop, review, Rockets Of Love!, the Knack
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Album review: ANDY McMASTER – Rays On The Water
Generally Speaking Records [Release date 09.04.21] Pianist, bassist, vocalist and songwriter Andy McMaster is a name best known as (alongside bassist, guitarist and vocalist Nick Garvey) a founder member of The Motors, a band who mixed pub rock and rock’n’roll … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Andy McMaster, melodic, pop rock, Rays On The Water, review, rock, Solo, The Motors
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Album review: RAY FENWICK – Playing Through The Changes Anthology 1964-2020
Ray Fenwick chatted to Get Ready to ROCK! Radio about his career and the anthology. Lemon Records/Cherry Red [Release date 30.04.21] Perhaps not the first name to be checked in a conversation about music front runners, British composer/guitarist Fenwick is … Continue reading
Quick plays: BADFINGER, CACTUS
BADFINGER No Matter What Revisiting The Hits Cleopatra Records [Release date 02.04.21] Badfinger were one of our greatest pop rock bands with a criminally short life-span, not least due to the sad demise of the band’s two main movers and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged ALBERT LEE, album, Badfinger, blues rock, Cactus, Carmine Appice, hard rock, Ian Anderson, No Matter What Revisiting The Hits, pop rock, review, Rick Springfield, Rick Wakeman, Sonny Landreth, Terry Reid, Tightrope, Todd Rundgren
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Album review: SERENADE THE STARS – Astronomy
Facebook Serenade the Stars are a Buckinghamshire based band consisting of vocalists Matthew Harman and Coral Smith, guitarist Damian Carruthers (who is also the band’s main songwriter), bassist James Wrigley and drummer James Burton. They formed back in 2017 and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Astronomy, Deacon Blue, Del Amitri, melodic, pop, pop rock, review, Serenade The Stars
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EP review: SINKA – Take Me To The Skies
Facebook [Release date 16.04.21] Sinka are Shaun Sewell-Sears (vocals & guitar), Matt Smith (bass) and Jack Wright (drums), who released a self-produced debut EP, ‘F.W.Y.K’ in April 2020 (which is well worth a listen and owning). For their new EP … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rising Stars, Single and EP reviews
Tagged alt pop, alt rock, EP, Muse, pop rock, review, Sinka, Take Me To The Skies
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Album review: LEAGUE OF LIGHTS – Dreamers Don’t Come Down
Eightspace Records [Release date 12.03.21] League Of Lights, the husband and wife duo of Richard (also a member of prog metal band Threshold) and Farrah West, return with their third album. As Farrah explains, “The album is about the past, … Continue reading
Album review: SOUNDS INCARCERATED – Unswitchable Hits Vol 1
Fool’s Paradise Records Hot on the heels of The Galileo 7’s “Decayed” release, Allan Crockford and Viv Bonsels (aka Sounds Incarcerated) from the band unleash a series of recordings originally created for Mister Unswitchable’s semi-regular online themed cover version events. … Continue reading
Album review: THE GOLD NEEDLES – What’s Tomorrow Ever Done For You?
Jem Records [Release date 19.02.21] The Gold Needles are onto album number three that features nine new original songs plus three covers including The Hollies ‘Have You Ever Loved Somebody’ and The Beatles ‘If I Needed Someone.’ Formed in 2015, … Continue reading
