Guitar Pop For Now People—Part 10
10 Recent Tracks + Music Reviewers/Publications
Hard to believe this is the tenth installment of the series.
Here’s what I wrote in the intro to Part 1, before I knew it would become one of the most opened, read and shared features of this newsletter:
We are living in a guitar pop golden age.
There is so much great new music being released these days that it can be a little overwhelming. Fear not, there’s an army of dedicated reviewers and publications of all sizes out there tirelessly pointing us toward the best artists, albums and singles.
Below are 10 great tracks along with review quotes from a few music writers and/or publications that should definitely be on your radar. (Many of them probably already are, but the links are there just in case…along with embeds from Bandcamp, YouTube, etc..)
Any good scene is a thriving eco-system where talented artists deliver the songs, and dedicated music lovers help spread the word. Let’s support all of them to make this guitar pop golden age glow even brighter.
And I still stand by that.
As we barrel toward the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S.—followed by the rest of the seasonal festivities—I just wanted to thank YOU for supporting this newsletter and the semi-annual guitar pop journal that grew out of it.
Writing is a lot more fun when you find a cool group of people who read it, discuss it, and share it far and wide to invite more people into the conversation.
It has been an amazing first year at Remember The Lightning thanks to you.
What’s your favorite track below? Join the conversation in comments!
10 Recent Tracks and Music Reviewers/Publications
“While the track—reverently clocking in at just under the two-minute mark—coasts on jangling melodies and Bory’s soft vocals, (Brendan) Ramirez explains that the song masks some angst. ‘From a lyrical standpoint I think this is the pettiest I’ve ever gotten in a song,’ he admits. ‘I wrote it while trying to be level-headed and understanding about something that happened, being like It’s cool, I’m not even mad, but then after I wrote the song I was like, Damn maybe I am mad.’” —Mike Lesuer, Flood Magazine
“There is a certain energy that runs through Again, the kind of energy that buckles you in and prepares you for whatever is about to be thrown at you. What is being thrown at you is an onslaught of fuzzy guitar work and searing vocals that bring these audio files to life.” —Ryan Dillon, Glide Magazine
“Thanks to (Mo) Troper’s labor of love, they’re gathered into a proper record, one that speaks to both (Jon) Brion’s gifts as a songwriter and Troper’s own talents as a producer and performer. Fans of either artist—or of well-crafted vintage pop music in general—need to check this out.” —Chris DeVille, Stereogum
“The new Jean Caffeine single ‘I Don’t Want to Kill You Anymore’ is hilarious and earworm infectious. Disguised as an homage to early 1960s girl group twee pop, Caffeine roughs everything up, from the guitar to the deadpan, almost punk sensibility of the vocal.” —Dennis Pilon, Poprock Record
“In advance of his new LP, producer and songwriter Wyatt Funderburk returns with two singles. ‘November’ is very subtle and light, but the follow-up ‘You’ll Know’ is another gorgeous ballad that Wyatt does so well.” —Aaron Kupferberg, Powerpopaholic
“More than just a breakup song, ‘I Was Thinking About You’ describes what it's like to have an ex living in your head rent-free and the toll that can take on your day-to-day life. Of course the hook is pure gold, but literally everything about this song hits the spot.” —Lord Rutledge, Faster & Louder
“If thinking about The Giant’s Lawn as an Alien Lanes-ish mix of hits and strange interludes helps you understand it, Wurld Series certainly invites you to do so, especially early on, when the quartet offer up more than a few perfect guitar pop songs (the alt-rock chug of ‘Friend to Man and Traffic,’ the especially Guided by Voices-y shit-kicking melancholy of ‘Lord of Shelves,’ the deceptively affecting mid-tempo sparkle of ‘World of Perverts’) interspersed between the instrumental ‘The Giant’s Lawn Part I’ and the warped piano snippet of Britishness that is ‘The Pugilist.’” —Rosy Overdrive
“The enchanting jangle pop from the German band The Radio Field is a harmonious blend of bittersweet melodies with a subtle, at times, twangy undertone.” —Patrick Donders, Sweet Sweet Music Blog
“(‘Indie Rock Goddess’) is much more Indie Rock and all tongue-in-cheek attitude. The chorus is one of the best things that you will hear all year, a little American, a little Elastica or Sleeper. It is a top notch end to a top notch album.” —Don Valentine, I Don’t Hear A Single
“Marquette, Michigan’s Mike Maple has been making crunchy, fuzzy, hooky indie rock as the frontman of Liquid Mike for a little more than three years now. His music draws from a few ’90s influences (Weezer, Superchunk and Teenage Fanclub come to mind) with a decidedly Midwest sensibility and sense of humor. The band have been Robert Pollard prolific in their short lifespan so far—they released their self-titled fourth album earlier this year, and that was in addition to a handful of other singles and EPs.” —Bill Pearis, Brooklyn Vegan
Remember The Lightning—A Guitar Pop Journal, Volume 2
The second volume of our semi-annual music journal featuring some of today's best music writers and talented modern artists on the music/genres that inspire them.
Great set of tunes, as always!
I didn't know that Wurld Series had a new one out, so thanks for that. Also, it's time I gave the Radio Field album a proper listen.
The Radio Field & Juniper are my faves 👏👏