Guitar Pop For Now People—Part 8
10 Recent Tracks + Music Reviewers/Publications
I don’t make many “Best Of…” lists, mainly because my opinions are too fluid—especially when it comes to music.
I immediately connect with some songs, while others take a few listens before they click. Some never do. A lot of that has to do with where my head’s at in any particular moment. Likewise, my relationship with a song can change over time depending on what’s happening in my life that month or year.
I also don’t really consider myself a music reviewer. I love it when people send me new music, but as you’ve probably noticed by now I tend to favor interviews. Which is why I rely on the many dedicated reviewers linked below and throughout this series.
As we head into Fall, I can’t imagine how hard it will be for those talented reviewers to create “Best Of 2023” lists.
From power pop and jangle to indie rock, punk, garage rock and beyond, there is a steady stream of amazing songs and albums being released around the world. Some of these bands are young up-and-comers with a fresh take on hooky rock and roll, while others have been perfecting their songwriting and sound for years or even decades.
The great news for fans like us is that those tracks are out there waiting to be discovered whenever we’re ready to hear them. You might even find a few below.
What’s Your Favorite Track From The List Below?
⚡️ Join the conversation in the comments! 💥
10 Recent Tracks and Music Reviewers/Publications
“Every new single out of the new Uni Boys solidifies their status as power pop scholars who can’t miss. The band offers up ‘Let’s Watch A Movie,’ a cut that splits the speakers between 20/20 and Milk n’ Cookies riffs before the band lets loose with a bit of Beach Boys surf-curled harmonies.” —Raven Sings The Blues
“One listen to Taking Meds' pre-release single for Dial M for Meds had me hooked— that’s all it took. ‘Memory Lane’ is a serious endorphin releaser, full of relentless groovy guitar work with just a bit of edge and an oh-so-smooth vocal melody.” —Dennis Pilon, Poprock Record
“The latest release by Tokyo’s Hazy Sour Cherry is a two song single that I highly recommend to fans of indie pop. …The second track is ‘Morning Routine,’ a song that displays the more punchy and speedy side of Hazy Sour Cherry.” —Add To Wantlist
“No Picnics are a collective from around the UK with even a Paris addition, but the base is London. The type of material that they have the freedom to write allows diversions into noisier territory, but it also allows some great guitar pop songs. ‘Your Stars’ is as great a single from that period or indeed now with its killer riff, but both ‘Cynic’ and ‘Dusty 45s’ are equally as splendid.” — I Don’t Hear A Single
“You can hear a certain homespun glow in first single ‘Waiting For A Cloud.’ It’s a starry-eyed piece of fuzz-pop that recalls bands like Teenage Fanclub or Yo La Tengo at their most ebullient.” —Tom Breihan, Stereogum
“Some of the coolest, sugar-rush indie pop from this one man gang out of Michigan (C-86 fans will undoubtedly dig it). The songs blur by and there’s more hooks than you’ll know what to do with so just listen and enjoy the breeze!” —Tim Hinely, Daggerzine
“Across its seven main songs and two bonus tracks, MIDI Bunny delivers some absolutely killer power pop where the genre’s conventions—straightforward chord progressions, snappy backbeat drums, clean and melodic vocals—don’t get in the way of the personal touches the band includes in the music.” —Lurien Zitterkopf, Merry Go Round Magazine
“Coming in on half a century of rock & roll, it might be argued that legendary singer/songwriter Graham Parker and his latest backing band the Goldtops have something to prove. On evidence of Last Chance to Learn the Twist, however…nah.” —Michael Toland, Big Takeover
“[The album] doesn’t let its foot off the gas with ‘Power Lines’ another jangly, up-tempo winner. This is vintage power pop done right, and even the melodic harmonies on ‘Call Me Up’ have a late ‘70s aura, with a solid guitar break akin to The Hudson Brothers.” —Aaron Kupferberg, Powerpopaholic
“‘She Don't Wanna Be Alone’ will appeal to fans of Baker's early power pop stuff. The track, co-written with Wyatt Funderburk, is pure pop at its finest. It finds Baker and Funderburk channeling their inner Beatles (in particular John Lennon).” —Lord Rutledge, Faster and Louder
Remember The Lightning—A Guitar Pop Journal
A new semi-annual music journal featuring some of today's best music writers on modern guitar pop, and talented modern artists on the music/genres that inspire them.
This series remains vital for all of us looking for new music to dig into.
I love the Photocopies (so prolific, yet so good!) but it's hard to top the Baker/Funderburk combo. Writing together brings out the best in both of them.