Honestly, tomorrow is just positively STACKED with stuff I want to check out. Kurt Vile! Iceage! Turnover! Greg Mendez! And even a band that I think is just slightly adjacent to MJ-core - Feeble Little Horse! But the impending release that has me positively wobbly-kneed is Board of Canada's Inferno. They've only teased one track so far -"Prophecy at 1420 MHz", but it SLAYS and has me SLAVERING for more. 🫠
What May 29th, 2026 release(s) do YOU have your ears & heart set on when midnight strikes?! 🔭👀
I'm really sorry folks, I got held up on a personal matter and now it's already the 29th. And I rather wastefully spent an hour last night on a comment describing the differences between the original version of Car Seat Headrest's Teens of Denial and the new version, subtitled Joe's Story.(TL/DR version: I shouldn't have bothered. Why did I do that? No idea.) So half the albums on my list are already fully-streamable now on Bandcamp... I've got 8 albums listed, and I haven't even started formatting them, so I guess the best thing to do is to post the ol' pick-of-the-week now and see how far I get on the others over the next couple of hours — they might have to wait until tomorrow, actually.
I'd never heard of Feeble Little Horse (the album is called bitknot) — it's fine, really, but it was released on Tuesday. Earlier I mentioned the new Teary mini-album, Your Way In, but somehow that got mixed up on the Tinnitist list and it isn't being released on the 29th after all — the Bandcamp page is saying it was released all the way back on May 1st, and I just never bothered to check back on it until yesterday. I guess they wanted to get theirs in between the Bleary and Deary albums, not bring up the rear (I'd actually thought shoegaze-pop bands were better than most at coordinating these things). It's a fine little record, but it's not quite as good as I thought it would be. Also, and I'm not sure I should mention this, but their lead singer is a guy. You'd never know it just to hear him, but I guess he's one of those alto-voice fellas, he has a beard and everything. So at least that distinguishes Teary from Bleary and Deary (both of whom have female lead singers). For some odd reason I'm vaguely disappointed by this.
Never mind all that though — it turns out the album I'm most keen on this week is from the not-quite-but-almost-geriatric set: It's the new comeback LP after 30 years by The Greenberry Woods, It's All Good, Sugar...
I don't love the album cover, but putting that aside for the moment, The Greenberry Woods were the early-90s American power-pop band started by Brandt and Matt Huseman, from Baltimore. (Where else?) They split up in 1995 after two albums, after which Brandt and Matt formed Splitsville, which I consider to be the quintessential greatest American power-pop band, like, of all time. They managed to get Splitsville back together for a reunion album last year called Mobtown, which was fantastic, but this album, released on the same label, might actually be better. (That's just a first impression, I'll have to listen to them both a couple more times and do an A/B comparison.)
Not a single track over 4 minutes, I might add! Honestly, these guys sound just as good as they did in the 90s, and I guess they've been saving up tunes for this because many of them are great, especially "The One That Makes You Happy" (track 9), which just happens to be the one that makes me happy, too.
Never mind all that though — it turns out the album I'm most keen on this week is from the not-quite-but-almost-geriatric set: It's the new comeback LP after 30 years by The Greenberry Woods, It's All Good, Sugar...
I don't love the album cover, but putting that aside for the moment, The Greenberry Woods were the early-90s American power-pop band started by Brandt and Matt Huseman, from Baltimore. (Where else?) They split up in 1995 after two albums, after which Brandt and Matt formedSplitsville, which I consider to be the quintessential greatest American power-pop band, like, of all time.They managed to get Splitsville back together for a reunion album last year called Mobtown, which was fantastic, but this album, released on the same label, might actually be better. (That's just a first impression, I'll have to listen to them both a couple more times and do an A/B comparison.)
Not a single track over 4 minutes, I might add! Honestly, these guys sound just as good as they did in the 90s, and I guess they've been saving up tunes for this because many of them are great, especially "The One That Makes You Happy" (track 9), which just happens to be the one that makes me happy, too.
Wow! That's high praise! Like better than Teenage Fanclub? And The Posies? And Sloan? All of whom I LOVE! If so, they go to the front of my queue immediately starting when I wake up the morning. (Right now I'm sorta sleeping! lol.)
edit: Oh! American! I told u I was still sleeping! lol. So just the Posies. And Big Star!And the dBs!
I never really tagged the Posies as a power-pop band, actually — many will disagree, but I saw them more as a 90s "indie rock" band with catchier songs than most. (They also spoiled their discography a bit with the ironically-titled Success album, and then the three later (post-2000) albums they did which were... just okay, really. I have the first two of those, but I don't listen to 'em.) Big Star were the most influential and are certainly "in the conversation," greatest-wise, but I always thought the dBs were a bit overrated, to be honest. I did like them, but not enough to buy any of their records.
The only other American power-pop acts I would put on the same level as Splitsville would be someone like Jason Falkner (who was also in Jellyfish, The Grays, and the Three O'Clock) and maybe Shoes. (And were Sugar a power-pop band? if so, then them too, though I always considered them more punk-ish.)
Of course, if we're talking albums, that's a whole different conversation. I can think of quite a few American power-pop acts, like 20/20,Fountains of Wayne, and Matthew Sweet, who made one or three superb albums but then couldn't quite keep up the quality level afterwards.
Last edited by MadhattanJack on 06/29/2026 04:48; edited 2 times in total
I never really tagged the Posies as a power-pop band, actually — many will disagree, but I saw them more as a 90s "indie rock" band with catchier songs than most. (They also spoiled their discography a bit with the ironically-titled Success album, and then the three later (post-2000) albums they did which were... just okay, really. I have the first two of those, but I don't listen to 'em.) Big Star were the most influential and are certainly "in the conversation," greatest-wise, but I always thought the dBs were a bit overrated, to be honest. I did like them, but not enough to buy any of their records.
The only other American power-pop acts I would put on the same level as Splitsville would be someone like Jason Falkner (who was also in Jellyfish, The Grays, and the Three O'Clock) and maybe The Shoes. (And were Sugar a power-pop band? if so, then them too, though I always considered them more punk-ish.)
Hmmm... Interesting takes! Don't know The Grays so will have to check them out!
And yeah, Sugar were a bit too punkish despite the hooks to really be considered Power Pop.
Francis of Delirium, Run, Run Pure Beauty
This is what I would call a "grungegaze angelic" act, with awesome (not sexy or especially emotive, but definitely awesome) vocals by Jana Bahrich, who has lived in Luxembourg since she was 13. (Her parents were Canadian.) She's also now a solo act — Chris Hewett, originally from Seattle, is still the producer (and plays drums for the studio recordings) but is no longer an "official" band member. I can find little or nothing to criticize about this album musically; it really is fantastic in practically every respect, and frankly better than all but maybe one Weyes Blood album as well (that's who she's been most commonly compared with). All of the record's problems are extrinsic, specifically an inappropriate band name, terrible cover art, and in this case even a not-so-good album title (her 2024 debut LP's title, "Lighthouse," wasn't great either but at least it didn't sound pretentious). These are first-impression turnoffs, but hopefully not crippling ones. A record like this deserves to be huge, and she's developed enough of a following (at least in Europe) for it to not be ignored, but she'll still have to improve on the packaging to get to the next level.
Paul McCartney (the real one), The Boys of Dungeon Lane
People in the music media (or what's left of it) are already saying this is his best album in years, at least as good as (if not better than) Chaos And Creation in the Backyard,Flaming Pie, or Flowers in the Dirt, and so on. Personally, I agree.
Violet Grohl, Be Sweet To Me
I didn't know that Dave Grohl has four daughters. (Apparently one of them was "born outside of the marriage," so I'll just skip the details on that.) Violet here is the eldest, so this debut LP of hers could just be the start of an ongoing avalanche of Grohl-offspring material. Hopefully it will all sound like this too, because it's a very well-made record and she has a great voice (though I personally think it can sound uncomfortably similar to Courtney Love's, at least on some tracks). The songs are... good, none of the tracks are distinctly bad, and one or two are great, and (if you ask me) as good as anything the Foo Fighters have recorded. I was particularly impressed with how well she handles the quieter passages in tracks like "Mobile Star," the pre-release single "Applefish," and the closer (my personal favorite), "Plastic Couch." I guess Dave will now have to "up his game" in the face of new-generational female competition. Sucks to be him, eh.
Guided By Voices, Crawlspace of the Pantheon
Every once in a while, I'll listen to the latest GbV album (there have been more than 40 of them at this point) just to see if I like it as much as their mid-90s stuff, and my reaction is almost always the same: "Pretty good, actually!" and then I never listen to the album again. I know there are lots of people who are lifetime fans of this band and I salute them for their loyalty and perseverance, as these guys are practically the definition of "indie" and the refusal to sell out... but I've just never gotten into them. (Bandcamp has a nice rundown of their discography, if you haven't seen it yet.) Fans should like this LP, as it's one of their better recent ones (that I've heard). It actually gets more interesting in the middle — there's a really cool short track called "A Grand Ceremonial Jester," which is followed by a song whose title is a Lovecraft reference ("Dagon's Plunger"), so I had to mention that in case anybody thought I hadn't noticed. (Also, I've actually visited the Pantheon, and it has a full basement.)
And three more:
Wynona Bleach, Animal Style
This is a female-fronted shoegaze-pop-punk band from Belfast, so in some weeks this would be my pick-of-the-week without my even having to think about it. But there are clunkers here, like "Not Cool With It" and "Scrab," and also the Bandcamp page says it "features...songs about cats," but that page contains all the lyrics too and none of them are about cats. For their last album, Moonsoake, I commented that they sounded like what a Taylor Swift or Katy Perry pop-punk album might sound like, but this one is noisier and a bit nastier, too. They kind of remind me of The Primitives this time, but much more aggressive. Or, maybe this is what No Doubt would have sounded like if they hadn't become huge rock stars and had kept making punk records. (The album-closer, "One in a Million," sounds more like a would-be Taylor Swift pop-punk track in case you just want to skip to that.)
One the Juggler, Imperial Way
These guys made an almost-great album in 1984 (Nearly a Sin) that nobody bought (except me), a not-so-great one in 1985 (Some Strange Fashion) that wasn't released in the US at all, and since then they've made three more LPs (not including this one) that nobody even noticed (including me). I don't think anyone is going to notice this one either. I wouldn't have noticed it myself if I hadn't been contributing to this thread. The thing is, they write good songs, but the vocals just aren't up to snuff — it sounds like the singer, Sham Morris, is trying to do an early-70s David Bowie impression, or maybe an Ian Hunter impression... which would be great if he did it right, and if the producers recorded it right, but he doesn't, and they don't. He was better at it during the 80s, so I guess it's an age thing. I feel bad writing this, but it's the defining aspect of this band so I can't just ignore it.
Walras, Future Is Near
Here's an interesting one — a solo act (i.e., a guy named Denys) from Ukraine who does 80s-style AOR retro-synthwave music. It's not entirely electronic (there are occasional guitars being played), but with the exception of the leadoff title track, it's all instrumentals. So if you're having an 80's-themed dance party, just put this on, turn it up and you're all set! And be sure to buy the download, because the folks in Ukraine need (and deserve!) the money, dammit.
Next week, it's Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, and Of Montreal, among others. It's like an Oughties' smorgasbord! 😄
As a Dad of TWO daughters, it's vitally important to NEVER play favorites. Everything needs to be carefully balanced and proportioned. Or, they will be sure to remind you of the accounting. And trust me, they never forget!
My oldest, Tilly, loves Of Montreal! My youngest, Genni, loves Death Cab For Cutie/Postal Service! Both of whom have new albums dropping tomorrow. So obviously I'm looking forward to both of these releases equally! 😇😈
What June 5th, 2026 release(s) do YOU have your ears & heart set on when midnight strikes?! 🔭👀
Bonus: Can anyone guess what their favorite colors are?! 🎨 😅
Paul McCartney (the real one), The Boys of Dungeon Lane
People in the music media (or what's left of it) are already saying this is his best album in years, at least as good as (if not better than) Chaos And Creation in the Backyard,Flaming Pie, or Flowers in the Dirt, and so on. Personally, I agree.
I haven't listened to a new McCartney album in... well, decades— but I'm going to give this one a go, I'm finding it more intriguing than usual—
As for today? Can't say I have to much to offer. My chart hasn't actually moved too much for almost an entire month now. BUT. You gotta check this out—
Came out a few weeks ago now. Unlike anything else, swear—
I'd be curious as to what his pedalboard/amp setup is (it doesn't sound like he's got anything fancy), but that's a Cort KX707 EverTune 7-string guitar he's playing, or at least that's what's in all the photos. (I've always wanted a 7-string myself, actually.) The album's Bandcamp page is here, but I wouldn't call this "metal," or even "Byzantine" necessarily — it's basically Pontic Greek-Orthodox liturgical pieces and folk chants played on a $1,400 electric guitar instead of the usual bouzouki. Which is totally cool, don't get me wrong, but they don't even turn on the drum machine until track 7, and by track 9 the guitar is practically gone completely. Still, I kinda like it! This is a good way to bring "early music" to modern audiences (Tanya Donelly & Chris Brokaw did something similar with their The Undone is Done Again EP that was mentioned here back on April 18, only they used a digital-delay instead of a distortion pedal). I guess what it really needs is a Rick Rubin or Bob Rock behind the desk to put it over the top, metal-wise.
Last edited by MadhattanJack on 06/07/2026 03:40; edited 1 time in total
The new Evanescence and Vince Staples albums both have my attention. _________________ My overall top 100 is far from fleshed out at this point, so here are some charts I am actually proud of:
Top 100 Albums of 2025
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Repo
MadhattanJack
Hayden
Cheddar
