You might think that a band called Eureka California is from California. You would be wrong. The band is a duo comprised of Jake Ward (vocals/guitar) and Marie Uhler (drums), and they are based in Athens, Georgia. Of course, the location really doesn’t matter. What matters is that when is comes to punk pop and… Continue reading Eureka California at When You Motor Away
Tag: when you motor away
Witching Waves at When You Motor Away
For Crystal Cafe, the second outing from London’s Witching Waves, the trio changes skins from noise pop fuzzy to rocker leather. There still is plenty of melody, but with a more straightforward and aggressive sound. If your ears get the impression that the Shop Assistants are channeling Sonic Youth, you have good ears. You probably… Continue reading Witching Waves at When You Motor Away
Animal Daydream at When You Motor Away
About a year ago we featured the Easy Pleasures EP, the debut recording by Gothenburg, Sweden guitar pop duoAnimal Daydream (link). Our only complaint was that at four songs, we were left wanting more. A year later, Daniel Fridlund Brandt and Alexander Wahl have sought to resolve our concerns with the Citrus EP, four more tracks… Continue reading Animal Daydream at When You Motor Away
Stutter Steps at When You Motor Away
Ben Harrison’s regular job is as a curator at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh where, among other things, he is responsible for booking musicians to perform at the venue. To do a job like that well, one needs to have good taste, and a good sense of what fits. It appears that Mr. Harrison… Continue reading Stutter Steps at When You Motor Away
Moon Types at When You Motor Away
Sweden produces more than its share of jangling guitar pop bands, but we are always delighted to learn of another one. The latest to please our ears is Stockholm’s Moon Types, a quartet skilled in the art of jangling indie pop and power pop, with an interesting hint of country in the arrangement. If you… Continue reading Moon Types at When You Motor Away
American Culture at When You Motor Away
The music of American Culture wears its American rock credentials proudly. Think The Replacements, The Henry Clay People, Springsteen, Velvet Underground, Dinosaur Jr and Guided By Voices. It may not be easy to articulate the American essence, but we grew up on this stuff, bought records and went to shows. This is our rock music… Continue reading American Culture at When You Motor Away
Fireworks at When You Motor Away
Switch Me On is the first LP from London/Brighton band The Fireworks, but it has the feel of a mid career album or even a retrospective of past singles. Perhaps one explanation is that while the band is relatively new the members are veterans of bands such as Big Pink Cake, The Pocketbooks, Popguns and The… Continue reading Fireworks at When You Motor Away
Black Watch at When You Motor Away
The Black Watch is a long-standing cult band founded by John Andrew Fredrick in the late ’80s. They have released a number of LPs with various line-ups. The one constant is Fredrick — singer, songwriter and, forSugarplum Fairy, Sugarplum Fairy, the sole musician for all instruments other than drums. I confess to being thoroughly impressed by… Continue reading Black Watch at When You Motor Away
Animal Daydream at When You Motor Away
Maybe there should be a rule prohibiting bands from teasing us with four great tracks and then leaving us with nothing except the replay button. But that is what Swedish duo Animal Daydream has done with their Easy Pleasures EP. From the opening “Canyon Rose”, with its reminders of the golden years of Teenage Fanclub… Continue reading Animal Daydream at When You Motor Away
Crayon at When You Motor Away
Hey pop collectors. Here is a rare and wonderful album from the first half of the ’90s. The Pacific Northwest, was banging its collective head to grunge and other forms of alternative rock. The Southeast had R.E.M, The dBs and its own brand of swampy jangle. But amid it all, there was a spot for… Continue reading Crayon at When You Motor Away