I recently reviewed a music documentary about The Dream Syndicate, The Dream Syndicate - How Did We Find Ourselves Here? The release of the film coincides with w the release of the 40th-anniversary boxset of the band's first album The Days Of Wine And Roses, one of the best debut albums and one of the best updates of the original Velvet Underground sound.
As I mentioned there, the rock history (and this documentary) remembers The Dream Syndicate as a band that always had a key stamp of one Steve Wynn on its music, and that had exactly that same dynamic described above, but with some key specifics that make this documentary worth the time of any rock fan.
Mainly, because, since its early days to today, The Dream Syndicate continued to operate (with breaks) until today, but mostly for the fact that it created some incredible music, both in the studio and live (their 'Live at Raji's' album from 1989 being one of the best live albums around), with their first album The Days Of Wine And Roses getting unanimous critics and fan acclaim, with their other eighties albums creating controversies among both groups, and their 21-st century albums being criminally neglected for some reason or other.
So, it is not over for The Dream Syndicate, and it shouldn’t be, as long as they come up with some relevant music.
Sofie Winterson - Be Bad
A product of the studios of Dutch soft pop mastermind Benny Sings, Amesterdam’s Winterson definitely fits the profile of good soft, soul-tinged pop, and she does it quite well, thank you.
Swansea Sound - Keep Your Head On
Whatever happened to those good twee pop artists? It seems they are still around and coming up with something that is still in that line of musical thinking, but a bit more sophisticated, as some members of Pooh Sticks, Talulah Gosh, The Dentists, and some others show here.
Kēvens - Legal Dreamers
It is a bit hard to go through any summer without good reggae/ragga/dancehall/toaster music, and this modern take and combination of all of the above by Kēvens will do just fine.
Lauren Lakis - Terror Tears
This Baltimore girl likes it a bit louder, rockier, and raunchier, but without sacrificing any good melody, and clean vocals and guitars. Sounds like another summer special
Julie Byrne - Moonless
Byrne prefers the more late-night vibes here, anywhere between dream pop and classically-tinged ballad, with an intricate arrangement that gives her great voice the perfect foil.
Rival Consoles - Coda
Ryan Lee West, aka Rival Consoles, like the more experimental side of electronic music, anywhere between Aphex Twin and Board of Canada, and he certainly fits quite well in there somewhere.
Superbloom - Head First
The title of this power pop (on the louder side) gem should tell it all, but these guys seem to be thinking with that head as well, and their feeling doesn’t get lost along the way.
Fred Abong - Father
Maybe Abong had in mind to coincide this one with Father’s Day, maybe not, but in any case, it still fits anywhere where a mellow playlist is in mind.
Trio Work - Dancing In The Dark
Not that brilliant Springsteen track of the same name, but a true, cool, late-night jazz vibe here by this L.A. Trio (Susan Krebs - Vocals, Tom Rizzo - Guitar, Ken Wild - Bass).
Guitarmy of One - Top Secret Agent Man on a Wire Tapped Phone at Sea
Not many artists going for that Joe Meek, The Shadows guitar sound of the early sixties, but with his tongue firmly in cheek, guitarist Scott Helland, who is behind the above moniker does it proper justice.
Public Image Ltd. - Car Chase
John Lydon and PiL are still around, and Lydon, remaining as controversial as ever, they crop up with a pertinent song (or two), and this one fits the bill.
Palehound - Independence Day
El Kempner, who is behind Palehound is definitely developing a sound of her own, that can fit into any modern genre you think of, a really hard thing to do, and she does it so well.
Jess Kallen - Oolong
Opting (mainly) just for your vocals and electric guitar is a risky proposition but Kallen (they/them) pulls through this melody upfront song quite bravely.
Who Is She? - MoviePass
You can pose the above question for any of the four members of this Seattle quartet, particularly as like this single, they seem to be able to come up with some great pop rock.
D.A. Stern - Lovebird
Stern, supported here by Sarah Chernoff is another fan of good pop-rock and the two artists come up with another very good summer gem here.
Stephen Steinbrink - Cruiser
Steinbrink is a seasoned songwriter and producer, and you can sense that the moment this mid-tempo ballad starts and vocals by Taylor Vick (of the bandBoy Scouts) adds that ideal touch the song needs to stand out.
Dan Lynch - Australia
Following in the footsteps of the greats like Springsteen or Mellencamp is an arduous task, but Lynch manages quite bravely here in his ode to the country continent.
Maggie Feldman - Pass Me By
Going for a ballad that is also a title song of your debut EP is a tricky proposition, but Feldman makes it look easy here as if she has been around for ages.
Palomino Blond - Machine
Florida’s Palomino Blond like to mix highs and lows here, but that seems to suit them quite well, as some big names like Iggy Pop think, and he is a man of taste, after all.