Power Pop, Ticketing Chaos, and Olivia Dean’s Stand Against Scalpers

Welcome back, friends! 👋🎶
It’s another week on Songs That Don’t Suck, where I—your host Mark—wade through hundreds of new releases so you don’t have to. But before diving into this week’s sonic treasures, we must talk about something monumental happening in the world of live music.

🎟️ Olivia Dean vs. The Scalper Industrial Complex

Let’s be honest: ticket resale is a plague. Bots, scalpers, and unregulated secondary markets have been pricing real fans out of shows for years. If you’ve ever tried to buy tickets to anything, you’ve felt the sting.

But this week? Olivia Dean came out SWINGING.

Despite not being the biggest fan of her music (my daughter disagrees), I became a fan of Olivia Dean the artist—the human being using her platform to stand up for fans.

She called out Ticketmaster, Live Nation, and AEG with a blistering statement:

“Live music should be affordable and accessible and we need to find a new way of making that possible. BE BETTER.”

She went on to call their services “disgusting”, and the resale market “vile”.

🔥 And it actually moved the needle.
Ticketmaster and AXS agreed to refund anyone who paid above face value for her European tour. They also implemented a face-value resale cap so scalpers have no reason to unleash their bots. Will it work long-term? Hard to say. Other marketplaces (StubHub, SeatGeek, etc.) have zero caps so the scalper gamble remains.

But this is a step. A big one.

Even Michael Rapino, CEO of Live Nation Entertainment, chimed in, saying they “share Olivia’s desire to keep live music accessible” and called on marketplaces to do better.

Other artists like Hayley Williams and Chappell Roan have also fought for resale caps in the past, but this begs the question:
👉 Why isn’t this the default?

The UK may be turning the tide with legislation banning resale-for-profit. The Savannah Bananas built their own resale system. Sports, music, entertainment — every fan-facing industry is fed up.

Let’s hope greed doesn’t win and the bot-makers have to go find honest work… maybe even cure cancer.

Alright — rant over. Let’s get into this week’s sonic sunshine. ☀️🎸

🎵 This Week’s 5 Songs That Don’t Suck

1) “Miss Okay” — Large Mirage

Retro power-pop rock straight out of Oz, with unmistakable Beatles vibes from the very first guitar lick.

• Half-time verse groove ➜ explosive chorus
• Gorgeous harmonies
• Interlocking guitar parts that fill the mix perfectly
  This track sets the tone for an upbeat, harmony-rich week.

2) “Lips” — The Bends

More power pop, but now with a modern indie/alt twist.
Despite the Radiohead-esque name, this leans more toward a Weezer energy.

• Tight bassist + drummer pocket
• Tasty pre-bridge heaviness
• Clean transitions and great grooves
  A seriously well-crafted indie rock tune.

3) “I’ve Got a Broken Heart” — The Lemon Twigs

The Lemon Twigs return with maximum Beatles DNA.

• A scream before the guitar solo (!?)
• Rich, complex harmonies — some of the best of the year
• Under 3 minutes but absolutely packed
  I’m hoping they hit Cleveland soon because this track rips.

4) “The News” — Drugdealer

Indie/alt with a retro glaze. Drugdealer plays with what I call fractured harmony — vocals that sound like they could slip out of tune at any moment, creating delicious tension.
Think early Flaming Lips energy, but uniquely theirs.

5) “From the Vine” — The Mellons (feat. Triptides)

Baroque-pop royalty with heavy Jellyfish vibes.

• 60s sunshine baked into every measure: Beatles, Doors, Beach Boys
• Bouncy rhythms you can’t sit still through
• Pristine guitar tones and perfect production
  A joyful, technicolor closer to a perfect week of power pop.

⭐ Final Thoughts

Five tracks. Five power-pop gems. Five reasons this might be my favorite week of the entire year. Harmonies for days, retro tones, airtight musicianship — what more can an aging GenXer ask for?

🎧 Want More?

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• Merch
• Earplug discounts
• Behind-the-scenes extras

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Thanks for listening, and as always go out and support these artists. 🎶