The Bristols - Introducing... - 1999

Fabienne Delsol & Liam Watson’s garage supergroup featuring amongst it’s ranks Bruce Brand (Milkshakes/Headcoats) Owen Thomas (Graham Coxon Band/Cee Bee Beaumont) Parsley (The Adventures of Parsley / Dutronc / Dee Rangers) and the glorious vocal talents of Miss Fabienne Delsol they released two full length albums on Damaged Goods and three singles. They released their first single on Hangman’s Daughter in 1994 followed by a split single with Japanese giants Thee Michelle Gun Elephant a year later on Vinyl Japan. -Damaged Goods Records

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Telstar Sound Drone 7" now out on Bad Afro

Danish act Telstar Sound Drone have released "Mirror pieces" b/w "Golden needles" on Bad Afro on May 30

Telstar Sound Drone formed in 2007 when Hans Beck convinced Mads Saaby to join him in a project called Les Aprés L’amour Sonnes, an artist collective working with media such as sound and video. The first project was to add sound to old educational movies, playing along with the projections. With the addition of Sean Jardenbæk and Mads Løwe the project turned into a band and settled with the name Telstar Sound Drone.
The band recorded a self-titled EP that led to a show at Roskilde Festival in 2009. After that Telstar Sound Drone took a break while internal problems almost destroyed the band. At one point Hans Beck was the only member of the band playing all the instruments. The problems were solved and in early 2011 they recorded two brand new songs at the Black Tornado studio in Copenhagen with this single in mind.
Telstar Sound Drone cleverly blend shoegazer, drone and psychedelic rock and even though the noise breaks are quite breathtaking the music is always melodic making this release one of the most promising singles on Bad Afro in a long time.
The Telstar Sound Drone line-up is: Sean Jardenbæk (Vocals, Guitar), Mads Løwe (Bass), Mads Saaby (Guitar) and Hans Beck (Drums). The two last mentioned also play in Baby Woodrose.


Telstar Sound Drone - Mirror Pieces

Most recent Bad Afro releases are available for download including a fair share of rare stuff previously only available on vinyl. We’re connected to iTunes, Amazon, Fairtrade, E-music, Klicktrack, TDC PLAY, FNAC, WIMP, Spotify, Napster, Inprodicon, Rhapsody, Nokia and many more digital shops. Search for our artists at your favorite download joint and you will probably find them!

Billy Childish - In Blood - 1999

An excellent addition to the catalog of British garage-punk, icon Billy Childish teams up here with chanteuse Holly Golightly of thee Headcoatees. Her group is the female companion to his legendary Headcoats, and the duo share a passion for the monotony of lurching mono-chord riffs. Hence, In Blood is a concept album based around a message -- that three chords is too many. Backed by the Medway Delta Review, the band is effectively the Headcoats with the addition of Johnny Gibb of the Wildebeests. The group burn through a series of variations on the E chord -- staggering the beat and twisting the riff into every possible variation within the formula. The duos combined voices and lyrical wit make In Blood a kind of post-punk Lee Hazlewood/Nancy Sinatra affair. A compelling highlight in the expansive cannons of Billy Childish and Holly Golightly this comes highly recommended. -AMG

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Phoenix - United - 2000

The 2000 debut from the French band Phoenix gleefully combines the electronic- laced melodicism of their fellow countrymen Air with the sensibilities of 1980s UK pop (in the mode of China Crisis and Prefab Sprout) and imbues the results with a dance-floor sensibility. Toss in a bit of classic '70s stadium rock and tongue-in-cheek country, and you have UNITED, a Frankenstein's monster of a record, guaranteed to have something to please nearly any ear.

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New Kurt Baker Single "Why You Gotta Lie" OUT NOW!

Hey all you crazy wild and cool funky people!
Exciting news today! I've just released another brand new track called "Why You Gotta Lie". As it was with the last single I released, "Don't Steal My Heart Away", this tune was recorded by the awesome Jon Wyman here in sunny ol' Maine, and features my group : Geoff Useless (The Queers, the Guts), Josh Malia (Hi Fivin' White Guys, The Taxis), Craig Sala (Planeside, Paranoid Social Club), Kris "Fingers" Rodgers (Goodnight Process) and a special lead guitar solo by Miek Rodrigue (Holy Boys Danger Club).-Kurt Baker



Here's a special promo video for the tune

My friends at Oglio records are offering up a special offer! Woah!

BUY "Why You Gotta Lie" and get "Don't Steal My Heart Away" FOR FREE! 

http://blogoglio.com/2011/04/26/kurt-baker-special-offer/

"Why You Gotta Lie" on sale at iTUNES 

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/why-you-gotta-lie-single/id424764998

"Why You Gotta Lie" on sale at AMAZON

http://www.amazon.com/Why-You-Gotta-Lie/dp/B004RA1710/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1303843303&sr=8-1

"Like" and share "Why You Gotta Lie" on bandcamp! 

http://kurtbaker.bandcamp.com/track/why-you-gotta-lie

UPCOMING SHOWS

4/28/11@ Empire Dine Dance - Portland ME

w/ Steiner Street + The BF's, Northern Lungs, More!

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4/30/11 - @ Production Lounge, Brooklyn NYC w/ Hellfish, One Short Fall, New Rochelles + More!

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5/1/11- Paul Collins "Power Pop-a-Licious Fest" @ Asbury Lanes - Asbury Park NJ 

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5/2/11 - @ Charlies Kitchen, Boston MA w/ THE BF's, Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion + More

Well, that's enough spam for one day right? haha! I hope you dig the new tune and come drink a beer and party with me at the upcoming shows! 

© Kurt Baker

Baby Woodrose, Mindblowing Seeds and Disconnected Flowers available now

In 2011 it’s 10 years ago that Lorenzo Woodrose started his own label Pan Records and released the Baby Woodrose debut album Blows Your Mind. The album is still a favourite among many Baby Woodrose fans and along the years the album has sold almost 10.000 copies on LP and CD and an unknown amount of downloads. To celebrate the 10 year anniversary Bad Afro will release Mindblowing Seeds & Disconnected Flowers April 25th – a collection of 15 of the original 4 track demos that led to the release of Blows Your Mind. Below Lorenzo Woodrose explains how the album came about:

“In the late summer of 1999 I was in quite a difficult situation, having no home, no job, no girlfriend, no money and perhaps worst of all, the band I was playing the drums in at the time lost our guitarist, so I was even fearing I was without a band, something that has always meant a lot to me. Usually, I ended up crashing on the couch of my friend The Hobbit and often in our rehearsal room in a northwest industrial area of Copenhagen. Sometime during that summer I had also been introduced to the magic of the Woodrose seeds and somehow the experience, combined with my rather desperate state of mind, spawned a creative outburst of unforeseen proportions.

I decided to call the project Baby Woodrose, because several of the songs (Baby Blows, Living A Dream, Spinning Wheels) reflected my experience with the seeds earlier that summer. I had a vision of a vast ocean and I saw what I believe was an image of my creative potential personified in a naked woman, mysteriously filling one water bucket at a time, dragging them ashore and piling them up on the soft sandy beach. Somehow, I figured it meant that I just had to start working. For several months during that autumn, I did nothing but write and record on my little Fostex Multitracker X-30. The result was something like fifty highly distorted demo tracks in a sixties garage punk style.

I have always felt that the blueprint for the soul and spirit of Baby Woodrose is really within these very first recordings of my own, so it feels great to finally have them on vinyl and I hope some of you can appreciate the beauty of these rough diamonds. I have picked out 15 tracks, many of which also ended up on the album in final versions, but two of them were released separately under the alias Disconnected Flowers on a 7” which is virtually impossible to dig up by now and a few are previously unreleased. Polishing these tracks proved a thankless task, but luckily I still had most of the original master cassettes and the original tape machine, so this album is basically a 24bit digital dump and a careful remix of the stuff I think is the most interesting”.

Lorenzo Woodrose 2011

Baby Woodrose on Bandcamp

Bad Afro Records

Bad Afro Records
Halmtorvet 29, Bygn. 12 A, 1
1700 Copenhagen V
Denmark
http://www.badafro.dk

The Jessica Fletchers - Less Sophistication - 2005

The Jessica Fletchers' free-spirited, effervescent approach to indie pop, steeped in the influence of psychedelic and bubblegum pop groups of the 1960s (the Monkees, the Association), nods to the Bicycles, Tullycraft, and the Apples in Stereo. Originally comprised of Bjorn Rune Lie, Vegard Syrstad, Andreas Mastrup, Thomas Innstø , and Rune Somdal, the group formed in a suburb of Oslo, Norway, in 1997, naming themselves after the crime-fighting mystery writer, played by Angela Lansbury, central to the hit television series Murder, She Wrote. The band self-released its debut album, I Can Shoot You from Here, one year later; the album subsequently caught the attention of the folks at Perfect Pop Records, who signed the band before the year was out. The Jessica Fletchers' first EP on that label, Sorry About the Noise!, came out in 2000; drummer Lie amicably split with the group after the disc was released, and was replaced by Jan Henning Sørensen. The Jessica Fletchers' profile was given a healthy boost later that year when they competed in and won Zoom, a Norwegian "battle of the bands"-style contest; the group toured Norway (which was part of their Zoom prize winnings) in the months that followed, during which time "Sorry About the Noise" became a fairly popular song on Norwegian radio.

Their next EP, (Come On) It's Only Nine (funded, at least partially, by the band's Zoom winnings), came out in 2002; Vegard Syrstad left the group that summer and keyboardist Ivar ("Ravi") Chr. Johansen was brought into the fold. The group's debut full-length, What Happened to The?, was released the following year, and the band was signed to the New York-based label Rainbow Quartz soon after. Johansen left the group around this time, citing a desire to work on a solo hip-hop project, prompting Innstø to bring his brother Mats into the band. The Jessica Fletchers toured heavily over the next year, embarking on their first major European tour and making an appearance at the 2004 SXSW festival. Their third full-length, Less Sophistication, was released in Norway that fall. Another full-length album, You Spider, came out in 2007. -AMG

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FIRST ANNUAL POWER POP-A-LICIOUS! MUSIC FEST KICKS-OFF IN ASBURY PARK, NJ ON APRIL 30TH AND MAY 1ST

CURATED BY POWER POP LEGEND PAUL COLLINS (THE NERVES, THE BREAKAWAYS, THE BEAT) POWER POP-A-LICIOUS! FEST TO FEATURE 19 RENOWNED AND UP & COMING POWER POP, GARAGE ROCK & PUNK-POP ACTS
 
The first Power Pop-A-Licious music festival will take place on Saturday April 30th & Sunday May 1st at the legendary rock club Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, NJ. Conceived and curated by power pop legend Paul Collins (cofounder of THE NERVES, THE BREAKAWAYS and THE BEAT) the fest will bring together some of the finest young guitar-driven power pop, garage rock and punk-pop bands from across the U.S. and Canada. Power Pop-A-Licious is a unifying rally cry for this thriving rock-n-roll subculture, and is a means for power pop fans of all ages to discover a wealth of talented new music acts in one power-packed weekend.

Collins explains the concept behind the festival, “I was touring all over the country with my Beat Army Tours, when it hit me, I gotta bring all these great bands I’m playing with together for one crazy weekend!”

This all-ages event is ground zero for a burgeoning DIY power pop scene that’s been fueled by the immediacy of the Internet, the devotion of its fans, and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Each day will feature bands from different regions of the country, with local DJs spinning sets to create an all-day dance party atmosphere. Similar in approach to “happenings” in 1960′s London, Power Pop-A-Licious is no mere rock n’ roll concert, it’s an event. DJs, performance artist’s video projections, and, of course, the spirited, high-energy live rock-n-roll performances from all these great new bands will provide the entertainment. The world-famous Asbury Lanes, where the two day fest will take place, is a vintage bowling alley, bar and live music venue with a capacity of 300, and is located in the heart of beautiful Asbury Park.

Tickets for the fest will be $15 for Saturday and $10 for Sunday, and will be available to purchase online through TicketWeb: http://www.ticketweb.com

SCHEDULED BANDS FOR THIS YEAR’S POWER POP-A-LICIOUS FEST:

SATURDAY, APRIL 30TH

BAM BAMS (Baltimore)
PEACES (Brooklyn)
NEUTRON DRIVERS (NJ)
BAXX SISI’S (Brooklyn)
LANDLORD (Bloomington, ID)
FUTURE VIRGINS (Chattanooga)
DIRTY SHAMES (NYC)
AMOEBAS (Grand Rapids)
MOTHER’S CHILDREN (Ottawa)
HALF RATS (Indianapolis)

SUNDAY, MAY 1ST

BFs (Gloucester)
KURT BAKER (Portland, ME)
THE ABOVE (Brooklyn)
THE SPECTACLES (Maryland)
ELECTRIC MESS (NYC)
GLORY FIRES (Birmingham)
THE WALNUT KIDS (Montreal)
THE SIGHTS ( Detroit)
PAUL COLLINS (NYC)

PAUL COLLINS may just be Power Pop’s greatest champion and spokesperson. Through extensive worldwide touring, and connecting to like-minded bands, artists and fans through social networking sites, Paul has created THE BEAT ARMY, a DIY network of people connected by their love of power pop, punk, new wave and rock-n-roll to help ensure its success at the club level – where rock-n-roll lives and breathes. While THE BEAT ARMY only began last March, Collins has already amassed over 2,700 members. In addition, he’s been touring heavily in support of both THE BEAT ARMY and his new album KING OF POWER POP! (on Alive Records). “Since forming THE BEAT ARMY we’ve done 50-plus shows throughout the South, Canada, East Coast, Midwest and the West Coast involving over 60 bands from around the country,” Collins states. “The shows all have low ticket prices (averaging from $8 to $10) and we book them ourselves. ‘By the people, for the people’… that’s our motto.”

FOR MORE INFO ON ASBURY LANES:

http://www.asburylanes.com

FOR MORE INFO ON PAUL COLLINS:

http://www.thepaulcollinsbeat.com

FOR MORE INFO ON THE BEAT ARMY:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/THE-BEAT-ARMY/346148489520

FOR MORE INFO ON ALIVE RECORDS:

http://www.alive-totalenergy.com

Power Pop-A-Licious is sponsored by The Beat Army, Hotel Tides Restaurant & Spa, The Empress, Comet Ping Pong, Vinyl District, GaragePunk NYC, BigMusic.org, JJ’s Bohemia, Sluggo’s Vegetarian Cafe, Alive Records, and Hoboken Recorders.

Source- Pavement PR

The Makes Nice - Candy Wrapper & Twelve Other Songs - 2007

Don't let the frantic bash-and-crash opening of "California Sun," the first cut on the Makes Nice's debut album fool you -- for all their outward scruffiness, these guys are popmeisters of the first order, and by the time the third track, "Enough Is Enough," has rolled around, they've pulled out their prettiest harmonies, and the title cut suggests what you'd get if you fused the Raspberries with the Who and transplanted their souls into three dudes jamming in a California garage. Josh Smith's melodic but elemental guitar runs definitely carry their share of rock & roll weight but don't overpower the hooks along the way, while drummer Jack Matthew and bassist Aaron Burnham fuse slightly teenage energy with a sense of musical discipline that never gets in the way of the fun. Cranking through 13 songs in less than 32 minutes, the Makes Nice clearly believe in the virtues of short and sweet, and can bring just enough smirk and swagger to keep things from getting too sweet (cue up "November Girls" or "Cop Killer" for evidence). The Makes Nice play forceful pop music with a punk rocker's lack of pretension, and Candy Wrapper & Twelve Other Songs is a debut that leaves the listener wanting more; let's hope they have another half-hour this impressive in them a year or so down the road. -AMG

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Flash and the Pan - Flash and the Pan - 1979

Not exactly your mother's Easybeats, this debut from the Vanda/ Young side project found some seriously deranged songwriting, with quirky but attention-grabbing music peppered with pointy, strange lyrics. A soundtrack for the dark side of the moon that's well worth searching out. -AMG

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The Candyskins - Fun? - 1993

Fun? is the second album from the Oxford- based quintet featuring brothers Nick and Mark Cope on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, respectfully. Released in 1993, Fun? is written entirely by the Cope brothers, along with lead guitarist Nick Burton, and is a jangly slice of British-tinged alterna-pop. The lyrics, mainly dealing with failed relationships, contrast the sweetness and lightweight feel of the music. "Wembley," the opening track, is a joyous pop/rocker despite the all too obvious interjection of soccer crowd cheering during a referential line. The tribal shuffle and blistering guitar on the title track, the country feel of the lilting "House at the Top of the Hill," and the effects-laden guitars on the psychedelic "You Are Here" are all highlights showing the band's musical diversity. Lyrically, things can be morose to the point of annoying as on "Everything Falls Apart." However, the acoustic "Grass," with its sweet harmonies and lyrical resilience, and the gorgeous closer, "All Over Now," more than make up for any shortcomings. -AMG

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PPO turns 3!

I just realized that Power Pop Overdose has turned 3!  I am amazed.  Thanks to everyone for helping keep PPO going.

Curty Ray

Freddy - Things You Never Thought I'd Say - 2003

Freddy's influences are under the surface, a mix of old and new. From the Beatles to Elton John to Marvin Gaye to Oasis, the result is fresh and captivating. Country music influences from childhood battle with Britpop influences from Freddy's years of living in the United Kingdom, when Pulp, Suede, Blur, Oasis, and the Stereophonics ruled the charts, and Craig David was just emerging. From the first time you listen, you get that tingle in your spine. Because the four right chords can make you cry, and when it's right, the first time you hear it will feel like forever. Acoustic meets electric, dark meets light and opposites blend seamlessly.

This special blend is now available in "Things You Never Thought I'd Say", the debut album by Freddy. The album's 11 songs were written over the course of ten years and represent the diversity and depth of Freddy's writing. It is a mix, and some songs are alike while others aren't. Listen with heart, mind, and gut, for they speak to all. From the edgy strings of "Apart", to the soaring chorus of "Let It Go", and the deep soul groove of "Secret", the album speaks in many ways but in one style: Freddy style. As you listen and enjoy, you find that genre becomes much less important than the music itself. -CD Baby

The Chevelles - Girl God - 2002

Sharing the writing duties, lead singers Adrian Allen and Duane Smith come across as the Fastball from down under. Sweet guitar hooks steering a tight rhythm section kick off "Every Moment," and from there on, every moment on this album brims with power pop ideal for long car rides in the summer. "Make It Happen" relies more on the melody and makes small use of either a xylophone or triangle, something Smith opts for throughout the record. On the other hand, Allen uses more guitar for a slightly harder, edgier sound, such as "First Time -- Last Time." The first few songs are all possible singles, and there is no hint of filler, but the title track seems to have the finest single quality. "C'Mon Everybody" is one of the weaker tunes here and sounds a bit like the Beach Boys. One of the best tracks is "Round and Round." It's one of the few times drummer David Huck Shaw gets to show his chops. "Goodbye Sally" is another stellar power pop song and has a hint of a string section near its conclusion. If there's one negative to the album, it's perhaps how interchangeable the songs are. While all very strong, none particularly stand out, but "Angelina Jolie" has far more urgency and intensity than the other songs. The same could be said for the adorable "Sleeper," with its great guitar finish. "Sunshine" has a melody similar to Wet Wet Wet's hit "Love Is All Around." -AMG

The Routes - Alligator out now on Dirty Water Records

There’s a huge number of great bands in Japan right now and one of the best is right here, right now on Dirty Water Records. With a sound that’s tough, breakneck yet soulful, there’s also real proper tunes coming from this trio. Yeah, this is freaked-out 100mph fuzz-bucket guitar garage rock’n’roll, and all executed with more than the usual amount of frenziedly primitive zeal, but it’s all delivered by people who actually know what they’re doing, who know how to play their instruments. This is no thrashing around garage-punk-by-numbers.

Their debut album “Left My Mind” was released in 2007 on Motor Sounds Records. The band then released their debut single on Dirty Water Records(UK) in April 2010 and in March 2011, their version of "Stormy" on Groovie Records .



Now, Their new album "Alligator" is out on Dirty Water Records.

The Routes are on


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OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Record Store Day at Kool Kat

Saturday, April 16, marks the fourth annual "Record Store Day" at independent record stores throughout the US and the rest of the world.
It is a day that retailers hope will draw both loyal and new customers to celebrate the indie record store and all that it has to offer. The first three Record Store Day celebrations were deemed a success by the independent retail community, and they certainly were as well here at Kool Kat! We are once again proud to be joining our independent brothers and sisters for this annual celebration!

Even though we're not a traditional "brick and mortar" retailer like the ones referred to above, we do share that same passion and enthusiasm for music that they do.

So, in support of the "indie" guys like ourselves (and, as a giant "Thank You" to you, our loyal customers), we have once again decided to
participate in the festivities and offer our customers another "Virtual
Record Store Day" on Saturday. And, just like we've done the past three years, we're extending it to be a "Virtual Record Store Weekend" as the below-outlined promotion will run on Saturday the 16th and Sunday the 17th!

Here are the particulars:

THE PROMOTION RUNS APRIL 16 & 17. ORDERS PLACED BY PHONE OR
INTERNET ON THESE DAYS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE BELOW:

10% off our entire Power Pop/Alt Country Online Store catalog
including new and used CDs, vinyl, magazines and DVDs.
Discounts will be applied at the time your credit card is charged.
Paypal payments will be refunded accordingly.
(Does NOT include April 18 New Releases or Pre-Order titles)

PHONE ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED FROM 10AM-5PM (EDT) ON SATURDAY.

WE JUST LOVE PHONE ORDERS! WE LOVE TALKING MUSIC WITH OUR
CUSTOMERS - JUST LIKE IN A COOL RECORD STORE! SO, PLEASE FEEL
FREE TO PHONE YOUR ORDERS IN! IF WE'RE ON THE OTHER LINE LEAVE
US YOUR NUMBER AND WE'LL PHONE YOU BACK!

ALL DOMESTIC ORDERS WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A RANDOM "FREE
SHIPPING" DRAWING.

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have about the promotion. Here's to another successful "Record Store Day"
and to hoping you'll find something fun at Kool Kat in the process!
Again, thank you so much for your continued support!

Best,

Ray Gianchetti
KOOL KAT MUSIK

The Waterboys - Fisherman's Blues - 1988

Mike Scott had been pursuing his grandiose "big music" since he founded the Waterboys, so it came as a shock when he scaled back the group's sound for the Irish and English folk of Fisherman's Blues. Although the arena-rock influences have been toned down, Scott's vision is no less sweeping or romantic, making even the simplest songs on Fisherman's Blues feel like epics. Nevertheless, the album is the Waterboys' warmest and most rewarding record, boasting a handful of fine songs ("And a Bang on the Ear," the ominous "We Will Not Be Lovers," "Has Anybody Here Seen Hank?," and the title track), as well as a surprisingly successful cover of Van Morrison's breathtaking "Sweet Thing." -AMG

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