The Dead 60's - The Dead 60's - 2005

The 1960s may be dead for this Liverpool quartet, but the 1980s are alive and well. The opening track sets the scene: For the first few seconds, you'd swear it was Gang of Four--by way of Franz Ferdinand--with that angular, yet bouncy guitar attack, but then the vocals come in. Could it be Joe Strummer, Joe Jackson...Ted Leo? No matter, "Riot Radio" is a great post-post-punk track any way you look at it (that's Matt McManamon on the mic, by the way). Up there with, yes, "Take Me Out," "Apply Some Pressure" (Maximo Park), and "I Predict a Riot" (Kaiser Chiefs). On the rest of their debut, the Dead 60s distinguish themselves from the current UK guitar-rock crop with shorter songs and more ska, dub, and "Rock the Casbah"-style dance beats, which means they would fit just as comfortably on a bill with Bloc Party as The Rapture. -Kathleen C. Fennessy



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The Fizzies - Contest Popularity - 2007

To put it simply, the Fizzies are pretty much awesome. To expand upon that, the Fizzies- an LA-based band proud to represent East Hollywood- have one-upped the resurgence of jellies, tights, and legwarmers by channeling some 80’s icons like the Cars and the Talking Heads into a new musical style with its own poppy effervescence.
“Contest Popularity”, has tracks that range from 4-on-the-floor dance (the catchy, hip beats of “High”) to lo-fi fuzz (“Smack Davis”) to “In a House”, whose hooks are so catchy you’ll have to stop yourself from hitting the back button at song’s end so you don’t miss gems like the closer, “Garbage Generation”, that’ll leave you salivating for more, just like any good candy should. -CD Baby



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Jude Cole - A View from 3rd Street - 1990

Adding a little tougher sound, A View From 3rd Street finds Jude Cole cranking out the tunes that should've been on the radio, but with the exception of the hit "Baby It's Tonight," very few of them were. Great pop well done is what lies here with such standouts as "House Full of Reasons" and "Heart of Blues." The problem was how to market this type of music in the heyday of hair metal and fluff rock. It just didn't fit. It, however, is fine listening today and well worth seeking out. -AMG



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City Reign - New Single "Out In The Cold" to be released Jan. 31st

Having been tipped by Steve Lamacq for great things at 2010’s In The City Festival,
CITY REIGN kick off the year with a dose self assured guitar rock with second single ‘Out In
The Cold’ through the band’s indie label ‘Car Boot Records’ on 31st January.

Midnight Callers are a fine example of young kids playing true to the power pop genre. Songs filled with harmonies, stories of love and loss, and upbeat fun pop music! With energetic live shows for all ages, the Midnight Callers are guaranteed to put a smile on your face.



or you can listen to some other material on myspace
www.myspace.com/midnightcallers

Heartjet - Goodbye Stan [EP] - 2010

Heartjet’s digital only EP Goodbye, Stan introduces a new finnish power pop band/duo. There certainly aren’t too many of those around nowadays and therefore I’m obviously excited about the fact that there’s a new power pop band in the country. However, that excitement wouldn’t last very long, if they weren’t any good at it. Thankfully there’s no need to worry about that. They are pretty damn good already and all five songs on the EP are wonderful. Extremely highly recommended. -Onechord

Yura Yura Teikoku - Sweet Spot - 2005

Yura Yura Teikoku have experienced about as much success as an underground rock group can in their native Japan. Their following has grown steadily in the almost 20 years since they began as a four-piece, psychedelic garage band, despite enduring countless lineup changes. In the meantime, they've leapfrogged from their own tiny label to various larger indies and finally to the majors, each time gaining wider exposure and more popularity. At this point their music can even be found in Japan's famous karaoke bars, allowing patrons to drunkenly experience their own version of the band's psychedelic freakouts. -Pitchfork



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The Neatbeats - Far and Near - 2000

The Neatbeats are Japan's number one beat band, and with this debut opus, it's easy to see why. Quite simply, this is one great little band with a whole lotta heart and some great originals from lead singer/lead guitarist Takashi "Mr. Pan" Manabe. The Neats are dedicated enough to the cause to declare that they plug only vintage Hofner guitars into vintage Selmer amps in order to get the proper 1964 vintage sound; the cheapness of the guitars on this cut-in-mono album certainly would bear that devotion out. But it's ultimately what they do with those retro-approved tools that's of importance in the long run. The riff stomp of "Unhappy Girls" (driven by bassist Dai "Mr. Gully" Ura and drummer Shinya "Mr. Sheen" Kusube) works nicely against the Brit-pop of "Chills," while Mr. Pan and second guitarist Kazuya "Mr. Lawdy" Tosa make a nice big-beat guitar racket on tunes like "She Turned Around" and "What You Gonna Say?" The hit emerging from the pack is the sing-along "I'm With You." Surprisingly, the covers ("She Said Yeah," "Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah," "Hi-Heel Sneakers," "I'm Gonna Sit Down and Cry") are the least interesting things on here, usually a badge of merit with most retro bands. Although the Neats definitely serve these numbers up in true Searchers/Hollies/early Beatles live at the Star Club fashion, it's their original material (even the three-chord instrumental stomp, "Neatbeat Walk") that truly shines as a much brighter pointer to the future. Fans of their British counterparts, the Kaisers, will love this album, while retro rock &roll fans looking for something new will be in for a big surprise. -AMG




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The Squeaks - The Squeaks - 2005

Obscure Punk/ Poppers, The Squeaks self titled debut delivers tight and hard and groovy power pop, punk and rock and roll  songs that are sure to please everyone! Formed in 2001 in Kobe Japan, these guys are fun and not to be missed.




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The Playmates - Listen - 2003

This Japanese pop band has released an excellent CD featuring razor sharp, hit `em fast `n hard buzz pop songs that hit and run their way to your heart.... the inspirational source for about half the songs is a Ramones meets Permanent Green Light and the other half straddles hits a laid back classic power pop sound of The Flashcubes. -Not Lame




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The Oranges - Bomb! - 2006

The Oranges, from Tokyo, Japan, formed in 1997. A few years earlier, lead vocalist /guitarist Jeff Orange had decided to name his next band after the Anthony Burgess novel Clockwork Orange (and the motion picture directed by Stanley Kubrick). The irony of the moniker, of course, is that instead of being a dark, violent-themed hard rock act -- keeping in mind the subject matter of the movie/book -- the Oranges play glam and bubblegum pop music that is a direct throwback to bands and artists of the '70s; the Bay City Rollers, Suzi Quatro, and Kiss are just a few of their biggest influences, not to mention the Beatles, the Monkees, and Japanese GS (a blend of traditional Japanese pop tunes and Western standards from the 1960s). The Oranges recorded a seven-song EP, Balloon, for Glam Rock Records, before issuing two EPs and two full-length albums for Rabbit Records in 1999-2000. Afterwards, they came to the attention of the newly formed Smile Records, a pop label formed in L.A. by Tony Valenziano (of the Stand). - AMG




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