The Connells - Darker Days - 1985

The Raleigh, North Carolina-based jangle-pop outfit the Connells formed in the spring of 1984. Fronted by guitarist Mike Connell and his bassist brother David, the first incarnation of the group also featured vocalist Doug McMillan and drummer John Schultz, who was soon replaced by former Johnny Quest percussionist Peele Wimberley. In late 1984 the quartet recorded a four-song demo; after one of the tracks, "Darker Days," was selected to appear on the North Carolina compilation More Mondo, the Connells' ranks expanded with the addition of singer/guitarist George Huntley, who made his debut on a March 1985 session co-produced by Don Dixon.
With the help of the band's friend Ed Morgan, the resulting demo made its way to the offices of the British label Demon, which agreed to fund the recording of enough additional tracks to complete a full-length LP. Darker Days was released in Europe by Demon in 1985, and when Morgan returned to the U.S., he formed his own label, Black Park, to issue the album domestically. After the low-budget videos for the tracks "Seven" and "Hats Off" garnered MTV airplay, the Connells won a contract with the TVT label prior to entering producer Mitch Easter's Drive-In Studios to record 1987's brooding, more assured Boylan Heights, which featured the superb single "Scotty's Lament." -AMG

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Mike Elgert - Days Gone By - 2006

A knock-out effort packed with 16 songs of supremely solid Power Pop. This debut twists and turns, with flat-out rockers and well done pop ballads, most of which promise velvety pop pleasure to fans of the genre. Much of the time, Mike Elgert sounds like Robin Zander, and while its tough to nail down influences, we can hear Cheap Trick, Foo Fighters, Jason Falkner and Starclock. -whitsbrain.com

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The Brotherhood of Lizards - Lizardland - 1995

Dedicated Anglophiles' search for the quintessential British pop album shouldn't overlook the (so far) one and only outing from the Brotherhood of Lizards, a duo featuring ex-Cleaners From Venus Martin Newell and bassist/multi-instrumentalist Nelson. Recorded a step or two up from the Cleaners' rustic four-track catalog, Lizardland is soaked through with the cozy ambience of merry olde England, summoning up images of teatime, gardens and "misty chimneys smoking in the rain" via a collection of charming, chiming guitar pop that nods to obvious forefathers like the Beatles and Kinks, as well as later practitioners such as XTC. The delightful "The Happening Guy" has ba-ba-ba backing vocals straight out the '60s hit parade, while "The World Strikes One" is filled with sharp observations about ordinary folks, in the manner of Ray Davies himself. More of the same is available on the witty "Love the Anglican Way" and "Market Day," and there's even a droning number, "Rusty Iron Sun," that recalls great faux-Indian moments like "Norwegian Wood" and "Fancy." Newell's vision does outstrip his Spartan studio accessories: it would have been nice to have heard the songs with a live drummer, and the sound quality, while certainly acceptable, lacks that extra bit of punch common to higher-budget productions. But such concerns can't hold down songs as good as these. It was Newell's finest work at the time of its release, and that statement still holds true more than a decade later. -AMG

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The Charms - Charmed, I'm Sure - 2003

On their first album, Boston throwbacks the Charms keep one foot in two subtly but importantly different revivalist scenes. The snotty punk edge of the songs and Joe Wizda's crunchy lead guitar nod to the garage rock scene, while Russian émigré Kat Kina's gloriously weedy Farfisa organ runs and the delicious whiny edge in lead singer Ellie Vee's vocals place the Charms in the new wave revivalist camp. Charmed I'm Sure rides that tension perfectly. 11 songs that explore various elements of past masters like Blondie, the Count Five, the Ramones and previous Boston faves like the Thrills (new wave rockers fronted by the late Barb Kitson, who had a similar sex kitten persona to the bad-girl vibe Vee throws off in songs like "Dragonfly" and "Ragin' Angel"), Charmed I'm Sure rises above the rest of the revivalists by dint of Vee's high quality songwriting. Instantly memorable songs like the wistful but angsty chronicle of a busted teenage friendship "Marianne" and the genuinely sweet love song "Boys Room" are as good as anything coming out of the post-millennial garage rock underground, not least because they aren't trying for some kind of genre-specific authenticity, but are simply solid, super-catchy pop songs. -AMG

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The Go - Whatcha Doin' - 1999

The Go's debut album Whatcha Doin' introduces the Detroit group's aggressive, authentic update of late-'60s garage rock. Songs like the snarling "Meet Me at the Movies" and the blissed-out "Summer Sun Blues" display the group's fuzzy, driving guitars, half-shouted, half-sung vocals, and swaggering beats, while the poppier "It Might Be Good" and the "Get Off of My Cloud"-esque "You Can Get High" add another dimension to the Go's straight-up rock sound. Whatcha Doin's final song "Time for Moon" is one of the album's best, combining a primal beat with dashes of backwards guitar and raw vocals. Though the occasionally muddy sound of the album takes the Go's quest for '60s-style authenticity a bit too far and fails to capture the group's live energy, Whatcha Doin' is a good introduction to one of the Motor City's most explosive bands. -AMG

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The Fags - Tour EP - 2007

Playing energetic '70s-style power pop in the manner of Cheap Trick and the Raspberries but with the energy of a fresh-faced pop-punk band, the Fags are a Detroit-based trio comprised of three longtime veterans of the Motor City music scene. Guitarist and singer John Liccardello (aka Johnny Speck) was a member of Sponge and Hoarse, as was drummer Jimmy Paluzzi, while bassist Tim Patalan is an experienced producer and engineer who has worked with many of Michigan's leading indie acts. Formed in 2000, the Fags wasted no time earning a reputation on the Midwest club scene for their passionate live shows, and in 2002 the group released a five-song EP for the Texas-based independent label Idol Records. That year, the group was named "Best Pop Band" by Real Detroit magazine, while they received an award as "Outstanding Alternative/Indie Group" at the 2003 Detroit Music Awards. In 2004, it was announced that the Fags had landed a major-label record deal, signing with the pioneering alternative rock imprint Sire Records, but after a number of delays, the group released their first full-length album, Light 'Em Up, through Idol in the fall of 2006, with more touring anticipated. -AMG

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Grant McLennan - In Your Bright Ray - 1997

Though it would be fine if Australia's McLennan flew over to Nashville again and picked up a group to record another country-ish LP, assuming the results would be as wonderful again as 1994's Horsebreaker Star, McLennan's fourth solo LP returns him to his more well-trodden ground. In Your Bright Ray may be more usual fare for the sincerely modest McLennan, but thanks to the best production he's enjoyed, the album absolutely shimmers. It is as warm and soft as a cake out of the oven, a just-washed blanket, and an Eskimo coat. Bright ray, indeed. With a top-notch backing group teasing all the little subtleties that a fan of crafted, gilded, lovely pop could want and McLennan's increasingly wizened, becalmed vocals, the mix of sounds and McLennan's marvelously well-developed material radiates, sparkles, and snaps, crackles, and pops with all his strengths and then some. Best of all, unlike his first two efforts, Bright Ray is amazingly consistent, with a flow like lava, whipped cream, and a quiet brook. One song seems to fall from the man's pen as naturally as spring rain, fitting together like a finely woven 14th century tapestry. This is interesting in that Horsebreaker worked so well in the opposite direction: it held together nicely despite the pleasures of a decidedly hodgepodge collection of pop and country styles. Somehow in narrowing the focus, McLennan only succeeds more, a testament to the strength of his writing and recording. Not that Bright Ray is all just sunny, light pop -- "Malibu 69" and "All Them Pretty Angels" punch up some wickedly meaty guitars over stomping beats, and "Sea Breeze" utilizes a nifty shuffle beat to great effect. But it's the air of a workman just improving with age. -AMG

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The Crayons - What's Wrong With You - 2007

The long awaited follow up to "What Color Are You?" has arrived!! Once again produced by The Churchills. This 12 track effort has the melodic hooks, harmonies, and lush guitars The Crayons love so much but with songs that are more intimate, evoking an even darker, moodier vibration than the previous releases. One of these new tracks " Not Beautiful" was recently licensed for use on the MTV reality series "Two-A-Days". The disc includes some notable appearances by members of The Churchills, The Ruling Party, and The Alicia Keyes Band. NOW with an exciting new lineup including Joe Freeman on guitar and keys, Terry McClain on bass and vocals, and longtime drummer/vocalist Mike Bolduc ,The Crayons are coming to a town near you! -thecrayonpeople

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Howard Devoto - Jerky Versions of the Dream - 1983

Howard Devoto owns a poetic wit that underscores not only his own disappointments with the world around him, but also mirrored the fans’ own acerbic realizations of their surroundings. With an unmatched and encompassing talent to frame all of those observations with music way ahead of their (Magazine) time, Devoto gave life to a band that had never received their rightful due. After their untimely demise, Devoto continued to voice his discontent in a solo work away from the comfortable borders of Magazine. Released in 1983, Jerky Versions of the Dream was heartily welcomed by Magazine’s orphaned fans.Jerky Versions of the Dream came about because, although Devoto had lost faith in a continuing audience, he had yet to exhaust his songwriting. Fueled by several sessions with various musicians that included Barry Adamson (Magazine, Nick Cave), Jerky Versions of the Dream was completed and released to cultish delight that avidly followed Devoto’s tenure with Magazine. The music was decidedly influenced by the times (the ‘80s.) Although somewhat removed from the recognizable Magazine aesthetics, Devoto still employed a more intelligent flow of music. -musictap.net

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Man Of The Year - A New And Greater Tokyo - 2004

A New And Greater Tokyo is the Canadian debut by , a Brit Rock combo leading the post-new wave charge out of Portland, Oregon. Loud and ringing guitars are at the forefront of elaborate melodic pop orchestrations not unlike perhaps Franz Ferdinand on downers with Brian Wilson arranging. The basic raw power of no nonsense guitar hooks is genetically ingrained in all Portland and Seattle bands since the days of The Kingsmen and The Sonics, and Man of The Year temper that power with an intelligent pop sheen all their own.
This is the band's second album, and leader/guitarist Tod Morrisey's attention to lyrical detail transcends the staleness of commercial rock and forgettable pop clichés, resulting in an even more sophisticated sound than their critically acclaimed previous effort, The Future Is Not Now (2000). -bongobeat.com



Vhis CD is still available from my label, Bongo Beat Records.

http://www.bongobeat.com/ManOfTh_ANeAn.php

Ultimate Fakebook - Electric Kissing Parties - 1998

Playing with perky rock riffs similar to the likes of Eve 6 and Matchbox Twenty, Ultimate Fakebook has touched upon the ever so popular three chords. Hailing from Manhattan, Kansas, Ultimate Fakebook is another alternative pop/rock band mixing old school rock music in the face of their successors such as Green Day. Coming together in 1994, third cousins Bill McShane (vocals/guitar) and Nick Colby (bass) created the first stint of Ultimate Fakebook, with Eric Melin (drums) joining a few months later. They grew up worshipping the hard-rock glam sounds of KISS, Metallica, and Slayer. Later on, their tastes leaned toward bands like Soul Asylum and the Replacements while their sound went from alternative metal to original indie-pop. They are also road junkies, playing over 140 shows in 1999. Ultimate Fakebook released their first full-length, Electric Kissing Parties, in 1998, and their follow up, This Will Be Laughing Week, was re-released by Epic/550 Music in summer 2000. Two years later, the trio hooked up with Ed Rose (Get Up Kids, Reggie and the Full Effect) to produce a third album, Open Up and Say Awesome. -AMG

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Go Motion - Kill The Love - 2007

Hailing from Omaha, NE, the three-piece Go Motion concocts irresistible dance rock with original flair. Their debut album, Kill The Love, conjures dark imagery with energetic tempos and displays Go Motion's progressive take on an established genre.
Tracked at Black Lodge Recording Studios (The Appleseed Cast, The Get Up Kids) in Eudora, KS, the new LP was mixed by the band at Smart Studios in Madison, WI (Beck, As Tall As Lions) with the help of Beau Sorenson. The collaborative result is a melodic rock album that demands dancing. The intertwining of guitars provided by James Luther and Albert Kurniawan in combination with Luther's keyboard talents creates ethereal resonance - simultaneously energizing and hypnotic. Kurniawan takes on lead vocals, and channels The Cure's Robert Smith as he effortlessly ranges from entrancing to eerily robotic. David Luther's percussion varies from sparse and meticulous to drunkenly discotheque and is supported by Albert's bass lines, which bump and bounce with exuberance.
Go Motion have played with many major and indie label bands in 2007 including Kill Hannah, Under the Influence of Giants, Shiny Toy Guns, The Stills, Snowden, Tapes 'n Tapes, Pattern is Movement, MC Chris, What Made Milwaukee Famous, and many more. -gomotiongo.com

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Kyle Vincent - Trust - 1993

This is the highly sought after, out of print debut, “Trust” album from Kyle Vincent, originally recorded in 1992. Vincent is not yet a household name, but has some of the best vocal pipes in pop music. This album showcases his more power pop/rock side, but also has some softer gems that rank among the strongest ballads of his career. For fans of Bryan Adams, George Michael, the Raspberries, AOR Rock, Richard Marx, and Barry Manilow, (whom Vincent was on tour with when this album was slated for original release), this is an essential. It is the missing link between Vincent’s days as teen lead singer of the seminal power pop band, “Candy” and his excellent self-titled “debut” effort on Hollywood Records.
His voice is a bit younger, scratchier, and ardent as he mostly sings in his higher register, but the laid back, effortless, behind-the-beat, almost blue-eyed soul phrasing which will be featured on subsequent albums, is setting in nicely. It’s also Vincent’s first foray into taking the producer/arranger reigns, and on those 4 tracks he shows he’s ready to compete with the big boys.
Highlights include a stunning tenor sax solo from jazz legend Gerald Albright on “Maybe It’s Better This Way”, a Vincent production that is nearly reminiscent of "Me & Mrs. Jones".
The insanely catchy, “A Night Like This”, which evokes memories of “Tonight” by the pop legends, the Raspberries.
If you’re not yet familiar with Kyle Vincent, put on your 1992 ears, download this album first, then start scooping up his other albums, listening in order of their release. You’re in for a real pop treat. -CD Baby

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Class Three Overbite - Rendezvous - 2007

Bradley Jendza and Mike Elgert (whose Days Gone By release made our "Best of 2006" list) absolutely astound here with Rendezvous, an album jam-packed with pop/rock goodness. Rendezvous is a blast to listen to as it’s loaded with great songs of varied styles, all wonderfully executed and expertly performed and arranged. Check out the disco-flavored title track, the Queen meets Jellyfish-like sweetness of "No Good Rotten" and the riff-heavy 70's guitar rock of "Milkshake". Prepare to be knocked out by this one! Featured Tracks: "Milkshake", "Rendezvous", "No Good Rotten" - whitsbrain.com

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