Cornershop - Woman's Gotta Have It - 1995

Tjinder Singh's Cornershop has created the perfect hybrid of Western indie rock and swirling Eastern traditional music: Hindi-pop. It's not like what the Beatles did with sitars nor is it classifiable as worldbeat: Cornershop is unique. "Jullandar Shere" opens and closes the album on an Eastern note but with a hip-hop twist. It's an adventure in lo-fi noise pop with the drone of tamboura, native percussion, and processed vocal sung in Punjabi providing the rhythm. "Hong Kong Book of Kung Fu" conveys indignation through its angry guitar and spit-sung lyrics. "Call All Destroyer" has Singh leading on funky bass like old-school political rockers Gang of Four. The anti-melodies are similar to stock indie rock, but the sonic dissonance created on dholki, harmonium, and flute separates Cornershop from the pack as they reclaim a racial stereotype (that every Asian in Great Britain tends a corner shop) while creating their very own roots music with a message. -AMG



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The ACB's new video!

Be Professional-The ACB'S from Pat Vamos on Vimeo.

O.F.F.I.C.I.A.L. MUSIC VIDEO Lee Majors' eco-sci-fi movie The Last Chase VS The ACB's "Be Professional"

Download "Be Professional" at http://theacbs.bandcamp.com/

The Sights - Got What We Want - 2002

Got What We Want is a melodically complex and accomplished album, and ample evidence that this young band from Detroit have a tacit understanding of what made primal '60s garage rock and early-'70s power pop so exhilarating and memorable in the first place. Not only do the Sights seem like they've educated themselves with repeated listenings to albums from a Rock History 101 syllabus, but they have an audible confidence and forcefulness that one usually only finds in bands who've been playing together for many years. Indeed, they have: Eddie Baranek (vocals/guitars/keyboards) and Mark Leahey (bass/vocals) have been making music together since 1995, when both were classmates at De LaSalle Collegiate High in Detroit. In October 2001 -- a few short months before they were to enter Ghetto Recorders to record this sophomore effort for L.A.'s Fall of Rome -- Baranek and Leahey made the decision to replace longtime bandmate Eugene Strobe (now playing with the Witches and the Alphabet) with a new drummer, Dave Shettler (ex-Moods For Moderns). This last-minute switch-out might have slowed the band's momentum, but now seems to have renewed their resolve to successfully accomplish the task at hand. Consequently, Got What We Want is a concentrated and well-produced group effort with strong and varied songs. The super-charged power pop numbers -- "Don't Want You Back," "Be Like Normal," "Sweet Little Woman" -- are rife with crunchy guitars, catchy percussive elements, and memorable hooks. Meanwhile, the title song, "Got What We Want," and the last track, "Nobody," recall the bombastic heaviosity of Mott the Hoople, Humble Pie, and Led Zeppelin at their most glorious. The main bass riff from the blues-soaked "Nobody," in fact, plays like an homage to Zeppelin's "How Many More Times?" (the song -- with lyrics purloined from Albert King's "The Hunter" -- may have also provided the Sights with their moniker). There's also an enjoyable assortment of keyboards on the album; drummer Dave Shettler contributed Hammond organ, while the swirling Mellotron was provided by organist Nate Cavalieri, who was added to the lineup in March 2002. The fathoms-deep Got What We Want should provide the Sights with a promising and (hopefully) propitious future once the world discovers its many treasures. -AMG



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Little Barrie - We Are Little Barrie - 2005

London trio Little Barrie's debut disc, We Are Little Barrie, is a lighthearted, light-fingered romp through the last 30 years of rock history, making stops at funk, blues, psychedelia, AOR, and Brit-pop before landing firmly in the classic rock-inspired jam band camp -- actually landing right at the forefront of that scene and somewhere to the left, too, as Little Barrie manage to escape all the pitfalls (overlong songs, dopey lyrics, lack of dynamics, to name a few) common to the jam band scene. Featuring Edwyn Collins' pitch-perfect production, We Are Little Barrie pulls off the feat of sounding both totally live and carefully planned out at once, giving off warm and groovy vibes from beginning to end. The true star of the show is Barrie Cadogan's guitar; the youngster is a funky rhythm player and peels off some invigorating, non-wanky solos. Unlike so many whiz kids, he doesn't feel the need to show off everything he has ever learned, using his considerable powers in the name of the songs. And the songs are fine, ranging from the acoustic soul of "Greener Pastures," the funky blues of "Be the One" and "Burned Out," and the laid-back grooves of "Free Salute" and "Long Hair" to the storming hard rock of "Well and Truly Done," "Move On So Easy," and "Please Tell Me." Not a weak number to be found. Collins' touch behind the board is a thing of wonder, as he gives the band a thoroughly retro sound without sounding like a pastiche. He and engineer Seb Lewsley also get a great drum sound -- something that too many producers overlook. Cadogan's vocals are another strength; both he and singing drummer Wayne Fullwood have loads of blue-eyed soul and never oversing, preferring instead to stay within the song's structure. All the talk of restraint shouldn't lead to the conclusion that the album is subdued or unexciting -- far from it; the songs fairly leap out of speakers and there is enough electricity flowing through the grooves to power a small city. We Are Little Barrie is a stunning debut for sure, and the kind of record both old-school classic rock dads and groove-loving young kids should be clambering over each other to buy. -AMG



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Tindersticks - Tindersticks (1st album) - 1993

A thrilling, revelatory debut, Tindersticks is a chamber pop masterpiece of romantic elegance and gutter debauchery. Within the framework of a remarkably consistent and mesmerizingly dank atmosphere, the group covers a stunning amount of ground -- "Her" is a crashing flamenco number, "The Walt Blues" is a tipsy organ instrumental, and "Paco de Renaldo's Dream" is an impenetrable cinematic monologue punctuated by subdued guitars, pianos, and strings. Stuart Staples' bacchanalian songs are obsessed with fluids, both bodily ("Blood," "Jism") and otherwise ("Nectar," "Whiskey and Water," "Raindrops"); no topic is too personal or too disturbing -- "Piano Song" is frightening in its callousness, while "City Sickness" is an unflinching examination of emotional and physical desperation. Fascinatingly constructed and strikingly ambitious, Tindersticks is insidiously labyrinthine: the music speaks softly but carries tremendous weight, and its hold grows more and more unbreakable with each listen. -AMG



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The Crowd Scene - Turn Left at Greenland - 1998

The Crowd Scene are one of the brighter examples of British pop today, and their debut album, Turn Left at Greenland, shows off all sides of this diverse band. The band is primarily comprised of Anne Rogers (bass guitar, keyboards, vocals) and Grahame Davies (guitar, keyboards, vocals), and along with a few selected musicians, they have delivered an excellent album that concentrates on well-crafted songwriting and excellent production. There are folksy and baroque touches to the album, and many of the songs are propelled by Davies' excellent rhythm guitar playing. Rogers' voice is reminiscent of Chrissie Hynde, while Davies is a vocal cross between Alex Chilton and Michael Brown (Left Banke), if that's possible. The songwriting is uniformly excellent, from the Squeeze-esque album opener, "Weather Song," and the breezy "Surprise" (which has a positively delicious vocal from Rogers) to the rocking "Backtracking." "Walking 'Round the World's Fair" has a great jazz-swing groove that is one of the high points of the record. Absolutely worthwhile, and a good sign for the future of British pop. -AMG



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The Dolly Rocker Movement - Electric Sunshine - 2006

And now for something a little different; Sydney's Dolly Rocker Movement are equal parts Velvet Underground, Brian Jonestown Massacre and gorgeous west-coast folk. Blending quaint psychedelia and haunting jabs of love, The Dolly Rocker Movement pervade a space in your brain that's reserved for acid. -Off The Hip



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A Couple From The Genuine Fakes!

There’s a brand new band in town! Well not new, formed in late 2005 in Stockholm, The Genuine Fakes pack a Power Pop Punch and some cool mustaches too. Think "Todd Rundgren/Utopia meets Cheap Trick meets Jellyfish". Get the picture? Good! Now go and show your support and your mustache!





Find out more by visiting thegenuinefakes.com

The Men - The Men - 2002

The Men is a Mod outfit from Lund, Sweden, and something of a small “supergroup” since they formed out of four already established Swedish garage bands, The Sinners, The Girls, Thee Expression and Colubrids. They got together a few years ago to form the ultimate live-band; explosive, stylish, tight, groovy, cool and fun (No shoegazers!) – a band the members themselves would love to see.
For their first album The Men picked their songs from the same sources The Stones, The Who, The Action and The Small Faces did when they started. Simple, gutsy and groovy black R&B and soul, delivered in a white guitar group-style with high three-part harmony vocals, á la spring 1965 in London. This album was recorded quickly in a two-day session and released in Sweden by Border Music in 2002 and by Pure Pop Records in Australia 2003. Fans as well as critics both home and abroad overwhelmingly received the album. The record received great reviews in Rolling Stone and Scootering to name a few. The Men were rapidly becoming one of the most interesting up and coming acts on the Swedish music scene. -CD Baby

Airplane Noise - Getting Down - 2010

Fresh off the release of their 2009 self-titled, debut EP, which critics hailed as “cool nerd rock,” “clever,” and “refreshing,” indie/power pop/rock band Airplane Noise is back with the release of their second EP, “Getting Down.” The New Jersey-based quartet’s new record features five songs that deal with topics such as unrequited love, optimism at the prospect of a burgeoning relationship, and regret in the face of loss. From album opener “Go Ahead,” which bursts out of the gate with a melodic bass line, distorted guitars, a propulsive drumbeat, and a Cars-like lead synthesizer melody, to the infectious boy-girl vocals in “Last Night,” the charming piano-driven pop ballad “One Cup of Coffee,” the intricate harmonies in the quirky “I Will Always Win,” and the dynamic album closer, the aptly titled “Goodbye,” Airplane Noise has crafted an eclectic mix of songs that seamlessly shift from fast to slow, loud to soft, all while retaining the semblance of a coherent album.

Recorded throughout late 2009 and early 2010, “Getting Down” was produced by Bob Sauler at Rockview Studio in Bristol, PA. In addition to producing the record, Bob, along with his wife April, contributed vocals, guitar, percussion, and flute during the sessions.

“Getting Down” is currently available as a free download via www.airplanenoiseband.com.

Tal Bachman - Tal Bachman - 1999

Living up to the legend of Randy Bachman might not be as overwhelming as living up to the legacy of John Lennon, but Tal Bachman does something neither Julian nor Sean Lennon did -- he made a debut album that has nothing to do whatsoever with his father's music. Tal Bachman's eponymous debut is a classic pop/rock album, in the vein of '70s pop singer/songwriters who spent as much time crafting the sound of their records as they did the songs. Since the record is a product of the late '90s, it does have a bit of the self-conscious pastiche that characterizes post-alternative pop, but Tal Bachman is more sincere than his peers. Occasionally, he is a bit too sincere, suffering a bit from schmaltzy lyrics and music, but when he delivers, he delivers mainstream pop that is unabashedly designed for radio play. If the album suffers from overproduction in the hands of Bob Rock, so be it -- the best moments prove that Tal Bachman has the potential to develop a career as a fine mainstream pop/rock hitmaker.- AMG



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Scott Bennett & The Dotted Line - Scott Bennett & The Dotted Line - 2004

This is a solo project from Brian Wilson Band member Scott Bennett and will leave fans of Jon Brion, Jason Falkner, Wondermints, Neil Finn, Kevin Gilbert and Owsley with jaws to the floor. You`ll hear some David Mead and Andy Stochansky vocally and, of course, Wilson-like harmonies. Anthemic song-writing and musicianship are a large part of the equation, but their greatest appeal may be in the soaring, lush and heartfelt vocals. Punchy and catchy, yet atmospheric and emotional, their debut has the rare combination of being as moving as it is tuneful. Each song whips up pulse-stopping slides into confident, richly rewarding hook-magic, all saturated with an incredible commitment to the production qualities of all the aforementioned artists/bands. -Not Lame



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