Amateur Lovers - Virgin White Lies - 1997

With their sugary harmonies, sophisticated song structures and fiendish hooks, Amateur Lovers filters '70s gloss like Billy Joel, Supertramp and 10cc through the raggedy ethos of post-grunge Seattle. After working the Seattle club scene, Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard signed them to his Loosegroove Records label. Released in late June, "Virgin White Lies" brings back the halcyon junior high school days of teacher crushes and first love blushes in 12 delightfully hummable tunes.- Dave Ford

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The New Fidelity - The New Fidelity - 2005

Debut album from The New Fidelity sound like a power pop version of Green On Red, The Connells, early Teenage Fanclub and The Dream Syndicate. There`s some Pixies and lots and lots of New Zealand pop sounds from the early/mid 90`s with bands like The Bats and Straightjacket Fits. Like some of these bands, there`s a mid 80`s desert rock sound that step alongside this pop bands` sound, making it sound fresh, vibrant and exciting, not cut from the loin cloth of just any generic band. "Aside from their masterful harmonies, the New Fidelity sound nothing like The Beach Boys and everything like the soundtrack to an 80`s movie that was never made"-Calender. That is a apt and amusing statement, actually..and accurate(we`re going for the `a` motif with our descriptives it appears!). Each listen reveals something new, some new vibe to latch onto that listen earlier did not even hint at. Layers of sublime nuance and easy-to-enjoy, hard driving guitar melodies. Extremely Highly Recommended! -Not Lame

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Cosmonauts 7” on Bad Afro

Bad Afro is very proud to introduce the first 7" on the label with an American band. And what a great and especially LOUD release it is. Cosmonauts was formed in 2009 and resides in Orange County in sunny southern California and sound like a bunch of kids that don't like the beach too much and spend their time inside taking drugs and complaining that it never rains. They have a huge buzzing sound that rely on broken amps and not pedals that most bands use to make noise. Derek Cowarts vocals appears as an instrument in itself that resembles the way that David Yow used to influence the sound of Jesus Lizard (although Cosmonauts does not sound like Jesus Lizard).The 7" includes the two exclusive songs Emerald Green and Motorcycle One and will be released later this year.

Cosmonauts released their great self-titled debut album in 2010 on Permanent Records in Chicago although it was originally released on tape on Burger Records. They also have a 7" out on the Italian label Goodbye Boozy. They have recently completed the recordings of their second album which will be released on Burger Records.



And here's a video for Yer So Rad from their debut album below




Bad Afro Records
Halmtorvet 29, bygn. 12 A
1700 Copenhagen V
Denmark

http://www.badafro.dk

The Stereotypes - 1 - 2002

San Diego's The Stereotypes, formed in 2001 by John Finkbiner and Mike Kamoo, have a classic sound that mines late-60's jangly psych-pop, indie-garage-rock, and 80's alternative with a post-punk D.I.Y. aesthetic.
The band released it's first EP (“1”) to much critical acclaim. The Stereotypes, with their infectious guitar pop melodies, soon began opening shows for the legendary Buzzcocks, Spoon, Supergrass, among others.

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Papas Fritas - Helioself - 1997

On their second album, Helioself, Papas Fritas displays an increased sense of songcraft and a sharper sense of melody, resulting in a bright, effervescent indie rock record. Where their debut was occasionally brittle, Helioself is rounded and warm, and one of the most infectious pop records in the post-alternative indie rock world of the late '90s. -AMG

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Einstein's Sister - Einstein's Sister - 1999

The debut album from Quad Cities' power popsters Einstein's Sister (originally released under the name Douglas and Tucker, the principal songwriting duo) is, as described by the band themselves, a "demo on steroids." Bill Douglas and Kerry Tucker were basically the whole band at this point, and while its clear that the blueprint for the Einstein's Sister releases to come was mostly in place, there are a few notable differences. The band's obvious musical touchpoints -- Elvis Costello, Squeeze, and XTC -- are all evident here, but there is significantly less focus. For example, "King in Name Alone" sounds just like Reckoning-era R.E.M., "Play God" and "My Own Country" are harder-rocking, Who-influenced numbers, and "Little Known Fact" pulls in the influences of oldies and blues. That's not necessarily bad, but it does show that the band hadn't quite yet found their voice. And then there's the "demo on steroids" part: the album is basically a collection of eight-track demos recorded with a rotating list of studio musicians to fill in the parts, meaning it occasionally lacks some of the cohesion found on later Einstein's Sister records. Overall, the whole thing comes across as a bit folksier and a bit rougher, but almost as charming and every bit as catchy as what would come later. -AMG

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Touchy/Feely A Music project in New York, NY by Frank Bango

Brambles - Next Big Thing - 2000

Preferring to believe that the glass is half full rather than half empty, these brothers tend to have rather soft and gentle harmonies over some breezy, laid-back pop/rock arrangements. The opening title track is a good example of this, evoking images of the Beach Boys and endless summer California days. "Gotta Be Love" continues in a tight and dreamy pop sequence, with the appropriate singalong portions and "doo do doos." A good portion of the album keeps a framework that works well, but at times the lyrics and overall feeling lose some of their energy. "Wish" is such a case, as the closing minute is just repetitive and should have been edited. Slower or alternative tempo ballads like "This," "She'll Never Know," and "A Need for Knowing" recall bands such as the Rembrandts and even the La's, particularly during the brief but inspired guitar solos. One of the finer songs and perhaps the album's best is "Baby Girl." Both Tim Anthony and Lou Anthony complement each other quite well, but the vocals aren't powerful or over the top, relying on the music to lead the way, as on "Feels Like Forever." The result is a series of adequate and quite melodic summer pop tunes, culminating in the pretty "Happy Ending." -AMG

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The Glands - The Glands - 2001

Eponymously-titled albums that follow a previously released debut (especially once the band signs to a major label) usually seem to indicate that the band is going back to square one, and this self-titled album by the Glands -- who hail from the college burg of Athens, GA -- does just that, offering up refreshingly enigmatic, artfully arranged and bouncy Confederate pop that blends porch swing guitars, jazzy basslines, and jangling Paisley Underground and Britpop aesthetics. "Work It Out" sounds like a pre–Mersey Beat Britbilly workout that woulda rocked the U.K. back in '62, while "Straight Down" is pretty straight-up indie rock. Vocalist/guitarist Ross Shapiro's endearing but heartbreakingly frail vocals have been compared to Village Green vintage Ray Davies, but fans of Olivia Tremor Control's Bill Doss or the Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne may hear a little of them in there too. Doug Stanley's airy keyboard burbles and Craig McQuiston's keening lap steel will appeal to fans of the Elephant 6 collective sound as well. -AMG

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Sparkwood - La La Crutch is avialable at a special price

Bart Padar of Sparkwood says if anyone is interested in purchasing their first CD, "La La Crutch", he is selling them through Amazon for $7.49.

Metro - Metro - 1977

Contemplate the death of glam rock and any number of mortifying factors can be weighed, from the over- abundance of ultimately faceless teen idols to the under- exposure of the handful of bands who could have respangled the old star-studded sham. But timing also came into it, and if you want to talk about missing the boat, Metro never even found the harbor. Metro was released in early 1977, but it belonged to late 1974. Not to be confused for a moment with the later incarnation of the band that danced through the early '80s, the original Metro comprised vocalists Duncan Browne and Peter Godwin -- Godwin alone carried the flag into the future. Smartly suited on the cover of their only album together, the pair resembles flamboyant gangsters, caught unaware on a brightly lit film set. Step into Metro, however, and the only illumination is the flame of a few guttering candles, and the only laughter comes from a champagne party winding down in the penthouse upstairs. It's an album of velvet-layered secrets and satin-sheeted mysteries, where lovers wear lace and have hearts carved from jade and the string section swells to save your ego the bother. Lavish choirs, murmuring synths...Cockney Rebel and the Doctors of Madness both glanced in a similar direction, but, though a synth pop group later kidnapped the phrase's true meaning, Metro was the original orchestral maneuvers in the dark, with only Bryan Ferry on hand to drive the survivors home. The symphonic "One Way Night," a profession of a love that needs more than a word of explanation, and the agitated drama of "Black Lace Shoulder," regretting a failure to live up to such standards, cloak the album like giant bat wings, vast and comforting, but dark and leathern all the same. And they have no hesitation in scooping you up and away, through the fires that dance on "Flame"'s romantic Seine and into a criminal world of such brutal conflict that even "the girls are like baby-faced boys." Long before David Bowie wrapped calcifying fingers round its alabaster throat and hauled it away to Let's Dance land, "Criminal World" dominated Metro, both musically and thematically, setting a stage for a black sexuality that leaves you feeling somehow soiled, whether you (think you) understand the song or not. Certainly British radio realized something very dark and dingy was happening, as it banned the single version of the song without even asking for an edit. The 45 bombed, the album sank, and, by the end of the year, the original group had gone the same way. The album, however, remains a dirty secret, a secret sin, a sinful pleasure, and glam rock's final gleaming. How unlike it to leave the best till last. -AMG

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ATony Cox - On The Way now avialable

It has been two long years since songsmith Tony Cox released his debut album “Unpublished” and I have been waiting impatiently for his next release. How long does it take to put together a new album?  Well “On the Way” has finally arrived and it is better than I anticipated. Combining classic song craft with soulful lyrics and passionate playing, Tony, with the support of Nigel Clark (vocals, keys, and bass) and Darren Finlan (drums) has once again given us retro styled pop music that will make everyone stop, listen and tap their feet.

From the start Cox kicks it into high gear and weaves us through a collection of classic modern rock with smartness of pop music from the past. The well balanced, near perfect mix of songs includes the soulful “We’ll Get High”, The Lennon-esque “Hold Me Angeline” and “Feel the Ride” featuring Brian Wilson like harmonies and falsetto. There is no filler on this one. My only complaint is that “On the Way” is too short.

“On the Way” might or might not change the way you look at pop music, but Tony Cox will at the very least will give you a half-hour's worth of top-quality jangly guitars and well written pop melodies, and what's wrong with that? Not a thing, buddy so sit back and enjoy it

This one is sure to be in my 2011 Top 10 and is highly recommended. -Curty Ray, PPO

You can get your copy now at CD Baby



Tony Cox No More Lies

Velvet Crush - In The Presence Of Greatness - 1991

Velvet Crush's first and best album was mistakenly lumped in with the then- predominant shoegazer aesthetic upon its release in 1991, thanks to its British release on the shoegazer-central Creation label and the occasional washes of sparkly electric feedback and creamy-smooth harmonies that settle over some of the songs. However, this album, produced by the band and Matthew Sweet (who also added lead guitar and harmonies), is actually a straight-up piece of '90s power pop. Considerably more electric and driving than Paul Chastain and Ric Menck's '80s recordings under a variety of band names (collected on the albums Hey Wimpus! and The Ballad of Ric Menck), thanks in large part to the contributions of guitarist Jeffrey Borchardt (confusingly known as Jeffrey Underhill when leading his own concurrent band Honeybunch) and Sweet, In the Presence of Greatness sounds like Big Star's #1 Record updated for a new decade. The general air of mildly anguished wistfulness is the same, as are the jangly guitars and high harmonies, but Velvet Crush plays with a post-punk sprightliness and a less overtly British Invasion-inspired melodic sense. -AMG

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The Fondas - Coming Now, The Fondas! - 2003

It might seem surprising to folks who only learned of the Detroit garage rock revival when the White Stripes' "Fell in Love with a Girl" hit mainstream radio in 2002, but the local guitar band scene has lasted long enough that there are now second- and even third-generation Detroit garage bands, of which the Fondas are a front-tier example that has leapfrogged over many of the original Detroit garage bands both in name recognition and musical sophistication. Though much of the press attention surrounding the Fondas focuses on lead singer Julie Benjamin's movie star looks and magnetic stage presence, the real leader of the Fondas is guitarist Steve Shaw. Shaw, a protégé of Alex Chilton with a similar obsession for vintage R&B and obscure early rock singles, founded the Detroit Cobras in the mid-'90s, but left that band after only a few releases. The Fondas are stylistically in the same ballpark as the Detroit Cobras, mixing punky aggression, garage rock primitivism, and a sultry R&B vibe, but with a greater emphasis on band originals over reworkings of rare B-sides known only to hardcore record collectors. -AMG

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A Review (sort of) of Tony Cox's On The Way

The hole in my schedule allows just enough time. I can either schedule a long weekend at the beach with the family or a root canal. Unfortunately, these experiences can be quite similar.

I haven't been to these parts since the summer of 77, I believe. My only recollection of that trip was a visit to a non descript record store and my purchase, a copy of The Clash's Give Em Enough Rope which I bought with the few bucks I had earned from cutting lawns that spring. I'd read (probably in Trouser Press) about this great new band and so I had to have the LP. That record drastically changed the way I had thought about music at the time.

In that instant I saw the possibilities.

It's a long drive to the coast and while the kids argue incessantly and the wife asks how I could have possibly missed our exit again, The CD player in the car works fine. As Nigel Tufnel would say, it goes to 11. Tony Cox's new CD, On The Way, just arrived in my inbox and I've yet to give it a spin (or whatever it is that CDs do).

And so I popped my new CD into the car player. I give three listens to any new music acquisition before I pass judgment. The first spin piqued my interest, always a good sign. I wasn't sure whether I was listening to a British Invasion style band or an R&B inspired Jellyfish kinda thing, but I liked it. My son had his ipod plugs in so, for all intents and purposes, he was a vegetable. My daughter was twisting her hair and making faces.

I decide to play it again and my daughter groans.

I've always loved R&B influenced artists, so I'm really enjoying several cuts on second listening. We'll Get High and Dropped Me Like a Stone have an irresistible groove to them. While those two stand out, each and every cut has it's merits. Hold Me Angeline is the perfect soundtrack for driving along Ocean Blvd. It occurs to me that this is also a pretty good summertime beach record.

I've got to give this a third spin NOW. My daughter appears to be going through the agony of hip-hop withdrawal and my son is comatose, or so it seems. Good thing I brought the first aid kit. For me, not my daughter.

Cox has damn near channeled John Lennon on the record's fourth track entitled Way. What a great song! How did I miss this last time around? This CD gets better and better with each listen. I played the disc several more times over the weekend and contrary to my daughter's prediction, there were no casualties.

With the vacation winding down, we began packing our things to head back home. As usual, my son was doing nothing, waiting for the rest of us to clean up and pack for him. Oblivious to his surroundings, he was plugged in to his laptop headphones and I was becoming more and more aggravated with him. I approached him with every intention of letting him have it.

My temper is legendary. The closer I got to him, the more my blood began to boil. I was now close
enough to hear what was emanating from his earplugs. As the first syllable left my lips, I realized
what he was listening to. The new Tony Cox CD.

In that instant I saw the possibilities.

Years ago while attending art school Rich spent many hours listening to XTC, The Records, The Heats, Plimsouls and other powerpop bands of that time. Many children's books, greeting cards and website designs later he finds himself (quite by accident) in the employ of a few powerpop artists. I'm not name dropping but they include, John Wicks, Paul Collins and many more.


Life has come full circle. You can find Rich at www.rossibook.com if your so inclined.

Jiffipop -Demolicious - 1996

Essentially the one-man demo project of Rick Gallego, Jiffipop stirred up a major buzz amongst power pop circles in 1996 and 1997. Utilizing a distinctly lo-fi aesthetic, Gallego crafts what is meant to evoke memories of a box full of dusty, forgotten 45s from the '60s that are dragged out and tossed back on the turntable again. And it's true that these 14 tracks -- 12 originals and covers of Harry Nilsson and the Beach Boys -- do sound an awful lot like a hodgepodge of ringing, lo-fi '60s pop music. The problem is that at times they sound a bit too much like a throwback. It's true that those indebted to the style will probably find a lot to love here, particularly in the details, but the problem is that Gallego's hooks don't seem to fully gel into great songs most of the time, even if sonically everything is really groovy. A few tracks, such as "Fall Through You" and "Dreamland," stick out, but the album unfortunately feels more like a demo than a fully realized project. Gallego used the attention garnered from this release to form a full band, who then changed their name to Cloud Eleven and issued their debut in 1999. -AMG

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The Cuts - The Cuts - 2004

The Cuts' self-titled first album was originally released as a limited-edition LP on a tiny label. Birdman unearths it here and while it is no patch on, and not very much like the album that followed it, 2003's excellent 2 Over Ten, it is worth a listen to fans of noisy, exciting guitar rock that draws on '60s garage and psych. There is none of the rampant-'70s influence at all here; the band is totally in the grip of the garage rock ethos as fuzz guitars, stabbing organ fills and snotty vocals are prominent. "Upside Down" sounds like the Chocolate Watchband as filtered through the Stooges; "Salt in My Wounds" like the Monkees as played by the actual Monkees instead of the studio cats; "Anne Always" a bit like the Stones if they were only semi-competent and didn't like the blues very much. In fact, the record sounds like it could have been released during the '80s garage revival. If it had it would be legendary today. Well, as legendary as any of the albums from that time. Today it stands up well next to the Greenhornes or any of the other modern-day revivalists. In a sign of things to come, the best track on the album, "Don't Look Behind the Mirror," turns down the fuzz and gets just a bit funky in a Velvets' fashion. It has a strutting energy that the rest of the faster, louder tracks bulldoze right over. "Say My Name" is also close to what the band became, as the vocals are more Tom Verlaine that Sean Bonniwell and the guitars are more angular and less garagey. So don't go looking too hard for a record that sounds like the Cuts but if you like tough and weird garage rock with a bit of post-punk flair, this record should suit you just fine. -AMG

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The Handcuffs Release New Album & Open for Blondie 9/7/11

The Handcuffs new album "WAITING FOR THE ROBOT" will see it's official national release on September 6, 2011.

To celebrate, you can get the disc for only $8.99 now through September 6 at CD Baby. After September 6, the price goes up to $12.97.


AND...
The Handcuffs will be opening for BLONDIE at the House of Blues in Chicago, on September 7, 2011. Tickets for this 17+ show are available now! For information and tickets, Follow this link

For all kinds of news, information, show dates and more visit:
www.thehandcuffs.com

You can also check out...
www.facebook.com/thehandcuffs
www.twitter.com/thehandcuffs
www.reverbnation.com/thehandcuffs
www.youtube.com/thehandcuffs

Paul Bertolino - Bandmaster Flash - 1998

Paul Bertolino is a behind-the-scenes musician's musician from Berkeley, California... a short-list Bay Area session player who has done time fronting one of San Francisco's toughest garage-soul outfits The Sleaves, and is currently playing drums for major label breakout band Persephone's Bees.
Paul draws from a well that incorporates the toughest 60s jangle-rock, the softest 70's a.m. gold, and maybe even a pinch of Radio Shack synth swagger. Almost in spite of that it's laid back, California songwriting so solid and proprietary that it refuses to be picked apart into it's base elements...try as you might. This is the stuff that will make up the Nuggets Boxes of the future, so why wait? Come feel the love. - Paul Koehler 
Find out more about Paul at http://paulbertolino.bandcamp.com/.

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Pre-order the new fORMER disc now

The new fORMER record, "The Kid's Deserve Cable", is about to go to the presses, so they're making it available for pre-order now, and offering an advance .mp3 of the album opener "Head Light" with each CD order. Just go to http://www.dennysmithmusic.com/ and head to the "store" section to place your order. As soon as the CDs arrive, you'll be among the first to receive a copy. In the meantime, they will get your .mp3 out to you right away.

While you're there, check out some of the new/old tracks loaded into the audio player this week. Added are some rare Best Of Seven and some new stuff from The Great Affairs. Speaking of The Great Affairs, don't forget that the physical pressing of "Happy Ender" with 7 bonus tracks not included on the digital version is available now, exclusively from Kool Kat Misik