Ace of Hearts may not have been one of the most prolific labels to emerge in those days when the first wave of punk had started to crash and before the indie rock scene well and truly took off, but there's no arguing that most of what they released in their classic era (1978-1980) was brilliant stuff. Label mastermind Richard W. Harte had a ear for great bands (it helped that Boston had more than a few of them at the time) and an admirable commitment to quality; Harte produced most of the label's recordings, and he gave his artists a strong, muscular sound in the studio without intruding on their individual musical perspectives.
Some of the fine stuff you can buy directly from Rick Harte at the Ace Of Hearts website :
http://www.aceofheartsrecords.com/index.html
First of all, the brand new record by
THE REAL KIDS _Shake Outta Control that has been very well received all over the world. John FELICE, remembering he once was a Modern Lover, pays his dues to Jonathan Richman by covering "Fly into the Mystery"
The Neats--The Ace of Hearts Years 1981-84
The Wasted Years compilation
"It's not a compilation; it's a concept album, a weave and a flow of 23 songs, and it tells the story of a more indulgent, less careful time. There was a time when you wouldn't think twice about staving out all night, or driving to New York to see Mission of Burma play for 45 minutes. not that the music's over, but that era is over and that's the story this thing is trying to tell."
12 classic 45's
If all Harte ever did was record and release the first singles from the Lyres and Mission of Burma, he'd have earned a place of honor in the hallowed halls of Boston's rock community, and 12 Classic 45s, which collects the material from 12 noteworthy Ace of Hearts 7"s, confirms his knack for finding great music hardly ended there. There's little arguing that Mission of Burma's still astounding "Academy Fight Song"/" "Max Ernst" single and the one-two punch of the Lyres' "I Want to Help You Ann"/"I Really Want You Right Now" are the high points of this comp, but you don't want to be without the Infliktors' proto-punk "Where'd You Get That Cigarette," the crunchy pop perfection of "Prettiest Girl" by the Neighborhoods, the Classic Ruins' smart pre-hardcore stomp on "1+1<2>