ROSS - SUPERSONIC SPACEWALK (1998)

Spanish popmeister Ross has his catalog now mostly out-of-print. Not familiar with Ross? Well you should be! To our ears he's the Spanish equivalent of Jellyfish, The Beatles, Teenage Fanclub, The Records, The Posies (and more!) all wrapped up in one person! His music reads like a history of power pop! He released his first album in 1995 “Sugar”, it was produced by Ken Stringfellow. Ross produced the next one "Supersonic Spacewalk" himself. 2001 saw the release of perhaps his most celebrated album “Rossland”. In 2008, he released "A Collection For Enemies And Friends (1992-2002)", a great introduction for newcomers and a nice, tidy, "all-in-one" place collection for long-timers like us! You can order the "Best Of" from Not Lame, Kool Kat

Songs
Son Of Joy / Glass Onion World / Joy / Living In The Sun / Serenity Inside / It's Not Use At All / Starships / The Supersonic Spacewalk / Song For My Little Things / One Summer Dream / Laughcream / Newt Time Will Be The Last / I Can Believe / Foan Rubber Room

MARSHALL CRENSHAW - A COLLECTION OF DEMOS

If "The 9 Volt Years" album was a showcase for Marshall Crenshaw at his most engaging and refreshing, these 25 songs collect the work of Marshall Crenshaw from the beginning of his career, most of the tracks featured are demos of the songs recorded for the first two albums.

Special note: A few years ago, I got a CDR of those demos, there was no artwork and no info. So i made a custom artwork based upon the Albion single "Something's Gonna Happen"

Songs
She Can't Dance / Not For Me / Brand New Lover / Communication / I'll Do Anything For You / Rockin' Around In N.Y.C. / For Her Love / Something's Gonna Happen / Mary Anne / Starless Summer Sky / The Usual Thing / There She Goes Again / Cynical Girl / She's Not Mine Anymore / It's Only A Movie / Whenevr You're On My Mind / Someday, Someway / Girls, Girls, Girls / Somebody Like You / Now I've Got You / She's Not You / Never Gonna Happen / You're Special To Me / Run Back To You / This Is The Love

SIX YEARS OF POWER POP
THE NOT LAME RECORDING COMPANY (2001)

Out of print 'n Rare! But, still, one of the finest power pop compilations ever done. Originally released in 2001. Celebrate the primal melodic love, spread it around. Featuring 14 previously unreleased and 5 horrifically rare trax from Not Lame artists, past and present.

Bands (Songs)
The Sun Sawed in Half (Janet Greene) / The Shazam (Everything) / Idle Jets (Karen Valentine) / The Posies (Saying Sorry to Myself) / The Rooks (Love) / Myracle Brah (Simplified) / Doug Powell (Cul-de-sac) / Dwight Twilley (Never Enough) / Terry Anderson (Found Missin') / Michael Carpenter (Heartbreaker) / Flamingo (Spinning Out) / Bobby Sutliff (Time Machine) / Mark Helm (Milkyway) / Martin Luther Lennon (Greatest Mistake I Ever Made) / Starbelly (Mother of Pearl) / The Rubinoos (The Girl) / Wanderlust (Where Has Your Lover Gone) / Ken Sharp (For the First Time) / Scot Sax (Great Dream)

STELLALUNA - @ DIVINITY 5 (1996)

Rob Robinson wrote all the songs and with the guidance of his good friend and drummer Tim Belk, they hammered them into recordable form. They took them to Jamie Hoover who brought them to life. Jamie Hoover produced, played lead guitar, sang, played keys, organ and mandolin and a whole lot of other things. The album was done, then Stellaluna became a band and performed a lot around North Carolina with Stephen McSwaim & Stuart "Stew" O'Dell who came into the picture.

"The album is a big winner, trucking on out equal doses of Spongetones, The Beat, Game Theory, Badfinger, dB's and probably a whole lot more. A striking , out of left field debut from a band that will matter. Absolutely magnificent". Bruce Brodeen (1997)

Songs
Nervous Man / Feathers & Fur / Evangeline / Old Tangier / You Know Everything / Still And All / Looking For The Rain / The Great Divide / Paladin / Leave Your Wife / Vain Women / Who Dat? / Telephone / Weasel's Lament / The Ambition Of Princes / Just Dessert

WANDERLUST - WANDERLUST (1998)

It was released in 1997 on the Not Lame Limited subsidiary. It went out of print in 1999! This is the RCA band whose CD, "Prize" set many areas of the US afire and sold close to 40,000 copies. And then were promptly dropped by the label. The Pennsylvania band is the one of more accomplished, polished and talented of pop bands on the scene and had allowed Not Lame to release a CD on Not Lame for fans only. It has nine trax of unreleased material that will have knees weak and mouths agape.

You can order the "Lust & Found" double CD from Not Lame, both Scot Sax's albums are also available. Feel, the current Scot Sax's band has released three albums so far: Feel (2002), Invisible Train (2005), Steps To Reach A Human (2006).

Songs
Mr Wonderful / World's Biggest Fan / Smile / Plain City / take It Out / Train Lovers / Sundial / Everything Is Wrong / Inspiration

THREE HOUR TOUR - THREE HOUR TOUR (1994)

Following two great Parasol singles, this is the full length debut from Three Hour Tour. The band is fronted by singer/guitarist Darren Cooper, a pop veteran from Champaign who played in the pre-Velvet Crush/Subway Records band, Choo Choo Train, as well as a handful of other groups. Brad Steakley from the Elvis Brothers plays drums for the band. Three Hour Tour play classic power pop along the lines of Badfinger, The Raspberries, and Beatles. The band's only non-Parasol track appears on the first of three compilation CDs from the power-pop bible, Yellow Pills magazine.
After the "1969" (still available here) album released in 1996, Darren Cooper and Three Hour Tour were back in action with the amazing "B Side Oblivion" in 2008.

Special note: At the end of the final track "Today Will Be Yesterday" , there were 3 songs not credited on the sleeve. It is also noteworthy to know that the three songs are played backwards, so i did two things:

1. "Today Will Be Yesterday" can be heard the way it is on the original CD
2. "Today Will Be Yesterday" has been split into 4 parts (see the "last track split" folder)
   

• the proper "Today Will Be Yesterday"
  
• and i have reversed the 3 bonus tracks with Soundforge "Oblivous Oblivious (Demo)", "Come Back Home (Demo)", "Tarnished Silver Screen (Hidden Version)"
  

Songs
Tarnished Silver Screen / So Tonight / Easy Come Easy Go / Out Of Time / Obvious Oblivious / Sister Mary / When the Lights Are Out / Push Too Far / I've Got a Big Thing For Her / There's So Much More / Why Do We Fall / Today Will Be Yesterday (+hidden tracks)

TOMMY KEENE - SONGS FROM THE FILM (1998)

Originally released in 1986, "Songs From The Film" is one of the greatest powerpop albums ever made. The Geffen's 1998 CD reissue of "Songs from the Film" includes the "Run Now" EP, though omitting the live version of "Kill Your Sons", plus four previously unreleased songs: "Take Back Your Letters," "We're Two," an alternate full-band take of "Faith in Love" and a cover of the Flamin' Groovies' "Teenage Head." A CD reissue which is sadly out of print, so you've got to try amazon or ebay now.

Songs
Places That Are Gone / In Our Lives / Listen To Me / Paper Words And Lies / Gold Town / Kill Your Sons / Call On Me / As Life Goes By / My Mother Looked Like Marilyn Monroe / Underworld / Take Back Your Letters / Astronomy / The Story Ends / Run Now / Away From It All / I Don't Feel Right At All / Back Again / They're In Their Own World / We're Two / Faith In Love / Teenage Head

VARIOUS - POPKIDS ARE GO! (1995)

Compiled by Tony Perkins (aka Martin Luther Lennon), this cassette only compilation of Los Angeles pop bands documented the very important pop scene going on in L.A. and also served as a promotional pitch for the upcoming Poptopia festival going on in January 1996 there. With contributions from P.Hux, Martin Luther Lennon, Baby Lemonade, Cockeyed Ghost, The Shambles and Darryl Jensen (later known as Jensen Bell).

Bands (Songs)

The Melanies (Merry Go Round) / Cartoon Boyfriend (Once Upon A Time) / The Shakes (Got A Date) / Nickel (Stupid Thing) / Fuzz Bubble (Dragonfly) / Nine Iron (Theoretical Mind) / Baby Lemonade (Never Mind The Hype) / The Bunnyrabbits (Just Destroyed) / PG-13 (Na Na 99 Cent Store) / Cockeyed Ghost (Using You) / Velouria (Wondergirl) / 3 Day Wheelie (Something About A Ceiling) / The 7 Deadly 5 (Filtered Head) / Darryl Jensen (The Bells) / Single Bullet Theory (Forever And A Day) / Blister (Beam Me Up) / The Shambles (She Said It's Late) / The Haskells (Media Whore) / P.Hux (Playing Her Guitar) / Smart Brown Handbag (Silverlake) / Martin Luther Lennon (Emily)

VARIOUS - SYMPOPHONY #1 (1995)

The first CD released by Not Lame Recordings back in 1995. 80 or so followed after "SymPOPphony" but this was the first and has been LONG out of print. What was "SymPOPhony #1"? It was a 20 song compilation that featured five bands, each with four songs. They included Cherry Twister (transcendent and wickedly rare trax), Martin Luther Lennon, The Shambles, Rockerfellers (who became The Beatifics a few years later) and The Finns (one member is now with the Ded Bugs). It was the beginning of Not Lame in early 1995 but the music is timeless, classic power pop. Don't wait! notlame

Martin Luther Lennon
I Own The World / No Love Lost / Disconnected / Dancing With Myself

Rockerfellers
Just Like It Was Before / I Love You Better / All Your Former Boyfriends / She's Never Wrong

Cherry Twister
Leila / Rose Garden / Charlotte B / Frozen Teeth

The Finns
Whatever You Want / Satellite Receiver / Dreams Of Mediocrity / Superstar Suicide

The Shambles
Medley: Heart And Soul-For Jamie / I Believe / The Color swirl / Original Tangent

PARTHENON HUXLEY & KYLE VINCENT - POPTOPIA '98

Parthenon Huxley and Kyle Vincent recorded live at the Borders Bookstore in Santa Monica in 1998 for the Poptopia event. A then new promising act called Jensell Bell opens for Parthy and Kyle who collaborated together on the eponymously titled Kyle Vincent CD (1997).

Special note: I got this unofficial acoustic performance around 2001 from a powerpop mate living in San Francisco. I designed a special artwork for the ppc blog

Jensen Bell
Intro / Asking You Out / I've Got Time / One Good Reason

Parthenon Huxley
Intro / Red Eye Liner / Come With The Territory / Bazooka Joe / Belief / My Sweet Nothing / Junkies / I Loved Everything / Outro

Kyle Vincent
In The Worst Way / It Wasn't Supposed To Happen / Heartbeats And Lovebeats / She's Top 40 / Before The Winter Comes / If It's So (I Don't Want To Know) / Arianne / All Your Promises / Wake Me Up (When The World's Worth Waking Up)

THE ELVIS BROTHERS - MOVIN' UP & ADVENTURE TIME (1995)

The Elvis Brothers (drummer Brad, singer, bassist Graham and guitarist Rob) from Champaign, Illinois have roots in many local bands of that area (some credible, others cringeable); together, they play a marvelous (and deceptively simple) concoction of slicked-up rockabilly, stripped-down Cheap Trick-tinged melodic rock'n'roll and pristine pure pop that boasts superbly articulated energy, occasionally goofy lyrics and enough hooks to catch a school of minnows. Movin' Up traverses a panoply of mildly bent styles, from mock-Stray Cats ("Fire in the City") to Dave Edmunds-ish rock'n'roll ("Hey Tina") to Anglo-pop ("Hidden in a Heartbeat") to countryfied rock ("Santa Fe") and much more. Sure, they futz around a lot (especially onstage), but their silliness never interferes with the serious task — playing catchy pop with maximum gusto. It may not mean a lot, but the album is truly mega-fun.
Adrian Belew's more complex production of "Adventure Time" doesn't dampen the E-Bros.' essentially lighthearted spirit. There are a couple of socially responsible messages about gun control and insanity in the modern world but, by and large, the Elvises go about their business with typical happy-go-lucky aplomb. From the high-powered rock'n'roll of "Burnin' Desire" and "Somebody Call the Police" to the gentle beauty of "Crosswinds" and the clockwork pop precision of the Japanese fan tribute "Akiko Shinoda," they effortlessly toss off tune after tune of infectious should-be-hits. The two albums were subsequently paired on a single CD (now outrageously rare and OOP) under the debut's title. The Brothers were dropped from Portrait mid-'80s after some personell changes at the label left them without support. Trouser Press

After the Big Hello episode, Brad Elvis formed Handcuffs and released the excellent "Model For A Revolution" (2006) and recently played drums with The Romantics.
Graham Elvis released the beatlesque "Analog 88" in 2006, "The Graham Elvis Brothers" in 2007, and has just released "Sure".

Songs
(I Know You) Shake It / It's So Hard / Hidden in a Heartbeat / Hey Tina / Red Dress / Fire in the City / Here We Go Again / Movin' Up / Santa Fe / Full Speed Straight Ahead / You Got Me / Long Gone / Burnin' Desire / Somebody Call the Police / Don't Take My Guns Away / Holy Moly / Crosswinds / Count to Three / I Wonder Why / Akiko Shinoda / Chin Up / Big Ideas

TOMMY KEENE - BASED ON HAPPY TIMES (1989)

Much like 1986's "Songs From the Film", Geffen seemed bent on making Keene's music bigger than life with "Based on Happy Times", but this time the overall production sounds less forced and truer to capturing the purity and aggressiveness of Keene's live sound. Recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis with Joe Hardy and John Hampton at the helm, "Based on Happy Times" brought together the best elements of Keene's previous work, including excellently crafted pop songs, delicious guitar figures, and tight ensemble playing. Among the collection's strongest cuts: the sadly beautiful "This Could Be Fiction," which fades with a lovely string passage; the powerful "When Our Vows Break"; and the haunting album closer "A Way Out," featuring R.E.M.'s Peter Buck on mandolin. And as usual, Keene can pick interesting cover tunes, this time around doing a quirky and fun take on a Beach Boys obscurity, "Our Car Club," which also includes a guitar cameo by Buck. Perhaps if this superb record had been given the promotion it deserved, Tommy Keene would have the name recognition of the aforementioned artists. AMG

As "Based On Happy Times" is now out of print, we may say it comes second to "Strange Alliance" as one of the Tommy Keene's most sought-after items. Try ebay or amazon.

Songs
Nothing Can Change You / Light of Love / This Could Be Fiction / Based On Happy Times / When Our Vows Break / The Biggest Conflict / Highwire Days / Our Car Club / If We Run Away / Hanging on to Yesterday / Where Have All Our Friends Gone / Pictures / A Way Out

GAME THEORY - DISTORTION OF GLORY (1993)

"Distortion of Glory" is a 1994 CD compilation of all of 1982's "Blaze of Glory" and most of the two following EPs, 1983's "Pointed Accounts of People You Know" and 1984's Michael Quercio-produced "Distortion", plus a rare flexidisc track, "Dead Center." "Distortion of Glory" is an essential release for Game Theory fans, making these otherwise impossible to find songs available again.

FLAC

Songs
Something to Show / Tin Scarecrow / White Blues / Date With an Angel / Mary Magdalene / The Young Drug / / Bad Year at Ucla / All I Want Is Everything / Stupid Heart / Sleeping Through Heaven / It Gives Me Chills / T.G.A.R.T.G. / Dead Center / Penny, Things Won't / Metal and Glass Exact / Selfish Again / Life in July / Shark Pretty / Nine Lives to Rigel Five / The Red Baron / Kid Convenience / Too Late for Tears

TRIBUTE TO ALEX CHILTON
NOT THE SINGER BUT THE SONGS (1991)

Released in 1991 on the spanish label Munster Records and compiled by Inigo Munster, "Not The Singer But The Songs" was a tribute to Alex Chilton (Big Star and solo eras) featuring bands from the USA (Wishniaks, Dangtrippers, Mitch Easter, 27 Various, Young Fresh Fellows, Ben Vaughn...), Australia (Chevelles, Pyramidiacs...), Spain (Los Valendas,Vancouvers...), UK, Sweden, and even France (Dum Dum Boys). The album was available in two versions, the CD regular one had 23 bands/songs while the vinyl double LP edition had three bonus bands/tracks (Exploding White Mice / September Gurls / Preachers).

Special note: You'll find both versions as they had been available back then, therefore the custom tray of the LP rip is different from the CD one. The cd rip was given to me by a spanish mate.

CD / Bands (Songs)
The Hucksters (Ballad Of El Goodo) / The Dangtrippers (In The Street) / (Thirteen) / The Wishniaks (Thirteen) / The Pyramidiacs (When My Baby's Beside Me) / Los Valendas (Watch The Sunrise) / The Dambuilders (ST 100-6) / 27 Various (Life Is White) / Big Citizen (You Get What You Deserve) / The Chevelles (Back Of A Car) / Silver Chapter (Morpha Too) / The Popes (I'm In Love With A Girl) / Mitch Easter & Angie Carlson (Kizza Me) / Happy Hate Me Nots (Jesus Christ) / Head Candy (Thank You Friends) / Los Bichos (Holocaust) / 99th Floor (Nightime) / Dum Dum Boys (Big Black Car) /Young Fresh Fellows (She Might Look My Way) / Vancouvers (Hey, Little Child!) / The Interstellar Villains (Like Flies On Sherbert) / Ben Vaughn (Paradise) / La Secta (Dalai Lama) / Pink Slip Daddy (Junkyard)

LP / Bands (Songs)
The Hucksters (Ballad Of El Goodo) / The Dangtrippers (In The Street) / (Thirteen) / The Wishniaks (Thirteen) / The Pyramidiacs (When My Baby's Beside Me) / Los Valendas (Watch The Sunrise) / The Dambuilders (ST 100-6) / 27 Various (Life Is White) / Big Citizen (You Get What You Deserve) / The Chevelles (Back Of A Car) / September Gurls (September Gurls) / Silver Chapter (Morpha Too) / The Popes (I'm In Love With A Girl) / Mitch Easter & Angie Carlson (Kizza Me) / Happy Hate Me Nots (Jesus Christ) / Head Candy (Thank You Friends) / Los Bichos (Holocaust) / 99th Floor (Nightime) / Dum Dum Boys (Big Black Car) / Young Fresh Fellows (She Might Look My Way) / Exploding White Mice (Bangkok) / Vancouvers (Hey, Little Child!) / Preachers (My Rival) / The Interstellar Villains (Like Flies On Sherbert) / Ben Vaughn (Paradise) / La Secta (Dalai Lama) / Pink Slip Daddy (Junkyard)

FOUR O'CLOCK BALLOON - FOUR O'CLOCK BALLOON (1997)

At long last, this power pop gem has been reissued and is now available as mp3's to download or as a physical CD. Visit the Killer Music Group website now and order it before it's too late.

Hailing from Miami, Florida, you might remember Four O'Clock Balloon as one "Stood In The Rain", was the leadoff track in the Power Pop compilation CD "Yellow Pills Volume 4". Little is known about the band and the leader Tommy Anthony. Here's a review of the this long out of print gem: "Best Pop Band Four O'Clock Balloon The Balloon's pop lifts the better elements of late-Sixties songcraft (they even cover a Kinks tune) and incorporates them into a driving, urgent approach that leaves all the sissified alternacrap on the radio facedown on the ground. Tommy Anthony has long been one of South Florida's top songwriters, and he has the voice to carry his hooky-but-never-smarmy tunes to lofty heights. A listen to the CD "Real" will suggest that it was recorded at a major studio by a top-gun producer, its production values best described as glossy yet thick. In fact it was recorded by the band in Anthony's bedroom studio on consumer-grade equipment. The quartet's exhilarating live act takes those tunes to the next level. Anthony's front work receives immaculate support from guitarist/keyboardist John Allen, bassist Michael Quinn, and drummer Omar Hernandez (who backs Raul Di Blasio as well). If the group's sound reflects the late Sixties, so their career strategies embrace grassroots hippie ideology. No big-label deal. No video. No flavor-of-the-day hype machine. With nothing more than placement at the listening booth, the CD sold out at Tower Records in Chicago and Minneapolis. Miami, too, knows what time it is: New Times readers chose them as Best Rock Band last year. While waiting for the Balloon to take off nationally, Anthony tours as a guitarist for Jon Secada, a Four O'Clock fan. Now that's pop." Miami New Times

Apart from this, the band also released the equally outstanding "More Hot Air" (1998) and "Up, Up And Away" (1999), both items are really hard to find. Only the eponymous CD can be found on Amazon. A real treasure.

Songs
I Need You / Means To An End / Stood In The Rain / Tell Me why / How Long / So Wrong / Real / More Or Less / Ripley / Less Than Nowhere / Why Me, Why YOu / The Joker Laughs At You

JASON FALKNER - EVERYONE SAYS IT'S ON (2001)

"Everyone Says It's On" is a fantastic release by the Japanese Air Mail Recordings label. The two-CD set collects many of the Jason Falkner rarities that his fans have been anxiously awaiting for many years.

Disc one (titled "Disc Me") contains 13 of Falkner's home demos, only a few of which have previously been released in some form, often as Elektra promos, magazine flexi-discs, or other hard-to-find sources. Five of these have previously appeared on Falkner's "Necessity: The 4-Track Years", which was released in 2001 by the U.S.-based spinART label. The highlights include home demos of songs that were later recorded for his 1996 solo album "Presents Author Unknown"; these include "I Live," "Miracle Medicine" (this was one of four demos released on a double 7" for the Sub Pop singles club), and "She Goes to Bed." There are also demos here that were recorded later on his 1999 solo album "Can You Still Feel?" -- including "Eloquence" (with alternate lyrics) and "All God's Creatures" -- and a few recorded for the album but not previously released: "Great Big Yes," "Song for Her," and "His Train." Another highlight is an demo of an old Grays tune, "Friend of Mine."

Disc two (titled "Disc Them") is a delightful release, filled to the brim with rare, very hard-to-find cover songs that Falkner recorded between 1994 and 1996. Some of the highlights on this disc include his version of the Left Banke's "Pretty Ballerina" (a live concert fave), Brian Eno's "Burning Airlines" (previously issued on the vinyl release of Can You Still Feel?), and a wonderful cover of Def Leppard's "Photograph" (another live favorite, arriving after track ten as a hidden track). This last track was originally recorded by Falkner for the 1998 various-artists metal compilation "Metal Rulz". The version of Tom Waits' "Johnsberg, IL" is acoustic with a nice piano outro and his version of the Kinks' "Wicked Annabella" was previously issued on the Australian single of "Follow Me." Falkner's cover of Magazine's "Song From Under the Floorboards" was also previously released as the B-side to his U.K. single "I Live." Falkner fans are sure to enjoy this collection, while others less-familiar with Falkner's solo albums may want to start with either of the releases on Elektra. ~ Bryan Thomas, AMG

Special note: Some time ago, i got a CDR copy of this album, it means it is a 320 rip made from the WAV files. Quality pristine. But on the other side, there was no artwork attached to the copy i received. Since then, i got the complete set of artwork courtesy of a blog reader, and as the album is fetching ridiculous prices. Enjoy..

DISC ME
Great Big Yes / Song For Her / Eloquence / She Goes To Bed / His Train / All God's Creatures / Upside Down Frown / Became Anita Captured / I Live / Miracle Medicine / Revelation / Friend of Mine / Down At The Lake

DISC THEM
Both Sides Now / Wicked Annabella / Burning Airlines / Johnsburg, Illinois / Pretty Ballerina / Song From Under The Floorboards / Fanfare in the Garden / Midget Submarines / Goodbye Toulouse / Tomorrow Will Be Too Long / Photograph

ARTWORK
Booklet / Inner 1 / Inner 2 / Inlay / Tray

ROBIN SUTLIFF (2005)
About 3 years ago, Robin managed to get Bobby, Tim, and Mitch Easter to record a batch of his songs at Mitch's studio. The band was essentially Bobby Sutliff - Guitars, Bass, Mandocello, Keyboards; Tim Lee - Guitars, Bass, Keyboards; Mitch Easter - Drums, huge guitars; Robin Sutliff- Vocals, guitar, mandolin: with everyone singing backup at some point. You can order some copies directly from Robin Sutliff.

If you dig the music of the Windbreakers, Mitch Easter or Rain Parade, you'll enjoy the album. You can listen to these great songs through streaming by clicking on the pix.

TRIBUTE TO BOBBY FULLER - OUR FAVORITE TEXAN (1999)

Maybe the most elusive tribute ever made. It was released in Japan only and the U.S. distribution was also quite limited. Read the complete story about this amazing rarity on the Jim Babjak's Buzzed Meg page.

Songs (Bands)
Shakedown (Young Fresh Fellows) / Rockhouse (The Incredible Casuals) / Love's Made A Fool Of You (Jim Babjak's Buzzed Meg) / Julie (Michael Shelley) / Saturday Night (Health & Happiness Show) / Take My Word (Sleeping Giant featuring Dennis Diken) / Nancy Jean (Richard Barone) / Another Sad And Lonely Night (Kevin Johnson) / Fool Of Love (Charlie Chesterman) / Let Her Dance (Bill Lloyd) / A New Shade Of Blue (Steve Almaas) / Baby My Heart (Liquor Giants) / Pamela (Fortune & Maltese And The Phabulous Pallbearers) / Thunder Reef (Jackie & The Cedrics) / My True Love (Marshall Crenshaw) / Don't Ever Let Me Know (John Moremen) / It's Love, Come What May (Jamie Hoover) / Only When I Dream (Walter Clevenger & The Dairy Kings) / I Fought The Law (The Brothers Figaro) / Never To Be Forgotten (George Usher) / The Magic Touch (Jim Babjak's Buzzed Meg)

SUGARPLUM - BLUE SUMMER DAYS (1997)

Sugarplum is singer, songwriter, guitarist Anthony Meynell's recording outfit. Bittersweet guitar based pop tunes embrace his diverse influences, a blend of anything from The Byrds to French 60's pop, Big Star to Bubblegum. Soft-centred, watercolour vocals are the charm and character of his music. The focus to the Sugarplum sound is Meynell's distinctive guitar style, folk influenced acoustic guitar with perfectly placed electric guitar enhancing his carefully considered and intelligent arrangements. Sugarplum shines above the crowd with its musicality, and lyrics that truly come to life with heartfelt melodies. Forget flavour of the month, this is true-pop; a timeless package of delight! Meanwhile, Anthony has been rehearsing with Squire again.

A Squire tribute album "The Young Idea" was released in 2006 on Twist Records.
Sugarplum played at The Cavern, Liverpool a few years ago as part of the IPO Festival.

Songs
Pop Stuff / Hannah / Crazy Feeling / Blue Summer Days / Coconut Sky / Holiday In England / Skylark Soaring / Wake Me Up / Sumer All Year Long / Indian Summer / Merry Go Round For Two / Time Dissolves The Toys

THE LEFT BANKE
A few days ago, i received from a blog reader (Gert), the original scans of the Left Banke's "And Finally...It's The Left Banke". So, if you wanna give a look at the proper artwork of the Bam Caruso CD issue, click here. Thank you Gert.

THE LEFT BANKE

Please read this carefully : I made the "And Finally...It's The Left Banke" collection from the two Bam Caruso vinyl albums - And Suddenly (Bam Caruso KIRI 021 - 1982) & Walk Away Renee (Bam Caruso PABL 056 - 1985) - it means i do not have the Bam Caruso CD edition (i have to say i've never seen a proper copy of the CD, so if anybody has one, contact me). So the artwork has been made from the 1982 Bam Caruso LP, it has also been slightly revamped fitting in the complete track listing and updating the title. Below are some very acute notes found somewhere and written by an unknown fan.

"The Left Banke's catalog is entirely out of print, and both the impossibly rare "And Finally" disc (comprising the original stereo mix of the first album, along with the second album and rarities) and the not-impossibly-rare "There's Gonna Be a Storm disc" (same concept, only with a remix of the first album) are going for ridiculous prices on eBay or Amazon. Paying these ridiculous prices benefits nobody but the seller - Mercury ain't seeing a dime, the band ain't seeing a dime - so why not get the material for free until the inevitable reissue comes along? The Left Banke's first album, "Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina," (as featured on "And Finally...") is the original stereo mix which reflects the mixed origins of the original album, and ranges from wide stereo ("I've Got Something On My Mind") to might-as-well-be-mono ("Barterers And Their Wives"). Somewhat peculiarly, it appears as if no mono mix of the album was prepared, allegedly per a Mercury experiment to "single-format" its releases. Most copies that are marked "mono" are actually stereo records; while "real" mono copies do exist, they are fold-downs, and apart from a weird, mis-spliced version of the "Shadows" intro are little more than curios. The Banke's mainstream debut on CD, "There's Gonna Be a Storm: The Complete Recordings," was in print from 1992 to around 2003, and managed to shoot up in value the instant it went out of print. Huh? Anyway, compilers Bill Inglot and Andrew Sandoval elected to remix the entire first album for its inclusion on "Storm." In some cases, they attempted to replicate the original mono singles mixes, only in stereo ("Renee"); in other cases, they preferred near-mono mixes; and in at least one case, they produced an actual mono mix ("Shadows"). These were the versions most easily available to Banke fans in the CD era."

AND FINALLY...IT'S THE LEFT BANKE (1988)
Walk Away Renee / There's Gonna Be A Storm / Desiree / Myrah / Shadows Breaking Over My Head / Let Go of You Girl / Sing Little Bird Sing / I Haven't Got the Nerve / Goodbye Holly / Dark is the Bark / I've Got Something on My Mind / Pretty Ballerina / In the Morning Light / She May Call You Up Tonight / My Friend Today / Barterers and their Wives / Pedestal / Evening Gown / Lazy Day / What Do You Know / Bryant Hotel / Nice To See You / Give The Man A hand / Ivy Ivy

THERE'S GONNA BE A STORM:
The Complete Recordings 1966-1969 (1992)
Walk Away Renee / I Haven't Got the Nerve / Pretty Ballerina / She May Call You Up Tonight / I've Got Something on my Mind / Barterers and Their Wives / Let Go of You Girl / What Do You Know / Evening Gown / Lazy Day / Shadows Breaking Over My Head / Ivy Ivy / Men are Building Sand (previously unreleased) / Desiree / Dark is the Bark / My Friend Today / Sing Little Bird Sing / And Suddenly / Goodbye Holly / In the Morning Light / Bryant Hotel / Give the Man a Hand / Nice to See You / There's Gonna Be a Storm / Pedestal / Myrah.