THE REZILLOS - FIRST TWO SINGLES (1977)

The band originally consisted of Eugene Reynolds (born Alan Forbes) vocals; Fay Fife (born Sheilagh Hynde) vocals; Jo Callis guitar; William Mysterious (born Alastair Donaldson), saxophone; Angel Patterson (born Alan Patterson), drums; Hi-Fi Harris guitar; Dr D.K. Smythe bass guitar and Gale Warning (Gail Jamieson) backing vocals.

This line-up released their first single "I Can't Stand My Baby" c/w "I Wanna Be Your Man" on the indie record label, Sensible Records. This led to a major recording contract with Sire Records. The band also underwent a transformation, shedding both Hi-Fi Harris, Dr. D.K. Smythe, and two backing singers. William Mysterious then shifted to bassist for the band's debut album "Can't Stand the Rezillos", widely regarded as a classic of both punk rock and New Wave. A second single Double A Side "(My Baby Does) Good Sculptures"/"Flying Saucer Attack" grazed the lower reaches of the UK Singles Chart, and contained different versions of the songs found on the album release.

Special note: Both singles are available in FLAC 24bit and mp3 (320) with full artwork

1. I Can't Stand My Baby / I Wanna Be Your Man (Sensible FAB 1)
2. (My Baby Does) Good Sculptures / Flying Saucer Attack (Sire 6078 612)

FLAC (138mb) or mp3 (34mb)

DEADBEAT POETS - CIRCUS TOWN (2010)

The second album from The Deadbeat Poets has just been released and is available through popdetective, Not Lame, Kool Kat or Amazon.

The band features Frank Secich (Blue Ash, Club Wow, Stiv Bators Band), Terry Hartman (Backdoor Men, Napoleon In Rags, Terry & The Tornadoes), Pete Drivere (Infidels, Pretty Demons) and John Koury (Infidels, Slackjaw). The album has been produced by Pete Drivere and brings to our ears some amazing stuff, each song is a guaranteed winner. "The Staircase Stomp", "I Thought I Knew You" and the epic "Madras Man" are three of the highlights of "Circus Town".

Here are some words from Pete Drivere (producer and guitarist): "“We started this record late Spring of 09. It was different than a lot of the records that I do because nearly all of the parts were composed in the studio. Frank and Terry wrote all of the songs previously but John and I had not heard them until the day that they were recorded. This led to a God’s load of improvised parts. Very loose but still tight.
The result of this formula became “Circus Town”. We cut 17 tracks and culled it down to 12 that more or less fit together well. I got done mixing it in late February and now here it is. I think that it turned out well and features some of Frank and Terry’s best songs to date.
With the last recording, “Notes From The Underground”, we got some good national review and got invited to SXSW and got to tour the UK. I think that the new record is a bump up from the prior, so let’s see were this can take us.”

AMERICAN SPRING - AMERICAN SPRING (1972)

Marilyn Rovell married Wilson and became part of the extended family that constituted the Beach Boys operation during those years, from the mid-'60s onward. It was Diane Rovell who got her and her sister back into the singing business, while hanging around the Wilson kitchen with Marilyn and her brother-in-law. And the result was Spring, a harmony duo of the Wilson/Rovell siblings, produced by Brian and every bit as contemporary as any act working in 1970, doing lost treasures from the Carole King songbook and rewrites and rearrangements of Brian Wilson (and Mike Love) tunes (most magnificently, "This Whole World"), plus renditions of Rita Coolidge and Leon Russell repertoire and standards like "Tennessee Waltz." They didn't last past the one album and the sessions that went into it - the group wasn't a full-time or even an ongoing commitment, just something to have fun with and to see where it took them, which may be why it took them so far. The record, like the group, became one of the great lost chapters of the Beach Boys' post-psychedelic history, and a stunning musical document in its own right. Released by United Artists, it died on the vine and became a choice collectable within just a few years. Various CD reissues have enhanced its exposure and raised the demand for the recordings. AMG

Special note: A brand new rip of a lost and most sought-after classic. The rip has been made in 24bit/96Khz and then converted to 320 mp3 and FLAC 24bit/44.1Khz. So, you have two kinds of links.

1. First a vinyl rip of the original United Artists LP recorded in Wav 24bit-96Khz cleaned and then converted to FLAC Lossless 24bit/44.1Khz. Artwork included. Size: 403 mb. FLAC Links 1 - 2 - 3
2. Second, the 320 mp3 of the 24bit/96Khz rip. Artwork included. Size: 90 mb. Click on the title.
   

Songs
Tennessee Waltz / Thinkin' bout You Baby / Mama Said / Superstar / Awake / Sweet Mountain / Everybody / This Whole World / Forever / Good Time / Now That Everything's Been Said / Down Home

TRIBUTE TO THE BYRDS - TIME BETWEEN (1989)

For the ones who downloaded the rip until May 14th, it appears that song #19 was badly ripped, so please download it again. Click here.

A superior lineup of contributors helps make "Time Between: A Tribute to the Byrds" one of the better homages of its kind. There are two versions of this album, a fourteen-song LP edition that ends with "Wild Mountain Time" by Nigel & the Crosses, an alias for the duo of Robyn Hitchcock and Peter Buck, and a 19-song CD that ends with "Hickory Wind" by Richard Thompson, Clive Gregson, and Christine Collister. Everything on either version is worthwhile, Read more on AMG

Special note: The Barracudas were mispelled Baraccudas on the tray of the CD edition but also on the back of the LP edition.

Click on pix for details

VARIOUS - CAN'T START DANCIN' (1978)

Promoting the simultaneous release of five albums, Stiff Records and Sounds distributed this compilation with "7 original stars, 14 original Stiffs. To ensure the highest quality reproduction it is usual to take the album out of its sleeve. This exciting LP is not available on cassette, 8 Track or anywhere else. If you require any information regarding Stiff Records and its heinous activities, write to The Stiff Secret Service…"

Click on pix for details.

MAY, 5th (2010)
Today is the beginning of the 4th year of PPC.
Power Pop
To The People!!!
Let's celebrate with a new PPC compilation.

VARIOUS - SOME SOUNDALIKES (2010)

I guess you all remember Dave Edmunds paying tribute to the Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, or how many bands have contributed to the Beatlesque history of Power Pop and some other artists searching for the perfect harmonies of Brian Wilson, even The Fab Four did this with "Paperback Writer". All those bands have something in common, the love and respect for these forerunners. So instead of covering some classic tunes, they wrote original songs, mixed and produced them in the spirit of the bands we all love.

This new 2CD PPC collection is my humble try at compiling the homages recorded by the bands featured here. Of course, some of you won't hear what i've heard, but you won't deny the L.E.O.'s song might be one of the best songs Jeff L. has never written, or that Marc B., Bob D., Elvis C. can be heard without being really featured. Some other acts have included partial references to their heroes - this is how Roy Wood's Wizzard can be heard with some glitter stomp in the same song, i could write and on and on, but where would be the fun of discovering the tributes hidden in the songs. Enjoy.

NOTE: ZS allows parallel downloads

Lossy: ZS1 + ZS2 (361 mb)

Lossless:
CD1: ZS1 + ZS2 + ZS3 + ZS4 (595 mb) (links down)
CD2: ZS1 + ZS2 + ZS3 + ZS4 (567 mb) (links down)

Click on pix for details

SLATERS - THE BIG BLACK BUG BLED BLACK BLOOD (1993)

Hailing from Sydney's southern suburbs, John Vittorio, Darren McNamara and Matt Allison were the Slaters. They played a mixture of energetic garage power pop with melody and fun. Released on the australian label Zero Hour, half of the album was comprised of vintage cuts including the brilliant "Crystal Girl" and a cover of the Plimsouls "Oldest Story in The World". The other half was eight songs worth of recent recordings that easily make most practioners of so-called "power pop" look like pale imitations of the Knack. Matt Allison later joined Mickster (of Pyramidiacs fame), who was the drummer on some of the Slaters tracks, in the Finkers (with Michael Carpenter). Also noteworthy is the title of The Pyramidiacs' anthology "Stuff 'n' Junk" which was a song (produced by Rob Younger) by the Slaters, kind of a tribute to this underrated band.

Songs

Nothing Makes Sense / Silly Games / Kate / Hear This / Just Like The Rest / I Bet There's More / Back To Where U Started / You're Wrong / Stranded At The Lansdowne / Stuff 'n' Junk / Crystal Girl / Still Around / Oldest Story In The World / Dragstrip Queen / Angel

WILL OWSLEY - R.I.P. (April, 30)

Will Owsley, the Middle Tennessee-based singer, songwriter, engineer and guitarist known professionally as Owsley, died April 30 of an apparent suicide. Former leader of the Semantics, he released two much-acclaimed albums "Owsley" (1999) and "The Hard Way" (2004). He also released this "Coming Up Roses" EP (1999)