CHRIS STAMEY - IT'S ALRIGHT (1987)

Chris Stamey's second full-length solo album - and the only album in his entire decades-long career to be released on a major label - is the most uncomplicated and genuinely poppy album of his career, even including the first two dB's albums.

Songs
Cara Lee / From the Word Go / When We're Alone / The Seduction [Full Length Version] / It's Alright / Big Time / Of Time and All She Brings to Mind / In the Dark / If You Hear My Voice / 27 Years in a Single Day [Full Length Version] / Incredible Happiness

HAMMERFISH - THINGS LOOK LARGER UNDERWATER (1995)

7 Song EP from this Australian foursome is a brash and loud but is at heart very much a pop band. Explosive take on "Bad Reputation" (the dB's song that was included on PPC own "Tributes or Not Tributes Vol 5) and all throughout the sparks fly in a fiery and loud alterna-rock sound, but with a solid pop sense of writing catchy songs kind of like The Posies (circa '96). The hooks are there and very real, enjoy this slab of hard to find Australian pop!. Hammerfish was also featured on the australian compilation "Pop On Top" (1996) covering the Todd Rundgren classic "Couldn't I Just Tell You". Ryan Ellsmore later joined The (australian) Scruffs (aka The Wake-Ups), Michael Carpenter and Mick O'Regan (Pyramidiacs) guests on this mini album.

Songs
Crash And Burn / Secrecy / Fortunes Are Changing / In The Know / Wake me / Shine On Me (I & II) / Bad Reputation

THE MOJO MACHINE TURNS YOU ON Vol 1-10 (1997-1999)

Between 1997 and 1999, british magazine MOJO used to give away some exclusive CD's to its subscribers: "The Mojo Machine Turns You On" (10 volumes), taking its name from the CBS 60's sampler "The Rock Machine Turns You On". Of course, the MOJO collection is not Power Pop at all except for a few bands that were featured. I was wondering if i should post the whole set over here at PPC, but why not after all (i'm not so "power pop" narrow-minded, you know, even though some of my friends think i'm just a little bit) as i saw some of the CD's were being sold on some auctions websites. So here are the 10 volumes plus the "Good Grooves Number 11" which was the last of that collection compiling some of the best of the 1997-1999 pop-rock releases. The first volumes had a full colour booklet (14 pages) whereas the last ones were given away in a simple card sleeve.

Special note: So grab what you want by clicking on Vol # and get some info by clicking on the small pix.

Vol 1 : info



Vol 2 : info



Vol 3 : info



Vol 4 : info



Vol 5 : info



Vol 6 : info



Vol 7 : info



Vol 8 : info



Vol 9 : info



Vol 10 : info



Vol 11 : info

BABY LEMONADE - THE WONDERFUL EP (1993)

Baby Lemonade was formed in Los Angeles ('92), debuted in 1993 with the 10" six-song “Wonderful” EP, (built around a medley cover of two Brian Wilson songs from "Smiley Smile" - "Wind Chimes/Wonderful") it was released on the Sympathy for the Record Industry label. Baby Lemonade (Rusty Squeezebox, Mike Randle, Dave Chapple and David "Daddy-O" Green) remained with Sympathy, for whom they recorded 1996's full-length "68% Pure Imagination".

Special note: The 10" EP has been ripped in 24bit/96khz and converted to mp3 (320) and FLAC 24bit/44.1Khz. The original rip was made by a power pop friend. Complete scans have also been provided.

FLAC or mp3 (320)

Songs

Windchimes_Wonderful / Please Consider Us / Drown / The Only One / The Hole

TRIBUTE TO THE RECORDS - I REMEMBER YOUR NAME (1996)

A die hard fan of the Records, Antonio Maimo (from Spain) had the idea to release a different kind of Tribute. Instead of compiling some songs taken from various albums, he reunited with the crop of spanish indie bands and together they made a 1996 version of the most famous Records album "Crashes". The collection was released in Spain only.

Bands (Songs)
Mr Snoid (Rumour Sets The Woods Alight) / Los Potros (Hearts In Her Eyes, Acoustic Version) / Ross (I Don't Remember Your Name) / Malconsejo (Man With A Girl Proof Heart) / Sunday Crime (The Same Mistakes) / The Happy Losers (Girl In Golden Disc) / Matamala (Spent A Week With You Last Night) / Crocodiles ( Hearts Will Be Broken) / Heartbeats (The Worriers) / Los Huespedes Felices (Guitars In The Sky) / Pop Machine (Hearts In Her Eyes Electric Version)

POWER POP LOVERS IS BACK
My old friend Blog Kihn from PVAc to 44.1khz has decided to reopen the legendary Power Pop Lovers blog (both @blogspot and @wordpress). So you can grab those old time Power Pop favorites of yours over there:

PPL wordpress or PPL blogspot

Welcome back PPL

E - BROKEN TOY SHOP (1993)

On his second album, E offers more of the same highly crafted pop-rock that graced his major-label debut "A Man Called E" (1992). With a little help from his friend Parthenon Huxley, "Broken Toy Shop" features many delightful pop gems. E's least favorite album cover. After ten years in print, it is currently out of print.

Songs
Shine It All On / Standing At The Gate / The Only Thing I Care About / Manchester Girl / L.A. River / A Most Unpleasant Man / Mass / Tomorrow I'll Be Nine / The Day I Wrote You Off / Someone To Break The Spell / She Loves A Puppet / My Old Raincoat / Permanent Broken Heart / Eight Lives Left

THE SNEETCHES - SLOW (1990)

The addition of a second Englishman, bassist (and former Stingray) Alejandro "Alec" Palao, to a lineup that already included dapper drummer Daniel Swan (who cut his teeth with the Cortinas), allowed Levy to move to guitar and gave the Sneetches a new forcefulness. "Slow" is a sparse, yet somehow dreamier and darker vision of Sneetches-brand popedelia. "Heloise" and "Broke Up in My Hands" are among the bongo-driven favorites on this lovely and unusual no- fixed-decade release. The CD adds a spot-on cover of the Left Banke's gorgeous "She May Call You Up Tonight". Trouser Press

Songs
Things We'll Never See / Over 'Round Each Other / Heloise / Broke up in My Hands / Crystal Ball / What's in Your Mind / Voice in My Head / Wish You Would / How Does It Feel / Let Us Go / She May Call You Up Tonight / Unlisted

THE CHURCH - A QUICK SMOKE AT SPOT'S (1991)

"A collection of songs all roughly and quickly recorded in small studios in Australia and England, some of which have been released as B-sides here and elsewhere and some which have never seen the light of day. These songs are in Sketch Pad Form and were never originally intended for being your ears. They are of Humble and Modest beginnings and beg leniency, O critical listener. But, (And its a big but), I think each song here has at least one interesting or Redeeming Feature that justifies its rescue from the Chilly Vaults of Obscurity. Some of 'em, and I'll leave you to be the judge of which, are better songs than some of the Stuff which got on the Real Records". Steve Kilbey

Songs
Texas Moon / Perfect Child / Much Too Much / Take It Back / Desert / We Both Know Why You're Here / Frozen And Distant / Forgotten Reign / Anna Miranda / Hunter / Dream / Ride Into The Sunset / You Got Off Light / Nose Dive / The Feast / Afterlife

SEAN O'HAGAN - HIGH LLAMAS (1990)

Sean's debut album recorded after Microdisney's split & before he went on to form The High Llamas. The line-up on the 10 tracks includes some members of both groups. originally released in 1990 on Demon, it was reissued in 1998 on Diablo Records.

Songs
Perry Como / Edge Of The Sun / Pretty Boy / Hoping You Would Change Your Mind / C'mon Let's Go / Paint & Pets / Doggy / Half Face Cat / Trees / Have You Heard The Latest News

ROMANTICS & FRIENDS - MIDWEST POP EXPLOSION! (1980)

Released on Quark Records (a subsidiary of Bomp Records) "Midwest Pop Explosion!" compiles the Romantics material recorded for Bomp, the original Bob Segarini produced versions of "Tell It To Carrie / First In Line", plus a couple of songs first available on the "Waves Anthology" compilations. It also adds some of the area bands of the Bomp catalog: Stiv Bators (with two of the best songs ever released by Bomp), The Singles and Nikki & The Corvettes.

Special note: Newly ripped from the original LP. Complete artwork included plus original order form LP inserts.

Bands (Songs)
The Romantics (Tell It To Carrie) / The Romantics (First In Line) / The Singles (You're For Me) / The Singles (Thinking Of Ways) / Nikki & The Corvettes (Gimme, Gimme) / The Romantics (Running Away) / The Romantics (Let's Swing) / Stiv Bators (It's Cold Outside) / Stiv Bators (The Last Year) / Nikki & The Corvettes (Let's Go)

MIMI BETINIS - ALL THAT GLITTERS (2010)

LONG-LOST PEZBAND ALBUM? Click here to order
Review of ALL THAT GLITTERS from Pezband lead singer Mimi Betinis
by Randy Nargi

It's tempting to think of ALL THAT GLITTERS as a long-lost 4th Pezband album... Pezband's RUBBER SOUL or REVOLVER -- thirty years in the making. After all, ALL THAT GLITTERS boasts rich, multi-layered production, inventive songwriting, and the iconic vocals of Pezband's lead singer Mimi Betinis. But while the poppy "Love Is Just a Thin Veneer," (the first track of ALL THAT GLITTERS) may harken back to the skinny tie era -- with its twangy guitars and soaring background vocals, by the time you hit the chorus (arranged with cello and violin), you quickly realize that it's not 1979 anymore and this is not a Pezband record. Which is just fine. In fact, better than fine. What emerges over the course of the next 10 tracks is an artfully-crafted collage of song textures and styles that fit together masterfully -- not unlike the album's cover art (also created by Betinis).

Standout tracks include "Come on Down to My House" (co-written with Pezband drummer Mick Rain) with its wicked swampy guitar licks and an energetic rhythm section featuring Chris Massa (Bass) and Carlo Iaccino (Drums), "Blue Sky" with its refreshingly bare vocals and impossibly hooky melody -- complimented by ska horns by Chuck Soumar and Dave Stalhberg (The Ides of March), and the haunting "Say the Word" featuring acapella vocals with Carla Hassett.

Back in the Pezband era, Betinis was painted as sort of a windy-city Paul McCartney. And it's true that his voice shares the same tone as Macca -- as well as the ability to switch from crooning ballads to raucous rock (as evidenced by Pezband's seminal live performance of "Hippy Hippy Shake" from their Live At Dingwalls EP). But on ALL THAT GLITTERS we're treated to another side of Betinis' voice -- somewhere between John Lennon and Ron Nasty. For proof, check out the hidden gem of the album: a lovingly-crafted symphonic cover of "Across the Universe" -- one of the few Beatles covers that actually surpasses the original.

ALL THAT GLITTERS is great news for Pezband fans, classic rock fans, or anybody who enjoys hand-made music overflowing with melody and texture. But the best news is that Betinis may be making up for lost time. Rumor has it that there is a second album in the works for release next year. Keep 'em coming!

To celebrate the release of the first Mimi Betinis solo album, PPC is sharing both 12" live EP's released in 1978 and 1979. They were ripped from the original 12"but you can order the remastered songs that were included on the japanese editions of "Laughing In The Dark" and "Cover To Cover".

PEZBAND - LIVE 12" EP's (1978-1979)

Two Old Two Soon (Live At Dingwalls 1978) (9-12)
Stop Wait A Minute / Lovesmith / Not Fade Away / Hippy Hippy Shake

The "Two Old Two Soon" 12" EP was produced by Jesse Jackson and bears the mentions on the back of the sleeve "Slam It On Ten" and "Sold For Promotional Use".

30 Seconds Over Schaumburg (Live In Cleveland 1978) (13-17)
Blue Wind & Stroll On / I'm Not Talking / I'm Leaving / Crash & Burn / Close Your Eyes

The "Thirty Seconds Over Schaumburg" 12' EP had one side playing at 45RPM, while the other side was playing at 33 RPM