The Whyos - "Full Arms And An Empty Heart"

New York, NY's The Whyos played catchy, neo-rockabilly. They released a few singles and an album and did a cover of a Led Zeppelin song for a tribute record. Their song "1-2-3-4" appeared on The Dirt Club Compilation. Their music also was released in Holland on the Dutch label Rockhouse. The info on the picture sleeve from this song lists only the band members first names, but after doing a little research I can name two out of four: Mike Girao: Guitar (Vocals), Tim: Vocals, Brain: Bass & Joe Geary: Drums. Joe and Mike still play with a band called The Blues Jumpers and Joe also plays with Rick Fink & His Gas House Gorillas. This single was released in 1982 on Steven Nyhoff's and Nels Johnson's Fake Doom Records, once home to The Cucumbers. If anybody has any additional information on The Whyos please add a comment below.

The Whyos - "Full Arms And An Empty Heart".mp3

Miché and the Anglos - "One of Those Things"

If you were stuck in little old Geneseo, NY in 1985 without a driver's license, one of the few very cool things you might be able to put on your social calendar was being able to see a Miché and the Anglos show. Heck, my first real date (with that cool punkish girl that I met at all-county orchestra) was at a show at the SUNY Geneseo student union ballroom. The band consisted of Miché Fambro (vocals & guitar), Fred Mentner (guitar), Dave Brick (keyboards), Craig Moffitt (bass & sax) and James Conner (drums). They played all over the Rochester and upstate area from at about 1979 through 1988. They released a self-titled EP in 1985, and a full LP (video clip available here) around 1987. (The mp3 of 'One of Those Things' comes from the EP.) Miché also worked part-time at world-famous Buzzo Music in Geneseo, corrupting the youth with his recommendations of weird LPs by Mick Karn, and these gloomy bands on some label called 4AD. In the late 80s, Miché ran a small label called SLIDD records, that released solid recordings by 'The Paper Train', '3 Boxes', and a number of other upstate acts. He is still recording, releasing under the SLIDD label, and lives in Ithaca, NY. Rolling Stone gave his solo release, 'The Chapel Session', a glowing review in 1998.

Miché and the Anglos - "One of Those Things".mp3

The Mosquitos -"Do You Want To Hurt Me"

Long Island, New York's The Mosquitos released a 5 song EP of fine 60's influenced pop entitled "That Was Then, This Is Now!" on the Valhalla label in 1985 and then disappeared. The Mosquitos, who took their name from the band that appeared on an episode of "Gilligan's Island", were known for their blistering live shows (anybody have any mp3s or cd-rs?) and for writing the song "That Was Then, This is Now" that the regrouped Monkees turned into a Top 20 hit in 1986. The Mosquitos were Vance Brescia, (vocals/guitar), Steve Prisco (lead guitar/vocals), Iain Morrison (bass/vocals), Mitch Towse (drums), and Tony Millions (keybard/vocals).

The Mosquitos -"Do You Want To Hurt Me".mp3

The Modulators - "Spin Me Around"

The Modulators were a local New Jersey band that played the small clubs in NJ and New York almost weekly during the early 80's. They released several singles and one nine song E.P., "Tomorrow's Coming", from where "Spin Me Around" appeared on Vintage Vinyl records, an off shoot of the local record store of the same name. Their music was inspired by The Beatles, The Byrds and Marshall Crenshaw among others. Their music was 80's power pop at it's finest. The special effects heavy video for the song "Spin Me Around" received heavy rotation on the Newark, NJ video channel U68. The Modulators may hold the record for playing Bloomfield, NJ's The Dirt Club more times than any other band. Their song "Down At The Dirt" was the clubs theme song and appeared on the "Dirt Compilation Vol. 1." The Modulators primarily were Joe Riccardello on bass & Keyboards, Mark Higgins on Guitar and Mark Westlake on Drums.

The Modulators - "Spin Me Around".mp3