Blueboy - Unisex (1994)

“Reading, England-based indie-pop outfit Blueboy was led by singer Keith Girdler and guitarist Paul Stewart, who previously teamed in the little-known Feverfew. Upon recording the first Blueboy demo in a friend's shed, the duo sent a copy of the song "Clearer" to the famed Sarah Records label, which agreed to release the track as a single in the fall of 1991; with the subsequent additions of second guitarist Harvey Williams (of Field Mice/Another Sunny Day fame), singer/cellist Gemma Townlet, bassist Mark and drummer Lloyd, the group returned in mid-1992 with "Popkiss," soon followed by the full-length If Wishes Were Horses. Resurfacing the following year with the singles "Meet Johnny Rave" and "Some Gorgeous Accident," Blueboy issued its second LP Unisex in the spring of 1994; soon after Mark and Lloyd left the band, with Townlet assuming bass duties and Martin Rose signing on to play drums for the 1995 single "Dirty Mags." When Sarah folded later that year, label co-owner Matt Haynes formed the new Shinkansen imprint, bringing Blueboy with him to release 1996's "Love Yourself"; by this time the line-up was again reduced to the original duo of Girdler and Stewart, with vocalist Cath Close, bassist James Neville and drummer Ian Gardner completing the lineup for 1998's The Bank of England, reportedly the band's final release. Girdler and Stewart also recorded as Arabesque and later Beaumont.” (From AllMusicGuide).

Download : Blueboy - Unisex

Underground Lovers - Rushall Station (1996)

“The innovative Underground Lovers are the premier group bridging Australian music from the traditional drums and guitar rock of the past to the technology and electronic-influenced music of the late '80s and beyond. It all started as the musical expression of Glen Bennie and Vincent Giarrusso, and within the space of ten years and six albums it ended up that way again.
As GBVG (their initials) Bennie and Giarrusso released their first single "Blast" in 1988, establishing the Underground Lovers' basic characteristics: Bennie's striking hypnotic guitar atmospheres balanced against Giarrusso's acute pop sense. By forming a group the following year, they were able to extend their imaginations. The serene vocals of Philippa Nihill offered yet another color, compared to Giarrusso's rhythmic leanings. On-stage, Nihill and Giarrusso swapped both vocals and keyboard duties, supported by bass and drums, and encased by Bennie's unique guitar approach. The Underground Lovers played their first gig in Melbourne in May 1990. Two gigs later they recorded their independently distributed debut album.
Their second album Leaves Me Blind was released in England even before Australia, after the head of England's cult label 4AD happened to be Australia, heard the finished record and offered the group a one-album deal on 4AD's sister label Guernica. 4AD's spotlight led to strong import sales in the U.S. Americans assumed the band was British. The British thought the Underground Lovers were in tune with the burgeoning Manchester scene. The Underground Lovers knew they'd developed what they were based on: British influences like Joy Division and New Order and local Australian inspirations. The band's third album Dream It Down became their mainstream label debut, a lush record which almost gave the band a hit record with "Las Vegas."
The Underground Lovers didn't enjoy their tenure under a major record company and chose to leave rather than be told what they had to do in order to achieve that hit single. The next album, Rushall Station, was released on the group's own ironically-named Mainstream label. Phillipa Nihill had left for a solo career, but still appeared on a couple of the tracks. It just meant that Bennie and Giarrusso could please themselves where they pushed the Underground Lovers next. On record and on stage, the Underground Lovers could be whatever they needed to be to suit the occasion. While Bennie and Giarrusso are in charge it's always unmistakably Underground Lovers. Under the same methodology they have created two more albums, Ways T'Burn and Cold Feeling. In between they have released another single and performed as GBVB; Bennie produced Phillipa Nihill's debut solo album and Giarrusso wrote and directed the movie Mallboy.” (From AllMusicGuide).

Download : Underground Lovers - Rushall Station

Sandpit - On Second Thought (1998)

“One of Australia's most unrecognised indie-pop outfits, Sandpit enjoyed a brief but productive career spanning 1994-1998. Like their previous EPs, this album was released through Fellaheen Records, and is both their first and last album, with the band members going their seperate ways after its release.
Running in at just under 40 minutes, the album is comprised of ten tracks, two of which (Along The Moors and Greater Expectations) were released as singles. The sound of the disc could be best described as fractured, melodic, indie-pop. It is this, along with guitarist Brendan Webb's tendency to experiment with altered guitar tunings and unusual chords, that have led some to liken the band to Sonic Youth.
The songs on the album range from upbeat indie-pop (Along The Moors), Hold Yr Horses, Helicopters, Greater Expectations), to slower and more reflective songs (Metamorphosis, I Positively Hate You Now, Walk In A Straight Line), while others are dynamic-driven instrumental tracks (Whole Again, DI/Eclipse) and the final track, Crepe-Paper Fortress, sounds like a combination of all these traits.
Musically, they are a guitar driven three piece, though Brendan experiments with the use of a melodica and e-bow to expand the band's sonic boundaries. Lyrically, the album is introspective and emotionally diverse, sometimes melancholic and joyful in the same song (see Along The Moors). This contrast is played upon in tracks such as Hold Yr Horses and I Positively Hate You Now), in which the emotional qualities of the lyrics and music are juxtaposed against eachother to great effect, with a nagging degree of tension accompanying each track as a result (more on this later). The main focus of the songs is on the vocals and guitar, with no real feature parts for the bass and drums, played by Stephanie Ashworth and Greg Wales respectively. This not a shortcoming, but rather a strength, as the rhythm section perform with an exceptional degree of tightness throughout the disc, not just with eachother, but also with the guitar and vocals, whether on driving tracks like Helicopters or on more rhythmically lethargic tracks like Metamorphosis.
Overall, On Second Thought provides a solid listen of creatively written and diverse indie-pop, by a band with enough variation in the mood and style of their songs to keep the record from becoming tedious, and enough musical ability and creativity to establish them as a unique group with a sound that was truly their own. Definately a shame that they didn't last any longer, but a record like this remains something to be proud of all the same.” (From Sputnikmusic).

Download : Sandpit - On Second Thought

Dada - Puzzle (1992)

“With their clean pop sound, catchy melodies, and clever lyrics, some journalists labeled Dada the Police of the '90s, although the trio wasn't as musically adventurous as that group.
Guitar riffs permeate dada's pleasing debut Puzzle, wedded to thick slices of an equally important influence -- '60s psychedelia. The L.A. trio offers plenty to keep the ears busy: the orchestral sadness of "Timothy," and insidious melody of "Dog, " strung-out ravings of "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, " and over-the-edge teen-angst of "Dizz Knee Land." Avoiding tedious jams, keeping the songs tight and memorable, combined with a taste in cover art worthy of L.A.'s best psychologists, helps make this disc an intriguing puzzle.” (From AllMusicGuide).

Download : Dada - Puzzle

DM3 - One Time Two Times Three Red Light (1993)

“Fronted by singer/ guitarist Dom Mariani (formerly of The Stems and The Lime Spiders) DM3 got their start in 1992 with the accompaniment of bassist Toni Italiano and drummer Pascal Bartolone. Bringing out their own brand of power-pop to the town of Perth, Australia, DM3 debuted with their first single "Foolish" in 1993 before following it with their first full-length 1 Time, 2 Times, 3 Red Light in 1994. After a European tour in support of these two releases, DM3's second album Road to Rome came out in 1996 before Bomp Records hooked up a "best of" compilation in support of the band 1997 US tour entitled Dig It The Most. With the 5 Greasy Pieces EP released that same year courtesy of Citadel Records, another compilation of b-sides and out takes entitled Garage Sale saw the light of day in 1998.” (From AllMusicGuide).

Download : DM3 - One Time Two Times Three Red Light

World of Twist - Quality Street (1991)

“Electronic bubblegum outfit World of Twist formed in Sheffield, England, in 1985. Singer James Fry (the younger brother of ABC frontman Martin Fry) and drummer Tony Ogden co-founded the group, recruiting guitarist Gordon King, bassist Andrew Hobson, saxophonist Rory Connelly, organist Nick Phillips, and synth player Andy Robbins to complete the lineup. Drawing inspiration from Roxy Music, producer Joe Meek, and obscure Northern soul singles, World of Twist enjoyed an obvious kinship with fellow Sheffield act Pulp, which formed around the same time and even supported WoT during their earliest live gigs. The band's original lineup proved short-lived, however, and split sometime in mid-1986. A new World of Twist surfaced in Manchester in 1988, with Ogden now on vocals, King still handling guitar duties, and Hobson manning the synthesizer. Keyboardist Alan "Adge" Frost, audio/visual effects specialists MC Shells and Angela Reilly, and drummer Nick Sanderson rounded out the new lineup. A four-song demo tape appeared in early 1990, and with the British music press' infatuation with the so-called "Madchester" scene at its zenith, World of Twist was quickly anointed the city's next major star. Upon signing to Virgin Records' Circa subsidiary, their hotly tipped debut single, "The Storm," nevertheless fell just shy of the British Top 40, and the same fate greeted its follow-up, a Martin Hannett-produced cover of the Rolling Stones' psychedelic-era classic "She's a Rainbow." World of Twist promoted their 1991 debut LP, Quality Street, via a sold-out tour that magnified the band's theatrical aspirations. Ogden regularly took the stage wrapped in tinfoil that was systematically unraveled during each night's opening song.” (From AllMusicGuide).

Download : World of Twist - Quality Street

Marmoset - Today It's You (1999)

“Crafting a shambling, uniquely Midwestern take on British post-punk and psychedelic pop sounds, Indianapolis' Marmoset began playing in the '90s with the lineup of bassist/vocalist Jorma Whittaker, guitarist LonPaul Ellrich, guitarist/vocalist Dave Jablonski, and drummer Jason Cavan.
There's something in Marmoset's sound that's reminiscent of indie-rock in the early 1980s -- touches of the occasionally dark, Velvet Underground-influenced jangle of the Feelies, Mission of Burma, the less cutesy work of the Television Personalities, even the later work of Wire. On the other hand, there's also the jerkiness of a band like Slant 6, a bit of new wave, and a slight resemblance to early Unrest -- to Marmoset's credit, none of these references can really capture the unique but still familiar sound they've crafted. Today It's You offers a slew of rather brief songs in this vein, and while some are not entirely engaging, others are constructed in such interesting, off-kilter ways that they wind up being quite good ("Shatter the Lovely," "Speakers," "Laugh Giraffe").” (From AllMusicGuide).

Download : Marmoset - Today It's You

The Killjoys - A Million Suns (1993)

“First meeting in the band Wild Science, guitarist Craig Pilkington, and singer Anna Burley left the band as it moved towards a hard rock sound. They teamed up as the Killjoys where their pop-folk tendencies found a suitable outlet. Releasing their first EP in 1989, Audrey (which produced the single "Fall Around Me"), the Killjoys then contributed a cover of the Seekers' "Another You" to the various artists tribute album, Used and Recovered (1990).
Their debut album, Ruby, won the 1990 Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) Award for Best Independent Release and the band signed a new deal with MXL. Craigie-Smith was replaced by Daniel Palamara who was in turn replaced by Michael Hohnen before the band released a new EP, Spin, in November 1991. The Killjoys then traveled to the U.K. to record their second album, A Million Suns, with producer Craig Leon (Ramones, Pogues, Bangles), which was released in March 1993. It spawned the singles "Beauty + Danger" (February 1993) and "I Lied" (June 1993).” (From AllMusicGuide).

Download : The Killjoys - A Million Suns

The Lucksmiths - A Good Kind of Nervous (1997)

“K Records' releases usually carry the tag "international pop underground," a hopeful declaration of cross-cultural unity among bands from Olympia to Glasgow to Tokyo. These are musicians concerned with overt melody and romanticism, and they operate below the radar. The Lucksmiths are such a band. Few outside their environs of Melbourne, Australia, have ever heard of them--they haven't even put out a 7-inch on K--but the trio plays gentle songs with resolute charm.
Primary vocalist Tali White sings in a light accent, enunciating each clever turn of phrase and strumming out catchy if non-flamboyant riffs that bounce along over jaunty rhythms. The band's third full-length is a tour de force of pop for a breezy and clear afternoon, abounding with commentary on youthful love and vignettes about life in a modern town. On the infectious "Punchlines," the band works up a white-soul saunter while Donald laments a relationship in which the woman doesn't get his jokes.He's even more wistful in "Guess How Much I Love You," a touching tale about a long-distance affair, with a circular chorus about missing his lover in places such as the bookstore and the laundromat.
It's neither as brooding as the Smashing Pumpkins nor as grandiose as Bush, and that's half the point. The Lucksmiths play pop for people who wish to look beyond the glossy surface.” (From Willamette Week).

Download : The Lucksmiths - A Good Kind of Nervous

Cardinal - Cardinal (1994)

“The sole album from the Richard Davies/Eric Matthews pairing achieved something close to legend status in a few short years, at least among those taken by the fusion of guitar pop with orchestrations. Although the combination isn't that groundbreaking to begin with — everyone from the Left Banke to Burt Bacharach had already tried something similar 30 years previous, for a start — Cardinal is still definitely enjoyable while not, in fact, being greater than the sum of its parts. While Matthews is a brilliant arranger, playing everything from harpsichord to trumpet and marimba, it's Davies' songs that carry the day, which a cursory review of Matthews' solo work versus Davies' makes clear. Regardless, together the two did achieve unexpectedly sharp heights. The recruited backing band, including, of all people, drummer/co-producer Thee Slayer Hippy from Portland punk legends Poison Idea, keeps everything moving well enough, while the two chief figures happily eschew the prevailing grunge fallout of 1994 for something else entirely. Davies' quietly impassioned, slightly dry singing avoids both whispery vagueness and trying to sweat too much, perfectly matched by Matthews' fun, killer interpretations. Matthews gets moments of slightly lugubrious and breathy lead singing at points, most notably on his own solo composition "Dream Figure," while the duet with Davies on "You're Lost Me There" is enjoyably low-key and mysterious. While Davies' lyrics are generally clever enough, they're also easy to avoid concentrating on in favor of the experience as a whole. Full-on cult appeal arrives in the form of "Singing to the Sunshine," a cut from the self-titled album by the late-'60s group Mortimer. Other strong numbers include the clever time signature shifts throughout "Tough Guy Tactics" and the closing drama of "Silver Machines." (From AllMusicGuide).

Download : Cardinal - Cardinal

The Candyskins - Space I'm In (1991)

“Emerging from the same Oxford, England pop scene which also yielded Radiohead and Supergrass, the Candyskins were formed in 1989 by frontman Nick Cope, his guitarist brother Mark, lead guitarist Nick Burton, bassist Karl Shale and drummer John Halliday.
Space I'm In is a nice solid production, stuffed with lots of great-sounding pop guitar (from jingle-jangle acoustics to wah and fuzz-tone riff), strong drums and nice bass work. While it's another page in that well-stuffed book of nuevo-'60s rock (complete with hints of Squeeze and an Elvis Costello vocal imitation on "Black and Blue") it's a melodic, well-done and highly enjoyable page that's worth rereading a few times. For good measure, they even cover a Stephen Stills song and have an original called "Freedom Bus." (From AllMusicGuide).

Download : The Candyskins - Space I'm In

The Serenes - Back to Wonder (1993)

“The Serenes were a rock band from Joure, Friesland, The Netherlands. They formed in 1988 and disbanded in 1994. Their jangle pop music is comparable with the music of bands like The Feelies, The Chills and the early sound of R.E.M.. The sound of their guitars and vocals are best described as bright and clean. Their songs contain melancholy English lyrics, inspired by the serenity and loneliness of the silent and flat sceneries of Friesland. Both of their albums are well recognized by Dutch music critics. Still their albums have a top status in the history of the Dutch underground scene.
Their second and final album, Back to Wonder, was released in 1993 and contained 11 tracks. Three tracks were released as a single: Every Sunday, Feel Me and Here. Ale Bosma had been replaced by Pyter Kuipers. Also Paul Dokter left te band, on stage Wieb Zigteme performed on a replacing guitar.” (From Wikipedia).

Download : The Serenes - Back to Wonder

The Minders - Hooray for Tuesday (1998)

“If there is a definition for indie pop in the dictionary, there's a good chance there's a picture of Hooray for Tuesday next to it. The first LP from the Minders is full of hooks and harmonies that help define members of the Elephant 6 collective. With the help of the Apples in Stereo's Robert Schneider, the Minders succeed in making a pure pop record that doesn't get annoying. The lead and title track, "Hooray for Tuesday," is a classic and sets the tone for the album. While most of the record stays the course, "Comfortably Tucked Up Inside" slows down the pace just a touch and makes for a nice change, while "Our Man in Bombay" and "Bubble" give nice instrumental breaks. Sometimes it's easy to drown in too much pop, but the Minders make great pop that makes the 30 minutes not only bearable, but enjoyable.” (From AllMusicGuide).

Download : The Minders - Hooray for Tuesday

Three Hour Tour - 1969 (1996)

“Three Hour Tour is an Champaign, IL-based power pop band led by the multi-talented Darren Cooper, a veteran of many pop bands including the '80s power pop group Choo Choo Train (which featured Ric Menck (drums, vocals) and Paul Chastain (guitar, bass, vocals), who later were members of Velvet Crush). Brad Steakley (aka Brad Elvis, from the Elvis Brothers) played drums for the band; he's now a member of the Chicago-based Big Hello. Like all of the aforementioned groups, Three Hour Tour heavily emphasized and pretty much stuck to the three-minute jangle rock format, emulating the familiar punch of '60s and '70s bands like Badfinger, the Beatles, and the Raspberries, as well as more recent bands like the Posies. In 1996, Parasol compiled 1969, a nine-song collection gathering two Parasol singles, a rare Christmas track (the unlisted tenth track), and "Love Sick Trip," which appeared on Yellow Pills, Vol. 1: The Best of American Pop. Velvet Crush member Chastain also co-wrote one of the songs featured here.” (From AllMusicGuide).
Ranked nr. 126 on 'Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide' by John Borack.

Download : Three Hour Tour - 1969

The Northern Pikes - Snow in June (1990)

The Northern Pikes were founded in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 1983 out of the relics of three Canadian prairie bands -- the Idols, Seventeen Envelope, and Doris Daye. The original lineup consisted of Jay Semko, Merl Bryck, Bryan Potvin and Glen Hollingshead, who left the band in 1985. Numerous drummers came and went until June of 1986, when Don Schmid joined to make it a permanent quartet.
The Pikes third album Snow In June saw the blossoming of Bryan as a singer and writer, most notably for the hit single "She Ain't Pretty". In addition the album featured other hits, "Girl With A Problem" and "Kiss Me You Fool", and featured a star-studded cast of additional musicians - Garth Hudson, Crystal Taliefero, John Sebastian and Stan Szelest, as well as mixes by acclaimed engineers Bob Clearmountain and Hugh Padgham. Recording again in Bearsville and mixing at A&M Studios in Los Angeles, the Pikes spent almost six months working on the album, considered by many to be their finest.

Download : The Northern Pikes - Snow in June


NORTHERN PIKES - She Ain't Pretty

The Trash Can Sinatras - Cake (1990)

“Scottish indie-pop stalwarts the Trash Can Sinatras were founded outside of Glasgow in 1987 by singer/guitarist Frank Reader (the brother of ex-Fairground Attraction singer Eddi Reader), guitarists John Douglas and Paul Livingston, bassist George McDaid and drummer Stephen Douglas.
Long before Travis and Coldplay came along, the Trash Can Sinatras enchanted college-aged Anglophiles with their jangly brand of emotive Brit-pop. Seen as musical fluff by fans of early-'90s pre-Nirvana alternative and ignored by fans of mid- to late-'90s post-Nirvana alternative, these five Scottish lads smoothed the edges but sharpened the hooks of a developing genre. The Trash Can Sinatras' 1990 debut, Cake, mixes intricately intertwined guitars, in the spirit of a more charming, less gritty Johnny Marr, with lush strings and sophisticated harmonies. Touchingly clever wordplay ("You came into my life/Like a brick through a window/And I cracked a smile") abounds, as on "The Best Man's Fall." The clean production -- necessary for such elaborate orchestration -- is extremely warm and inviting. Singles like "Obscurity Knocks" and "Only Tongue Will Tell" as well as "Maybe I Should Drive" prove to be the tastiest pieces of pure pop pleasure. But sugar can be bittersweet and laced with longing, as on "Thrupenny Tears" and "You Made Me Feel." Regardless of the relative mood, this debut is noticeably devoid of musical missteps -- quite a feat for a new artist. Easy on the ears and palate, Cake is as filling and digestible an album as one could hope. Subsequent Trash Can Sinatras releases reach for the same greatness but ultimately fall a little short. This precursor to early 21st century Brit-pop darkens the occasional used record store bin. And it tastes almost as fresh as the day it was made.” (From AllMusicGuide).

Download : The Trash Can Sinatras - Cake


trashcan sinatras - obscurity knocks

Trip Shakespeare - Lulu (1991)

“Trip Shakespeare unfortunately went unnoticed in their time and more unfortunately have remained in obscurity, but they were lucky enough to record in a time when major labels took greater chances with music and would more often indulge ambitious projects. Lulu is the group's defining set, a result of inspired and talented musicians with an expense account to afford their aspirations and enough sense to exploit it appropriately. Why then did this record go through the ringer almost completely unnoticed and why did the reviews the album received tend to be overly critical? Part of the answer has to do with the timing of its release. 1991 was the great embrasure of the grunge movement when Nirvana's Nevermind set the decade-long trend for the popular music charts. The release of a melodically complex and romantic pop masterpiece with lush vocals was entertained by neither the critics nor the masses, and no doubt A&M had lost much of the majesty they found in Trip Shakespeare when they were signed two years previous, which is a shame since Shakespeare's leader, Matt Wilson, was at the height of his poetic optimism and the melodic hooks he wrote with his brother Dan Wilson are complex, plentiful, and on par with the classics of pop music's innovation. John Munson's bass playing is superb throughout, most notably in "Today You Move," where his delicious and seductive work is given the spotlight of a tender solo complete with a second harmony bass track. Whether percussive, sweet, subtle, or upfront, Munson's interplay with drummer Elaine Harris is a potent example of a confident and capable rhythm section propelled by Harris' unique and bouncy drumming, the result of her abnormal technique of standing behind the drum kit and playing the bass drum with sticks instead of a foot pedal. She keeps rooted the endearing, snakey tendrils of music Matt and Dan Wilson generously dish out, but in fact, every player is an astute melodic force here and all have a keen sense of dynamic, giving this record, as absolutely full of ornamentation as it is, quite a bit of breathing space in the necessary parts. While the vocal prowess of the group had come across splendidly on Across the Universe, here the band is unreal. Obviously proud of their vocal abilities, the album opens with an a cappella introduction, all of 17 seconds in length, equal to anything the Beach Boys pulled off, if not more impressive on account of the passionate deliverance. It's a bold introduction; opening with the line "None of the regular rules were true," but Trip Shakespeare knew they had an amazing product and they were ready to show it to the world, and this is only the introduction -- the harmonies abound throughout the entire album with stunning proficiency. It is a rare instance in the music industry, major label or otherwise, to hear an album created by a group so obviously enchanted and inspired by each other, an album so loved and so toiled over that its contents continue to give indefinitely, an album so steeped in worshiping beauty that no amount of criticism -- positive or negative -- can mangle or tarnish its crystalline brilliance. A short while after Lulu came out, Trip Shakespeare were dropped by A&M and subsequently broke up, no doubt a declaration that they had done all they could to transcend the "regular rules." (From AllMusicGuide).

Download : Trip Shakespeare - Lulu

Pyramidiacs - All You Want (1994)

“Characterized by a upbeat power-pop feel, the Pyramidiacs sound has remained consistent since the group's 1988 origins. Based in the Sydney suburb of Fairfield, Australia, the original line-up of Eddie Owen (guitar/ vocals), Bob Susnjara (bass/ vocals) and Mickster Baty (drums) took upon a musical idolization for the Replacements, Teenage Fanclub, Big Star and Matthew Sweet. With the 1992 addition of guitarist Mick O'Regan, the Pyramidiacs would eventually release a slew of singles and compilation tracks before their 1993 full-length debut, Don't Wish It. The following year saw the Pyramidiacs' second album, All You Want, released through Pink Flamingo Records before their 1995 European tour. The group's third album, Teeter Totter, came out in 1996 courtesy of Ranezz Records.” (From AllMusicGuide).
One of the best australian power pop albums. Don't miss this one! 



Download : Pyramidiacs - All You Want

The Sneetches - Slow (1991)

“The Sneetches' third album (and their first to feature the group's final lineup of singer/guitarists Matt Carges and Mike Levy, drummer Daniel Swan, and new bassist Alec Palao, better known as co-editor of the '60s pop fanzine Cream Puff War), 1991's Slow, isn't quite the equal of their 1990 career high-point, Sometimes That's All We Have, although it stays on that album's course: dreamy, often languid melodies meander under lushly overdubbed harmonies singing Carges and Levy's occasionally quirky, often intriguing lyrics. Slow is a bit more musically varied than their earlier records, moving easily from the shoegaze neo-psychedelia of songs like "Over Round Each Other" directly into the sunny, British Invasion-like surfaces of "What's in Your Mind." The production is pristine without being antiseptic, and the band's usual mix of mod and punk influences peek through, along with unexpected new textures like the almost bossa nova feel of the ballad "Heloise." Newcomers should still probably start with Sometimes That's All We Have or the excellent compilation 1985-1991, but Slow is where they should go next.” (From AllMusicGuide).

Download : The Sneetches - Slow

The Mockers - Somewhere Between Mocksville and Harmony (1995)

“Though the Mockers have included a large cast of musicians hailing from all corners of the U.S. rock scene, the band's foundations were laid by two preteen Beatles fans living in Spain in the early '70s. Tony Leventhal and Seth Gordon were the children of New York expats living on the southern coast of Spain when they met. The third-graders quickly discovered their common love for rock & roll and formed a friendship that would last a lifetime. When their families eventually moved back to the States, both began learning guitar and keeping in touch regarding their plans to form their long-awaited rock band. Many years later the two converged in Virginia, creating the surf-pop band the Mockers. With a rotating cast of lead guitarists and drummers, the Mockers climbed their way to the top of the live music scene in Virginia. They spent the next several years touring tirelessly, sometimes playing as many as 20 engagements a month. As the band conquered the East Coast and Midwest, they earned the attention of the local press. Their relentless schedule began to wear thin, and the bandmembers took a long break to regain their creative spark. Some years later Leventhal and Gordon decided it was time for the Mockers to record their debut CD. The 1995 release Somewhere Between Mocksville and Harmony garnered excellent reviews, including a Billboard Critic's Choice Award. Ironically, the disc saw the greatest amount of airplay in Spain, resulting in heavy touring throughout the country and a reconnection with the boy's old stomping grounds.” (From AllMusicGuide).

Download : The Mockers - Somewhere Between Mocksville and Harmony