JOHN WICKS AND THE RECORDS - ROTATE

Their first release in nearly 10 years! "The Records have always been 'Top of the Pops' in my pantheon of powerpop purveyors. After hearing the four minutes and twenty-three seconds of "Starry Eyes" that seamlessly melded the amphetamine rush of punk with the crystalline jangle of vintage Brit-invasion the song singlehandedly reunited me with my rock and roll roots the Beatles, the Raspberries and Blue Ash! This one reworks 4 stellar tracks from 'Rock'ola' and adds eight new recordings.

It could just have easily been called 'Revolve(er)' as John's musical palette continues to mirror the Records' classic sound, one that is heavily influenced by middle-period Beatles songcraft, and his penchant for crafting gorgeous melodies remains undiminished. Stellar tracks include the opener 'Oh Yeah!' with its infectious chorus and 'That Girl Is Emily' which utilizes a sweet, slightly lysergic circular guitar motif that immediately places the song high on the list of great rock tunes written about girls named Emily. 'Different Shades Of Green' and 'So Close to Home' are instant powerpop classics which would have fit comfortably on 'Crashes' with their shimmering guitar work and anthemic choruses.

This is a must-have for Records fans and true powerpop aficionados! Without question, John remains at the top of his game and continues to make great music!" - Kid Charlemagne/PowerPopblogspot.com

COMES AUTOGRAPHED AND WITH A BONUS DISC FEATURING FIVE EXCLUSIVE, PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED LIVE + STUDIO TRACKS!


FOOLING APRIL - IN THE NOW

Our best-selling, and one of our hardest working bands are back with a stellar second effort! Their single, "Firefly", from their debut album found a home at #1 on the Clear Channel unsigned charts for almost 4 months and was featured on over 450 Clear Channel station websitesm, all coming shortly after being selected the flagship band for a new online venture, "American Idol Underground", that lead to appearances on FOX and NBC television as well as a full feature in "American Idol The Magazine".
They're poised for wider-reaching success!

And, like their brilliant debut, this one also features top-notch, hook-filled songs and crisp, tight execution! Not ones to fool with a successful formula, their well-produced, keyboard-led brand of pure, radio-friendly pop will immediately appeal to fans of The Argument, The 88, Ben Folds, Crowded House, and even Steely Dan!

COMES WITH AN EXCLUSIVE, 4-SONG BONUS DISC OF THEIR PREVIOUSLY DOWNLOAD-ONLY "WHITE PINE SESSIONS EP" CONTAINING SONGS NOT AVAILABLE ANYWHERE ELSE - "PRETENDING" (early version), "BACK TO NEW", "C-4" (early version), AND "FIREFLY" (early version)!


MAPLE MARS - BEAUTIFUL MESS
www.maplemars.com

Their third release is a pure pop delight and sees the band stretching out a bit musically! Rick Hromadka explains - "'The new album picks up where 'Circular Haze', our second album, leaves off. Musically, it recalls the 'beautiful' blend of our psychedelic power pop and lush acoustic orchestrations.

Lyrically, it deals with adult relationships, including bittersweet breakup, and the celebration of new love. Saying goodbye while saying hello, and everything in between." All expertly delivered with the usual "Maple" formula that never fails to feature plenty of guitars (lots this time around), amazing hooks and gorgeous harmonies! Features a beautiful cover of 10CC's "I'm Not In Love"! "Paralyzed" sounds almost like a latter day Replacements song! "Fell Off The Cloud" sounds like a cross between Martin Newell and Cloud Eleven! Other songs also have a strong Cloud Eleven feel as well! "Between Two Worlds" and "Apology" are a terrific ballads! The crunch-filled power chords of "Face In The Crowd" are an air-guitar lovers dream!

COMES WITH AN EXCLUSIVE, BONUS DISC CONTAINING 6 PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED TRACKS - "WELCOME TO MAPLE MARS" (demo), "GOLDEN PEOPLE" (demo), "THE BEGINING" (acoustic), "FACE IN THE CROWD" (demo), "SOFT CAROUSEL" (demo), AND A "MARS REMAKE" OF THE THEME FROM "DARK SHADOWS"!



KEITH LUBRANT - SEARCHING FOR SIGNAL
www.keithlubrant.com

He's back with his brilliant sophomore effort - and what a crunchy and jangly corker of first-rate power pop it is! Features guest appearances/vocal support from Jim Boggia and Mike Viola (Candy Butchers!)

Like his terrific debut, all the hooks are still present, but some songs have taken a new musical direction. States Keith - "I knew I wanted to experiment with different styles and instrumentation very early in the songwriting stage for this project. I needed to explore a little more, dig a little deeper. I did not feel the need to recreate 'Face In The Crowd', my debut."

Throughout the record, his vocal style recalls both Robin Wilson (Gin Blossoms) and Neil Finn! And that's a good thing!

"Whether you're dialing up the spirited, power pop-styled numbers or the more reflective, introspective tunes, everything on this goes down smooth and easy. Nicely done!" - John Borack

Solid from start to finish, all 13 of the well-written, hook-filled, songs feature top-notch playing and vocals!

COMES WITH AN EXCLUSIVE 6-SONG (STUDIO/DEMOS/LIVE) BONUS CD OF POPPIN' RECORDINGS BY DIM, KEITH'S PRIOR BAND THAT INCLUDED ALL OF THE MUSICIANS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE RECORDING OF THE NEW CD! GREAT!!!!





CLOUD ELEVEN - SWEET HAPPY LIFE

www.cloudeleven.com

We're pleased as punch to be associated with Rick Gallego's latest masterpiece! He recorded most of it himself, with valuable assistance from Nelson Bragg on percussion and vocals, and Zane Drake on various stringed instruments. The sound this time is a more laid back, acoustic vibe than shown on previous releases, with Rick playing the pedal steel guitar for an added dimension - without losing the melodic/harmonic textures of past recordings. A full drum kit is being replaced this time with the looser percussive sounds of tabla, bongos, shakers, etc. Full of breezy, West Coast-influenced pop and lite psych! The Beach Boy-ish harmonies are a joy! The instrumentation is gorgeous! The songs are top-notch! We could go on and on.... If you like your pop luscious and harmony-filled than this is for you! Another late contender (IOHO) for "Best Of 2006" honors!

COMES WITH AN EXCLUSIVE 4-SONG EP FEATURING PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED DEMO RECORDINGS OF "LEARN TO FLY", "BLUE MORNING" (both writtten in 1997 for the first Cloud Eleven album), "FAR TO FALL" & "CARRY ME" (both written for the "Orange And Green And Yellow And Near" album)!




FRANK ROYSTER - THRU THE YEARS

www.myspace.com/franklinroyster
You may not know who Frank Royster is, but many of you have heard him before. He added guitars to the first (most excellent) Fire Apes CD - "A Pefect Day For Bananafish" and was a member of the band from 1996-1998! He's been a vet of the Charleston, SC music scene for close to 20 years.

The songs contained here were recorded and written over a period of about 12 years. The album was co-produced by Frank and Paolo Liccairdi, who has played drums on all of the Fire Apes releases to date. He also co-produced The Apes' "Central Park Carousel". Very influenced by the Beatles, Elvis Costello, Beach Boys, Marshall Crenshaw, and The Smithereens. In other words, a group of pop hook-meisters that we all love! In fact Jim Babjak of the Smithereens plays guitar on the track "Pressure".

Vocally, Frank's a cross between Elvis Costello (witness "Say Goodbye" that sounds like it came off "My Aim Is True"!) and Pat DiNizio! As soon as you here his powerful wall-of-guitars sound, it just screams Smithereens. The production has sort of a DIY charm that recalls the first Van Duren, Marshall Crenshaw, and Smithereens records! Very, very catchy! COMES WITH A BONUS, EXCLUSIVE, FOUR-SONG EP OF UNRELEASED DEMOS! You might say we're a bit biased, but we still think it's GREAT!!!





SOMERDALE - FRIDAY NIGHT IN AMERICA
www.somerdalemusic.com

Debut full-length by this New Jersey 3-piece formerly known as The Shags!

"Old school power pop done with new school spirit and verve. Definitely a band to watch out for!" - David Bash

They’ve toughened up their sound and have maintained their sweet vocal harmonies! They take you on their personally guided “musical history tour” of guitar pop (that exhibits a plethora of influences – The Beatles, Elliott Smith, The Rubinoos, The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Raspberries, Free, and Artful Dodger immediately come to mind) that begins with “FM Liberation” delivered with “Street Fighting Man”-like power chords, Keith Moon-like drumming, and John Entwhistle-like bass lines! “She Reminds Me” combines “All Right Now” riff crunch with sugar sweet “ooh and aah harmonies! “Oh Nicole” could be an Artful Dodger outtake! “Gravity” is Raspberries-like! You get the idea!




JEFFREY SIMMONS - FAREWELL, MY SWEET ALIBI
www.jeffreysimmons.com

Jeffrey Simmons creates classic Pop music in the tradition of Harry Nilsson, Emitt Rhodes, Wilco and Van Duren complete with rich instrumental (mostly piano-led, strummy acoustic guitar-laced) accompaniments that include some tasteful string arrangements! “Has crafted a solo album that is daring, ambitious and utterly user-friendly melding the songs into a wholly original construction!” – CMJ His earthy, Pat DiNizio-like-at-times vocals, and sweet harmonies provide the adornment for his mostly Baroque-pop treatments! A grower!




THE SPEEDS - SING IT LOUD
www.myspace.com/thespeeds

After two promising EPs, this Steel City trio finally deliver their solid, big-time poppin', 10-song full length debut! This is top-notch Brit-inspired Power Pop that's chock full of crunchy guitars, hooks and terrific (Beatle-like at times) harmonies! Think Supergrass, The Shazam, The Jellybricks, Cheap Trick, and early Rich Creamy Paint and you get a real good idea of what's happening here! Delivered crisply, tightly, and with a no-frills approach! "Sunset Drive" is a great Beatles/Marmalade-inspired ballad! We're pleased as punch to be associated with this! GREAT!!!





THE FIRE APES - THE FIRE APES
www.thefireapes.com

Surprise surprise! Five brand new top-notch, Brit-inspired, crunchy pop gems from the ‘Apes! This is Power Pop of the highest order by one of the best in the Power Pop biz right now that features lots of guitars and hooks on top of hooks! If you liked their previous two releases you’re gonna love this one! Of course we love it!




FOOLING APRIL - EVERY GOOD BOY DOES FINE

www.foolingapril.com

Fans of Ben Folds, The Argument Gabe Dixon Band and Steely Dan – this one’s for you. Hook-filled, piano-led, radio-ready pop that is catchy as heck! "These guys show you inside of nine seconds that they know how to write melodic, hooky pop music with a hint of jam-band riffage. They showcase excellent musicianship, strong vocals and superb songwriting!" – Foundrymusic.com. We have a lot of trouble removing this one from the CD player – it’s that catchy!



THE QUEUE - FALLOUT

www.thequeueband.com

Re-release of their debut effort that had Bucketful of Brains gushing "It's a very pop record - articulate and playful - with guitars and keyboards sharing prominence...has bags of confidence, an obscene amount of musical (and technical) skill, and a very pop sound that mixes a large measure of Crowded House with some Jellyfish and a dash of Brit Pop!"




THE JELLYBRICKS - POWER THIS

www.thejellybricks.com

Five years in the making (and well worth the wait), Kool Kat is thrilled to release the latest and greatest from Harrisburg, PA’s favorite sons – The Jellybricks!! This is what power pop is all about folks! Lotsa guitars, lotsa harmonies, lotsa hooks = lotsa fun! Produced by Cliff Hillis! Already being hailed as a potential 2004 Top-Tenner! Stop us if we’re gushing…………!




THE FIRE APES - CENTRAL PARK CAROUSEL
www.thefireapes.com

The Apes return with a killer sophomore effort and we’re thrilled to be involved! Fulfilling the promise of their excellent debut - "Perfect Day For Bananafish", John Seymour and mates deliver 12 slices of classic, guitar-driven hook-n-harmony-filled Power Pop destined to be a 2005 Top Tenner for sure! Includes a great cover of "I’m Into Something Good" (Herman’s Hermits)! Can’t say enough about this one!!



LORD CARRETT - UNSWEETENED

www.lordoflaughs.com

Stepping out of the "pop ocean" and dipping our toes in the "comedy pool" for this one! And face it, we can all use a few laughs these days! Unlike most comedy records, "Unsweetened" was recorded live in one take with no edits! A regular on the syndicated Bob & Tom radio show, Carrett’s style harkens back to the days of George Carlin, Robert Klein, Jan Murray and Shelly Berman, in other words, the masters! C’mon laugh a little!
NOTE: PARENTAL ADVISORY HILARIOUS!!





MAPLE MARS - CIRCULAR HAZE

www.maplemars.com

Kool Kat is proud to present the long-awaited followup to “Welcome To Maple Mars”! The LA times described their music as “a dash of Cheap Trick, a sprinkle of ELO, some Jellyfish on the side and a big dollop of The Beatles”! Their new CD, while still embracing these influences, is a giant musical leap forward as they continue to finely hone their craft of top-notch pop (power + otherwise)! GREAT!!




PIPITONE - MUSIC FOR MINIVANS


Nick Pipitone (ex-Sugarsmack) leads this power pop band from Milwaukee! Hooks guitars (+ keyboards) are in more than ample supply on their totally terrific, fun and very catchy debut! Great singing throughout! Vocally, Nick’s got a little Tilbrook/Folds thing goin’ on too! Of course we love it!




THE SPORTSMEN - SPIRITED


Chris von Sneidern's 1999 side-project featuring songs centered in the traditions of soul, blues and rock ‘n’ roll. Originally released in Japan and limited to 500 copies, we’re thrilled to make this terrific CD available again with the addition of a previously unreleased bonus track!




THE IDLE WILDS - UNHEARD


Collection of 15 rare and previously unreleased tracks. From “Tender Distance”, their first recorded demo, to “Used By Permission”, the CD chronicles their musical development from 1992-1996. Led by songwriter/vocalist David Gray, the band were signed to Ardent Records by former Big Star drummer and A&R executive Jody Stephens and released the “Dumb, Gifted and Beautiful” CD in 1996. Critics on both sides of the Atlantic praised the group’s “power pop” leanings often drawing comparisons to Big Star, Teenage Fan Club, The Posies, Velvet Crush and the Gigolo Aunts – all touchstones of the genre – prompting David Gray to proclaim “I don’t mind the comparisons. If I read a review of a band being compared to Big Star I’d go buy the record”. Despite the critical acclaim, the group split in 1996.

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