New CDs

Tweets For My Sweet Price: $9.00 Artist: 45 Rally Description: On “Tweets For My Sweet”, Switzerland’s garage rock sensations 45 Rally have taken all of their song titles from presidential tweets. But in keeping up with their Swiss heritage, they have decided to remain politically neutral. The music here, a combination of Bubble Gum, Garage Rock, Country and Punk was created for everyone's listening pleasure. So to all of our Conservatives, Liberals and Moderates, it's time to unite! "With a truckload of 60s riffs, an organ sound stolen from? And the Mysterians, and a frivolous sense of humor 45 Rally deliver something special here. Not only does their sound serve up a few lovingly created homages to a garage rock past, but they juxtapose their love of the retro with a more modern concept of social media use for malicious purposes. The result is a blend of the familiar concept of 60’s teenage love and other things with a bunch of Donald Trump's most awful tweets creating a potent mix of retro sounds and sensationalism. They do not to use any of this to create any big political statements but more as a springboard for hooky choruses and fin!” – RealGoneRocks.com EXCELLENT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Brood Or Change Price: $12.00 Artist: 50 Cent Haircut Description: What best describes Jay Souza and 50 Cent Haircut? Think a rootsier Only Ones! Souza’s Peter Perrett-like vocals coupled with the band’s rockin’ approach add up to one terrific effort of “classic and richly toned slide guitars, whisky-soaked vocals and timeless melodies….like Hank Williams slapping The Beatles on the back over a few beers…Syd Barrett is the bartender, Johnny Cash is working the door, and XTC is on the jukebox” "Alt Honky-Tonk Garage Brit Pop." Not too far off the mark, though probably favoring the Brit Pop edge, heavy with warm, rootsy undercurrents… has a fluid, indefinable sound where all of these elements mix. "The album is like a cold beer on a hot day when you don't want to do anything, but still want to feel like more than a moldy lump on a lawn chair. 'Fiction' is a driving, pulsating sexy vision. 'Geronimo' makes you want to take your baby's hand and dance as hard as the guitar. The whole album is dripping with sweat and whiskey. it's perfect." - Sarah "The record's a bit like a scavenger hunt - they beg, borrow and steal from the masters and the obscure with the product being something completely original yet familiar. Describing themselves as 'a great American sound with that deep imported taste', if Ray Davies was in a rockabilly or Americana band it would sound a bit like this. Great harmonies, great interplay between jangle guitar and crisp leads, big thumping bass, skins pounded to within a inch of their lives, heavy and sometimes humourous lyrical content. They more than hold their own playing in the same ballpark as the likes of Ryan Adams, Wilco, the Jayhawks, the Cure (sans cheesy keys), the Kinks, John Hiatt, Elvis Costello and Graham Parker." - W1P Plus, how can you go wrong with a song like “Bring Me The Head (Of A Backstreet Boy)”? EXCELLENT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

No Bargain Or Reprieve Price: $10.00 Artist: A Band Called Mithras Description: PILLBUGS/ROGER KLUG/PSYCH POP ALERT!!! WOW!! A big shout out to Mick Dillingham for hipping us to Detroit-based Bob Wilson (vocals/bass), the man behind the name, who recorded this in his basement studio with the help of some friends! In fact, we'll let the Mr. Dillingham himself take over in describing this amazing, full of interesting twists and turns, pop gem! "Like a blissful collision between The Pillbugs and Roger Klug, it's a joy-stuffed, thrill ride adventure in hi-fi that will knock your socks clean off from the get go. A dazzling psychedelic power pop wonderland drenched in a profound production the type of which can only be realised by either a big label recording budget, or the luxury of time afforded by having your own top-class studio, and boundless creative curiousity with talent to match. The finished creative results of Wilson's labours are impressive, at times breathtaking, and surprisingly eclectic, with stabbing guitar riffs slamming into proceedings and the 60's template smashed open with more contemporary songs and ideas when you least expect it. The songs are without exception uniformly excellent, easily as strong as the kaleidoscope of musical landscapes they each come lovingly wrapped in, rich with the sweetest melodic invention, lodge-in-your-brain hooks, and classy lyrical playfulness. As a showcase for Wilson's considerable talents, the album is a stone cold success, as a creative acheivement it is even more so!" - Bucketfull Of Brains Very well stated Mick! Includes a terrific cover of Left Banke's "Walk Away Renee"! "Bad Seed" could've been a Jellyfish song! Simply superb! GREAT!!!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

2 Price: $11.00 Artist: A Band Called Mithras Description: Bob Wilson and Dave Epperson (aka A Band Called Mithras) are back with their second, quirky offering of pop. Bob explains "I have always been a fan of pop, funk and late 60's, early 70's music. The Beatles, of course, are an obvious influence in the tunes." And that pretty much nails it. "This is intelligent pop, for people who know their pop history. This is counter-culture musicology, and the fact that it incorporates psychedelia, indie, power-pop, hip-hop, classic-rock, soul, and dance music into songs does defy easy category. But you won’t care. Rather, you’ll keep putting it back on. As well you should.” - Somewhere, Under The Radar "Opening with the strong hooks on 'Robot Clowns' and the slow swirling funk synth and bass acoustic of 'American Demon' are a great pair of songs with differing styles. However the band gets a little too quirky for it’s own good, 'Nobody’s Waiting' boasts contrasting guitar and synth arpeggios. Weird, funny Todd Rundgren-like raps on 'Gigo' and 'Aint No Hope For The Modern Man.' Occasionally beautiful passages like 'Cannonball' come up, and all is forgiven. Fans of Anton Barbeau and Adrian Belew (The Bears) will most likely embrace this album and love it." - Powerpopaholic.com "If you love the music from the late 60's early 70's you're going to love this. What a musical gem just waiting to be discovered in a sea of music." - KC Music Cafe "Every song is amazing. The guitars, the great vocal harmonies, the extreme energy in every song, the incredible talent of Wilson and Epperson, it is just pop perfection! You can hear the enthusiasm, passion, and fun the two are having when this record was made and can visualize them smiling and having a blast in the studio. The songs leap out of your speakers like they should be radio hits, they're that accessible, yet behind the catchy surface are challenging chord changes, exotic sounds, adventurous arrangements, and incredible chops. This has a little bit of harder edge at times that lets the power of the songs and performances ring through." - Max Humphries EXCELLENT!!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Make Me Over Price: $13.00 Artist: A Fragile Tomorrow Description: The Kelly Brothers; Brendan, (lead guitar) Sean (lead vocals/guitar) and Dominic (drums) plus friend Shaun Rhoades (bass) are the players that make up A Fragile Tomorrow. "The band is poised on the bleeding edge of power pop and the opening single, the album's title track, swirls with heavy riffs over a melodic chorus backed by harmonies and thickly textured rhythms. It’s the sound of a band that is restless and not going to play it safe. 'Tie Me Up' is a mid-tempo soul searching drama and Sean Kelly does a great job here. You also hear a some beautiful subtleties in the tight harmonies of 'One Of Two, Two of Three' and the sweet composition of 'Tell Me How To Feel' make these tracks big highlights. Various light psychedelic touches are in the lush ballad 'In My Mind' with its 12 string strum and orchestral majesty; reminded me a bit of 10cc or ELO. You hear numerous influences from REM to Cheap Trick on the layered 'Hit Parade' and 'Can’t You Hear Me.' The final track 'One Way Ticket' with guests Joan Baez and The Indigo Girls, is just mesmerizing as both a tribute and a re-make. This is a densely packed album that deserves multiple listens and its highly recommended." - Powerpopaholic.com EXCELLENT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Closer To A Ghost Price: $12.00 Artist: A View Of Earth From The Moon Description: A View of Earth from the Moon’s debut s an unashamed mashup of noisy 90’s Britpop, uninhibited garagey rudeness, and anthemic melodies that take the listener to a place where loudness is king. “I’m out there on my own with this one. I guess you could call it a solo record because this was the first time I did everything by myself. No live band in the studio, just me racking up countless hours of studio time, haha.” “Closer to a Ghost” is meant for an audience that likes loud and unapologetic rock ‘n’ roll. The album celebrates being “over the top” and many of Fickes’s influences are unmistakable. It’s “everything I’ve always wanted a record to be.” The twelve exciting tracks exhibit everything from blind irreverence to crippling obsession; from selfless love to complete emptiness; from boundless joy to unshakable regret. Singer/songwriter, Jonathan Fickes, is the sum of a farm town childhood spent listening to 60’s pop, a young adulthood playing folk music in New York City, and years spent in the vibrant Seattle indie rock scene with bands such as To the Sea and The Fraidies. “It’s not often that albums can evoke a strain of nostalgia while still presenting something new and re-listen worthy. A View of Earth from the Moon’s debut greets you like an old friend with the contradiction of new and familiar sounds. If ‘Closer to a Ghost’ conjures tones of 60’s Mod or 90’s Britpop, it may be due to Fickes’ love for Oasis and past of touring in a Beatles tribute band. ‘I Had to Go In to Come Back Out Again’ crashes open and continues to roll with heavy drum punches and attractive guitar rhythms, while ‘How I Lost You’ is a slow narrative with a morose breakup back story.” – The Big Takeover “A wonderfully evocative record from this Seattle combo that’s sometimes evocative of Teenage Fanclub, other times recalling early Posies, it’s all melodically stimulating with undercurrents of melancholy and mystery running through the proceedings. The glorious ‘Distance Runner’ is the highlight.” – John Borack/Goldmine Magazine GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

All Broken Up Price: $9.00 Artist: Aaron Fox Description: Aaron was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. After graduating high school, he escaped from the Chicago suburbs and attended Rock School (Berklee College of Music) in Boston. In his final year in Boston, he recorded this 2003 debut effort (sans T ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Late Too Soon Price: $13.00 Artist: Aaron Fox & the Reliables Description: Here's some very cool, jangly, garage pop rock (with some very cool Replacement-like, chord-sequenced tunes) outta the Windy City! Aaron Fox & the Reliables started as a collaboration between Aaron Fox, guitarist/singer/songwriter, and guitarist Mike Bu ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

In Transit Price: $14.00 Artist: Aaron Fox and the Reliables Description: In Transit” is a bold step forward from 2010’s “Late Too Soon”, evident in the maturity of the songwriting, arrangements, and production. It is often said the first album from a band is the most potent and impactful, primarily due to the overall excitement and energy that goes into making it as a group. That theory does not apply here. In fact, the songs on “In Transit” come from a personal and vulnerable space. “I will wait for you as long as time allows” implies a sweetness and quiet desperation on the beautiful “Coming In.” On the soul-searching track “No One Knows Me,” Aaron sings “I can’t remember where I was but I want to thank you for giving me your direction home.” And then there’s the sincerity and insecurity of the phrase “as long as you’re around I’m not pretending” from “Neverending.” New musical collaborators have been added to in addition to the talented original members, Bob Vodick, Mike Burns and Rick Zygowicz who worked tirelessly to up their game for this album, dedicating many hours to its recording and final mixing. The new collaborators - Josh Kaler (guitar,keyboards, percussion, backing vocals), John Christy (Hammond B3 organ), and Brian Leach (piano) – helped realize the vision of Aaron’s songwriting. Kaler adds cinematic flavors to “Bright Side of the Dark”, infectious slide guitar and keyboard parts on the catchy “Desert Heart”, and moody pedal steel drones to “Coming In.” John’s powerful B3 organ elevates the rocker “No One Knows Me”. Brian’s melodic piano beautifully colors the jangly “Better Days” and anthemic album closer “Waiting.” “Legend has it that you replace all your body cells every 7 years, so perhaps Aaron Fox needs a full reset before releasing new music as his previous 2 albums came out in 2003 and 2010. Whatever the reason, it's good to have this version of Fox and friends back with ‘In Transit’. The jangly ‘Unpromised Land’ recalls the likes of Gin Blossoms and Toad the Wet Sprocket, while "Neverending" would have given The Wallflowers a run for their chart spot in 1996. ‘No One Knows Me’ effectively rocks and ‘Better Days’ channels the Gary Louris-led incarnation of The Jayhawks. A bright collection of Midwestern-influenced power pop, you should be listening to this when you're ‘In Transit’ (or even at home).” – Absolutepowerpop.com EXCELLENT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Happy Endings Price: $13.00 Artist: Abandon Ship Description: LIMITED STOCK!! Born into a musical family, the five Lester brothers grew up playing instruments and singing harmony with their parents. In 2004, Nathan, Damian, and Gabriel Lester delivered a confident follow-up to their promising debut! Retaining their youthful vocal harmonies while delivering a more up-tempo effort than their debut, it’s chock full of layered guitars – not unlike early Brendan Benson and Dan Jones’ “One Man Submarine” (must be the water in Eugene, OR) which is still a fave around here! Posies-like at times too! "A complete blind listen...which is not at all unusual for me. There is something very exciting about hearing an album having never heard a single song...then being completely blown away by it. Which is what happened with this one. The Brendan Benson-like melodies, harmonies and songwriting stays strong and the guitar work is stunning! These siblings possess loads of talent, and it shows all over this album. This one is chock full of great tunes. Listen to it on a rainy day, a sunny day, in the morning or at night Abandon Ship create melodies and pop hooks that manage to suck the listener in early. Catchy, stick to ya kinds of tunes. Anyone who likes pop songs with lots of hooks, catchy melodies, and thoughtful chord changes, should buy this album right away and never stop enjoying it immensely." - Count Keef A grower! GREAT!!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none