Ace Of Cups Price: $20.00 Artist: Ace Of Cups Description: Ace Of Cups may not have been the first all-women rock and roll band, but they were the one that mattered within that bizarre wrinkle in time that constituted late 1960s San Francisco. Converging from a diverse set of backgrounds in the Haight-Ashbury just before the Summer of Love, these young women would constitute an independently-driven, uniquely-inspired organization, equally capable of feather-light poetry, funkier soul and further-out freakery than most of their more celebrated male compatriots within the psychedelic ballrooms. Yet despite the avowed interest of the industry and obvious hometown support, the original Ace Of Cups never got to make a record. Until now… High Moon Records presents the first studio record by the mesmerizing Ace Of Cups. The record’s twenty-one tracks span fifty years of masterful songwriting, that sound as timeless as they do cathartic. Anchored by fervent playing and beautiful harmonies from the Ace, classic songs such as “Taste Of One,” “Pretty Boy,” “Circles” and “Simplicity” have been given new energy and focus while previously unheard newly written material reveals additional depth and soul. Special guests include legendary players Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady, and Charlie Musselwhite as well as lead vocal turns by Bob Weir on “The Well”, Taj Mahal on “Life In Your Hands”, Peter Coyote on “As The Rain”, and Buffy Sainte-Marie on “Pepper In The Pot”. Despite the sheer number of songs and guests on the album, and the range of material, there is a remarkable consistency born from the band’s and musicians’ deep personal connection and musical bond. “I heard some groovy sounds last time in the States, like this girl group, Ace Of Cups, who write their own songs and the lead guitarist is hell, really great.” - Jimi Hendrix “The Renaissance faire that was the crossroads of Haight and Ashbury found its female voice in Ace Of Cups, though it’s a disservice to view their musicality and dedication to craft through the prism of gender. Their knowing lyrics, instrumental excursions, and divine harmonies resonate beyond their time, and it is a beautiful and bountiful remembrance that they are they getting the long-awaited respect they so genuinely deserve.” - Lenny Kaye EXCELLENT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Thoughts On Lunch? Price: $10.00 Artist: Addison Love Description: Huntington Beach, CA native Addison Love is a founding member of The Yorktown Lads alongside Orange County's pop maestro and his former teacher Michael Simmons (Sparkle*Jets UK) and frequent member of OC pop collective Popdudes. His first album under his own name is a collection of twelve modern pop rock gems, retro in feel but up-to-the-minute in presentation, performed and produced almost exclusively by Addison himself. “My first teachers were John, Paul, George and Ringo”, says Love, and the track “Like The Beatles” (featuring guest vocals from Simmons) shows he's learned his craft very well. What sets Addison apart from the many other power poppers who might make the same claim is his age: despite his already impressive resume, Love turned 22 just prior to the release of “Thoughts”. The infectious “Wee & Nancy Lee” also displays that deep affinity with the Fab Four, and the Southern California coastal roots of The Beach Boys permeate the record as well. They're evident in the “Pet Sounds”-inspired arrangements and harmonies of the lovely ‘The Other Angels’ and the delicate “She”. That the melodies and sentiments of the songs stand up to their inspirations is one of the album's many charms. The record's sound isn't just rooted in the '60s, though. Rockers like “Anything's Right” and the tightly wound “Blinds” evoke the whole history of hook-propelled pop rock from the heyday of The Cars to best of Fountains of Wayne. The acidic Ray Davies-worthy character sketch “The Ballad of Dr. Minard” is framed as a modern day sea shanty. And the album is peppered with intimate piano and acoustic guitar based ballads, from the opener “Just One Minute” to the deeply touching closing track “Marquita”. The record is more than just a promising debut – it's the sound of a young artist already well in command of his craft, spinning everyday concerns into a collection of tunes that are at once funny, moving, and instantly memorable. GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Acoustic Vol. 1 Price: $16.00 Artist: Andrew Taylor Description: LIMITED EDITION PRESSING! Dropkick was formed by brothers Andrew and Alastair Taylor and school friend Ian Grier in Arbroath on the east coast of Scotland. Starting off as a punk-pop band, the band discovered the music of The Jayhawks, The Byrds, Tom Petty and Wilco and their sound gradually matured into more of an alt-country style but without losing the upbeat, catchy melodies of their songs. Recorded during August 2018, this is a 20 track collection of Dropkick songs performed by Andrew Taylor, stripped back to they way they were originally conceived. Andrew has gone and done a selection of Dropkick “classics” in a very stripped-back, acoustic form to accompany his upcoming solo shows in France and Spain. The disc includes a version of “Hold On” – a rarely played song from Dropkick’s 2011 album “Time Cuts the Ties”. “Their songs that capture a power pop spirit tinged with a country edge, shimmering guitars and vocal harmonies recall classic California bands and more local contemporaries such as Teenage Fanclub and Daniel Wylie” – AmericanaUK.com "Scotland's 3rd best band ... fabulous melodies a-plenty and more hooks than Bob Nudd's fishing bag."- The Scotsman Newspaper “Scotland’s finest alt-country power-pop band.” - Tom Morton/BBC Radio Scotland “Their music has an originality about it that defies explanation.....blending almost equal parts alternative, indie-pop, folk and country.” - Maverick Magazine GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Wherewithal Price: $12.00 Artist: Andy Bopp Description: AWAITING A RE-PRESS!!! DO NOT PLACE ORDERS AT THIS TIME!! A WAITING LIST HAS BEEN CREATED - EMAIL RAY@KOOLKATMUSIK.COM TO BE ADDED TO THE LIST. YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED WHEN STOCK IS AVAILABLE/WHEN YOU CAN FORMALLY PLACE YOUR ORDER THRU THE SITE!! Brand new release from the former Myracle Brah frontman, the followup to his terrific “Blisters And Thorns” release from 2017! “I mentioned how great Myracle Brah were in the review of Andy’s great ‘Blisters And Thorns’. But the even better news is that he’s moved on a pace since then and ‘Wherewithal’ just might be the best thing that he's ever done. The album reminds me a lot of Ian McNabb's latest, ‘Our Future In Space’. There are plenty of similarities. ‘Melting Into Velveteen’ is interchangeable, it could be either's song. But the comparison goes deeper, as both will be compared to their previous band. Yet their solo work is far deeper, far more fulfilling, but will get less attention than what's gone before. Bopp leans more towards Psych Pop. McNabb to classic rock, but the charm and ability is equal. Both have produced exceptional albums this year. ‘Sure And True’ is a wonderful example of how good Andy is now, it's got a killer Beatlesque chorus. ‘Lonely Driver’ is indie joy, built around a funky bass riff. ‘Push And Pull’ is pure Bowie, complete with sax and some incendiary guitar. It's a belter. Even the moody piano instrumental ‘April Is Near’. There’s really so much here. Closer ‘Stranger Is Strange’ is all twangy moodiness, think Ian Hunter's ‘The Outsider’. ‘Blind Faith’ is a haunting strum, it could make you weep, it's inspired. ‘Shadow’ is anthemic in a Lennonesque manner. These 10 songs contain so much in them, so many twists and turns in each. They’re all beautifully arranged and feature some outstanding guitar playing. You even find yourself singing along to the slower numbers. This is nothing like Myracle Brah and you wouldn't want it to be. Andy Bopp is at the top of his game. ‘Wherewithal’ is a definite inclusion in my Top 10 of 2018. Moody, yet incredibly melodic. I can't recommend the album highly enough.” – IDontHearASingle.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Hills of the Universe Price: $15.00 Artist: Athanor Description: Singer/songwriter Greg Herriges and lead guitarist Rick Vittenson (a/k/a Athanor) met on the steps of the Highland Park, IL Recreation Center in the summer of 1965, just as The Beatles’ album “Help!” was released. Both avid rock mavens (with roots back to Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Dion and the Belmonts, and The Beach Boys), they formed a group called the 4-to-Go when Greg was a high school sophomore and Rick was a junior. The group broke up, as groups eventually do, and they each joined other bands. In 1973 Greg and Rick reunited. Greg had completed school out of state, while Rick had begun working with both the NME and Crawdaddy! Magazine. When Greg returned to Illinois for work as a teacher - his profession to this day, including teaching a course on the Beatles – he put together a home studio. After time spent away from performing he called on his old friend, and thus Athanor was born. Three mellow-heavy singles were issued in the early-to-mid ‘70s. Sitting inside the circle which occupies such early ‘70s/post-‘60s psych-pop/rock burnouts as Creme Soda and Drywater, Athanor is not pure underground esoterica, as they dose their damage with an ear bent towards P-O-P, which separates it from the sea of pretenders. In 2013 and 2014, two LPs of material from this period were released on the Guerssen Records label outta Spain, and both received rave reviews. Buoyed by the success of these two LPs, Greg and Rick spent three years recording an album of all new original songs for this, their Kool Kat Musik label debut – “Hills of the Universe”. For this project they invited seasoned rock instrumentalists to contribute - Chris Drehobl (former drummer of legendary Chicago band The Mauds), Quent Lang (former saxophone and flute player of The Mauds), Jeff Murphy (of Shoes), guitar virtuoso Harry Reinhart (Midnight, Traffic Jam and Skip Towne and The Greyhounds), John Belpedio (bass player for Almost Joe and Mid-Life Crisis), and Brian Cremins (of Pet Theories). Recording engineer John Towner helped them achieve the full sound they were looking for, and he even added synthesized strings on a few tracks. It has taken over four decades to realize this latest Athanor recording project, but they continue to play, and Greg is already writing the songs for the next album. “They are a perfect compliment for fans of other rare psych-pop bands like Lazy Smoke, Creme Soda, and The Only Ones.” – Powerpopaholic.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Wish You Were Here (Expanded) Price: $19.00 Artist: Badfinger Description: DELAYED...NOW BEING RELEASED ON NOVEMBER 30 – STILL ACCEPTING ORDERS!! In 1974, things went from bad to worse for Badfinger as Warner Bros. ended up pulling their second release after seven weeks in the stores due to their manager squirreling away publishing advance money, prompting a lawsuit by the label's publishing arm. Yet, somehow in the midst of all the chaos, the band delivered its masterpiece. Recorded by Chris Thomas at the Caribou Ranch studio in Colorado and George Martin's AIR studio in London, “Wish You Were Here” stands as Badfinger's most cohesive and powerful artistic statement, with stellar contributions by all four of the band's songwriters. It's an album without a weak track, so it's hard to single out any songs, but Ham's "Dennis," Molland's "Love Time," and Evans' "King of the Load" might take the honors. For this Expanded Edition (which offers a new remastering of the album for the first time since it was initially released on CD), Real Gone have unearthed an unreleased song ("Queen of Darkness"), and uncorked eight new remixes that highlight many un-used vocals and novel instrumental arrangements. Matovina's notes include exclusive quotes from original producer Chris Thomas. The last and best record with the original line-up, now fully unveiled! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Badfinger (Expanded) Price: $19.00 Artist: Badfinger Description: DELAYED...NOW BEING RELEASED ON NOVEMBER 30 – STILL ACCEPTING ORDERS!! Most folks point to Badfinger as the greatest power pop band of all time. But, with four accomplished songwriters in Tom Evans, Mike Gibbins, Pete Ham, and Joey Molland, and the creative assistance and imprimatur of The Beatles, Badfinger should have been bigger stars than they were. Their four albums for The Beatles' Apple label get most of the attention, and understandably so, with hits like "Come and Get It," "No Matter What," "Day After Day," and "Baby Blue." But their subsequent two albums for Warner Bros. represent their true creative peak, reached even as the band, and the lives of the members of the band, fell apart. Real Gone Music, together with Badfinger biographer Dan Matovina, is taking a fresh look at Badfinger's brilliant but ill-fated Warner Bros. releases. Everything seemed rosy when, upon conclusion of their contract with Apple, Badfinger signed a new deal with Warner Bros. in 1973 for a big advance, but right away things went south as the label rushed the band into the studio and ended up releasing “Badfinger” at about the same time as Apple released the band's last record for the label, “Ass”. Not to mention that Warner Bros. rejected the band's title for the record, “For Love or Money”, leaving the record without any title at all. Of course, commercial confusion ensued, and “Badfinger” sold poorly, even though it boasted such solid tunes as "Lonely You," "Shine On," and "Love Is Easy." This new expanded version features the unreleased song "Love My Lady," plus nine more outtakes from the album sessions; it's the first time the original album's been remastered (by Matovina from the original master tapes) since its maiden release on CD, while Matovina's notes include fresh quotes from original producer Chris Thomas. GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Lovesongs & Psychedelic Tones Price: $15.00 Artist: Bhopal's Flowers Description: “It started in 2012 in France after a long sitar trip in Calcutta,” begins Lionel Pezzano, the multi instrumentalist behind his recording project Bhopal’s Flowers (named after the chemical disaster that happened in Bhopal, India in 1984). “I felt the urge to play rock music again. I used to play New Wave with a strong psychedelic touch but I recently bought a 12-string Rickenbacker and everything has changed.” Indeed! “Lovesongs & Psychedelic Tones” has very all the hallmarks of 60’s Godheads like The Byrds and Love. It is a blend of hope and sadness beauty and gloomy landscapes that manage to imbue their music with a characteristically modern metropolitan vibe befitting Pezzano’s Euro-Indian journey. He lists his influences as Hindustani classical music and old time country music. He practices the sitar (Indian luth), the tar (Persian luth), and Bluegrass guitar daily. Those musical languages feed the skeletons of his compositions. Recently (and fortunately for us), Lionel has had an obsession for The Byrds, The Beach Boys, The Mamas and The Papas, and Kula Shaker to whom he feels very familiar. The album sounds like an enormous leap of faith. Despite his complex soundscapes and crisp production it didn't take long to come together. “I did it on my own, written, composed and recorded in two months in my studio last winter. I then went to a studio in Montreal to record the drums with my mate Jeremy Thom and went home to mix everything. I can't work with producers. I’m too directive for that and I have a very precise of idea of what I want I'm pretty happy with the results but I can't wait to record the next one.” – he explains. If it’s going to be like this one, neither can we! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Big Sunset Price: $10.00 Artist: Big Sunset Description: Veterans of the Portland, OR music scene, Jay Castro and JP Ramos are essentially Big Sunset (though this record is a collaboration with a lot of others, songwriting-wise). Jay explains how the project came to fruition “I had the pleasure of recording, producing, and mixing an album for some good friends in a band called The Contestants. In the process of recording the records I ended up contributing some extra instrumentation and vocal harmonies. I found that I really loved the way JP Ramos wrote and that our voices worked well together. After the album was finished, I reached out to JP to see if he wanted to write some songs together. For me, it was a chance to explore the pop side of my musical tastes. Both JP and I are huge Jellyfish (and associated acts) and XTC fans. Writing together was a blast. We would each bring fairly finished songs to the table and then take them home to write our own take on them. This process distilled a product we felt was better than our solitary vision had brought to the table. Initially, as we continued to hone the songs an idea came to our minds to not play on our own album. If we broke out of that traditional songwriting mentality, where would these songs lead? We both had a roster of versatile friends who agreed to come to the table. Notably was Don Schwarz, of Tales Untold on Tuba and Todd Bayles on pretty much everything. I had the pleasure of working with both of these guys over the years and they are both amazing. We did a few rehearsals with JP and I reworking parts to better fit the instrumentation, eventually we both caved and added our own performances back to the mix. Todd was such an inspiration that we eventually asked him to just be a part of the project as a whole. The result is a labor of love and an exercise in setting lofty expectations for ourselves.” “I think I know what's going on, but what always delights me more is discovering something that I had no idea about. I heard the Big Sunset album and loved it. It is a great example of a pop rock album that takes chances. None of the push button instrumentation is present here. You will hear accordion, tuba, double bass and ukulele in some pretty stunning arrangements. Having said that, the stand out song is the stripped down, ‘The Night I Was Murdered’, a brooding hypnotic listen that just grips you. Five years in the making, this is a beautifully arranged affair. There is so much going on, but the album's themes and song structures never lose track of melody. ‘Invisible Men’ comes in as a cross between Jellyfish and ELO, but with Beach Boy harmonies and accordion. In all of these fine arrangements, there is very little electricity, so the big sound is even more admirable. I can't recommend this album highly enough. It's a cracking listen.” – IDontHearASingle.com It is indeed! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Singled Out Price: $18.00 Artist: Billy Bremner Description: One of the great sidemen in rock, known especially for Rockpile, The Pretenders, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, The Refreshments, to which you can add scores of sessions for the likes of Elvis Costello, Carlene Carter, Shakin’ Stevens, Any Trouble, Phil Everly, Pat McLaughlin, Kelly Willis, Rosie Flores and many more. RPM Records has “singled” Billy out from the groups and sessions to focus on his solo work, finding that since his debut in 1977 Billy has released ten singles. “Singled Out” is the cream of the crop, the best singles sides most representing the Billy Bremner sound. The second focus is Bremner’s songwriting as all but three of the songs on this compilation are written or co-written by him. The record kicks off with the latest single recorded in the summer of 2018, two songs in the Bremner style showing the light is still burning brightly. As a bonus, presented are a number of excellent unreleased demos, again written by Bremner, which include the original demo of “Loud Music In Cars” produced by Bremner and Will Birch to get the Stiff deal. (Birch has written a special piece for the sleeve notes describing their time writing and recording together in the early to mid-80s.) Also included are the original demo’s for the Dave Edmunds covered “Creature From The Black Lagoon” and “Trouble Boys”. The latter was also a single for Thin Lizzy. The beginning is represented by two tracks from his first singles in 1977/78 as Billy Murray, when working with Kris Ife as producer and the Bremner blueprint was laid down. The earliest track, “54°40 ì Or Fight”, is from an unreleased concept project The History Of America, produced by Ife in 1974. This was the time when Billy was in Fatso, Neil Innes’ proto Rutles band, when they regularly appeared on Rutland Weekend Television and backed George Harrison spoofing ‘My Sweet Lord’. GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none