Lockdown Session: June 2020 Price: $13.00 Artist: Andrew Taylor and The Harmonizers Description: What appears to be the final installment of “The Lockdown Session” series by the recently extremely prolific Andrew Taylor! This third session was recorded in their homes during the COVID-19 lockdown in Scotland during June 2020. Eight of these songs were written at the beginning of June 2020, with one originating from Dropkick's “Paper Trails” session in 2012 (“Didn't Know What To Say”) and the final song, “You're Not Right”, having been written in 1997! Like the previous two volumes, the band did a very limited (50 copies) run that sold out almost immediately upon the announcement of its availability. Not to worry though, ‘cause we’ve got plenty of copies here! Thank you Andrew for providing us a terrific series of “COVID Soundtracks” during these strange and sometimes stressful times! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Green Meadows Sketchbook Price: $14.00 Artist: Bertling Noise Laboratories Description: Involved in music since the '90's, Nick Bertling primarily made his name as a drummer in Baltimore. Bands such as Puddle, Gary B & The Notions, Naked Blue, Alto Verde, They Hear and others. His brand new release again sees him recording as Bertling Noise Laboratories – and noise it certainly is not!! “This is a record about how distressing the world is right now. There's also a tribute to my mentor and late uncle at the end. Don't be too sad, just remember your friends and family,” state Nick. “He heads out to the audio twilight zone and gives us a personal work that seems to channel Todd Rundgren. Love those harmonies on ‘Perhaps’ and the retro synth on ‘Mall Dreams ’87.’ A grower you need to live with.” – Powerpopaholic.com “Nick Bertling is probably the finest artist that you’ve never heard of. Known extensively for his engineering and production work as well as his drumming, his own music under the name Bertling Noise Laboratories is simply stunning. Multi- styled, he offers up hard edged pop rock that compares with anyone around.” – IDontHearASingle.com “Nick Bertling, who makes and records the noise in these laboratories, is a marvel. He’s one of melodic pop’s great practitioners.” – PurePopRadio.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Freeride To Neverwhere + bonus disc Price: $17.00 Artist: Borgh Description: Trainspotters may recognize Janne Borgh as the bass player in the fab ANC4, but he is also a songwriter, singer and guitar player in his own right. He’s a self-proclaimed Anglophile who loves layered harmonies and jangly guitars, melodic bass lines and romantic lyrics about what is what could be. After many years in the wilderness following successful careers with Strindbergs, The Moderns and the Repeatles, Janne released this, his first full-length solo album in 2018. Many of the songs were written while he was living in London and were heavily inspired by the magic and history of that city. You could call the album “a tribute to nocturnal London” with songs such as “Angel of Chamber Street” and “The Last Great Dreamer” referencing many actual places and based on true stories. “What a great album you have made! I’m playing it for the third time in a row. My favorite songs right now is ‘The Cardboard King is Dying’ and ‘There’s A Reason’. It’s definitely an album that grows on you!” – Beat Goes On “His lyrics take you all over the world , sometimes it’s about walking the streets London missing your love and then is about him just keep running outside any suburb to Stockholm doing his daily exercises. Great lyrics with great harmonies throughout. I don´t know if it is rock or pop all I know it sounds cool and polite and that´s enough for me to call it brilliant albums!” – Rockboy Magazine COMES WITH A FREE COPY OF HIS 2017 EP “STARS, BARS, & VINTAGE GUITARS” CONTAINING 4 SONGS NOT ON “FREERIDE TO NEVERWHERE”! EXCELLENT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

When The Dust Just Won’t Settle Price: $15.00 Artist: Captain Wilberforce Description: RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! So, as we find ourselves in strange, interesting and frankly scary times, another album released by some unknown indie band (we’re trying our best to eliminate that description) is a minuscule footnote in the War and Peace of current events - but to us, getting people to hear the songs Captain Wilberforce have worked so hard crafting, learning, recording, mixing, producing and releasing is hugely important. Hopefully these songs can transport you from the savage reality of 24 hour pandemic updates, if only for the 43 minute run-time, to a less stressful head-space, leaving you humming some new earworms. “Combining an aggressive guitar attack with catchy riffs and vocal work, ‘When The Dust Settles’ displays a wealth of songwriting talent. Song structure and performance rule with an alternative pop rock sound. The complexity of the record is the antidote to uninspiring earworms and shallow repetition. Captain Wilberforce should be the go-to artist for restless indie aficionados in search of higher quality. Their fifth full length album, to paraphrase Declan MacManus, easily ‘stands up from falling down’. Proof can be heard starting at the 4:10 opening number, ‘Sad Machine.’ The length of the track avoids conforming to a shortened radio play standard. An inviting melody and accessible time signature welcome listeners before the guitar’s amplitude kicks in and things get under way. An electronic drum tone sets the pace as low key vocals enter the mix. The title accurately matches the music. ‘The Last Dance Is Over’ has a heavier quality via a thicker guitar character while remaining tuneful. Once again, the vocals come across as subtle but no less significant. The drumming makes more use of skins compared to the opening track. A melodious but somewhat moody piano introduces ‘I Think That She Knows’ prior to the songwriter’s storytelling. ‘I’m The Fool’ returns to more of a rocked out feel in volume and presentation. Though comparisons to Gaz Coombes are in line, Squeeze’s Difford and Tilbrook also come to mind. Changing things up a bit, ‘The Finest Excuses’ is mostly an acoustic drive before culminating in a bold mix, while songs like “Green Unpleasant Land” and ‘Take Me To The Moon’ retain an almost Beatle-esque quality.” – MusicInterviewMagazine.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Late Checkout Price: $15.00 Artist: Dent May Description: “Full speed ahead now, no more looking back,” Dent May confidently croons on his fifth LP, “Late Checkout”. The un-nostalgic sentiment and sobering clarity of his latest body of work signifies taking a reflective rest-stop on the winding road of his now decade-long career. After relocating to Los Angeles in 2015 and building his own Honeymoon Suite Recording Studio, he suddenly found himself with the chance to take his time making a record. Leaving the comfort of home-recording, he set out to elevate the production quality on “Late Checkout” while maintaining some intimacy through sparse arrangements. Through the dozen thematically-linked tracks here, he grapples with the swinging emotions of our contemporary reality with a rare optimism and distinguished sound. Bearing the torch of classic American songwriters that have inspired him like Harry Nilsson, Carole King and Randy Newman, he has gingerly cultivated his iPhone note scribbles and subconscious melodies into songs that could stand the test of time. After writing and performing parts for a bulk of the instruments on the album, orchestrations were filled out by inviting string players, a horn section, background vocalists, and a pair of auxiliary drummers to play on the album. He made a conscious decision to slow down and pay careful attention to his songwriting on this album. He began to savor the minutiae of his daily life spent wandering around LA, not getting invited to hang with friends, and waking up in hotel rooms after DJing weddings - drawing on these moments in his lyrics and began assembling ballads at his new studio, mimicking the bittersweet tone and consistent work ethic of Motown. From beginning to end, Dent May bares his soul on each track across “Late Checkout”, offering a reluctant goodbye to his former selves, before wandering home. GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Gotta Get Back To New York City Price: $12.00 Artist: Dr. Boogie Description: Real deal rock ‘n’ roll comin' atcha from Los Angeles. We don’t know which gutter these guys crawled out of, but wherever it is, these dudes are coming on strong. Dr. Boogie are blazing their own smoky trail of snarling guitars, whorehouse pianos and honky tonkin’ harmonicas that really impress upon first listen. The raspy vocals are fabulously suited for this down and dirty style of gutter chic rock ‘n’ roll. Each song exudes top notch glitter-glam nastiness with a genuine sleazy, raunchy rock n roll authenticity seldom heard in these cold, sterile times. If you like rockers like the Heartbreakers, New York Dolls, The Stones, Jacobites, Mott The Hoople, or The Flamin’ Groovies, these guys will definitely satisfy yer fix. “After taking a gander at the cover artwork like it's fallen off the offcuts of a Suzi Quatro or Alvin Stardust photoshoot or maybe the 70’s is the vibe they were looking for and, guess what? They’ve nailed it from the denim flares to the cheap sunglasses and feather cuts, and if you think this gang aren't gonna rock 'n' roll then I'm gonna chase you off this review meself. Remember when Aerosmith were cool as f*ck when they rock and rolled? Yeah, these cats kick it off in the same ball park starting with the title track - an upbeat audio grenade. They certainly know how to throw a few 12-bar boogie woogie shapes as the uptempo rhythm takes hold and with gang vocal chorus shout outs aplenty to accompany those licks that Chuck and Boston’s 'Smiths boys threw out. Not since Crazy Squeeze and Prima Donna has the West Coast delivered the goods quite like this. 'Cut At The Knees' is street tough and trashy enough to get any house party motoring and the guitar solo is sublime. They might be trying very hard to shoe horn every ounce of rock 'n' roll into the songs but it's working for me and prescribing some saxophone dueling with harmonica with a barroom piano tinkling away in the background is fantastic stuff and certainly not to be sniffed at. It's not a competition but it's great to hear a band chasing down the ghosts of Rod Stewart (when he was the man) and The Stones when they ruled the universe rather than wanting to look good and rehash early Kiss or Thin Lizzy. Variety from within a genre is healthy and it's then down to a matter of preference as Dr. Boogie shake their shit to a certain vintage that will never get boring or tiresome if done properly and these cats nail it. They understand what real honest working class rock and roll sounds like and have a fantastic balance of instruments used by the good and the greats. Rock and roll is in safe hands boys and girls, now go get your prescription - it's what the Dr. ordered (sorry)!” – UberRock.co.uk GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Even Time Price: $14.00 Artist: Ed Ryan Description: NEW RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL – AVAILABLE AUGUST 7 – ACCEPTING ORDERS NOW!! “Even Time” marks Ed Ryan’s third release on the Kool Kat label. The original concept behind the album was to record some songs Ed wrote years ago for The Rudies and Jupiter Jets – bands he was a member of. It slowly evolved into its present state as a mix of the very old, and the very new. Ed won't say which is which! If you dig cool guitar solos, you’ll love this record! Ed’s got the chops for sure! Driving with the top down music! "The title track is a solid pop single. ’Never Lied To You’ delivers a terrific hook in the chorus and ‘Say What You Will’ is a very compelling jangle pop melody. The guitar buzz returns on ‘Let It Out’, another great tune. ‘Next Time Around’ and ‘Breakaway’ have an even harder edge, as they burst from the speakers. This is truly music that deserves to be heard.” - Powerpopaholic .com “Ryan is here full force on should-be singles like ‘Say What You Will’ and ‘Let It Out’. He wraps things up with a return to tradition on ‘Make It Through the Night’, a track that really captures the classic power pop sound of the late 70's, complete with a punchy chorus. ‘Even Time’ marks a welcome return to the studio for this music veteran!” – PopRockRecord.com "I like to hear Ed Ryan sing high notes, I like to hear his hard-rocking guitar solos. I like the melodies he writes, I like the rough mix of his records. I like the stories he tells. What's not to like? ‘Even Time’ is a great record" - Sweet Sweet Music Blog GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

When Night Meets Day Price: $14.00 Artist: Erk Description: RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! The label and CD debut (previously a vinyl/download-only release) from a terrific pop record from 2019 that was just TOO GOOD NOT TO BE ON CD! Erk? “That’s not a name, that's a sound!“ This is what everybody told Erk Wiemer wherever he travelled. So if people thought of his name as a sound – why not put a soundtrack to the person behind? So he did! “Piano, bass and drums – I don’t think I really need any other instruments!” said Erk when he started back in 2003. Since then he has evolved his sound and music, but still keeps it simple! “When Night Meers Day” contains a great bundle of 12 catchy tunes that are just impossible to resist. Known to be Beatlesque, an admirer of Brian Wilson's vocal arrangements, and fan of even the latest ELO songs, this album is a must for everyone who likes to indulge his or her passions with respect to this style of music. “He stands up with those great piano playing singer songwriters of the 70's and although the record certainly offers up reminders of those great pop rock albums that graced the 70’s, there are indicators before and after that decade, in both style and content. The arrangements are very up, but are equally Burt Bacharach and Brian Wilson as much as Gilbert O'Sullivan or John Howard. Indeed comparisons could be made to Ben Folds and there is definitely a Jellyfish vibe here and it's strong. There's a lot to compare to Roger Manning Jr. The arrangements are great, the harmonies meticulous and the whole thing is just a joyful listen. ‘Walk Like Charly Brown’ is lounge jazz, ‘Living My Life Without You’ is 60's revue, big sounding pop. ‘Rhapsody Of You’ is a Skellern/O'Sullivan piano ballad that is beautifully arranged. ‘Better Sad Than Dead’ has a Randy Newman beat that is almost Manilow. It's the jaunty piano pop that pleases these ears most, it gives off such a fantastic vibe. ‘Chilly Winds Ahead’ and ‘Malibu Beach's In Berlin’ are great examples. ‘Taking My Time’ is a poptastic duet with Diane Weigmann that works beautifully. ‘When Night Meets Day’ is superb piano pop with a series of darts into other genres. It's a corking listen.” – IDontHearASingle.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Stumbling Blocks Price: $11.00 Artist: Exploding Flowers Description: Led by singer songwriter Sharif Dumani, Exploding Flowers are a Los Angeles-based quartet whose unique brew of jangle pop is influenced by the Paisley Underground, Psych-pop, Power Pop, and all things “jangle.” It is also akin to 70’s-era Chilton/Twilley, mid-80’s New Zealand guitar pop, and 90’s noise pop all blended, mutated, and swirled into their own modern day hook-filled racket. Theirs is a blend of Robyn Hitchcock, The Byrds, and even at times Dot Dash and Skytone. “Some of the most dynamic, self-assured, jangly pop music that I’ve encountered in a while. There are twinges of psychedelia in just the right places, and all sorts of cool effects pedals being put to great use. They aren’t exactly breaking new ground, but with tunes as good as these, who cares? There are very few things that are more exciting to me than hearing a band who knows how to manipulate a somewhat familiar sound to the point where you are convinced that they’ve owned that sound all along." – KCRW.com “Flashes of Big Star and Guided by Voices are dispersed throughout the record. The layers of sound also bring to mind some of my favorite ‘retro’ bands of the last decade, mostly the Cuts and the Soundtrack of Our Lives.” – Daniel Codfelter EXCELLENT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Hue Spotting Price: $12.00 Artist: Ex Norwegian Description: On their 10th studio album, Ex Norwegian take a psychedelic trip driving thru progressive pop territories under multi-coloured skies with 10 original tracks sending a love letter to classic British psychedelia. “There’s a bit of sleight of hand here, as one is the band’s new album – ‘Hue Spotting’ – while the other – ‘Spotting Hues’ – is the collected cover versions they’ve been posting weekly for some time. But both hit the pop rock sweet spot, with more than just a splash of psych pop thrown in for good measure. ‘Hue Spotting’’s opening track, ‘Fear Backwards,’ gets things swinging with a melodic Robyn Hitchcock élan and catchy chorus while ‘Bloody Parrots’ uses its keyboard riff to get inside your head (in a good way). I think ‘Something 2020’ is my favourite track sounding like something from a late 80’s teen movie soundtrack (in that brief moment when some pretty cool bands were getting exposure). Meanwhile, ‘Your Mind is Mine’ does a clever bait and switch with its opening screaming guitar trading places with a hooky chorus – very nice!” – PopRockRecord.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none