Desperate Days Price: $12.00 Artist: Brian Bringelson Description: WOW!! The second solo outing from Brian Bringelson (a/k/a Paul Starling) is a “must have” melody and harmony-drenched masterpiece! It’s smart pop with big harmonies and even bigger choruses! “Album opener ‘Losing Train of Thought’ is a sweet catchy melody, that sounds much like his early material with slight echoes of early Beach Boys and The Smiths. The jangling guitar of the dream-like title track builds with each verse, the vocal harmonies burst through on the chorus. Bringelson’s music has a very unforced and casual approach, with a ‘Pet Sounds’-styled production aesthetic, best-exemplified by ‘Bone Collector,’ ‘The Deep Dark Truth,’ and ‘Rust and Gold.’ But my favorite here is ‘Letting Go Of Arrows,’ an epic ballad with smooth echoing harmonies and hooks. Not everything attains this level of greatness, but enough does. This is easily Brian’s most accessible and mature album, and it’s definitely highly recommended.” – PowerPopaholic.com Can’t say enough about this pure pop gem!! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

forever fresh! Price: $14.00 Artist: Bruce Moody Description: A new (old) set of pop-centric tunes from Bruce Moody, one of the 80’s power pop names that's been bouncing around for years and has only recently been investigated. Back in the early 80's Terry Carolan (True Hearts/Bloue Cartoon/Heirs Of Fortune) would spend some afternoons with fellow Beatles fan and recording kook, Bruce Moody. They’d make song demos on Bruce’s four-track deck using everything from cassette boxes, guitar cases and silverware to create sounds. But at the same time, we were both in bands doing recording in real studios. The duo ended up with a basket full of unreleased recordings that are now finally seeing the light of day. “forever fresh!” is a "select cuts" album collection of Bruce's power pop tracks from 1979-1986. It contains 23 songs, all of which have been meticulously digitally remixed and remastered exclusively for this release. “As Terry and I mastered the tracks for this album, I was overwhelmed by many of the great memories that stirred inside of me while listening to these songs again; many after more than three decades. I can still clearly remember those wonderful performance moments that were magically captured while the red light was on and the tape was rolling. Those memories are ‘forever fresh’ in my mind! A handful of these songs were very challenging to get recorded at all back then; either due to tired voices that just couldn’t capture a great take or trying to beat the clock before our session ended and someone else’s session was scheduled to start. In order to try to get a cohesive, overall album sound, we used the legendary Abbey Road mixing desk via digital plugin to re-master all of the songs here. I love the extra punch and warmth the Abbey Road mixing desk adds to all of the tracks!” – Bruce Moody The result? Another terrific piece of power pop’s puzzle has rightfully been unearthed!! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Forget About It Price: $11.00 Artist: Classic Ruins Description: Having emerged with the '80s garage rock revival, this now re-activated combo from Boston returns to the scene with its kick-ass 2020 full-length. For “Forget About It” The Classic Ruins recorded a bunch of punchy songs packed with hooks, raunchy guitar work, deadpan vocals and a sardonic, low-brow sense of humor, plus a trio of surf-rockin' instrumentals for good measure. If you’ve long worn out your copies of “Lassie Eats Chickens” and “Ruins Café”, the new stuff is finally here - and even if you don’t know or care about Boston rock history, you’ll know a great tune when you hear one. "It hurts that this album took so long to get recorded. Boston locals know some of this from the live shows, out of towners welcome to our world. The Classic Ruins started in the punk era of the late 70’s and they still have what they had then, which is a dynamite rhythm section, songs you remember, a punk ethos to everything they do and Frank Rowe’s nasal toned guitar hitting the zingers. It’s all very 1978 Boston and 2020 Boston rock." - Boston Groupie News Ever wonder what your local “bar band” would sound like if they acknowledged the likes of The Replacements and Ramones, just as much, if not more so than your typical beer-breath blues rock? Boston’s long-running Classic Ruins just might be a relatively close answer to such a quandary. Features some cool covers – an instrumental version of The Beatles’ “Please Please Me”, Charlie Chesterman’s “Theo’s El Camino”, Link Wray’s “Rawhide”, Larry Williams’ “Bad Boy”, and Dr. John’s penned “Lights Out”, released as single in 1958 by Jerry Byrne! “Awesome pedigree!" - Bill Kelly's Blackhole Bandstand GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Life Gets Strange Price: $11.00 Artist: Cliff Hillis Description: Rising to the challenge of collaborating with his band during the pandemic, Cliff along with co-producer/musician Greg Maragos (Smash Palace, In The Pocket) and drummer Pat Berkery (War On Drugs, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Pernice Brothers) embraced the creative power of technology to completed the record while continuing to remain socially isolated. Known for his upbeat brand of literate and memorable tunes, Cliff has established himself as one of the leading songwriters in pop-rock music today. He sheds some light on his latest effort “This is the fourth EP I’ve released, I decided it’s a much easier format to digest in such a short attention-span world, and it allows me to get music out quicker than recording a full album at a time. I had to get fairly creative with social distanced recording. A number of the drum tracks were recorded in my garage (which, as it turns out, sound good!) My friend and bandmate in The Orchestra, Louis Clark Jr., recorded cello for the song ‘Seven Sisters’ in his UK flat.” All of the songs on “Life Gets Strange” were written by Cliff except “Let’s Pretend” (written with Rhett Miller – Old 97’s), “Good Problems” (written with Kelley Ryan), and “Seven Sisters” (written with Kevin J. Killen). Cliff can proudly add another notch to his already abundantly notched “pop belt” with this little gem!! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Over & Over Price: $13.00 Artist: Clover Description: An archival release of sorts from Ireland’s by way of Australia Matt Purcell. In 1994, Matt’s band Clover entered and won the TAFE NSW band competition, after previously winning a Nth Sydney TAFE Band competition. The band released their self-titled debut EP that year that was hailed by “On The Street” press reviewer Mark Fraser as being “Sydney’s best pure pop exponents of 1994”. In 1995 the band recorded new songs/demos for a possible followup to the EP, but split soon afterwards. In 1997, the band went back into the studio to record 4 new songs, and soon after split for good. Fast forward to 2019 and the band got back together, this time including guest drummer Mick Baty (Pyramidiacs, etc) in tow, in London to record 5 songs that the band had originally demoed in 95-97, at Liam Watson’s legendary Toerag studios. These were songs that Clover played live but never released. Also included here are 6 songs from those sessions in 95-97. The album is made up of what would likely have been the songs that would have made it onto the band’s first album release, had it been released. So finally, after 20 years, Clover has just released their debut album! EXCELLENT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Radiophonic Supersonic Price: $10.00 Artist: Dave Caruso Description: “Radiophonic Supersonic” is the followup to Dave’s 2017 “Buddah Pesto Manifesto” release. Dave explains “On this album I had more studio experience, I’d gotten better on guitar, I’d become more patient with my voice, and I was more equipped as a songwriter and arranger to get the sounds out of my head and into the tracks. With Brad Jones and Andy Reed on board, I knew the record was in the best of hands.O” “I knew this record would be a great pop rock album, but more than that, the influences here are widely spread. Compare the Philly/Motown sound of ‘Indelible’ to the big 80's AOR vibe of ‘Tuesday's Gone’ and you get the gist. His gentle vocal stylings generally lend itself to the laid back, but that doesn't stop the pop ringing through. Catchy verses are linked to memorable choruses, never more so on ‘I Won't Wait For You’. ‘Heaven Minus Love’ is a great 70's singer/songwriter on the keys ballad, whilst ‘Atomic Smile’ verges on Bossa Nova, it’s certainly a lounge shuffle. ‘Throwing Out My Baby With the Bassinet’ is a real 20's/30's ragtime joy. For all this variety, the home runs are when the catchy pop rings out. ‘A Piece Of The Action’ is great pop rock and the outstanding ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ is a beauty of a song - very California harmonic pop with little hints of Toytown. All in all ‘Radiophonic Supersonic’ is a more than great listen.” – IDontHearASingle.com “There are an abundance of ‘single-worthy’ songs here which is a nice problem to have. ‘Atomic Smile’ is both uber-catchy and very, very clever. ‘Indelible’ will transport you right back to 60’s AM radio. On “Little Miss Sunshine”, Caruso channels his inner Elvis Costello with one of the most engaging songs of 2020. It’s brilliant, bouncy, radio friendly guitar pop with a big payoff – a chorus that you can’t help but sing along to. Anyone who has visited PPN with any regularity knows my penchant for artists with a sense of humor. Caruso delivers big with ‘Throwing Out My Baby With the Bassinet’, a humorous look at a relationship that must end. The quick tempo defies the sour subject matter, making for a rather delightful send up. The wonderful harmonies on ‘Tuesday’s Gone’ make it sneaky good. With his best work to date, expect ‘Radiophonic Supersonic’ to make an appearance in this site’s end of year list of top power pop albums.” – PowerPopNews.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Forever Together (3CD) Price: $28.00 Artist: Doug Fieger Description: A 3CD/48 track (featuring a total of 25 previously unreleased songs - 10 previously unreleased by the Knack) career retrospective. Doug Fieger and his power pop band the Knack will forever be synonymous with their 1979 new wave era hit “My Sharona” With a six-week run at No. 1, the inescapable hit has survived for decades becoming a staple of radio, parties, television and movie soundtracks. Beyond a debut album that sold over 10 million copies since release, Doug’s colorful and storied career surpassed that hit recording and included production and session work with notable artists as Ringo Starr, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne. “Forever Together” is the most comprehensive retrospective of Doug’s post 70’s career. Tracks 1-13 are from the Doug Fieger solo album “First Things First”. Tracks 14-17 from “Hankerings: A Tribute To Hank Williams”. Tracks 18-21 are Doug Fieger and Berton Averre demos. Tracks 22-28 are Knack demos (circa '85-'87). Tracks 29-33 are Doug's "Taking Chances" demos (circa 1983). Track 34 is from Zen Cruisers, featuring Doug and Elliot Easton. Tracks 35-40 are The Knack live at Mountain View, CA on June 10, 1994. Tracks 41-43 are The Knack live at Leeds, UK in 1991. Tracks 44-48 are a new remix of Doug's "Taking Chances". GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

So Long, Yesterday Price: $13.00 Artist: Dream Phases Description: After Brandon Graham’s band Nacosta split, he hung around with other LA Psych bands, and continued to write songs. In 2016, he decided he needed an outlet for the shoeboxes full of songs he’d recorded in his bedroom over the years. Together with brother Shane, he formed Dream Phases. What began as a bedroom project evolved into what it is today – a full-blown psychedelic rock quintet. After releasing EPs and singles over the years, “So Long, Yesterday” marks their debut full-length, one filled with accessible psych rock that has indie pathos and trippy excursions. “Mysterious”, “Cruel World” and “Barred Windows” are rock sings with a slight psychic drift. The highlights are "Easy Love" (with Matt Adams from The Blank Tapes) and "Bird of Prey". “Confusion” is gentle and reduced, and “Promise of Promise” is epic. “Over gently strummed acoustic guitars, a fuzzed-out electric guitar leads us into the journey on the song ‘Confusion.’ Brandon Graham has a touch of Mick Jagger attitude in his vocal delivery, cutting through the dreamy instrumental mix that draws from modern Los Angeles psychedelia as much as the Laurel Canyon sound.” – Mxdwn.com “The tracks on ‘So Long, Yesterday’ flow into one another, as if snatched fragments of a woozy comedown dream. Some songs, like ‘Frightened Man’ and album highlight ‘Cruel World’, reveal themselves immediately. Opener ‘Mysterious’ wears its Stones influences proudly on the sleeve of its Dandy Warhols t-shirt. Others, like ‘Flesh and Blood’ and the off-kilter ‘Crippled View’, take longer to unlock, rewarding repeat listens. The production serves the songs, leaving them space to breathe where necessary. On plaintive ‘Confusion’, the acoustic guitar makes way for a mournful pedal steel. ‘Always on my Mind’ shimmers, while ‘Easy Love’ bites and growls. Eclectic as this record is (ranging from garage fuzz to space rock), it’s bound together by its lush and ethereal harmonies. Here you’ll find more “oohs” and “aahs” than a vet’s waiting room. Eclectic as this record is (ranging from garage fuzz to space rock), it’s bound together by its harmonies, lush and ethereal. By the end, you’re left disorientated, not sure if you’re still dreaming. But once it’s seeped into your subconscious, you won’t want to wake up." - Shindig! Magazine Will appeal to fans of Asteroid #4, Hurry and other bands of that ilk. GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Turning Circles + bonus disc Price: $18.00 Artist: Dropkick Description: The 2020 reissue of Dropkick’s 2007 album “Turning Circles” comes as an expanded CD. This was the first album the Andrew/Alastair/Roy/Stu line up made before “Dot the I” and “Patchwork” albums in 2008, and definitely was one of the most fun and prolific periods of the band. The original 14 track album now features an additional 10 songs recorded at that time. “Opener ‘Only For Yourself’, clearly shows that the band know what their fans like. ‘Can't Help It’ and ‘Rewind’ reinforce this opinion. ‘Say Nothing’ is a radio friendly ballad that tugs at the heartstrings, and is a strong, commercial song that any boy band would give their eye teeth to mime to. There are signs of a change of direction on the horizon as the album progresses. ‘To Get to You’ and ‘Black Book’ take the band into an area of altogether angrier, acerbic lyrics. The highlight for me is ‘Avenues’. Lyrically obscure, exquisitely arranged and with a compelling, poignant vocal performance, this is the song of the album, and serves as a perfect example of their maturing song writing skills. With this record, Dropkick have edged yet another step closer to pop perfection.” – Bluesbunny.com “Dropkick just keep getting better and better. Their ‘Obvious’ release was a Teenage Fanclub-like, low-key masterpiece, but ‘Turning Circles’ sees them fulfilling their potential. I’ve previously stated that they should appeal equally to Converse-wearing indie kids and the Ryan Adams alt-country faithful, but there’s so much more depth and talent on this album. ‘Only For Yourself’ is business as usual, a Scottish folk-tinged tune with a healthy dose of pop, even if it does boast a stronger riff than practically anything on their previous album. The true genius lies elsewhere, for in ‘Avenues’ we see their sights turned on the twang and drawl of the traditional country ballad, while ‘To Get To You’ is what The Bluetones might have sounded like if they’d been raised in Nashville. The Teenage Fanclub-like harmonized vocals are still present and correct, but that’s no longer all they have to offer. They manage to hit all the buttons they’ve been hitting before, but with these tunes they introduce a whole new range of previously untwiddled-with knobs and dials music.” IsThisMusic.com COMES WITH A BONUS DISC CONTAINING 26 EXTRA DEMOS AND RECORDINGS ANDREW TAYLOR MADE IN LATE 2006/EARLY 2007! GREAT(ER)!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

New York: Live Price: $15.00 Artist: Eddie & The Hot Rods Description: Having reformed in 2000, this was the band’s third US tour for this line up of the Hot Rods and they were truly firing on all cylinders by this point, delivering a frenetic-paced, blistering set of “Greatest Hits” (along with a few choice covers) at Southpaw, Brooklyn on May 7th 2009. Thankfully, the good people at Southpaw pressed the “record” button to capture the unreconstructed, warts 'n' all performance, last official “Live” recording, from Barrie Masters and band in their prime. “Be prepared to be energized! This is blistering hot. Opening with ‘Teenage Depression’, the tempo is unrelenting as the band take you with them, through every song you’d want to hear. When they do ‘Should Have Been There’ I can only agree, I wish I had been – very envious of anyone who saw this live. The energy and entertainment is clear – this is a master class in live performance. ‘Stepping Stone’ turns into ‘Bad Time Again’ (unlikely!) and the band showcase their considerable talent – yes it’s raw in places but it’s pure rock n roll! Completing the main set with the classic ‘Do Anything You Wanna Do’, the encore is even more up tempo with ‘Get Out of Denver’ and finishing with a blistering rendition of ‘Born To Be Wild’. What a fitting epitaph and a classic reminder of everything that is great live music – long live rock n roll! In these uncertain times where live music is in short supply, this is a welcome reminder of why we love seeing bands live, bringing that raw performance right into your living room. This is going to be a regular feature on my playlist, what a performance!” – GetReadyToRockMe.uk “This is essential stuff from a band sounding as youthful and hyper-energetic as the original Rods were when they came together in 1975. One thing that Barrie (RIP) would never do is cheapen the legacy by settling for second best.” – VelvetThunder.co.uk GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none