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

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

Better From Here Price: $14.00 Artist: Joe Giddings Description: RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT MUSIK LABEL!! Over two years in the making (not the record, but Joe’s decision to finally release it after remixing and tweaking it) after we first spoke, ”Better From Here” - here comes the cliché – is a power pop gem that truly was worth waiting for! “This is top notch power pop rock from one of the genre’s best exponents over the past two decades. His vocals are enhanced in a wall of sound. Brimming with melodic from start to finish, it’s an outstanding album from not only a major talent, but a real unheralded gem.” – IDontHearASingle.com "Power pop with real power. Well-crafted tunes delivered with panache and drenched in melody, sounding like a less ornate, harder rocking Jellyfish. Meaty guitar licks flying all over the place. A year-end top 10 contender, for sure!" - John Borack “While there’s a Beatles influence evident throughout, it is amazingly diverse. The melding of a variety of pop influences and brilliant, radio friendly production sensibilities make it really shine. Maybe it’s the guitar crunch of ‘Amity Horror’ that’ll grab you, or the spot-on harmonies of ‘Gone So Far’, or the FOW/Cars approach to ‘Tin Foil Crush’ that’ll hook you. Could it be the muscular guitar of ‘Rock and Roll’? For me, it was ‘Irrelevant’, with guitar muscle out front, production and arrangement reminiscent of The Sweet or T-Rex, where everything is boiled down to its most impactful ingredients. It’s all hook, swagger and smarts. Did I mention that he can really, really sing? Every once in a while I hear someone say ‘they just don’t make ‘em like they used to’. Next time you hear that, hand them a copy of ‘Better From Here’!” – Rich Rossi/PowerPopNews.com “Joe tells us right away ‘I don’t want to sing like the Beatles again, but I’m gonna do it anyway’ on the title track. His songwriting skills are in top form, evidenced by ‘Always Raining Somewhere”. His guitar can shred with anyone, as he plays with a post-punk sprightliness and a less overtly British Invasion-inspired melodic sense that's closer to the power pop greats of the 90’s. Fans of Velvet Crush and Fountains of Wayne will enjoy ‘Amity Horror’ and ‘Rock and Roll.’ The high harmonies just burst in on ‘If I Don’t Have Love.’ This is looking to be in my top 10 of 2020!” – Powerpopaholic.com “Joe Giddings’ pop world is a place where fans of Jellyfish and Redd Kross gather in animated huddles to discuss late-era Beatles. It is also a place where the go-to guitarist is Brian May. Lyrically, Giddings tries to eschew thoughts of stardom but simply comes across as self-effacing, he tells us it’s ‘always raining somewhere’ but also why we should still be all smiles. Musically, he is full-throttle but always inventive, he can deliver a heavy crunch when needed but then rounds things off by creating a slow burning, bright full glow.” – John Bottomley/BucketfullofBrains.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Lisa Mychols & Super 8 Price: $11.00 Artist: Lisa Mychols & Super 8 Description: Very cool, pop-drenched collaboration from “the first lady of pop” Lisa Mychols and Paul Ryan (trainspotters know Paul as the man behind Super 8)! “The sheer vibrant warmth of this album and the way in which the expected 'sounds' of each of the collaborators are allowed to breathe and congregate, immediately avoids that dreaded sense of sods law and anti-climax. At the very start, the first few chords/seconds of ‘What Will Be’ suggest how this album 'might' excel and tracks such as ‘You & Me, Me & You’, ‘Honey Bee’ and ‘Your Summer Theme’ confirms just how right you are. Such tracks contain the guiding light and vibrancy of Mychols’ glaring 'made for pop sunshine' vocals, which seem to invite Paul Ryan to 'play', as he appears to grab whatever is in his immediate surrounds and make bouncing melodies in a way that suggests the cobbled aesthetic of ‘Backers and Maracas’ rather than the fully shaped ones of his ‘Head Sounds’. It's this disparate union of perfectly sweet and deliberated ramshackle, that gives the whole album a sense of sumptuous innate. Of course, at varying levels beneath the surface, both parts of this collaboration have big beating 'pop hearts' and the album was never going to be devoid of pops most pretty side. As such the quite incredible stand out of ‘Trip & Ellie's Music Factory’, ‘Flying Close to the Sun’ and ‘Timebomb’ provide the more immediate moments of beauty that we perhaps all expected and tuned in for. I am not sure where this duo are going from here. Lisa seems to be the busiest vocalist in America and Paul is a walking song writing machine. Whether they get it together again, remains to be seen...but you just feel they kind of 'have too' somehow.” – JanglePopHub.com We sure hope so! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Lost Price: $14.00 Artist: SLD Description: RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT MUSIK LABEL!! The ultra-melodic, 60’s drenched, 17-song “Lost” represents SLD’s (Sounds Like Digging) sophomore effort (and Kool Kat Musik label debut), a record that Paul Constanza and Tom Parisi have delivered that will immediately appeal to fans of The Beatles, Badfinger, and even more current artists like Cupid’s Carnival! Paul explains “The four years since we completed ‘Indigo Gray’ have been at times tumultuous. I thought we'd have trouble coming up with enough songs for another album but the dam sort of burst towards the end. I'm always tempted to cover the songs I love, but knowing that I'll never outdo my exemplars keeps me in my lane. Instead I'll take a song or an artist I love and try to create something in their style. Songs on ‘Lost’ run from the relatively unknown - Greg Laswell in ‘Fly Away,’ or Del Amitri in ‘You Went Along With It’, to pop icons like Squeeze in ‘Midnight Eyes,’ or XTC in ‘12 to 5, to legends like Stevie Wonder in ‘No Way,’ or Burt Bacharach in ‘She’. Or I might just try to recapture the feel of a certain song I love, where a guilty pleasure like ‘A Groovy Kind Of Love’ turned in to ‘Don't Want To Get Over You.’ I'd love to say this one was a labor of love, but it was mostly labor sprinkled with moments of sheer joy. The way Tommy and I work is unique as we're never in the same room when we do our tracks. It adds an element of fun and surprise when we get to hear what the other has done.” “’Lost’ has been on constant repeat in my car’s CD player. Anyone familiar with my ‘The Music Authority’ podcast, knows that the key elements to a GREAT song are melody, harmony, and lyrics that have meaning...jangly guitars, a driving back beat, and a bass line that makes sense. I find myself getting ‘lost’ inside the songs each and every time I play this. Songs of wonder, of joy of life, of snippets of occurrences that do touch us all, that have been captured as sound pictures, and masterfully done, might I add! Influences? I hear touches of Raspberries, Beatles, tinges of Emitt Rhodes and Elliott Smith...yet the sound is strictly theirs.” – Jim Prell “Like a breath of fresh air from the summer of 1975, ‘Lost’ will assuredly help your mind get lost in AM radio nostalgia. It is a testament to the songcraft that the melodies, harmonies, and instrumentation can take a listener back 45 years. You are sure to find a new favorite with each listen. In the true nature of power pop, there is a new twist around every corner.” – Howard Byrne “With 17 tracks, this is like a double album. ‘Fly Away’ is a McCartney-like piano gem, with an upbeat ‘ooh-la-la’ with rhythmic harmonies and wicked guitar break that begs for repeat listens. ‘Don’t Want Get Over You’ is a wonderful jangling pop gem full of great chord changes and Tom's guitar riffs are supported by Paul's bright vocal that defines the SLD sound. There are many other highlights here: ‘12 to 5" has brilliant harmonies across each verse, the titleis smooth pop brilliance and "Last Night" is a polished, atmospheric song with an expansive melody. Using synths and an 80’s slow pop rhythm, "Circles" could've been a Tears For Fears hit. Highly Recommended.” – Powerpopaholic.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

The Explorers Club Price: $16.00 Artist: The Explorers Club Description: The Explorers Club is Brainchild of Charleston, SC native Jason Brewer, the only constant “member” of The Explorers Club over the band’s lifespan. This is the fourth album of original songs by this now Nashville-based Sunshine Pop band. The twelve-song-set is band’s boldest work to date, breaking sonic barriers while maintaining lush melodies and artistic influences. Musically adjacent to successful pop artists from the 1960s, 70s like The Beach Boys, Turtles, Association, Grass Roots New contributors to this incarnation of The Explorers Club include Shane Tutmarc (Dolour, Sean Nelson) and Austin, TX based songwriter, Will Courtney. Songwriting partnership with Emeen Zarookian, Mike Williamson and vocal contributions from former Explorers Club member Wally Reddington. In 2008, when The Explorers Club released their debut album ‘Freedom Wind’, it took a lot of folks by surprise. Their Beach Boys-inspired pop was quite astounding. Brewer and the band didn’t just play Brian Wilson-influenced music – they deconstructed it and then pieced it back together from the inside out. They did not pay homage to the California sound, they recreated it with a fresh, new perspective. Embracing the sonics of their previous albums, ‘The Explorers Club’ takes you to new heights and gives their ‘masterpiece’ ‘Grand Hotel’ a run for its money. Yes, it is very much inspired by the harmony-laden sound of The Beach Boys but it also ventures into Sunshine Pop and Soft Pop territory. With influences ranging from The Turtles to Gary Usher and Curt Boettcher, the album is chock full of melodies that can only be described as heartfelt and beautiful. This is music from the soul. Every harmony, every chord change, and every musical twist truly matters. The songs are comforting, warm, and littered with musical signposts that will make them ‘sound’ familiar but still feel exciting and fresh – kind of like meeting an old friend again…for the first time.” – ForcesOfGeek.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

To Sing And Be Born Again Price: $16.00 Artist: The Explorers Club Description: An exquisite, 10-track set of cover songs of hits, misses and other delights from the 60s. The album features guest vocals by former Barenaked Ladies front man Steven Page, and Drive-By Truckers member, Jay Gonzalez. In addition to Page and Gonzalez, other contributors to this set include Shane Tutmarc (Dolour, Sean Nelson), as well as vocals from former Explorers Club member Wally Reddington and past contributor Brian Langan. Songs include huge pop hits originally recorded by The Turtles (“She’d Rather Be With Me,”) Manfred Mann, (the Bob Dylan penned “Mighty Quinn,” Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart (“I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight”), Herb Alpert (“This Guy’s In Love With You”) and Paul Revere and the Raiders (“Kicks.) Rarities and lesser known songs from Three Dog Night’s Danny Hutton (“Roses And Rainbows”), Orpheus (“Can’t Find The Time”), The Zombies (“Masybe After He’s Gone”), The Lovin’ Spoonful (“Didn’t Want To Have To Do It”), and The Walker Brothers (“The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore”) round out the set. “Jason Brewer was born in the wrong era. His heart and his musical preferences belong in the mid-60’s, when music was all sunshine, brightness and innocence - when the Lovin’ Spoonful asked if you believed in magic, the Left Banke assured us that she may call you up tonight, and the Turtles were all happy together. He is one of the most talented singer-songwriters to come out of the underground pop movement and holds his place well in lifting up the happy, shiny sounds of the 60’s. And he probably has another idea or two floating around in his head right now. We can’t wait to hear them. ” – HooksandHarmony.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Ocean Moon (New Songs and Hidden Gems) Price: $14.00 Artist: The Foreign Films Description: NEW RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! Bill Majoros is a big fan of the melodic pop of the 60’s and 70’s, with echoes of The Beatles, The Zombies, The Beach Boys, CSNY and Big Star penetrating his songs. After completing his magnum opus “The Record Collector”, Bill went back to the drawing board to contemplate his next move for his The Foreign Films project. After some head scratching it’s resulted in “Ocean Moon (New Songs and Hidden Gems)”, a concept album with new songs and a couple of previously released ones about love and a longing for an era before he was born. “’The Record Collector’ was one of my Top 10 albums of 2018, a work of great thought and beauty. Gathering up new songs and hidden gems, ‘Ocean Moon’ features guests such as Steve Eggers of The Nines and three Orchestral Arrangements by the wonderful and much missed, Wim Oudijk, and is a splendid affair. There's a much greater concentration on the Pop here than on previous offerings. The feel is somewhere between 60’s US Pop and UK 70’s Pop Rock, the latter most relevant on the ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ glimpses of ‘Under Your Spell’. ‘A Letter To Our Future Selves’ is simply magnificent with Oudijk's Toytown arrangement complementing the piano lead to fashioned up a memorable slice of Psych Pop. There's the McCartney pop of ‘Stars In Her Eyes’. ‘Birds In A Blue Sky’ could easily fit on XTC's ‘Skylarking’. ‘Dream Another Dream’ is a fine Sedaka-esque arranged teen ballad and ‘Down In The Boulevard’ has a great vocal arrangement on a piano led song that reminds me a lot of heyday John Howard. The stand out song is the title track. Pop rock just doesn't get better than this, it is a gentle masterpiece. Bill Majoros is a major talent, a multi instrumentalist that leads on melody and arrangements.” – IDontHearASingle.com “’Ocean Moon’ is not a stopgap release, but an intricate tapestry of old things and new, a love letter set to music.” – HereComesTheFlood.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

For Those About To Pop! Price: $11.00 Artist: The Yum Yums Description: Hooray!!! The Yum Yums are back! The Yum Yums are back! Behold one of the most "pop" albums ever made! And with a title like “For Those About To Pop!”, anything less would have been a huge letdown! This is the fifth album by Norway's long-running power pop sensations who have been playing, releasing records, touring and basically been arrogant powerpop-stars since 1994. If you're a fan of their previous four albums, you're gonna go WILD for this new one! The album is a tribute to The Yum Yums loyal fans, over 25 years! Lead vocalist/guitarist Morten Henriksen and the band have been working on this album for 6 years. “They have managed to make a great sounding album, filled with hooks, big loud guitars, drums, bass, and pop-punk anthems that include most of their influences: Power Pop, Bubblegum, mainstream pop and early 70’s UK Glam Rock! They also wanted to put a little sunshine and fun back in rock'n'roll by combining the classic sounds of The Ramones, The Beat, The Rubinoos, The Real Kids with the sound of their heroes at the time: The Devil Dogs, The Vacant Lot, Psychotic Youth… and top it off with sprinkles of 60's girl groups, surf and even a little bit of 70's glam. This is still their patent for infectious power-pop today with today's instant classic... ‘For Those About To Pop!” – Lord Rutledge Welcome back guys!!! Please don’t make us wait another six years for your next one! Hooray!! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Surrender To The Rhythm: The London Pub Rock Scene Of The Seventies Price: $30.00 Artist: Various Artists Description: “Surrender To The Rhythm” is a brilliant 3CD, 71-track collection that charts the origins and development of the London pub rock scene throughout the 70’s, featuring Eggs Over Easy, Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe, Bees Make Honey, Dr. Feelgood, Ace, Kilburn & The High Roads, Dave Edmunds, Graham Parker and Elvis Costello + many, many more! We follow the scene into the late 70’s and the Stiff/punk era with the arrival of new, younger blood that included Eddie & The Hot Rods, The 101'ers, The Jam and Squeeze + many more. Naturally, also rounded up are a whole host of bands who underpinned the scene but failed to cross over to mainstream success: National Flag played an extraordinary 24 times at the Marquee in the space of fifteen months, Bearded Lady were headlining the night that support band The Jam were spotted by Polydor, and Brewers Droop featured an earnest young guitarist by the name of Mark Knopfler. With so many pub rock bands of the era having not recorded, we've plugged the gaps with a few acts (Status Quo, Mott, SAHB, Thin Lizzy) who had an agreeably down-to-earth, spit 'n' sawdust mentality even though they were too big to play the circuit. After all, Pub Rock is a state of mind as much as a physical location... With four hours of vital, vibrant music - including several previously unreleased tracks - bolstered by a 48-page booklet crammed with photos, memorabilia, anecdotes etc, “Surrender To The Rhythm” is the definitive aural document of a movement that would revolutionize the British music scene. GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none