Wherewithal Price: $13.00 Artist: Andy Bopp Description: 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

Walnut Fascia Price: $14.00 Artist: Emperor Penguin Description: BRAND NEW RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL – AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 22 – ACCEPTING ORDERS NOW!! In 2017 (after a 16 year “hiatus”) the Penquin was reanimated. The band was back: four kids with three chords and a crazy dream! The band is still united in its love of The Beatles, Beach Boys, Buzzcocks and XTC. Neil doggedly professes to enjoy The Fall, and Nigel loves Queen, but each is forbidden to speak of these things in front of other band members. They started playing together, some new songs quickly emerged, and they were recorded largely at home and did final overdubs, mixing and mastering at Crown Lane Studios in Morden. Their Kool Kat Musik release marks the CD debut for this previously download-only 2018 release! Special guests include Lisa Mychols (vocal on “Keep On Wasting My Time”. "Inventive, quirky power pop band whose music conjures up The Jam as much as Big Star (which helps) w/lyrics that prove their reading material extends beyond McCartney's silly love songs (which helps even more). Intellectual UK jangle pop brimming with harmonies ‘n’ hooks and goosed consensually by a garage punk energy’” – Roy Pearl/The Un-Herd Music. “'Emperor Penguin is one of the most clever bands I’ve had performing at an IPO Festival, both musically and lyrically. ‘Walnut Fascia’ is a delight from start to finish.” – David Bash/IPO Where to next for Emperor Penguin? It can only be to the toppermost of the poppermost! Their ambition is to become hairdressers and to own a squadron of tanks. “While 60’s Mod influences are front and center, there’s so much more to Emperor Penguin and ‘Walnut Fascia’ than just a period sound. On first listen, one immediately hears elements of The Who or The Jam. And at one point in the song ‘Shaking Spear’, I half expected a chorus of The Stones’ ‘Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown’. By contrast, ‘See Ya Later, Sayulita’ has a touch a Smithereens to it. Guitar jangle and a really catchy chorus make another 60’s style piece ‘Only Love’ an instant winner. All good period pieces need a political song. With ‘Sorry, Not Sorry’, the band delivers big time. Eloquently written and catchy as all git-go, it’s one of the album’s many highlights. My favorite track may be ‘Hotel Diplomat’ with its bouncy tempo and lyrically descriptive style. Then again, the engaging string arrangements, thoughtful lyric and smooth style that is ‘(The Theme from) Falling Tree’ make this one the perfect track to close the album. And the really neat ‘Band On The Run’ outro is simply awesome.” – Rich Rossi/PowerPopNews GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Crumhorn/Rum Pop Engineer Price: $14.00 Artist: Emperor Penguin Description: BRAND NEW RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL – AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 22 – ACCEPTING ORDERS NOW!! Specially-priced, two-for-one CD debut for their previously download-only/vinyl LP (“Rum Pop Engineer”) releases from 2000 and 2017 respectively! Emperor Penguin is: Neil Christie (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Nigel Winfield (vocals, guitar, bass), JT (vocals, guitar, bass, harmonica) and Richard Wilson (drums and occasional piano). Neil provides the backstory - “Roughly twenty years ago we first got the band together. We played a few gigs and recorded a session at BBC's Maida Vale studios in London - now available as the album 'Crumhorn' - but work, families and poor attitude meant that we never really got our act together. Our original bass player moved away, life intervened and Emperor Penguin went into hibernation…” “In the case of “Rum Pop Engineer”, after a “brief” hiatus of 16 years, the band reformed in 2017, and lots of new songs quickly emerged. “What a great fresh sound. Five stars out of four!" - Jody Porter (Fountains Of Wayne) “Intellectual British jangle pop brimming with harmonies 'n' hooks and goosed consensually by a garage punk energy.” – Roy Pearl/The Unherd Music "Gawd...your album is so freakin' amazing....strong songwriting with power and melody!!!" - Lisa Mychols GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Fossil Fuel Price: $12.00 Artist: Glowbox Description: WOW!! WE MISSED THIS ONE LAST YEAR!! Big Ups to Don Valentine (I Don’t Hear A Single) for hipping us to these pop monsters! Among their cited influences are Sloan, Squeeze, The Knack, The Who, and Cheap Trick. A lot of comparisons can be made as to who these guys sound like, but to our ears we definitely hear the Sloan and bits of The Who throughout this one. Very 70’s to us! Top notch guitar playing (and lots of guitars here folks!), songwriting, tremendous harmonies, tight playing, and excellent production tick off all of the boxes of what can be labeled “classic”! The record was produced by David Minehan (he of The Neighborhoods and The Replacements). “Travels through Power Pop, Prog and Psych Pop although its base is very much classic rock. A wonderfully rounded album, beautifully produced and ready for all your air guitar moments. From the AOR of ‘No Connection’, through the psych pop of ‘Moonstone’ and the light Prog of ‘The Decoy’, there is just no let up. ‘Rolling It Over’ is pure Mod pop, ‘Home Movies’ has a Cheap Trick jangle. ‘What Did You Get Done Today’ reminds me a lot of Vegas With Randolph.” This is an album that should be listened to loud with a beer in hand. It sounds like a classic already.” – IDontHearASingle.com We agree!! This one should have been high up on everyone’s 2018 “Best Of” list! How did we miss these guys????? TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR EXCLUSIVE OFFER AND GET BOTH GLOWBOX CDs FOR JUST $20. IF PAYING BY CREDIT CARD YOU WILL BE CHARGED ACCORDINGLY. IF PAYING BY PAYPAL, YOU WILL BE REFUNDED THE APPROPRIATE DISCOUNT. GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Glowbox Price: $12.00 Artist: Glowbox Description: Glowbox was formed in the Boston area in late 2013 with the objective of creating guitar-driven rock music with rich harmonies and indelible melodies. Under the umbrella of the classic “two guitars, bass, and drums” configuration, the band members (like Sloan) switch up and share instrumental and lead vocal duties. All four members - Kevin Drinan, Rick Famiglietti, Mike Fiore, and Jim McGroddy - write independently for the band, each bringing a different ingredient to the sound. This, their terrific 2015 debut served as a tasty appetizer for “Fossil Fuel”! Boasting lots of guitars (including some very melodic twin leads), the record is more Sloan-like, with even some hints of “Epic Forest”-era Rare Bird in some spots! “Their brand of seriously infectious, sophisticated power pop has potent qualities. They know how to turn the volume up on their guitars, but with them, it is a more thought-out process, where melody and vocal harmonies had an equal part to play, and rhythmic and melodic changes never lag behind. The songs, singing, and playing are stellar. Why their brand of effortlessly delivered power pop hasn’t come to the fore until recently remains a mystery, but anyone with an ear for a catchy melody, a sing along chorus and lots of guitars will find plenty to love here.” – Max Humphries TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR EXCLUSIVE OFFER AND GET BOTH TWO GLOWBOX CDs FOR JUST $20. IF PAYING BY CREDIT CARD YOU WILL BE CHARGED ACCORDINGLY. IF PAYING BY PAYPAL, YOU WILL BE REFUNDED THE APPROPRIATE DISCOUNT. GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

10 More Rock Super Hits Price: $12.00 Artist: Jeff Whalen Description: WOW!! BUBBLEGLAM is here! Jeff Whelan is the former lead vocalist for poppers extraordinaire Tsar. Citing their primary influences as Guns ‘N Roses and the Monkees, Tsar’s music was a hook-filled hybrid of post-grunge alternative, power pop, and glam rock. The group split in 2005. Not to be deterred, this is Jeff’s terrific, Linus Of Hollywood-produced, solo debut! And, it’s getting nothing but glowing reviews! “A bubblegum fans wet dream!” – David Bash/IPO “My first thought was that this album just makes you happy. You can’t be in a bad mood after listening to this, it's impossible. Great from top to bottom, and well worth the wait! Infectious!” – Gary Martin “A joyous set of sparkling pop rock that inflate the heart and stuff the ears full of sunshine” – Ginger Wildheart “This is seriously my #1 contender for AOTY (along with Linus' ‘Cabin Life’). I might contract diabetes - it's so sugary sweet! Love the vocal production, handclaps, instrumentation, keys and horns! ‘The Alien Lanes’ is the kind of tune Cheap Trick should still be making (but can't) - and ‘Don't Give It Up’ is maybe the most head-bopping catchy song on the record, (though the title track is also total ear candy). This record is WAY better than it even needs to be (hope that comes off as a compliment) and it needs to be heard by the masses!” – Andy Solum That should be enough to get you excited about this record! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Sugar Price: $11.00 Artist: Lisa Mychols Description: Lisa’s intoxicating amalgamation of girl-group sweetness with powerful melodies and instrumentation makes for a polished sound, where the guitars are out in full force, the lyrics are poignant, and the vocals are nothing less than impressive and charming. “A fantastic new album from Lisa Mychols, featuring Lisa's beautiful vocals and poignant lyrics, together with creative melodies and chord changes and cool powerpop instrumentation and production. Think southern California girl power pop, garage sunshine, indie pop, mod, and psychedelic pop/rock. Lisa is a unique American pop/rock treasure!” – Bill Jacobs “’Sugar’ is perhaps the most appropriately titled album of the year – a joyous, harmony-filled singer’s showcase, imbued with sweet songs sung sweetly. This is the sound of pure pop made for a life under sun-drenched skies spreading light and love over lazy mid-year, carefree days. The record is nothing less than Lisa’s greatest achievement, and that, as has been said before, is really saying something. One part girl-group aesthetic and one other part sunshine pop, Sugar’s songs, built around gorgeous, rich harmonies and Lisa’s most assured vocals ever, should have no trouble lifting spirits as they entertain. It would be impossible to deny the pleasing power of beauteous creations such as ‘Loving You’ and the full-on, sugary sweet uptempo wonder ‘Don’t Wanna Close My Eyes.’ And then there is ‘He’s Got Me Dreaming,’ a girl-group confection running atop a steady rock beat, ‘Domino,’ within which rock steady verses meet pop choruses, and ‘Next to Impossible,’ a sweet, bluesy ballad. It’s a wonder to behold, this album full of wonders. This is your summer album, sung sweetly by one of melodic pop music’s most enduring, endearing talents. Steve Refling produced, played all of the instruments, and co-wrote all of the songs with Lisa. ‘Sugar’ is sweet. Don’t miss it.” – Alan Haber/Pure Pop Radio GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

The Ego Ritual Price: $7.00 Artist: The Ego Ritual Description: NEW RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT MUSIK LABEL!! Remember The Popdogs? Remember the B-Leaguers? The common denominator in both bands was James Styring who’s becoming the “chameleon of pop”, coming up with a different guise with each project. James explains hgow thed band came together “The stars aligned! I hadn’t seen guitarist William James Ward for many years. One day he turns up at my door with a guitar and says, ‘let’s write some songs’. So that’s exactly what we did! Most of the songs come from a guitar idea from William. He’ll send a bunch of ideas over, and I’ll write to the ones that grab my attention and speak to me. He has so many great ideas, I’m sometimes spoilt for choice. We just go with them, wherever they wanted to go, and we weren’t mindful of the classic three and a half minute limit, if a song took six minutes to say what it had to say, then six minutes it was. There were, and are, no rules. I’d known Gaz Wilde, our drummer, through other projects, as he owns the studio where we record. He’s not only a great drummer, but an excellent sound engineer and producer. Things just fell into place, we’ve been lucky.” “Psychedelic rock has never quite gone away even after it morphed into progressive rock in the seventies. Every now and then, it rears its trippy head to excite and enthral rock fans. Think of the Paisley Underground of the 80’s, or the 90-s Pop Underground contributions from Orgone Box, Green Pajamas, Hindu Rodeo and the like or the latest revivals from Temples, Hookworm, et al. Whether psych-rock works in any context, is really a triumph of substance over form. Enter The Ego Ritual and this 5-track eponymous EP. It has everything one might expect from psych-rock revivalist over the years. The songs here groove and rock out, with the appropriate riffs and sounds that approximate the psych-rock agenda but more importantly the songs are well-crafted in their own right and do not simply function as mere pastiches.” – Kevin Mathews/PowerOfPop.com “Opener ‘Chakra Maraka’, is a sonic joy ride. The sitar-esque intro lures one in until the thundering guitars land a sucker punch… and off we go on a melodic, guitar fueled roller coaster, moving at a pace that demands you hold on for dear life. ‘Serenade the Ley Line’ is straight up power pop through paisley glasses, bouncing along into a catchy chorus that’s easy to remember even after a single listen. ‘Days of Set’ shares a commonality with both of the aforementioned tracks – a bit more conventional, it’s melodic and carries a similar punch. Catchy melodies and terrific songwriting carry the day, born from a decidedly paisley perspective. And, it’s a guitar enthusiast’s dream. They’re gorgeous throughout the entirety of the record. This EP is a great way to start off 2019. You’ll want to start writing 1968 on all your checks…. except the one to Internal Revenue! Not a good idea.” – Rich Rossi/PowerPopNews.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Issues Price: $16.00 Artist: The Genuine Fakes Description: It’s been nearly 5 years, but The Genuine Fakes from Stockholm, Sweden have returned with their second album – produced by Jon Auer! On their self-titled debut album (released in the US on the Kool Kat Musik label) they established themselves as a formidable band, blending influences from American alternative rock with britpop and Swedish indie, creating a new niche for themselves. Catching the attention of the indie rock elite, Ken Stringfellow of The Posies had the following to say about the group “The Genuine Fakes are proof of Sweden’s seemingly inexhaustible font of pop genius. Hitting all the right marks, they walk you thru the major required classes in the school of pop - chime, harmony, sparkle, and melody 101.” On “Issues” they continue to build on the sound they created on the first album, but compared to the extremely focused debut they’re now painting with broader strokes, widening the palette and showing both harder and softer sides. “With this album, we wanted to prove that the debut wasn’t a fluke, while at the same time pushing our limits both as songwriters and as performers. The first one was born from raw energy and recorded quickly, whereas this one was allowed to take shape in a more organic way – we gave each song the time and attention it needed to become the best version of itself. And, with Jon Auer’s help, we got that extra level of shine to the material,” says singer/guitarist Johan Bergqvist. After five years of hard work in the studio, the album is finally ready for release. “They match smooth vocal efforts and powerful guitar attacks with an almost ridiculously strong song material.”– Patrik Forshage/Nöjesguiden “EVERY TRACK should be a hit single, as this is as near to musical perfection as you’ll get.” – Johnny H/Über Rock “The Genuine Fakes have a master’s degree in the art of writing fairly simple, incredibly catchy and truly enjoyable pop music.” – Vesa Lautamaki/One Chord To Another For those acquainted with the band’s infectious rock it will sound familiar, yet different, and for those discovering them for the first time – you’re in for a treat! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

House Price: $13.00 Artist: The Greenberry Woods Description: After more than 20 years, Baltimore’s best are back with “House”, a collection of 14 live/studio tuneful gems made between 1989 and 1995 that will please old fans to no end – and surely make some new ones, too. The four members of Greenberry Woods reunited earlier this year, and played a pair of sold out warm-up shows. Even after all these years, the vocal harmonies and irresistible hooks were as airtight as ever. “While this is not brand new stuff, fans of the band's two outstanding records, as well as those (very often the same) who loved the two Huseman brothers' follow-up project Splitsville, will find both solace and pleasure in welcoming them back.” – Pop Phil “Just as with ‘Rapple Dapple’ and ‘Big Money Item’, the hooks are fast, furious and plentiful. From the opening track, ‘Are You In Love Again’, it becomes evident that the guys hadn’t lost a thing. ‘You’ve Been Good’ is propelled by a quick, steady beat and harmonies that make for one of those irresistible, sing-along tune. ‘Good Man Down’ is as melodically pleasing a track as has been made this year. And the ‘hits’ keep on coming. ‘Drop Away’ may be the best track of all, with its deliciously distorted guitars and repetitive chorus. Bottom line: ‘House’ is as catchy a slice of power pop as you’re likely to hear this year and will most certainly have a place on our year end list of best power pop albums.” – Rich Rossi/PowerPopNews GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none