Billy Bremner For President Price: $15.00 Artist: Billy Bremner's Rockfiles Description: RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves to fully realize a dream come true when we’re able to work with artists/bands that are some of our all-time faves! Several years ago, it was The Pencils, now it’s Billy Bremner of Rockpile, et al! Back in the late 70’s Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds (solo and with Rockpile) were the absolute sh*t to us! The one and only official Rockpile album “Seconds Of Pleasure” still sounds as fresh today as it did back then. Fast forward to 2020 and Billy Bremner is doing his darndest to keep the spirit of Nick, Dave, and Rockpile alive fronting Rockfiles and paying homage to Rockpile! And to top things off, guesting on the record is none other than Dave Edmunds/Nick Lowe/Shakin’ Stevens/many others sideman Geraint Watkins on piano! Songs covered with fire, spirit and verve here are ”I Hear You Knocking” (live), “Heart”, “Down Down Down”, “Love So Fine”, “Born Fighter”, “Sweet Little Lisa”, “Heart Of The City”, “Oh What A Thrill”, “Singin’ The Blues”, “Three Time Loser”, “Loud Music In Cars”, “Queen Of Hearts”, and “Knife & Fork”! The band’s slogan is “Let’s make Rockfiles (and Rockpile) great again!” We voted Billy! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Color-Blind Price: $14.00 Artist: Cupid's Carnival Description: BRITISH INVASION ALERT!! Britain’s Cupid’s Carnival are back with “Color-Blind”, their third record of sweet, juicy, hook-sticky, heavily Beatles-inspired, perfect pop! There are also hints of 60’s-era Bee Gees sprinkled about as well! “Our main goal when recording this album being to produce extremely strong song melodies with an album full of potential hit singles. There are very strong musical influences from The Beatles, The Kinks, Badfinger and the Small Faces. The incredible, beautiful music of the 60’s continues to inspire us. For this album, we wanted to experiment with new instruments and introduced the dulcimer to a number of tracks and a lot more harpsichord and Mellotron. However, we wanted each song to be very much 6 and 12 string guitar driven” states Thomas Gray. The album was largely written and recorded in 2019/2020, three songs were written and recorded in 2018 and were part of their “Clapham Junction” EP. Here, “Looking for Rainbows' is with the full band with orchestration. On the EP it was largely just vocal and piano. Lead vocalist Roland Skilton is outstanding throughout the album, and is also responsible for much of the 6-string acoustic guitar work. Gray performs playing duties on Grand piano, various keyboards, dulcimer, mellotron, Rickenbacker 12 string and Ovation 12 string guitars throughout the album. Each song was meticulously written and arranged by Gray and Skilton, and all of the vocal harmonies were performed by the duo. The individual parts, harmonies and arrangements were worked on for weeks and sometimes months. Jonathan Noyce contributed outstanding McCartney-esque bass lines to eight of the songs on the album. After completing his bass duties with Cupid's Carnival, he went to Abbey Road Studios to perform all the bass-lines for the film “Yesterday”. Matthew Fisher (formerly Procol Harum) contributed extremely valuable writing duties on a couple of the tracks. Once again he brings his genius to bear on “Baby Blue” with a beautiful melodic Hammond B3 complimenting the harpsichord arrangement played by Gray. “Beatles fans will thoroughly enjoy Cupid’s Carnival’s music. Pop fans old enough to remember the bands they influenced will marvel at the dexterity with which they effortlessly go from one paisley tinged track to another. Most of all, fans of classic 60’s music will dig their ability to write a great pop hook.” – PowerPopNews.com Makes for a wonderful companion to The Overtures record from earlier this year! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

III Price: $13.00 Artist: Diamond Hands Description: RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL! Jon Flynn and Joel Wall (Diamond Hands) are back with their third and most ambitious record to date. On “III”, the duo take an introspective journey through territory both familiar and unknown on the third and final chapter of their album trilogy. Exploring themes of failed relationships and insecurity, at times the songs take on a more melancholy, thoughtful persona. Sultry sitars and sun drenched organs give way to lush string arrangements on ballads like “Hydm” and “Any Other Girl” while the garage rock the band was founded on still shines through on tracks like “Sleep Too Long” and “Only You”. “Diamond Hands are a celebration of 60’s influenced pop – and there’s no shortage of pop hooks, guitar jangle and catchy choruses that transport you right back to the days of 60’s AM radio.” - PowerPopNews.com “Luv luv luv dem guitars, keys and harmonies! A hook-filled, Brit-pop,sunshine-pop-inspired ‘no brainer’ if ever there was one!” – Max Humphries Time to start thinking about another trilogy guys!! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Halfdog Price: $12.00 Artist: Honeywagen Description: Kansas City, MO poppers Honeywagen are back with their first effort since 2015’s “Jamboree” – and it’s a tone cold corker! Mike Penner explains “This record is a little bit different than the other Honeywagen records in the way it was developed and recorded. And in that sense it is more of a ‘record’ record. I first thought about the record as a whole from the first song to the last, an album of songs that fit together in a sequence that went well one after the other as an ‘all the way through’ record listening experience. I also wanted the order of the songs to translate well to a live show as well. I started out recording the songs as quick demos on just acoustic guitar with me singing. I then sent the songs to the other guys so they could come up with ideas. I wanted a good honest and direct recording without a lot of layering of guitars. And this IS a ‘guitar’ record. I have always liked the ‘two guitar, bass and drum bands’ best - probably a lot of that comes from growing up with the Beatles and their records. ‘Halfdog’ has a lot of Gibson Les Paul, Fender Stratocaster and Rickenbacker 12 string electric guitars.” Charlie Pautler plays the drums on this record. He has quite a collection of 60's Ludwig kits (and Zildjian cymbals). For this record, a couple of vintage Ludwig kits were used - same year, sizes, the whole thing just like what Ringo used on Beatles records! Scott Christensen plays a glorious sounding Rickenbacker 12 string through a Vox amp. Scott and Mike go way back to the beginnings of Honeywagen and are again together on “Halfdog”! Legendary Titan Records’ recording artist Gary Charlson plays bass guitar on the record! It may sound a bit crazy to say this, but all four of us really like the same kind of stuff when it comes to songs, bands, records, and working together in a band! So in one long sentence – “Halfdog” is Honeywagen’s powerful pop guitar record using guitars, bass, and drums, vocals and harmonies, melody, energy, cool chords, most generally happy sounding music with some yearning longing and despair, inspired by Big Star, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Byrds! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Woke Up In Hollywood Price: $14.00 Artist: It's Karma It's Cool Description: RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! Hot on the heels of their 2019, widely-acclaimed “Hipsters and Aeroplanes” EP, comes the debut full length by James Styring, Martyn Bewick, Mikey Barraclough, and Danny Krash a/k/a It’s Karma It’s Cool! The record features guest appearances by Lannie Flowers, Rex Broome (The Armoires), and Brian Barry (The Flaming Cortinas). James Styring provides some insight into the band’s thought process “You're always going to be the sum of your influences, whether you realise it or not. We all come from slightly different places musically, but all share a love of melody, big choruses, harmonies, etc. You can never be certain it's all going to work, until you sit down and start writing. These songs came together relatively quickly - it's always a great feeling when everyone is on the same page, with the same goal. We just wanted to put together an album of great songs, the kind of record we'd all want to buy. We've always wanted to work with Lannie Flowers, Rex Broome and Brian Barry, so we guessed now would be the perfect time to ask. They came onboard straight away! Rex plays some fantastic 12 string guitar jangle on 'Healer's Leap', Lannie's guitar just brings 'The Girl Who Gave You Everything' to life. Brian is king of the harmonica and added that Beatles/Merseybeat flavour to 'Healer's Leap' We're lucky to have such talented friends!" “There’s not that much of a difference between melodic guitar-fueled pop and power pop. In fact, the only real difference is your opinion. So, while other people get into eye-rolling arguments about Indie Rock, Power Pop, Britpop, and all other similarly-styled genres, It’s Karma It’s Cool creates music that fits into all of those categories… and then some. While some bands have a ‘formula’ and knock out songs that can sometimes sound too similar to each other, the band throws away the rulebook, scribbles all over the blueprints, and forges their own path. Deliciously deceiving, their melodies will wiggle their way into the empty crevices in your brain and never leave.” - Stephen “SPAZ” Schnee GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Greatest Hits Volumes 1 + 2 Price: $13.00 Artist: Kekker Description: RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT MUSIK LABEL!! Good things come to those who wait. For Edinburgh-based songwriter Keith Matheson, his first solo album as Kekker is the result of waiting for the right time to record and release a highly personal collection of songs that illustrate the power of reflection. Keith moved to Dundee, Scotland at the age of 21. Finding himself in the city at an exciting time for music, he formed his first band, Big Blue 72 where he started to find his footing as a songwriter and performer. He then teamed up with Kit Clark who had recently left Danny Wilson to form Swiss Family Orbison, who were championed by John Peel for their first album and toured extensively, both as headliners and support to Teenage Fanclub. When SFO disbanded his next move was to join Davie Scott as guitarist The Pearlfishers. On “Greatest Hits Volumes 1 + 2” he has been reunited with former Swiss bandmates Gregor Philp and Dougie Vipond (both of Deacon Blue), Ged Grimes (ex-Danny Wilson and now Simple Minds), and from the younger generation of Dundee music talent Andrew Mitchell (The Hazey Janes, Idlewild). “I’ve always loved Keith’s power pop songwriting. He’s got the knack of coming up with riffs and melodies that catch the ear whilst still sounding cool and different. His lyrics add a whimsy to his songs that is distinctively his. I love it. That’s why we were all really keen to try and capture this amazing collection of songs live in the studio. With Keith it’s all about performance so we went for it!” - Gregor Philp “It’s rare these days to record an album 100% live in a room, but this approach was perfect for the Keith’s album. It’s an organic approach that really suited his songs and helped capture the energy and interplay that only a group of musicians who have been friends for years can generate. It’s all about a gut feeling with Keith’s songs and catching a moment. They range from grungy hook-filled pop to stripped-back acoustic vulnerability.” – Ged Grimes GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Bulletproof Price: $14.00 Artist: Lolas Description: NEW RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL – AVAILABLE MARCH 13!! After laying low for several years Tim Boykin (Lolas) has suddenly gone on a creative rampage. “Bulletproof” arrives almost six months after “A Dozen Or Seven Tapestries” and, like its predecessor, is another power pop gem! “The band’s sound is tweaked to more rock than power pop slightly, but Boykin’s solid command of melodies remains a constant. ‘Deestroy’ has an ELO-like sound, fast tempo, and a socialist message, but it’s so darn catchy. ‘Oceans Of The Moon’ is very compelling with its terrific chord shifts and the crisp vocal. The band uses heavier riffs on ‘Stand Up and Fight’ and ‘Stop The War’. The slower ‘When The Cold Winds Blow’ shifts the mood nicely. I like the feminist themed ‘She Will Shake The World’ with its dense guitar riffs. You almost expect this to show up in the next ‘Captain Marvel’ movie. The solid ‘L’Internationale’ ends the proceedings with a fine Beatlesque touch. Overall a highly recommended album.” – Powerpopaholic.com “Lolas records have always been tight, no-nonsense affairs, and ‘Bulletproof’ is no exception. Most of these tracks clock in at around the three-minute mark. Boykin’s voice cuts through the mix like a young John Lennon, although the songs have many influences. ‘Deestroy’ comes on like Ray Davies at his roughest and ‘Oceans Of The Moon’ combines a Motown beat with a 90’s alt-rock attitude. My fave of the set is the driving ‘She Will Shake The World.’ With a relentless drum beat and Ramones-inspired guitar work, it’s a head-bobber of the highest order. ‘Bulletproof’ is probably the best full-on rock album I’ve heard yet this year, and will no-doubt end up on many year-end-best lists.” – Popalooza.art Keep ‘em coming Tim!! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Onceinaworld Price: $17.00 Artist: The Overtures Description: PENCILS ALERT!! WOW!! Brand-spankin’ new release by a band led by Den Pugsley formerly of The Jetz, and more importantly, The Pencils! Den wrote all of the songs and is lead vocalist on 8 of them (second vocalist Jamie Cook sings lead on the others)….and it’s like he never left!! The Overtures’ hook ‘n harmony-filled songs are written in a classic 60’s style and will stick with you after the first listen, sounding like you’ve heard them before (but you haven’t), that’s how catchy they are! They even re-visit a Pencils song – “Till Your Luck Runs Out”! If you’re a fan of 6 and 12-string guitars, the music of The Beatles, Squeeze, The Searchers, The Byrds, Del Amitri, and The British Invasion in general, you’re absolutely gonna love this!! Can’t say enough about this one (and neither will the reviewers once they’ve heard it!) This one deserves to be somewhere on everyone’s Top 10 Best of 2020! We try not to gush too often, but when something like this comes along, it’s awfully hard not to! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Collection 1 Price: $14.00 Artist: Red Skylark Description: NEW RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! Columbus, OH musician/songwriter Ed Shuttleworth has formed some high profile regionally successful bands over the years. Red Skylark is Ed's solo project. If you're not already familiar with Ed’s brand of melodic, Brit-rock informed yet, unique sounding power pop rock, now is your chance to rectify that situation. The 14 song “Collection 1” sees the CD debut of his previous two download-only releases 2020’s “Run On” and 2015's “Red Skylark 1”. “Run On” is a five song EP of sweet, power pop goodness where he really brings the melodic, yet muscular indie-rock, big time. Ben Randolph wrote of the 10 song “Red Skylark 1” - I'm really blown away by this collection of dazzling power pop. Reminiscent of the emergent late 60’s/early 70’s proto-days of Glam Rock a la The Kinks and T. Rex, melding into more present day Galaxie 500/Mercury Rev/Black Angels nods, this thing never lets up - from the anthemic, power soaked ‘Love Airwave’ to the psychedelically-laden ‘Soft Sole’, and the brilliantly crafted ‘Hey Precious Stone’ and ‘Justified’. At times the vocal harmonies (there are MANY) approach a Byrds-like quality. A rare treat indeed!” “Combining sublime melodies with tight songcraft, Shuttleworth seamlessly melds the dream-psych-Britpop elements of the 80’s and 90’s into a polished, modern hybrid that is immediately engaging and melodically rich.” – Jeff Shelton (Well Wishers/”The Power Pop Show”) This from a man who knows a thing or two about great pop (and responsible for turning us on to Red Skylark!). GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

The Chris White Experience Volume 2 Price: $17.00 Artist: The Chris White Experience Description: After The Zombies, Chris White co-produced albums for both Colin Blunstone (incl. “Say You Don’t Mind”) and Argent (incl. “God Gave Rock And Roll To You”). The popularity of his songwriting has been celebrated by diverse artists (Beck, Paul Weller, Tom Petty, The Foo Fighters) recorded in a number of languages, and reached number one worldwide (Japan, Europe, and America), yet much of his work from 1976 onwards has remained elusive until now. This collection of demos, co-writes, and unreleased gems is the second in a planned series detailing his work as a songwriter between 1968-2020. Most of these songs have never been heard, genuinely unreleased until now, which is exciting considering the caliber of talent involved. “Volume 2” of The Chris White Experience details a further 13 tracks recorded between 1976-2019, capturing studio performances from Colin Blunstone, Tim Renwick, Rod Argent, Stuart Elliott, George Ford, Clem Clempson, Kevin Finn, Jim Rodford, Richard Cottle, Eve Graham, Rob Henrit, John Verity, and Chris’ son JJ amongst others. It’s a striking collection of demos recorded in classic London studios such as Livingstone, Pathway, and Front Row. It’s filled with previously unheard works, featuring classic vocals from Colin Blunstone on “Don’t Go Looking” and “Normal Heart”, Rare Bird’s captivating lead singer, Steve Gould on the raucous “Waiting For The Night To End” and Chris White himself on the beautiful “Hold My Hand”. Like its predecessor, the album is essential listening for Zombies fans, and followers of British pop. Comes with a limited edition CWE pin/badge. GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none