Straighten Up Price: $12.00 Artist: Johnathan Pushkar Description: Johnathan Pushkar is a 23-year-old from Nashville who writes and performs power pop with a 60’s Beatleish flare. His influences are more sophisticated than his years - The Beatles, Herman’s Hermits, The Searchers, most other 12-string driven British Invasion bands, and Fountains of Wayne to name a few. “Straighten Up”, the title of his Wyatt Funderburk-produced debut, is a loose homage to Badfinger’s album “Straight Up”. It features a collection of 10 songs, nine of which are original songs that he wrote, the 10th is a cover of Fountain Of Wayne’s “Hackensack”. "'Straighten Up' finds this pop wunderkind successfully melding Beatlesque melodies with wistful lead vocals that are often reminiscent of Fountains of Wayne's Chris Collingwood. Neatly sidestepping the retro tag by injecting his songs with a variety of cool sounds - crunchy guitars on ‘I'd Rather Be Late Than Never,’ some tasteful synths on ‘Boyfriend’, he has fashioned one of 2019's finest, pure pop records." - John Borack "Johnathan Pushkar is a name you will be hearing a great deal of in the years to come! Energy, melody, rhythm, lyrics reminiscent of times gone by, but timeless for today, as great music is timeless. He is the Real Deal!"- Jim Prell/The Music Authority “A natural born pop craftsman with a flair for melody and a knowledge of music history far more thorough than you might expect from any 23-year-old. He is a true believer in the timeless art of the three-minute pop song. And in these times of cynicism and casual hookups, he's proving that there's still room in this world for us romantics! There's an innocence and genuine sweetness to his persona that seem to come from another time. Yet these qualities don't seem outdated so much as they seem worthy of resurgence. Let someone else reinvent the wheel.” - FasterandLouder.com EXCELLENT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

A Dozen Or Seven Tapestries Price: $12.00 Artist: Lolas Description: NEW RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! AVAILABLE AUGUST 30 – ACCEPTING ORDERS NOW!! It’s been 13 years since we last head from Tim Boykin and Lolas on their “Doctor Apache” release! And we’re sure glad to have them back! Whether with the Shame Idols or Lolas , Tim has always manifested an outstanding talent for the creation of melodic power pop songs, bubblegum, psychedelic pop, jangle pop and punk-pop, all infused with basic sonic ancestry of groups like The Hollies, The Byrds, The Ramones, and the Beatles (circa “Revolver”/”Rubber Soul”). Their latest (and Kool Kat label debut) is overflowing with effervescent delights that will satisfy any lover of the best power pop highlighted by its melodic brilliance, velvety vocal harmonies, rhythmic strength, careful arrangements, and instant choruses! “And the relentless hooks keep on comin’…..” – Powerpopaholic.com “The last few years have seen several artists which I thought I'd never hear from again re-emerge with new music, and the latest entry in that category are Lolas. Tim Boykin & Co. sound like they haven't been away for 13 years as the title track embodies the high-energy power pop they'd been known for, usually clocking in at well under 3 minutes per tune (as all but one track here does). ‘Bon Voyage’ are ‘Indigo’ are another couple of quick and catchy nuggets, and ‘Lightning Mountain (NSFW)’ is only not safe for work if your co-workers can't take power pop awesomeness. Welcome back, boys.” – AbsolutePowerPop.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Go Deep + bonus disc Price: $15.00 Artist: Richard Turgeon Description: NEW RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL! AVAILABLE AUGUST 23 – ACCEPTING ORDERS NOW!! “Go Deep” is the third installment in what Richard calls his “California Trilogy”. It’s his third full-length release in three years, all inspired by life on the West Coast. His previous two Kool Kat releases, “In Between the Spaces” (2017) and “Lost Angeles” (2018) made numerous “Best of” lists both years and continue to enjoy airplay all over the world. “Go Deep” is by far his most ambitious collection of original, hard-hitting power pop and rock to date. Three tracks were produced by top Bay Area producer, Scott Llamas - who also mastered all tracks - with the others produced and mixed by Richard himself. Like all of his previous releases, Richard also played all instruments and performed all vocals, with some guest bass by his longtime collaborator, Ron Guensche of Oakland’s Spidermeow. “He doesn’t hold back on catchy melodies or jangly guitars.” – PowerPopNews.com “You can feel the presence of 90’s rock in its prime!” – Randy Skaggs/Q108 COMES WITH AN 11-SONG BONUS DISC – “TEN COVERS” – THAT FEATURES RICHARD’S INTERPRETATIONS OF HIS FAVORITE SONGS BY THE BEATLES, CHEAP TRICK, NIRVANA, THE GIN BLOSSOMS(2), TOM PETTY, ECHOSMITH, BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS, THE LEMONHEADS, AND DONNIE EMERSON. ALL THAT PLUS A BRAND NEW ORIGINAL ENTITLED “REMEMBER”! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Pop Circles Price: $13.00 Artist: Richard X. Heyman Description: “Pop Circles” is the 13th solo record from Richard, containing 18 new tracks full of melody, harmony, jangly guitars, ferocious keyboards and brilliant songwriting, in the grand tradition of the 60's greatest rockers. “A pop perfectionist delivers another masterpiece...his ability to craft hooks, choruses and ringing refrains has been an unshakable element in his efforts since the beginning.” – RockNRollGlobe.com “Worthy of being lifted in triumph by a bespectacled cult of pop classicists and rock music obsessives, ’Pop Circles’ is the bright, technicolor song factory of idealistic power-pop champion, and one man pop machine Richard X. Heyman. Echoes of The Zombies, The Left Banke and other 60’s pop mystics whisper in the ears, as smooth blends of vocal harmonies tumble and slide around this sophisticated musical playground. Yet despite all of its immaculately crafted refinement, the record also doesn’t mind getting its hands dirty. Befitting his rugged, garage-rock history with The Doughboys, ‘Action Screams Louder Than Words,’ with its whirling organ frenzy, is tough and uncompromising, while the racing pace, infectious energy and rolling piano runs of ‘Marlena’ take a heartfelt joy ride. As a bonus, ‘Richie’s 3-Chord Garage’ – an unbeatable five-card suit of reimagined songs he wrote for The Doughboys – is tacked onto ‘Pop Circles’, offering the strutting riffs of ‘Land,’ the explosive and vibrant R.E.M-like jangle of ‘Until Now’ and the dark vibe and slow-building tension of ‘Route 22.’ Though not part of the bonus, the heaviness and cycling six-string designs of the record’s ‘Hope’ would also fit right in with that rough-and-tumble cast of characters. As wise as an elder statesman here, Heyman also sounds youthful and innocent, even euphoric, on this brilliantly conceived, almost flawless effort, beguiled by memories of romances and inspired by noble socio-political causes of the past and present.” – ElmoreMagazine.com “Heyman hits it right out of the ballpark and straight into the stratosphere on his latest album. This is pop/rock music done with consummate skill and unfettered passion; it's music that soars and sparkles as well as radiates an infectiously happy and upbeat vibe without ever getting too cloying or corny about it; it's music that makes the listener smile and wanna get up and dance around the room. In other words, it's simply wonderful and invigorating stuff.” – JerseyBeat.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Hummingbird Heart Price: $13.00 Artist: Scott Gagner Description: It’s been an eventful two years since Scott Gagner’s highly acclaimed “Pins & Needles”. Scott explains “I started taking better care of myself, lost 40 pounds, moved my job and family out of San Francisco, and bought my first house.” “Hummingbird Heart” provides a soaring, sunny soundtrack to those changes and much, much more. “I’m trying to broaden the possibilities of pop music. I think that a good song should be incredibly melodic, yet still cover the entire spectrum of the human experience.” With that in mind, it’s no surprise that the songs touch on themes such as childhood, fatherhood, mid-life crises, divorce, addiction, recovery, suicide, and even the devastating wildfires of his long-time home of Northern California. “It’s a dark time, but also a beautiful time. This album is the first time I’ve successfully captured that complex balance between light and dark, youth and experience, and, ultimately, life and death. I think the record reflects the whole spectrum, especially the feeling of breaking through fear and embracing life.” Though Scott played the lion’s share of the instruments, the album features long-time collaborator Ken Stringfellow (The Posies, Big Star, R.E.M.) and newcomer Jesse Chandler (Midlake, Mercury Rev, John Grant) who added a new level of lushness to the album. It also contains a breathtaking rendition of Neil Young’s “Philadelphia,” which Scott chose as a tribute to his late uncle — a casualty of the AIDS epidemic touched on in the song. “Gagner delivers another collection of really strong, uber-catchy songs. Dealing with events that have occurred since his last album, his lyrics address subjects such as fatherhood, divorce, recovery and suicide. There’s a depth to this record that feels very personal, and one gets more and more engaged with each listen. ‘Bella’, the opening track is one that any father will find moving. ‘Baby Gets What Baby Wants’ is classic power pop that sticks with you after a single listen. Lyrically brilliant, ‘End of the Beginning’ is catchy as hell, too. While those are great songs, the record gets better as it goes. ‘Two Guitars, Bass & Drums’ is as good as pop song as you’ll hear this year while ‘Put a Little Beauty’ is a very worthy mission statement. Scott can rest assured that he’s succeeded in that mission. Easily one of the finest power pop albums of the year, and a ‘must listen’ for anyone who loves thoughtful, hook-laden pop!” – PowerPopNews.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

End Over End Price: $13.00 Artist: The Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club Description: NEW RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT MUSIK LABEL AVAILABLE OCTOBER 4 – ACCEPTING ORDERS NOW!! Previously an extremely highly touted download/vinyl-only release, “End Over End”, the latest from Chicago’s long-running outfit Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club, makes it’s CD debut! “They give us an amalgamation of the best the 70’s and 80’s had to offer. You’ll hear glimpses of Cheap Trick, Sloan and maybe even a little XTC. Most of all, you’ll hear great melodies, pleasing harmonies and big guitars. The irresistible bounce of “Get Up, Get Up” is the perfect way to start off an album. ‘Starpower’ brings you right back to the 70’s with its ethereal keyboards and wonderful harmonies. You may hear a hint of XTC in ‘Lifeguard’. ‘Christine You’re Mean’ may be the best track of all, though. Picture an edgier Greenberry Woods.” – PowerPopNews.com “If there is a centre of the mind circle that denotes the I Don't Hear A Single world, these guys would be around it. I won't go into those boring best album yet quotes, but ‘End Over End’excels. Anything from the band's back catalogue does the trick, but the new album takes on far more than previous albums have. There's a danger of confusion when a band goes for variety, but there's no danger of that here, because the influences aren't the everyday pop rock ones. The infectious ‘Get Up Get Up’ is amongst the opening four killer songs that set the tone here. ‘Starpower’ is definitely in The Feeling's first album territory, ‘The Henry Norman Hotel’ is City Boy before Mutt Lange decided that the drummer was the singer and ‘Delusional Love’ is Vegas With Randolph without the social conscience. ‘Here Is Today’ is great mid 70's pop rock with a seemingly Pilot type riff trying to get out. ‘Cupid You Lose’ is very Chris Church-like, ‘Christine You’re Mean’ has a Who-like riff to it. ‘Lifeguard’ should be on the Not Lame label and ‘Burndown At Sundown’ is built around a sort of Black Sabbath-like riff. There's no drop of tempo across all ten songs. Hook follows hook, but it's far more than traditional power pop. The arrangements are thought out, and the production is top notch. This is everything that you could ever want from a pop rock album. Totally outstanding!” – IDontHearASingle.com We agree, that’s why Kool Kat is dedicated to keeping the CD alive for those who still prefer the format! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Ask Again Later Price: $15.00 Artist: The Dates Description: WOW!!! The fabulous debut album by The Dates is one that’s brimming with heavy Big Star, Teenage Fanclub, and classic power pop vibes. The band is led by Garett Goddard, formerly of King Tuff, Girls, Personal and the Pizzas, The Cuts, and many, many more! “From the opening jangle of ‘Any Other Nite’ to the Big Star-ish ‘Summer Girls’ or ‘California Under the Sea’, the debut album from LA’s The Dates is one of this year’s early treats. The record delivers on so many levels. Its chiming guitars and smooth harmonies will suck you in. Then, those oh-so gorgeous melodies will hook you for good. Their knack for hooky choruses and lo-fi production is reminiscent of those early Shoes singles we all know and love. Such is the case with the lead-off track, ‘Any Other Nite’. Fans of Big Star will also immediately feel at home with songs like ‘Star’, ‘Summer Girls’, and ‘Friday Nite @ Vineland’, the latter of which has a memorable, sing along chorus and great harmonies. This comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!” – PowerPopNews.com “Goddard’s smooth as cashmere voice siings power pop tunes about summer, restiveness, anxiety, Friday evenings by the beach, and love. This is easygoing, sugary pop music with hints of rock, just to give it some spice. The record is pure, unadulterated sway-pop, designed to give you ooey-gooey feelings of butterscotch-flavored delight. If you’re into super-sweet power pop, look no further than ‘Ask Again Later’” – Rawckus.com You betcha!! One of this year’s best for sure!! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Open The Kimono +3 Price: $14.00 Artist: The Embryos Description: NEW RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL - AVAILABLE AUGUST 16. ACCEPTING ORDERS NOW!! Originally released in 2018, and previously only available on vinyl, “Open The Kimono” makes its CD debut on Kool Kat. The original LP is now bolstered with three more tracks (“Wasting All Your Time”, “Playin’ Hooky”, and “Half A Wolf”) that appeared on 7” vinyl only as the group’s “Singles Club Vol. 1”! From Chicago, the band was formed in 2017 when George T. Drag (Butterflies, Honda Pavarotti) joined up with the Cooled Out Babies (Finn Swingley, Brian Daley, and Joe Daley). The record melds the 12 string styling of The Church and The Byrds with 70’s power pop like Big Star and the Soft Boys. “I’m going to resist classifying The Embryos as power pop; there’s more going on in their music than that label might suggest. But fans of that style will find that many of the values they hold dear – melody, hooks, accessibility – are here in great supply. The music has a kind of simmering emotional vibe that suggests Matthew Sweet crossed with, say, Tom Petty. Bits of harmonica tossed into the mix help provide a sonic tether to early 60’s British Invasion styles, but they don’t follow a retro path. Their chosen sonic aesthetic – dry, boxy and reverb-free – suits their songs nicely. When they harmonize as they do on cuts like ‘Wake Up Screaming,’ some listeners may be reminded of the pride of Zion, Illinois: Shoes. Sometimes the band mixes up the jangle with slashing chords, like on ‘Ghost Dreams, Mainly’. Even when the tunes feel upbeat, there’s a melancholy undercurrent, reinforced by titles like ‘Bad Old Days’ (which lifts a melody from Teenage Fanclub) and ‘The Frightened Few’.” – Bill Kopp/Musoscribe.com “An intently interesting album, instantly bringing to mind the world of both Teenage Fanclub and oddly enough 10cc, where, while the music is straightforwardly delivered, uncovers hidden gems that are raised to the surface on each track, sparking me to reconsider what I think of this record as each song unfolds, especially as ‘Black Balloons’ and ‘The Frightened Few’ filtered through my speakers. ‘Eleven Forty’ brought a sly smile to my face, reminding me of those power pop songs from the late 70’s and early 80’s, filled with emancipated driven guitar work, where the lead singer spits out his lyrics while surrounded by guitars that heighten to a fevered pitch, backed acute rhythms and energetic drumming, bringing both the album and the song to a climatic crescendo.” – PsychedelicBabyMag.com “These guys sound so much like Teenage Fanclub it’s scary!” – PopRockRecord.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Adventureland Price: $12.00 Artist: The Junior League Description: NEW RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! Step right up ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages! Be thrilled by the perilous leaps of power pop goodness, marvel at the guitars, bass, drums, and earworm hooks of this truly fantabulous musical extravaganza – a true pure power pop record like you won’t hear anywhere on the planet! Only here at “Adventureland”! The Junior League, the name multi-instrumentalist and songwriter under which Joe Adragna works, is back with “Adventureland”, a 10 song blast of pop-rock that harkens back to his first release, 2005’s “Catchy”. “I had all these songs I was working on,” he explains. “and I thought that maybe it would be fun to take all the rocking ones and stick them together. I was thinking of the Gravitron. Do you remember that ride? The one where you spin round and round and centrifugal force pins you to the wall, right? I remember going on that as a kid, and they’d blare something like Asia’s ‘Heat Of The Moment’ or Van Halen’s ‘Beautiful Girls’ really loud. I just thought it would be fun to make a record of songs that, although unlike either of the songs I just mentioned, would be a record you could ride the Gravitron to!” “Adventureland” is indeed a ride of its own, blasting through 10 songs in just under a half hour. Joe adds “I really love short pop songs. Get in and get out. I don’t always do that with my material, but often times, I do.” The record doesn’t let up, from the opening burst of “Heavy” to the dizzying rock of “Adventureland at Night”. The sound is aggressive and rocking throughout, which was the plan. Friends that appear here include Tammy Ealom (Dressy Bessy) providing backing vocals on “Falling In Love; regular JL contributor and Minus 5 leader Scott McCaughey providing the song “Have Faith In Yourself”, keyboardist Liam Catchings (The Jolly Racket) on “Falling In Love” and “Have Faith In Yourself”, and Jason Wacha (The Roebucks) providing vocals on and co-writing “Heavy” and “The Queen Of The Dead”; the rest of the writing, instrumentation and singing is handled by Adragna. Hold onto your hats folks, it’s gonna be a terrific ride!! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Waterloo Sunset - A Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio Price: $15.00 Artist: Various Artists Description: NEW RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! “Like a power pop Blanche DuBois, ‘This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl’ has always relied on the kindness of friends. Even though we've only met a few of our listeners and supporters over these last twenty years, they're not strangers; they're our friends. As humility-challenged as Dana and I remain, there's no way we could have lasted more than two decades if we couldn't get by with a little help from our friends. ‘Waterloo Sunset’ is the latest manifestation of that help. Steve Stoeckel had an idea: gather some of this show's talented friends to record a stirring cover of The Kinks' ‘Waterloo Sunset,’ with proceeds from its sale benefiting SPARK!, the perpetually cash-strapped Syracuse community radio station that is home to TIRnRR. Out went the call, to one and to all, and Steve assembled his TIR'N'RR Allstars: Steve Stoeckel, Bruce Gordon, Joel Tinnel, Stacy Carson, Eytan Mirsky, Teresa Cowles, Irene Peña, Dan Pavelich, Keith Klingensmith, and Rich Firestone. Within a fast-paced timeline, these pop heroes crossed over the river, and we are in paradise. Futureman Records’ Keith Klingensmith suggested an expanded plan, and their ‘Waterloo Sunset’ benefit single became this benefit compilation album. Everyone who was asked to help did so. Before Dana and I even knew about any of this, the Allstars had secured tracks from The Click Beetles (previously unreleased track), Pop Co-Op (previously unreleased track) , Irene Peña (previously unreleased track) , Vegas With Randolph, The Anderson Council, (previously unreleased track), The Grip Weeds, Michael Slawter (previously unreleased track), The Armoires, Eytan Mirsky (previously unreleased track), Gretchen's Wheel, and Pacific Soul Ltd. We're so pleased, so grateful, and dammit, I think we may even be humbled. Community radio supports independent artists. Independent artists support community radio. And we don't feel afraid. We do need our friends. Thank you, friends. God save our friends. Although this project was a surprise gift to us, Dana & Carl are proud to have our names attached to it. Thanks to everyone, everyone, for makin' us feel like big shots. Sha la la!” - Carl Cafarelli A special shout-out and big thanks must go to Keith Klingensmith/Futureman Records for allowing Kool Kat Musik to release the collection on CD, exemplifying that it’s all about community and co-operation! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none