Idiomatic Price: $10.00 Artist: Dan Kibler Description: RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! Dan began working on “Idiomatic” in 2019, just before the pandemic hit. For the project, he enlisted Michael Giblin (The Split Squad, Parallax Project) as the engineer and mixer. Michael also played bass on the record. Tom Kristich of The Jellybricks joined as the drummer, and the trio began work recording Dan’s new songs. To record the album, the band would arrive at the studio without having heard any of the songs they would work on that day. Dan would introduce the song to the band by playing the song on his acoustic guitar for them, and from there, they would begin to play and collaborate on the arrangement and parts until they achieved a finished arrangement. When they were ready, Michael would hit the record button, and the band would record the song until they had a finished take. This process was repeated for every song on the album. The pandemic disrupted the recording process in 2020. Work on the record resumed in 2021, and Logan Bedard joined the band on drums for the recording of “Rail Me Down.” With the help of other musicians, friends, and loved ones, the album was completed in late 2022. “Idiomatic” shows Dan Kibler at his best. “I truly feel like this is the best album I’ve ever written, and I love how the record turned out. The band sounds great on every track, and I couldn’t be happier with what the final product sounds like.” Despite his past successes, Dan remains grounded and grateful, considering himself a singer/songwriter who is lucky enough to have the best musicians anywhere play along with him. “Dan Kibler weds a breezy, dusty-road sort of twang-rock to a powerpop sensibility. Think of Tom Petty, Bill Lloyd and early BoDeans, and you’ll have an idea of the sort of music he creates. Memorable hooks, straightforward, out-front vocals, and an emotional point of view that straddles world-weary and wry bemusement.” – Bill Kopp "His music is rootsy as hell, but without any real or imagined Southern accent." - MOJO Magazine GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Killer Mods From Inner Space Price: $14.00 Artist: Dave Cope and The Sass Description: RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! “Killer Mods From Inner Space” is the followup to Dave Cope and the Sass’s critically acclaimed 2022 release “Julee”. “Dave Cope really does deserve a wider audience, as great as anything that has gone before in his career and nobody should be sitting his baby in a corner. ‘Killer Mods From Inner Space’ serves to underline that, with or without The Sass, the man is a major talent. Opening up with ‘A Good Idea At The Time’, a fine example of American 70’s Pop Rock, the album ventures into multiple territories without ever losing sight of what Cope is best at. There is a real UK Glam Rock feel at times, particularly on ‘She Don't Care About That’ and ‘More’. ‘In Circles’ is a mix of The Who and the better Psych Pop of the late 60’s. ‘Butterfly Heart’ goes Country and ‘Fly Away Home’ is magnificently moody. ‘Start’ is Piano Pop excellence evoking memories of 70’s lounge, very different to everything else on show. ‘Peeping Tom’ is a great slice of Power Pop and ‘Surprise Me’ channels Merseybeat or certainly UK Beat Pop. Closer ‘Season Of Love’ calms the whole proceedings down with a calm, gentle 70’s ballad. ‘Killer Mods From Inner Space’ is melodic Pop Rock at its very best.” – HearASingleblog “If you’re not familiar with Dave Cope, he has mastered the 60’s British Invasion sound. His work is reminiscent of all of the best bands of that era - The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and The Who – but most of all, The Move!” – PowerPopNews “With releases always stuffed with choice songwriting and the musical abilities to match, Dave Cope and the Sass never fail to show respect to their origins, while at the same time flashing their own special identity. The result? A groovy ride all the way - always! – SomethingElseReviews GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Fanclub Price: $14.00 Artist: Janne Borgh Description: RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! Janne Borgh is a singer/songwriter, guitarist and bass player based in Bromma, Sweden. Raised on poetry and power chords, harmony vocals and twelve string guitars and Americana, he’s been a member of The Moderns (a terrific Mod Revival band), The Strindbergs (an 80’s Swedish punk band), and currently the great ANC4 alongside Roger Arvidson! He is a hopelessly romantic soul who quotes anyone from Lord Byron to Ray Davies, and a self-proclaimed Anglophile who loves layered harmonies and jangly guitars, melodic bass lines and romantic lyrics about what is what could be. Janne also works as a 60’s-tribute/Beatles-tribute act under many disguises, solo, with the Repeatles and Grand Old Softies, playing bass and guitar and singing lead/backing vocals. “Fanclub”, Janne’s Kool Kat label debut, finds his previously vinyl-only release from earlier this year making its CD debut. The gracefully aging power-popper has returned with a candy bag of comforting songs that come from a desperate heart. “His lyrics take you all over the world, sometimes it’s about walking the streets London missing your love and then is about him just keep running outside any suburb to Stockholm doing his daily exercises. Great lyrics with great harmonies throughout. I don´t know if it is rock or pop all I know it sounds cool and polite and that´s enough for me to call it brilliant!” – Rockboy Magazine “Whether solo or in any of his band incarnations, Janne Borgh certainly knows his way around a great melody and a catchy hook!” – David Bash/IPO “Fanclub” serves as Janne Borgh’s flight plan for turbulent times. GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

happy to see you Price: $14.00 Artist: Meyerman Description: Meyerman is the brainchild of Theo Meyer, who has a knack for painting fresh yet reverential power pop with an emphasis on power delivered with just a shot of nasally, snarled-lip, post-punk grit. Their 2001 debut “who do you think you are?” met with widespread praise from the indie pop blogosphere and was held by many as one of the best power pop releases of 2011. 12 years later Meyerman brings you their sophomore album, apty titled “happy to see you”. What took Meyerman so long for the second release? That is a great question that only Theo can answer. The new record re-introduces the band with the new lineup and amped up brand of their typical clever, tight power pop anthems. Once again, Kurt Reil of the Grip Weeds was chosen to engineer the project. Listeners familiar with Meyerman’s debut release will find enough of what they love to dig right in, but the new record also just feels like an exciting and natural next step for the band. “Despite a brand new lineup, the heart of Meyerman’s sound hasn’t changed a whole lot. It’s still Buzzcocks​ meets The Beatles. But the songs are even tighter, the guitars even more demonstrative and the writing as clever as ever. Much like my favorite Buzzcocks album, Meyerman’s new one feels like a collection of killer A sides. The vocal snarl, ringing power chords and undeniably catchy chorus make the title track feel very much like something Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle would have approved of. ‘WWDAT’ is another catchy tune with one foot in 2023 and the other back in the British Invasion. Every band should have a theme song but most are too pretentious for that. Not these guys. ‘Meyerman’ (the song) is a great bit of fun with playful lyrics and instrumentation harkening back to ‘Revolver’. I’m not one for solos but Robert Sadowski’s guitar work here is great fun. It’s almost as if the band decided to get the dog (played by Robert) all jacked up on caffeine and then let him loose just to see what he’d do. ‘Nova’ makes great use of a refrain the Beatles made famous – and yet no one has used it in exactly this way before. The album finishes with perhaps its best song, ‘Handclaps And Tambourines’, infectiously catchy and sobering at the same time. – Power Pop News TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR EXCLUSIVE 2-FER OFFER AND GET THIS PLUS MEYERMAN’S “who do you think you are?” FOR JUST $24!! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Liminal Hiss Price: $14.00 Artist: Onesie Description: RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! “Liminal Hiss” is the seductive noise that oozes into the permeable spaces we dwell in or pass through, threatening to drown out all other stimuli. Without any ability to discern reality, our eyes dart between dreams, schemes, and screens. Or something like that. On the third album from Onesie (and Kool Kat label debut), the Brooklyn-based power pop group led by guitarist/singer/songwriter Ben Haberland, the band channel doom scroll induced anxiety into their most ambitious effort yet- a dense “all singles” collection packed with pop culture references, texturally rich guitars, and a defiant bounce that is more party time than end times. From the Kinks stomp of opener “Perma Spring'', the band galvanize their staple influences - 60’s psych pop, 70’s power pop, and 90’s slacker rock, into a sprawling, hooky, surreally comedic culture critique that recalls the spirit of populist Brit pop era classics like Blur’s “Parklife”, Pulp’s “Different Class”, and Suede’s “Coming Up”. Haberland’s vocals are bright and up front in the mix, while Lori Bingle adds the secret sauce on second guitar- a sweet chime here and haunting ambience there. The dark, primal post punk of "What You Kill" (with a sugary XTC-like chorus) is uncharacteristically direct. “Anemone In Lemonade” unleashes a swirling, layered, kaleidoscope of chords until the band pauses for what seems like a punchline: “orchestration or castration”. Fresh sounds crop up in imaginative ways, the result of experimentation and going for an intimate, “f*cked up basement” vibe. Sparkling twelve strings adorn late album highlight "Let Me Guess", a driving Wilburys-style anthem with a chorus hook sung by Bingle. As a genre bending catch-all project for timeless, obtuse guitar pop in the tradition of Rundgren, Malkmus, or Pollard, Onesie remains difficult to categorize. But, for those looking for a turbocharged testament to substance in an increasingly vapid musical landscape, here comes your band. GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Autologous Price: $14.00 Artist: Parallax Project Description: RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! Parallax Project was supposed to be a loosely organized, shifting collection of musicians. That's what Michael Giblin envisioned when he set out to create his first solo album, 2002's 'Oblivious', but where you're headed and where you end up are often two different things. “Autologous”, the first album of original material from Parallax Project in 14 years, is another collection of eclectic guitar-driven pop that spans genres and eras. Departing a bit from the tight live-band vibe of 2009’s Kool Kat label release “I Hate Girls”, Michael Giblin teamed up with his Minus 5 cohort, and fellow Kool Kat label mate Joe Adragna (The Junior League) to create a more studio-driven song cycle that explores the timeless themes of life, loss, setbacks, and growing older. Having the benefit of The Split Squad as an outlet for his “Big Rock” tendencies for the past 10 years, Michael focuses this latest offering from his long running “solo band” toward a set of more nuanced and contemplative songs. But that’s not to say that it doesn’t both rock and sparkle. He’s upped the “jangle quotient” quite significantly here as there are some great 6 and 12 string guitar contributions from Sean Lally (of Pittsburgh’s late lamented Frampton Brothers), and plenty of layers of the kind of vocal richness that will be familiar to Cherry Twister fans. “Michael Giblin’s music is characterized by sharp songwriting, his evocative singing and lush harmonies. Parallax Project shares a nearly perfect balance of slap and tickle, of crunch and sweetness.” - Fufkin.com Welcome back Michael!! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Magic Shadows Price: $14.00 Artist: The Foreign Films Description: RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! “Magic Shadows” is The Foreign Films’ (Bill Majoros and friends) followup to 2020’s “Starlight Serenade”. Bill explains “I love the idea of taking the listener on a musical adventure, creating a sonic and emotional experience! When writing and recording, I think of music as a time machine - visiting the past, present and future. I swirl together elements from various decades to create new ideas. It’s a musical journey through time and space! When I was a boy, I recall falling in love with music. It was an incredibly magical and mysterious feeling, a sense of wonder, discovery and inspiration. I clearly recall playing crackly 60’s and 70’s records on my parents old stereo and listening to late night AM radio. I was under the spell of music. As a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist my aim is to conjure up that kind of musical magic for the listener; to create a dreamy feeling of nostalgia and escapism from this crazy world. As an extension of my time machine idea - when recording an album I envision a jukebox or radio station playing songs from my imagination, daydreaming of the past to create a new sounds for tomorrow. I call it retro-futurism. After listening to the record, I’d like to create the feeling you get after a great movie, magic show or a night at a carnival. For a few fleeting moments, there’s a strange feeling you’ve stepped into a mysterious world of magic shadows, glowing in the dark like a technicolor dream; thus the title ‘Magic Shadows’. “The record guides the crafty Bill Majoros’ love of classic 60’s/70’s pop-rock toward the retro-futuristic 80’s. ‘Perfect Future’ echoes The Killers and nods to Icicle Works’ ‘Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream).’ ‘Rain Clouds (Sunshine in your Heart)’ finds its silver lining with enveloping OMD synthesizers, Phil Collins drum fills, and sparkling Traveling Wilburys harmonies. ‘Magic Shadows’ unfolds as an imaginary radio station connecting to nostalgic and universal youthful experiences, reflected by ‘Daydream in the Sun (UFO Radio).’ The album’s first half opens a la Jellyfish-meets-Beach Boys with ‘Midnight Movies’ and Carl Jennings’ bouncing bass. Side two begins in thematic parallel with ‘Cinema Girl.’ Both songs find Majoros exploring lyrical inspiration from heavyweights like Cohen and Dylan. ‘Cosmic Lover’ pushes your favorite Marc Bolan and Spirit buttons.” – BigTakeover.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

this then are the Mosquitos! (2CD) Price: $20.00 Artist: The Mosquitos Description: RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! The Mosquitos should’ve been huge. By the mid-80’s, they looked poised to make an assault on the charts. Fans flocked to their shows, their vocal harmonies were phenomenal and their musicianship was excellent. But more than anything, it was the songs. In 1986, after a few nominations at the New York Music Awards (including a win for Best New Rock Group), Arista Records’ Clive Davis picked the title track off the band’s EP, “That Was Then, This Is Now” for The Monkees to record as their comeback single. That summer, the Prefab Four (minus one or two) took it into the Top 20. The world is a strange place… By the next spring, after more than five years of rehearsing four times a week (one being vocals only), they split, leaving behind only the EP which the band now readily admits didn’t come close to representing their dynamic live sound, along with a couple of demo tapes and a song on ROIR’s “Garage Sale” cassette compilation. In late summer 2020, the band’s Facebook page saw an encouraging post from fellow NYC garage scene musician, Paul Martin (The Vipers), who suggested The Mosquitos needed to set the record straight. The band got to talking, and soon they were collaborating on a compilation with a couple of fans who’d never stopped listening to tapes of Mosquitos live shows. This time-consuming process resulted in a couple of interested labels to drop out (“thank you” to them), but fortunately led to a connection with Kool Kat Musik - ever the pop-archivist - who insisted in the project expanding to a 47-song (!) double CD which allowed for the release just about every original song they’d ever played, plus a handful of covers. They got a few friends to help get the job done, and got incredibly lucky when noted NYC musician Mike Fornatale agreed to clean, repair, massage and master the recordings. Tony Million$ (Farfisa, lead and backing vocals) envisioned the anthology as two long live sets: the first would cover from the band’s beginnings through the mid-period, while the second would represent the time of the EP’s release through to the end. The track list would not be chronological, instead arranged as it might work onstage. Since the band only recorded a third of their original songs in the studio, the rest are represented in a live setting. Much care was taken to find the best versions, and some you’ll swear are studio recordings. “When a band doesn’t ‘make it’, people think that maybe they didn’t have what it takes. This collection proves otherwise…and shows what a great songwriter Vance Brescia is, as well.” - Tony Million$ Now: Please enjoy The Mosquitos - the secret is out and another chapter of pop history has been preserved! ATTENTION COLLECTORS: IF YOU HAVE THEIR ORIGINAL VINYL EP – HOLD ON TO IT! NONE OF THE VERSIONS OF THE SONGS HERE ARE ON THE VINYL EP!! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Dying Of The Light Price: $16.00 Artist: The Parlophonics Description: RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL! The Parlophonics are Robert Horvath (Guitars, Bass), Fernando Perdomo (Guitars, Drums), and Hugh Macdonald (Lead vocals). Interestingly, they have never been together in the same studio. Horvath is based in Dresden, Germany, while Macdonald is based in London and Perdomo is in North Hollywood. They came together during the pandemic to eventually release their 2021 debut “A Day In The Life”. On “Dying Of The Light”, their Kool Kat label debut, they enlisted help from Marcella Detroit, original Wings drummer Denny Seiwell, Rudy Fantin (Hammond organ) and Max Tovstyi (bass). It is a collection of punchy and bright tunes that feature warm production, lyrical themes, and songs, resulting in a colorful and breezy album of tunes that borrow from Brit-pop, light rock, among other styles. It is a testament to the band’s dedication to the classic British pop and rock of the 60’s and 70’s, with a modern indie twist. The result is a nostalgic and refined album that showcases their impeccable musicianship and vast experience. The band even commissioned the legendary Klaus Voorman to create the stunning album cover! It’s already garnered rave reviews in Europe! “A captivating album that combines elements of rock, pop, folk, and heartfelt lyricism to create a memorable musical experience. Showcasing the band’s talent and versatility, the album takes listeners on a journey through introspective themes and melodic hooks.” – IllustrateMagazine.com “This is a brilliant album full of incredible pop. The band is clearly influenced by The Beatles but also by Paul Weller, Oasis and Badfinger. That is not to say The Parlophonics sound like their influences, because they do have their own distinct style and sound, but the influences can be felt. They cover a Badfinger’s ‘Song For A Lost Friend’, that, in The Parlophonics hands, the song is even more melancholic and heart-wrenching. Their own songs, however, are absolutely stunning. The addition of Detroit is pure genius. Her angelic vocals are used so beautifully and add so much soul and depth to the already brilliant songs. Songs like ‘Underneath The Blue Sky’ sound familiar and yet very new, leaving you breathless by the end. ‘Dying Of The Light’ is one of the biggest surprises and treats of the year. The album is infectious. When it is over, one might just start the whole thing again.” – SpillMagazine.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

PUFF Price: $14.00 Artist: Vanity Mirror Description: We asked for it…you got it! Originally a vinyl–only release, “Puff” is now available on CD that features 2 more tracks than the vinyl! The duo of Toronto-based Brent Randall and Los Angeles’ Johnny Toomey are known for their previous achievements with baroque-pop group, The Electric Looking Glass. Both musicians compliment each other stylistically and add sparks to their newest project, Vanity Mirror. Their debut, “PUFF” was written, recorded, performed, produced and even mixed by Brent Randall. The album starts where Electric Looking Glass leaves off, with hummable, dreamy pop that branches out into more intimate, less genre specific freeform songcraft. It is a nostalgic collection of songs pieced together in makeshift spaces while traveling between LA, Montreal, Detroit and Toronto. Taping old pianos in public libraries and abandoned houses and tracking vocals in vintage shop basements, Randall sent the tracks to Toomey who recorded drums and percussion in his basement using a handheld field recorder. Listeners will call to mind artists like Emitt Rhodes, Olivia Tremor Control, and Belle and Sebastian. “A delightful journey into dreamy lo-fi bedroom pop that showcases a fusion of sweet 60’s-tinged melodies and baroque-pop influences. Randall and Toomey weave together a collection of hook-filled compositions that pay homage to artists like The Kinks, Idle Race, and The Raspberries that demonstrates their talent for crafting hummable, dreamy pop with a touch of introspective songcraft” – Pump It Up Magazine “’PUFF’ encapsulates the spirit of the 60’s and early 70’s, blending the energy and attitude of rock and roll with the melodic sensibilities of pop music. Vanity Mirror’s music has a timeless quality and a sense of nostalgia, harkening back to the golden era of rock while also forging their own modern path.” – The Fire Note GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none