New CDs

In The Crowd Price: $14.00 Artist: Absolute Losers Manufacturer: We Are Busy Bodies Records Description: Canadian trio Absolute Losers follow their instincts and delve into 60’s-influenced melodic pop for their second album "In The Crowd". And, for The Losers, it’s a winner! “On several occasions, whilst listening to the record I was struck by that familiar feeling that I’d heard this music before. That’s not to suggest that Absolute Losers are copyists – they’re not. They just have an enviable knack of being able to hook their listeners in. And the tasteful ‘Words Of Love’-like guitar lick that propels penultimate track, ‘Better Things To Do’, along its way has that very effect – bright and sunny, and so VERY solid. And, it’s the a dreamy, vibrant, harmony-drenched chant – ‘It’s An Understanding’ – that concludes the record. There’s an underlying Beach Boys aura to the song as it gently fades. What’s not to like?” - AtTheBarrier “Despite coming from Canada’s smallest province Prince Edward Island boys Absolute Loserrs have got a big, big sound on ‘In the Crowd’, brimming with jangle and Beatlesque melodies. Departing somewhat from the more experimental pop rock sound of their 2023 debut ‘At the Mall’, you only have to hear the opening chords of album opener ‘At The Same Time’ to know this record is getting right to the rock and roll point. And it’s pretty much the same attack on the title song. ‘Eagerness’ pauses the rock bluster for some very April Wine high-melody moments. But the range of song stylings isn’t limited. There are clear Buddy Holly influences all over ‘Don’t Go’ and some very George Harrison guitar flourishes colouring ‘For So Long.’ ‘Better Things To Do’ rides a pretty fine Beatles/Tom Petty line while ‘Kiss of Death’ gives a punky feel to a solid BTO rhythm guitar groove. Shifting to a more modern mood, ‘You Never Say You Love Me’ has a Sloan-like pop clarity to my ears. Then there’s ‘Letter,’ a song that sounds like a more upbeat Weezer. Personally, I think ‘Your Colours’ is also pretty special, almost folky with great jangly guitar and yearning vocals. Taken all in over one sitting the album is a delightful selection of tunes. Absolute Losers have produced a real winner!” - PopRockRecord GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Star Price: $15.00 Artist: Acme Rock Group Manufacturer: Official Records Description: Acme Rock Group was formed in 1996 by guitarist-singer-songwriter-producer Erik Rex. Their 2001 debut combines elements of influential British guitar-based rock and roll bands like the Beatles, the Kinks, and the Who. "Indie pop fans have been heaping a large amount of justifiable praise on Rick Corcoran for his gem of a Beatles-inspired album, The Orgone Box. Save some of that same applause for 'Star'. Rex and his musical pals have released a dandy of a Beatlesque album that excels with their original power pop and psychedelic tunes. The disc opens strongly with three straight tracks that smack of 'Sgt. Pepper'’s era songs – the last of which, 'Floating,' even has a bit of a David Bowie sound to it. The slower tracks are reminiscent of 'Rubber Soul'. In fact, this is one of those rare discs where the songs blend seamlessly together, and has just helped pseudo-60s psych/pop take a big step forward!" - Amplifier Magazine Very reminiscent of Teenage Fan Club and Superstar. Features kool covers of Beatles/Peter & Gordon’s “World Without Love” and The Who’s “Odorono”. GREAT!!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

This Is Action City Price: $12.00 Artist: Action City Manufacturer: self-released Description: Action City came to be on December 27, 2019. Winston-Salem based musician, Michael Slawter was hosting a post-Christmas show at his guitar shop/venue Heyday Guitars. The drummer that evening was an old acquaintance from the Charlotte area, Shawn Lynch (Balderdash Ltd/The Eyebrows). At the end of the evening after everyone had left Shawn and Michael shared a beer and did some catching up. The subject of working together came up and a plan was hatched. Weeks later Michael and Shawn were face to face again with guitars in-hand working through new song ideas. Then the pandemic hit and the world shut down. Planned recording sessions were scrapped, so an alternate plan was hatched….let’s just do it ourselves. Software was downloaded and mics were borrowed. Weeks later, two songs were recorded. Over a series of weekends 2 songs were recorded each session. Before long they had accumulated 10 fully realized songs. On a whim LA-based engineer/producer Adam Lasus was contacted about mixing and quickly joined the fold, giving masterful direction and whipping the songs into a tizzy. Matt Tuttle in Winston-Salem mastered all 10 songs in quick order and gave Adam’s already keen mixing a more sonically dense feel. “Whenever I think of Winston-Salem, like many others I think of Mitch Easter and why not? The man literally saved us from the dressing up nonsense of the 80’s. Well! Michael Slawter is also a fine artist. The 10 songs here are a fine selection of guitar pop and all of its avenues. At times I'm reminded a lot of Chris Church, particularly on ‘In My Finest Hour’. When Action City rock, the certainly rock, especially on ‘Stay (Tiny Love Song)’ which has an 80’s Rush-like feel on the verse. Elsewhere the duo's versatility shines through across Surf (‘The Blame’), Power Pop (‘Beside Me’) and Psych Pop (‘The Lines You Blur’). The latter is a corking tune, top notch in fact. Very 60s, very jangly with a killer guitar solo, it ticks all the boxes. The record is a splendid listen. I can't wait for more.” – IDontHearASingle.com GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

More Action City Price: $12.00 Artist: Action City Manufacturer: Futureman Records Description: Action City (Michael Slawter and Shawn Lynch) are back with the followup to their terrific 2021 “This Is Action City” debut! Recorded in the Fall of 2021 and Spring of 2022, the boys re-enlisted Adam Lasus and Matt Tuttle once again for mixing and mastering duties respectively. Hey, why mess with a winning formula, right? The result is another hook-filled, guitar-centric, no frills collection that rests quite comfortably in the garage pop category! “On their sophomore effort, Action City come out with an army of 6 + 12 string guitars and riffs a-blazin’ on another 10-song, 60’s’70’s-inspired hookfest that whizzes by in a flash. Some of the tracks (‘The Leaving Lights’ and ‘Canadys Girl’ are prime examples) have a very Richard Turgeon-ish vibe, which is certainly a good thing! You can add some Guided By Voices (their poppier, more accessible side) and Jeff Shelton (in any of his guises) in there too. While familiar pop-craft and melodic virtuosity occupies center stage, this latest batch of songs ride on colorful guitar flourishes, there are hooks and earworms aplenty within, representing another level of songwriting and performance from Slawyer and Lynch.” – Max Humphries GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Live at the University Of Cadiz Price: $16.00 Artist: Adam Levy & the Brass Buttons Manufacturer: Rock Indiana Records Description: HONEYDOGS ALERT!! Very kool recording of Honeydogs’ frontman Adam Levy terrific, spirited performance backed by the more-than-capable Spanish roots poppers The Brass Buttons that sees him revisiting his back catalog of both Honeydogs’ and solo recordings! TRACK LISTING: “10,000 Years”, “Aubben”, “Clemens In Plainview”, “At Ohms Never Die”, “Devices”, “Vermillion Billows”, “When Your Wells Run Dry”, “We Are”, “Our Post Morten”, “I Miss You”, “Two Weeks”, “Watching”, “Potter’s Field”, and “Naubinway”! GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Go West Price: $10.00 Artist: Adam Marsland Manufacturer: Karma Frog Records Description: NEW LOW PRICE!! 2009 2CD offering from the former Cockeyed Ghost frontman that was hailed at the time as his best ever effort! It’s an undertaking that operates logically in two ways: it's a highly engaging pop/rock conception or dig a little deeper and it is an engrossing journey from hope to despair and back to hope. "I'm on my third spin of 'Go West' and I must say I'm very taken with it. To my ears, this sounds like Adam's most cohesive record to date. You know, it just fits together very well. More importantly, I also think this double disc easily contains some of his best work to date. To name a few songs that jump out - 'Go West', 'My Pain', 'No Return', 'Despair', 'December 24', 'Grateful For The Rain', '1 In 4', 'Two Children In A Bed' (funky, yes, it is funky), and 'I Don't Want To Dance With You' (this is the surprise track on the album per it's dance club groove vibe. It's a wonderfully fun track especially per the cheerleading like backing vocals. Words fail, you'd just need to hear it. I smile every time I listen to it). Finally, to my ears 'Fade Away' is a stone cold classic tune. Lovely song, great vocals, melody and harmonies." - Steve Durbin/Audities "What's most gratifying is not only how well it holds together, but how well it holds together given the range of things he's doing and the fact that it's all cohering over two discs. Quite an accomplishment." - Sam Smith/Audities "Double albums in pop music can sometimes be troublesome beasts, which is why Marsland's opus is such a great discovery. Like all good art, it is ambitious, did not come into being without heartache or sweat, and is filled with contrasting emotions. It is important to note this is unlike most albums: the ace material is not rolled into the record's onset, but rather spread throughout, which is why the second disc has as many compelling moments as the first. And of course the secret to any good song collection is, if someone puts in a perfect pop tune, then follow it up with a rambunctious garage-punk track. In his case that is The Replacements-soundalike 'This Is Hard,' with a toughened hunk of gritty guitar, deliberately sloppy bass and drums, and disorderly vocals. Anyone who misses Paul Westerberg's early misbehavior needs this shot of adrenaline.He has put together an unassuming masterpiece." - AudAud.com In case you missed it the first time…. EXCELLENT!!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Daylight Kissing Night – Adam Marsland’s Greatest Hits Price: $8.00 Artist: Adam Marsland Manufacturer: Karma Frog Records Description: NEW LOW PRICE!! A handsomely packaged, 2008 collection of 20 pop songs “almost too literate and catchy for mass consumption”, now offered at an artist-breaking budget price, that heralded Adam Marsland's return to full-time music making. Not so much a retrospective as a reintroduction, all the previously released songs are remastered along seven newly recorded tracks that are exclusive to the collection. “A high-energy cross between Brian Wilson, Paul Stanley and Elton John” – SPIN Magazine” “Marsland's brainy pop adventurism and ornery idealism have fueled one of the more intriguing music careers of the last 10 years. With The Negro Problem, Cockeyed Ghost, three years of touring solo and a tour-de-force live album of songs written by Beach Boys Dennis and Carl Wilson. Thanks to word-of-mouth, a jaw-dropping live band including soul chanteuse Evie Sands, he has found a whole new audience.” - AllMusic.com “You cannot call yourself a power pop fan if you don’t own this CD. Marslands songs are both smart and literate, as well as insightful and raw along the lines of Ben Folds or Joe Jackson. However, the musical influences are much more than that. He channels a number of diverse rock/pop elements into his songs; Brian Wilson, Elton John, Pete Townshend, Matthew Sweet and even Green Day. Most of his best work is autobiographical, and chronicles the life of a kid who wants to be a successful rock musician (‘My Kickass Life’) and all the pain and pleasure along the way. Much piss and vinegar goes into his experiences with this band Cockeyed Ghost and his roller coaster ride with the ‘music industry’ that gives us great tracks like ‘Big, Big Yeah,’ ‘Burning Me Out (of the Record Store),’ ‘I Can’t Do This Anymore’ and my personal favorite ‘The Fates Cry Foul.’ Marsland really revels in the “glorious futility of playing in a band” and the listener will too. This compilation has something for everyone and a lot of his revelations resonate with me personally.” – Powerpopaholic.com EXCELLENT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Nothing Means Anything Price: $12.00 Artist: Adam McIntyre Manufacturer: Headphone Treats Records Description: LIMITED STOCK!! On his 2005 sophomore release, Adam reinvented himself, presenting a compelling statement on love and its accompanying struggles, all played with the dynamic urgency that was present on his excellent debut! Detailing his experiences with divorce, desperation, and deliverance through new-found love, this album is composed around seasonal themes enabling him to construct a personal pop monument. In doing so, has created a tightly and enthusiastically played example of DIY, jangly n' crunchy guitar (with some nice ballads thrown in) garage pop! "Sometimes I'm in the mood for music that doesn't require a lot of thinking, pop tunes that let you press play then sit back and listen. Other times I need something with introspective lyrics that seem like they were written for me. This record magically satisfies both cravings. Pop music and songs about love kind of go hand in hand, but McIntyre takes it a step further by telling his story across the four seasons. Oh, and did I mention I'm a total sucker for theme albums? Especially when I can sort of relate to the subject matter?. Some of his music recalls early Owsley and a less piano-heavy Ben Folds 5. The sound evolves with each song, not only showing his progress in life and love, but representing fall, winter, spring and finally summer. Listening to the opening 'Your Only Friend', a melancholy tune about being alone in an empty apartment, its hard to believe the same guy is performing later tracks such as the guitar-driven 'I Need You'. I was definitely rooting for him by the end of the album. But hey, if it doesn't work out with this new girl, at least hell have some good song material." - LeftOffTheDial.com "Lyrically and musically poignant as all get out... hope the new love lasts; this LP sure will." - Jack Rabid/The Big Takeover EXCELLENT!!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Why don't they teach heartbreak at school? Price: $14.00 Artist: Aerial Manufacturer: Kool Kat Musik Description: Scottish power-poppers Aerial are back with their sophomore album (and Kool Kat label debut) that proves that the band has lost none of the infectious energy, pop hooks and West Coast harmonies that defined their sound the first time around. Formed in the late 90's, they soon came to the attention of London-based Fantastic Plastic Records who released two highly acclaimed EPs by the band in 2000. Their debut album, "Back Within Reach", was released in 2001 by Japanese label Syft Records. Following a series of line-up changes the group disbanded later the same year. Fast forward 10 years and Aerial, re-tuned and re-grouped, began writing the follow up which resulted in their new record, which picks up right where their debut left off. This is the sound of a band who have lost none of their sense of youthful exuberance. "These high-flying Scots are right on the verge of takeoff for their second LP. Frankly the month of September just got a whole lot better, and it hasn't even started yet." - Powerpopulist.com "I love a song like 'Cartoon Eyes' with a middle eight that surprises, and when it’s surrounded by pure chorus sounding curiously like Elastica’s 'Waking Up' being covered by Blue Oyster Cult, I’m sold. Turn it up." - HoneyandBile.com "A quick listen to their new offering is enough to remind you of this Scottish trio's ability to produce jaunty slabs of mesmerising melody: a trait they displayed in abundance during their first incarnation in the late 90's" - Aberdeen.stv.tv GREAT!!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none

Activities Of Daily Living Price: $14.00 Artist: Aerial Manufacturer: Kool Kat Musik Description: RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! Scotland’s Aerial has finally delivered their highly anticipated album after a decade-long hiatus. Following the success of their 2014 standout and top-ranked, “Why Don’t They Teach Heartbreak At School?, the band returns with the CD debut of “Activities of Daily Living”, their second release on the Kool Kat label. Once again, they’ve hit the mark, particularly resonating with fans of Teenage Fanclub and Fountains of Wayne, as Aerial continues to thrive in that musical sphere. “A delightful array of cleverly crafted earworms that showcases the band’s trademark wit and charm.” - Sweet Sweet Music “The songwriting duo of Colin Cummings and Mackie Mackintosh once again craft clever, off-kilter lyrics set to well-crafted power pop arrangements, particularly on energetic gems such as the title track, ‘An Encore And A Cover Song’ and ‘Bad Tattoo.’ ‘I Bet You Know Karate’ will have listeners clapping their hands instead of breaking boards.” - Broken Hearted Toy “The return of Aerial is something to be celebrated. They don't make records that often, this being the third in 23 years including their 2001 debut. ‘Why Don't They Teach Heartbreak At School’ was Goldmine's ‘2014 Album Of The Year’ and is an album that I continually play. Back with Duncan Cameron of Travis and Teenage Fanclub fame producing, this is essential Power Pop of the highest order and that is something that you get to say as often as you used to. Aerial also manage to straddle the genre. ‘Pixelated Youth’ is classic 90’s college Power Pop and may be my favourite here, but I'm also aware of how great the band are at slowing things down. ‘Run These Lights’ and ‘Silversand’ being the best examples. More important than anything is that Aerial have not lost their chops. I can think of no band better at what they do. There is also a general feeling that Brits don't take to this sort of Power Pop much. The interest since the album was announced proves that opinion is misguided. If you are good enough, people will come. The UK scene has become incredibly regional, but this can be an album to partially ignite the interest in the genre. Magnificent!” - I Don’t Hear A Single GREAT!! ... read more » Quantity in Basket: none