Interview were a British band formed in 1977 in Bath, releasing two LPs and a handful of singles during their existence. They debuted in 1979 with Big Oceans, in my opinion a decent but somewhat forgettable album of pub rock (though the single, "You Didn't Have to Lie to Me," is catchy enough). Their 1980 sophomore effort, Snakes and Lovers, is much more compelling and is solid enough to be considered a lost classic. The LP finds a balance between catchy, melodic power pop and thoughtful, more adventurous rock that gives it a truly unique character.


Snakes and Lovers kicks off with "Hide and Seek," which would simply be a bouncy pop number if it weren't for its curious lyrics that, according to vocalist Jeff Starrs in an interview on seedyroad.com, are "about a guy who wonders whether or not he's killed all his girlfriends." The other most accessible tracks on the record are "It's Over Now," a breezy 60s-pop inspired gem that really should have been released as a single, and the peppy "To the People." In a recollection on interviewtheband.com, guitarist Alan Brain reflects, "The single Virgin chose to release from Snakes and Lovers was "Hide and Seek," which I felt was one of our weaker songs and I'm convinced that "It's Over Now" would have been the better choice. But then again, I've always been a sucker for the catchy, 3 minute pop song."

Other songs on the LP find the band taking a more atmospheric, abstract approach, such as the anthemic, hopeful "Adventurers," the powerful melodicism of "Crossing Borders," and "Style on Seaview," which can best be described as sounding like being in a dream. These songs represent pop music at its most intelligent and poignant. Also worth noting is Starrs' vocal delivery, which is no doubt one of the most emotive of its time and is instrumental in conveying the power of the material.

All of this adds up to make Snakes and Lovers a genuinely special, one of a kind record that was criminally ignored upon its release, thanks to a lack of marketing and support from the band's label, Virgin.


Although Interview's music still has not officially been reissued on CD, in recent years band members have put the albums to disc on their own and are currently marketing them through their Web site. In a comment on the music site PVAc to 44.1 kHz, Starrs explained, "We didn't make any money with Interview as Virgin were a very tough company to deal with but alot of people have enjoyed the albums over the years, it seems, and we're at least trying to make a few quids on our creations."

The band's site also includes samples of tracks from both Big Oceans and Snakes and Lovers.

For more information:
- Review and discography of Interview records plus an interview with vocalist Jeff Starrs
- "Great Lost Albums" review of Snakes and Lovers

It’s usually not clear why an excellent band fails to achieve widespread recognition. It could be a lack of promotion, bad timing, or probably most often combination of factors. Swedish band Lolita Pop is a prime example of a truly special group that for whatever reason couldn’t break into the American market during their existence from 1979 to 1990 and still remain virtually unknown outside their home country.

Lolita Pop formed in Örebro, Sweden in 1979 with vocalist Karin Wistrand, guitarists Sten Booberg and Benkt Smith, bassist Thomas Johansson, drummer Peter Olsen and tenor saxophonist Per Eriksson. The band began as a post-punk/new wave outfit driven by their love of New York punk a la Patti Smith and Television, releasing their first album, Falska bilder, in 1982. It was a much darker, heavier affair than upbeat power pop they would come to be best known for a few years later, but two very important elements of the unit’s sound came through early on: the exuberant, slightly husky vocals of Wistrand and the hard-hitting guitar work of Booberg and Smith.


The band’s early days produced three additional Swedish LPs – Fem söker en skatt, Irrfärder, Att ha fritidsbåt – as well as their debut, self-titled English language release in 1984. For this release, they reworked some of the material from earlier, Swedish records into English. 1985 single “2000 år,” nicely summarizes the band's early sound:



After finding success in their home country, the band signed an American deal with Virgin and released their second English-language LP, once again titled simply Lolita Pop, in 1987. Despite a U.S. tour and a record full of incredibly catchy pop, the band never found a sizable American audience. Listening to the record more than 20 years after its release, it’s downright puzzling that infectious material such as “Mess of Machinery,” “Bang Your Head” and “Mind Your Eye” didn’t make a bigger dent in the States, as it’s arguably as good as anything else on the pop charts at the time.



Nevertheless, the band continued to score chart success in Sweden and reappeared in 1989 with Love Poison. Although this LP was also sung in English, this time there was no American promotional push, and the band’s biggest Swedish hit - the fantastic “Tarzan on a Big Red Scooter" - was mostly confined to their home country.



Love Poison was arguably Lolita Pop’s finest moment, full of hooky, guitar-driven pop and Wistrand’s best vocal delivery to date. The record gave the band another Swedish hit via the beautiful “Hey Winner,” and also featured an outstanding take on Magazine's biting post-punk anthem, "Song from Under the Floorboards."


Now recording exclusively in English, the band released what would be their final studio album, Blumenkraft, in 1990. The record featured many highlights, including the melodic single “Here She Comes” and the singalong power pop of “Live Forever,” “Wingbeats of the Night” and “Pay the Piper,” but it also contained more filler than most other Lolita Pop releases and overall didn’t receive a positive critical response. The band split soon after.



Since the break up, the band have reportedly played occasional one-off gigs, and Wistrand is currently involved in Jeremias Session Band. During their time, Lolita Pop might not have received the international attention they deserved, but with any luck intrepid new wave and power pop fans will begin discovering the band's music, no doubt some of the finest forgotten pop of its time.

Here are two of the band's albums - their 1981 debut, Falska Bilder (in Swedish) and their 1987 self-titled English LP.

Lolita Pop - Falska Bilder (1981)

Lolita Pop - self-titled LP (1987)

Lolita Pop lineup:

Founding members:
Karin Wistrand, vocals
Sten Booberg, guitar
Benkt Smith, guitar
Thomas Johansson, bass
Per Eriksson, tenor sax
Peter Olsen, drums
Other members:
Henrik Melin, Bass (1987)
Christer Björklund, drums

Lolita Pop discography:

Falska bilder (1982 –Swedish)
Fem söker en skatt (1983 – Swedish)
Irrfärder (1983 – Swedish)
Lolita Pop (1984 – first English language release)
Att ha fritidsbåt (1985 – Swedish)
Lolita Pop (1987 – second English language release, different than self-titled 1984 album)
Love Poison (1989 - English)
Blumenkraft (1990 – English, the band’s final LP)
Regn av dagar 1982-1990 (1993 – “best of” compilation)
Klassiker (2008 – 2 disc “best of” compilation)

In the early 1980s, Australia was home to a host of excellent pop and new wave bands such as The Reels, The Dugites, Eurogliders, and Flaming Hands, and Sydney’s The Numbers were no doubt one of the finest. The band went through many lineup changes in their existence from 1978 to 1984, but the one constant was brother and sister duo Chris and Annalisse Morrow. Throughout the group’s existence, Chris shined as a talented songwriter and guitarist, while Annalisse was a strong bassist and gave the material a distinct personality with her hard-edged, commanding vocals.

The group’s first release was a 3-track EP, Govt. Boy, in 1979, which took a louder, faster and overall more punk approach than what was to come. At this point, Chris was the focal point of the band, singing lead on two of the three tracks on the EP. By the time the band signed to the Deluxe label that same year, they had begun moving in a more accessible power pop direction, a shift evident on their first single for the label, 1980’s “The Modern Song.” Along with the cleaner sound came a decision to put Annalisse at the forefront. In a 2008 Mess+Noise interview, Annalisse explained of the decision, “You’re young and you’re taking advice from other people. And by that stage we were with a major label and we had a manager and we were with an agency and those people have a very large influence on how you think, because you’re taking advice from people you believe have the experience. And also personally I always thought I was a much better singer than I was a bass player.” This change in direction proved successful for the band, with the single cracking the Australian Top 50 and the band scoring an appearance on the TV show Countdown. Their next single, “Five Letter Word,” was another national radio hit and brought them further into the spotlight.

Once the band released their debut, self-titled LP in late 1980, they seemed poise to break out internationally. “The feeling I got then was the record company’s expectation was we were going to go absolutely ballistic,” explained Chris in the same Mess+Noise interview. “We were going to go from suburban Thornleigh to Madison Square Garden, we were going to be amazingly huge.” While the debut record included highlights in the form of the previous singles and select album tracks such as the melodic “I Don’t Know” (which found Chris back on lead vocals) and the punky “Hello,” third single “Mr. President” failed to chart and the album - while regionally successful - didn’t break the band as expected.

After a series of lineup changes, the band issued a new single, “Jericho,” and returned to the studio to record their sophomore release, 1982’s 39-51. Armed with more memorable songs and more confident vocals from Annalisse, things looked promising for The Numbers. The album's singles “Big Beat” and “Dreams From Yesterday” as well as standout album tracks such as “Day to Day,” “Blacktown” and “Dancer” sounded a bit like a rougher-around-the edges version of The Go-Go’s and deserved widespread chart success. Unfortunately, by this point interest in the band had waned and the record went largely unnoticed.

After two albums and years of hard work on the road and in the studio with little commercial success to show for it, The Numbers soon called it quits. It wasn’t until the early 1990s that Chris and Annalisse released more music together, this time as Maybe Dolls. While this incarnation of the band gave the duo their biggest success to date in the form of the catchy pop singles “Nervous Kid” and “Cool Jesus,” the band once again faced record label difficulties, grew disillusioned, and a recorded second album was never released.

The Numbers and the Maybe Dolls never achieved international commercial success, but they created a canon of strong power pop songs worth discovering. In 2007, Australian label Aztec Music brought the band to attention once again by releasing a compilation of Numbers material, including highlights from both EPs, rare B-sides and the complete Government Boy EP. The disc is titled Numerology 1979-1982 and is available via the label’s site. In addition, the Blue Pie label recently released the band’s output digitally, and it can be downloaded on Amazon MP3 and iTunes (but beware, many of the tracks are mislabeled in these releases).

The Numbers band members:

Annalisse Morrow - Bass, Vocals
Chris Morrow - Guitar, Vocals
Simon Vidale - Drums
Graham Bidstrup - Drums
John Bliss - Drums
Craig Bloxom - Bass
Russell Handley - Keyboard, Guitar
Marty Newcombe - Drums
Collin Newham - Keyboard, Bass
Marcus Phelan - Guitar
Garry Roberts - Bass

The Numbers discography:

- Govt. Boy (EP, 1979): Government Boy, Private Eyes, Guerilla

- The Modern Song (single, 1980): The Modern Song, Take Me Away

- Five Letter Word (single, 1980): Five Letter Word, Alone

- The Numbers (self-titled LP, 1980): Five Letter Word, I Don’t Know, Mr. President, Hello, When I Get Older, The Modern Song, Partys, Talk to Me, OK, Teenage Wonderland, Wind

- Mr. President (single, 1981): Mr. President, Private Eyes, Guerilla

- Jericho (single, 1981): Jericho (original version), Turn Back (original version)

- 39-51 (LP, 1982): Big Beat, Secrets, Day to Day, Somedays, Again, Dreams from Yesterday, Blacktown, Dancer, Turn Back, Telephone, Jericho

- Big Beat (single, 1982): Big Beat, Telephone

- Dreams From Yesterday (single, 1982): Dreams From Yesterday, Again

- Numerology: 1979-1982 (compilation CD, 2007): The Modern Song, Five Letter Word, Mr. President, Jericho, Big Beat, Turn Back, Dreams From Yesterday, Alone, Partys, Dancer, Secrets, Day to Day, Again, Take Me Away, Blacktown, When I Get Older, Hello, Govt. Boy, Private Eyes, Guerilla

Links:

- The Numbers on MySpace

- 2008 Sydney Morning Herald interview with Annalisse Morrow

- 2008 Mess+Noise interview with Chris and Annalisse Morrow

- Maybe Dolls promo video for "Nervous Kid"

A while ago I did a post on the brilliance of short-lived British power pop group the Expressos and their sole record, 1981's Promises and Ties. Fronted by the charming Rozzi Rayner, the band sounded sort of like a cross between early Blondie and the Pretenders, and even though much of their material was just as memorable and appealing as that of those bands, they're sadly remembered by few.

Although they broke up before they could follow-up Promises and Ties, they recorded some additional tracks that have never been heard - until now! Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, some unreleased tracks have surfaced:

"The Hurt" aka "Hurt in Your Eyes" - This was to be the band's final single, and it's a shame it never got released because it's a stunner. It has a much more serious mood than anything on the band's LP and a flawless vocal from Rozzi.



"Rehearsals in Hollywood" - The song that would have accompanied "The Hurt" if it had made it out as a single.



"Johnnie B Bad" - Total 60s girl-group, sounding kind of like "Da Doo Run Run."



"Three Rs" - More pure 60s girl-group.



"He's Got Something" - A cover of the classic Dusty Springfield tune.



"Crazy Sneakers" - Very representative of the late-70s power pop sound, reportedly coming from a session produced by none other than Nick Lowe!

While I included a song from this record in my first Sinceros post as well as its complete follow-up LP, Pet Rock, in my second Sinceros post, I hadn't posted the band's first album, The Sound of Sunbathing from 1979.

So here it is - 10 tracks of fun with hints of Squeeze and various power pop bands of the era. The record includes The Sinceros' most well known single, the very new wave Take Me to Your Leader, as well as 60s-inspired pop gems such as So They Know, Quick, Quick Slow and My Little Letter.

The Sinceros - The Sound of Sunbathing (LP, 1979) UPDATE 6/09 - This record is now available on CD via Cherry Red Records. Go get it!

Track listing:
1 - Take Me to Your Leader
2 - Worlds Apart
3 - Little White Lie
4 - So They Know
5 - Hanging on Too Long
6 - I Still Miss You
7 - Quick, Quick Slow
8 - My Little Letter
9 - Break Her Heart
10 - Good Luck (To You)

Head over to Wolfgang's Vault to hear a great show from short-lived San Francisco new wave act Pearl Harbor & the Explosions recorded at the Oakland Auditorium on August 24, 1979. Best remembered for their single "Drivin'," the Explosions blended guitar driven, jerky new wave with rockabilly and power pop, all carried by the unmistakable vocals and presence of singer Pearl E. Gates (also known as Pearl Harbor).

The band released only one album, an eponymous effort from 1980, before Harbor embarked on a solo career with 1981's Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost Too (1981), Pearls Galore! (1984) and Here Comes Trouble (1995).

This particular performance includes all nine tracks from the sole LP, most notably the infectious "Drivin'," the effervescent power pop gem "You Got It (Release It)" and the frantic fun of "Shut Up and Dance." The band also plays some covers, including Nick Lowe's "Let's Eat," "Black Slacks" by The Sparkletones and "I Can Feel the Fire" by Ron Wood. Throw in a couple originals that didn't make the album, and you have a set that gives you a better idea of what the band was all about than what was released on record.

Listen here

Tracks:
1 - Let's Eat
2 - Up and Over
3 - Don't Come Back
4 - Stop Me
5 - Black Slacks
6 - So Much for Love
7 - Nerves
8 - Keep Going
9 - (Get a) Grip (On Yourself)
10 - Drivin'
11 - The Big One
12 - Shut Up and Dance
13 - You Got It (Release It)
14 - I Can Feel the Fire

The classic 1987 dB's album, "The Sound of Music," is now available again after years being out of print.

The album is the band's fourth, and second after the departure of integral member Chris Stamey. In Stamey's absence, singer-songwriter Peter Holsapple kept the band going strong, creating an album full of straightforward, thoroughly enjoyable jangle rock. The LP features some of the band's finest songs in the form of rollicking and melodic power pop cuts such as "Change With the Changing Times," "Molly Says" and "Sharon."

You can purchase the album for download via Amazon MP3 and iTunes.

Keep an eye out for a brand new dB's record (featuring both Stamey and Holsapple) tentatively scheduled for release this fall.

Head over to the New Wave Outpost message board to grab three rare demos from The Motels, recorded during the sessions for their 1985 album, "Shock."

The songs, "Ice House," "I'm a Liar" and "Midnight Nightingale," are strong enough to have been included on the LP, but for some reason were left off. "Ice House," in particular, is a great slice of upbeat new wave/power pop with a memorable melody and standout vocals by Martha Davis.

"Shock" was the final LP from the original band. Davis released a new Motels album, "This," with a new backing band in 2008.

Thanks to everyone who continues to visit this site despite the recent lack of updates.

The Vinyl Goldmine isn't dead, it just went into Winter hibernation.

Stay tuned for updates coming very soon...

In the meantime, enjoy this new wave/power pop classic, "Switchin' to Glide," by the Kings.

I previously posted a 1984 LP, "Where Do They Go," by New Zealand new wave act Mi-Sex, which was the band's final album and represented a shift from quirky synth pop to more straightforward new wave pop. One of the album's strongest tracks, "Castaway," was actually a single two years prior.

The song is one of the catchiest new wave tunes you'll never hear on flashback radio, and one that belongs on any list of the best 80s songs the world forgot (or maybe never knew in the first place). The 1982 single version is quite different from the version that appeared on "Where Do They Go," offering a much less polished take of what would eventually become the album cut.

The B side, "Young Maniacs," is an album track taken from the 1981 LP "Shanghaied."

Mi-Sex - "Castaway" / "Young Maniacs" (7" Single, 1982)

Track listing:
1 - "Castaway"
2 - "Young Maniacs"

In his online biography, Hamburg's Kai Reiner says that being dragged to a Brian Wilson concert against his will just a couple years ago changed his life and inspired him to play pop music. It's a bit hard to believe his conversion was so instant and recent, as his 2008 debut, self-titled LP sounds more like the work of someone who has been lovingly listening to power pop music for years.

From the opening chords of track number one, "Cold Summer," it's obvious that this record is tailor made to appeal to any power pop enthusiast. The hooks are plentiful, the melodies pristine and the delivery sincere. As the record progresses it doesn't let down, with "Only We Both Know," "Hey K," "I Don't Want Your Crown" and "It's Over" all boasting instantly memorable melodies and spoonfuls of pop sweetness. Closing track "Shine" is another highlight, featuring an excellent chugging beat, an addictive guitar riff and contemplative lyrics. Most of the material is upbeat yet bittersweet, a mood made more pronounced by Reiner's earnest, almost deadpan vocal delivery. Musically, many of the songs bring to mind the power pop classic "Black Vinyl Shoes" by Shoes, with the material's fuzzy guitars and straightforward, unassuming vibe.

If you're into pop music with 60s-inspired melodies, loads of hooks and jangly guitars, this one is definitely worth a listen. Besides, any musician that ends his bio with, "Kai has become a much friendlier person now that he plays Pop music. Henry is Kais dog. Henry is a nuisance. He has to be taken for a walk twice a day. If not, he will take it out on the furniture," surely deserves plenty of fans.

You can say hello to Kai on MySpace and pick up the CD on CD Baby.

For a taste, here's the video to "Cold Summer."

Take one listen to the first and only LP by Laurie and the Sighs and it won't surprise you to learn that vocalist Laurie Beechman is best known as a Broadway star. The 1980 album is a showy burst of energy that mixes hard-edged arena rock a la Pat Benatar with spiky, tongue-in-cheek power pop to create consistently fun results.

Prior to the album's release, Beechman played in famous theater productions such as Annie and The Pirates of Penzance. After signing with Atlantic Records, Beechman and the Sighs hoped to find success venturing into rock and roll territory. During a time when Benatar was at the top of the charts, it would seem that Beechman, whose physical and musical similarities to the popular singer were not exactly subtle, would be a marketable act for her label. Unfortunately, Laurie and the Sighs received little support from Atlantic and soon faded into obscurity.

The LP rocks harder than you might expect, and it's clear that Beechman put everything she had into belting out the tunes. Some of the material, such as the brief jolt of Face to Face, an amped-up cover of the 60s Claudine Clark hit Party Lights and the aggressive Stop Telling Me No, even shows traces of punk. The LP only slows down once with the rock opera ballad Your Bridge Is Burning.

After the album failed to make a dent, Beechman turned back to musical theater, going on to star in Cats, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Les Miserables. Unfortunately, after a diagnosis of ovarian cancer in 1988 - which went into remission and then returned in 1995 - Beechman passed on in 1998 at the age of 44.


Check out a vinyl rip of Beechman's one and only foray into rock, which has never seen reissue on CD.

Laurie and the Sighs - self-titled LP, 1980

Track listing:
1 - Midnight Love
2 - Touch Me
3 - Party Lights
4 - Love Hostage
5 - Face to Face
6 - Never Go Back
7 - Your Bridge Is Burning
8 - Runaway
9 - Stop Telling Me No
10 - Burning Up

FOR FANS OF:
Pat Benatar, Scandal, Sue Saad and the Next, Spider

What would happen if Marshall Crenshaw's 60s pop melodies mated with the up-front new wave synths of The Cars? You'd probably get something that sounded like 3-D.

3-D were a little known new wave band that produced two albums in its short existence. The first was the band's self-titled debut from 1980, and the second, See It Loud, came the following year.

The debut record has its share of catchy new wave gems, including the singles Telephone Number, X-Ray Eyes and All Night Television. Also noteworthy are the jubilant Pin Up Girl and the breezy Carnival. This is light, uncomplicated pop that makes for a consistently fun and entertaining listen.

3-D (debut LP, 1980)

Track listing:
1 - Telephone Number
2 - It's No Fun
3 - Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
4 - Pin Up Girl
5 - Back to You
6 - X-Ray Eyes
7 - All American Boy
8 - Carnival
9 - All Night Television

FOR FANS OF:
Elvis Costello, Marshall Crenshaw, The Cars

First of all, I must send out a big thanks to Music Ruined My Life for turning me on to this gem of an album!

Just when I feel like I'm beginning to close in on all the best lost records of the late 70s-early 80s new wave era, I come across something like Promises and Ties by U.K. band the Expressos and realize that the treasure chest is pretty much endless.

1981's Promises and Ties was the first and only LP by the Expressos, and this album is so good there's absolutely no reason it shouldn't have been a smash hit. Its cocktail of new wave, power pop and 60s girl group, during its strongest moments, stands up to classic tracks by the likes of Blondie and The Pretenders.

The album kicks off with the infectious, energetic single Tango in Mono, which Elvis Costello supposedly selected as his second favorite pop song of all time. My Yesterday follows with tasty slice of power pop, and There She Goes is a gorgeous track featuring Byrds-like guitar. Another single, By Tonight, is highly melodic 60s girl group, as is the clever ballad B Side. The true centerpiece of the album, though, is the title track. It's a soaring pop masterpiece just begging to be covered by someone. Other highlights include yet another single, the sing-songy Hey Girl, the jangling beauty of Miss You Melody (The French Song) and album closer The Trap, which sounds like it could have been on Pretenders II.

What's really amazing about this record is that for something that went largely unnoticed, the songwriting is consistently superb. It features one luscious pop tune after another, and the bright vocals of Rozzi Rayner gives them even more life.

Every fan of melodic, 60s-influenced new wave and power pop should discover this album! Check it out at Music Ruined My Life.

Track listing:
1 - Tango in Mono
2 - My Yesterday
3 - There She Goes
4 - By Tonight
5 - B Side
6 - Promises and Ties
7 - Kiss You All Over
8 - Want
9 - Hey Girl
10 - Missing You Melody (The French Song)
11 - Thumbs on the Ground
12 - The Trap

FOR FANS OF:
Blondie, The Pretenders, The Sinceros, The Photos, The Tourists

Having just been to a vinyl show and almost picking this up, but passing because the seller wanted too much, the AZ Local blog tapped into my mind and has made it available.

Spooner is most widely known for the fact that Garbage drummer Butch Vig and guitarist Duke Erikson started out in it. The band was a pure power pop outfit that formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1979 and lasted through three LPs into 1990. The first album, Every Corner Dance, came out in 1982 and sounded something like a more aggressive Shoes or a less experimental dB's. In fact, the album was produced by Gary Klebe of Shoes.

Every Corner Dance has a few moments that hold up among the power pop greats, including opener Will You Remember Me?, as well as Jackie and Poor Harold. The entire LP is an enjoyable slice of power pop history that any fan of the genre is sure to enjoy.

A big "thank you" to AZ Local for posting! Head on over to check it out.

Track listing:
1 - Will You Remember Me?
2 - Temptations
3 - Member of the Family
4 - Jackie
5 - Doing Time
6 - Every Corner Dance
7 - Cruel School
8 - Poor Harold
9 - Oo My My
10 - Way the Stories Go

FOR FANS OF:
Shoes, The dB's, The Plimsouls

If you had a listen to the Laurie and the Sighs album I recently posted about, you'll have a good idea of what Sue Saad and the Next sound like. In the same way as the Sighs, Sue Saad and company take a high energy, not quite power pop, not quite new wave and not quite basic rock and roll but somewhere in-between approach on their one and only album, 1980's self-titled release.

The band is best remembered for the lead single from this LP, Gimme Love/Gimme Pain, which is a catchy mid-tempo rocker. There's plenty more memorable hooks on the album, particularly in revved-up cuts such as It's Gotcha, I I Me Me and Your Lips-Hands-Kiss-Love.

Sue Saad and the Next did not last long enough for a sophomore LP, but Saad went on to perform the theme song to the 1981 film, Looker.


Sue Saad & the Next - self-titled (LP, 1980)

Track listing:
1 - Gimme Love/Gimme Pain
2 - It's Gotcha
3 - Prisoner
4 - Young Girl
5 - I I Me Me
6 - Your Lips-Hands-Kiss-Love
7 - I Want Him
8 - Cold Night Rain
9 - Won't Give It Up
10 - Danger Love

FOR FANS OF:
Pat Benatar, Laurie and the Sighs, Scandal, Genya Ravan, Spider

Tom Dickie and the Desires were a New York City band that released two LPs, Competition in 1981 and The Eleventh Hour in 1982. I recently picked up the latter in record shop for just 25 cents (!!) simply because I thought the album art was interesting and seemed pretty new wave-ish.

It's difficult to pinpoint this album as new wave, power pop, or anything else because it doesn't follow a single direction. It jumps from blatantly 80s new wave (Victimless Crime, So Mystified) to pure power pop (I Don't Want to Live Without You, Gone to Stay, Twisted Years) to earnest slow tunes (If I Could Paint, They Don't Know Anymore).

That being said, there's some fantastic moments here - namely the tracks on which the band aims for a more straightforward power pop approach. The best is arguably I Don't Want to Live Without You, which is melodic ear candy through and through and boasts the record's strongest hook. Gone to Stay and Twisted Years take a similar approach and are almost as good, while Stolen Time has a great sing-along chorus.

The copy I picked up was a DJ promo, which included a biography from PolyGram Records that had this to say:

If one feels an urgency in the second album by Tom Dickie and the Desires, appropriately titled "The Eleventh Hour," it probably stems from this important new group's intention to make rock 'n' roll that matters. "There was this general feeling about everything that was going on while we were making this album," explains Dickie, "almost like - will we get it down on vinyl in time?"
"It's something we not only felt in our lives, but everywhere around us - in New York City, with the Yankees, in the Falklands...everywhere. That sense is found in the songs on the album, the urgency of people trying to accomplish something before their time is up."
...Dickie feels "The Eleventh Hour" reflects the band's experiences "living in New York where everything is always happening. You sometimes feel like you're living a day ahead of everything else, always on the eleventh hour."

Tom Dickie & the Desires - The Eleventh Hour (LP, 1982)

Track listing:
1 - Victimless Crime
2 - Stolen Time
3 - Gone to Stay
4 - Our Eyes
5 - So Mystified
6 - I Don't Want to Live Without You
7 - What Happened
8 - Twisted Years
9 - Patience Is a Virtue
10 - They Don't Know Anymore
11 - If I Could Paint

In the same recent vinyl haul that scored me records by Laurie and the Sighs, 3-D, Tom Dickie and the Desires and Sue Saad and the Next, I was able to grab the only two records released by Boston-based power pop group Robin Lane and the Chartbusters, 1980's self-titled release and its 1981 follow up, Imitation Life.

The band, led by husky-voiced singer-songwriter Robin Lane, specialized in melodic, guitar driven pop/rock, sometimes more straightforward along the lines of early Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and sometimes infused with the distinct new wave and power pop sounds of its time. While the material was definitely radio-ready, the Chartbusters didn't exactly live up to their name, and the two records remain quite obscure.


The self-titled debut starts off with the band's most well-known song, When Things Go Wrong, which is a mid-tempo, smoky atmosphered number that perfectly ushers in Lane's expressive, distinct vocal style. Although it and the album's second single, Why Do You Tell Lies? - another mid-tempo lite rocker - received extensive airplay, the debut garnered little commercial success. The music video for When Things Go Wrong, though, holds the distinction of being one of the videos played on MTV's first day on air. The video was the 11th shown on the channel on August 1, 1981.

Other highlights on the debut record include the manic, Sid Vicious-inspired I Don't Want to Know, the peppy Don't Cry and Kathy Lee, which plays an upbeat melody against downcast lyrics. The record stands out from many other power pop releases of its time in that it explores darker subject matter throughout without sacrificing hooks and melody.


1981's follow up, Imitation Life, is arguably even more interesting. Kicking off with Send Me an Angel, which sounds more than a bit like Patti Smith, the LP takes on more elements of early 80s new wave. While a few of the tracks on the debut sound very similar, each track on Imitation Life has its own personality. What the People are Doing is plodding and myterious, No Control is power pop on a sugar high and Idiot is a tongue-in-cheek nod to 60s pop. The crowning jewel on the record, though, is Solid Rock, a pop song of truly epic proportions. Its impeccable girl group melody, soaring vocals, chiming guitar and thoughtful lyrics mesh together to create sonic bliss. This is one of the best "lost" pop songs I've discovered.

Once again receiving limited commercial success, the Chartbusters called it a day in 1983, and Lane went on to release various recordings throughout the 80s and 90s.

The band reunited in 2001 and released a new CD, Piece of Mind, in 2003.

Only in recent years have the Chartbusters records been released outside of vinyl. The debut LP was reissued on CD by Collector's Choice, and is available to sample and purchase here. Imitation Life has yet to see a CD release, but is available digitally here. Both records are likely to be a pleasing discovery for any power pop fan.

ROBIN LANE & THE CHARTBUSTERS LINEUP:
- Robin Lane - Guitar and lead vocals
- Tim Jackson - Drums
- Leroy Radcliffe - Guitar
- Asa Brebner - Guitar
- Scott Baerenwald - Bass

KEY TRACKS:
When Things Go Wrong, Kathy Lee, Why Do You Tell Lies?, I Don't Want to Know, Solid Rock, Idiot

FOR FANS OF:
The Pretenders, The Byrds, early Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Dwight Twilley

A while back I posted two 7" singles, It's Just That I Miss You and The Edge, from obscure Australian new wave pop band Flaming Hands. Here's another of their singles, Wake Up Screaming, from 1980.

Wake Up Screaming was produced by seminal Australian rock musician Lobby Loyde, and like the band's debut single, a cover of I Belong to Nobody by Soul Inc., it features an organic, 60s-inspired rock sound. It also boasts a memorable melody by guitarist and songwriter Jeff Sullivan, a very cool sax break and the pure-yet-powerful vocals of singer Julie Mostyn.

The B side, Sweet Revenge, finds Mostyn musing about taking emotional revenge on a lover who has betrayed her. Musically, the song has a similar vibe to the A side and is just as strong. It begins with a simple, sing-songy vocal intro with a girl-group melody and crescendos into a true pop confection highlighted by a sparkling piano solo and a more aggressive guitar sound as the song reaches its end.

Wake Up Screaming is one of my favorite singles, has never been reissued in any format and like everything else by the Flaming Hands, deserves to be discovered my more people.

Flaming Hands - Wake Up Screaming (7" single, 1980)

Track listing:
1 - Wake Up Screaming
2 - Sweet Revenge

FOR FANS OF:
The Dugites, The Tribe, Blondie, INXS, The Pretenders, The Sinceros, The Motels, Martha and the Muffins, The Tourists

Being from Chicago, I am always on the lookout not only for new local bands to follow, but also great acts that came out of the city in past decades. One of my favorites of the latter ilk is Pezband, a little-known power pop band that began in Oak Park, IL, in the early 1970s.

Shortly after I began this blog I wrote an overview post about Pezband, which you can find here. In short, the band released three LPs, Pezband (1977), Laughing in the Dark (1978) and Cover to Cover (1979).

While all three records are excellent, Pezband never achieved the widespread recognition they deserved. The self-titled release and Cover to Cover rank as two of my favorite power pop LPs ever, and it's hard to understand exactly why they didn't catch on.

Cover to Cover is a perfect example of how the band could write spot-on melodies in the vein of Shoes, but also blend those melodies perfectly with a hard-edged, unpolished sound a la early Cheap Trick.

Infectious yet rough-around-the-edges tracks such as the anthemic opener Stella Blue, Meika and Back in the Middle rock hard. In fact, there's not really a single song on the album that doesn't rock hard, except for maybe Didn't We (which is still great).

See for yourself:

Pezband - Cover to Cover (LP, 1979)

Track listing:
1 - Stella Blue
2 - Meika
3 - Back in the Middle
4 - Full Power
5 - Didn't We
6 - African Night
7 - Make Me Happy
8 - Cover to Cover
9 - Hero Hero
10 - Unexpected
11 - Don't Look Back