The Seeds - A Web Of Sounds 1966 (2010, Hayabusa Landings)

Recorded in the midst of 1966, naturally after the spring release of their debut but before "Pushin' Too Hard" climbed into the national charts in the spring of 1967, A Web of Sound finds the Seeds pushing their sound into new dimensions, happily keeping pace with their Los Angeles contemporaries Love and the Doors. That the Seeds never received the respect accorded to their peers, either then or now, may be partially due to their lack of lyrical ambition, or it could be due to the Hollywood teenage sleaze that seeped out of this quartet led by garage rock icon Sky Saxon. Whatever the Seeds did, it sounded somewhat dirty, a maxim that applies to A Web of Sound even if it lacks singles as hard and filthy as "Pushin' Too Hard." Instead, this is a proto-psychedelic trip, kicked off by the cheerful, swirling "Mr. Farmer" -- the Kinks transplanted to a Middle American fable as refracted through the prism of the West Coast -- and "Pictures & Designs," which falls into the "Pushin' Too Hard" progression by its chorus.

Thing is, A Web of Sound was cut long before that single turned into a hit, so neither "Pictures & Designs" in specific or the album as a whole functions as a cash-in. Rather, it's an expansion, downplaying grit and grunge in favor of expansive organ-fueled pop fantasias, minor-chord stomps, an elastic blues burner ("A Faded Picture"), and veiled odes to drugs and sex, all wrapped up via the monumental live-in-the-studio workout "Up in Her Room," nearly 15 minutes of sneering tension and release. "Up in Her Room" compares favorably to Love, and Saxon and Arthur Lee did run in the same circles, but decades later Saxon's downscale aspirations are blindingly apparent; he wasn't seeking transcendence, he was exploiting the moment. As such, A Web of Sound

feels more thoroughly tied to 1966 than most of the Los Angeles rock of that year and that's both its blessing and its curse: it brings the era rushing back but it doesn't suggest any of the future. And yet, that transience is precisely why the album is so enjoyable. All the organs, all the minor-key riffs, all the desperate desire to be a star coalesce into a quintessentially L.A. trip, a harbinger of all the wasted good times that could be found on the Sunset Strip.(allmusic.com)
Very good second album by the band .
Cheers
           Frank 
             Flac

The March Collection: SB's Power Pop Collection Vol.4 (mp3@320)

Hello friends and folks, here is the fourth volume of my homemade collection of popsongs. It takes several hours and cigarettes (that's not political correct hmmm...?...but i've never said this is a drug free blog..i'm just kidding!), a lot diggin' through my music and in the end the hardest part, to choose the songs. 25 this month and i hope you will enjoy. Here is the tracklist:


1 Rainbows-Ross
2 I've been waiting-Matthew Sweet
3 Get down-Jay Gonzales
4 I miss you-Shoes
5 Hazel eyes-Redd Kross        
6 Heard enough-Danny Wilde
7 Up,up and away-Big Hello
8 That someone-Matt Bruno
9 Princess Needy-Sparkle Jets UK
10 God only knows-Timmy Sean
11 It all comes down-Nick Piunti
12 Her stars are my stars-John Wicks
13 Hey Deanie-Shaun Cassidy
14 Solar sister-The Posies
15 Rest up-Jim Basnight
16 Rock'n'Roll Love Letter-The Bay City Rollers
17 Reasons-The Rooks
18 Girl of my dreams-Bram Tchaikovsky
19 Staying out for the summer-Dodgy
20 This can't go on-The Scruffs
21 Nobody knows-Scott McCarl
22 Strawberry afternoon-Double Naught Spies
23 Chance to get away-The Bottle Kids
24 Honest guy-The Popdogs
25 This soul is not for sale-The Jangle Band    

Viel Spass
               Frank    mp3@320

The Seeds - The Seeds 1966 (2010) Flac

Of the great garage punk bands of the 1960s, some were louder (the Sonics), some were angrier (the Music Machine), and some were trippier (the 13th Floor Elevators), but few seemed like a bad influence on so many levels as the Seeds. The Seeds had long hair, a gloriously lamentable fashion sense, an attitude that was at once petulant and lackadaisical, and music that sounded aimless, horny, agitated, and stoned all at once. Is it any wonder America's delinquent youth loved them? The Seeds' aural signature was as distinctive as any band of their era, and they got a bit fancier with their formula as they went along, but they never captured their essential seediness with more impressive concision than they did on their self-titled debut album from 1966. Dominated by the fierce, drawling yelp of Sky Saxon's vocals and Daryl Hooper's hypnotically repetitive keyboard patterns, and supported by the snarling report of Jan Savage's guitar and Rick Andridge's implacable drumming, the Seeds had a limited bag of melodic tricks, but they hardly seemed to care that roughly half their songs sounded identical, as Saxon bellowed about people who had done him wrong in some way or another (usually women) and the band locked into cyclical grooves that picked up impressive momentum when they gained enough traction (especially "Evil Hoodoo," "You Can't Be Trusted," and the Seeds' signature tune "Pushin' Too Hard").

On their second album, A Web of Sound, the Seeds would become more blatant in their celebrations of sex and drugs, but the glorious primitivism and narrower focus of their debut ultimately works to their advantage; there are few albums of the era that mirror the delicious arrogance of a beer-sodden teenage misfit with the effortless simplicity of the Seeds, and it's justly celebrated as a classic of first-wave garage punk.(allmusic.com)

A classic album and a role model for uncounted garage bands of later times. This is the 2010 Japan release of Hayabusa Landings. It's from a series of five albums by the Seeds. Hope you have fun
Cheers
           SB1  Flac

Mod/Psychedelic Garage from the sixties - The Action - Rolled Gold 2002 Flac

The term "lost classic" is applied liberally and often erroneously to unreleased recordings that resurface years later in a maelstrom of hype. However, for the forgotten mod rock also-rans the Action, the term is not only justified, it is painfully bittersweet. On par with such classics of the era as The Who Sell Out or Ogden's Nut Gone Flake but more focused than either, the Action's Rolled Gold goes beyond "lost classic" -- it is the influential masterpiece no one was ever allowed to hear. Despite being signed to Beatles producer George Martin's AIR label and benefiting from a strong club following, the Action never scored a chart hit. By the time they recorded these demo tracks in 1967, the band had grown weary of the musically limited mod scene, which was on its last legs. Guitarist Pete Watson had been replaced by Martin Stone, and the band had developed a more mature sound, one only hinted at on such previous cuts as "Twenty-Fourth Hour." Prefiguring the coming psychedelic movement, the songs were epic, heartfelt, melodic socks to the gut that hinged on vocalist Reggie King's sanguine blue-eyed soul voice and Alan King's slabs of guitar harmony -- think The Who's Tommy meets The Byrds' Fifth Dimension.

Unbelievably, EMI -- AIR's distributor -- was not interested, and the tracks were shelved. Subsequently, Reggie left the band to work on a solo album, and the rest of the group struggled on, eventually morphing into the short-lived hippie band Mighty Baby. Rather than bemoan what could have been though, you are left with what is. Playing like the brilliant missing link between mod and psychedelic rock, Rolled Gold is experimental without being silly or twee and emotionally mature without being pompous and boring. It is the type of album that reveals its brilliance within seconds of hearing the first track and builds momentum from there.

Tracks such as "Something to Say" and especially "Brain" with Reggie pleading for immortality over a hugely anthemic chord progression are as good, if not better, than anything that charted during the late '60s and sound less dated than many of the Action's contemporaries' efforts. It's as if Paul Weller time-traveled back to 1967 and wrote the best songs of his career. Every track is a fully realized melodic and lyrical statement. While there is a roughness to the demo-quality recording, it only magnifies the raw emotions the Action were able to translate into timeless music -- music that deserved much better than it got.

What a good band. What a goddamned good band. Every track here is top notch sixties mod music with such a lovely psychedelic feeling that i can't understand why the band don't got the success they deserved. But maybe the things would be different if ''Rolled Gold'' had been released when it was recorded like Ric Menk said.
This is highly recommended if you are in 60's pop music. I know you guys (and girls) will enjoy!
Have Fun
               Frank   Flac

Powerpop For Saturday Mornings! - Tinted Windows 2009 (Flac)

Comprised of several generations of pop-minded hitmakers, Tinted Windows combine a supergroup pedigree with an appreciation for sugary, unapologetic power pop. Singer Taylor Hanson and bassist Adam Schlesinger initially crossed paths in the mid-'90s, during Hanson's heyday as a teen heartthrob and Schlesinger's early development with Fountains of Wayne. Although the two expressed interest in a collaborative project, each had more pressing responsibilities to attend to, including Schlesinger's management of his own label (Scratchie Records, co-owned with longtime friend James Iha). As the years progressed, Iha left the Smashing Pumpkins' lineup but continued to work alongside Schlesinger, even lending his guitar skills to Fountains of Wayne's 2003 effort, Welcome Interstate Managers.

Several years later, Schlesinger and Hanson decided to finally launch their long-gestating collaboration, and Iha happily climbed abroad as the band's guitarist. The trio then sought out a drummer, hoping to find someone who played in the vein of Cheap Trick's Bun E. Carlos. They eventually extended the invitation to Carlos himself, who enjoyed the band's demo material and decamped to New York to work alongside the band. Tinted Windows signed with S Curve Records, Fountains of Wayne's former label, and released their debut album in spring 2009.(allmusic.com)

Four poor hard working guys founded a band and...i'm just kidding and without cynism, you know i'm a lover for this kind of music. Sure this is a pretty sugary affair but nevertheless on a sunny saturday morning this is a fine wake up soundtrack. Sometimes i ask myself why this kind of projects will realized. Money? I don't know and if i am honest i don't care. Pull the controller up to full volume and dance in your bed on a sunny saturday morning.
Enjoy
         Frank  Flac

The Blow Pops - American Beauties 1994, Charmed I'm Sure 1993, 7'' My Carrie/Bleary Eyes 1993 mp3

The Blow Pops - American Beauties 1994, Charmed I'm Sure 1993, 7'' My Carrie/Bleary Eyes 1993

Charmed I'm Sure:
One of the key albums of the early days of the '90s power pop renaissance, the Blow Pops' 1993 debut is one of those rare contemporary power pop records that both salutes its '60s and '70s influences and delivers the songs with a crisp freshness that makes it sound like more than another attempt to be the next Raspberries. Plasticland's John Frankovic produced the album with little of the over-the-top mannerisms of his own band (though he does sneak a little lysergic glitter onto a few tracks), keeping the songs front and center. Those songs, by either Mike Jarvis or Tim Buckley, are uniformly sparkling, with catchy guitar riffs, singalong choruses, and the sort of clever arrangements that reveal new facets on repeated listens. The opening "Wake up Mary" is the most immediately catchy tune, but the album's real highlight is the closing "Under the Big Top," a knowing nod to the age of "A Quick One While He's Away" and "Excerpt From a Teenage Opera." The Blow Pops connect four songs into a perfect little miniature rock opera, with sound effects and clever links and interludes. It's a commendable bit of experimentation and easily the most fun tune on the whole album. Charmed, I'm Sure (the title is a wink at Charms candy, makers of the bubblegum-filled lollipops known as Blow Pops) can be difficult to find, but it's well worth the search.

American Beauties (1995):
Milwaukee quartet the Blow Pops were one of the great indie power pop bands of the early '90s, but they broke up after only two albums, too soon to really benefit from the Internet-spawned growth of the underground power pop scene that started around 1995. Although they can be difficult to locate due to their limited distribution, the Blow Pops' two albums are revered by many fans of the style.
The Blow Pops formed in late 1989 when singer/guitarist Mike Jarvis (once in the Chicago pop-punk band Green) and guitarist Tim Buckley (formerly of local legends Wobble Test, and not the late folk-jazz singer) joined with bassist John Daniels and drummer Nick Randazzo, and released their first single, "Stop!" backed with "I Know Nancy," the following year. Daniels was replaced in 1991 by Jack Rice, formerly of the excellently named the Mighty Deer Lick. The quartet's first album, Charmed I'm Sure, came out on the Pittsburgh garage rock indie Get Hip in 1992. A masterful blend of hooks and harmonies produced by John Frankovic of Plasticland, Charmed I'm Sure (a punning nod to Charms, the candy company that makes the bubble gum-filled lollipops known as Blow Pops) even contains "Under the Big Top," a four-part extended mini-opera in the manner of the Who's "A Quick One While He's Away."

Following another single, 1993's "My Carrie" backed with "Bleary Eyes" (both tracks showed up on the CD version of the next album), the Blow Pops recorded their second and final album, 1994's American Beauties. Produced by Jeff Murphy of Shoes, American Beauties is a little crunchier than the harmony-heavy, lightly psychedelic debut. (More Who than Hollies, that is.) The songs are every bit as strong, however.

The Blow Pops broke up in early 1995. Jarvis, Randazzo, and Rice went on to form the Lackloves, a superb power pop band that fulfills much of the Blow Pops' promise. Buckley moved to Richmond, VA, and followed a surprisingly different musical path, forming the neo-psychedelic, almost space rock Maki.

 Here are the Blow Pops with two real great Power Pop albums and a 7'' of the nineties. This is first class Power Pop. Don't miss it. Charmed I'm Sure is in m4a because i downloaded the album from the internet (but i can't remember where. Thanks to the original uploader.) I post both albums separate.

Enjoy it
             Frank  American Beauties
                        Charmed I'm Sure

Robin Zander - Robin Zander 1993 (1996) mp3

Hello Folks and friends here comes after Mr. Carlos yesterday the second guy of Cheap Trick, the wonderful Power Pop Rockband from the United States. To me the band is legendary also because they took Power Pop in the livingrooms in the seventies not only in the US but also around the world.   I remember very well when 'I want you to want me' and the Budokan album came over Germany....ah those were the days...Okay stop!!! Enough of forty years old stories lol. Enjoy the album by Robin Zander because it's a good one and the vocals of Robin Zander are always outstanding. 4 and a half star out of 6. :-)
Cheers Frank 

Unlike many lead singers of successful bands, Cheap Trick's Robin Zander waited until after the commercial fortunes of his band had dissipated before offering a solo project. Although fellow Trickster Tom Peterssen plays bass on one track ("Emily") and Rick Nielsen co-wrote another ("Secret"), Zander had aligned himself with Southern California session men, such as Gregg Bissonette, Kim Bullard and Steve Ferris. Guests ranging from members of the Heartbreakers, Maria McKee, Dr. John, and Stevie Nicks also lend their talents. At heart, though, the artist doesn't deviate much from his work with Cheap Trick.

It's a balanced mix of taut, power pop ("Reactionary Girl," "I've Always Got You"), heartfelt ballads ("Show Me Heaven," "Time Will Let You Know"), and tasty covers (Harry Nilsson's "Jump Into The Fire," Neil Young's "I Believe In You"). Zander's not redefining pi here. Instead, it's fifty minutes of well-crafted rock delivered by one of the most-gifted vocalists and frontmen in rock history.(allmusic.com)

mp3@320
 

A Classic Power Pop Album From 1979

 Get The Knack - The Knack 1979

 The Knack attempted to update the Beatles sound for the new wave era on their debut -- a good idea that was well executed, but critics cried "foul" when millions sold after Capitol's pre-release hype (it went gold in 13 days and eventually sold five million copies, making it one of the most successful debuts in history). Get the Knack is at once sleazy, sexist, hook-filled, and endlessly catchy -- above all, it's a guilty pleasure and an exercise in simple fun. When is power pop legitimate anyway? Includes the unforgettable hits "My Sharona" and "Good Girls Don't." (allmusic)

...and ten more unforgettable hits. In 1979 when the album came out it kicked me out of my shoes. My Sharona sounds from every radio and everywhere you go. But it was not only My Sharona, to me it whas the whole album. Twelve songs made for dancing the night away. To me the album was like to be in heaven. And i listen today to the album, not like i have done it in '79 but from time to time.
If you like it...enjoy!
                                SB1  Flac

The Knack - Time Time Time The Complete UK Singles(and more)

Taking their name from Richard Lester's swinging London classic The Knack and How to Get It and their sound from the Kinks, the Knack captured a certain vibe from mid-'60s Britain -- which isn't quite the same thing as making an impact at the time. One of the charms of the Knack is that they were so of their time that they don't quite transcend their time, yet they evoke it, which is why Time Time Time: The Complete UK Singles (And More) 1965-1967 is enjoyable even if it isn't quite memorable. What's striking is indeed how much they sound like the Kinks circa Something Else; unlike the equally Kinks-obsessed Turquoise, who delved deeply into The Village Green, there aren't many signs of wry whimsy here -- there's nothing but lean, hard-hitting, hooky pop. Which isn't to say that the Knack only reworked the driving rock & roll of "Who'll Be the Next in Line?," the Ray Davies song they covered and which opens this collection.
They could branch out, as on the terrific "Time Time Time," which glides along on swirling guitars and harmonies, a piece of pure '60s pop that still can thrill. They rarely reached this height, but they did nice covers of the Lovin' Spoonful (both "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?," which they pumped up with fuzz-toned guitar, and "Younger Girl"); "Save All My Love for Joey" is a pretty nice slice of soft, string-laced pop; "Take Your Love" is bright, crystalline pop; "(Man from The) Marriage Guidance and Advice Bureau" plays as if the Hollies tried to write a Dylan song instead of just singing them; and Paul Gurvitz's pair of originals, "Dolly Catcher Man" and "Lights on the Wall," are very good, propulsive British psychedelic pop, suggesting the potential of Gurvitz as a songwriter. These moments are a little fleeting on Time Time Time, as they're surrounded by perfectly fine but mildly forgettable period pieces, but they're the reason for '60s collectors to check out this likable band. (allmusic.com)

Wonderful '60s band.
Enjoy
         SB1  Flac

Bram Tchaikowsky - The Russians Are Coming (1980) 1998 Flac

Bram Tchaikovsky (born Peter Bramall) began playing in local pub rock bands in Lincolnshire, England, in the late '60s. He joined the Motors in 1977 and was relegated to mere sideman status by the nucleus of the band, songwriters Andy McMaster and Nick Garvey. While waiting on pre-production work for the second Motors album, Tchaikovsky took the opportunity to do some recording of his own. The resulting single, "Sarah Smiles," drew enough interest for him to leave the Motors and form his own band. In addition to its leader, the band Bram Tchaikovsky consisted of Mike Broadbent (bass, keyboards) and Keith Boyce (drums).

They signed to the new Radar label in 1978 along with Stiff expatriates Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello. The band showed a great deal of promise with their first album, Strange Man Changed Man, fitting in nicely with the growing power pop movement. The unforgettable "Girl of My Dreams," a true high point of the time, became a minor hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Tchaikovsky continued on through rapid personnel changes for two more albums, The Russians Are Coming (released in the U.S. as Pressure) in 1980 and Funland in 1981. A considerable drop in sales prompted Tchaikovsky to dissolve the band and retire from the music business.

This is the second album by Bram Tchaikovsky and in my opinion it is just a little bit weaker than 'Strange Man Changed Man'. Both are fie Power Pop albums. In the US 'Russians were released as ''Pressure'' and i think the reason was because of the political situation (the cold war). I will post some more stuff of Bram Tchaikovsky in the next days.
Enjoy
         SB1 Flac

Bun E. Carlos - Greetings From Bunezuela 2016 mp3

Bun E. Carlos (born Brad M. Carlson) is the amiable and adroit drummer, archivist, and set list writer for Rockford, Illinois' illustrious Cheap Trick. Leaving behind the oldies circuit, Carlos fine-tuned his avuncular charm and steady beat as Trick became local heroes and then mega-stars, rising to a brief plateau period in the late '70s. (Another obvious high point came working with John Lennon in 1980.) The band weathered some hard times during the '80s until 1988, when "The Flame" became Trick's only number one (all four members hated this factory ballad). Carlos held drum clinics, produced the Blues Hawks, and lent his talents (along with guitarist Rick Nielsen) to Jim Peterik's band World Stage. After a few quiet decades, Carlos returned to the spotlight in 2009 with a new band, Tinted Windows. Joined by Taylor Hanson (Hanson), James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins), and Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne), the band released one album and toured briefly. Carlos formed another band in 2011 called Candy Golde, issuing just one EP. After being embroiled in lawsuits with his Cheap Trick bandmates, Carlos and the band eventually settled legal differences in time for their induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, where the quartet performed together for the first time in years. Months later, Carlos released Greetings from Bunezuela!, a solo album comprised of covers from acts like the Bee Gees, the Rolling Stones, the Who, and Guided by Voices, whose Robert Pollard appeared on a cover of first single "Do Something Real." Tinted Windows bandmate Taylor Hanson also contributed to the album with his brothers, as well as Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum) and John Stirratt (Wilco).

Some really fine interpretations of the cover songs here. ''Tell me'' by the Stones for example is a wonderful version of the song. A lot of good songs are here. Sure, the album don't invent the Rock'n'Roll new but it makes fun.
Greetings
               Frank   mp3@320

Barry & The Remains - The Remains 1966 (Epic 1991) Flac

The Remains formed in 1964 at Boston University, where all four members were first-year students living in the same dorm in Kenmore Square. Singer-guitarist Barry Tashian and keyboardist Bill Briggs were from Westport, Connecticut, drummer Chip Damiani from Wolcott, Connecticut, and bassist Vern Miller from Livingston, New Jersey. They began playing r&b and rock'n'roll covers, as well as some Tashian originals, at The Rathskeller, a tavern across the square from their dorm. Soon, fans were lining up from Kenmore Square to Fenway Park to see them, and management had to clear out a disused basement to accommodate the crowds
The band became a popular live act throughout New England, and, after signing with Epic Records, enjoyed local hits with a catchy, swinging Tashian original, "Why Do I Cry", and their hard-driving version of the Bo Diddley/Willie Dixon classic "Diddy Wah Diddy". In 1965 the Remains relocated to New York City - where they appeared on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' - and then, after about a year, moved on to California. They recorded an album, The Remains, appeared on NBC TV's 'Hullabaloo', and released the soulful, hard-rocking single "Don't Look Back".
In 1966 came the opportunity which might have broken the band nationally, but proved instead to be their last hurrah: they were offered a three-week stint as an opening act for the Beatles, on what would turn out to be the fab four's final tour. Immediately before the tour, drummer Chip Damiani quit the band, to be replaced by future Mountain drummer N.D. Smart. Said Tashian in a 2012 interview: "We had always been the four of us and we’d played hundreds and hundreds of gigs as the four of us and all of a sudden this big tour comes up and boom! We have to play it with a new drummer who didn’t have the same feel that Chip had. I mean he was a fine drummer but it wasn’t the same band. I just felt like the flame was burning down without our original drummer."

The Band broke up late 1966.(discogs)

Sixties Garage/Pop Rock band from the sixties. Who knows what had happened if they played the tour...
Have fun
               Frank   Flac
                                          Complete Artwork
The complete artwork is contributed by Javier.