JESSE ED DAVIS - Keep Me Comin' [USA rock 1973]

Originally issued in 1973 by Epic, Keep Me Comin' was Oklahoma guitar firebrand Jesse Ed Davis' (who began his career at 16 with Conway Twitty in 1964) third and last album for the label. It featured a killer band featuring drummer Jim Keltner, keyboardist Jim Gordon, and bassist Bob Glaub with a slew of side players featured in various places on horns (Clifford Scott, George Bohannon, Jerry Jumonville, and Howard Johnson among them), and backing vocals and notable cameos by Merry Clayton, Bonnie Bramlett, Leon Russell, and many others. The music walks a line between electrified blues ("Big Dipper"), Southern fried rocked up R&B ("She's a Pain" and "Where Am I Now"), greasy funk (Andre Williams' "Bacon Fat") freaky soul-jazz ("Natural Anthem" and "6:00 Bugalu"), country-rock ("Ching, Ching China Boy" -- a song about the racial epithets tossed his way when he was young -- and "Keep Me Comin'"). In other words, from all appearances it's an all over the place mess. Interestingly, that is exactly what most of the music press thought and it sank like a stone. Hearing it over 30 years later, there is an undeniable appeal to this music. Davis may have been self-destructive, but he was wildly adventurous musically, and he had the chops to pull it off. He could play with anyone, and his approach was deeply roadhouse blues and soul-jazz. His approach to funky was relaxed and natural, and nothing feels forced here at all. If anything, this may be the best of his studio records for Epic because the groove from track to track is constant, loose, and organic. "6:00 Bugalu" in particular is monstrously funky, the horn section is just popping, and the bassline is pure bad nasty! Davis' chunky rhythm fills and changes get underneath all tinny and nasty. His solo, with full-on phase shifter is economical, tight, and in the cut. There are certain production elements that don't date so well, but these are such minor considerations that they don't even matter. If anything, Keep Me Comin' is a record that really deserves to be reconsidered for its sheer musical merit. If anything, Davis' forgotten legacy, includes sessions with Russell, Bob Dylan, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Ry Cooder, Taj Mahal, and John Trudell, to name a handful; he was George Harrison's guitarist at the Concert for Bangladesh as an ill Eric Clapton's replacement. Davis' work deserves to be reconsidered and this set is part of the evidence.

Davis

DANNY & DUSTY - Here's To You Max Morlock (Live in Nuremberg] [USA rock 2007]

Danny & Dusty wasn't actually a duo, but a supergroup of sorts comprised of players from groups associated with L.A.'s paisley underground. Danny & Dusty consisted of Dan Stuart of Green on Red and the Dream Syndicate's Steve Wynn -- along with members of their bands -- plus Sid Griffin, Stephen McCarthy, and Tom Stevens from the Long Ryders. The gathering of friends recorded one album in February 1985 over the course of a single, notoriously booze-soaked weekend. Appropriately, the effort was titled Lost Weekend. It would assume legendary status among the followers of the paisley underground, though certainly many of the players here are from more of a roots rock, country-punk bent. The sleeve notes hail the effort as an amalgam of "friendship, fear, drunkenness, death, and elusive salvation," a fair enough assessment of the loose, boozy set. The LP consisted of seven Stuart/Wynn compositions, plus a cover of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," and the sound varied from country-pop to blazing barroom rock. In the mid-'80s, Danny & Dusty also played many shows, primarily around L.A. and with different lineups, before eventually disappearing. 

DannyDusty

RICHARD X. HEYMAN - Living Room [USA power pop 1988] 1990 Cypress Records

A slightly remixed reissue of an album originally self-released (in a different sleeve) in 1988, Richard X. Heyman's Living Room!! is one of the D.I.Y. power pop highlights of the '80s, a decade that didn't really see many of those. Prior to the Internet-spawned growth of the pop underground later in the decade, it was all but impossible for an album like Living Room!! to reach its target audience, most of whom discovered even this reissue in the deep-discount remainder bins where it remained a staple through the first half of the '90s. Happily, that audience did find this album (and its major-label follow-up, 1991's Hey Man!) in quantities enough for Heyman's late-'90s material to reach the cult following he deserves. As the title suggests, these 14 songs were recorded in a living room studio in Manhattan, with Heyman himself playing all of the instruments except for three bass parts, a guitar line, and a piano and vocal part, courtesy of his wife, Nancy Leigh, on the wistful "Union County Line." The homemade provenance of the album keeps it from sounding too slick and studio-bound (like, unfortunately, Hey Man!), though Heyman's craft and care are obvious in the sweetly overdubbed vocals and just-so arrangements. Most importantly, however, this is a fine collection of songs, with non-clichéd melodies and hooks married to a more intelligent and intriguing collection of lyrics than the usual "oh girl I do/don't love you" power pop babble. The alienated "Call Out the Military" and the rattling "Wouldn't That Be a Riot" (possibly the first power pop song to make good lyrical use of the word "davening") are the best of the bunch, but only the sour-grapes whine of the anti-critic screed "Local Paper" falters lyrically. Living Room!! can be difficult to find, but it's worth the effort; this is one of the all-time great power pop CDs.
Heyman

Jason Crest - Radio Sessions 1968-69

JASON CREST Radio Sessions 1968-69 featuring recordings made for radio broadcast in November 1968 & November 1969, which see the 'Crest thunder their way through chart hits ['Paint It, Black', 'California Dreamin''], current live favourites ['Hold On', 'Better By You, Better Than Me'] & their own unique compositions, long overdue proof that the group were everything that their fans have always claimed!

Jason

ANDREW SANDOVAL - 33 The Best of Andrew [USA pop rock 2006]

Compilation of tracks from Andrew's 3 albums, single & EP, plus a few previously unreleased tracks.

Andrew Sandoval is an American record producer, who is best known as a Grammy Award nominated producer and engineer of historical albums, containing popular music from the rock era. Additionally, Sandoval has ongoing careers as author, DJ, journalist, songwriter and professional musician. Born in Santa Monica, California, his career in music began in 1986 as the editor and publisher of a fanzine called New Breed, a project that blossomed into work as a reissue producer for such labels as Rhino and PolyGram. His writing has appeared in the form of liner notes to record and CD releases, as well as in articles featured in The Hollywood Reporter and Shindig!

Best

MISTY HUSH REVIVAL - Your Heart Is Broken [USA garage 1972] 2012 Guerssen CD

One of the most obscure U.S. private pressings from the late '60s/early '70s. For many years, The Misty Hush Revival name was only a rumor whispered in collector's circles, with only a handful of copies known of the original album around today. LikeThe Bachs or The Index, this is one of those hard-to-describe albums which seems to live in a world of its own. Despite the late 1972 release date, the music here sounds more late '60s than early '70s and the whole album has a cool, lost-in-time atmosphere. The group were in fact a club band from New Jersey, but surprisingly all the tracks are originals -- no cover versions -- and they range from fragile, dreamy pop-psych numbers to raw garage, fuzzed-out jams and teen-beat sounds. Like Patrick Lundborg says in Acid Archives: "A cool, atmospheric trip for fans of the tri-state late '60s club sound." 

Your Heart Is Broken

THE REDONDOS - Full Circle With [1965 USA] 2013 Break-A-Way

“Full Circle With The Redondos” is a limited vinyl-only release for collectors and connoisseurs of vintage garage music and offers a valuable insight into the past-history of one of the most exciting Pacific North West Psyschedelic Bands - The United Travel Service. Founded in Portland, Oregon, three members of the United Travel Service took their first musical steps in the Redondos. Like their successors, the band left a large number of unreleased recordings dating from 1965/66. Influenced by early sixties Surf and inspired by the British Invasion, the Redondos created an unique sound providing an amazing mix of storming Surf tunes, Rock ‘n’ Roll standards and moody originals, written by guitarist Ben Hoff. The innocent charm of their Beau Brummels type edgy folkbeat already reflects the magic and authenticity of the later United Travel Service material and sets The Redondos apart from the typical mid-sixties regional North West Sound of the time. The Redondos never released any records, but after a serious run through their musical legacy, we have sorted out and re-mastered their best tracks to a great blend of enjoyable covers and stand-out originals. For the group these recordings still reflect a special moment in time after nearly fifty years. Take your chance and share this unforgettable moment on this true labour of love release and be in the “Full Circle with the Redondos”.

 

redondos

STRANGE BOYS - Be Brave [USA 2010]

A jaunty harmonica is the first thing you hear on Be Brave, suggesting that not much has changed in the Strange Boys’ world, and not much needs to. The Austin, TX band still serves up plenty of prime down-home swagger and twang on their second album, especially on irresistible rockers like “Night Might.” However, the Strange Boys get a little moodier and more expansive on these songs, enlisting friends like Mika Miko’s Jenna Thornhill and Darker My Love’s Tim Presley to help them go deeper into the swampy grooves that popped up from time to time on Strange Boys and Girls Club. “Dare I Say” dabbles in folk-rock with acoustic guitars and hand drums, “Fridays in Paris” reveals the band’s roots rock underpinnings, and though “A Walk on the Bleach” eventually turns into a rave-up, its drunken philosophizing at the start recalls the Walkmen as much as it does Bob Dylan. And though songs like “Between Us” show that ‘60s British blues and psych-rock are still strong influences on the Strange Boys’ music, their Lone Star heritage peeks out too, with shades of Doug Sahm and the 13th Floor Elevators popping up on the old-school vibe of “Be Brave.” At times, the Strange Boys’ exploration of their slower, thoughtful side gets a bit meandering, as on “Da Da” and “The Unsent Letter,” but more often than not, it’s refreshing to hear them open up their nostalgic melodies and make them less naïve; on “Laugh at Sex, Not Her,” singer Ryan Sambol muses about his friends having sex in the room next to him, “they love each other and for some reason that pleases me” over a rumbling groove. With songs like “All You Can Hide Inside” revealing a flair for rough-around-the-edges ballads, Be Brave shows that the Strange Boys are growing -- not in a self-consciously “mature” way, but enough to make them more than just purveyors of raffish garage rock.

Brave

THE BLOW POPS - American Beauties [USA 1994]

One of the great indie power pop albums of the '90s, the Blow Pops' second and final album is a bit harder rocking than their psych-influenced debut. Produced by Jeff Murphy of the diehard Illinois power poppers Shoes, American Beauties turns up the distortion pedals just a hair, while also refining the Raspberries-style harmonies of guitarists Mike Jarvis and Tim Buckley and bassist Jack Rice. The results are similar to early Posies, without the production gloss that some felt marred that band's albums. 

Pops

LEFT LANE CRUISER - Beck In Black [USA 2016]

"Beck In Black" is a collection of songs from their first albums for Alive, hand picked by original drummer Brenn "Sausage Paw" Beck (now replaced by Pete Dio), lovingly remastered.

Trashed-out punk/blues duo Left Lane Cruiser has been making records for over a decade, and along with their music being featured in many hit television series such as Banshee, Breaking Bad, and Nashville, they have been receiving critical acclaim across the globe.


The perfect introduction to Left Lane Cruiser early years with drummer Brenn "Sausage Paw" Beck.

1. The Pusher (previously unreleased - cd only)
2. Circus
3. G Bob
4. Bloodhound (previously unreleased)
5. Chevrolet w/ Jim Diamond
6. Zombie Blocked
7. Sausage Paw (previously unreleased - cd only)
8. Crackalacka
9. Hip Hop w/ James Leg
10. Heavy
11. Maybe (previously unreleased)
12. Amy's In The Kitchen
13. Chicken (previously unreleased)
14. Juice To Get Loose – instrumental version (previously unreleased - cd only)

left

REIGNING SOUND - Live At Goner Records [USA 2005]

Who can argue that Memphis, TN is truly one of America's greatest cities? Imagine living in a town where you can not only still go to a fine record store on a Saturday afternoon (you know, those places where you used to buy music before downloads, but while looking for that elusive Compulsive Gamblers 7" or Andre Williams reissue, you can sometimes hear actual musicians perform for your pleasure! And when the artists in question happen to be Reigning Sound, you have clearly hit the jackpot of rock & roll cool. Greg Cartwright and his latest rhythm section dropped by Goner Records in Memphis on June 26, 2005 to play a few tunes, and thankfully someone had the good sense to record the show; for someone playing a free gig for a handful of shoppers, Cartwright isn't afraid to work up a sweat, and both his guitar work and his vocals are rough, sweet, and full of soul on this disc. Live at Goner Records features selections from Reigning Sound's first three studio albums as well as a few well-chosen covers (including Sam the Sham's "Black Sheep" and Dan Penn's "Do Something"), and while this isn't Greg Cartwright's strongest or tightest performance (he forgets the ending to "Do Something" and he has to abandon "Two Thieves" due to faulty grounding), the spirit was clearly with him -- unlike most folks on the garage punk nexus, he clearly understands that the history of this music goes back farther than Lenny Kaye assembling the Nuggets compilations, and he weaves country, soul, and blues into raw, no-frills rock & roll with an unforced intelligence and passion whenever he steps in front of a mike. Like most live albums, Live at Goner Records is for serious fans rather than the uninitiated, but anyone who understands what makes Reigning Sound a great band will have a blast reliving this afternoon in their career. 

Live

HOLLIS BROWN - Ride On The Train [USA 2013]

New York City's Hollis Brown (a band, not a person) have a tight, sparse classic rock sound that incorporates melodic pop, slight country touches, and, underneath it all, a kind of bedrock blues sensibility, and when they're at their best, they sound like all of those things at once, a bit like hearing Steve Earle fronting a stripped-down version of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers. Ride on the Train is the group's debut full-length album, and it's a gem, full of memorable songs and a sharp, taut sound that only includes what is necessary to put the song over. There's so much to like here, including the title track and opener "Ride on the Train," which lopes joyously and features a can't-miss, hooky chorus, as does the wonderful and grand "Faith & Love," while "Gypsy Black Cat" and "Down on Your Luck" sound a bit like Tom Petty gone country, only without losing a whisper of Petty's spunk and attitude. This is a band that knows rock roots and history, and knows exactly what it's doing, and the arrangements here have no unneeded embellishments: the guitars are whip sharp and appropriate, the drum sound is tight, spare, and perfect, and the harmonies don't overdo. This is a band with a bright future. 

Hollis

STRYCHNINE - Amour Dehors 1976-1981 [France 2006] Bordeaux Rock

Formé en 1976, Strychnine est le premier groupe rock bordelais digne de ce nom. Sauvage et authentique, il incarne la quintessence du rock français underground des années punk.

Le festival de Mont-de-Marsan ouvre la brèche pour tous ces groupes bordelais issus de la nouvelle vague rock, dont les initiales, à l’instar de celles de Strychnine, commencent presque toutes par ST, écot local aux Stooges.
Au mois d’août 1977, les cinq Strychnine montent sur scène juste avant The Clash et enflamment les arènes. La moyenne d'age du groupe est alors de dix-huit ans !

Agressifs et maniérés, les cinq vivent alors pleinement leurs excès rock. Tout semble possible. « Va jusqu’au bout de l’ennui, va jusqu’au bout de ta nuit » entend-on sur Ex-Bx, aux allures d’adieux au Port de la Lune (…)
Grâce à ces fulgurances et ces concerts intenses, le groupe entre instantanément dans la légende du rock français, laissant derrière lui un héritage flamboyant.

Vingt-cinq ans après ces faits d’armes exemplaires, Amours dehors offre un instantané saisissant sur les années 1976 à 1981, lorsque Strychnine était le plus grand groupe français de sa génération. Aujourd’hui, la réédition des exploits soniques du groupe n’est plus un vœu pieux.

Strychnine

ANGIE PEPPER - THE PASSENGERS - It's Just That I Miss You [2001] & Res Ipsa Loquitor [2003]

The Angie Pepper Band was a band formed in Sydney, Australia, which centralised around the artist Angie Pepper. Angie Pepper first came to notice as vocalist for the post punk independent Sydney band the Passengers, who produced one single ("Face With No Name") on the Phantom label. She married Radio Birdman co-founder Deniz Tek, and they played together in the short lived Angie Pepper Band whose ranks included a future Hoodoo Guru in Clyde Bramley and a former Saints drummer in Ivor Hay.

The band was short lived but in its time recorded a single called "Frozen World". Tracks that were recorded by the Passengers (in 1982) and the Angie Pepper Band (in 1984) were compiled on an LP and CD called It's Just that I Miss You that was issued on Citadel Records in 2001. In 2003 Angie Pepper released Res Ipsa Loquitor on Career Records, her first album of newly recorded material in years, which signals a powerful renaissance for this great singer. She has been described by Aretha Franklin's producer Arif Mardin as having a "most special voice".

It's Just That I Miss You

Res Ipsa Loquitor

EPICYCLE - You're Not Gonna Get It [USA 1978-81] 2013 HoZac Records

Epicycle was the band that Ellis Clark (then known as Andrew Clark) founded in 1977. Epicycle went through 3 incarnations before it settled into its most commonly known line-up which consisted of Ellis (Andrew) Clark/Lead Vocals, Guitar & Keyboards, Robert Conte/Lead Vocals & Bass Guitar, Terry Turner/Guitar & Back Up Vocals, Keith Fox/ Drums (1979-1980) later to be replaced by Ellis Clark's brother Tom Clark/Drums (1980-1982).

During the years 1979-1981, Epicycle released 2 extended play 7-inch records, a 7 inch single ("School Girls" backed with "Residential Area") and a 12 song LP album entitled "Epicycle Special First Edition" all on their own label Cirkle Records. 

Epicycle

PRIX - Historix [USA power pop 1975-1976] HoZac Records 2016

Featuring exclusive 1975-76 Ardent Studios recordings with Tommy Hoehn, Jon Tiven, Chris Bell and Alex Chilton (from BIG STAR), as well as Rick Clark, Hilly Michaels and Jim Dickinson. HoZac Archival features the complete PRIX recordings, an essential Memphis power pop masterpiece that was sadly only available in Japan on CD-only in the early 2000s, first time on vinyl for most of these tracks.

Prix

Los Pepes - For Everyone 2014 (Wanda Records WR066)

LOS PEPES are a punkrock- / powerpop-three piece, which got together 2012 in London and whose sound on the one side is deeply inspired of 77-heroes such as the TESTORS, Johnny Thunders, ZEROS or BOYS, but on the other hand also adds this pop-sensitivity and harmonies of forgotten (garage-)powerpop-jewels, as to be found on old Nuggets- and Pebbels-compilations, to it: Loud, frantic and raw, but always still with that necessary amount of sugarcoating on top!

Pepes

Tyll - Sexphonie 1975 (Kerston 65025)

Sexphonie was the only album featuring Tyll, a truly talented and versatile band. They weren’t together long, but left a lasting impression. Tyll were founded in 1975, and by the time the year was over. the band was history. Despite being together less than a year, Tyll left behind a  memorable musical legacy. That’s their groundbreaking debut album Sexphonie. If finds Tyll switching seamlessly between musical genres, as they create what’s nowadays regarded as a hidden gem and a lost Krautrock cult classic, Sexphonie.

Sexphonie

PAUL COLLINS - King Of Power Pop [USA power pop 2010]

Is Paul Collins truly the King of Power Pop? That's the kind of statement guaranteed to open a can of worms among record collector types, but Collins certainly has a more honest claim to the title than most folks, given the great records he made in the 1970s and '80s with the Nerves, the Breakaways, and the Beat (aka the Paul Collins Beat). Collins has cut a handful of fine records since the breakup of the Beat, but King of Power Pop! is the first one in ages that captures the tough, upbeat sound of his most memorable work, and it proves the man hasn't lost his touch for writing tight, hooky tunes with killer hooks and energetic guitar figures. Collins' voice is a little rougher than it was in his salad days, but he makes that work to his favor, giving the songs a touch of defiant swagger even when he's sounding sweet and heartbroken, and when he and his lead guitarist Eric Blakely lock in, this sounds like the perfect follow-up to the Beat's classic albums for Columbia, bursting with tuneful vigor and rock & roll passion (and arriving a mere quarter-century after the fact). Collins recorded King of Power Pop! in Detroit with producer and engineer Jim Diamond (who also plays bass), and the album features a crew of Motor City notables who give these songs the fire and muscle they need, including Dave Shettler on drums, Wally Palmar (of the Romantics) on harmonica and harmonies, and Nikki Corvette on backing vocals. But the album wouldn't work if Collins didn't have a batch of great songs on hand, and "C'Mon Let's Go," "Doin' It for the Ladies," and "Don't Blame Your Troubles on Me" are instant power pop classics that all but explode from the speakers, while "Many Roads to Follow" (written in collaboration with his old bandmate Peter Case) shows he hasn't lost touch with his contemplative side, and "This Is America" builds to a gloriously frantic coda that rocks like nobody's business. (And the covers of "The Letter" and "You Tore Me Down" demonstrate Collins knows how to bring his own personality into someone else's great song.) Paul Collins might not be the King of Power Pop, but if there was an elected President of Power Pop, an album this good would certainly sweep him into office; it's fun, raucous, thoroughly enjoyable rock & roll from one of pop's greatest unsung heroes. 

King of Power Pop

MANDRA GORA LIGHSHOW SOCIETY - Beyond The Mushroom Gate [GER psychedelic 1999]

Originally released in 1999 (reviewed by Scott Heller in AI #8), Mandra Gora Lightshow Society's Beyond The Mushroam Gate has been reissued by the U.S. based Liquid Sound label with 20 minutes of bonus material including a 15 jam with Nik Turner at the 12th German Hawkwind meeting and a cover of Pink Floyd's "Point Me At The Sky". For the uninitiated, the band play a cosmic blend of Doors styled 60's psychedelia and mind melting space rock. On this album the band consists of Anders Becker on vocals, organs, and Wurlitzer E-Piano, Willem Kucharzik on vocals and guitars, Martin König on drums and percussion, Willi Dammeier on effects, plus guests on sax and vocals.

The album opens with the fantastic "I Don't Want To Rewind The Time". An intro of saxophone and trippy guitars meander about and build tension until nearly the 4 minute mark when the full band launches into song. The organ lays down a great Ray Manzarek styled groove, the guitars are searing, and all of this occurs within a rumbling spaced out stew of looped and bubbling paisley sounds. Definitely one of the best cosmic psychedelic songs I've heard in a long time. The great sounds of the 60's are here but Mandragora Lightshow Society inject a much more spaced element to the music than most of their influences.
 
"Der Hieronimus Bosch Trip" and "Magic Rushroom" are similar extended instrumental tracks. "Der Hieronimus Bosch Trip" begins with an intro of metallic chords, freaky looped guitar patterns, and totally spaced out synths. The drums soon start to bash and the organ kicks in with screaming extended notes. This is much darker then most of the other tracks on the album. It's almost orchestral in it's continual buildup and that kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for the band to launch into something. This is a track that just continually "happens" rather than attempting to travel anywhere in particular. Intense... freaky... love it. "Magic Rushroom" has a similar extended buildup. The sound of cars zooming by sets the theme of traveling down a highway. The cars are in a rush, while the music is trippy, floating, and heavily spaced. There's a bit of a "song" injected at one point, sort of an old Barrett-era Pink Floyd feel, but this is brief and for the most part the tune just trips down the cosmic highway and the listener can simply enjoy the ride and the view. "Floating At The Gates Of Dawn" is a nice flowing 15-minute psychedelic jam embellished by Nik Turner's flute. It must have sounded great at the festival where this was recorded

Among the shorter psychedelic songs is "Unknown Gem", which has a 60's flower power pop feel, but all the crazed sounds are ever-present making this a totally spaced affair. Rising and falling waves of phased space flood up and down, left and right, and pulsate in the center of the brain. "Perpetuum Morality" is similar with great trippy guitar licks. "The Graduation" has a driving drumbeat I liked, a crowd of voice samples, and what I'd swear is a ping-pong ball popping back and forth. "A Common Race" is the track that most reminded me of a Doors styled jam, but the guitars are far more cosmic. 

In summary... HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION! Mandra Gora Lightshow Society excel at both well written pop-psychedelia and mind blowing cosmic instrumental work. The production and mix is right on the mark, making for a headphones experience that will keep you coming back for more.

From Aural Innovations #15

Mandra 

NOT MOVING - Flash On You [ITA garage 1988]

We’re in the mid-eighties and the underground scene in Italy can boast a large number of bands with an international profile. Above all stands a five-piece band that could easily come from Berlin, London or Los Angeles thanks to their style, look and the raw energy of their live shows. Instead they come from Piacenza, Italy, they're called Not Moving and since their debut in 1982, they’ve already published a couple of singles (Strange Dolls and Movin' Over), two EP's ("Black'n'Wild" and "Jesus Loves His Children") and an album ("Sinnermen"). They play a strange and fascinating blend of punk, garage, swamp blues and dark surf. Many people consider them to be the Italian version of bands like The Cramps or Gun Club. In 1988, just one year after the release of the "Jesus Loves His Children" EP, Not Moving sign up again with Electric Eye, the indie label that first discovered and made them nationally and internationally known, to release the new LP "Flash On You". 

It's the last album made by the band's original line-up: Lilith (voice), Dome La Muerte (guitar), Tony Face (drums), Maria Severine (keyboards). During the recordings, in fact, bassist and founding member Dany D. would leave the band to move to Germany, to be replaced by Milo, an old friend of the group with whom they complete the album. The air you breathe in the studio is not exactly the calmest: personal frictions between the band's members have already emerged. Nevertheless, Not Moving churn out such a powerful record, full of musical nuances that no one can imagine an imminent break up. When "Flash On You" reaches the stores, it is presented in a beautiful cover that shows the group crouched on a bed: Dome holds a giant shell containing the sacred sage of the Native American Indians, to whom the album is dedicated.

Musically speaking, it's Not Moving’s most direct and "sunny" long playing record: their aggressive and imaginative rock'n'roll shows itself openly in a handful of songs where emotional stress is no longer restrained, and energy and creativity are left free to run wild.

From the unrecognizable cover of Sniff’n’The Tears' Driver's Seat (significantly superior to the original), to the hendrixian medley A Pray For Jimi (that gently slips into the instrumental Visions), the tracks take a winding and intriguing path where songs of great impact - Looking For A Vision, Dog Day, Stupid Girl, the beautiful Love Train - are mixed with slower and more introspective tunes (Sweet Beat Angel, I Stopped Yawning). In addition to the nine tracks originally released on the album, this long-awaited reissue also sports three unreleased songs that see the light for the very first time: Sad Country, Honey and Flies, Fool In The Jungle: tunes that give a glimpse of the musical developments that could have been. After the release of "Flash On You" and the subsequent tour, Not Moving implode: Tony and Lilith leave to pursue other dreams, while Dome and Maria (with different line-ups) continue to use the band's name for a while. After all is said and done, it's in these fantastic vinyl grooves that you can hear the real final cut of what, arguably, can be considered the greatest Italian rock band of the Eighties.
Roberto Calabrò
Author of "Eighties Colours. Garage, beat e psichedelia nell’Italia degli anni Ottanta"

Flash

THE BACKWARDS - Eerie Thoughts Collection pt. 3 Plus [ITA psychedelic 1989-1993] 2013 Area Pirata

The Backwards are one of the best kept secrets of the '80s Italian underground. They were from Genoa, a large city but not close to the major centers of underground music in Italy at the time such as Torino, Florence and Rome. The band was the brainchild of a young medical student by the name of Pierpaolo Rizzo. The sound was a combination of Syd Barrett fronting Pink Floyd, the Electric Prunes and the Church all at the same time.
In other words, catchy songs with tremolo-laden fuzz guitars and trippy vocals.
Eerie Thoughts Collection Pt 3 was their first album released in 1990, which makes up the first 16 tracks of this CD. Their first demo tape, released in 1989, a year before their first LP, was known as Real Life Permanent Dream and included songs originally recorded by some of their idols such as the Creation, the Byrds, Chocolate Watchband and Robyn Hitchcock. 

They make up tracks 17-26, and are a great mix of originals and cover tunes by the above mentioned bands. The final four tracks are taken from their 1992 Delerium Records cassette album Or So It Seems, and their unreleased 1993 LP The Ocean Inside. 

Backwards

Liars - Mindscrewer 1988 [Italy garage psychedelic]

'Mindscrewer' Lp recorded at Magic Frog Studio (Brescia) from 18 th April to 4 th May 1988. Released by Tramite, a small indie-label from Brescia run by Jean Luc Stote and Guido Biagi, the album contains a handful of inspired and brilliant songs. It's a record of acid and visionary psychedelia, full of dreamy and sometimes dynamic sonic solutions with the three musicians taking turns at the microphone, thus enriching its musical spectrum.

The whole Sixties universe is explored in this incredible journey of a thousand colors: from the light and shade of Tulips Of Harlem to the imaginative energy that flows in She's Crumblin'Down; from the garage-psychedelic mixture of Dumb Generation to the rock'n'roll driving of You Shock My Heart through the kaleidoscope of lysergic numbers such as It Gets Wasted and Fire Illusion . 

In between there are three great covers: Nazz's Wildwood Blooze, Kim Fowley's Bubblegum , and the Frantics' Her And Her Mountain.

Liars

NO STRANGE - Cristalli Sognanti [ITA psychedelic 2011]

No Strange is an Italian rock group influenced by psychedelic music that combined elements of rock and cosmic music. It was formed in Turin in 1980 by Salvatore Ursus D'Urso and Alberto Ezzu.
At the beginning they play a kind of comedy Punk and they are called NoStrani, but soon they turn to a psych sound and release a demo called 'Rainbow' in 1983 and another one in 1984 called 'Lisergic tomahawk' attached to the Roller Coaster 's fanzine.

At this point the band start their collaboration with Giulio Tedeschi, boss of the Toast Records.
In 1985 No Strange release with his label, their great debut album simply called 'No Strange' (known as 'Trasparenze e Suoni' as well). Their sound is something absolutely original and they take part in the Neo psychedelic Italian scene whose interest was in the sound but also in the air-cut and clothes of British and American bands of 60s and 70s. No Strange benchmarks included the first Pink Floyd, Brainticket, Soft Machine and Third Ear Band but mainly the early works of Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Tempel and Popol Vuh, with whom they shared a common musical and spiritual quest.

One year later they release a single "White bird"/"Fiori risplendenti" and then in 1987 they record their second album 'L'Universo' and in the meantime they give a song for the historical compilation 'Eighties Colours' made by Electric Eye Records and are involved in a double Lp compilation called 'Oracolo' recording an entire live side!
Away from any kind of 'revival' they prefer to create a new original sound even inspired from the late 60s and the early 70s. This will be confirmed again from their third album 'Flora di romi' released in 1991.
No Strange start to work on this album from 1988 with a different line up made from Laura Tommasi (winds), Paolo Avataneo (bass guitar), Sandro Becchis (guitar), Pino Molinari (keyboards), Lucio Molinari (percussions) and Ursus (vocals). Artistic production and arranging will be made by Alberto Ezzu.
In 1992 the band has a long break, except for a mini album released in 1998 called 'Medusa' and played from Ursus,Tony D'Urso (Ursus brother's) and Fabio Maffia at the keyboards... Until 2008, when Ursus and Alberto Ezzu decide to reform No Strange along with Pino Molinari, Lucio Molinari, Tony D'Urso and Paolo Avataneo. That's a mix of the many line ups the band got in the 80s. Later Rosalba Guastella join them as choralist.
And finally, nowadays, they record this a fresh and dreamy sound, moody original new album!


No Strange

THE PARASITES OF THE WESTERN WORLD - Substrata [USA 1980] Match Box MB 1004

Rare US experimental psychedelic rock 1980 Private Press. 

Terry Censky and Patrick Burke are The Parasites of The Western World.

Substrata

EFFERVESCENT ELEPHANTS - From the end to the beginning [ITA psychedelic] 2010 Psych-Out Records PO-CD002

This cd includes songs from the most significant tapes of the band recorded from 1990 back to the 80’s .It’s about recordings that were created in a garage and they suffered from the damage of time. There are even some tracks which were lost in the band’s archives but that confirm the Effervescent Elephants as one of the best groups of Italian neo psychedelia.

Effervescent Elephants

NIGHT BEATS - Who Sold My Generation [USA 2016]

Seattle garage trio Night Beats make their Heavenly Records debut with their brazen third LP, Who Sold My Generation. Fronted by guitar slinger Danny Lee Blackwell, Night Beats have amassed a fairly substantial catalog in their six years together, issuing a variety of different singles and compilation tracks alongside their two previous albums. With regard to their overall sound, not a great deal has changed since they first dropped their debut single, "H-Bomb," in 2010. Their talent for brash, riffy psych-rock with plenty of attitude remains their greatest strength, and their marriage of Nuggets-era sounds with the contemporary lo-fi aesthetic of 21st century garage revivalists puts them in league with other prominent West Coast acts like Thee Oh Sees and Ty Segall. As on 2013's Sonic Bloom, reverb is king and Night Beats' swagger is captured here in a thick cacophony of the stuff as Blackwell's ace guitar work bounces wildly around the room on standouts like the free-ranging "Sunday Mourning" and the hooky single "No Cops." With its radio static, vintage broadcast samples, and spoken incantations, experimental opener "Celebration #1" sets a freewheeling, almost anarchistic tone and Night Beats do manage to maintain that energy, if not the mischievous intent, throughout the album. Like a lot of bands playing in this ultimately familiar style, there's a feeling that they probably slay it on-stage, harnessing the energy of a wild bar crowd and working their vintage rock magic. On record, they do retain some of that magnetism, but much of their songwriting seems to simply serve their musical style without making that much of an impact. There are exceptions, of course, especially with album closer "Egypt Berry," which is easily this album's strongest track. Who Sold My Generation certainly has all the right moves and is probably Night Beats' best album to date, but to get the full effect, look for them on tour.

Who Sold My Generation

DWIGHT TWILLEY - On Fire - The Best Of 1975-1984

Dwight Twilley was one of the best and most influential figures on the Southern power pop scene, and unlike Big Star, the Scruffs, or the Sneakers, he achieved that most cherished pop music accolade, a hit single, and not once but twice ("I'm on Fire" rose to number 16 in 1975, and "Girls" managed the same feat in 1984). However, Twilley was just successful enough to end up having record company problems, and his best work has been scattered over several albums for different labels. The fine Australian reissue label Raven Records has pulled together the highlights from his albums for Shelter, Arista, and EMI-America, and On Fire! The Best of 1975-84 is a superb collection of his beautifully crafted Beatlesque pop tunes. Unlike many Southern power poppers, Twilley clearly loved the British Invasion style while revealing equal comfort with the sounds of his home territories, and the rockabilly accents of "TV," the subtle but swaggering "I'm on Fire," and the funky beats of "Feeling in the Dark" made clear out of the box that this wasn't another guy aping the Fab Four, and when he did write straightforward pop tunes, he did so with smarts and imagination, and he was a very impressive rock & roll singer, too. The first 13 tracks of On Fire! are drawn from Twilley's recordings with early collaborator Phil Seymour, with plenty of representative cuts from their albums Sincerely and Twilley Don't Mind, as well as the long-unreleased track "Shark (In the Dark)" and the single "Somebody to Love," drawn from sessions for an unreleased album with Jack Nitzsche. The rest of the album is taken from Twilley's first three solo efforts (Twilley, Scuba Divers, and Jungle), and if his occasional reliance on synthesizers and drum machines dates the production (Roger Linn, who invented the Linn Drum Computer, played in Twilley's band), the songs are as savvy and satisfying as ever, and while "Girls" was a hit single, by all rights "I'm Back Again," "Alone in My Room," and "Don't You Love Her" should have enjoyed the same success. With the fine career overview XXI out of print, On Fire! is arguably the best introduction to Dwight Twilley's classic pop music you can buy, and it's 77 minutes of pop and rock bliss that anyone with a taste for a great hook and a good lyric will love.

The best

LIGHTDREAMS - Islands in Space [CAN psychedelic 1981] 2015 edition

LightDreams was a studio band created in 1981 during the time of the recording and limited edition, vinyl release of Paul Marcano's album Islands in Space. The album featured all original songs along with contributions by composers Andre Martin and Cory Rhyon as well as player contributions by John Walker on lead, Tim Moore on Sax and Art Lowe on bass.

The music of LightDreams has been characterized as 'alternative psychedelic, electronic folk music' with a delicate blend of acoustic, symphonic and electronica elements. 

Space

ALBERT LEE - Black Claw & Country Fever [UK rural country rock 1991] Line Records

These recordings all in fact emanate from the sesions produced by Derek Lawrence back in 1968-70 which yielded the handful of hugely enjoyable (and nowadays highly collectable) Bell singles which appeared at the time, and the promise of albums to come - which until now have languished unheard/unreleased/neglected in the vaults of De Lane Lea's studios in Wembley. These sessions have, of course, achieved something approaching legendary status over the ensuing twenty-odd years: much coveted by both Albert and Chas afficianados, a few dodgy tapes have circulated, and the records themselves have gradually become massively overpriced collectors' items. Five singles appeared: "That's All Right"/"Best I Can"; credited to Albert Lee; "Tears Of Rage"/"Too Much Of Nothing" credited to Country Fever; "Accross The Gread Divide"/"Sally" credited to Black Claw (although "Good Times" appeared as the A-side in the US, on Lawrence's own Revolver label); "I'm A Preacher"/"In Our Sweet Time" by the Derek Lawrence Statement; and "Baby I Love Love You"/"Come Back To My Lonely World" by Tony Wilson. Rumours as to the identity of the remaining tracks have long circulated - and at long last, here they are. 

L e e

Bare Sole - Flash [Uk 1969]

Previously unreleased demo album from 1969, UK.

The loudest band from Hull in the 60s, Bare Sole played raw, in- your- face psychedelic hard rock and heavy blues.

Bare Sole