Lions in the Street – Mixtape EP/s/t (self-released)
Vancouver rock & rollers who channel the Stones and the Faces better than Mick ‘n’ Keef or Rod the Mod have been themselves in decades. The self-titled album is still looking for a label, alas.
John Bozell – Beat the Reaper (Little, Brown, 2009)
Debut crime thriller from Bozell, who holds degrees in both English and medicine. As such his novel comes off like a cross between House and Reservoir Dogs. Extremely entertaining.
The Payola$ – In a Place Like This (IRS/download)
Been curious about this pioneering Canadian punk/new wave band for awhile. Though long out of print and never issued on CD, the miracle of the internet brings it to my ears anyway. And it’s great.
Spencer P. Jones – Fugitive Songs (Spooky)
Former Beasts of Bourbon guitarist/songwriter is one of the crustiest roots rockers alive. Thank the gods.
Leverage (Tuesdays, TNT)
This caper show has about as much relation to reality as does a Jackie Chan flick, but it’s just so slickly entertaining – and superbly cast – that it’s irresistible.
Outrageous Cherry – Universal Malcontents (Alive)
The latest from Detroit’s finest psych/garage/glam/power poppers.
Mission of Burma – various
I’ve been cycling through Signals, Call & Marches, VS., ONOffON and The Obliterati lately and rediscovering this band all over again.
Last of the Teenage Idols – “Gina” (download)
I’ve been for something by this long-defunct British glam rock band for ages – I was starting to wonder if it was more a rumor than a real entity. This is a great punky power pop song – thanks to the websites Glamrock Aftershock and Glitzine for pointing the way.
Uncle Sam – Heaven or Hollywood/Letters From London (downloads)
These early 90s hard rockers were too sleazy to be punk, too aggressive (and sardonic) to be hair farmers. If they’d come along 10 years later, they’d’ve been celebrated as underground rock & roll heroes. Instead, their albums languish in out-of-print purgatory.
Superstar – s/t (SBK)
As far as I know, this was the only album by Joe McAlinden’s Superstar, at least in the U.S. It’s simply an excellent pop record. It amazes me that it’s hasn’t acquired legendary status in the power pop underground.
