Flying Color – s/t (Munster)
Finally, a CD copy of one of the best and most underrated – hell, unknown – power pop records of all time, and that’s not just hyperbole. This is the disk I’d give an alien who wanted to understand jangly guitar pop.
Art Bergmann – Lost Art Bergmann (Bearwood)
Review coming soon.
Candy – Whatever Happened to Fun? (Mercury)
Another ‘80s power pop classic. Why has this never been reissued on CD?
Diamond Dogs – It’s Most Likely (Jerkin Crocus)
If the Faces reunion never takes place, it won’t much matter, as this Swedish band keeps the flame. Sulo is probably my favorite rock & roll singer.
Cotton Mather – The Crafty Flower Arranger (self-released)
Before Austin’s beloved Cotton Mather became psychedelic pop royalty, it was a more straightforward guitar pop band, as on this locally released mini-album that was mainly intended to get them gigs. As much as I love their other records, this one’s always been my favorite.
Glide – Open Up & Croon (Hypnotized)
The debut from a remarkable guitar band that never found the infamy it deserved.
Love & Rockets – Earth*Sun*Moon (Beggars Banquet)
The thing I love about this band is that it doesn’t fit comfortably into a mold. Is it psychedelic? Yep. Is it glam? Yes. Is it new wave? Certainly. All of the above and more.
That Petrol Emotion – Babble (Polydor)
I missed this band at SXSW, but just knowing it’s back on the scene revived my interest.
David Werner – s/t (Epic)
A good example of how ‘70s glam could morph into new wave without much adjustment at all.
Electric Angels – s/t (Atlantic)
This one-shot band was often called a cross between the Replacements and Hanoi Rocks, and that’s not far from the truth. Too bad it had to come around during the hair metal era, where it was mislabeled and misunderstood. An outgrowth of Candy, the Angels eventually transmuted into the Loveless.
