Splitsville - Ultrasound - 1997

It would probably be unfairly pejorative to use the word "cute" when describing Splitsville's brand of vaguely punky power-pop, but there's something of a twee appeal to Ultra Sound -- the band's charmingly sunny and largely disposable tunes come off like Material Issue in most places, although without the unassuming earnestness that made that band so wonderful. There's an element of Superdrag-style pop on the record too, but this reference fails as well -- the defining quality of Ultra Sound lies in the fact that it's unpolished, somewhat adolescent, and utterly undistinguished, and this is what makes it, in some strange sense, just a bit fun. -AMG


Splitsville - Ultrasound - 1997/rs
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Splitsville - Ultrasound - 1997/sb

The Features - Exhibit A - 2004

The Features serve up energetic rock from the get-go on their full-length debut, Exhibit A. Guitars and upbeat tempos drive this rock against Matt Pelham's emotional vocals and Parrish Yaw's deep synths, a feature that really adds a wonderful, subtle texture to the 34-minute album. Roger Dabbs on bass and Rollum Haas on drums provide the steady backbone and edge to the punkish tracks "Exhibit A" and "The Way It's Meant to Be," while keyboards flourish on the '60s garage-y, country vibe of "Me & the Skirts." The influence of XTC shines through on tracks "There's a Million Ways to Sing the Blues" and "The Idea of Growing Old," each sounding like an outtake from Skylarking. "Blow It Out" is definitely a radio-friendly highlight that musically gives a nod to Weezer. Matt Pelham's vocals throughout Exhibit A mix the passion of At the Drive-In's Cedric Bixler and the off-the-cuff stylings of The Kings of Leon's Caleb Followill. The only complaint may be that Exhibit A may not be as diverse from track to track as The Features self-titled EP or The Beginning EP, but the energy and freewheeling nature of this short full-length makes for a rewarding listen.-AMG



The Features - Exhibit A - 2004/rs
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The Features - Exhibit A - 2004/sb

The Shadow Kabinet - Hark! - 2004

Anyone in the mood for some classic English psychedelia? If so, The Shadow Kabinet may well be a new name to look out for. Hark!(Self Released) is the debut album, and its a woozy slice of prime Middle-England acid pop, the sort of stuff pioneered by Syd Barretts Pink Floyd and The Move, and championed, over the years, by top geezers like Andy Partridge and ex-Soft Boy, Robyn Hitchcock.. Hes also adept at writing classy tunes, so dont expect anything too out there - this is, after all, a psychedelic pop album, a gentle trip to the melodious centre of the universe - spark up, kick back and enjoy the ride. -NightTimes



HARK! has just been released in a new high quality download edition with two bonus tracks. There's also a new Shadow Kabinet mailing list:
http://www.gomojo.net/basement/shadowkabinet
This music deserves to be heard far and wide.

The Vandalays - re(begin) - 2004

For a good number of years, the Quick was a paragon of Chicago power pop virtue, ultimately attracting the attention of Shoes’ Jeff Murphy who produced the band’s last EP, Mr. Deelish. But when bassist Miles Okumura moved back to his native Hawaii, the rest of the band, already in the throes of various upheavals, elected to take a break. When the remaining trio (keyboardist/vocalist Chris Cerasoli, guitarist/bassist/vocalist Ken Valskis, drummer/vocalist Dave Franco) finally reunited, they christened themselves after George Costanza’s favorite alias and started working on (re)begin. (re)begin is a set of songs that hang together in a discernibly conceptual arc on the nature of beginnings, endings and acceptance while kicking out the spiky-hair-skinny-tie power pop jams. Hints of Shoes, 20/20, Off Broadway and other avatars of 70’s/80’s pop greatness waft in and out of the Vandalays’ mix, but never distractingly so. The Vandalays understand that the best power pop stands on the shoulders of giants and recognizes the view without looking down. - Brian Baker (Amplifier Magazine)



The Vandalays - re(begin) - 2004/rs
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The Vandalays - re(begin) - 2004/sb

Th' Losin Streaks - Sounds of Violence - 2004

Garage rock played the way it should be played...Loud, fierce, uncompromised neanderthal sludge without all the usual retro-isms. Think The Sonics meets Texas punk circa '66. A veritable non-stop cacophony of mind numbing over the top maniacal mayhem, without a blooze lick to be found. A sound not heard in these parts since Ronny Regan walked the hallowed halls of Sacramento's state capitol building as guv'nor. SOUNDS OF VIOLENCE treds where no band in recent memory has dared to tred. Take HATE for instance. A song so revered by lonesome losers the world over that no band in their right mind would ever attempt to cover it, let alone slay it . WRONG!!! Th' Losin Streaks make it their own baby!!! The Stoics will be proud papas when they get to hear this. - CD Baby



Th' Losin Streaks - Sounds of Violence - 2004/rs
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Th' Losin Streaks - Sounds of Violence - 2004/sb

Stiff Little Fingers - Go for It - 1981

Following confidently on from the relatively straightforward punk purity of their first two albums, Stiff Little Fingers entered the 1980s with Go for It, an album whose sense of adventure was as radical as its sense of purpose, a raw affirmation of the rock and reggae hybrid that had been pioneered elsewhere (the Clash and the Ruts come most immediately to mind), but was now to be twisted through Jake Burns' own private vision of punk at its most personally committed. The opening "Roots Radicals Rockers and Reggae," of course, sets those intentions out plain as day, while "Safe as Houses" and, among the three bonus tracks, a sterling cover of the Wailing Souls' "Mr. Fire Coal Man" confirm the Belfast band's status among the era's most convincing exponents of the mélange. Two excellent hit singles, "Just Fade Away" and "Silver Lining," bolstered what was already shaping up to be Stiff Little Fingers' finest album; the addition of "Back to Front," a Top 50 smash the previous year, and a rousing live version of "Doesn't Make It Alright" (the B-side of "Just Fade Away") complete a sensational reissue. -AMG



Stiff Little Fingers - Go for It - 1981/rs
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Stiff Little Fingers - Go for It - 1981/sb