The Monroes - 1982 - Selftitled

The Monroes were a New Wave pop band from San Diego active around 1982. They are best known for their single "What Do All The People Know."

"What Do All The People Know?" was a very minor hit: I heard it a few times on KBCO in Boulder in early '83, so I always associate this song with Modern English's "I Melt With You," the English Beat's "I Confess," the Psychedelic Furs' "Love My Way" and Bow Wow Wow's "So You Wanna Hold Me," all of which were huge on that station around then. But much like "Everywhere That I'm Not" by Translator or "A Million Miles Away" by the Plimsouls, this is a song that people remember as being a much bigger hit than it was, turning up regularly on those budget-price "hits of the '80s" comps with some regularity." -Stewart Mason-

The Monroes were:

Eric Denton - keyboards / Bob "Monroe" Davis - bass / Jesus Ortiz - vocals / Rusty Jones - guitar / Jonnie Gilstrap - drums

Tracks:

What Do All the People Know / Somewhere in the Night / Hungry Stranger / Blind Faith / Pay Pay Pay

The Monroes - Selftitled
Password: PVAcblog

Bitratee:: 320

The Cars - 1979 - Live (Musikladen)

This complete, live, television concert, recorded for the long-running German pop music series Musikladen, captures the Cars in their late '70s ascendancy, offering ample evidence of the young Boston quintet's rock-solid performing skills and formidable instincts as writers and arrangers. Poised between arena-rock bombast and punk aggression, the Cars were canny, concise stylists who proudly unleashed hit singles in an album-dominated era, an achievement that could mislead serious-minded rock aesthetes to assume the band was a studio invention. In fact, their major-label deal arose only after the band had honed its playing in Beantown clubs and cracked local airwaves with self-produced prototypes of the songs that popped up on their self-titled debut album.
The 11 songs here tilt toward that collection, with a nod to its sequel, and all share the band's shrewd synthesis of tightly crafted songs that explore a tension between romantic yearning and neurotic anxiety. Principal songwriter Ric Ocasek swaps vocal leads with bassist Ben Orr, establishing their familiar yin and yang, with Ocasek mining neurosis while Orr plucks the heartstrings. David Robinson's muscular, uncluttered drumming transcends its frequent use of electronic drums, Greg Hawkes's keyboards deftly stretch the sci-fi possibilities of then- primitive synths, and not-so-secret weapon Elliot Easton, a southpaw guitarist, tightens the clockwork interplay between his versatile lead guitar and Ocasek's crisp rhythm work. If the band's choral work sounds thinner than on their recordings, it's less an indictment of the band than a measurement of how far producer Roy Thomas Baker carried the heavily layered vocal stamp he had refined with the Cars' labelmates, Queen.
Included “Take What You Want,” a song never released on any Cars album. --Sam Sutherland

Tracks:

Good Times Roll / Bye Bye Love / Nightspots / I'm In Touch With Your World / My Best Friend's Girl / Candy-O / You're All I've Got Tonight / Take What You Want / Since I Held You / Don't Cha Stop / Just What I Needed

The Cars - Live (Musikladen)
Password: PVAcblog

Bitrate: 256

Surrenders - 1986 - Stay Overnight

French quartet from Tolouse. This was their second mini-lp, produced by the great Robin Wills(The Barracudas).
Five songs with a good cover of the Arthur Lee (Love) song "Bummer in the Summer".

Surrenders were:

Michel Bonneval: vocals & guitars / Jean-Michel Daulon: drums, percussion & vocals / Laurence Labasor: bass & vocals / FranÇois Labaye: vocals & guitars
Robin: percussion and good vibes

Tracks:

Loaded dice / Heat is on / Never never / Every day, every night / Bummer in the summer

Surrenders - Stay Overnight
Password: PVAcblog

Bittraate: 320

Spider: Selftitled (1980) + Between The Lines (1981)

Spider is one of those hybrid bands that didn't quite work -- they weren't mainstream pop/rock, new wave or hard rock -- and serious, self-conscious songs, coupled with a forced image, make for an overall forgettable album. Amanda Blue's hiccuping vocals predated Dale Bozzio's, but Bozzio's worked better with the new wave groove of Missing Persons; Blue's voice is quite pretty and reminiscent of Pat Benatar, but the synth rock music is more distracting than complementary. Synthesizers and power chords predate Vixen by a good six years, and lyrics like "everything is alright, just sit here and hold me tight" don't help, either. However, for 1979/1980 this album isn't all that bad -- it's the most focused and hard-edged of the group's albums, and it has a few worthwhile moments.
New Romance (It's a mistery) reached the number 39 of the Top 40 in 1980.
The other female of the band was Holly Knight. Prolific songwriter, she has written songs for Cheap trick, Kim Wilde, Scandal, John Waite, Patty Smyth, Rachel Sweet, Suzi Quatro and many more.
Their second album is a more focused record than Spider's self-titled debut, so it's ultimately more enjoyable. Their attitude doesn't sound quite so forced, and the arrangements are very pleasing, especially compared to the more chaotic first album. Between the Lines also includes two tracks that were hits for other artists several years later: "Change" (a moderate hit for John Waite) and "Better Be Good to Me" (revamped by Tina Turner on her Private Dancer album).

Spider were:

Holly Knight / Amanda Blue / Anton Fig / Keith Lentin / Jimmy Lowell

Selftitled tracks:

New Romance (It's a Mystery) / Burning Love / Shady Lady / Everything Is Alright / Crossfire / Little Darlin' / Brotherly Love / What's Going On? / Don't Waste Your Time / Zero

Between the lines tracks:

Change / I Think I Like It / Between the Lines / It Didn't Take Long / Going By / Better Be Good to Me / Can't Live This Way Anymore / Faces Are Changing / Go and Run / I Love

Spider - Selftitled
Spider - Between the lines

Password: PVAcblog
Bitrate: VBR ± 256

Mi-Sex Discography (1979-1983)

Mi-sex evolved from the band 'Fragments of Time', that was in part from a band called 'Father Thyme', and with members of 'Think' (band). Early New Zealand performances included the Wellington Technical Institute and Dr Johns (Ray Johns), on the same day with demo recording at Dellbrook studios in Tawa, and the bus breaking a gearbox on the Ngauraunga Gorge section of motorway.
The name originated from a song they were playing at the time by a British group Ultravox, called "My Sex".
In June 1979, CBS released the first single, "But You Don't Care"/"Burning Up". Mi-Sex then scored a major coup by getting the support slot to Talking Heads on their national tour of Australia. CBS released the debut album "Graffiti Crimes" to coincide with the tour in July 1979. The single reached number 25 on the Australian national charts and when released in New Zealand in August in made it to number 33. (Kevin Stanton says it is his hand holding the policeman's notebook on the cover of the album and his then girlfriend posing by the wall).
The group did a live-to-air performance of the album for radio 2SM in Sydney and this broadcast was picked up by more than 30 other Australian radio stations. They also included a new song that was not on the album called "Computer Games". This was proving to be a very popular song at their performances and CBS recognised that they had a potential hit on their hands. Mi-Sex were rushed back to the studio to record "Computer Games" and the single was released in Australia on October 1st, 1979 with "Wot Do You Want" on the reverse.
The group headed back to New Zealand in January 1980, to perform at the Sweetwaters Festival. On their return to Sydney, they were back in the studio recording material for their second album. It was a very hectic schedule and at the beginning of April they headed to the US for a 6-week visit. The trip took them from Los Angeles to Canada, where "Computer Games" had reached number 2, and on to New York. They supported Iggy Pop, the Ramones and English punk rockers 999 along the way, as well as headlining a number of club dates themselves. It wasn't the most financially rewarding trip, but it was good for experience.
The band returned to Australia to find that their new single, "People"/"Pages and Matches", that had been released just prior to their US trip, had peaked at number 6 on the charts. It was the first single from the second album which was called "Space Race". CBS put everything into promoting the new album and Mi-Sex went back into a grueling schedule of gigs as well. The going wasn't quite as easy as it had been previously as there was now some more serious competition on the scene. Split Enz had the current number 1 single and also the number 1 album on the charts. "People" became the highest placing single for the group, during their time, in New Zealand, reaching number 3.
In April 1981 the first single "Falling In and Out"/"Round and Round" was released. It was a different sound to the normal electronic songs of the past. It was only a minor hit, placing at 20 in Australia and 48 in New Zealand. The next singles "Missing Person"/"Water" in August and "Shanghaied"/"The Bend" in November, both failed to chart at all. The actual album, which was called "Shanghaied!", when released in November, failed to impress the record buying public.
American producer Bob Clearmountain worked with the band on its fourth album, "Where Do They Go?", which produced two more singles, "Blue Day"/"Lady Janice" in March 1984 and "Five O'Clock In The Morning"/"Why Did You Leave" in June. "Blue Day" was the last charting single for the group in Australia where it reached number 24 and also in New Zealand where it only made number 36.
The album had a definite American slant and the single "Blue Day" almost getting a look in on the American charts. But with it and the albums failure, Mi-Sex disbanded at the end of 1984.


Graffiti Crimes tracks:

Graffiti Crimes / Wot Do You Want / But You don't Care / Not Such a Bad Boy / Stills / Computer Games / 21-20 / I Wanna Be With You / Camera Kazi / A Loser / Inside You

Space Race tracks:

Space Race / Pages And Matches / Slippin' Out / Good Guys Always Win (Satire) / Burning Up /I Don't Know / People / Ghosts / Ice Cold Dead / Living In September / It Only Hurts When I'm Laughing

Shanghaied! tracks:

The Jungle / Be Quiet / Mystery / Water / Talking To Myself / Missing Persons / Tears In Her Wine / Caught In The Act / Shanghaied! / Falling In And Out / Young Maniacs

Where Do They Go? tracks:

Only Thinking / Where Do They Go? / Castaway / Blue Day / I Lose Control / Falling in and Out / Down The Line (Making Love on the Telephone) / 5 O'Clock in the Morning / The Stranger in You / Don't Look Back in Anger / Computer Games

Mi-Sex - Graffiti Crimes
Mi-Sex - Space Race
Mi-Sex - Shanghaied!
Mi-Sex - Where Do They Go?

Password: PVAcblog
Bitraate: 320

Rip and scans courtesy of 'rush2112'. Thank you very much!

The Korgis - 1980 - Dumb Waiters

Practitioners of exquisitely lush pop ballads, the Korgis' moment in the (British) sun reached its cusp as 1979 slid into 1980. The band had emerged from the ashes of Stackridge, a highly entertaining underground group whose amusing antics and music were once memorably compared to a "pantomime hippie horse." Eighteen months after Stackridge's demise in late '76, James Warren got back in touch with his former bandmate, Andy Davis, traveled down to Bath, and the pair immediately began co-writing songs.
1980' s "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" took them all the way to number five, and in its wake, pulled the band's sophomore set, Dumb Waiters, into the Top 40. Although the record also launched the minor hit "If It's Alright with You Baby".
The album was reiussed in cd format by Edsel in 2000, but now it's out of print.
Other projects of Stuart and James are: The Blue Meanies (with three ex-Graduate) and The 3 Caballeros (based on the trio of Violin, Guitar and Ukelele, they blend in a rich variety of musical styles stretching from the gypsy fiddles of Eastern Europe to the finer points of Cole Porter with glimpses of rare beauty in the Gaelic and Celtic airs in between)

The Korgis:

Stuart Gordon / James Warren / Phil harrison

Tracks:

Silent Running / Love Ain't Too Far Away / Perfect Hostess / Drawn And Quartered / Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime / Intimate / It's No Good Unless You Love Me / Dumb Waiters / If It's Alright With You Baby / Rovers Return

The Korgis - Dumb Waiters (Rar file) or (Zip file)
Password: PVAcblog

Bitrate: 320

Rip and cd artworks courtesy of "rush2112". Thanks a lot!
Original Lp scans maded by me.

The Barracudas - 1990 - The Garbage Dump Tapes

Other of the bands contained in the "Splash Of Colour" compilation.
"In January of 1982 the band began to record a second album in Brixton Studio in London. The working title for the album was Garbage Dump which was taken from a song recorded by Charles Manson before he changed occupations (and subsequently addresses). There was talk of having former Flamin’ Groovie Chris Wilson do some guitar on the recordings, and things were looking good. But the whole thing came to an abrupt halt as Flickknife ran out of money and the band was in no position to put in their own. The results of these sessions were to be released many years later as The Garbage Dump Tapes! lp on Shakin’ Street records, in January of 1990........
So the chronology of things gets a little wacky here. The next Barracudas record was to be the Meantime lp, which came out on the French label Closer in February of 1983, but the House Of Kicks ep, which includes "Next Time Around", "Dead Skin" and "Takes What He Wants" and came out in May of 1983, was actually recorded much earlier. Those three songs are also on The Garbage Dump Tapes! along with both sides of the "Inside Mind" single and seven others. In addition, there’s another Flickknife 12" record with 6 tracks from these sessions called The World’s A Burn, and then Shakin’ Street also did a 3 track 12" ep with "Grammar Of Misery" at the same time as Garbage Dump. Quite confusing.
For my tastes, The Garbage Dump Tapes! trails only Drop Out With The Barracudas and Wait For Everything as the best of all Barracudas records. The recording quality is not as clean as it might be, but the performances have a real fire to them. Songs like "Bad News", "11th Hour" and "Grammar Of Misery" are as solid as any of the tunes that had been released on the House Of Kicks ep. But they were not to see daylight until much later."
Steve Gardner (Noise for Heroes)

Tracks:

Inside Mind / Eleventh Hour / You've Come a Long Way / Hear Me Calling / Dead Skin / On a Sunday / Next Time Around / Shades of Today / Bad News / Take What He Wants / Ballad of a Liar / Grammar of Misery

The Barracudas - The Garbage Dump Tapes (Rar file) or (Zip file)
Password: PVAcblog

Bitrate: 320 (zip file)

Mood Six: The Difference Is...... (1985) + A Matter Of! (1986)

Mood Six, 1981, London, Uk. One of the most acclaimed bands of the called British New Psychedelic Rock. In the year 1981 the released their first recordings in the magnificent “A Splash Of Colour” (posted down).
We had to wait for the year 1985 so that its first great album saw the light, The difference is ....., where they played a new version of mentioned “Plastic Flowers”, as well as other nine fantastic songs. A luxury album. A year later, in 1986, they published “A matter of!” another small wonder, a little more acid than the previous album but with true masterpieces in the same line of psychedeklic bands of the middle 60's. “Eternal”, “The Voice of reason” or “Back to the day”, all of them great, and in which it emphasizes the languid and peculiar voice of Phil Ward. Albums with a mix of ballads and psychedelics rythmns. Two fine albums.

The Difference is.... tracks:

She's Too Far (Out) / Party Time / It's Your Life / Victim / Hanging Around / Plastic Flowers / Brief Encounter / Stay This Way / The Rain Falls On Mary / The Difference Is......

A Matter Of! tracks:

The Contemporary Scene / The Voice Of Reason / Eternal / Bak To The Day / The Life That Jack Built / A Matter Of..... / What Have You Ever Done / Love Of Money / Far Way / When The Time Comes / The Perfect Life / Game Show

Mood Six - The Difference Is...... (Rar file) or (Zip file)
Mood Six - A Matter Of! (Rar file) or (Zip file)

Password: PVAcblog

Bitrate: ± 256

Various - 1981 - A Splash Of Colour (Psychedelic Compilation)

Splash Of Colour is fantastic compilation of neo-psyche- delic and garage bands published in 1981. It contains the first release of the Mood Six famous “Plastic Flowers” and the unpublished “Just like a dream”.
In addition to Mood Six we can listen other fabulous songs performed by bands like The Times, The Barracudas, but mainly, in my opinion, the matchless “Love letters” of The Silence.

Tracks:

The Doctor - Prelude / Mood Six - Just Like A Dream / The Times - I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape / Miles Over Matter - Something's Happening Here / Miles Over Matter - Park My Car / The Silence - Love Letters / Mood Six - Plastic Flowers / The High Tide - Dancing In My Mind / The Earwigs - Keep Your Voice Down / The Doctor - Mortal Dreams / The Barracudas - Watching The World Go By / The Marble Staircase - The Long Weekend / The High Tide - Electric Blue

Various - A Splash Of Colour (Rar file) or (Zip File)
Password: PVAcblog

Bitrate: VBR ± 256

Reups and request

Mental As Anything - Get Wet: Re-up
Graham Parker - Live: Re-up
Bruce Woolley: as a zip file for Mac

Tommy Tutone: Selftitled (1980) + 2 (1981)

Tommy Tutone is a powerpop band, best known for its 1982 hit "867-5309 / Jenny", which peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Although they are usually referred to as "a San Francisco band", they were actually based in Willits, California at the time that "Jenny" was released. The song became so popular that people in the United States to this day dial this telephone number and ask for "Jenny" as a prank. Regarding the famous number, "We had people threatening to sue us. It was the Buffalo's Chief of Police daughter's number in New York," said Frontman Tommy Heath. Although they are frequently remembered as a "one-hit wonder", they actually had another top 40 hit on the Hot 100 with "Angel Say No" in 1980, predating "Jenny" by a couple of years.
A common misconception is that Tommy Tutone is the name of the lead singer; it is actually the name of the band. Tommy Heath is the lead singer. The name of the band developed from the original name "Tommy and the Tu-tones" to merely Tommy Tutone.
Heath and Jim Keller founded the band in the late 1970s, with Heath acting as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, also playing keyboards on occasion; Keller playing lead guitar and supporting vocals. Bassist Jon Lyons who replaced original bassist Terry Nails (Steve Jones, Ozzy Osbourne) was later replaced by Greg Sutton. Mona Gnader, a member of Sammy Hagar's Waborita band, played with the band as well. Original drummer Mickey Shine (Clover and drummer on the first Elvis Costello album) was replaced by Victor Carberry who in turn was replaced with Jerry Angel. Steve LeGassick who was involved on and off with the band from the beginning joined later as permanent member, playing keyboards and synthesizer.
Tommy Heath is now a computer analyst and resides in Portland, Oregon.
In 2007, the band signed a recording contract with Spectra Records.

'Selftitled' tracks:

Angel Say No / Cheap Date / Girl In The Back Seat / The Blame / Fat Chance / Rachel / Dancing Girl / Hide-Out / What 'Cha Doin' To Me / Am I Supposed To Lie / Sounds Of A Summer Night

'2' tracks:

867-5309 (Jenny) / Baby It's Alright / Shadow On The Road Ahead / Bernadiah / Why Baby Why / Which Man Are You / No Way To Cry / Steal Away / Tonight / Only One / Not Say Goodbye

Tommy Tutone - Selftiled -> Rar file or Zip file for mac
Tommy Tutone - 2 -> Rar file or Zip file for mac

Password: PVAcblog

Bitrate: 320

Rocky Burnette - 1980 - The Son Of Rock And Roll

The son of legendary rock & roll pioneer Johnny Burnette, Rocky Burnette followed in his father's musical footsteps, playing rowdy, high-energy rockabilly that dovetailed nicely with the early '80s revival of the style. Born in Memphis in 1953, Burnette debuted in 1979 with the EMI America album Son of Rock'n'Roll (around the same time his cousin Billy began recording straight country for Columbia). The following summer, his single "Tired of Toein' the Line" became a Top Ten smash, predating success stories by the likes of the Stray Cats and the Cramps; the song was also quite popular internationally, establishing an overseas fan base for Burnette that would endure for quite some time. "Fallin' In Love," which hit Number 3 in Australia.

Tracks (UK & Spain edition):

Tired Of Toein' The Line / Anywhere Your Body Goes / Fallin' In Love (Bein' Friends) / Angel In Chambray / Bertha Lou / Because Of You / Boogie Man / Baby Tonight / You're So Easy To Love / A Woman In Love / Clowns Fron Outer Space / Roll Like A Wheel

Rocky Burnette - The Son Of Rock And Roll
Password: PVAcblog

Bitrate: 320

Gene Cotton - 1976 - Rain On

Gene Cotton (Columbus, Ohio) is a pop and folk singer-songwriter best known for his four Billboard Top 40 entries during the years 1976–1978.
With very good albums, like "Save The Dancer" that includes the very known "Like A Sunday in Salem" or the hits "Let Your Love Flow" (also performed by The Bellamy Brothers) and "You're A Part Of Me" (with Kim carnes), "Rain On" contains songs written by the own Cottton, Eric Kaz, Randy Vanwarmer, Neil Diamond or Parker McGee, and it's a good sample of the West Coast sound in the middle 70's.
In recent years, Cotton has scaled back his career as a singer and songwriter and spent much of his savings on a legal battle against the construction of a state highway (State Route 840) which would surround Nashville.
Cotton has devoted himself to helping the underprivileged of his area by motivating them in their studies and activities through a program called Kids On Stage (KOS). KOS brings in Nashville artists to run summer classes that open the doors to the arts to kids who might otherwise never see greatness or think about greatness in their arts. Most notably, Grammy Award winner Michael McDonald has performed numerous times to bring awareness and raise donations for this program under Cotton's leadership, besides producing independent films about the plight of the poor around the world.

Tracks:

You Got Me Running / Me And The Elephant / Song For You / Deeper And Deeper / Clarissa / Rain On / Sweet Destiny / Young Lover / It's Over Goodbye / My Love Comes Alone / The Gift Of A Song

Gene Cotton - Rain On
Password: PVAcblog

Bitrate: 320

Scandal - 1982 - Selftitled

The US rock band Scandal was originally formed by guitarist Zack Smith (Westport, Connecticut, USA) who had previously played in outfits with Dee Murray and Davey Johnson of the Elton John band. By 1982, Scandal consisted of Ivan Elias (bass), Benji King (keyboards), and Frankie La Rocka (drums). They were auditioning for a singer when they came across Patty Smyth (New York City, USA), who was the daughter of a manager of a Greenwich Village Club. Once teamed up they undertook lucrative tours with Hall And Oates and the Kinks, releasing their debut single, "Goodbye To You", in 1982. This was followed by a self-titled mini-album and Warrior. The title track was a US Top 10 hit, written by former Sweeney Todd vocalist Nick Gilder, with Spider (USA) keyboard player Holly Knight. It was Scandal's only success and they subsequently split around 1985. Patty Smyth went on to a moderately successful solo career, although she enjoyed great success with soundtrack work in the late 90s. (Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin)

Tracks:

Goodbye To You / Love's Got A Line On You / Win Some, Lose Some / She Can't Say No / Another Bad Love

Scandal - Selftitled
Password: PVAcblog

Bitrate: 320

The Kissing Bandits - 1985 - The Sun Brothers plus bonus

They came from Glasgow, Scotland. The leader of the band was the singer Ronnie Costley (composer of all songs except "Caveman" -with John Palmer-). With Ally McLeod and John Palmer (guitars), Nick Clark and Brendan Moon (bass), Steven Irvine and Rick Green (drums), Michael Rooney and Skin (backing vocals), Allan French and Craig Armstrong (keyboards), and Ronnie Goodman (percussion).
This was their only 33". A mini-lp published by New Rose Records. Six songs full of energy in the best style of the english bands of the 80's.
Before this mini-album they recorded two 7" singles: In Another Time / The Sinner and a great "Shake Some Action" cover (if someone has it in digital format, please contact with me).

Tracks:

Savage Boy / Caveman / Searchin / Save my life / The only thing / Hot Lust

Bonus tracks: In Another Time / The Sinner / The Only Thing That Keeps Me Alive (Caveman 7" b-side)

The Kissing Bandits - The Sun Brothers
Password: PVAcblog

Bitrate: 320

Bonus tracks courtesy of "bluecartoon". Thank you veery much.

Los Potros - 1990 - Black Light

"Here is one of the finest power pop records of the spanish harvest; a weel done mix of psychedelia, mersey beat and powerpop.
They released this LP, 3 singles and a fistful of songs for tributes and compilations.
Some years ago, an independent spanish label planned to release a retrospective with remastered tracks and demos and non-released tracks as bonus. I'm still waiting for that release. Believe me when I say that this record is a true gem. Enjoy" (josega69 wrote
this review for the Power Pop Lovers Blog).

Tracks:

Inside my brain / To keep you satisfied / Close your eyes / Walkin' with my girl / Shades of myself / Without you / No, not again / Black clouds / Letters are written / Waters always run with mud / Love is dead / The "she" you lose

Los Potros - Black Light
Password: PVAcblog

Bitrate: 320

Rip and artworks courtesy of "josega69". Thank you very much.

The Aquanettas - 1990 - Love With The Proper Stranger

The Aquanettas was an all-girl rock band from New York. Formed by Deborah Schwartz and Jill Richmond in the late 80s, The Aquanettas derived their name from a brand of hair spray popular with "old ladies." But the story begins long before that...
Deborah Schwartz taught herself how to play guitar at age 13, in her native Voorheesville, New York. When punk & new wave started happening in the late 70s and early 80s, Deborah found herself, like many of her generation, hooked on the raw sound and pure energy of the movement. After college, on a whim, she moved to Los Angeles, home of her favorite band, X. A devoted " X-head," following gigs religiously, she met future Aquanetta Jill Richmond. But after three months in LA, Debby had had enough of the "LA Scene" and headed back to NYC in January, 1986.
A year later, Jill also moved to NYC. Together the two started co-writing the songs that would eventually fill their first album and fleshing out the line up with Claudine Troies on bass and Stephanie Seymour on drums. The Aquanettas worked very hard to become proficient, practicing at least three times a week. The efforts paid off as club gigs ensued, and they started accumulating professional experience. A performance at an annual New Music Seminar and got them signed by the Canadian label Nettwerk Productions. Nettwerk, in turn, inked a distribution deal with IRS Records, resulting in the release of the band's debut album, LOVE WITH THE PROPER STRANGER, the title taken from a 1963 Natalie Wood/Steve McQueen film.
The music on LOVE WITH THE PROPER STRANGER is strong in pop sensibility. But sales were not so strong and reviews were mixed. IRS was not exactly supportive and The Aquanettas were soon without a label. They put out a few singles on their own both domestically (on their own label, "Prize Pagoda") and while living in England. Back in the states, in 1993, they released one CD5 EP entitled ROADHOUSE on Giant Records/Rockville (pictured at right). They finally called it quits after seven years because, according to Debby, "we couldn't afford it any more...so we broke the band up out of friendship."

The band:

Deborah Schwartz: Vocals & Guitars / Jill Richmond: Guitar / Claudine Troies: Bass / Stephanie Seymour: Drums & amp; back-up vocals

Tracks:

Diplomat / Faults / Beach Party / Up! / Connecting Line / Footsteps / Love With The Proper Stranger / 15 Men / Lose My Mind / Pictures Of Italy / That Ain't Right / Black On Blonde

The Aquanettas - Love With The Proper Stranger
Pass: PVAcblog

Bitrate: 320

Little America - 1987 - Seltitled

Little America was a mid-'80s quartet that came out of the so-called "paisley underground," though their sound was closer in spirit to '60s folk-rock than to psychedelia. Andy Logan was attending the University of California at Santa Barbara when he crossed paths with John Hussey. Both played guitar and sang, and were admirers of '60s folk-rock bands such as the Byrds and the Beau Brummels, and the two of them formed the Colours, a name that would later become something of an albatross around their necks as they weren't British -- on top of which, there had already been a group recording using that name. They eventually headed to Los Angeles, where Logan met Mike Magrisi, who had been the bassist in a local group called the Turn that was part of the then active psychedelic revival scene, often referred to as the paisley underground. Magrisi was as much a Byrds fan as Logan, only his idol was Gene Clark, whereas Logan affected a look and sound similar to David Crosby; a team-up seemed not only logical but natural and inevitable, and Magrisi brought his ex-Turn bandmate, drummer Kurt Custer, along with him. The quartet cut a three-song demo financed by Capitol Records, and seemed destined to be signed to the latter label until a disappointing live gig caused the company to lose interest. Instead, they ended up signed to Geffen Records, where they cut their self-titled debut album, released in 1987. It proceeded to sell over 100,000 copies on the strength of the single "Walk on Fire," and among those contributing to the album was Poco/Eagles alumnus Timothy B. Schmit on vocals. They toured a lot and were building up a following, but they found it hard to overcome the two-year gap between their first and second albums, or the bad feeling that resulted when the label insisted on bringing in an outside songwriter to augment their work, Magrisi providing most of their originals up to that point. The group broke up after being dropped by the label following the poor showing of the Fairgrounds album. Since then, Logan and Custer have worked together, and the latter has also been a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and played with Steve Earle, while Logan has recorded solo and also written songs. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Tracks:

You Were Right / That's The Way It Stays / Walk On Fire / Perfect World / Lost Along The Way / Lies / Walk The Land / Heroes / Underground / Out Of Bounds / Conversations / Standin' On Top

Little America - Seltitled
Password: PVAcblog

Bitrate: 320

Ian Matthews - 1980 - Discreet Repeat

Iain Matthews, one of the most prolific artists of the scene, has been working in the field of popular music for nearly 40 years now, from Pyramid, Fairport Convention and Matthews Southern Comfort to Plainsong in its two incarnations and Hamilton Pool. Musical pioneer, songwriter and guitarist; but he's especially appreciated for his solo work, a restless innovator and a tireless perfectionist. And most of all, a voice: clear, high, emotional, and strong.
In 1980 Ian Matthews and Sandy Roberton compiled the best of the post-Matthews Southern Comfort. The result was "Discreet Repeat". The album was reiussed in cd format in 2005 but with only 21 songs. Here is the complete vinyl edition of it.

Tracks:

Disc 1: Lonely Hunter / Knowing The Game / Ol' 55 / Gimme An Inch Girl / Thro My Eyes / Louise / I'll Be Gone / Darkness, Darkness / I Don't Want To Talk About It / Man In The Station / Da Doo Ron Ron / Let There Be Blues / A Wailing Goodbye / Bride 1945

Disc 2: Just One Look / Keep On Sailing / Tribute To Hank Williams / For The Second Time / Biloxi / Hearts / Carefully Taught / One Day Without You / Reno Nevada / Met Her On A Plane / Midnight ont The Water / Seven Bridges Road / You Couldn't Lose

Ian Matthews - Discreet Repeat

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