Pop / Rock


  • Experiência - Passo a Passo Experiência - Passo a Passo

    I bought this LP in Lissabon some eight years ago. I’d never seen it before or since. Rock is not my expertise, but it seems to me this is a record that should be better known. I’m afraid it’s really rare though. They play folk-funk with some latin-rock influences, cool percussion in the mix. It […]

  • Paul Becker & Hearing Things: Safe Paul Becker & Hearing Things: Safe

    Quirky local record with what has to be one of my favorite covers ever. Musically it’s a somewhat uneasy mix of ultra lightweight punk, bland AOR, and ballads with an almost prog bent. A tough one to figure out as there seems to be a whiff of novelty to it, but also some fairly sound […]

  • The Bugs - Twist & Shout The Bugs - Twist & Shout

    There has to be heaps of them, the budget “cash-in” labels, every country has them, every record collector knows them. There are labels dedicated to “cash-in” LPs only, 45s only also. The “Hit” label is one of the 45 ones, a reasonably prolific one at that. According to the label discography […]

  • Bari & The Breakaways - I Can't Explain Bari & The Breakaways - I Can’t Explain

    Quite possibly the finest & most fully realised R&B band to emerge from a sixties New Zealand scene that had a number of fine bands. The Breakaways were the first to get a taste of national success, inspired by bands such as the Rolling Stones, the Kinks & the Pretty Things. “I […]

  • Quincy Conserve - Epitaph Quincy Conserve - Epitaph

    It seems that when you start out collecting records you are magically drawn to find specimens in your preferred genre which were created by local musicians. The problem you often encounter when collecting relatively niche genres is that the local examples you find will usually be pretty sub-standard compared with what you get […]

  • The Druids - Doctor Friend The Druids - Doctor Friend

    Great 60’s pop that’s as addictive as the street pharmaceuticals discussed in the song. The lyrics, which deal with serious drug addiction, are cheerful and bouncy. But what really keeps me coming back (ha) are the breezy background harmonies.
    The flip, “She’s got secret (to hide)” is also a great tune in a similar style.
    Listen: “Doctor […]

  • Alyeska Woman: Reflection Alyeska Woman: Reflection

    Anchorage, Alaska rarely reaches into the depths of winter cold like Fairbanks (where I live) does. If it did, Alyeska Woman would have been an entirely different record. It would not radiate its almost hopeful vibe nor would it sound as nice. Anchorage has, for a while anyways, been Alaska’s largest city. In 1974, this […]

  • Blerta - Freedom St. Marys Blerta - Freedom St. Marys

    Blerta was the brainchild of legendary New Zealand drummer, bandleader & actor Bruno Lawrence. He formed Blerta in 1971, with the name standing for “Bruno Lawrence Electric Revelation Travelling Apparition”. Blerta was held together as a band through to 1975 & it’s ever revolving membership included actors as well as musicians. It […]

  • Lyn Barnett - Please Mr Postman Lyn Barnett - Please Mr Postman

    There is something that is just so innocent & nice about a country like New Zealand back in the early 1960s. I think for me it is best summed up in some of the local records released here where local artists would often do their best imitations of overseas smash hits. This 45 […]

  • Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs - Poison Ivy Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs - Poison Ivy

    Great mid-60s garage rock 45 from an icon of the Australian music scene.  This was their second 45 & was released in 1964 on the Australian “Linder Lee” label.  It was licensed to probably New Zealand’s biggest independent label of the time “Viking” for a New Zealand release after it hit in Australia & that […]

  • Allison Durbin - I Have Loved Me A Man Allison Durbin - I Have Loved Me A Man

    This LP was the first by New Zealand singer Allison Durbin. She had released several 45s prior to this but it was the overwhelming success of the LP’s title track that really made her a star here in late sixties. The 45 of ‘I Have Loved Me A Man’ was apparently the biggest […]

  • The Fourmyula w/Shane - Alive The Fourmyula w/Shane - Alive

    This album was recorded at the Wellington Town Hall, probably around late 1969 or early 1970 and features two of the biggest artists in New Zealand rock music of the time.  The Fourmyula were at this stage in time between their attempts at breaking the UK market & were playing a much heavier style of […]

  • Ross D. Wyllie - Do The Uptight Ross D. Wyllie - Do The Uptight

    This 45 isn’t exactly unknown & actually got a fairly wide international release on a bunch of different labels, but it just so great that I believe it needs to be heard by more people.  This a great example of how a song can stand out as a jewel or anomaly from the output of […]

  • Lulu - From Lulu With Love Lulu - From Lulu With Love

    I picked this up on the cheap for “I’ll Come Running”, which was recently comped on the Rhino “Girl Groups” boxset. Why it was included I have no idea, as it’s not a “girl group” at all, but I digress. It turns out the real keeper here is Lulu’s completely unhinged, Wanda-Jackson-on-speed-and-3-lines-of-coke / Johnny Rotten-10-years-earlier […]

  • The Teemates - Jet Set Dance Vol.4: Discotheque The Teemates - Jet Set Dance Vol.4: Discotheque

    There is something that keeps me needle dropping sixties “youth-dancesploitation” LPs. Many of them look pretty tame but often end up hiding some really knock out tracks (many of them also do not, but let’s focus on the positives).
    Take this example from 1964, intended as a stereo demonstration LP of sorts it has a […]

  • Airplay Airplay

    Vermont AOR dork rock supreme. Like the kind of band you could only hope to be playing at your local roller rink after the disco crowd had moved out. Has to be heard.
    She’s Just a Memory

  • Salvashun: the Time Has Come Salvashun: the Time Has Come

    This album was an unexpected surprise for me. At first glance I was thinking that this Lp was going to be some Xian/Rock nonsense. But since there was a Neil Young cover I began to think better of it. After proceeding to pay the exorbitant amount of .50 cents I took the record home for […]

  • Paulo de Carvalho - Não de Costas Mas de Frente Paulo de Carvalho - Não de Costas Mas de Frente

    I’ve had this record for some years now and had filed it away with the mental note that it contained some nice songs. Now that I listen to it again I must say it’s really good. Side one suffers from some uneven tracks but side two is nice all the way. A quick internet search […]

  • Sand Island Band Sand Island Band

    One of those records that seems too interesting to not add to the site, yet not really interesting enough to say much about. I basically only bought it because the dude on the cover has a lion mullet… and it’s from Hawaii which made it seem kinda exotic. At best it’s fairly crudely rendered AOR […]

  • Kevin Vicalvi: Songs From Down the Hall Kevin Vicalvi: Songs From Down the Hall

    I will begin this with the rather bold claim that this is one of the best 70’s pop records you’ve probably never heard. Which is unfortunate as this independently released 1974 lp can not only hang with any of the revered lesser known major label efforts of time, but surpasses many of them. Quite a […]

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