NOT LAME is FINALLY on MySpace!!!

Well, it had to happen sooner or later! I was finally able to convince Bruce to get NOT LAME a MySpace. It's now up, so, all that's left is for you to friend us! That's right--show your NL love and add us and, while you're at it, leave a nice, ego-stroking comment!

Click here to visit the NOT LAME MySpace!

Bruce's NEW AT NOT LAME Update for late, late, late Sept. 2008!!!

Straight from the boss, here's Bruce's list of what's new at NOT LAME...

Here are the Top New Releases on the Not Lame web site for late September. There are many new releases on da 'ole home page, but for the time starved, these are the ones worth of your precious time. Click on the links for full mini-reviews on each CD and listen 'n sample lots of soundbites, as well. Have Fun!

VIBEKE - THE WORLD FAMOUS HAT TRICK
If Blondie could have kicked some real-punk ass, this is what she would have sounded like in the late 70`s. With super catchy hooks, edgy guitars, sultry vocals and driving drums, the comparison to early Blondie is truly apt. It's a "glam slam" to be sure.

THE CRASH MODERNS - GOODNIGHT GLAMOUR MORNING DISASTER
Co-Produced by the Churchills, fans of that band will more than happy with the results here! Fans of Rooney, the Blakes, the Waking Hours, Tsar, a harder rocking Tories, Hotsocky (remember them?) and Phantom Planet are going to love, love this! Well-rounded, hook-driven and highly layered vocals rule the day and pounding pop melodies explode around every corner.

ALL DAY SUCKER - THE BIG PRETEND
Talk about delivery of the goods, first class! Reminds me most of Todd Rundgren working with The New Radicals (listen to song #4), if you remember that band. What makes them so cool is that these guys are true music geeks – the influences of Motown, ELO, Jellyfish, early 70`s Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello, Jellyfish, Prince are all over THE BIG PRETEND.
Their songs are instantly memorable with a rare blend of grooving riffs, captivating hooks, and skillfully crafted pop-rock compositions. With bits and pieces of British flavored "blue-eyed soul", the hook-heavy faded denim of the seventies, and the over-the-top, anything goes flair of a Broadway musical, ALL DAY SUCKER fuses "classic" and "timeless" without ever going "retro".

BLACK BUNNY - BLACK BUNNY
Black Bunny sounds like an updating of Emitt Rhodes (listen to #2 at the NL link), Paul McCartney, Wisely, David Grahame, Michael Penn and Jason Falkner (in particular on song #3) but you’ll find the more haunting melodies that one finds with some of the more modern rock bands like Midlake and Travis – but without the pretension.
This is another project from Brandon Wilde, whose album earlier this year has been a favorite for many folks here.
Black Bunny presents kaleidoscopic array of gorgeous colors and the songs here are carefully constructed, crafted and complimented by arrangements that fit snug and perfectly, merging analog depth and studio prowess in all the texture here. A subtle stunner.

TODD HERFINDAL - COLLECTIVE
Fans of The Honeydogs and Tom Petty will find some traces of their inspiration here but there`s overwhelmingly catchy vibe here, as songs splendorously drift from gentle roots-pop jangle and open chorded sounds to sweeping, accessible and good-natured melodies.
Classic power pop. All the elements are here to easily digest and enjoy. Unpretentious without fault, Todd Herfindal’s “Collective” is modern rock with a sharp, clear understanding of what great pop should be comprised of.
Part of its power lays in the collective nature of the musicians appearing here - Todd co-wrote more than two albums worth of songs with some of LA's & Nashville's finest writers like Duane Jarvis (Lucinda Williams, Frank Black), Rich McCulley, Michael Dukes (Mechanical Birds), Kevin Houlihan (The Meadows). Inescapable talent peppers the album.

KHALID HANIFI - PAMPLEMOUSSE PRESSE
Fans of the Grays, Toy Matinee, Kevin Gilbert and The Odds – just listen up here, please. All the material here is highly-textured, carefully craftyed and maximized for power-impact - and it all works with luminous lustre and superior shine.

THE MODEL ROCKETS - HILUX
IMPORTANT NOTE: For the first 20 people who get this, you will receive a free 24 track sampler from Paisley Pop called “The Sensitive Guy’s Guide To Groovy Music” featuring songs from Jamie Hoover & Bill Lloyd, James Cooper, Tim Lee, Lisa Mychols, Kimberly Rew, The Windbreakers, Robert Crenshaw, Trolleyvox and many others! LIMITED bonus here, folks.
2008 reissue of The Model Rockets’ 1993 debut, “Hilux”(produced by ex-Young Fresh Fellow Scott McCaughey), John Ramberg unleashes his beast upon an unsuspecting audience. Fans of the more recent material from the band will find a different band here from 1993, mostly – a bit of forewarning, not that it diminishes the youthful spunk and energy here. It’s like a power-pop version of the Replacements on an early alt-country kick ala the early/mid 90s.

FORCE 10 - FORCE 10
Best described as progressive power-pop with a strong Supertramp stamp but you’ll hear hinting of what would come from bands like Jellyfish. There are nine songs here – eight of the sheer genius (the last one is, arguably, a throwaway).
Folks who recall the obscure albums from Reggie Knighton will recognize some of guitar sounds and quirky melodies that appear here, as well as some Split Enz, The Sherbs and 10cc. This has been truly, honestly in my Top 5 list of albums I have wanted to be reissued on CD.
If “Hypnotized’ bizarre stylings does not grab you, I’ll give you a hug and apology next time we connect. Just do me a favor - give me a few minutes to listen to the samples at the Not Lame website and HEAR what you'll think!

SAUL ZONANA - CHAPTER 1: THE BEST OF
A 16-song “best of” collection from his previous 5 albums making CHAPTER 1 essential listening for most here at this site.
All Zonana’s music is filled w/ the splendorous guitar, high energy hooks and expressive vocals found, the music falls into the schooling of such artists like Matthew Sweet, Todd Rundgren, Rick Altizer, Michael Penn, Candy Butchers, Doug Powell , The Dotted Line and Greenberry Woods.
While every track is immaculately clean in production, underneath pulses something more untamed, an element of something raw and timeless, ultimately giving his songs a depth that roots them into the soil of the soul, much like an oak tree. Pop with a shadow. Every song here is full of rich, melodic steam, filled with superb twists of the wrist or surprising and delightful eruptions of harmony, while the production is stunning.

JANGLE ON! for SEPT. 2008!!!

JANGLE ON!
By Eric Sorensen‏, written exclusively for NOT LAME

Several promotional treats have arrived via the mail during the past month. Many thanks to the labels and artists who sent me their promotional discs. Not all were jangly, but one is certainly headed to the top of my “Best of 2008” list. To make this month even more pleasant, I was able to attend my third Roger McGuinn concert of the year – this time, at the restored Carlisle Theater in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Many Southeast Pennsylvania Boomer fans went home happy that evening after hearing Roger’s 24-song show that included numerous Byrds chart hits. Although Roger surrounds himself with four instruments, he clearly favors playing the Martin seven-string acoustic guitar that he designed several years ago. Here is a summary of the albums and songs I have been listening to recently:

THE RHINOS - IN RHI FI
Fourteen tracks of the finest jangly pop music this side of the 60s...and from the other side of the Atlantic (Sweden)! Think of classic pop bands like the Byrds, the Beatles, the Association, the Beach Boys, the Cyrkle and the Hollies and add some more recent influences like the late, great Time Lodgers. Jangly, chiming and ringing Rickenbacker 12-string riffs are interwoven into many of the songs, and the last three tracks give a nod to the circa 1967 Byrds sound that featured the emergence of David Crosby’s and Chris Hillman’s song arrangement skills. I mentioned the track "Everything That She Believed" several months ago, and this song remains a very strong candidate for "Song of the Year". I am indebted to the Rainbow Quartz label for sending me a promo copy of this terrific disc. From my perspective, pop music just doesn’t get any better than this! Long may you run, Sirs Leif, Lasse, Bjorn, Jonas and Palle!

THE PARTIES - CAN'T COME DOWN
A week after receiving In Rhi Fi, Rainbow Quartz sent me another top-notch promo disc by another excellent pseudo-60s group. This time, the Rickenbackers aren’t as chiming, but the tone of the Parties’ material will definitely appeal to fans of classic power-pop music. My favorite chiming track is "Gotta Get Out", but "Cold Life", "Yours And Mine", "Velvet Love Affair" and "Waterfall" are all radio-friendly tracks. The sweet boy-girl vibe reminds me a bit of the Kennedys and Dave Rave/Laura Agnelli collaborations.

FREDDIE STEADY'S WILD COUNTRY - TEN DOLLAR GUN
Texas Music Hall of Fame member Freddie Steady Krc returns with a 12-song disc that pays homage to the "Beatle boots and Tex-Mex roots" that so heavily influenced Freddie when he was young. While the Beatles and Sir Douglas Quintet references are plentiful, there are more subtle references (Buddy Holly, Bobby Fuller Four) also evident in Freddie's original compositions. Longtime pal and collaborator Cam King may have turned down the treble setting on his Rickenbacker 12-string guitar, but the mid-60s still provide the framework for songs like "What's So Hard About Love", "Pirate For Your Love" and "You Gotta Take That Girl". It's been three years since Freddie wowed our guests and friends with a solo acoustic house concert. Please, Sir, may we have another?

THE BEDSIT POETS - RENDEZVOUS
This is the sophomore release from Ed Rogers and Amanda Thorpe who are joined on this disc by newest BP member Mac Randall. There’s a lot less jangle on this disc than on THE SUMMER THAT CHANGED, but the 60s vibe is still present, with some cocktail lounge, French pop and British folk overtones. The upbeat "I'm In Love With A Girl" is an anomaly on a disc where ballads take center stage. It's still pop, and it's still a showcase for three very talented singers/songwriters/musicians.

THE JELLYBRICKS - GOODNIGHT TO EVERYONE
This is pure power-pop that transcends the last three decades. Just drop this disc in your CD player and keep hitting the replay button. Standout tracks include "Ruin Us", "Nobody Else" and "More To Lose".

THE SMITHEREENS - B-SIDES THE BEATLES
Pat DiNizio, Jim Babjak and Dennis Diken return to record more classic tracks on this second Smithereens disc that features Fab Four songs. Don’t miss their live shows that feature their excellent renditions of Beatles songs and their own repertoire of pop/rock gems. Babjak can still invoke some strong jangle from his Rickenbacker guitars!

STARLING ELECTRIC - CLOUDED STAIRCASE
Buried in the midst of 18 psych-pop tracks is the very jangly "New Era". Seek it out!

In the "Jangly Hall of Fame" category are several songs that I included on a "Jangle’n’Twang Roots Sampler" CD that I compiled in January 2001. Top tracks include "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" and "Better Days" by the Jayhawks, "Hippie Girls And Sippin’ Whiskey", "Mt. Airy Mistake" and "Wiley Coyote" by the Psychedelic Cowboys, "Something I Don’t Recognize" by the Beachwood Sparks (pioneers in the new "Canyon Rock" movement), "The Trouble With Trouble" by the Blue Shadows (Billy Cowsill’s final band) and "Torn In Two" by the Schramms. Other "Jangly Hall of Fame" songs that were included in a late 90s "Midwestern Pop Sampler" include "Halcyon Days", "Miserable Girl", and "Day By Day" by Swinger, the very Beatlesque "Dirty Little Secret" and "Mr. Rain" by Love Candy, "The Colour Of Candy" by Bill Retoff, "Yer Gonna Need My Lovin’ Someday" by the Lolas, and one of my all-time favorites – "Is This Love? by Big In Iowa. Former Big In Iowa frontman, Big Bob Burns, now resides in the Washington, D.C. area...so I look forward to crossing paths with him at one of our area's live music venues.

Until next month, jangle on!

Bruce's NEW AT NOT LAME Update for late Sept. 2008!!!

Straight from the boss, here's Bruce's list of what's new at NOT LAME...

Here are the Top New Releases on the Not Lame web site for September. There are many new releases on da 'ole home page, but for the time starved, these are the ones worth of your precious time. Click on the links for full mini-reviews on each CD and listen 'n sample lots of soundbites, as well. Have Fun!

MONKEEMAN - LIFE IN THE BACKSEAT
GERMAN IMPORT - third album of Not Lame fave!
This one delivers on all fronts. He still mines classic power pop influences here and gives them a bit more modern edge on LIFE IN THE BACKSEAT but there is no sacrificing meaty, tasty, melodious hooks. Fans of Swedish pop greats like the Grass Show and the Merrymakers will notice those stylings dotted around the corners of the material on the CD, but more modern faves Brit-Pop faves like Silver Sun, the Switches and Supergrass .
The CD combines raw guitars and gyration-worthy grooves with sharp lyrics and the kind of pop hooks that get lodged in your head in that kind of way where you`ll just be brushing your teeth or something and you`ll notice a song playing over and over again in your head until finally your brush grinds to halt. EXTREMELY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

THE JELLYBRICKS - GOODNIGHT TO EVERYONE
A Tour-De-Force From The Jellybricks! GOODNIGHT TO EVERYONE showcases the Jellybricks` ever-maturing songwriting skills and studio sensibilities. The songs here reflect the ensuing maturity that fives since their past one bring into the light and you`ll be hard press to find more easily enjoyable power pop to digest because it`s all filled with mesmerizing, hummable melodies, earthy jangle, relaxed, layered vocal harmonies and an adrenalized band vibe.

"Bringing us power pop with a capital 'P', they bring to mind statemates Ike (former Ike Cliff Hillis produced 'Power This'), as well as Matthew Sweet and The Tories. Saul Zonana co-produced, played on and mixed several of the tracks, and his fans should enjoy this one as well. This is classic power pop at its finest." -Absolute PowerPop Blog

READYMADE BREAKUP - ALIVE ON THE VINE
Fans who like the idea of classic Squeeze, do not miss Readymade Breakup – that simple. If sweet, intensely rich vocals, hard driving guitar hooks, a amplified guitar sound and whalloped back choruses are your bag, open Readymade Breakup, right now!

"Asbury Park's kings of power-pop revisit the lush, harmony-filled ballads of their earlier releases, as well as a new energy that frees vocalist Paul Rosevear to release his inner McCartney. Revel in the Beatlesque melodies, exquisite soulful falsetto, and some crunchy rock on this self-released gem." -Jersey Beat

Crafting silky-smooth, melodic crooning melodies is what this band is all about, so go with the flow and smile away. Simply, not to be missed! Crystal-clear production, crackling passion, unrelenting, rewarding and breathtaking choruses, great ballads `n rockers standing bside each other - it`s the full pop package.

SAUL ZONANA - BLUE MONKEY
A mixture of Jason Falkner alongside Adrian Belew’s more wiley, proggy-pop - absolute KILLER! Amazing guitar work, all over BLUE MONKEY. Filled w/ the splendorous guitar, high energy hooks and expressive vocals found, the music falls into the schooling of such artists like Matthew Sweet, Todd Rundgren, Rick Altizer, Michael Penn, Candy Butchers, Doug Powell , the Dotted Line and Greenberry Woods.
It`s the type of power pop that would be right at home on most FM rock-oriented radio stations if radio played decent music. But it`s highly intelligent music at all corners.

"Strikes the balance between punchy pop and crunchy rock is borne of Zonana`s broad musical experience." -Amplifier


ORANGE PARK - REVELATIONS OF FUTURE PREDICTIONS
Reminds us of Fountains Of Wayne, Rooney, Superdrag, the Posies, the Elms, Copperpot, Butch Walker and Not Lame`s True Love. "Songs From The Unknown" is a striking parade of heart-warming, mouth-salivating pop songs with more hooks than a ship full of pirates. Insistent hooks, clever choruses and really great sounding rhythm guitars.
Always an interesting twist at every turn on all the material here--high impact, dead center, fastball melodies and clean, catchy guitar sounds with just the slightest edge to make it completely modern and fresh.

"They have a default setting of earnest, the songs constantly pummel with bonhomie, melody and effects, there’s little space for reflection, everything is so up, so much on the surface and is so glossy that you can skate across the top of it enjoying this beautiful bright shiny pop noise without ever having to think of the sheer effort that goes into it." -Americana UK


THE BLACK MOLLYS - IGNORANCE IS BLISS
This smokes huge billows of rocking power pop roll out of the rusty stacks of present day power pop, folks! If you like crunchy sweet'n'loud guitars with your pop, it does not go down more smoothly or easy than with the Black Mollys. Fans of Fuzzbubble, Enuff Z`Nuff`s poppy stuff, the Fags, True Love, Supermint, Cheap Trick (lots of that!), the Millions, really melodic King's X and Marvelous 3/Butch Walker.
The Black Mollys is a power-pop packed rock and roll rollercoaster! This is the kind of band that aches for an "11" on the volume knob! The grade-A production is only eclipsed by the hook filled songwriting and playing by this power trio.
Raucous, yet stylistic as they blunt their way along. This is loud, catchy grinding power pop. The hooks are monsters - simply massive. Sharp, shredding guitars, strong doses of melodic fury.

BROADFIELD MARCHERS - THE INEVITABLE CONTINUING
Heads up fans of SHOES: the Broadfield Marchers may be the most Shoes inspired band I’ve heard since the Spinning Jennies, but add slices of other classic pop influences like Guided By Voices(at their very finest, pop-wise), SELL OUT-era Who, Badfinger, Cheap Trick, Alex Chilton, early Pink Floyd and others.
These short and succinct songs (many under two minutes) are ethereal, sophisticated, and filled with pop craftsmanship. It appears that the members of Broadfield Marchers have been quietly writing and recording power-pop gems for several years.

"Totally addictive lo-fi power pop trio from Louisville with lotsa moves lifted from the Wilson brothers and SELL OUT-era Who." -Arthur Magazine

DOUG DEREK & THE HOAX - WHO THE HELL IS DOUG DEREK?
Fans of late 70s/early 80s classic(and I mean ‘classic’!) power-pop, Doug Derek is a huge find the way that the Deal reissue five years ago was for many serious pop geeks. Fans of Paul Collins’ Beat and the Plimsouls break out the napkins as you’ll need something to wipe off the drool.
Doug Derek & The Hoax, simply, were a very, very good and very short-lived edgy and unpretentious American Alternative Power Pop from New Haven, CT - a quartet with lots of energy, catchy melodic hooks and memorable songs who could rock with the best of them live. In other words, "Pop With A Lot Of Balls"! OLD SCHOOL POWER POPPIN' FUN!


MONO Y MONO- THE 5 SONG EP
Not only are all five of these songs killer but their early Elvis Costello new wavey charms are insidiously seductive and, yes, bear repeated listens. Occasionally, there's a bit of Cars-y skinnny tie but it's evocations of a time long gone sounds vibrant, new and fresh.
The five songs here are so damn GOOD (arguably, great!) that hearing the momentum created by the 5 songs here and - then having it - END - is a drag. In terms of EPs in 2008, this is my favorite, for sure. Some folks won't bite down on EPs as they find them, ahem, 'frustrating' for the reasons above. If that is you, I encourage you to give the samples below a try and see if you opinion can be modified. Let's get the full-length DONE - more, encore!

The new ANDY BOPP is almost here!!!

I met Andy Bopp a few months ago when he came through town to perform an acoustic set at the radio station that I have a show on. He was an awesome, funny fellow and afterwards, we all ate Thai food. Man, was it delicious! You should've been there!

ANYWAYS, we're all huge Bopp-fans here and I gotta admit that his latest album--THIS GUITAR KILLS SINGER SONGWRITERS--has the best album title of the year! I bet the music is twice as great!

Here's what Bruce has got to say about it...

DUE OCTOBER 14th - We'll have something special for folks who pick this up from Not Lame that I'll set up with Andy himself--details will be forthcoming!

"This is the first solo album from Andy Bopp, frontman and songwriter for Rainbow Quartz’s sparkling guitar pop melody makers Myracle Brah. Chock full of acoustic versions of Myracle Brah songs performed in a semi-Unplugged mode – plus a few brand new tunes – your ears will be treated to pristine, gorgeous arrangements with beautiful acoustic guitar work while delivering jangly psychedlic rock-pop conjuring Byrds, Beatles, Badfinger and Raspberries.” Like a fledgling Lennon was rocking out with Dinosaur Jr. on a weekend bender with Teenage Fanclub at their most cuddily.” -Mojo

"The Myracle Brah man and lead Love Nut breaks out his trusty acoustic guitar and leafs through some of the yellowed pages of what is now a rather large songbook to reel off a reliably entertaining set of tunes. This album contains no revelations but serves to confirm what I already knew -- he’s one helluva songwriter. Well, I suppose there’s one revelation. Okay, revelation is putting it strongly, but "Hello" is a new song. And it sounds like a typical Bopp song. His vocals are strong, the hook is established early, and fans of music that gravitates in The Beatles/Badfinger/early Big Star universe should enjoy this quite a bit. That universe is a large part of Bopp’s songcraft, though his work with Love Nut showed an affinity for Cheap Trick at times, while Myracle Brah periodically attempted to build on it’s ‘60s classicism with some moodier sounds. In this acoustic format, pop rules the day. But it’s not overly slick. If anything, the more intimate approach draws more emotions out of these songs, even when the lyrics may seem a bit impenetrable.

Bopp draws most from what may be the two best albums from his past: three songs apiece from Life From Planet Eartsnop and the second Love Nut album, Baltimucho. Knowing a good thing, he opens the album with the lead track from Eartsnop, "Whisper Softly". This is just over two minutes of pop perfection. The rise and fall of the melody is matched by the even greater rise and fall of the melody. Bopp also takes on "Just Because", a ballad that has a bit of a John Lennon-ish feel, and my favorite Myracle Brah song of all, "Good Day to the Night". "Night" simply has one of the best power pop choruses I have ever heard. It’s urgent and memorable and Bopp sells it with all he has. This is a song that, even when played without a full band, is intense from the get go and manages never to let up. All without any outrageous tempos or excessive guitar noise. The winners from Baltimucho sound great too. "Falling Down" and "Miss Fortune" (a song Myracle Brah also recorded) have that "should have been a hit" kind of feel. While the first Love Nut album was alright (and is represented here by "Jane"), Baltimucho was chock full of great songs. One of those was the type of song that should have been played at high school proms everywhere, "If You Go Away"." -Mike Bennett, Hablo Ennui

TRACK LISTING:
1. Whisper Softly
2. Broken
3. Hello
4. Jane
5. If You Go Away
6. Miss Fortune
7. Minimum Mary
8. Good Day to the Night
9. Hearts on Fire
10. Just Because
11. Falling Down
12. Blue (Instrumental)

PRE-ORDER HERE!!!

New BLUE ASH reissue on the way!!!

Bruce just gave me this awesome new info:

Details coming--ships October 28th! I'll have a special bonus I'll put together for folks who pick this up here at Not Lame, too. Details forthcoming! My understanding is NO bonus trax on the formal reissue--a straight-up reissue but at least it's OUT finally!!!

Here's the information sent out on the reissue:

When England's esteemed GUARDIAN newspaper assembled their list of "1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die", the 1973 debut album from Blue Ash made the grade amongst all the established classics--pretty remarkable for an obscure record that was out-of-print for over 30 years! Well, we at Collectors’ Choice have rectified that injustice, so this critically acclaimed LP can take its rightful place in the power pop pantheon. Signed to Mercury by legendary rock critic/publicist Paul Nelson, this four-piece from Youngstown, OH was among the first power pop bands alongside Badfinger, Big Star and Raspberries to revive the virtues of mid-60s rock against the then prevailing tides of prog excess and singer-songwriter self-absorption. NO MORE, NO LESS showcases the band's knack for melodic three-minute pop tunes delivered via a breathless attack that melded the Byrds’ jangle with the Who’s rhythm section and the Fab Four’s harmonies, as heard on the first cut and best-known track "Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her?)". Also includes their rave-up of the Dylan rarity "Dusty Old Fairgrounds" and such proto-power pop gems as "I Remember a Time" and "All I Want". This first-ever CD release features brand-new liner notes, courtesy of the band’s bassist and co-songwriter Frank Secich, along with rare photos from the band’s archives.

Pre-order here.

BRUCE HAS GONE KRAZY!!! It's a huge blowout sale!!!

Hey guys--here's a heads up: Bruce has gone absolutely nuts, and he passing the savings on to you!!! We're having a HUGE blowout sale, with CDs marked down to crazy low prices! If you have been waiting to buy, or on the fence about a certain title, now is the time to get it!

Why do we do it? Because we care.

You gotta hurry though, because the sale ends this Thursday!!!

Link: BLOWOUT SALE PAGE!

Link: EVEN MORE BLOWOUT SALE ITEMS!

The OK Gazette reviews IPO 11!!!

Do the math: 66 songs, three discs, one low price. No wonder the record company is called Not Lame.

The 11th volume of the long-running “International Pop Overthrow” compilation series features cover art that lovingly goofs on Apple’s silhouette-driven iPod ads. But the image is no joke: Those who look forward to the “IPO” discs will be rockin’ out, with little care in the world.

“IPO” and Not Lame are dedicated to the genre of power pop. It’s nowhere as commercial as teen pop or gangsta rap, but those who love their melodies sweet and their guitar chords crunchy, there’s plenty on which to munch. The lack of big names is not the point — exposing your hungry ears to new artists is.

Fervent followers will recognize more than the average Joe, such as Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (from the late, great Jellyfish), who’s represented by “American Affluenza.” But don’t miss the easygoing Sixties sounds of The Tomorrows’ “Effortless Lee” (nice wordplay), the young-punk bop of Blackout 101’s “Let’s Not Get Ahead of Ourselves,” the garage-floor goodness of The Doom Buggies’ “Gravity” and the feel-good surge provided by Bird Mancini ’s “Holly.”

Pop goes your tympanic membrane. Now with power.

—Rod Lott

Link: http://www.okgazette.com/p/12836/a/2294/Default.aspx

Have you got the new Matthew Sweet yet???

Very good interview with Matthew Sweet on the BULLZ-EYE site(always a fine read!) where he talks about the new album, past projects, upcoming ones and working with cool people like Susanna Hoffs. His new album, SUNSHINE LIES, has just arrived and after one listen, must say, it's the best album from him in a long time. He's remembered how to ROCK again but Sweet flexes a new, creative muscle tweaking his special brand of pop in new directions, fully pleasing long-time fans. I put up a lot of soundbites for you check out just now. CLICK HERE to listen and read about SUNSHINE LIES and CLICK HERE to go the interview.

Glen Campbell LIVE!

So our favorite album at the office right now is the new Glen Campbell! We can't get enough of it! I know that, at first glance that may not seen too power-pop, but hey, did you know that BOTH Jason Falkner and Roger Manning Jr. play on it? They do!

Not Lamer Stephen sent Bruce an email about the joy of seeing Glen live! Check it out!

***

To some, it may seem 'unhip' that I went and saw Glen Campbell last night at the Troubador in West Hollywood. But the show itself was one of the most anticipated shows around, it was sold out and people were jealous that eight of us at Super D had recieved free tickets to this show! I even saw Clem Burke, the drummer from Blondie outside trying to get in but couldn't (or at least at the time I was outside). Two co-workers think they saw Billy Bob Thornton at the bar. I am sure that there were plenty of celebrities there since it was mostly an industry type show.

Glen has a brand new album out that finds him covering some surprising material in his own glorious way. The album is great and seeing the man perform live was incredible. The last time I saw Glen live was when I was 7 or 8 years old, so this was a big deal for me! He's always been a favorite of mine...

So, I decided to search on YouTube to see if anyone had filmed the show and posted clips on the 'net. Yup, someone did! I even think I saw the person that filmed this. We were standing about 10 feet to the right of whoever filmed this, so these two clips are pretty similar to our point of view. Enjoy!

Jelly-links!!!

Here are some links to recent interviews with Roger Joseph Manning, Jr. and Jason Falkner from Jellyfish and their own respective solo careers-big faves, of course, here at Not Lame. (No, we don't have any copies of our Jellyfish FAN CLUB box set for sale! Very out of print and a $300 item on eBay!!!) Roger dropped a line the other day and he HAS pinned down a US deal for his CATNIP DYNAMITE album! It will include three live bonus trax for the U.S. release, too! No date yet, but it's
looking like Winter sometime. I'll keep you posted!


Now, check out the interviews from the fabulific PopShifter web site!

Interview with ROGER!

Interview with JASON!

JANGLE ON! for AUGUST 2008!!!

JANGLE ON!
By Eric Sorensen‏, written exclusively for NOT LAME

The past month has showcased a balance between new discs that feature chiming, jangly and ringing twelve-string songs and some "old" favorites that paved the way for so many of today’s jangly pop artists. Here is a summary of the albums and songs I have been listening to recently:

THE SUMMER SUNS-GREATEST
This long-time-in-coming 22-song compilation is a "must have" disc for all fans of jangly music. This Aussie power pop band's lineup changed several times during their decade in existence, but the formula for their very catchy melodic and chiming songs varied little from start to finish. Power pop luminaries like Dom Mariani and Joe Algeri combined their talents with the band’s chief composer Kim Williams to generate a magnificent catalog of songs that has already stood the test of time since the band ceased in 1996. Long ago, I discovered "Girl In A Mexican Restaurant" on a power pop compilation CD, and I immediately added the Summer Suns to my want list. Unfortunately, I was never able to find the rest of their material on CD stateside. That has finally changed, and jangleholics should not hesitate to acquire this disc. Rickenbackers chime throughout the 22 tracks, but standout songs are “She Understands,” “Girl In A Mexican Restaurant,” “Samantha,” “Brighter Than The Sun,” “Honeypearl,” “All Away” and “Stephanie.” If you mix equal parts of the Byrds and the Hollies with Dom Mariani bands, the Stems and DM3, you will get some idea of what this pseudo-60s pop outfit sounds like. I am truly sorry that I never got to see this band perform live, but GREATEST is a vibrant celebration of their chiming pop music. Long may you run, Sir Dom, Sir Joe and Sir Kim!

KAI REINER-s/t
It’s hard to ignore a pop album that pictures a Rickenbacker guitar (albeit a six-string model) on its cover. It’s even harder to ignore the body of work that is represented in this debut solo disc by DIY artist Kai Reiner. Like Bruce Brodeen, I hear Teenage Fanclub and Shoes references in Reiner’s songs; and I also hear Ted Holden references in Reiner’s jangle-oriented tunes. As one of my work colleagues likes to say – “it’s all good!” Reiner sets a high standard for first-time albums that other pop artists should abide by.

DROPKICK-TURNING CIRCLES and DOT THE I
Back-to-back albums by a British band that is right at home with the Teenage Fanclub vibe...that sometimes embraces the orchestral “wall of sound” and other times showcases Beach Boys-styled harmonies. When you toss in some similarities with the late great Feelies and chord progressions that occasionally remind me of early REM material, you have the makings of two excellent discs. My favorite tracks are “Open Door,” “Figure It Out,” “You Didn’t Make It,” “Only For Yourself,” “Black Book” and “Good Vibes.” This is very “smooth” power pop that will appeal to jangleholics.

BROADFIELDS MARCHERS-THE INEVITABLE CONTINUING
The Rainbow Quartz label has delivered another winner with this soon-to-be-released 19-song psych-pop disc. Fans of the Green Pajamas, the High Llamas, the Greenberry Woods and the New Pornographers will really dig this material. Pop listeners with a more veteran ear will pick up on some Who references in some of the tracks. Although this disc doesn’t jangle, the band’s tight sound will hold your interest from start to finish and if you’re like me, you’ll consider this a “keeper.”

CHARLOTTE POP FEST 2008
The Pop Fest souvenir disc is a terrific value–and it features 25 tracks by 25 artists. The standout track is the very jangly “Pretend” by Crisis–a strong contender for “Song of the Month” honors. Like any good compilation disc, this one will force me to search out more information about some of the featured artists!

In the “surprise of the month” category is MEET GLEN CAMPBELL by none other than Glen Campbell! The disc reunites the former “wrecking crew” member (who was a studio musician on Beach Boys and Byrds records) with the Capitol record label. Producer Julian Raymond selected ten songs (including hits by Green Day, Jackson Browne and John Lennon) for Campbell to reinterpret, and the results are very pleasing. Campbell’s take on Tom Petty’s “Walls” happily preserves much of the Rickenbacker jangle that the original version featured. Whether you are a Glen Campbell fan or not, MEET GLEN CAMPBELL is a solid testament to his enduring guitar skills.

Speaking of cover songs, Sugarland (with some help from Little Big Town) delivers one of the best cover songs of 2008 with their update on the Dream Academy’s “Life In A Northern Town.” Love those chorus harmonies, y’all!

In the “blast from the past” category this month is the Connells, a North Carolina-based pop/rock band that I was able to see perform live on three different occasions. In fact, I discovered the need to move out of the way of their younger fans who were afflicted with “happy feet” at Connells shows. The band frequently flirted with a jangly 12-string sound (“Scotty’s Lament” and “OT2”), and they were always able to sound as good live as they did on their albums. WHFS deejay “Weasel” first introduced me to the Connells by playing “Get A Gun;” later, Weasel also showcased other radio-friendly songs like “Maybe,” “Slackjawed” and “Doin’ You.” The venue where I saw the Connells perform is now home to the “new” 9:30 Club. It was a tougher neighborhood in the early 90s, but it was worth the risk to see this terrific band. The scuttlebutt about the Connells was that they dropped out of law school to form the band. If that is true, the pop universe is a better place because they made that choice!

In the “Jangly Hall of Fame” category are songs that I included on a compilation of favorite teen songs-a disc that always stays close to my CD player. Topping the list is “I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better” by the Byrds–a song I often refer to as “the greatest two and a half minute song in rock’n’roll history.” Other tracks are: “She Don’t Care About Time” by the Byrds (arguably, one of the best b-side songs in pop history); “If I Needed Someone” and “I Need You” by the Beatles; “Don’t Talk To Strangers” by the Beau Brummels; “Needles and Pins” by the Searchers; “When You Walk In The Room” by Jackie DeShannon; “Little Girl” by the Syndicate of Sound; “Look Through Any Window” by the Hollies; “Friday On My Mind” by the Easybeats; “Let’s Live For Today” and “Where Were You When I Needed You” by the Grass Roots; “It Ain’t Me Babe” and “Let Me Be” by the Turtles; “Turn Down Day” by the Cyrkle; and versions of “Hey Joe!” by the Stillroven, the Leaves and the Cryan’ Shames. These jangly songs made such a strong impression on me that I have been attracted to derivative tunes ever since the mid-60s. I will write more on those derivative songs in months to come.

Until next month, jangle on!