Have you heard the new Cheap Trick...on 8-TRACK???

Cheap Trick's latest album, THE LATEST, is available digitally, but the pop-rockers are going back in time to also release the album as a, get this, 8-track! You always hear people decrying the demise of vinyl, but aren't 8-tracks best left to 70s nostalgic reminising? I remember the stereo in my mom's car and how, as the 80s went one, one by one her Carpenters and Neil Diamond 8-track were eaten and spooled all over the front seat until she broke down and bought a cassette player--in 1988!!!

Here's a preview widget of the new album!!! What do you think? Rocks pretty hard--pretty sure I'll be buying it on CD! Or possibly reel-to-reel.

What new on the NOT LAME shelves??? 07. 29.09 Part One

Here's some of the newest releases straight from the Boss's desk to your ears!

Peter and the Penguins-HOW TO CHOOSE A SWEETHEART
SWEDISH IMPORT! A stunner for fans of The Spongetones and other newer bands that have arrived in the last few years happily digging up the Mersey sounds of early Beatles like The Fore and The Offbeat!!!

"They usher in the new beat(le-esque) era, and are the latest, fab stewards of the good ship Beatle-esque to steer the ears of melodic pop fans and denizens of the beat music era to a rousing chorus of yeah, yeah, yeahs.There`s no doubt about it: Peter and the Penguins is the Beatle-esque `it` band of the moment. If Beatle-esque and beat pop are your game, then you`re in for a great time, and you can`t beat that!" - Alan Haber, Buhdge.com

David Grahame - DT & THE DISAGREEABLES
MORE BIG, BIG NEWS! Another bonafide power-pop classic - no question! Forty copies arrived the other day and only a few are left - DO NOT WAIT! If you have noticed, in the last few months, I have made available some of long out of print titles from David Grahame. Yes, for a short time.The latest one to be unearthed is DT & THE DISAGREEABLES. It's hook after hook after hook. Usually such albums leave the passionate pop fan breathless at the end. But as with his body of work, the feeling here is "ready for me, bring it on". Such is the light, easy and transcendent joy of albums such as DT & THE DISAGREEABLES.

"Top 5 of 2004! The mercurial Mr. Grahame strikes again, doling out a bunch of sweet pop tunes that are impossible to shake." - John Borack, Amplifier

Michael Carpenter - REDEMPTION #39
COMES WITH BONUS 15 song CD-R "best of" compilation called THE NOT LAME YEARS!!! LIMITED!!! The latest evolutionary step for Carpenter is REDEMPTION #39, for me his most consistent, most accomplished project yet. The album showcases an uncompromising, stylised sonic palette that reflects the album`s starker themes and content. While it has the familiar colors of power-pop and alt-country, his fans have come to expect from his solo output, this material comes from a more distinct creative place.

The Pleasers - THAMESBEAT
SKINNY TIE ALERT!! Japanese Only CD!!! The Pleasers were all about the Merseybeat side of that new strain of Beatles inspired power pop that was evolving at the time. They were a bit too worshipful of those sounds(and looks - they all dressed in matching suits and skinny ties a la The Knack) to make a dent on the upheaval of the music scene of the time but just listen to the samples below and you will find that this is a band that is great find for many Not Lamers. This CD has twenty-four tracks total. Twelve from their released EPs of the time and twelve bonus. Extremely Highly Recommended!

Tony Cox - UNPUBLISHED
A FIND!!! Yeah, this what pop fans are always looking for: that unknown, undiscovered treasure and Tony Cox IS. UNPUBLISHED is an album of gorgeously executed, perfect pop songs will leave you breathless - as good as anything else you will hear all year.

"10 out of 10. This Tony`s first release and consists of 11 self-penned, perfectly crafted pop songs. If you love melodies that float around your head for days you will love this album. Tony`s songs are effortlessly structured in a classic pop style." - CD Universe

"It is refreshing to be able to listen to an album made in 2009 that marries itself so lovingly with 60`s PowerPop. Tony Cox will find his place in the PowerPop spotlight." - Modern PowerPop blog

The Leftovers - EAGER TO PLEASE
The Leftovers have moved into my Top 10 for 2009 so far! Filled with ultra-catchy power pop gems, EAGER TO PLEASE successfully combines the classic 60s sounds of the Beatles, Beach Boys and Phil Spector and the 70s PowerPop of Elvis Costello, the Romantics and the Rubinoos, while keeping the upbeat energy of the Ramones and the Queers.

"Pure pop perfection - add a strong punk influence, a la the Ramones, salt in a bit of Elvis Costello and pepper with The Beatles and you are feasting on the tasty treat we know as "The Leftovers"." -Smart Punk

Here's the news you've been waiting for...the return of THE SHAZAM!!!

Bruce has got big news for you guys!!!

Hey - Hey - HEY!

One of the true classic, hot rocking bands in the last 15 years...RETURNS!

Ladies & Gentlemen, won`t you please welcome back... THE SHAZAM!!!

Recorded at Sage & Sound in Hollywood, METEOR is produced by Mack, who produced Queen, Black Sabbath, Sparks, Billy Squier, and has worked with Electric Light Orchestra, T. Rex, The Sweet, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Elton John and the Rolling Stones, among others. Collaborating with Mack marks a turning point in the band's 15-year career, giving them the opportunity to record an album with the rock legend who worked on the very albums that influenced their music.

And YOU, mighty rawk fan, have the salivating opportunity to sink your teeth into a "whole lotta (Shazam) love" - with a very special Limited, Super Special Edition of METEOR. How long this version will be available is completely unknown. Could be days, a few weeks...but it will be gone before METEOR drops on August 4th.

Where you stand right now, inside the velvet-rope access to the pantheon of rock Gods (this site, this link!), you have a chance - a rare, limited chance - to snag this extremely limited version of The Shazam's new CD. For $22, you will own, enjoy and experience the digipak edition of METEOR and receive a professionally replicated six-song mini-CD of unreleased, never-before-heard Shazam rarities called HERE'S TO ALL THE MISFITS... AND a 10-song CD-R THE BEST OF THE SHAZAM, which includes one more totally unreleased Shazam track (and, trust me, this is an unheard bonafide Shazam classic!) from the GODSPEED THE SHAZAM sessions. This unheard Shazam gem will tease 'n' tantalize you as an exclusive preview of the upcoming 2010 release of the 2 CD Deluxe reissue of GODSPEED THE SHAZAM, one of the great achievements in real, righteous rock 'n' roll in the last fifteen years, then, now and forever. Amen.

Click Here to view information on the six tracks on HERE'S TO ALL THE MISFITS...

BOTTOM LINE: This extremely, limited, super special edition of METEOR is strictly limited to 250 copies. Rest assured, you will own a future eBay rarity, much sought after by those late to the party and not tuned into the Not Lame lifestyle. To order this special edition, click here.

***** If you want to simply order just the single CD version of METEOR (and not this special edition on this page), click here to order single CD version.*****

Okay, exhale the (just and proper) hype and let's continue to talk about this new Shazam album. The Shazam's garage rock and power-pop roots intertwine to make METEOR the band`s biggest sounding record yet. "So Awesome", the explosive lead-off track, sets the stage for the whole gamut of The Shazam`s modern classic rock: big, Who-sized guitars collide with glittering insanity, melodic hooks, anthemic rockers, sweeping balladry, layers of vocals, resounding drums, guitars, guitars, guitars. With each successive Shazam album, the band has grown from small-screen to wide-screen in terms of production and grandeur. It was the stripped-down English Mod approach of their 1997 debut that gave The Shazam the credit for starting Nashville`s "power-pop" scene. With sophomore release GODSPEED THE SHAZAM came mellotrons, theremins and overblown psychedelia. Dubbed their "experimental" album, REV9 was the bridge from GODSPEED to TOMORROW THE WORLD's full-tilt arena rock. METEOR is everything Shazam all at once.



All songs on the album were written by singer/guitarist Hans Rotenberry, whose soaring vocals were never more inspired than on METEOR`s 11 powerful tracks. Drummer Scott Ballew, with the band since its formation in 1994, is Rotenberry`s creative foil. Ballew`s distinctive thundering beat is the engine that makes The Shazam run. Jeremy Asbrock`s crisp guitar work and newest member Mike Vargo`s melodic bass playing are the perfect complement to Rotenberry`s and Ballew`s exuberance.

Now is the time celebrate an event in the middle of summer and remind yourself of the true, visceral, transcendent joy of what rock `n roll means in 2009 and beyond. METEOR is not just another album to put on your shelf and occasionally play. It will be a precious piece of your life, a sideman, a stately presence, a reminder of how a great piece of music colors the corners of your life with more meaning, more joy and the spirit of that rock flame that burns inside real music fans.

Engage. Enjoy. This one is for you. Right here, right now.

Eric Sorensen's JANGLE ON for July 2009!!!

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

Jangly music may not be as prevalent as it was five years ago (the influence that Boomers have on popular music may finally be dissipating), but it’s still out there. It’s just getting a little harder to find and INTERNET resources are certainly useful in finding it. New discs and new tunes that have made my “Jangle Pop” play list over the past two months include:

Peter & The Penguins - HOW TO CHOOSE A SWEETHEART
Fans of Beatlesque pop have good reason to be excited about this 14-track album that brings back fond memories of the Spongetones’ early albums. The album features formulaic Fab Four-inspired pop tunes (period lyrical content, the construct of the melodies) that are overflowing with chiming, ringing Rickenbacker 12-string riffs. Want proof? Just listen to "She Took Me By Surprise", "Sweetheart", "There’s No Living Here Without You" and "That Day Will Come". You will be hard-pressed to find another new pop album that jangles as much as this one does!

Radio City – RADIO CITY
Radio Heartbeat Records has reached back--30 years into the past--to release these gems by an overlooked power-pop band from that era. The album credits indicate that three band members shared 12-string guitar duties...and it’s all good! "Don’t Mistake Love" and "Little Runaway" are the best of the chiming tracks, but the entire album is a feast for power-pop purists.

The Fire Marshals of Bethlehem - THE WORLD FROM THE BACK SEAT
This is the sophomore disc from a group that reminds me of the Kennedys, the Living Room Legends and the Trolleyvox. In other words: this band features excellent boy-girl vocals and lots of chiming guitars. "High Times" and "Off The Track" are the standout tunes on this top-notch disc.

Two Pound Planet - SONGS FROM THE HYDROGEN JUKEBOX
The wait for the re-release of this Mitch Easter-produced 1993 album was well worth it! The songs on this album deserved as much commercial airplay as the tracks from the Gin Blossoms’ NEW MISERABLE EXPERIENCE, but that was not the case. Sixteen years later, pop fans can still admire the talent and songcraft that was concentrated in this superb album. Although only one track – "Gone" – falls neatly into the jangle-pop category, SONGS FROM THE HYDROGEN JUKEBOX remains a worthy example of how a pop album should be built from start to finish.

Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey - HERE AND NOW
Sometimes you can go back...and former bandmates and musical pals Holsapple and Stamey have done just that. "Early In The Morning" sounds as Byrdsian as any song that Holsapple and Stamey have released together and the track has a distinct Velvet Crush/Chastain-Menck vibe to it. "Tape Op Blues" concludes the album with a nice strummy track. Like their earlier collaborations, HERE AND NOW will be a timeless testament to this duo’s talent!

Other jangly songs that have caught my ear include: "Built To Last" by the Lemon Clocks (a band that includes Jangle All Star Pop musician Jeremy Morris – AKA Jeremy); "Sweet Relief", a new jangly solo track by Jeremy; "Coming Of Age", a terrific chiming Rickenbacker tune from the next album by GAT (Graham Allman Talbot); "Another Day Without You", from the forthcoming album by the Crown Prince of 12-String, Horst-Peter Schmidt; "I Feel Alright", by Your Gracious Host; "Journeyman" by the Lovetones; "Come With Me" by the Pete Best Band; "Billy" by Gyllene Tider and "Goodbye" by Ice Cold Pop.

Yes, jangly tracks may be a little harder to find these days, but they’re worth the search. Thanks again to the talented indie artists who share their material with me, and thanks to my good friend in Rhode Island, Ray Verno, who discovers jangly nuggets through the INTERNET. If anyone ever asks you what a Rickenbacker 12-string guitar sounds like, tell him/her "You’ll know it when you hear it!"

Until next time, jangle on!