Velvet Crush

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This one might be a little too poppy for some of you, but I love this record. Velvet Crush features members of Choo Choo Train and Honeybunch, so if those names ring a bell then you prolly know what to expect.
Paul Chastain's singing sounds a bit like Bill Fox, and musically if you like stuff like The Three O' Clock, the Pooh Sticks, The Shakes or Big Star, this is prolly right up your alley.
My favorite tracks are "Weird Summer" and "Blank Pages".

Power Pop Pop-Pop

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Clap

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This rare 1972 record reminds me of a mix of The Rolling Stones (Exile era) with some of the hooks and melodies Husker Du and Redd Kross might write (The opening track is pretty similar to "Books About UFOs")...fucking amazing!

Snotty vocals (think Kepi Ghoulie and King Tuff meet the singer of The Koala) mix with early Boston punk on the more rockin' tunes . "My Imagination" sounds like a NY Dolls/Hollywood Brats song (with a "Rocks Off" intro!) and they turn the Kinks "Yes Sir, No Sir" melody on it's head with the closing track "Only Just An Act". This record (that I only discovered this year) I can't recommend enough and is an absolute CLASSIC! The CDs are getting hard to find, so pick one up before it's too late!

Out Of The Shadows

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The Ghost

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There are some albums that I instantly fall in love with. This is one of them. There's some catchy mellower folk on here, but also some BLAZING atmospheric garage psyche!
"My Castle Has Fallen" rocks like Grand Funk, the spooky but upbeat "When You're Dead" could have easily been in Arthur Brown's repertoire, while "Hearts And Flowers" is a soothing tune that falls somewhere between Mary Hopkin, Fairport Convention and Pentangle.
The Ghost formed in the late 60s releasing just one record before changing their name and splitting up. If anyone knows more info, post a message!

The most curious thing is how "Night of the Warlock" is seriously close to Mungo Jerry's "In the Summertime" a year later - if it was darker...and about warlocks.

I bought my copy on eBay, for $22, which is still cheaper than the $38 Amazon charges.

Too Late To Cry

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Raw Power

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When I told my Italian ex-roomate how much I love Raw Power he replied: "Fuck those bullshit motherfuckers! They fucking suck the shit-a!". Well maybe if you grew up in Italy and have seen Raw Power dozens of times (in the '90s), they might have worn out their welcome a bit, but that doesn't take away the fact that this is easily in the top 5 best hardcore records ever recorded. It's selling for a shittone of money on Amazon, so here it is.

Wikitrivia: their original bass player had been in the great Chelsea Hotel (the band, not the hotel). Sadly, guitar player Giuseppe died while playing soccer back in 2002, leaving his brother Mauro as the only original member.

Start A Fight
(not my rip, but I included my LP scans)

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Crumsuckers

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1986 was a pivotal year in my life. 1986 was the year I started skateboarding (not counting my old banana board from the '70s)and a bunch of East Coast hardcore bands started releasing records - Perfect skating music!
Along with DRI, Raw Power, C.O.C. and Agnostic Front, this Crumsuckers LP was among the "harder" punk stuff I listened to in 9th or 10th grade. It still holds up after all these years, although maybe not as much as I'd like*. It's pretty amazing how young these guys were when they wrote and recorded this album, but I guess you could say that for most of those bands back then. It sure makes a guy feel old and untalented.
Two of the Crumsuckers formed "Pro-Pain" and one of them went to be in the Genitorturers. I believe the Crumsuckers played some reunion shows of late as well.

Shit's Creek
(not my rip, but I included my LP scans)

*listening again for a second time, I take that back. It's still great.

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Blue Öyster Cult

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I've been busy lately, but haven't abandoned the blog!

Till I get some stuff ripped, enjoy this BOC bootleg!

Lucifer The Light

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Mensclub

When I first moved to San Francisco there was no finer rock band playing in the city than the Mensclub. This CD doesn't come close to the ROCK they were live, and Aaron Nudleman's voice is more suited to the slightly mellower 60s garage psyche he'd do later (or his previous band Wig Torture), but it still SMOKES. Ass, Gas or Grass was practically a citywide anthem. Even mid-90s hipsters began to catch on. Maybe Mensclub is responsible for the hipster-moustache?

Got This Thing On The Move