Earlimart - THE AVENUES E.P.
Palm Pictures (2003)
I found this on a listening station at the local record store. If this EP is any indication this could be a great album. Mostly mid-tempo songs.
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The Music - THE MUSIC
Capitol Records (2003)
I found this on a listening station at the local record store. It fuses big guitar, classic rock, Led Zeppelin-ish sound with electronics. An interesting combination with a big full sound. I would guess it reminds me of some bands like The Charlatans (UK) or The Stone Roses with more guitar.
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Peter Gabriel - UP
Virgin Records (2002)
Well, it took 12 years or so, but Peter final released a new album of straight songs. I love most of the songs. The first single "The Barry Williams Show" has grown very old for me. But there are so many better songs anyway. My favorite tracks are "Signal To Noise", "More Than This", and "Growing Up".
The Japanese release includes an extra disc with a few remixes on it.
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Butch Walker - LEFT OF SELF-CENTERED
Arista Records (2002)
There used to be a band called The Marvelous Three. They were an amazing band with great songs and an incredibly entertaining stage presence. And they were some of the nicest bunch of rock stars you'll ever meet. Yes, they had a certain amount of cheese to them, but that was one of their charms. It was all done with their tongues planted firmly in their cheeks and they definitely "brought back the rock". Well, they were screwed by their record label and they eventually decided to amicably part ways so the various members could pursue other interests. Butch wanted to make a solo record. And boy did he. This album rocks and rocks hard! Butch has a way of writing music hooks that would grab on to your ears hard. At the same time the guitar grabs you you begin to notice that his lyrics are smart and hilarious at the same time. I really can't say enough about this record. I hope that Butch finally gets the recognition that he (and Marvelous 3) definitely deserved but never got. If you're a fan of Marvelous 3 and you don't have this record then you need to GET IT NOW!! If you're a fan of hook-laden guitar rock ala Cheap Trick and that ilk you need to GET THIS RECORD NOW!! If you like smart and funny lyrics you need to GET THIS RECORD!! Noticing a pattern here? Good. NOW CLICK THE ABOVE LINK AND BUY THE DAMN THING!!
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Stroke 9 - RIP IT OFF
Cherry/ Universal Records (2002)
Their last album had the hit "Little Black Backpack" and they had a song in Kevin Smith's film JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK. If you liked the first record then this is more of the same. That's not a bad thing. The first record was amazing and this record is just as good- maybe better. The record was released in late 2002 with little promotion as far as I can tell. Why? Good question. I think there are plenty of radio single quality songs on this record. Get with it Universal Records!!
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Everclear - SLOW MOTION DAYDREAM
Capitol Records (2003)
Well, if you like Everclear's past records then there's really no reason you wouldn't like this new one. It's basically just more of the same. I like it a lot. I just wish they'd stray from the "Everclear formula" just a little bit. Many of the songs sound very similar to songs on other albums. At least they're consistent.
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Bree Sharp - MORE B.S.
Ahimsa Records (2002)
This is Bree's second record. Truth be told I remember her first album and single, "David Duchovny", from when I was running the radio station bck in the late 90s. But I lost track of it over the years as new albums came along. In 2002 I was looking at the music line up for the local fair and saw her name listed. It instantly rang a bell so I went down to the music wall and pulled out the CD. I fell in love with it all over again. I couldn't believe I had forgotten this record. I went to the show and it was great. It's good to finally hear something new from her. Initially I didn't think the new record was as good as the first. Now, after repeated listens, it's grown on me considerably. I guess you can describe her stuff as female singer/songwriter style. Kind of a more stripped down Sheryl Crow.
 Her first album, BREE SHARP, is still available and highly recommended also.
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The Human League - DARE/LOVE AND DANCING (Digitally Remastered Edition)
Virgin/Caroline Records (1981/1982/2003)
Originally released back in October of 1981, DARE marked the beginning of a new era for the pioneering electronic band The Human League. Two previous members had left to form B.E.F. (and later Heaven 17) and four new members (including the girls) were brought in. One of the greatest albums of all time, DARE, is remastered and packaged together with it's instrumental sister LOVE AND DANCING. The sound quality is crisp and clean. Finally, proper treatment for a truly brilliant album.
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Naked Eyes - EVERYTHING AND MORE
One Way Records (2002)
If you're a Naked Eyes fan then you need this record. It features original remixes, b-sides, and unreleased songs from the bands career. The only bad thing I can find with this record is the running order of the songs. I like hearing different mixes of a song, but I don't want to hear them almost back to back. Three mixes of "Promises Promises" are included in the first 6 songs. They would have been more enjoyable had they been spread out over the 15 songs.
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Simple Minds - NEON LIGHTS
Eagle Records (2001)
I just happened to run across this in the store without even knowing it existed. It features Simple Minds doing covers of 12 of their favorite songs in a style which fits in with their recent offerings. Some of my favorite tracks are David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold The World", Pete Shelley's "Homosapien", and The Human League's "Being Boiled". But they're all interesting.
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Simple Minds - CRY
Eagle Records (2002)
The newest album by Simple Minds. I have to say that the title track is practically worth the money for this CD alone. It's an amazing song. The other songs sound great too. In all honesty, there aren't many "80s artists" still around and out of the ones which are very few are still making music that is on par with their previous work. Simple Minds is one band that is still making great music. You may also want to check out their 1998 album NEAPOLIS. It's not quite as good as CRY, but it's decent and certainly worth it for any Simple Minds fan.
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Erasure - OTHER PEOPLE'S SONGS
Mute Records (2003)
Erasure gets in the covers game by recording some of their favorite songs in true Erasure fashion. Erasure is not new to cover songs. Back in the early 90s they did an album of Abba songs that was just brilliant and several years ahead of Abba's resurgence in popularity. There's been others also from Tina Turner songs to classical standards. In this collection there's songs you'll recognize immediately and others you may not know. The first single was Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill". The second single seems to be "Come Up and See Me (Make Me Smile)", a song I really love and first became familiar with back in 1984 when Duran Duran included a live version of the song as the B-side for "The Reflex". Duran's is still my favorite version, but this one isn't bad either. Another favorite is The Buggle's "Video Killed The Radio Star", which sounds like a song just written for Erasure. A nice collection of songs to hold Erasure fans over until their next album of original material.
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Foo Fighters - ONE BY ONE
Roswell/RCA Records (2003)
Less pop and more rock for the new Foo Fighters. Not bad. I haven't instantly fallen in love with this record like I did the last one, but it's growing on me.
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Supergrass - LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS
Island Records (2003)
A few songs on this record stood out immediately to me. The others are growing on me. I can't remember if that's the norm for me with a Supergrass record or not. I don't think it was with their last record. In any case, these are good songs and I'm sure any Supergrass fan will enjoy the record.
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Duncan Sheik - DAYLIGHT
Atlantic Records (2002)
The Duncan I like is back! I was a huge fan of Duncan's first album. So much so that I could listen to it repeatedly without boring of it. There's very few records like that. It was an absolutely beautiful album that I have to consider one of my all time favorites. Unfortunately, his 2nd and 3rd albums were a bit of a disappointment. By Duncan's own admission, his last album was written and recorded in a somewhat down time in his life and it showed. He's obviously found a much better place for this album because he's done another beautifully brilliant album of catchy heart-warming tunes. The lyrics are great and the melody just begs for you to sing along. Highly recommended!!
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The Vines - HIGHLY EVOLVED
Capitol Records (2002)
Basically this is Australia's answer to Nirvana. Lots of good catchy tunes though.
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Puretone - STUCK IN A GROOVE
V2 Records (2002)
A great electronic drum and bass album. Features the incredible songs "Addicted To Bass" and "Stuck In A Groove".
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Interpol - TURN ON THE BRIGHT LIGHTS
Matador Records (2002)
To me this reminds me of the early to mid eighties british rock sound. Bands like The Cure and Modern English come to mind immediately. 11 Tracks of great music.
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OK Go! - OK Go!
Capitol Records (2002)
An amazing brit-pop record. I first saw this band live at The Black Cat here in DC. They opened for Superdrag and Phantom Planet. One of the best bills ever as far as I'm concerned. They sounded good live and were passing out free CDs of their first single. There were two of the best songs on that CD I could hardly wait to hear the rest of the record. When the record was finally released I wasn't disappointed. Phantom Planet is a good comparison. Both bands pull off the british rock/pop thing very well.
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Aimee Mann - LOST IN SPACE
SuperEgo Records (2002)
I've been a fan of Aimee Mann for a long time. After all- she was the voice of Til' Tuesday/"Voices Carry", one of the 80s finest singles. I loved her first solo album. I've seen her live a few times. I thought her second album was a bit of a letdown overall. But she's done some great stuff since then. Unfortunately, this record seems to just kind of drone on for me. They're not bad songs- in fact, they're all great songs. But most are so similar they just seem to run together for me- not particularly standing out from one another.
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Phantom Planet - THE GUEST
Sony Records (2002)
I just found this on a listening station after hearing an interview on local radio. This is a great album. I wanna go back and get their earlier album also. Lots of catchy tunes. Their slow songs are very Radiohead sounding to me. There's bits of Elvis Costello, Radiohead, The Beatles, and others all mixed together on this album. Freaking Amazing!!
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The Doves - THE LAST BROADCAST
Capitol Records (2002)
I had never heard of Doves before I skimmed through this album at a listening station in the store. I've been told their last album was good also. This album is full of good tunes. Reminds me a little of The Charlatans. The first single on this album, "There Goes The Fear" is amazing- It makes me want to bounce up and down it's so damn catchy and fun. It's that damn ringing guitar riff that I just want to whistle or hum all day long after hearing it. Fave tracks 2, 3, 6, 9, and 10.
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 KANGAROO JACK Soundtrack
Hip-O Records (2003)
The movie is apparently about a talking kangaroo who stole some money and doesn't intend on giving it back to the folks he got it from. But talking kangaroos aside, this soundtrack was brought to my attention. Most of the music included on the soundtrack is crap, but it does feature music by Soft Cell, The Sugarhill Gang, and Colin Hay (singer of Men At Work) performing an interesting new version of the song "Down Under".
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Various Artists - THE BRAT PACK YEARS
Mars Entertainment (2001)
This is a really nice 80s compilation- And I'm not just saying that because I wrote the liner notes. The concept is easy: "songs that were featured in Brat Pack movies of the 1980s". 14 Tracks (some hard to find) from movies like Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire, Weird Science, and others plus a great version of Thompson Twins "In The Name Of Love". This is the only place to find the Inxs track "Do Wot You Do" (from The Breakfast Club) other than the actual soundtrack. The booklet includes a short movie trivia quiz. A great concept that could certainly be expanded to a "Volume Two".
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Latest 80s Related Music Finds:
The following are my most recent 80s related buys. These are usually used buys that I find in local shops. (04/06/2003)
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The Romantics - RHYTHM ROMANCE
CBS/Nemperor Records (1985)
A local shop is going out of business. This was one of my purchases.
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Til Tuesday - VOICES CARRY
Epic/CBS Records (1985)
A local shop is going out of business. This was one of my purchases.
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Thompson Twins - MASTER HITS
Arista Records (1999)
A local shop is going out of business. This was one of my purchases. A compilation of 11 TT songs- Not so much a greatest hits collection. But nice if you like TT.
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Eurythmics - SWEET DREAMS (are made of this)
RCA Records (1983)
A local shop is going out of business. This was one of my purchases. An album I've never owned for some reason. I've always been a fan of Eurythmics singles and both Dave and Annie's solo/post-Eurythmics work. I don't know why I never actually bought any full albums. My errors are being corrected.
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The Jesus and Mary Chain - 21 SINGLES 1984-1988
Rhino/WB Records (2002)
A local shop is going out of business. This was one of my purchases.
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Vincent Clarke & Martyn Ware - SPECTRUM PURSUIT VEHICLE
Mute Records (2001)
Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure) and Martyn Ware (The Human League, BEF, Heaven 17) have done a few music projects together. This is one of them. It is intended to be "experienced with the use of headphones, and at the point of near-sleep at the end or beginning of the day."
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The Human League - DARE/LOVE AND DANCING (Digitally Remastered Edition)
Virgin/Caroline Records (1981/1982/2003)
Originally released back in October of 1981, DARE marked the beginning of a new era for the pioneering electronic band The Human League. Two previous members had left to form B.E.F. (and later Heaven 17) and four new members (including the girls) were brought in. One of the greatest albums of all time, DARE, is remastered and packaged together with it's instrumental sister LOVE AND DANCING. The sound quality is crisp and clean. Finally, proper treatment for a truly brilliant album.
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Naked Eyes - EVERYTHING AND MORE
One Way Records (2002)
If you're a Naked Eyes fan then you need this record. It features original remixes, b-sides, and unreleased songs from the bands career. The only bad thing I can find with this record is the running order of the songs. I like hearing different mixes of a song, but I don't want to hear them almost back to back. Three mixes of "Promises Promises" are included in the first 6 songs. They would have been more enjoyable had they been spread out over the 15 songs.
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Simple Minds - NEON LIGHTS
Eagle Records (2001)
I just happened to run across this in the store without even knowing it existed. It features Simple Minds doing covers of 12 of their favorite songs in a style which fits in with their recent offerings. Some of my favorite tracks are David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold The World", Pete Shelley's "Homosapien", and The Human League's "Being Boiled". But they're all interesting.
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Simple Minds - CRY
Eagle Records (2002)
The title track is practically worth the money for this CD alone. It's an amazing song. The other songs sound great too. In all honesty, there aren't many "80s artists" still around and out of the ones which are very few are still making music that is on par with their previous work. Simple Minds is one band that is still making great music. You may also want to check out their 1998 album NEAPOLIS. It's not quite as good as CRY, but it's decent and certainly worth it for any Simple Minds fan.
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