Song Of the Day: February 20, 2005
Another great 45 from the Susstones/Prospective empire, this one from a San Diego band formerly known as Manual Scan. Not so overtly mod as the Scan, The Shambles continued lead singer Bart Mendoza's development as a pop craftsman of consummate skill. His songs are simple, intelligent, and...kind. Using a very traditional (some would say "used up") vocabulary of boy/girl relationship settings, Mendoza is able to make his songs sound like pleas for respect and dignity without resorting to any cheesy hippie-isms. A look at the picture sleeves of the fine string of 7" gems the Shambles have fashioned betray Mr. Mendoza's longings for a mod, mod, mod, mod, world, but the sound is often as not based on 60s folk rock, with requisite harmonies and vigorously strummed acoustic guitars.
Song Of the Day: February 19, 2005
Midnight International Records 45, 1985
My friend John Kass has called them "one of the best American bands ever," and I think he has a good argument. While so many of the 80s garage revivalists used meticulous perfection of their imitations as the main criteria for greatness (and some of them produced very fine records in the process), Plasticland seemed more concerned with blowing the whole thing up. Lyrically, they were always awesomely over the top, and everything else about them, from their fuzz riffs to their costumes was just far more extreme than the competition. They still perform occasionally; I saw them in 2003, and they played a virtual greatest-hits set. They were magnificent. All of their early singles are available on the excellent Mink Dress and Other Cats CD (Timothy's Brain Records, possibly out of print already), but if anyone has copies of the "Vibrasonics From Plasticland" EP or the "Mink Dress" 45 that they'd like to sell, please do get in touch. 
Song Of the Day: February 18, 2005
If memory serves, I mail-ordered this disc after reading a rave review in a fine industry trade publication called The Bob. This brilliant performance, seemingly fueled by cheap beer and even cheaper speed should please fans of both the pop and punk genres. I must report unfortunately that the subsequent LP on Big Time Records, Soul Desire, was rather less bracing and energetic than this debut. Fortunately, our tale has a happy ending, as guitarist/songwriter JZ Barrell made a charming LP of spikey pop in 1996 enititled Here's the Surprise (NG Records).
Song Of the Day: February 17, 2005
Called in sick today. Feeling poorly. Here's a song about my favorite drug.
Song Of the Day: February 16, 2005
Protex-A Place In Your Heart
Polydor Records 45, 1980
When we were discussing Irish power pop in the Donkees entry, Mickey kept pawing at my leg and asking "What about Protex though?" So here they are. After a single on Good Vibrations they made three more for Polydor. An album was recorded, but never released, though I think it's been bootlegged. This veers close to Bay City Rollers territory (a band that tends to split power pop lovers into warring factions), but we don't mind a bit.
Oh, by the way, it was pointed out to me by the helpful Steve Mitchell that the Donkees were not actually Irish, but were instead from Lancashire. So the whole premise of that entry was screwed. I apologize for the misinformation, and I'll try to do better. But the song is still great, right?
Song Of the Day: February 15, 2005
I don't want to belabor the obvious, but I think it's appropriate to give a brief history lesson here. Rock and roll, as most of you know, helped give teenagers a voice. Unlike the "pop" music of the day, it took elements of black R 'n' B as well as other musics, and used them to create a new sound that not only appealed to teenagers, but also specifically addressed their particular concerns. It should come as no surprise then, that the rock 'n' roll canon is rich in songs describing that most prominent of problems facing white adolescents, namely the discovery that one's object of affection is a zombie. While this number by the Fall-Outs doesn't soar with the pure poetry of "Slug" by the Ramones which is perhaps the pinnacle of the genre, we here at Little Hits believe that this tune represents a significant addition to the literature.
Song Of the Day: February 14, 2005
I couldn't pass up a chance to be timely AND present you with a favorite 45 from the talented Darren Cooper at the same time, so here's the Parasol Records debut of Three Hour Tour, a nice blend of the Beatles and Cheap Trick that was very popular with the other guys in my old band, the Wilmas. Another 7", two full length CDs, and several compilation appearances followed. Mr. Cooper has recently been spotted helping out his friends The Velvet Crush. By the way, I'm not sure about the date on this; it's a guess based on who I was hanging out with and what other records came out at about the same time. For some reason there is no date on many of the early Parasol singles.
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