TAXI

Artist: TAXI

Title: Self Titled

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1980

Songs: 8

Label: Apex Records

Style: AOR    

Taxi was a big band with a whopping ten members.   A late 70’s Westcoast AOR rock with easy going vibes was their trade.  A couple of songs crawl above the fray to provide interesting listening, but for the most part, it’s low-mid-tempo period 70’s pop rock.   

CHEEVERS

Artist: CHEEVERS

Title: Self Titled       

Format: Vinyl EP

Year: 1983

Songs: 4

Label: SOL Records

Style: New Wave

Highly obscure new wave power pop group who operated out of Sacramento, CA.  The songs have Devo influenced quirkiness as in the speedy ‘Twenty-First Century Breakdown’ and then wander into melodic new wave on ‘Compelled To Confess’.  A solid private press offering.

THE WORLD

Artist: THE WORLD

Title: Irresistible Urge         

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1987

Songs: 10

Label: Forchyn Music

Style: Hard Rock

Westcoast AOR with an annoying violin that pops in and out and sometimes overstays its welcome.  Yeah there’s a few decent up-tempo non-violin songs that hint at what the band should have focused more on and what this listener really would have wanted, like the driving ‘Walls’ and the melodic big drumming  ‘It’s True.’  Kind of lame.

GREEK LIFE AQUARIUM

Artist: GREEK LIFE AQUARIUM

Title: Hell In Water   

Format: Vinyl EP

Year: 1988

Songs: 4

Label: Kool Records

Style: Minimal Wave

Here we have a one off basement studio project by Graham Perry, formerly of Order Of Silence band, who were based in Nashville, TN.  Graham teams up with Jo Z Chrobok and releases this peculiar offering.  ‘Face Of J.C.’ is an odd minimalistic drum machine synth workout, while ‘Spirit Of The Runaway’ glooms its way through a story of a runaway.  More minimal basement quirks are found in ‘Monotony’.  Yeah it’s weird, but cool!  

KORNERSTONE

Artist: KORNERSTONE

Title: Reflecting Traveler     

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1979

Songs: 12

Label: Starwest Records

Style: Rural Rock

Kornerstone was a local rural rock band that ventured into folk arrangements as well. The opening title song is the album’s standout, it’s an up-tempo good time rocker with nice fuzz guitar riffing.  There’s a few others that bubble under, like the comical ‘The Bull Frog Song’ and closer ‘It’s About Time/Konyets’.  A varied affair with low levels of excitement.   

XDAVIS

Artist: XDAVIS

Title: Summer Of Fire

Format: Vinyl EP

Year: 1984

Songs: 6

Label: Patriotic Music

Style: New Wave

XDAVIS was a modern rock trio that operated in and around New York City.  This is their second and final extended player.  The band pumps out emotive new wave inspired rock coupled with anthemic production values courtesy of Glenn Rosenstein, who had worked with the likes of U2, Tears For Fears and Talking Heads.  Opener ‘Love Is A Crime’ is a driving single worthy cut.   XDAVIS was a popular draw in the alternative club scene and received ample radio airplay on a variety of college rock stations.  

THE STEAMERS

Artist: The Steamers

Title: Self Titled       

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1982

Songs: 10

Label: Self Released

Style: AOR

Around 1980, Jim Johnson got together with Stanley Kipper (drums, percussion and vocals) and Brad Palmer (bass guitar and vocals) and put a new band together, The Steamers, that played in the Los Angeles area.  Two attorney’s from New York City, Alan Shapiro and Gary Wishik saw the band perform live and produced (and financed) the bands only album, recorded at Don Casale Studios in Westbury, New York, that was released in 1982.  The album was self-titled (with no label name), with ten original songs, six written by Jim, three written by Stanley and one written by all three members.  Jim sings lead vocals on five songs, Stanley singles lead vocals on four songs and Jim and Stanley both sing lead on one song.   Numerous songs from the album were used in soundtracks for various Universal movies.  The Steamers played live and recorded songs for Universal up through 1984/1985.  Notable Stongs: lead off corker ‘High Wire’ and guitar riffer ‘High Price Love’. 

UFORIA

Artist: UFORIA

Title: Self Titled       

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1990

Songs: 10

Label: Self Released

Style: Hard Rock

The release date of this private obscurity is deceiving.  Upon slipping this on the turntable, you are shot back into time – 1970’s swirling period rocking arrangements galore.  This gang of four Ohio based musicians more than likely started kicking around in the 70’s and just waited for some reason to release this 70’s styled biker hard rock album.  One of the better songs is the complete biker rocker ‘Harley Riders’.  The epic ‘On The Run’ and You’re Gone’ chugs along with killer guitar work and pounding drums.

MONA LISA

Artist: MONA LISA

Title: Self Titled       

Format: Vinyl EP

Year: 1983

Songs: 6

Label: DaVinci Records

Style: AOR

Mona Lisa was a female fronted local rock band that hailed from Pennsylvania.   Excellent female fronted AOR with pompous synth work mixed into the proceedings.  The production is excellent for a rare private pressing.

THE FLOOD

Artist: THE FLOOD

Title: Tilt!      

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1984

Songs: 8

Label: CVR Records

Style: Minimal Synth Wave

Top drawer minimal synth electronics from this Greek band.  They mix melancholic male and female vocals with solid early 80's electronics.