ZISH

Artist: ZISH

Title: Original Sin     

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1987

Songs: 7

Label: Self Released

Style: Melodic Hard Rock

The band members met soon after leaving high school and started as a cover band.  Slowly but surely they created original songs, working them into their live sets at local clubs and colleges.  They ended up with about 30 original songs, 7 of which made it on their private press debut LP.  The songs are primarily melodic hard rock with hints of blues (‘Wearin Down The Road’) and metal (‘The Other Side’ & ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’).  The album’s lead off cut ‘It Takes Time’ is a cool FM radio hard rocker and the female fronted ‘Beyond The Miles’ strategically blends hard rock and metal arrangements. Hailing from the Reading, PA area, Zish performed their original songs throughout the Northeast US from 1980 - 1985.

BAD CONNECTION

Artist: BAD CONNECTION

Title: Self-Titled       

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1985

Songs: 9

Label: Star Records

Style: Heavy Metal

Private metal band hailing out of Pittsburgh, PA.  They are a bit unpolished and amateur in their delivery and musicianship, but they have passion.  I’m sure they were involved in the local indie club scene and had some sort of dedicated following.

PROTEGE

Artist: PROTEGE

Title:   Chasing A Rainbow  

Format: Vinyl EP

Year: 1987

Songs: 5

Label: BMC Records

Style: AOR

Super rare AOR melodic rock outfit hailing out of Raleigh, NC.  Solid original material and musicianship. 

RONNIE FRAY

Artist: RONNIE FRAY

Title: Put This In Your Ear   

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1970’s

Songs: 12

Label: Eastown Wreckerds

Style: Country Rock

Rural SSW country rocker hailing out of Grand Rapids, MI.  Ronnie had a bevy of 10 musician friends helping out on this private outing.

ON THE AIR

Artist: ON THE AIR

Title: Self Titled

Format: Vinyl EP

Year: 1986

Songs: 6

Label: Pulse Records

Style: Indie Alternative Pop

Straight forward all out female indie guitar pop rock from Los Angeles.  The songs are upbeat with some catchy choruses.  Similar to The Bangles. 

FUSICIAN

Artist: FUSICIAN

Title: Half Off

Format: Vinyl EP

Year: 1981

Songs: 4

Label: Fusetone Records

Style: AOR

This Van Nuys, CA based rock band played killer pompous AOR with handfuls of catchy spirited keyboard work and a passionate female singer at the helm.  They released this rare private EP and then vanished into obscurity.  All four songs are top notch.

MAGIC DRAGON

Artist: MAGIC DRAGON

Title: Self Titled       

Format: 7” Vinyl EP

Year: 1982

Songs: 4

Label: Self Released

Style: AOR  

Highly obscure AOR American based outfit with their promo only release, thus it had no cover artwork.  Side B has the better songs with ‘Just Carry on’, which is rhythmic mid-tempo jaunt with creative synth work and even well placed horns and the horn infused ‘Joker’. 

T&N EXPRESS

Artist: T&N EXPRESS

Title: Self-Titled       

Format: 7” Vinyl EP

Year: 1982

Songs: 4

Label: Self Released

Style: AOR

T&N Express was a local rock band based out of San Francisco, CA.  Female & male harmony vocals with laces of saxophone and Westcoast vibes.  Pretty solid guitar playing as well.  It all comes together on the mid-paced ‘Tell Me Truly’.  ‘Breakfast On The Freeway’ is stout female fronted rocker with highlighted guitar riffing & saxophone chirps.  

CRAIG WILLIAMS

Artist: CRAIG WILLIAMS     

Title: Face To Face

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1979

Songs: 11

Label: Destiny Records

Style: Folk Rock

Obscure SSW guitarist with melancholic low tempo guitar driven folk with good production orchestration. 

IT’S ALL OVER

Artist: IT’S ALL OVER

Title: Self Titled

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1980s

Songs: 10

Label: Main St. Records

Style: New Wave Rock    

   

It’s All Over was a local five-member rock band hailing out of Orlando, FL.  They released this highly obscure private press one off album, which is full of melodic new wave rock.  They display excellent musicianship along with a strong production job.  Every track is solid.

CYNDELA WHITNEY & CRUCIAL MOMENTS

Artist: CYNDELA WHITNEY & CRUCIAL MOMENTS          

Title: Self-Titled       

Format: 7” Vinyl EP

Year: 1980s

Songs: 4

Label: Altair Four Records

Style: No Wave

Rare private female fronted No Wave / Indie Rock quartet from Canada.  Wicked angular guitars with emotive female vocal antics. 

DEBB JOHNSON

Artist: DEBB JOHNSON       

Title: Self Titled       

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1969

Songs: 11

Label: Monolith Records

Style: Jazz Horn Rock

Private horn rock with jazzy undertones

SOUND INVESTMENT

Artist: SOUND INVESTMENT

Title: Airplay

Format: Vinyl EP

Year: 1982

Songs: 5

Label: Warp One Records

Style: New Wave

Sound Investment was a Southern, CA indie band with four members.  They released this highly obscure private press on the private label Warp One Records out of Canoga Park, CA. 

SoWAT

Artist: SoWAT

Title: 12 Inches

Format: Vinyl EP

Year: 1988

Songs: 4

Label: Self Released

Style: Pop Electro    

Houston, TX foursome doing late 80’s big beat electronic pop with new wave angles and sound effects. 

STEVE STAJICH

Artist: STEVE STAJICH       

Title: Open Reel      

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1978

Songs: 10

Label: ELF Records

Style: Lounge Rural Rock

SSW lounge rock private obscurity out of Denver, CO.  Mr. Stajich seemed pretty proficient on the guitar, he plays on the majority of the songs.  A good timey set of tunes. 

THE TOUCHTONES

Artist: THE TOUCHTONES

Title: Self Titled       

Format: Vinyl EP

Year: 1981

Songs: 4

Label: Mondrian Records

Style: Power Pop Rock

Melodic power pop four track obscurity from New York.  

TERA ST JOHN

Artist: TERA ST JOHN         

Title: Self-Titled       

Format: Vinyl EP

Year: 1984

Songs: 4

Label: Didit M’Self Records

Style: New Wave

Private new wave rock female solo artist.  She opens with a okay cover of ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ and then moves into the quirky new wave synth of  ‘Go Go’.   She really rocks out on ‘Boyfriends’ & ‘Hubba Night’.  John Palumbo (SSW/guitarist) from the band Crack The Sky produces this one...interesting.

AL MILLAN AND THE ROBOTS

Artist: AL MILLAN AND THE ROBOTS

Title: Come Alive!

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1981

Songs: 10

Label: Robot Records

Style: AOR

Al Millan was a SSW who enlisted his musician friends (called The Robots) and released this one-off album of private press American rock.  The band was from San Luis Obispo, CA and played the local club circuit.  Essential Tracks: the urgent new wave rockers ‘Plutonium’ & ‘Expectancy’, the straight up edgy rock of ‘Nervous Wreck’ and the quirky sound effect laden ‘I’m A Robot’.  These guys were probably a pretty darn solid live act back in their day

THE TYPICALS

Artist: THE TYPICALS

Title: Popscreams

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1989

Songs: 11

Label: Dollyrocker Records

Style: Power Pop Indie Rock

Indie rock foursome from Massachusetts who play a catchy emotive power pop set.  Although there are four slower acoustic driven songs, the rest are quick paced numbers that satisfy power pop indie heads.