Artist: MAD OPPY     

Title: Locked 

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1984

Songs: 10

Label: Global Communication Records

Style: AOR

Mad Oppy was a six-member private indie band based out of New York City.  It’s the type of band that you would see in a local coffee house or small club watering hole/venue.  They have some interesting moments, like the edgy lounge rocker ‘Maybe It’s Better’, which works in a solid guitar solo and then the urgent vibed title song.  They utilize the saxophone in some of their songs.  Album Closer ‘Blackout’ is a crazy whacked out tune with a catchy melody.  Other noteworthy songs include the catchy opener ‘It’s Only A Matter Of Time’ and ‘Sweet Americans’.  Beware though - there’s a couple lame jobs here, like the wimped-out sax infused ‘Walking On The Street’ and ‘She’s A Singer’.

MODERN DAY SCENICS

Artist: MODERN DAY SCENICS

Title: No One Is Innocent

Format: 7” Vinyl EP  

Year: 1982

Songs: 4

Label: Self Released

Style: New Wave

Sharp and crisp new wave synth rock private press.  The band sound American.

THE TIDAL WAVE

Artist: THE TIDAL WAVE

Title: Self-Titled       

Format: Vinyl EP

Year: 1987

Songs: 4

Label: Tidal Wave Records

Style: AOR 

Indie trio hailing from Buffalo, NY.  They play a highly melancholic mid-paced AOR sound with progressive tangents – almost like a poor man’s RUSH.

THE DREAM SMASHES

Artist: THE DREAM SMASHES

Title: Flys At The Picnic      

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1987

Songs: 12

Label: Dead Issue Records

Style: Post Punk Indie Alternative

Angular guitar work, dominant drumming and angsty vocal lines are all brewed up into an indie alternative post punk rocker delight.  Standout Tracks: The marching mid-tempo’d title song, ‘History’ with its post punk goth tinge, the new wave influenced ‘Love, Blood And Anger’, ‘Beach Zero’ with its power pop punk leanings and ‘Rare Harmony’.  High marks to the dark menacing album jacket artwork on the front and the bevy of flys on the back.  

DAVENO BROS

Artist: DAVENO BROS

Title: Kirby    

Format: Vinyl EP

Year: 1984

Songs: 5

Label: Kirby Records

Style: AOR

Obscure private AOR synth rock from Seattle, WA.  Four brothers pumping out catchy songs with sing-a-long choruses.  

ZEKE MOFFIT

Artist: ZEKE MOFFIT

Title: At The Shunpiker’s Ball        

Format: CD

Year: 1990

Songs: 10

Label: Self Released

Style: Rural AOR Rock

Mediocre bar band AOR from a local New Jersey outfit.   Some good guitar parts and melodic rock arrangements.

ART KRITICS

Artist: ART KRITICS

Title: Duck And Cover        

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1987

Songs: 9

Label: Self Released

Style: New Wave College Rock

College oriented new wave rock band out of Springfield, MA.  They played the college club circuit in Ohio and received limited exposure on CMJ, which was geared to college radio station DJs.

CHRIS WILSON BAND

Artist: CHRIS WILSON BAND

Title: Self-Titled       

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1987

Songs: 10

Label: Silhouette Records

Style: Country Indie Rock 

Indie rockers with a country-rural rock vibe to their uplifting spirited tracks.  The band hailed out of San Jose, CA. 

CRASH STREET

Artist: CRASH STREET        

Title: Self Titled       

Format: Vinyl EP

Year: 1980s

Songs: 5

Label: Crash Records

Style: Hard Rock

Obscure private press hard rocker from Canadian based outfit.  Big guitars are on tap with a pretty decent vocalist too!

EDISON JONES

Artist: EDISON JONES

Title: Heart To Hang Onto

Format: Vinyl EP     

Year: 1985

Songs: 4

Label: Edison Jones Records

Style: West Coast

Mild mannered musical duo hailing out of Seattle, WA.   Light and airy Westcoast pop is the order of the day here.  The title song is a cover of Pete Townsend’s original tune.