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’.