BLACK ROSE

Artist: BLACK ROSE

Title: Zero Hour

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1986

Songs: 11

Label: Turbo Energy Records

Style: Hard Rock  

Private hard rock metal band who hailed from the Pacific Northwest.  They have a solid mix of hard driving rockers with metal tinges and hints of keyboards.   ‘Hard Bodies’ & ‘Compromise’ are pumping heavy metal tracks, while ‘Underwater’ & ‘Brown And Gold’ take on a keyboard driven hard rock melody.  ‘Whip Queen’ is a goofy but fun track, complete with whip sound effects. The vinyl is translucent dark brown.

KING PENGUIN

Artist: KING PENGUIN        

Title: Self-Titled

Format: Vinyl LP      

Year: 1986

Songs: 11

Label: Self Released

Style: Pop Rock

King Penguin employs a sometimes jazzy, sometimes blues-tinged, sometimes country rock and sometimes folk-rock orientation to their music.  They also pop in novelty lyrics, like on the goofy country rocker ‘I Watched A Day Of Television’.  Both side openers are pretty good with energetic vocals and solid flute work.  The band even employs steel drums on ‘Still Gonna Love You’.  ‘I’m Tired’ is a funny up-beat hillbilly song. The standouts though are ‘Electric Lady’ with it quirky vocal treatment, guitar riffs and aggressive keyboard work & ‘Standard Deviation’, which is a rather cool new wave song.  The closing folk-rocker ‘Wish’ is pleasing with its subtle keyboard washes and flute work.  

JOEL TRACY

Artist: JOEL TRACY

Title: Shove That Dream

Format: Vinyl EP

Year: 1983

Songs: 4

Label: Broken Records

Style: AOR    

Cool slick AOR from obscure SSW dude hailing out of Hollywood, CA. 

DAART

Artist: DAART

Title: Self-Titled

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1988

Songs: 10

Label: Nick Stone Records

Style: AOR

Female fronted indie rock band out of Germany.  Notable songs include the orchestrated fast paced ‘Go Apart’, the catchy AOR of ‘Cold Water’ & ‘Love On The Balcony’ and finally the closing mid paced pompy piano arraged ‘Sorry For Lovin’.

CHAPTER TWO

Artist: CHAPTER TWO                  

Title: Cruel Eugene

Format: Vinyl LP

Year: 1990

Songs: 12

Label: EMF Records

Style: Alternative Pop Rock

Chapter Two was spawned from the popular alternative rock movement of the late 80s and early 90s in the central North Carolina college town of Chapel Hill.  Their debut album was produced by Mitch Easter (of R.E.M. fame) and delights with alternative catchy charmers.