TS: Robin Lane & The Chartbusters v. Pearl Harbour & The Explosions

Leroy and Asa vs. Fujiyama Mama

(And Robin Lane was never punk at all, no. Not on record, at least, and not on the five song live EP. I kind of think of Lane and the Chartbusters more as Quarterflash without the saxophone, and doing only ballads, no Benatar or Miami-sound type stuff. Which means Quarterflash without Quarterflash's best stuff. Which still leaves Quaterflash's worst stuff. Which was still pretty good.) (Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Lane basically a Christian rocker? Or am I confusing her with somebody else?)

The first two Rachel Sweet albums, on the other hand, fucking RULE.

(And maybe Brian Briggs is closer on the punk continuum to Moon Martin than to Eddie and the Hot Rods, rockabillywise. He definitely outrocks Rocky Burnette, though.)

highlight of my band's career: playing a cover of rachel sweet's "who does lisa like," about a year ago, and then offering a beer, or something along those lines, to anyone who knew who did the original. someone yelled out, "i played on the demo!" turned out, he actually did. it was chris butler from the waitresses.

Robin Lane, no contest. Pearl Harbor & the Explosions couldn't write.
"You Got It/Release It" was energetic/frenetic but not catchy. Robin Lane went fron folk to electrified bar band rock really fast. "When Things Go Wrong" earned a lot of play by me.

First album Holly & the Italians was a bit better than both. She
had a tuneful way with a big electric rhythm guitar and sweet voice.

And none of these bands beat Marge Raymond and Flame who killed them with a hookier, brassier and more heavy rock sound which packed concussion.

Chuck, I can't believe that you don't own the first Holly album!!! It's a wonderful wonderful thing. Really top-notch. You, more than most, need to own a copy.

Both Holly LP's are essential.

Legal Weapon, another to cheer for. "Your Weapon" has "Equalizer" on it. Kat Arthur had her gun, she knew how to use it and was gonna. "Interior Hearts" was OK -- less boom-bang -- title cut was OK. Moved up to MCA for "LIfe Sentence to Love," a record I remember liking a lot, probably because of the lead-off track, "Hurt."

Advantage slight to Legal Weapon who paid more attention to songwriting and had some quantity in the catalog. But 1994 might almost be there in a tie, win out depending on mood, because the debut is really a standalone gem, erasing any sin of the subsequent flop.

Good contrast of talent bungled at the major label level with the indie crawling slowly along in the California punk rock scene getting more satisfaction. Nothing in print of either, I bet.

I thought Patty Donahue sang "I Know What Boys Like." Holly Vincent was in and out of the band but the singer/songstress on "Boys" sounded totally unlike her. Waitresses were supposedly related to Tin Huey.

I'll have to look up that Looking Glass track, Ken.

yup, patty donohue sang all the waitresses' hits.

tin huey co-founder chris butler was the man behind the waitresses. he still plays in various projects around new york and ohio, and has done some tin huey reunion shows of late.

Tin Huey
When I was coming up, when I used to listen to the radio of the non-college, non-streaming variety, I always enjoyed it when on Wednesday they would play that guy from Tin Huey going "Humpday, Humpday, Humpday." It denoted Wednesday-ness the same way that guy from Yello going "Oh, yeah!" denotes Brat-packer-getting-it-on-ness.

and transylvania vamp decently covered "Tell That Girl to Shut Up."

(Whom I've never heard - I'm just desperate to contribute. I'll take Robin Lane because I've never heard Pearl Harbour - or, surprisingly, never come across any of her albums in the used bins. But apparently it's back in print as of 2003, so I may check it out.)

Essentials of Fake New Wave

http://www.spin.com/articles/blame-the-knack-fake-new-wave-feeding-frenzy-essentials/

Nice! I only own one of those, Sue Saad. "Young Girl" is my favorite on that album, and I had never seen this video before today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJsPqdHsSaA

Love the reviews, xhuxk. I'd never heard of #8 so I'll be on the lookout. In your review of the Brains, you'll want to specify who "he" is in the line about xgau's grade.

Yeah, I noticed that -- must've slipped out somewhere in the editing process. Thanks though...

I couldn't find a single thread that talked about "fake new wave". Some here & there
Doug & the Slugs Vs. Frankie & the Knockouts
Bands in the "powerpop" chapter of the 1980 new wave guide I just bought for http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=41&threadid=46289 off a seemingly homeless guy set up on the sidewalk of St Marks
Bands nobody ever talks about anymore in the "America" chapter of the 1980 new wave guide I just bought for http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=41&threadid=46263 off a seemingly homeless guy set up on the sidewalk of St Marks

Will def keep an eye out for the 7 I haven't got (tho would likely have crate-exhumed them anyhow based on the covers & the names)

I think Doug & the Slugs fits the bill. They did some great new wave (the first side of Wrap It! is especially awesome) but at the root of it they were a bar band with a hard-on for the mainstream. For a while, though, they hid it pretty well; with lyrics like "I've been to those rooftop jamborees, livin' in the wrong key / Spent some time as an urban mastermind, took a little chemistry / All by myself I learned that crowds are only good for hiding / Could I be a part of another time?" they hit some Devo-ish notes that won't be too familiar for folks who only know them from their proto-Smash Mouth singles "Too Bad" and "Makin' it Work".

Great article, Chuck! Nice equation between the two eras. Something that might be worth mentioning is that exactly the same thing happened in the alt-rock era, too: all these stupid provincial hard-rock bands stopped spraying their hair and grew goatees & became alt-rockers instead. I can't think of good examples (maybe STP?) off the top of my head & am too lazy to research, but that's another thread anyway.

Thanks! And Wrap It! was actually in my original list of 8 albums! But rightly or wrongly I got cold feet about it; bumped it for Brains, I think.

I'd have died of joy had Wrap It! made the cut. I don't know anyone else on the planet who rates it.

Never knew that

• Robin Lane's dad was Dean Martin's pianist and co-wrote "Everybody Loves Somebody"
• She was married to Andy Summers

I forgot this thread existed. I DJd at a local record store recently, all of the records played had to come out of their used bins. Had great fun pulling out Pearl Harbor, Robin Lane and Sue Saad. Also played Poco's "Good Feeling To Know" and thought of Scott's Poco fandom!

RIP Leroy Radcliffe.