Pebbles, “Pebbles” (MCA, 1987)
‘90s r&b auteur Babyface’s first protegée, she bounces in clipped yet dulcet voice over a nice assortment of pastel-pulsing post-new-wave synths ‘n’ beats, just starting to attain that harder New-Jack edge.
Try 1/1, 2/1
10/2/18
Peach Kelli Pop, “Peach Kelli Pop” (Burger, 2014)
More airy but resonant sparse garage-guitar-pop in the increasingly signature-like Burger style. Like all the bands on this excellent label, though, they do differentiate themselves, in this case with a direct unaffected beach-party propulsion that harks back to the sunnier side of early punk (Undertones, Dickies) and back to the early Beach Boys.
Try A/2, A/3, B/3, B/5
7/29/14
Peach Kelli Pop, “III” (Burger, 2015)
Title nod to Led Zep notwithstanding, they/she haven’t gotten that much heavier. This is more garage-punk-pop, its blend of twee/treble-buzzy/hard-driving/hummable seeming familiar until you realize nobody else really touches all those bases at once in such a distinctive/signature style.
Try 1, 6, 8
8/16/15
Paul Revere And The Raiders, “Greatest Hits” (Columbia, 1967; original release 1963-67)
Speaking of preposterous, here’s one of the last great old-school rock-and-roll novelty acts, cranking out chunky garage-rock tuneage in vintage Georgian-era attire as if they were facing a squadron of Redcoats rather than a horde of teen-lust-addled Tiger Beat subscribers. The thing was, not only did they have first-rate, anthemic songs (some courtesy of Brill-Building writing geniuses Mann & Weil), but they rock hard and steady courtesy of years honing their craft kicking out the jams at beer-blasts and bar mitzvahs.
Try 1/ 3, 1/ 4, 1/6
4/7/19
Paul Chastain, “Hal” (Pet Sounds, 1985)
This guy made somewhat of a name for himself with Velvet Crush in the ‘90s, but for some reason this EP ended up in total historical oblivion, which blows, because it’s an absolutely perfect work of power-pop/jangle-pop alchemy, like a missing link between “Black Vinyl Shoes” and “Chronic Town.” Drums set down a clean mid-tempo pulse as guitars shift between tense lead lines and wafts of ringing Rickenbacker-chordage and back again. It’s like a summer stroll through a precisely trimmed topiary maze where all the twists and turns lead you exactly where you’re supposed to go.
Try 1/1, 1/ 2, 2/1
6/9/19
Parasites of the Western World, “Politico,” 7” (Criminal, 1979; DeStyl reissue 2012)
Early PacNorthwest postpunkers, with a twinkly, Keyb-heavy twitchiness that might’ve sounded futuristic then but comes off likably archaic today.
Try A/1
1/23/14
Pajama Party, “Up All Night” (Atlantic, 1989)
The Miami variant of Latin Freestyle electro-dance-pop was always lighter and more effervescent-cute than the New York take, and these three were the sparkliest of Dade County’s musical champagne bubbles. As adorable as they are, though, the beats are slammin’ too.
Try 1, 5,6
7/11/18