We've Reached the Mid Point - Happy Valentine's Day!

We are halfway through Power Pop Month here at Burn and Shine. There are still two more volumes left in my Birth of Power Pop Series, and I'm planning at least a couple more video tributes to geographic locations. If you'd like to see your favorite Power Pop State or country celebrated here at the Shine, then drop me a comment.

As a special Valentine's Day bonus I'm giving out a pretty nifty, somewhat obscure compilation that came out on S'more Records back in 1999: Pop Till You Drop. This isn't particularly hard to find, but it is out of print (I couldn't even find a website for S'more Records). Neither could I find PTYD up anywhere currently in the Power Pop blogosphere, so it might be something you haven't heard. When it came out, it was an inexpensive (I'm pretty sure it retailed for less than six bucks) pop sampler distributed by Redeye. From the liner notes:

This compilation began as an answer to a question we Redeye folks were frequently being asked - "Since you guys deal with a ton of these 'Pop' bands breaking the scene, why don't you do a pop comp?" So we decided to do this, and do it in a big way with two full discs of songs from the preeminent bands in the so-called "Pop Renaissance" currently storming the Southeast. Here in the Southland and on this compilation, Pop music has a rather all-encompassing definition from straight-ahead power pop, to the most delicate of hooks and harmonies and songs swirling with soft psychedelia-- this is POP.

Let me just give you some of the highlights. First, the the two tracks that kick off discs one and two are worth the time to download each file alone. The Mayflies USA (or as I like to call them, Teenage Fanclub USA) track, "Make Me Susan" isn't available anywhere else, that I'm aware of, and neither is this early version of Superdrag's "Some Kind of Tragedy" (titled here, "Some Kinda Tragedy"). Speaking of the Drag, there's an early version of Who Hit John's spectacular "Stu" (later recorded by Superdrag, after Sam Powers joined for a spell). If you don't own the Put-Out's Sing the Hits, then you need to remedy that situation immediately, but in the meantime you can sample an early version of "Ultra-Wrong" from that record here. There are other memorable tunes, and some fairly big names (Superchunk, Mitch Easter, Jack Logan, Elf Power) along side some pretty obscure bands (Nine Minute Snooze or Luxurious You anyone?), and at least one more band with ties to Knoxville, the mighty Flesh Vehicle.

Happy Listening!



DISC 1:

1. Make Me Susan - The Mayflies USA
2. B Street Wanderer - Maki
3. Romance - Ho-Hum
4. Fire - Ashley Stove
5. When I Was Broken - The Lures
6. Sudden Crown Drop - Mitch Easter
7. Rock, Scissors, Paper - Gumption
8. Girls With Glasses - Kenny Howes
9. Sinker '99 - The Boy Wonder Jinx (remix)
10. Red Mopar - Gerty
11. Cursed Mirror - Superchunk
12. Coming in the Mouth of America - Cry Baby Cry
13. Steal Your Keys and Crash Your Car - Flesh Vehicle
14. Kamikaze Pilot - The Luxurious You
15. Sweet, Sweet Six-Nine - The Comas

Download it here: S'more Records Presents - Pop Till You Drop (Disc One)

DISC 2:

1. Some Kinda Tragedy - Superdrag
2. Simon (The Bird With the Candy Bar Head) - Elf Power
3. Madison Ave. - The Pawn Rooke Four
4. Put the Damn Gun Down - Noah's Red Tattoo
5. Understanding Is Over-Rated - Dynamic Truths
6. Stu - Who Hit John
7. Ultra Wrong - The Put Outs
8. Genius Boy - Jack Logan
9. Lie to You - Lie To You
10. Magic 8 Ball - Gladhands
11. Terza Rima - Cliff Retallick
12. Driller Killer - Doleful Lions
13. Vanity Girl - Clay Merritt Of The Shames
14. Tooth Under Your Pillow - Nine Minute Snooze
15. Always on My Mind - Star Collector
16. Wrong About Winter - Rodeo Boy

Download it here: S'more Records Presents - Pop Till You Drop (Disc Two)