Música Obscura

01 - Last Of The Mohicans
02 - Marathon Man
03 - Baby Freeze Queen
04 - 40 Watt Solution
05 - Glory Eyes
06 - Monterrey Honey
07 - AMPs Of Sugarland
08 - Panama Slides
09 - Pine Box Builder
10 - Story Of Anna
11 - Condo Lights
12 - Ramon Finds Waterfalls
13 - Waterfalls
14 - Running Coyote Advances


Label: Rainbow Quartz/Laughing Outlaw

The following was borrowed from a review at http://home.iprimus.com.au/laurapalmer/cotton.htm
There putting strange things in the water supply down Austin, Texas way if Cotton Mather's second release in anything to go by. From the word go on "Last of the Mohicans", with a rip of feedback and a wailing FX-box, Cotton Mather's psychotic acid rock raises a pretty yet raucous kind of hell. But it's singer Robert Harrison's voice which draws the most attention. Somehow he's channelled John Lennon's spirit and reprocessed it through a Texan sneer, attitude, regret and anxiety wielded as one with hummable harmonies to boot.

There's only so far you can ride on nostalgia though, and thankfully Cotton Mather mix it up enough to avoid falling into the precipice where Oasis have dived before. "Monterray Honey" sees the band expanding from the traditional four piece, using a succulent harmonium rift that drifts across the tune like a blast of nitrous oxide. This is dreamy pop, celebratory yet thoughtful, and sometimes, like in "Pine Box Builder", down right scary, dark undertones rising to the surface.

There is something vaguely unsettling about hearing a band come so close to sounding like a contemporary Beatles, and it may hinder Cotton Mather's progress in the future. For now though it's enough to let this album wash over you. Some records are for thought and depth; others like The Big Picture, you have to just sit back and enjoy the harmonies.

Links:
http://www.rainbowquartz.com/artists.asp?BC=CM
http://www.popnews.com/popnews/cottonmather/
http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=cotton_mather

Encoded at 320K from CD. Includes CD artwork.

http://rapidshare.com/files/57468107/cmather_big_picture.rar

Password: music

Also see Kontiki and Cotton is King

01 - Camp Hill Rail Operator
02 - Homefront Cameo
03 - Spin My Wheels
04 - My Before And After
05 - Private Ruth
06 - Vegetable Row
07 - Aurora Bori Alice
08 - Church Of Wilson
09 - Lily Dreams On
10 - Password
11 - Animal Show Drinking Song
12 - Prophecy For The Golden Age
13 - She's Only Cool
14 - Autumn's Birds


Kontiki is Cotton Mather's 2nd album. If you liked the Austin, Texas power pop bands first album Cotton is King, wait until you hear this one! Some of these songs sound like the missing Revolver sessions. Right down to the backward guitar and vocals. Some of the songs are much more experimental than King, but all the "hooks" and great melodies are still waiting for you. Cotton Mather was formed 1991, named of course after the famous 17th century Puritan preacher and author. They disbanded in 2003.

From TrouserPress.com:
Harrison and Williams recorded Kontiki with some friends and brought the tapes to producer Brad Jones (Jill Sobule, Steve Earle), who helped them chisel out a record. The swirling opening chords of "Camp Hill Rail Operator" sound as though they are being piped in from Venus; tape splices and sound collages punctuate standouts like "Homefront Cameo," "Password" and "My Before and After" ("Cracked the code on the Rosetta Stone / Said the word for 'alone' is 'alone'"), Revolver-shaped nuggets so catchy that surgery may be required to extract them from your brain. The inevitable Beatles comparisons are rendered irrelevant by the quality of the songs and the imaginative recording techniques; Kontiki is an innovative power-pop gem that stands up, and stands out, on its own merits.

Links:
Wikipedia
Eternally Yours Blog - Great article, a must read!
Robert Harrison information
Trouser Press
Future Clouds & Radars - Robert Harrison's new Band

Favorite songs: Camp Hill Rail Operator, My Before and After, Spin My Wheels, and Lily Dreams On.

Encoded at 320K from CD. Includes CD artwork.

http://rapidshare.com/files/52564408/cmather_kontiki.rar

Password: music

Also see Cotton is King

Hard to find Tommy Keene EP


1. Love Is a Dangerous Thing – 3:56
2. Driving into the Sun – 3:29
3. Down, Down, Down – 3:58
4. Alive – 4:17
5. Waiting to Fly – 5:13

The Musicians:
Tommy Keene — Vocals, guitar, keyboards
Brad Quinn — Bass guitar, back-up vocals, piano
John Richardson — Drums
Justin Hibbard — Guitar ("Driving into the Sun", "Waiting to Fly")



Yet another great and hard to find Tommy Keene album Extended play (EP) from my collection.

Links
Wikipedia
Keene biography
tommykeene.com

Encoded at 320K from CD. Includes CD artwork.

http://rapidshare.com/files/51214200/tkeene_soarc.rar

Password: music

Also see Based on Happy Times

1. Nothing Can Change You (3:19)
2. Light of Love (3:00)
3. This Could Be Fiction (3:24)
4. Based on Happy Times (3:47)
5. When Our Vows Break (3:20) (Keene/Shear)
6. The Biggest Conflict (3:42)
7. Highwire Days (3:37)
8. Our Car Club (3:22) (Brian Wilson, Mike Love)
9. If We Run Away (4:06) (Keene/Shear)
10. Hanging on to Yesterday (3:53)
11. Where Have All Your Friends Gone (2:25)
12. Pictures (3:34)
13. A Way Out (4:09)


If you've never heard Tommy Keene, you've been missing out. Tommy Keene has been around for a while, and has released over 10 albums. Recently, I read that the Gin Blossoms had asked Keene, their hero, to go out on tour with them. Keene has always been one of my favorite musicians since I first heard him on vinyl back in the 80's. One of my favorite songs of all time is "Places That Are Gone" from his The Real Underground album. I've never heard a guy with so many hooks in his songs. He is definitely a musician's musician.

Based On Happy Times was released in 1989 on Geffin. What make this disc special, is his collaboration with one of my favorite song writers, Jules Shear. Jules co-wrote two of the songs and plays (sings) on the album as well. I've never heard a bad song come out of Keene. My least favorite song on this album is Our Car Club, which is actually a Beach Boys song, so I guess it doesn't count against him. I hope you enjoy Tommy Keen as much as I do. This CD is no longer available.

A Google search turned up this review...

Tommy Keene is one of those guys who should be much better known, though he is highly regarded by critics and a small group of fans (for example, a used copy of this out-of-print cd is currently selling for $99 on amazon.com). I’d always heard good things about him, and major music fan (with a particular interest in ‘60s and ‘70s music), historian, collector of high end rock memorabilia, and all around good guy Steve Potocin was kind enough to furnish me with a copy of this album for this review (thanks again, Steve!). Right away I was surprised, as the album is more straight rock ‘n’ roll than the “power pop” I expected, though the jangly guitars commonly associated with that sub genre do appear on stellar songs such as “When Our Vows Break,” “Highwire Days,” and “If We Run Away.” Elsewhere, harder rocking songs such as “Nothing Can Change You,” “Light Of Love,” and “Our Car Club” (a rather obnoxious Beach Boys cover) recall bands such as The Replacements and Soul Asylum, while Keene’s not particularly pretty yet effective nasal vocals (which bring Tom Petty to mind) are especially affecting on mellow, moodier songs such as “Based On Happy Times” and “A Way Out.” Keene isn’t above unleashing a guitar solo if it serves the song, and most of these tracks are memorable and catchy (if not immediately so), with intelligent relationship-based lyrics that veer towards the bittersweet (example: “all you’ve got to say is hanging on to yesterday”). Perhaps Keene wouldn’t win many points for originality, and there are a few merely solid songs on side 2 (“Our Car Club,” “Where Have All Your Friends Gone,” “Pictures”), but overall this is a really good rock ‘n’ roll record that makes me want to hear more from Tommy Keene.

I also found this information on Wikipedia.

Encoded at 320K from CD. Includes all CD artwork (14 page booklet), with pictures and lyrics to all songs.

Favorite songs: Based On Happy Times, When Our Vows Break and If We Run Away.

http://rapidshare.com/files/49786669/t_keene_boht.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/49789540/t_keene_boht.part2.rar

Password: music

1. Follow You (4:01)
2. Spinning My Wheels (3:54)
3. Walls Came Down (3:45)
4. Stupid Boys (3:46)
5. Love Goes on (4:22)
6. Heard it on the Radio (3:39)
7. Abalene (3:48)
8. Here Comes Sally (3:41)
9. Scatered (3:06)
10. The Day Your Ship Gets Thru (3:11)




Glen Burtnik is a singer, songwriter, entertainer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a former member of Styx. The spelling of his name has changed a few times over the years (born Glenn Burtnick, then changed to Glen Burtnick, and finally spelled with "two N's, no C").

He has written chart-topping hits such as "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough", "Spirit Of A Boy, Wisdom Of A Man", and "Delicious Surprise", hosted the "School Of Rock" radio show on The Hawk - 105.7 FM, and recorded/toured/collaborated with well-known artists. He has also put together the annual Glen Burtnik's Xmas Xtravaganza for 16 years (as of 2006).

Since 2006, Burtnik has made appearances with ex-Styx bandmate Dennis DeYoung that the pair have sometimes dubbed the "Dennie and Glennie Show". (From Wikipedia)

Check out Glen's very interesting Biography on his official website.

I believe this CD is out of print. My favorite song is Abalene, but the whole disc is great!

Encoded at 320K from the CD. Includes artwork and track listing.

Download Heroes & Zeros

Password: music