Replay Records Delivers 2012 Boxset

Replay Records Delivers 2012 Boxset

This is a boxset Replay Lounge put out in 2013 possibly that collects all four 7"s released in 2012.  I don't think the newly found label had planned this from the beginning of 2012 or anything, but rather, it was a creative way to move some product.  You get 7"s, a koozie, a sticker, a download of the Cheap Beer comp. and it's all packaged in a hand printed personal pizza box that's designed around Lawrence's best, crappy, pizza place, Pizza Shuttle.

As awesome as I think this whole package is, I'm saddened because it's leading me to believe the following: 1.) It's 2014 and these are still available for purchase, they limited the boxsets to 100.  That means, Replay Records was sitting on at least 100 records of each release.  2.) Since they got a good amount of stock on hand, the label might be in danger of disappearing.  They haven't released anything in a while.  3.)  This is a great deal.  All this cool stuff for $20 and it's still available.  Fucking, go buy this at Replay Records.

As for the music, it's all worth the investment, you really can't go wrong.  Great artwork and cool labels to boot.  Only issue I have with Replay Records is they press their stuff on some shitty vinyl, things are off center, the center holes are too narrow, and you can just look at the grooves and see cheapness.  However, they sell cheap beer at an awesome bar and release punk rock records, I'm not sure I should expect them to sell audiophile grade vinyl releases.  As for the tunes and bands, here's a quick breakdown:

Up The Academy - Gimme Gimme B/W Pretty Bird - Loud, thunderous garage punk.  Gets the award for best artwork as the sleeve is hand pressed on a cut out from a 12 pack of cheap beer.

The Hips/Hospital Ships Split - Yoo Hoo's Binoculars B/W Come Back to Life - The Hips play some drunken stoner-groove.  It's well done, but at times I feel it drives too far down a well-worn path filled with hippies and bands from Austin, TX.  The Hospital Ships are primarily Lawrence, Kansan, Jordan Grieger, doing bedroom pop odes to the Flaming Lips (he took the name from a Lips' lyric).  At least, that's what you always hear.  I think his tune here is the best of the bunch.  Definitely a homespun, bedroom feel, in which you do hear a Wayne Coyne vocal strain, but it's so twee and great.  I really need to invest in the releases available on Graveface Records where Hospital Ships have found a home.

Rooftop Vigilantes/Mannequin Men Split -  Automatic Trash and Trouble Making Words B/W What's Yer Favorite Colour and Dark Cemetery - I already talked about this, it's still awesome.

Mouthbreathers - Die Alone B/W Validation - First, great band name.  The first tune is drawn out and dark.  It's a little too stuck in idle for metal and it's certainly too focused to be punk.  I suppose they may be going for a post-rock sound, that is until "Die Alone" turns into an all out garage-rock raver.  "Validation" on the flip side is more fuzzed out garage punk, reveling that this band was just playing around on all the previous build up.

Titan! It's All Pop! Boxset Numero Group 2011

Titan! It's All Pop! Boxset Numero Group 2011 CAT #024

The Numero Group is pretty awesome.  They put out an amazing Kansas City soul comp documenting the Forte label, but it was not all encompassing.  This Titan! boxset, though, it's everything and features additional tracks recorded for the label that were never released.

The Titan! story is fascinating.  At the height of the power pop scene, this small Kansas City label put out a number of quality singles and a compilation that no one noticed despite some rave reviews in the right zines.  And, when I say no one, that includes Kansas City.  Groups like the Embarrassment were extremely obscure, but well regarded locals,  but despite a radio-friendly sound, the Titan! artists couldn't even garner local attention, let alone national.  Most these singles set collecting dust for years until a collectors market got turned on.  It would take years for Titan! to trickle it's way into the pantheon of underground Power Pop circles.  Even today, it's rumored that the label founders have stock left including a good amount of the It's All Pop compilation album.

Eventually, the label did find it's niche (or maybe the niche found Titan!).  The Internet and constant trading of mix tapes put some of the label's singles on the map.  Now-a-days, some enthusiasts are willing to table Titan! singles next to the likes of LA's Bomp! label.  The 45s are scarce and command a fair amount world wide.  But, even with the later day appreciation, it's still a small market.  Very cool that the Numero Group decided to put this out (it's also reasonably priced, less than $50 for 4 LPS, box, and booklet).

Below is my half ass attempt at a breakdown of all that is here:

The Boys - This band is provided two full sides on the box set.  Likely because they are one of the most sought after Titan bands.  Further, probably the only band on the rooster able to fill a full two sides.  They're from Nebraska, so not local.  But, sugary power pop nonetheless, didn't ever get too rowdy.  They have their moments.

Gary Charlson- Got a pretty big soft spot for Charlson.  When I was in college I went through a huge power pop kick and was always on the hunt for Titan! 45s.  Something I had come across was a bootleg compilation CD that featured Charlson's tunes.  I had found the CD from Wascal's Wecords and Stuff when it was located inside the Olathe Gee Coffee on Sante Fe.  Wascals no longer exists, but Greg (aka Wascal) explained to me that prior to me buying the CD, Charlson had just popped in.  He was an Olathe guy, ran a heating and air conditioning business, just made some solid pop gems as a musician back in the day.  Personally, of all the Titan! artists, I think Charlson deserves the most praise.  He's not too AM and he's not over the top in a way that just screams, "We are overcompensating because we're from the Midwest."  His stuff would fit in fine in the LA scene or New York, just sounds natural and soaked in skinny tie coolness.  He's also still active today, occasionally even drops in on guitar with other locals like the Rainmakers.

The Gems - More KC power pop.  The Gems were first JP McClain and the Intruders, but that band ceased to exist despite some of the early tracks found here on the boxset.  They're on the British side of the fence with their power-pop, very much in line with Stiff Records and Elvis Costello.

The Secrets* - Seems to me that this band had the most commercial appeal locally.  They landed a track on a local radio station compilation album and their sound is a bit more commercial ready.  Bar band style, but not hung up on a specific coolness factor, just bashing out some pop tunes without a lot of muscle.

Arilis - Arlis is another Nebraska, dude the Titan! guys tracked down.  He's decent, power pop for sure, got some teeth to it.

Millionaire at Midnight - This was a Lawrence, Kansas based band who had been taking their working class pop all over the Midwest prior to an attempted release with Titan (never came out).  You hear a good bar band, tons of guitar solos, very workingman's Foreigner, had they been given the tools, they would have took it to the studio rock level in all likelihood.

JP McClain & the Intruders - This band barely existed, while it did it featured Gary Charlson on guitar.  Highlight is the song featured here, "Just Another Pop Song," which would later be used and paraphrased, 'It's All Pop,' for the label sampler and mantra.

Scott McCarl - Decent, sugary, bubble gum pop.  Nebraska dude, so he's regional.

Bobby Sky - Okay, this is the coolest discovery I made after purchasing the box set.  Bobby Sky was a moniker for artist, Dean Klevatt, who was a local kid.  He discovered Bowie in the 70's and ran off to England.  Even cut an obscure 7" for Decca.  The single failed, but in England, he met up with Kim Fowley and came back to the States.  Fowley used him as a studio musician, in fact, his keyboard is heard on the first Runaways.  Fowley also convinced him to take up the name Bobby Sky.  When the Titan guys heard about him they got a hold of the three tracks featured on this set.  The song, "The Water," was co-written by Kim Fowley.  Sky's pop is filled with anglophile nods to the British Invasion with a healthy dose of AM pop.  Especially enjoyed the track, "What's the Name of that Song."  Having no single on the Titan! label, Sky left town again, finally finding a gig as the keyboardist for Lene Lovich of all people.

Charlson's cover of Dwight Twilley's Shark and a few others