Magnanimous Collector: Figures of Light reunite and reignite

Armed with a catalog of stripped-down two-chord songs inspired by the likes of the Stooges, the Who, Blue Cheer and the Pretty Things, New Brunswick, N.J.'s Figures of Light -- a frenzied four-piece that embodied punk rock before the phrase existed -- played its inaugural concert in the summer of 1970. Vocalist Wheeler Winston Dixon describes the ensuing chaos in the liner notes of the band’s debut album on Norton Records: “Our first concert was a wild one, in which we destroyed 15 television sets on the stage in Scott Hall at Rutgers University with pick axes and sledge hammers, along with some mannequins and some large mirrors. We started the performance by driving a motorcycle down the hallway on the stage and smashed a record player playing Gershwin’s ‘An American in Paris.’ ”

Paying a visit to Don’s Music (4871 Eagle Rock Blvd.) is always more than a simple shopping experience. It is often a lesson in music history, as the Magnanimous Collector discovered last night during a post-dinner music expedition.

Although he hasn’t released a record since 1998’s “Bitchin,’ ” Johnny Legend -- known to admirers as the Rockabilly Rasputin -- is still in the game. Last Friday he kicked out the jams at Spike’s Bar in Rosemead, playing to a largely uninterested room of traditional rockabilly types.

Fans of righteous rockabilly music rejoice: Norton Records, America’s premier purveyor of obscure roots music, has just released a three-record collection of rare and previously unheard Charlie Feathers songs. Norton has been championing Feathers for more than a decade, releasing four other compilations of his work over the years, but this latest effort is the whipped cream atop the pie.

A garage rock renaissance is currently raging like a sonic tornado in the Midwest and the American South, but barely anyone here knows about it. A crop of exciting bands, such as Bold Ones, Plexi 3, CoCoComa and many others, have been releasing records with an intensity and joie de vivre that is dazzling and refreshing. The most rockin’ sounds aren’t emanating from L.A. or New York (in the immortal words of Bloomington, Ind.’s the Gizmos, “Real Rock ‘N’ Roll Don’t Come From New York”) or even the Bay Area, as they did in the mid-to-late '90s, but from places like Milwaukee; French Lick, Ind.; Columbus, Ohio; Oxford, Miss.; and Chicago. True musical rebellion and innovation often breeds in off-the-beaten-track places, where there’s little pressure to be signed to a big label or appeal to a pre-prescribed demographic.

From the outward appearance of things, I thought I would hate Thee Cormans. For starters, the word "Thee" is probably the most overused definite article in the garage rock lexicon, thanks to Billy Childish, who spawned the word’s popularity with such trailblazing bands as Thee Headcoats, Thee Mighty Caesars and several others. Second, lo-fi surf rock is a genre that died on the vine a solid decade or more ago. Reviving its rotting corpse seems both boring and repetitive.

For these reasons, I wasn’t all that excited about picking up Thee Corman’s first seven-inch from Vinyl Rites Record Co. But, considering the dearth of noteworthy L.A.-based garage acts, I thought I should at least give one listen. Sure enough, it’s a passable slab of wax that features four undistinguished surf numbers. The well-designed sleeve is better than the record itself. Still, it was nice just to see a local garage outfit releasing a record at all, and if it happened to pay homage to one of cinema’s greatest schlock-meisters, all the better. I played the record a couple of times and promptly filed it away.

It wasn’t until I caught their live act at Glendale’s Scene Bar -- opening for the Black and Whites, Lover!, the Okmoniks and the Spits -- that the good time genius of Thee Cormans really sank in. They may not be great musicians, but they’re a lot of fun to watch. Sporting masks -- Frankenstein, a gorilla and a google-eyed green monster head that looks like it could actually have been used in a Roger Corman drive-in classic -- the sloppy trio worked its way through a set of fun, fuzzed-out instrumentals. The gorilla, who is also the drummer, interspersed the songs with witty repartee, coming across like Don Rickles in a monster mask. Comedy and rock 'n’ roll is nothing new, but Thee Cormans carry it off with panache and style. They also play a lot, which makes them highly accessible.

Catch them June 16 at the Scene Bar or June 21 at the Redwood Bar and Grill.

-- Jason Gelt

Photo: Thee Cormans

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

It’s only fitting that a garage band from Chicago – one of the nation’s foremost pizza towns – should possess such an all-consuming fondness for the cheesy open-faced baked pie that it releases a one-sided 7-inch devoted entirely to singing the praises of its gooey joys.

Johnny and the Limelites' debut record is a jaw-dropping, lo-fi epic that refuses to nest comfortably in any pigeonholes. If Shaggy and Scooby were allowed to record and release a song, this is probably what it would sound like. Unabashedly silly and sloppy, the record nonetheless has ambitions that supersede the band’s abilities. Clocking in at 3 minutes, 50 seconds, it builds to a crescendo, then breaks down and ambles into a long, spectacular finish. To be sure, it’s a joke song of sorts, but it also sounds pretty good. With music like this, it’s the beat and the energy that count, not the lyrics. “Extra cheese/ If you please / On my knees/ Anchovies” is a sample highlight, but what makes this record really stand out is singer Johnny Agatucci’s phlegm-laden vocals and the near-soulful conclusion of the song in a cacophony of tamborines, rough harmonizing and Agatucci’s final list of his favorite influences, “Pizza Hut, Domino's, yeah, I love ’em all.”

It’s the “Gone With the Wind” of budget garage-rock releases – and an interesting point in the ever-evolving world of this scrappy genre. In the mid-'90s, lo-fi was the garage punk cause du jour. After influential bands like the Brentwoods and Supercharger popularized the lo-fi aesthetic, the scene eventually shifted toward a smoother, better-produced sound. It’s nice to see a new crop of younger garage acts – such as Tucson’s Okmoniks, Oakland’s Nobunny and Johnny and the Limelites – returning to this soil with a fresh approach and a new energy.

--Jason Gelt

Photo: Johnny and the Limelites

Read more or the Magnanimous Collector here.

Cheap Time’s first seven-inch, released by Vancouver, Canada’s Sweet Rot Records, was a spunky and lovable little slice of punk rock. Although a tad slavish in its devotion to “Born Innocent”-era Redd Kross, it nonetheless hinted at greater things to come with its sheer energy and bratty youthfulness. The Nashville trio fulfills this destiny with interest -- and with a sound that is much more its own -- on its self-titled debut platter from L.A.’s In the Red Records.

Songwriter, singer and guitarist Jeffrey Novak, though barely in his 20s, has already been around the block a time or two, releasing a great screamer with his former band, Rat Traps, on Shattered Records and dishing out a few CDRs and stray import singles with his one-man-band act. But he and his Cheap Time band mates have entered bold new territory with their latest release.

There’s something timeless about this record, something that goes beyond genre boundaries with a fresh, unique approach to punk, new wave and glam influences. The 14 songs rarely stray beyond the two-minute mark, but none of them feels chopped or rushed. Each cut is a polished gem, produced with genuine analog warmth by Mike McHugh at Costa Mesa’s Distillery. There’s a smoking cover of “People Talk” from Jack Oblivian’s pre-Oblivians' new wave band, The End, but the rest are well-wrought, energetically played and precisely written originals. Standouts include the churning “Living in the Past,” the snarling “Ballad of Max Frost,” (an ode to the anti-hero of cult '60s youth revolt movie “Wild in the Streets”) and the triumphant strutter “Ginger Snaps.”

Cheap Time is all about youthful insurrection. At 28 total minutes, this album is insolent, angry and so full of energy that it fairly bursts at the seams. Fans of no-holds-barred rock 'n’ roll will be counting on Novak to stay true to this trajectory as he forages into the future.  

Mark your calendars: Cheap Time will storm the Echo with Jay Reatard on July 30. 

-- Jason Gelt 

Photo: In the Red Records 

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Continuing the grand tradition of Bay Area garage acts dressed in outrageous costumes (remember the Vulcaneers, the Trashwomen and the Mummies?) Oakland’s Nobunny has hippity-hopped into the public eye with his debut LP, “Love Visions.” Released by San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, there are a total of 1,000 pressings, the first 200 of which are on swirly pink vinyl and are already sold out. But these are mundane details of interest only to collector nerds. The real issue at hand is that Nobunny has released a rip-roaring good-times party album that comes on like the illegitimate offspring of the Archies, Joey Ramone, Hasil Adkins and Kim Fowley. A mixture of gritty, fuzzy garage rock and giddy, sticky bubblegum music, the catchy songs, including the hilarious “Land of 1,000 Dances” parody, “Nobunny Loves You,” and the creepy-yet-bouncy “The Boneyard,” are all instant classics. Several of the tunes are available for preview on his MySpace page.

In an inspired act of bizarre-o branding, Nobunny has also hopped into the hearts of fans with a trippy animated video for “The Boneyard” and an action figure that comes complete with fuzzy ears and a carrot microphone. Check out the oddball commercial:

Photo: Nobunny 

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Sweden has been pumping out great underground rock ‘n’ roll for quite some time now, including guitar noodlers the Hellacopters, garage punk experimentalists Regulations and hardcore purists Amdi Petersen’s Arme, not to mention its most high-profile punk rock export, the crowd-pleasing Hives.

Add Poppets to the list, a lo-fi, drum machine-based duo that consists of former Heartattacks front man Magnus Andersson and his girlfriend, Lina. Over the course of four tight, catchy tunes, the fearless pair serves up a stripped-down, pop punk landscape that is definitely one of the best releases yet from Sacramento’s primo Plastic Idol Records. With another seven-inch available on Austria’s Bachelor Records and a forthcoming one slated for San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, Poppets are one hard-working band. Reward them for their efforts by picking up a copy of the latest EP – after all, only 300 copies were pressed.

--Jason Gelt

Photo: Plastic Idol Records

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Magnanimous Collector: The exotic world of Les Baxter

Paying a visit to Don’s Music (4871 Eagle Rock Blvd.) is always more than a simple shopping experience. It is often a lesson in music history, as the Magnanimous Collector discovered last night during a post-dinner music expedition.

Although he hasn’t released a record since 1998’s “Bitchin,’ ” Johnny Legend -- known to admirers as the Rockabilly Rasputin -- is still in the game. Last Friday he kicked out the jams at Spike’s Bar in Rosemead, playing to a largely uninterested room of traditional rockabilly types.

Fans of righteous rockabilly music rejoice: Norton Records, America’s premier purveyor of obscure roots music, has just released a three-record collection of rare and previously unheard Charlie Feathers songs. Norton has been championing Feathers for more than a decade, releasing four other compilations of his work over the years, but this latest effort is the whipped cream atop the pie.

A garage rock renaissance is currently raging like a sonic tornado in the Midwest and the American South, but barely anyone here knows about it. A crop of exciting bands, such as Bold Ones, Plexi 3, CoCoComa and many others, have been releasing records with an intensity and joie de vivre that is dazzling and refreshing. The most rockin’ sounds aren’t emanating from L.A. or New York (in the immortal words of Bloomington, Ind.’s the Gizmos, “Real Rock ‘N’ Roll Don’t Come From New York”) or even the Bay Area, as they did in the mid-to-late '90s, but from places like Milwaukee; French Lick, Ind.; Columbus, Ohio; Oxford, Miss.; and Chicago. True musical rebellion and innovation often breeds in off-the-beaten-track places, where there’s little pressure to be signed to a big label or appeal to a pre-prescribed demographic.

From the outward appearance of things, I thought I would hate Thee Cormans. For starters, the word "Thee" is probably the most overused definite article in the garage rock lexicon, thanks to Billy Childish, who spawned the word’s popularity with such trailblazing bands as Thee Headcoats, Thee Mighty Caesars and several others. Second, lo-fi surf rock is a genre that died on the vine a solid decade or more ago. Reviving its rotting corpse seems both boring and repetitive.

For these reasons, I wasn’t all that excited about picking up Thee Corman’s first seven-inch from Vinyl Rites Record Co. But, considering the dearth of noteworthy L.A.-based garage acts, I thought I should at least give one listen. Sure enough, it’s a passable slab of wax that features four undistinguished surf numbers. The well-designed sleeve is better than the record itself. Still, it was nice just to see a local garage outfit releasing a record at all, and if it happened to pay homage to one of cinema’s greatest schlock-meisters, all the better. I played the record a couple of times and promptly filed it away.

It wasn’t until I caught their live act at Glendale’s Scene Bar -- opening for the Black and Whites, Lover!, the Okmoniks and the Spits -- that the good time genius of Thee Cormans really sank in. They may not be great musicians, but they’re a lot of fun to watch. Sporting masks -- Frankenstein, a gorilla and a google-eyed green monster head that looks like it could actually have been used in a Roger Corman drive-in classic -- the sloppy trio worked its way through a set of fun, fuzzed-out instrumentals. The gorilla, who is also the drummer, interspersed the songs with witty repartee, coming across like Don Rickles in a monster mask. Comedy and rock 'n’ roll is nothing new, but Thee Cormans carry it off with panache and style. They also play a lot, which makes them highly accessible.

Catch them June 16 at the Scene Bar or June 21 at the Redwood Bar and Grill.

-- Jason Gelt

Photo: Thee Cormans

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

It’s only fitting that a garage band from Chicago – one of the nation’s foremost pizza towns – should possess such an all-consuming fondness for the cheesy open-faced baked pie that it releases a one-sided 7-inch devoted entirely to singing the praises of its gooey joys.

Johnny and the Limelites' debut record is a jaw-dropping, lo-fi epic that refuses to nest comfortably in any pigeonholes. If Shaggy and Scooby were allowed to record and release a song, this is probably what it would sound like. Unabashedly silly and sloppy, the record nonetheless has ambitions that supersede the band’s abilities. Clocking in at 3 minutes, 50 seconds, it builds to a crescendo, then breaks down and ambles into a long, spectacular finish. To be sure, it’s a joke song of sorts, but it also sounds pretty good. With music like this, it’s the beat and the energy that count, not the lyrics. “Extra cheese/ If you please / On my knees/ Anchovies” is a sample highlight, but what makes this record really stand out is singer Johnny Agatucci’s phlegm-laden vocals and the near-soulful conclusion of the song in a cacophony of tamborines, rough harmonizing and Agatucci’s final list of his favorite influences, “Pizza Hut, Domino's, yeah, I love ’em all.”

It’s the “Gone With the Wind” of budget garage-rock releases – and an interesting point in the ever-evolving world of this scrappy genre. In the mid-'90s, lo-fi was the garage punk cause du jour. After influential bands like the Brentwoods and Supercharger popularized the lo-fi aesthetic, the scene eventually shifted toward a smoother, better-produced sound. It’s nice to see a new crop of younger garage acts – such as Tucson’s Okmoniks, Oakland’s Nobunny and Johnny and the Limelites – returning to this soil with a fresh approach and a new energy.

--Jason Gelt

Photo: Johnny and the Limelites

Read more or the Magnanimous Collector here.

Cheap Time’s first seven-inch, released by Vancouver, Canada’s Sweet Rot Records, was a spunky and lovable little slice of punk rock. Although a tad slavish in its devotion to “Born Innocent”-era Redd Kross, it nonetheless hinted at greater things to come with its sheer energy and bratty youthfulness. The Nashville trio fulfills this destiny with interest -- and with a sound that is much more its own -- on its self-titled debut platter from L.A.’s In the Red Records.

Songwriter, singer and guitarist Jeffrey Novak, though barely in his 20s, has already been around the block a time or two, releasing a great screamer with his former band, Rat Traps, on Shattered Records and dishing out a few CDRs and stray import singles with his one-man-band act. But he and his Cheap Time band mates have entered bold new territory with their latest release.

There’s something timeless about this record, something that goes beyond genre boundaries with a fresh, unique approach to punk, new wave and glam influences. The 14 songs rarely stray beyond the two-minute mark, but none of them feels chopped or rushed. Each cut is a polished gem, produced with genuine analog warmth by Mike McHugh at Costa Mesa’s Distillery. There’s a smoking cover of “People Talk” from Jack Oblivian’s pre-Oblivians' new wave band, The End, but the rest are well-wrought, energetically played and precisely written originals. Standouts include the churning “Living in the Past,” the snarling “Ballad of Max Frost,” (an ode to the anti-hero of cult '60s youth revolt movie “Wild in the Streets”) and the triumphant strutter “Ginger Snaps.”

Cheap Time is all about youthful insurrection. At 28 total minutes, this album is insolent, angry and so full of energy that it fairly bursts at the seams. Fans of no-holds-barred rock 'n’ roll will be counting on Novak to stay true to this trajectory as he forages into the future.  

Mark your calendars: Cheap Time will storm the Echo with Jay Reatard on July 30. 

-- Jason Gelt 

Photo: In the Red Records 

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Continuing the grand tradition of Bay Area garage acts dressed in outrageous costumes (remember the Vulcaneers, the Trashwomen and the Mummies?) Oakland’s Nobunny has hippity-hopped into the public eye with his debut LP, “Love Visions.” Released by San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, there are a total of 1,000 pressings, the first 200 of which are on swirly pink vinyl and are already sold out. But these are mundane details of interest only to collector nerds. The real issue at hand is that Nobunny has released a rip-roaring good-times party album that comes on like the illegitimate offspring of the Archies, Joey Ramone, Hasil Adkins and Kim Fowley. A mixture of gritty, fuzzy garage rock and giddy, sticky bubblegum music, the catchy songs, including the hilarious “Land of 1,000 Dances” parody, “Nobunny Loves You,” and the creepy-yet-bouncy “The Boneyard,” are all instant classics. Several of the tunes are available for preview on his MySpace page.

In an inspired act of bizarre-o branding, Nobunny has also hopped into the hearts of fans with a trippy animated video for “The Boneyard” and an action figure that comes complete with fuzzy ears and a carrot microphone. Check out the oddball commercial:

Photo: Nobunny 

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Sweden has been pumping out great underground rock ‘n’ roll for quite some time now, including guitar noodlers the Hellacopters, garage punk experimentalists Regulations and hardcore purists Amdi Petersen’s Arme, not to mention its most high-profile punk rock export, the crowd-pleasing Hives.

Add Poppets to the list, a lo-fi, drum machine-based duo that consists of former Heartattacks front man Magnus Andersson and his girlfriend, Lina. Over the course of four tight, catchy tunes, the fearless pair serves up a stripped-down, pop punk landscape that is definitely one of the best releases yet from Sacramento’s primo Plastic Idol Records. With another seven-inch available on Austria’s Bachelor Records and a forthcoming one slated for San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, Poppets are one hard-working band. Reward them for their efforts by picking up a copy of the latest EP – after all, only 300 copies were pressed.

--Jason Gelt

Photo: Plastic Idol Records

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Magnanimous Collector: The Rockabilly Rasputin is alive and kicking

Although he hasn’t released a record since 1998’s “Bitchin,’ ” Johnny Legend -- known to admirers as the Rockabilly Rasputin -- is still in the game. Last Friday he kicked out the jams at Spike’s Bar in Rosemead, playing to a largely uninterested room of traditional rockabilly types.

Fans of righteous rockabilly music rejoice: Norton Records, America’s premier purveyor of obscure roots music, has just released a three-record collection of rare and previously unheard Charlie Feathers songs. Norton has been championing Feathers for more than a decade, releasing four other compilations of his work over the years, but this latest effort is the whipped cream atop the pie.

A garage rock renaissance is currently raging like a sonic tornado in the Midwest and the American South, but barely anyone here knows about it. A crop of exciting bands, such as Bold Ones, Plexi 3, CoCoComa and many others, have been releasing records with an intensity and joie de vivre that is dazzling and refreshing. The most rockin’ sounds aren’t emanating from L.A. or New York (in the immortal words of Bloomington, Ind.’s the Gizmos, “Real Rock ‘N’ Roll Don’t Come From New York”) or even the Bay Area, as they did in the mid-to-late '90s, but from places like Milwaukee; French Lick, Ind.; Columbus, Ohio; Oxford, Miss.; and Chicago. True musical rebellion and innovation often breeds in off-the-beaten-track places, where there’s little pressure to be signed to a big label or appeal to a pre-prescribed demographic.

From the outward appearance of things, I thought I would hate Thee Cormans. For starters, the word "Thee" is probably the most overused definite article in the garage rock lexicon, thanks to Billy Childish, who spawned the word’s popularity with such trailblazing bands as Thee Headcoats, Thee Mighty Caesars and several others. Second, lo-fi surf rock is a genre that died on the vine a solid decade or more ago. Reviving its rotting corpse seems both boring and repetitive.

For these reasons, I wasn’t all that excited about picking up Thee Corman’s first seven-inch from Vinyl Rites Record Co. But, considering the dearth of noteworthy L.A.-based garage acts, I thought I should at least give one listen. Sure enough, it’s a passable slab of wax that features four undistinguished surf numbers. The well-designed sleeve is better than the record itself. Still, it was nice just to see a local garage outfit releasing a record at all, and if it happened to pay homage to one of cinema’s greatest schlock-meisters, all the better. I played the record a couple of times and promptly filed it away.

It wasn’t until I caught their live act at Glendale’s Scene Bar -- opening for the Black and Whites, Lover!, the Okmoniks and the Spits -- that the good time genius of Thee Cormans really sank in. They may not be great musicians, but they’re a lot of fun to watch. Sporting masks -- Frankenstein, a gorilla and a google-eyed green monster head that looks like it could actually have been used in a Roger Corman drive-in classic -- the sloppy trio worked its way through a set of fun, fuzzed-out instrumentals. The gorilla, who is also the drummer, interspersed the songs with witty repartee, coming across like Don Rickles in a monster mask. Comedy and rock 'n’ roll is nothing new, but Thee Cormans carry it off with panache and style. They also play a lot, which makes them highly accessible.

Catch them June 16 at the Scene Bar or June 21 at the Redwood Bar and Grill.

-- Jason Gelt

Photo: Thee Cormans

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

It’s only fitting that a garage band from Chicago – one of the nation’s foremost pizza towns – should possess such an all-consuming fondness for the cheesy open-faced baked pie that it releases a one-sided 7-inch devoted entirely to singing the praises of its gooey joys.

Johnny and the Limelites' debut record is a jaw-dropping, lo-fi epic that refuses to nest comfortably in any pigeonholes. If Shaggy and Scooby were allowed to record and release a song, this is probably what it would sound like. Unabashedly silly and sloppy, the record nonetheless has ambitions that supersede the band’s abilities. Clocking in at 3 minutes, 50 seconds, it builds to a crescendo, then breaks down and ambles into a long, spectacular finish. To be sure, it’s a joke song of sorts, but it also sounds pretty good. With music like this, it’s the beat and the energy that count, not the lyrics. “Extra cheese/ If you please / On my knees/ Anchovies” is a sample highlight, but what makes this record really stand out is singer Johnny Agatucci’s phlegm-laden vocals and the near-soulful conclusion of the song in a cacophony of tamborines, rough harmonizing and Agatucci’s final list of his favorite influences, “Pizza Hut, Domino's, yeah, I love ’em all.”

It’s the “Gone With the Wind” of budget garage-rock releases – and an interesting point in the ever-evolving world of this scrappy genre. In the mid-'90s, lo-fi was the garage punk cause du jour. After influential bands like the Brentwoods and Supercharger popularized the lo-fi aesthetic, the scene eventually shifted toward a smoother, better-produced sound. It’s nice to see a new crop of younger garage acts – such as Tucson’s Okmoniks, Oakland’s Nobunny and Johnny and the Limelites – returning to this soil with a fresh approach and a new energy.

--Jason Gelt

Photo: Johnny and the Limelites

Read more or the Magnanimous Collector here.

Cheap Time’s first seven-inch, released by Vancouver, Canada’s Sweet Rot Records, was a spunky and lovable little slice of punk rock. Although a tad slavish in its devotion to “Born Innocent”-era Redd Kross, it nonetheless hinted at greater things to come with its sheer energy and bratty youthfulness. The Nashville trio fulfills this destiny with interest -- and with a sound that is much more its own -- on its self-titled debut platter from L.A.’s In the Red Records.

Songwriter, singer and guitarist Jeffrey Novak, though barely in his 20s, has already been around the block a time or two, releasing a great screamer with his former band, Rat Traps, on Shattered Records and dishing out a few CDRs and stray import singles with his one-man-band act. But he and his Cheap Time band mates have entered bold new territory with their latest release.

There’s something timeless about this record, something that goes beyond genre boundaries with a fresh, unique approach to punk, new wave and glam influences. The 14 songs rarely stray beyond the two-minute mark, but none of them feels chopped or rushed. Each cut is a polished gem, produced with genuine analog warmth by Mike McHugh at Costa Mesa’s Distillery. There’s a smoking cover of “People Talk” from Jack Oblivian’s pre-Oblivians' new wave band, The End, but the rest are well-wrought, energetically played and precisely written originals. Standouts include the churning “Living in the Past,” the snarling “Ballad of Max Frost,” (an ode to the anti-hero of cult '60s youth revolt movie “Wild in the Streets”) and the triumphant strutter “Ginger Snaps.”

Cheap Time is all about youthful insurrection. At 28 total minutes, this album is insolent, angry and so full of energy that it fairly bursts at the seams. Fans of no-holds-barred rock 'n’ roll will be counting on Novak to stay true to this trajectory as he forages into the future.  

Mark your calendars: Cheap Time will storm the Echo with Jay Reatard on July 30. 

-- Jason Gelt 

Photo: In the Red Records 

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Continuing the grand tradition of Bay Area garage acts dressed in outrageous costumes (remember the Vulcaneers, the Trashwomen and the Mummies?) Oakland’s Nobunny has hippity-hopped into the public eye with his debut LP, “Love Visions.” Released by San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, there are a total of 1,000 pressings, the first 200 of which are on swirly pink vinyl and are already sold out. But these are mundane details of interest only to collector nerds. The real issue at hand is that Nobunny has released a rip-roaring good-times party album that comes on like the illegitimate offspring of the Archies, Joey Ramone, Hasil Adkins and Kim Fowley. A mixture of gritty, fuzzy garage rock and giddy, sticky bubblegum music, the catchy songs, including the hilarious “Land of 1,000 Dances” parody, “Nobunny Loves You,” and the creepy-yet-bouncy “The Boneyard,” are all instant classics. Several of the tunes are available for preview on his MySpace page.

In an inspired act of bizarre-o branding, Nobunny has also hopped into the hearts of fans with a trippy animated video for “The Boneyard” and an action figure that comes complete with fuzzy ears and a carrot microphone. Check out the oddball commercial:

Photo: Nobunny 

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Sweden has been pumping out great underground rock ‘n’ roll for quite some time now, including guitar noodlers the Hellacopters, garage punk experimentalists Regulations and hardcore purists Amdi Petersen’s Arme, not to mention its most high-profile punk rock export, the crowd-pleasing Hives.

Add Poppets to the list, a lo-fi, drum machine-based duo that consists of former Heartattacks front man Magnus Andersson and his girlfriend, Lina. Over the course of four tight, catchy tunes, the fearless pair serves up a stripped-down, pop punk landscape that is definitely one of the best releases yet from Sacramento’s primo Plastic Idol Records. With another seven-inch available on Austria’s Bachelor Records and a forthcoming one slated for San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, Poppets are one hard-working band. Reward them for their efforts by picking up a copy of the latest EP – after all, only 300 copies were pressed.

--Jason Gelt

Photo: Plastic Idol Records

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Magnanimous Collector: Charlie Feathers’ rockabilly legacy

Fans of righteous rockabilly music rejoice: Norton Records, America’s premier purveyor of obscure roots music, has just released a three-record collection of rare and previously unheard Charlie Feathers songs. Norton has been championing Feathers for more than a decade, releasing four other compilations of his work over the years, but this latest effort is the whipped cream atop the pie.

A garage rock renaissance is currently raging like a sonic tornado in the Midwest and the American South, but barely anyone here knows about it. A crop of exciting bands, such as Bold Ones, Plexi 3, CoCoComa and many others, have been releasing records with an intensity and joie de vivre that is dazzling and refreshing. The most rockin’ sounds aren’t emanating from L.A. or New York (in the immortal words of Bloomington, Ind.’s the Gizmos, “Real Rock ‘N’ Roll Don’t Come From New York”) or even the Bay Area, as they did in the mid-to-late '90s, but from places like Milwaukee; French Lick, Ind.; Columbus, Ohio; Oxford, Miss.; and Chicago. True musical rebellion and innovation often breeds in off-the-beaten-track places, where there’s little pressure to be signed to a big label or appeal to a pre-prescribed demographic.

From the outward appearance of things, I thought I would hate Thee Cormans. For starters, the word "Thee" is probably the most overused definite article in the garage rock lexicon, thanks to Billy Childish, who spawned the word’s popularity with such trailblazing bands as Thee Headcoats, Thee Mighty Caesars and several others. Second, lo-fi surf rock is a genre that died on the vine a solid decade or more ago. Reviving its rotting corpse seems both boring and repetitive.

For these reasons, I wasn’t all that excited about picking up Thee Corman’s first seven-inch from Vinyl Rites Record Co. But, considering the dearth of noteworthy L.A.-based garage acts, I thought I should at least give one listen. Sure enough, it’s a passable slab of wax that features four undistinguished surf numbers. The well-designed sleeve is better than the record itself. Still, it was nice just to see a local garage outfit releasing a record at all, and if it happened to pay homage to one of cinema’s greatest schlock-meisters, all the better. I played the record a couple of times and promptly filed it away.

It wasn’t until I caught their live act at Glendale’s Scene Bar -- opening for the Black and Whites, Lover!, the Okmoniks and the Spits -- that the good time genius of Thee Cormans really sank in. They may not be great musicians, but they’re a lot of fun to watch. Sporting masks -- Frankenstein, a gorilla and a google-eyed green monster head that looks like it could actually have been used in a Roger Corman drive-in classic -- the sloppy trio worked its way through a set of fun, fuzzed-out instrumentals. The gorilla, who is also the drummer, interspersed the songs with witty repartee, coming across like Don Rickles in a monster mask. Comedy and rock 'n’ roll is nothing new, but Thee Cormans carry it off with panache and style. They also play a lot, which makes them highly accessible.

Catch them June 16 at the Scene Bar or June 21 at the Redwood Bar and Grill.

-- Jason Gelt

Photo: Thee Cormans

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

It’s only fitting that a garage band from Chicago – one of the nation’s foremost pizza towns – should possess such an all-consuming fondness for the cheesy open-faced baked pie that it releases a one-sided 7-inch devoted entirely to singing the praises of its gooey joys.

Johnny and the Limelites' debut record is a jaw-dropping, lo-fi epic that refuses to nest comfortably in any pigeonholes. If Shaggy and Scooby were allowed to record and release a song, this is probably what it would sound like. Unabashedly silly and sloppy, the record nonetheless has ambitions that supersede the band’s abilities. Clocking in at 3 minutes, 50 seconds, it builds to a crescendo, then breaks down and ambles into a long, spectacular finish. To be sure, it’s a joke song of sorts, but it also sounds pretty good. With music like this, it’s the beat and the energy that count, not the lyrics. “Extra cheese/ If you please / On my knees/ Anchovies” is a sample highlight, but what makes this record really stand out is singer Johnny Agatucci’s phlegm-laden vocals and the near-soulful conclusion of the song in a cacophony of tamborines, rough harmonizing and Agatucci’s final list of his favorite influences, “Pizza Hut, Domino's, yeah, I love ’em all.”

It’s the “Gone With the Wind” of budget garage-rock releases – and an interesting point in the ever-evolving world of this scrappy genre. In the mid-'90s, lo-fi was the garage punk cause du jour. After influential bands like the Brentwoods and Supercharger popularized the lo-fi aesthetic, the scene eventually shifted toward a smoother, better-produced sound. It’s nice to see a new crop of younger garage acts – such as Tucson’s Okmoniks, Oakland’s Nobunny and Johnny and the Limelites – returning to this soil with a fresh approach and a new energy.

--Jason Gelt

Photo: Johnny and the Limelites

Read more or the Magnanimous Collector here.

Cheap Time’s first seven-inch, released by Vancouver, Canada’s Sweet Rot Records, was a spunky and lovable little slice of punk rock. Although a tad slavish in its devotion to “Born Innocent”-era Redd Kross, it nonetheless hinted at greater things to come with its sheer energy and bratty youthfulness. The Nashville trio fulfills this destiny with interest -- and with a sound that is much more its own -- on its self-titled debut platter from L.A.’s In the Red Records.

Songwriter, singer and guitarist Jeffrey Novak, though barely in his 20s, has already been around the block a time or two, releasing a great screamer with his former band, Rat Traps, on Shattered Records and dishing out a few CDRs and stray import singles with his one-man-band act. But he and his Cheap Time band mates have entered bold new territory with their latest release.

There’s something timeless about this record, something that goes beyond genre boundaries with a fresh, unique approach to punk, new wave and glam influences. The 14 songs rarely stray beyond the two-minute mark, but none of them feels chopped or rushed. Each cut is a polished gem, produced with genuine analog warmth by Mike McHugh at Costa Mesa’s Distillery. There’s a smoking cover of “People Talk” from Jack Oblivian’s pre-Oblivians' new wave band, The End, but the rest are well-wrought, energetically played and precisely written originals. Standouts include the churning “Living in the Past,” the snarling “Ballad of Max Frost,” (an ode to the anti-hero of cult '60s youth revolt movie “Wild in the Streets”) and the triumphant strutter “Ginger Snaps.”

Cheap Time is all about youthful insurrection. At 28 total minutes, this album is insolent, angry and so full of energy that it fairly bursts at the seams. Fans of no-holds-barred rock 'n’ roll will be counting on Novak to stay true to this trajectory as he forages into the future.  

Mark your calendars: Cheap Time will storm the Echo with Jay Reatard on July 30. 

-- Jason Gelt 

Photo: In the Red Records 

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Continuing the grand tradition of Bay Area garage acts dressed in outrageous costumes (remember the Vulcaneers, the Trashwomen and the Mummies?) Oakland’s Nobunny has hippity-hopped into the public eye with his debut LP, “Love Visions.” Released by San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, there are a total of 1,000 pressings, the first 200 of which are on swirly pink vinyl and are already sold out. But these are mundane details of interest only to collector nerds. The real issue at hand is that Nobunny has released a rip-roaring good-times party album that comes on like the illegitimate offspring of the Archies, Joey Ramone, Hasil Adkins and Kim Fowley. A mixture of gritty, fuzzy garage rock and giddy, sticky bubblegum music, the catchy songs, including the hilarious “Land of 1,000 Dances” parody, “Nobunny Loves You,” and the creepy-yet-bouncy “The Boneyard,” are all instant classics. Several of the tunes are available for preview on his MySpace page.

In an inspired act of bizarre-o branding, Nobunny has also hopped into the hearts of fans with a trippy animated video for “The Boneyard” and an action figure that comes complete with fuzzy ears and a carrot microphone. Check out the oddball commercial:

Photo: Nobunny 

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Sweden has been pumping out great underground rock ‘n’ roll for quite some time now, including guitar noodlers the Hellacopters, garage punk experimentalists Regulations and hardcore purists Amdi Petersen’s Arme, not to mention its most high-profile punk rock export, the crowd-pleasing Hives.

Add Poppets to the list, a lo-fi, drum machine-based duo that consists of former Heartattacks front man Magnus Andersson and his girlfriend, Lina. Over the course of four tight, catchy tunes, the fearless pair serves up a stripped-down, pop punk landscape that is definitely one of the best releases yet from Sacramento’s primo Plastic Idol Records. With another seven-inch available on Austria’s Bachelor Records and a forthcoming one slated for San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, Poppets are one hard-working band. Reward them for their efforts by picking up a copy of the latest EP – after all, only 300 copies were pressed.

--Jason Gelt

Photo: Plastic Idol Records

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Magnanimous Collector: the Yolks’ over-easy garage pop

A garage rock renaissance is currently raging like a sonic tornado in the Midwest and the American South, but barely anyone here knows about it. A crop of exciting bands, such as Bold Ones, Plexi 3, CoCoComa and many others, have been releasing records with an intensity and joie de vivre that is dazzling and refreshing. The most rockin’ sounds aren’t emanating from L.A. or New York (in the immortal words of Bloomington, Ind.’s the Gizmos, “Real Rock ‘N’ Roll Don’t Come From New York”) or even the Bay Area, as they did in the mid-to-late '90s, but from places like Milwaukee; French Lick, Ind.; Columbus, Ohio; Oxford, Miss.; and Chicago. True musical rebellion and innovation often breeds in off-the-beaten-track places, where there’s little pressure to be signed to a big label or appeal to a pre-prescribed demographic.

From the outward appearance of things, I thought I would hate Thee Cormans. For starters, the word "Thee" is probably the most overused definite article in the garage rock lexicon, thanks to Billy Childish, who spawned the word’s popularity with such trailblazing bands as Thee Headcoats, Thee Mighty Caesars and several others. Second, lo-fi surf rock is a genre that died on the vine a solid decade or more ago. Reviving its rotting corpse seems both boring and repetitive.

For these reasons, I wasn’t all that excited about picking up Thee Corman’s first seven-inch from Vinyl Rites Record Co. But, considering the dearth of noteworthy L.A.-based garage acts, I thought I should at least give one listen. Sure enough, it’s a passable slab of wax that features four undistinguished surf numbers. The well-designed sleeve is better than the record itself. Still, it was nice just to see a local garage outfit releasing a record at all, and if it happened to pay homage to one of cinema’s greatest schlock-meisters, all the better. I played the record a couple of times and promptly filed it away.

It wasn’t until I caught their live act at Glendale’s Scene Bar -- opening for the Black and Whites, Lover!, the Okmoniks and the Spits -- that the good time genius of Thee Cormans really sank in. They may not be great musicians, but they’re a lot of fun to watch. Sporting masks -- Frankenstein, a gorilla and a google-eyed green monster head that looks like it could actually have been used in a Roger Corman drive-in classic -- the sloppy trio worked its way through a set of fun, fuzzed-out instrumentals. The gorilla, who is also the drummer, interspersed the songs with witty repartee, coming across like Don Rickles in a monster mask. Comedy and rock 'n’ roll is nothing new, but Thee Cormans carry it off with panache and style. They also play a lot, which makes them highly accessible.

Catch them June 16 at the Scene Bar or June 21 at the Redwood Bar and Grill.

-- Jason Gelt

Photo: Thee Cormans

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

It’s only fitting that a garage band from Chicago – one of the nation’s foremost pizza towns – should possess such an all-consuming fondness for the cheesy open-faced baked pie that it releases a one-sided 7-inch devoted entirely to singing the praises of its gooey joys.

Johnny and the Limelites' debut record is a jaw-dropping, lo-fi epic that refuses to nest comfortably in any pigeonholes. If Shaggy and Scooby were allowed to record and release a song, this is probably what it would sound like. Unabashedly silly and sloppy, the record nonetheless has ambitions that supersede the band’s abilities. Clocking in at 3 minutes, 50 seconds, it builds to a crescendo, then breaks down and ambles into a long, spectacular finish. To be sure, it’s a joke song of sorts, but it also sounds pretty good. With music like this, it’s the beat and the energy that count, not the lyrics. “Extra cheese/ If you please / On my knees/ Anchovies” is a sample highlight, but what makes this record really stand out is singer Johnny Agatucci’s phlegm-laden vocals and the near-soulful conclusion of the song in a cacophony of tamborines, rough harmonizing and Agatucci’s final list of his favorite influences, “Pizza Hut, Domino's, yeah, I love ’em all.”

It’s the “Gone With the Wind” of budget garage-rock releases – and an interesting point in the ever-evolving world of this scrappy genre. In the mid-'90s, lo-fi was the garage punk cause du jour. After influential bands like the Brentwoods and Supercharger popularized the lo-fi aesthetic, the scene eventually shifted toward a smoother, better-produced sound. It’s nice to see a new crop of younger garage acts – such as Tucson’s Okmoniks, Oakland’s Nobunny and Johnny and the Limelites – returning to this soil with a fresh approach and a new energy.

--Jason Gelt

Photo: Johnny and the Limelites

Read more or the Magnanimous Collector here.

Cheap Time’s first seven-inch, released by Vancouver, Canada’s Sweet Rot Records, was a spunky and lovable little slice of punk rock. Although a tad slavish in its devotion to “Born Innocent”-era Redd Kross, it nonetheless hinted at greater things to come with its sheer energy and bratty youthfulness. The Nashville trio fulfills this destiny with interest -- and with a sound that is much more its own -- on its self-titled debut platter from L.A.’s In the Red Records.

Songwriter, singer and guitarist Jeffrey Novak, though barely in his 20s, has already been around the block a time or two, releasing a great screamer with his former band, Rat Traps, on Shattered Records and dishing out a few CDRs and stray import singles with his one-man-band act. But he and his Cheap Time band mates have entered bold new territory with their latest release.

There’s something timeless about this record, something that goes beyond genre boundaries with a fresh, unique approach to punk, new wave and glam influences. The 14 songs rarely stray beyond the two-minute mark, but none of them feels chopped or rushed. Each cut is a polished gem, produced with genuine analog warmth by Mike McHugh at Costa Mesa’s Distillery. There’s a smoking cover of “People Talk” from Jack Oblivian’s pre-Oblivians' new wave band, The End, but the rest are well-wrought, energetically played and precisely written originals. Standouts include the churning “Living in the Past,” the snarling “Ballad of Max Frost,” (an ode to the anti-hero of cult '60s youth revolt movie “Wild in the Streets”) and the triumphant strutter “Ginger Snaps.”

Cheap Time is all about youthful insurrection. At 28 total minutes, this album is insolent, angry and so full of energy that it fairly bursts at the seams. Fans of no-holds-barred rock 'n’ roll will be counting on Novak to stay true to this trajectory as he forages into the future.  

Mark your calendars: Cheap Time will storm the Echo with Jay Reatard on July 30. 

-- Jason Gelt 

Photo: In the Red Records 

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Continuing the grand tradition of Bay Area garage acts dressed in outrageous costumes (remember the Vulcaneers, the Trashwomen and the Mummies?) Oakland’s Nobunny has hippity-hopped into the public eye with his debut LP, “Love Visions.” Released by San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, there are a total of 1,000 pressings, the first 200 of which are on swirly pink vinyl and are already sold out. But these are mundane details of interest only to collector nerds. The real issue at hand is that Nobunny has released a rip-roaring good-times party album that comes on like the illegitimate offspring of the Archies, Joey Ramone, Hasil Adkins and Kim Fowley. A mixture of gritty, fuzzy garage rock and giddy, sticky bubblegum music, the catchy songs, including the hilarious “Land of 1,000 Dances” parody, “Nobunny Loves You,” and the creepy-yet-bouncy “The Boneyard,” are all instant classics. Several of the tunes are available for preview on his MySpace page.

In an inspired act of bizarre-o branding, Nobunny has also hopped into the hearts of fans with a trippy animated video for “The Boneyard” and an action figure that comes complete with fuzzy ears and a carrot microphone. Check out the oddball commercial:

Photo: Nobunny 

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Sweden has been pumping out great underground rock ‘n’ roll for quite some time now, including guitar noodlers the Hellacopters, garage punk experimentalists Regulations and hardcore purists Amdi Petersen’s Arme, not to mention its most high-profile punk rock export, the crowd-pleasing Hives.

Add Poppets to the list, a lo-fi, drum machine-based duo that consists of former Heartattacks front man Magnus Andersson and his girlfriend, Lina. Over the course of four tight, catchy tunes, the fearless pair serves up a stripped-down, pop punk landscape that is definitely one of the best releases yet from Sacramento’s primo Plastic Idol Records. With another seven-inch available on Austria’s Bachelor Records and a forthcoming one slated for San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, Poppets are one hard-working band. Reward them for their efforts by picking up a copy of the latest EP – after all, only 300 copies were pressed.

--Jason Gelt

Photo: Plastic Idol Records

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Magnanimous Collector: Lo-fi surf rock with a comic twist

From the outward appearance of things, I thought I would hate Thee Cormans. For starters, the word "Thee" is probably the most overused definite article in the garage rock lexicon, thanks to Billy Childish, who spawned the word’s popularity with such trailblazing bands as Thee Headcoats, Thee Mighty Caesars and several others. Second, lo-fi surf rock is a genre that died on the vine a solid decade or more ago. Reviving its rotting corpse seems both boring and repetitive.

For these reasons, I wasn’t all that excited about picking up Thee Corman’s first seven-inch from Vinyl Rites Record Co. But, considering the dearth of noteworthy L.A.-based garage acts, I thought I should at least give one listen. Sure enough, it’s a passable slab of wax that features four undistinguished surf numbers. The well-designed sleeve is better than the record itself. Still, it was nice just to see a local garage outfit releasing a record at all, and if it happened to pay homage to one of cinema’s greatest schlock-meisters, all the better. I played the record a couple of times and promptly filed it away.

It wasn’t until I caught their live act at Glendale’s Scene Bar -- opening for the Black and Whites, Lover!, the Okmoniks and the Spits -- that the good time genius of Thee Cormans really sank in. They may not be great musicians, but they’re a lot of fun to watch. Sporting masks -- Frankenstein, a gorilla and a google-eyed green monster head that looks like it could actually have been used in a Roger Corman drive-in classic -- the sloppy trio worked its way through a set of fun, fuzzed-out instrumentals. The gorilla, who is also the drummer, interspersed the songs with witty repartee, coming across like Don Rickles in a monster mask. Comedy and rock 'n’ roll is nothing new, but Thee Cormans carry it off with panache and style. They also play a lot, which makes them highly accessible.

Catch them June 16 at the Scene Bar or June 21 at the Redwood Bar and Grill.

-- Jason Gelt

Photo: Thee Cormans

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

It’s only fitting that a garage band from Chicago – one of the nation’s foremost pizza towns – should possess such an all-consuming fondness for the cheesy open-faced baked pie that it releases a one-sided 7-inch devoted entirely to singing the praises of its gooey joys.

Johnny and the Limelites' debut record is a jaw-dropping, lo-fi epic that refuses to nest comfortably in any pigeonholes. If Shaggy and Scooby were allowed to record and release a song, this is probably what it would sound like. Unabashedly silly and sloppy, the record nonetheless has ambitions that supersede the band’s abilities. Clocking in at 3 minutes, 50 seconds, it builds to a crescendo, then breaks down and ambles into a long, spectacular finish. To be sure, it’s a joke song of sorts, but it also sounds pretty good. With music like this, it’s the beat and the energy that count, not the lyrics. “Extra cheese/ If you please / On my knees/ Anchovies” is a sample highlight, but what makes this record really stand out is singer Johnny Agatucci’s phlegm-laden vocals and the near-soulful conclusion of the song in a cacophony of tamborines, rough harmonizing and Agatucci’s final list of his favorite influences, “Pizza Hut, Domino's, yeah, I love ’em all.”

It’s the “Gone With the Wind” of budget garage-rock releases – and an interesting point in the ever-evolving world of this scrappy genre. In the mid-'90s, lo-fi was the garage punk cause du jour. After influential bands like the Brentwoods and Supercharger popularized the lo-fi aesthetic, the scene eventually shifted toward a smoother, better-produced sound. It’s nice to see a new crop of younger garage acts – such as Tucson’s Okmoniks, Oakland’s Nobunny and Johnny and the Limelites – returning to this soil with a fresh approach and a new energy.

--Jason Gelt

Photo: Johnny and the Limelites

Read more or the Magnanimous Collector here.

Cheap Time’s first seven-inch, released by Vancouver, Canada’s Sweet Rot Records, was a spunky and lovable little slice of punk rock. Although a tad slavish in its devotion to “Born Innocent”-era Redd Kross, it nonetheless hinted at greater things to come with its sheer energy and bratty youthfulness. The Nashville trio fulfills this destiny with interest -- and with a sound that is much more its own -- on its self-titled debut platter from L.A.’s In the Red Records.

Songwriter, singer and guitarist Jeffrey Novak, though barely in his 20s, has already been around the block a time or two, releasing a great screamer with his former band, Rat Traps, on Shattered Records and dishing out a few CDRs and stray import singles with his one-man-band act. But he and his Cheap Time band mates have entered bold new territory with their latest release.

There’s something timeless about this record, something that goes beyond genre boundaries with a fresh, unique approach to punk, new wave and glam influences. The 14 songs rarely stray beyond the two-minute mark, but none of them feels chopped or rushed. Each cut is a polished gem, produced with genuine analog warmth by Mike McHugh at Costa Mesa’s Distillery. There’s a smoking cover of “People Talk” from Jack Oblivian’s pre-Oblivians' new wave band, The End, but the rest are well-wrought, energetically played and precisely written originals. Standouts include the churning “Living in the Past,” the snarling “Ballad of Max Frost,” (an ode to the anti-hero of cult '60s youth revolt movie “Wild in the Streets”) and the triumphant strutter “Ginger Snaps.”

Cheap Time is all about youthful insurrection. At 28 total minutes, this album is insolent, angry and so full of energy that it fairly bursts at the seams. Fans of no-holds-barred rock 'n’ roll will be counting on Novak to stay true to this trajectory as he forages into the future.  

Mark your calendars: Cheap Time will storm the Echo with Jay Reatard on July 30. 

-- Jason Gelt 

Photo: In the Red Records 

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Continuing the grand tradition of Bay Area garage acts dressed in outrageous costumes (remember the Vulcaneers, the Trashwomen and the Mummies?) Oakland’s Nobunny has hippity-hopped into the public eye with his debut LP, “Love Visions.” Released by San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, there are a total of 1,000 pressings, the first 200 of which are on swirly pink vinyl and are already sold out. But these are mundane details of interest only to collector nerds. The real issue at hand is that Nobunny has released a rip-roaring good-times party album that comes on like the illegitimate offspring of the Archies, Joey Ramone, Hasil Adkins and Kim Fowley. A mixture of gritty, fuzzy garage rock and giddy, sticky bubblegum music, the catchy songs, including the hilarious “Land of 1,000 Dances” parody, “Nobunny Loves You,” and the creepy-yet-bouncy “The Boneyard,” are all instant classics. Several of the tunes are available for preview on his MySpace page.

In an inspired act of bizarre-o branding, Nobunny has also hopped into the hearts of fans with a trippy animated video for “The Boneyard” and an action figure that comes complete with fuzzy ears and a carrot microphone. Check out the oddball commercial:

Photo: Nobunny 

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Sweden has been pumping out great underground rock ‘n’ roll for quite some time now, including guitar noodlers the Hellacopters, garage punk experimentalists Regulations and hardcore purists Amdi Petersen’s Arme, not to mention its most high-profile punk rock export, the crowd-pleasing Hives.

Add Poppets to the list, a lo-fi, drum machine-based duo that consists of former Heartattacks front man Magnus Andersson and his girlfriend, Lina. Over the course of four tight, catchy tunes, the fearless pair serves up a stripped-down, pop punk landscape that is definitely one of the best releases yet from Sacramento’s primo Plastic Idol Records. With another seven-inch available on Austria’s Bachelor Records and a forthcoming one slated for San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, Poppets are one hard-working band. Reward them for their efforts by picking up a copy of the latest EP – after all, only 300 copies were pressed.

--Jason Gelt

Photo: Plastic Idol Records

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Magnanimous Collector: Pizza party

It’s only fitting that a garage band from Chicago – one of the nation’s foremost pizza towns – should possess such an all-consuming fondness for the cheesy open-faced baked pie that it releases a one-sided 7-inch devoted entirely to singing the praises of its gooey joys.

Johnny and the Limelites' debut record is a jaw-dropping, lo-fi epic that refuses to nest comfortably in any pigeonholes. If Shaggy and Scooby were allowed to record and release a song, this is probably what it would sound like. Unabashedly silly and sloppy, the record nonetheless has ambitions that supersede the band’s abilities. Clocking in at 3 minutes, 50 seconds, it builds to a crescendo, then breaks down and ambles into a long, spectacular finish. To be sure, it’s a joke song of sorts, but it also sounds pretty good. With music like this, it’s the beat and the energy that count, not the lyrics. “Extra cheese/ If you please / On my knees/ Anchovies” is a sample highlight, but what makes this record really stand out is singer Johnny Agatucci’s phlegm-laden vocals and the near-soulful conclusion of the song in a cacophony of tamborines, rough harmonizing and Agatucci’s final list of his favorite influences, “Pizza Hut, Domino's, yeah, I love ’em all.”

It’s the “Gone With the Wind” of budget garage-rock releases – and an interesting point in the ever-evolving world of this scrappy genre. In the mid-'90s, lo-fi was the garage punk cause du jour. After influential bands like the Brentwoods and Supercharger popularized the lo-fi aesthetic, the scene eventually shifted toward a smoother, better-produced sound. It’s nice to see a new crop of younger garage acts – such as Tucson’s Okmoniks, Oakland’s Nobunny and Johnny and the Limelites – returning to this soil with a fresh approach and a new energy.

--Jason Gelt

Photo: Johnny and the Limelites

Read more or the Magnanimous Collector here.

Cheap Time’s first seven-inch, released by Vancouver, Canada’s Sweet Rot Records, was a spunky and lovable little slice of punk rock. Although a tad slavish in its devotion to “Born Innocent”-era Redd Kross, it nonetheless hinted at greater things to come with its sheer energy and bratty youthfulness. The Nashville trio fulfills this destiny with interest -- and with a sound that is much more its own -- on its self-titled debut platter from L.A.’s In the Red Records.

Songwriter, singer and guitarist Jeffrey Novak, though barely in his 20s, has already been around the block a time or two, releasing a great screamer with his former band, Rat Traps, on Shattered Records and dishing out a few CDRs and stray import singles with his one-man-band act. But he and his Cheap Time band mates have entered bold new territory with their latest release.

There’s something timeless about this record, something that goes beyond genre boundaries with a fresh, unique approach to punk, new wave and glam influences. The 14 songs rarely stray beyond the two-minute mark, but none of them feels chopped or rushed. Each cut is a polished gem, produced with genuine analog warmth by Mike McHugh at Costa Mesa’s Distillery. There’s a smoking cover of “People Talk” from Jack Oblivian’s pre-Oblivians' new wave band, The End, but the rest are well-wrought, energetically played and precisely written originals. Standouts include the churning “Living in the Past,” the snarling “Ballad of Max Frost,” (an ode to the anti-hero of cult '60s youth revolt movie “Wild in the Streets”) and the triumphant strutter “Ginger Snaps.”

Cheap Time is all about youthful insurrection. At 28 total minutes, this album is insolent, angry and so full of energy that it fairly bursts at the seams. Fans of no-holds-barred rock 'n’ roll will be counting on Novak to stay true to this trajectory as he forages into the future.  

Mark your calendars: Cheap Time will storm the Echo with Jay Reatard on July 30. 

-- Jason Gelt 

Photo: In the Red Records 

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Continuing the grand tradition of Bay Area garage acts dressed in outrageous costumes (remember the Vulcaneers, the Trashwomen and the Mummies?) Oakland’s Nobunny has hippity-hopped into the public eye with his debut LP, “Love Visions.” Released by San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, there are a total of 1,000 pressings, the first 200 of which are on swirly pink vinyl and are already sold out. But these are mundane details of interest only to collector nerds. The real issue at hand is that Nobunny has released a rip-roaring good-times party album that comes on like the illegitimate offspring of the Archies, Joey Ramone, Hasil Adkins and Kim Fowley. A mixture of gritty, fuzzy garage rock and giddy, sticky bubblegum music, the catchy songs, including the hilarious “Land of 1,000 Dances” parody, “Nobunny Loves You,” and the creepy-yet-bouncy “The Boneyard,” are all instant classics. Several of the tunes are available for preview on his MySpace page.

In an inspired act of bizarre-o branding, Nobunny has also hopped into the hearts of fans with a trippy animated video for “The Boneyard” and an action figure that comes complete with fuzzy ears and a carrot microphone. Check out the oddball commercial:

Photo: Nobunny 

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Sweden has been pumping out great underground rock ‘n’ roll for quite some time now, including guitar noodlers the Hellacopters, garage punk experimentalists Regulations and hardcore purists Amdi Petersen’s Arme, not to mention its most high-profile punk rock export, the crowd-pleasing Hives.

Add Poppets to the list, a lo-fi, drum machine-based duo that consists of former Heartattacks front man Magnus Andersson and his girlfriend, Lina. Over the course of four tight, catchy tunes, the fearless pair serves up a stripped-down, pop punk landscape that is definitely one of the best releases yet from Sacramento’s primo Plastic Idol Records. With another seven-inch available on Austria’s Bachelor Records and a forthcoming one slated for San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, Poppets are one hard-working band. Reward them for their efforts by picking up a copy of the latest EP – after all, only 300 copies were pressed.

--Jason Gelt

Photo: Plastic Idol Records

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Magnanimous Collector: Every minute counts with Cheap Time

Cheap Time’s first seven-inch, released by Vancouver, Canada’s Sweet Rot Records, was a spunky and lovable little slice of punk rock. Although a tad slavish in its devotion to “Born Innocent”-era Redd Kross, it nonetheless hinted at greater things to come with its sheer energy and bratty youthfulness. The Nashville trio fulfills this destiny with interest -- and with a sound that is much more its own -- on its self-titled debut platter from L.A.’s In the Red Records.

Songwriter, singer and guitarist Jeffrey Novak, though barely in his 20s, has already been around the block a time or two, releasing a great screamer with his former band, Rat Traps, on Shattered Records and dishing out a few CDRs and stray import singles with his one-man-band act. But he and his Cheap Time band mates have entered bold new territory with their latest release.

There’s something timeless about this record, something that goes beyond genre boundaries with a fresh, unique approach to punk, new wave and glam influences. The 14 songs rarely stray beyond the two-minute mark, but none of them feels chopped or rushed. Each cut is a polished gem, produced with genuine analog warmth by Mike McHugh at Costa Mesa’s Distillery. There’s a smoking cover of “People Talk” from Jack Oblivian’s pre-Oblivians' new wave band, The End, but the rest are well-wrought, energetically played and precisely written originals. Standouts include the churning “Living in the Past,” the snarling “Ballad of Max Frost,” (an ode to the anti-hero of cult '60s youth revolt movie “Wild in the Streets”) and the triumphant strutter “Ginger Snaps.”

Cheap Time is all about youthful insurrection. At 28 total minutes, this album is insolent, angry and so full of energy that it fairly bursts at the seams. Fans of no-holds-barred rock 'n’ roll will be counting on Novak to stay true to this trajectory as he forages into the future.  

Mark your calendars: Cheap Time will storm the Echo with Jay Reatard on July 30. 

-- Jason Gelt 

Photo: In the Red Records 

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Continuing the grand tradition of Bay Area garage acts dressed in outrageous costumes (remember the Vulcaneers, the Trashwomen and the Mummies?) Oakland’s Nobunny has hippity-hopped into the public eye with his debut LP, “Love Visions.” Released by San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, there are a total of 1,000 pressings, the first 200 of which are on swirly pink vinyl and are already sold out. But these are mundane details of interest only to collector nerds. The real issue at hand is that Nobunny has released a rip-roaring good-times party album that comes on like the illegitimate offspring of the Archies, Joey Ramone, Hasil Adkins and Kim Fowley. A mixture of gritty, fuzzy garage rock and giddy, sticky bubblegum music, the catchy songs, including the hilarious “Land of 1,000 Dances” parody, “Nobunny Loves You,” and the creepy-yet-bouncy “The Boneyard,” are all instant classics. Several of the tunes are available for preview on his MySpace page.

In an inspired act of bizarre-o branding, Nobunny has also hopped into the hearts of fans with a trippy animated video for “The Boneyard” and an action figure that comes complete with fuzzy ears and a carrot microphone. Check out the oddball commercial:

Photo: Nobunny 

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Sweden has been pumping out great underground rock ‘n’ roll for quite some time now, including guitar noodlers the Hellacopters, garage punk experimentalists Regulations and hardcore purists Amdi Petersen’s Arme, not to mention its most high-profile punk rock export, the crowd-pleasing Hives.

Add Poppets to the list, a lo-fi, drum machine-based duo that consists of former Heartattacks front man Magnus Andersson and his girlfriend, Lina. Over the course of four tight, catchy tunes, the fearless pair serves up a stripped-down, pop punk landscape that is definitely one of the best releases yet from Sacramento’s primo Plastic Idol Records. With another seven-inch available on Austria’s Bachelor Records and a forthcoming one slated for San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, Poppets are one hard-working band. Reward them for their efforts by picking up a copy of the latest EP – after all, only 300 copies were pressed.

--Jason Gelt

Photo: Plastic Idol Records

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Magnanimous Collector: Nobunny loves you

Continuing the grand tradition of Bay Area garage acts dressed in outrageous costumes (remember the Vulcaneers, the Trashwomen and the Mummies?) Oakland’s Nobunny has hippity-hopped into the public eye with his debut LP, “Love Visions.” Released by San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, there are a total of 1,000 pressings, the first 200 of which are on swirly pink vinyl and are already sold out. But these are mundane details of interest only to collector nerds. The real issue at hand is that Nobunny has released a rip-roaring good-times party album that comes on like the illegitimate offspring of the Archies, Joey Ramone, Hasil Adkins and Kim Fowley. A mixture of gritty, fuzzy garage rock and giddy, sticky bubblegum music, the catchy songs, including the hilarious “Land of 1,000 Dances” parody, “Nobunny Loves You,” and the creepy-yet-bouncy “The Boneyard,” are all instant classics. Several of the tunes are available for preview on his MySpace page.

In an inspired act of bizarre-o branding, Nobunny has also hopped into the hearts of fans with a trippy animated video for “The Boneyard” and an action figure that comes complete with fuzzy ears and a carrot microphone. Check out the oddball commercial:

Photo: Nobunny 

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Sweden has been pumping out great underground rock ‘n’ roll for quite some time now, including guitar noodlers the Hellacopters, garage punk experimentalists Regulations and hardcore purists Amdi Petersen’s Arme, not to mention its most high-profile punk rock export, the crowd-pleasing Hives.

Add Poppets to the list, a lo-fi, drum machine-based duo that consists of former Heartattacks front man Magnus Andersson and his girlfriend, Lina. Over the course of four tight, catchy tunes, the fearless pair serves up a stripped-down, pop punk landscape that is definitely one of the best releases yet from Sacramento’s primo Plastic Idol Records. With another seven-inch available on Austria’s Bachelor Records and a forthcoming one slated for San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, Poppets are one hard-working band. Reward them for their efforts by picking up a copy of the latest EP – after all, only 300 copies were pressed.

--Jason Gelt

Photo: Plastic Idol Records

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.

Magnanimous Collector’s pick of the week: Poppets’ “Get Back” EP

Sweden has been pumping out great underground rock ‘n’ roll for quite some time now, including guitar noodlers the Hellacopters, garage punk experimentalists Regulations and hardcore purists Amdi Petersen’s Arme, not to mention its most high-profile punk rock export, the crowd-pleasing Hives.

Add Poppets to the list, a lo-fi, drum machine-based duo that consists of former Heartattacks front man Magnus Andersson and his girlfriend, Lina. Over the course of four tight, catchy tunes, the fearless pair serves up a stripped-down, pop punk landscape that is definitely one of the best releases yet from Sacramento’s primo Plastic Idol Records. With another seven-inch available on Austria’s Bachelor Records and a forthcoming one slated for San Francisco’s Bubbledumb Records, Poppets are one hard-working band. Reward them for their efforts by picking up a copy of the latest EP – after all, only 300 copies were pressed.

--Jason Gelt

Photo: Plastic Idol Records

Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.