A History Of Not Lame Recordings (Pt. 1)
GUEST POST: Mike Baron
Mike Baron (aka Bloody Red Baron) was the longtime album reviewer for Bruce Brodeen’s Pop Geek Heaven. Before launching that newsletter, Brodeen founded legendary power pop record label Not Lame Recordings. The essay below is the first in a three-part series from Baron originally published in Not Lame’s Power Pop Prime book/CD series. We will publish the next two essays in the coming weeks.
Not Lame Recordings was Bruce Brodeen's fledgling power pop label headquartered in Aspen, then Denver, and finally Fort Collins, Colorado.
From 1994-2010, Not Lame released over a hundred albums to critical acclaim and carried the CD releases of over 10,000 (mostly) independent, melodically enriched bands and labels from all over the world.
What is power pop? It's luscious three-chord pop with bridges and hooks fused to a driving, R&B beat. For the adoptive outsider, you love it and you didn't even know it. Power pop is The Beatles, Big Star, Badfinger, The Beach Boys, The Byrds, The Beau Brummels, The Beckies, Raspberries, Cheap Trick, The Cars, The Who (who invented the term), Dwight Twilley, and a thousand other bands you've never heard.
One of the reasons Brodeen formed Not Lame was to have it become a clearing house for all the great new pop that burbles up from around the world.
Brodeen, scion of a long line of preachers, had studied theology in college and even interned at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
After a short period in Boulder, Colorado in the mid ‘80s, he ended up in Los Angeles working at a label (I.R.S/Primitive Man), managing record stores, and doing artist management.
“After seven years of life in Los Angeles, the last four years there I was slowly becoming mildly psychotic and unhappy. I couldn’t deal with the crime, density of people and the continual, vicious displays of the darker sides of human behavior. My wife, Ruth and I packed up everything we had into two cars and, along with our dog, moved to Aspen, Colorado on a lark wishing to re-capture a simpler kind of lifestyle. Our neighbor was the notorious, certifiably bonkers and insanely talented writer, Hunter S. Thompson.”
For years, Brodeen had been trading tapes with other musicians and fans, cassettes of talented bands that couldn't get record deals. Finally, he decided to do something about it. He started Not Lame Recordings in late 1994 and wrote old-fashioned handwritten letters to the artists he admired and connected with others on the then-developing landscape of the internet.
Brodeen decided to have three imprints for the label: Not Lame Recordings (the artist developing ground), Not Lame Archives (reissues of out of print classics), and Not Lame Limited (which did limited-run pressings of 1,000 copies for each release by bands in their early stage of development or who were seeking less complicated recording arrangements with their label).
Within months of starting, Not Lame created a mail-order division that allowed him to provide a quasi-distribution network for indie bands and small labels to get their releases in front of thousands of passionate power pop fans strewn all over the world.
The printed catalogs that Brodeen produced (along with the inspired design help of Not Lame M.V.P., Jim Horan) were legendary to pop geeks, displaying extensive, informative mini-reviews from hundreds of releases that documented the explosion of the power pop scene in the mid/late ‘90s and well into the ‘00s.
Things were expanding at such a rapid rate that by the late ‘90s Brodeen stated, at that time, “My passions are completely unharnessed. I have no idea how many bands are on the label.” That may have been true but every one of them mattered and we’ll begin to explore each of the releases from Not Lame in this three-part historical overview of the label.
There’s a lot of work to be done when a history has to cover over 100 pieces from the archeological dig of power pop’s past.
Not Lame's first release was A Double Dose of Pop (1995) featuring seventeen songs by two bands, The Rooks and Twenty Cent Crush. Both bands dealt rocking rhythm sections coupled with sweet hooks and The Rooks, at least, would appear again and again on the Not Lame label.
The Rooks mastermind Michael Mazzarella worked for a record company (Atlantic Records) before taking the plunge into struggling musician status and the band's sound is fully formed, starting with the hook-laden "Praises." Ironically, "Reasons," one of The Rooks' most entrancing and immediately addictive songs, has no hook. But hook-laden songs like "Music Sound Sensation" and "In a Pinwheel Spin" more than make up for it.
Twenty Cent Crush's contributions were equally memorable and crunchy although the band mostly disappeared after this release and has now moved almost exclusively to the land of downloads.
SymPOPhony #1 (1995) came next.
It’s a showcase for five bands: Martin Luther Lennon, Rockefellers, Cherry Twister, The Finns, and The Shambles. Martin Luther Lennon straddles power pop and pub rock with echoes of Springsteen, Mellencamp, The Byrds, Gin Blossoms, and Elvis Costello.
His acoustic solo version of Billy Idol's "Dancing With Myself" is mesmerizing. Here, leader Tony Perkins was just gearing up for a full-length that would arrive in two short years.
Rockefellers merge a mellow country vibe with sweet Brill Building conventions. “All Your Former Boyfriends” rocks with Byrdsian chime, a killer hook, and a Beatles chord on the fade out.
Steve Ward's Cherry Twister makes its own rules about song structure. “Leila” is a Brian Wilson-like charmer, as is “Charlotte B.” while “Frozen Teeth” is brash rock. Cherry Twister would re-emerge a few years later with a remarkable LP of its own on Not Lame Limited.
The Finns, named after lead singer Joe Finn, brought punk energy and a touch of the Ramones to their high-energy rock, resembling Billy Squier's early band,Piper on “Satellite Receiver.” “Dreams of Mediocrity” is a cold dash of reality in the face, but you can dance to it. It should be the theme to a Richard Linklater movie.
New Zealand-based Dead Flowers’ Plastic (1997) came third.
It’s an EP of four songs from a long since disbanded power pop quartet with a more metallic edge that power pop fans might have found intimidating, but Brodeen had a natural affinity for harder rocking tendencies outside of power pop.
Martin Luther Lennon's Music For a World Without Limitations (1997) was the fourth Not Lame release and a stunning affirmation of Lennon's talents. Consider his name. The reformation meets irreverence.
The band is rowdy, raw and tight on rave-ups like “Brenda Revisited,” which cleverly cribs from “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” or “Happygirl,” with its heavy metal happy chords. “I'm Just An Elephant” is a sing-along charmer in the They Might Be Giants vein, but for the most part, Lennon is an original, which is apparent on his acoustic solo, “Tabernacle O' Clay.” “No Junkies in West Hills” should be the anthem of every Neighborhood Watch group.
In 1997, Not Lame released Michael Mazzarella’s Methods Of a Mad Rook, fifteen tracks of Michael singing his songs solo and acoustic.
This was an excellent showcase for Mazzarella's songwriting skills, revisiting “In a Pinwheel Spin” and “Reasons” while adding a raft of unreleased titles such as the beguiling “Shades of Green” and “Wouldn't Want To Be You.”
Not Lame's next two releases are personal favorites. Ice Cream Hands’ Memory Lane Traffic Jam (1997) was from an Australian band who were obviously conversant with The Byrds, The Beach Boys and Eagles while bringing their own unique blend of sweet hooks and harmonies. “Is It Your Electric Chair” with its shifting chords and dissonance is in no way indicative of the record that followed.
“Winter's Tune” revealed them as sweet romanticists with a talent for hooks. “Shake and See the Reason” draws from both Badfinger and Jason Falkner while going its own way. “Angel Inside” evokes a dozen classic bands, but once again ends up uniquely Ice Cream Hands. (Not Lame gloriously licensed four extra tracks for its release that did not appear on the Australian version.)
The Sun Sawed in 1/2's Fizzy Lift (1997) is a Faberge egg steam punk wind-up toy that keeps unfolding ever more dazzling blossoms, like the “500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins.”
Guitarist Tim Rose is a gifted songwriter. You hear snatches of Barenaked Ladies or XTC but the Sun largely succeeds in creating its own sound, like the dissonance in the lilting “Denny's Girl,” or the Kinks and XTC undertones in “Mary Celeste.” If Boz Scaggs sang power pop (and who's to say he doesn't?) he'd want to cover “Ten Ways Amazed.” Tenor Doug Bobenhouse is more than up to the task.
“Four Letter Girl” is a burnished blue green scarab of a song. “Brighter Than God's Canary” is almost operatic. The brightly-colored cover art offers a visual interpretation of what lies within.
The Kelly Affair's Welcome to the Kelly Affair (1998) is another lost power pop gem that almost sounds as if it were recorded in 1966.
This Canadian quartet channeled a lot of great Brit pop including The Zombies, The Kinks and The Hollies led by Tom Williams' sinuous guitar lead. The Brit pop influences are no more apparent than on “That School” which could have been an outtake from The Village Green Preservation Society with its sing-along choruses and plucky piano lead.
“We're Okay” has some Eddie Cochran/Blasters type attitude. The harmonizing between Miles and bassist Kevin Cooper is reminiscent of Redd Kross' McDonald brothers. Songwriter Terry Miller keeps reshuffling the deck and dealing fresh hands made up of old sounds. Love that sixties surf drum and the Bacharach-like horns on “Another Edit.”
Not Lame's next release is a bona fide classic in the genre and saw a deluxe, 2 CD reissue in 2012.
Myracle Brah was actually Andy Bopp and a few pals, including Greg Schroeder of Starbelly. Life On Planet Eartsnop (1998) was his warning shot across power pop's prow—from here on everything changes!
Sounding almost entirely like a one-man recording, Life dishes out one Beatlesque arabesque after another, all different, in a minimalist setting. It's almost stream-of-consciousness. “Action Reaction” introduces us to the urgently rhythmic bass-heavy Bopp style which he has applied to his new group Alto Verde.
“Getting Over Delusion” smacks you with an instantly memorable bridge and hook. There are many overtones—power poppers gravitate to certain chords. “Good Day to the Night” sounds like Chris Von Sneidern. “She's Everything” is a rave-up party time that might have been a Revolver outtake. “Talk to Me” would be a perfect Bob Seger vehicle, and “Bitter Thing” out McCartneys McCartney. “Machina” is a thumpin' blues, Lennon meets Delbert McClinton. And finally, “Love Is” sounds like Sgt. Pepper”compressed into one song.
A year later, Not Lame released Martin Luther Lennon's Escape to Paradox Island (1999).
It’s his “girl” record because so many of the songs are about girls, beginning with the piano-driven “Only Love,” which finds Lennon channeling a little Jonathan Richman and a lot of garage rock. “Go, She Said” is a form of concrete poetry in its push/pull message and its alternating acoustic and full-on electric choruses. It's about a girl who wants her lover to leave. Or does she?
“I'm in Love With the Puppet Girl” bounces along on great chords and memorable lyrics: “Outside of my window, sober young fellow, bearing reminders that harsh on my mellow, replaying a story of heartbreak and sorrow, leave it by the doorstep, I'll read it tomorrow.”
Keith Emerson's synth solo will wake you up halfway through “Somebody Knows Everything,” a slow churning ballad. “Armageddon Surfer Girl Rock On” is classic roadhouse, three chords and a cloud of dust. Finally, the brooding acoustic “Funny Baby” wherein Lennon doubles up his voice. Just one more fantastic blossom found and saved by Not Lame.
Not Lame's next release was a fragmentation grenade.
Nashpop (A Nashville Pop Collection) (1998), explodes with dazzling pop shooting in a dozen directions which we’ll explore in depth below. Bill Lloyd, previously of Foster & Lloyd, appears with “Contact High,” a slice of dreamy psychedelia that morphs into a raga, tapping into early Jefferson Airplane. This was but a hint of Lloyd's vast talents which were no surprise to pop fans because in 1994 he had recorded Set to Pop, one of the most brilliant power pop records of the past twenty years.
Who Hit John's “Suzy Failed the Acid Test” came next with sweet Everly Brothers harmonies riding a power pop wave. Swan Dive's “Beautiful Excuse” is one of those left field hits with odd but pleasing chords like “Pretty Ballerina” or “Unchained Melody.”
The fourth track belonged to The Shazam and would serve as an important appearance because the band would take up long-term residence at the Not Lame. The Nashville-based quartet is the brainchild of Hans Rotenberry, chief songwriter and guitarist. The high-energy rave-up “I Hate That Song” ends with a Who-like chorus that gives a tiny indication of what was to come.
The late William Owsley came from a musical family and began playing guitar at age nine. He moved to Nashville when he was twenty-one and became a part of Amy Grant's touring band. Owsley worshipped Eddie Van Halen but developed his own unique style of power pop and released three solo albums. His “Sonny Boy” is a smart, jazzy confection that Billy Joel might have written in his “Uptown Girl” mode.
Tragically, Owsley died in 2010 of his own hand. Sad to say, he is one in a long line of power pop suicides from Badfinger’s Pete Ham and Tom Evans, Material Issue's Jim Ellison and The Deal's Haines Fullerton. (The Deal will be discussed in Part Three of Not Lame’s history.)
Idle Jets were another band that went on to a full Not Lame release in the following year. Their “Penelope Wild” is sweet country rock reminiscent of Seatrain. Milford Powers' “She's So Clean” is right up a red dirt country road, 38 Special meets Big Star.
Doug Powell is a dramatic brooder who explodes into operatic hooks. You cannot be too pretentious when it comes to pop—look at Queen!—and Powell's “Torn” is a technically and emotionally-satisfying mini-suite. Powell would later issue two exceptional records on Not Lame. We’ll get there soon enough…
Other artists on Nashpop included Neilson Hopward, Joe Marc's Brother, Ross Rice, The Luxury Liners, Rayon City Quest, John Keaney and Swag, a Nashville super group consisting of Cheap Trick's Tom Petersson, Robert Reynolds, Jerry Dale, Ken (Wilco) Coomer, Paul (Mavericks) Deacon, and Doug Powell. “Everyday is Christmas” brings the jangle with an arresting melody and quick sugar fix in the hook. Brad Jones produced the Swag album Catch-All (Yep Roc,) which features Bill Lloyd on guitar.
A key album would follow in the year after Nashpop came out.
The Rooks' A Wishing Well (1999) was a tour-de-force from Michael Mazzarella, rounding out his band with guitartist Kristin Pinell, drummer Patrick Yourell and other guests to fill out the sound.
Opening with the moody chamber rock of “Wish You Well,” The Rooks establish themselves as old hands at Brit pop with traces of Fairport Convention, The Beatles and The Beau Brummels. That French horn is so gorgeously ‘60s.
“Maybe” evokes so many Brit bands, but when Michael and Kristin start singing they recall Richard and Linda Thompson on their great Shoot Out the Lights. “Vows” adds viola and cello to the mix. Through it all, Mazzarella shows deep understanding of the hooks, phrasing and dynamics. He has a distinctively gruff voice whether singing alone or with Pinell.
“Meditation” is dreamy psychedelia with sitar-sounding guitar, something that George Harrison might have written. The lyrics to the jaunty “Drug of the Month” sound like a mantra from some oddball Buddhist sect. “Sometimes” touches The Who and “In the Neighborhood” is a Beatlesque chirper with a touch of Jersey doo-wop.
From 1995-1999, Not Lame was unstoppable and put out twenty-eight albums (okay, CDs) and one 7-inch vinyl EP, every one of them a highly sought power pop masterpiece.
We’ll continue with my observations on the 1995-1999 period and beyond in “Volume 2” and, finally, land firmly into the ‘00s in “Volume 3”. Rest assured, the best was yet to come.
Thanks so much for this - a hell of a lot of new music to listen to this weekend!