VA - Not Lame, Super Charged Flash Light Pops [2004] + VA - Not Lame, Six Years Of Power Pop [2001] (2 x CDs)

NOT LAME LABEL

VA - Not Lame, Super Charged Flash Light Pops [2004] + VA - Not Lame, Six Years Of Power Pop [2001] (2 x CDs)

These are Two Samplers from The Not Lame label.

While label-tribute albums to themselves tend to be gratuitous “pat yourself on the back” endeavors, VA - Not Lame, Super Charged Flash Light Pops and VA - Not Lame 6th Anniversary Compilation are surprisingly successful. The reasons why are fairly obvious: Not Lame is both a boutique label (focusing on power pop, though they have a broader scope than that title would suggest) and an artist’s label. They encourage bands to release albums the way they want to release them, with little label interference. Not Lame mastermind Bruce Broedeen is in tune with what his fans want, which is why he signs only acts whom he feels are compatible with the roster.

All of this amounts to why Not Lame’s catalog became a trusted source of guitar pop for fans and a place where music consumers would buy albums based on word of mouth alone. Not Lame gathers mostly unreleased material from most of their biggest acts, from mini-stars like the Shazam and Myracle Brah to bands to whom they have given generous reissues, like the Posies and the Rubinoos. While some of these acts – like the crazed country singer Terry Anderson or the plaintive Mark Helm – may not have been considered power pop were it not for their association with Not Lame, their presence underscores how Not Lame has become a source to find all kinds of like-minded underground rock & roll bands in one place. And since some of these acts have saved their best material for this compilation, it is an apt tribute to an independent record label that stands for all that’s good in pop music and a fitting introduction to their catalog for a novice. (B)

FYI - Not Lame Recordings was a Ft. Collins, Colorado based independent record label specializing in power pop music. The label was started by Bruce Brodeen in November 1994 It primarily focused on power pop, a form of guitar and harmony driven retro-rock. Within this genre, the label quickly became the center of a small but ever-expanding cult of power pop enthusiasts. Not Lame released over 100 albums, including the annual 3-CD compilation of the International Pop Overthrow festival from 1997 through 2010 (with later years being brought out by Brodeen privately). The label also released albums for artists like Tommy Keene, Dwight Twilley, Doug Powell, and Mark Helm, as well as bands such as Myracle Brah, The Deal, Sweet Apple Pie, Hawks, and Wanderlust; and box sets for such notables as Jellyfish and The Posies. The company's online store has sold over 15,000 different CD releases. After 16 years of operation, the label shut down on November 24, 2010. (Wikipedia)

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Track lists

CD1

01 Sun Sawed In ½ - Janet Greene 3:21

02 Shazam - Everything 2:57

03 Idle Jets - Karen Valentine 3:14

04 Posies - Saying Sorry To Myself 3:46

05 Rooks - Love 3:10

06 Myracle Brah - Simplified 1:54

07 Doug Powell - Cul-De-Sac 5:15

08 Dwight Twilley - Never Enough 4:09

09 Terry Anderson - Found Missin' 3:32

10 Michael Carpenter - Heartbreaker 2:38

11 Flamingo - Spinning Out 4:00

12 Bobby Sutliff - Time Machine 3:34

13 Mark Helm - Milkyway 5:29

14 Martin Luther Lennon - Greatest Mistake I Ever Made 3:07

15 Starbelly - Mother Of Pearl 4:07

16 Rubinoos - Girl, The 2:27

17 Wanderlust - Where Has Your Lover Gone 2:12

18 Ken Sharp - For The Last Time 4:00

19 Scot Sax - Great Dream 2:51

CD2

01 Jellyfish - Joining A Fan Club 3:48

02 Shazam - Gettin' Higher 3:16

03 Fuzzbubble - Rockstar Parking 3:53

04 JTG Implosion - Sunshine 3:58

05 General Store - Airport Breakfast 3:05

06 Model Rockets - A Notice To Everyone (The Cops Are Pissed) 3:54

07 Posies - Going, Going, Gone 3:33

08 Michael Carpenter & King's Rd - Nothing In The World 3:15

09 Bobby Sutliff - My Perfect Dream 4:54

10 True Love - Burn Rubber 2:37

11 Starbelly - Mother Of Pearl 4:25

12 Doug Powell - I Woke Up In Love This Morning 3:07

13 Dons - Only Guy 3:33

14 Deal - Maybe I'll Just Keep You Hanging On 4:51

15 H A W - It's All Right, It's OK 4:16

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