The REAL KIDS [Boston, Massachusetts]

7" « All Kindsa Girls » b/w « Common At Noon » (USA [Sponge Records #spsp 10] 1977) "All Kindsa Girls" is one of the best pop-rockers of the 1977 era. Released on Sponge, a label set up by a french journalist, the great Philippe Garnier. The flip is quite good too. LP « The REAL KIDS » (USA [Red Star #RS2] 1977) LP « OUTTA PLACE » (USA [Star Rhythm #103] 1982) LP « ALL KINDSA JERKS LIVE » (Fra [New Rose] 1983) LP « OUTTA PLACE » (Fra [New Rose] 1983) [Tr] « »« »[ on « The Roots Of Powerpop » (Bomp, 1996)](USA 198?/)

The REDS [Philadelphia, USA]

7" « Joey » b/w « Automatic Boys » (USA [Go-go #0001] 1978) "Automatic Boys" appears on Hyped To Death #1.

REGULAR GUYS [Lawrence Ks, USA]

The Regular Guys were from Lawrence Ks and at one point included Dave Stuckey of the Dave and Deke Combo on guitar for whatever that's worth...[jon harrison]

EP 7" « It's A Secret »« Leave » b/w « Too Dumb »« I Forgot The Flowers » (USA [National Recording Artists] 1980)

The RERUNS [Michigan]

7" « Since You Gotta Cheat » b/w « So So Alone » (USA [Spider Rds #SPDR-102] 1978) Pop with a strong punk attitude. A (sought-after) 7" record that you would probably call powerpop if you were a punk collector. 7" « She Hates Me Now » b/w « Bored To Tears » (USA [Ftm Records #003] 1980) Not very compelling powerpop... [TP Vol. 7,#3,April 1980]

REVOLVER [?, Alabama]

7" « My Little Girl » b/w « Wait Till You Get Older » (USA [Rubber Records #RV 102] 1982) The A-side is pop-rock. The flip tends toward mid-70s powerpop not unlike a more new wave Stories.

RIFF DOCTORS [North Carolina]

Hailing from Durham, according to "Teen Line" liner notes. Later moved in NYC.

Frank Bednash : guitar,vocals

7" « I Don't Want To Go Back » b/w « Falling » (USA [Coyote Records #COY003] 1983) New York area. A nice single I've always liked. B-side is less interesting [jon harrison]. I like the B-side which sounds like The Toms to my ears [pierre]. [Unreleased] « Demo » « Turn On Me » (1985) Appeared on Teen Line vol.1.

Clovis ROBLAINE [USA]

Clovis Roblaine, whose real name was Dennis Meehan (Clovis ROBLAIN was the first heart transplant patient having undergone an operation carried out in France on April 27, 1968), probably originated from Oklahoma but moved to Dallas, Texas, firstly appearing as the bass player in a late-'70s-era "Cosmic Country" band called Ray Wylie Hubbard & the Cowboy Twinkies. His sole (?) LP, under Clovis Roblaine, was a pop masterpiece, sort of Anglophile pop drawing on pop music from the late 50s (somewhat wall-of-sound obsessive) up to till the late 70s (powerpop). Similitudes with Dwight Twilley might cross the critic's mind and I would be tempted to say that "The Clovis Roblaine Story" constitutes the best Twilley album that Dwight never recorded in solo (quite unfair for Twilley but so true for sir Clovis, ha ha). Circa 1980, Clovis Roblaine also worked as a producer for the Lienke Brothers City Band and collaborated to a record with a guy named Norman Oklahoma which he engineered and played guitar on. Lately it seems that Clovis was living in New York City and was an engineer for a radio network. (...compiled with some great help from Mark London and Jim Beal)

LP « THE CLOVIS ROBLAINE STORY » (USA [No Sweat Records #00279] 1979) (...) " Cry All Over Me " is the same kind of absolute pop masterpiece as a powerpop rendition of Peter & Gordon's " I Got To Pieces " (given away by Del Shannon) with double-tracked vocals or something like that...

Rick ROCK [North Carolina]

7" « Buddha, Buddha » b/w « Sputnik » (USA [Big Groovy Records #BGR-0029] 1983)

Tommy ROCK [?]

Tommy started out with a band in New Jersey called The Moon doing "Beatle-style" music. After he met Kim Fowley, he joined The Dreamers, a short-lived band which included Steven T. Named "Tommy Rock" by Mr Fowley, he put out (at least) one 7" record on the Aussie Mushroom label (although apparently licensed from Mystery Rds, USA) under this name. [from the Waves/Bomp liner-notes]

7" « Is It Love? » b/w « It's Later Than You Think » (USA [Spark Records] 1978) The B-side can be found the CD "Home Runs" released on Play Ball!, 2000. 7" « High School » b/w « Dancing The Night Away » (Aus [Mushroom International #K7461] 1979) "High School" is good powerpop with surf overtones. The B-side also appears on « Waves : An Anthology Of New Music Vol.1 (Bomp, 1979)»

The ROCKERS [San Francisco, California]

The ROCKERS were part of the San Francisco powerpop underground along with other bands like The Pushups, The Squares or Sweet Tommy Band. It seems that they were quite popular in the SF Bay circuit during their short lifespan between 1978 and 1980. They've put out a 4-track 7" EP, released on their own label, Alcatraz, which got good reviews but, apparently, moderate regional success. By 1980, C.Jeppesen left the band (he has played since in numerous bands), and by replacing him by John SanFilippo, the band changed its name to The FINDERS (music-wise very similar to The Rockers in fact, see the corresponding entry). Until then, their sole slab of vinyl was really worth seeking because, in addition of the excellent sound and songwriting (power chords plus great melodies), they had perfectly pop vocals in the person of John Rock. Fortunately, Phil and his brother Dennis Schraub, helped by John "Rock" Perga, recently got their own small Squid Music label and have re-released the Rockers EP on CD (the label also intends to pull together a compilation of Bay Area unsigned pop bands that worked during the late 60's, 70's, and early 80's). The label have also put out three CDs with unreleased FINDERS recordings (a "great lost album", demos and live stuff).

Phil Schraub : guitars,vocals Carl Jeppesen : bass,vocals John Rock : vocals Bryan Allinsmith : drums

EP 7" « Don't Leave Me Tonight »« Understanding » b/w « I Want To Tell You »« Come Back » (USA [Alcatraz Records #?] 1980) From the highly beatle-esque "Understanding" to the Nerves-ous "I Want To Tell You" the four tracks are really good. With a special mention to "Don't Leave Me Tonight". Let Tweezers' Fifi speak "Great song title, driving back beat, crispy vocals and raw stinging guitar can only make a great song". I can't agree more. CD « EXTENDED PLAY 1980 » (USA [ Squid Music ]1980/1999) The CD contains the four EP tracks (from the original master tapes) : "I Want To Tell You" and "Understanding" written by John and Phil, and "Don't Leave Me Tonight" and "Comeback", written by Carl.

The ROCKIN' BRICKS [New Jersey]

This New Jersey band featured Chris Breetveld, who now plays in (ie is) The Breetles. The Rockin' Bricks released a 12" EP in 1982 titled "Having A Wild Week Night" which was engineered by Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Jeff Buckley). One of my favourite songs remains the unreleased "Tears cried over you" credited to The Rockin'Bricks even it solely appeared on the Breetles' second release "spooj" .[pierre]

Chris Breetveld :

LP « HAVING A WILD WEEK NIGHT » (Canada [Major Label Records #MLR 5001] 1982) The LP featured four tracks, among them the great "Foreign Girl" which sounded like if 20/20 had put some Beach Boys intricate melodies in place of their Beatles and Brit-Pop influences (this track having also been re-recorded on "spooj" by The Breetles ; the best version in my opinion appearing on the cassette-only "Ego"). Although somewhat too typical of the genre, "Hearbeat" is quite decent powerpop.

The ROMANTICS [Michigan]

In my opinion the Romantics best period remains by far the one related to the Spider and Bomp Records sessions (actually their pre-Nemperor period), featuring Bob Segarini on production with whom the band recorded two tracks for a great single, and two others (the excellent "Running Away" and "Let's Swing") appearing later on the "Midwest Pop Explosion" compilation. "Those Bomp sessions in Detroit were The Romantics at their poppy best. Later Nemporer seemed to harden them up... Sadly, those four tunes were the only thing we recorded." [bob segarini, himself].

7" « Little White Lies » b/w « I Can't Tell You » (USA [Spider #?] ?) 7" « Tell It To Carrie » b/w « First In Line » (USA [Bomp! #120] 8/1978) EP 12" « Tell It To Carrie »« Running Away » b/w « First In Line »« Let's Swing » (Canada [Bomb #FIZZ-35] 1979) All these tracks also appeared later on "Midwest Pop Explosion" compilation. LP « The ROMANTICS » (USA [Nemperor #JZ36273] 12/1979) LP « NATIONAL BREAKOUT » (USA [Nemperor #JZ36881] 1980)

ROUTE 28 [Massachusetts]

Feat. Erik Lindgren.

7" « Another Cape Cod Summer (This Year) » b/w « American Kids (Still Wanna Rock) » (USA [Arf Arf #AA-004] 1982)

RPMs [Wisconsin]

7" « I Don't Wanna Be Young » b/w « Loved By You » (USA [Hit Man Rec #NR-11835] 11/80) The singer has probably burned his Simon & Garfunkel records in 1977, but powerpop-wise, the A-side of their (sole?) was not bad at all. The singer's vocal arrogance might remind likes of Joe Strummer (only more affected though) but the song structure was nice (even showing off a beatle-esque bridge!). This track also appeared on the "Great Lost Brew Wave" compilation CD.

RUBBER CITY REBELS [USA]

7" « Young And Dumb » b/w « Paper Dolls » (USA [Flaming Orange #RCR 926] 1979)