The LAST ONES [Boston, Massachusetts]

Rick Coraccio : Guitars, vocals Ricky "Little Man" Carmel : Guitars, vocals Ritchie Johnson : Bass Dean Carmel : Drums, vocals

EP 12" « Number One Again »« Bit Of You » b/w « Waiting For You »« Much Too Much » (USA [Star Rhythm Rds #EP 1201]1981-82/1983)

LATE SHOW [USA]

Les musiciens du Late Show ne devaient sans doute pas découvrir la pop avec la 2nde Brit invasion, celle du 77 punk, d'ailleurs ils n'ont en commun avec eux que le retour à la simplicité quant au format des chansons. Disons qu'ils se plaçaient plutôt dans une lignée Merseysound-revisited de groupes comme Pezband, Off Broadway, même Cheap Trick. En fait, un sacré savoir-faire en ciselage de pop-songs vraiment accrocheuses : des réminiscences early Who, quelques flashbacks Trogg-esques, des échos d'un jingle-jangle a la Searchers ou Byrds, avec des tonnes d'idées emballantes (les enchainements de morceaux...). Et même si parfois, leurs chansons manquaient d'un ... tout petit peu d'urgence dans l'exécution, ceux qui trouveraient ceci suffisant pour faire la moue devant cet opus pop, me jettent... je sais pas quoi, moi ... la première galette vinyl des Pezband ? Quelqu'un les a un jour comparé aux Smithereens ou aux plus obscurs Mosquitos, et c'est, ma foi, bien vu! (même si ces derniers n'ont sévi que quelques années après).

LP « PORTABLE POP » (USA [Rave Records #801] 1980) This is for sure one of power pop's best-kept secrets and most appropriate record titles but also, unfortunately, a very hard to find gem released in 1980 on a small label called "Rave". "Portable Pop" includes 12 melodic nuggest that rank among the very best of the power pop genre. Songs like "Take A Chance", "Hey Sue", "Protect Your Love", "A Matter Of Time",... are just what you need if you are in pursuit of pop happiness with a slight tinge of melancholy. Not only will you carry around in your head wonderful midtempo ballads and faster-paced power pop numbers but they will be associated and imprinted on your mind with such girl's names as Sue, Judy, Mary Anne... which make them easier to remember as you hum tunes over and over and begin to feel ever so happy. Do not miss out on this treasure trove of awesome melodies if you chance to come across it your quest for power pop's all time greats. By the way, it was listed by John Borack in Goldmine as one of the 50 essential US power pop albums (#january 5, 1996).[PT]

The LAUGHING DOGS [New York City, New York]

LP « The LAUGHING DOGS » (USA [CBS Can #JC36033] 1979) LP « MEET THEIR MAKERS » (USA [CBS #NJC36429] 1980) [Tr] « »« »[ on « Live at CGBG's »](USA 197?/)

Jack LEE [USA]

LP « Jack LEE's GREATEST HITS Vol.1 » (USA [Maiden America #MA1001] 1981)

The LEGENDARY KNICKERS [USA]

7" « Drums Of Love » b/w « Denunciations » (USA [Reckless Records #WREK 200]1975/1978) Produced by Ian North. pretty good 60s pop.

The LEOPARDS [Missouri, Kansas City]

Better start right away with the inescapable "The Leopards were to The Kinks what what the Spongetones were to The Beatles".

7" « Don't Go Away » b/w « The Only Girl For Me » (USA [Moon Records] ) 7" « They All Play Loud » b/w « I'm Living In A Jungle » (USA [Moon Records] ) LP « KANSAS CITY SLICKERS » (USA [Moon Records #?] 1977)

The LIMITS [?]

7" « What You Do (I Get Excited) » b/w « Run For You » (USA [Flying Governor Music #1001] )

LITTLE GIRLS [California]

Good to great bubblegum-meets-powerpop stuff.

Caron Maso : vocals Michele Maso : vocals

[Tr] « »« »[ on « Rodney On The ROQ Vol.2 (Posh Boy 1981) »](USA ) LP « THANK HEAVEN! » (USA [Pvc #5904] 1983) Includes a new rendering of "Earthquake song", and some pretty good novelties like "How To Pick Up Girls".

Richard LLOYD [USA]

Since he stole the show from Tom Verlaine getting THE solo out of his Fender in right in the middle of "Elevation", Richard Lloyd has always been my favourite T.V. artist. His striped shirts and his youthful face made the New York band looking like a *pop* band, which actually was unjustified... until the release of his fab solo release, ranked by Goldmine as one the 50 essential powerpop albums ! Quite a few tracks bring to mind a hookier Television, John Cale's sense of melody, in short a New York feel, some others let foresee more ... medieval influences, but definitely with a pop feeling, and even powerpop !

LP « ALCHEMY » (USA [Elektra #?] 1979) 7" « Blue And Grey » b/w « Pretend » (USA [Elektra #46577] 1980) 7" « Get Off My Cloud » b/w « Connection » (USA [Ice Water Music] 1981)

LONDON [USA]

Info picked from the Buzz's site

7" « No I Do » b/w « Golden Touch » (USA [Buzz #VB 41043] 1983) Quite good 60s-styled A-side. Reissued with Union Jack label for fan club only.

Brad LONG [Logansport, Indiana]

Hailed from Logansport, Indiana. The rare informations about this obscure popster come from the Ink Spot column (letters to the Editor) in a Michigan fanzine called BLITZ, back in 1979. Brad Long discussed therein about vinyl finds, introducing himself as a record store owner. Brad Long was later an occasional writer for a Raspberries-related newsletter titled the "Carmen*Connection".[PG]. "Besides the wonderful music on the single stuck inside the sleeve was a letter from Brad to Alan Betrock at New York Rocker (dated 4/12/78) asking for a good review." [MK]. Brad Long also had a track on Voxx's "Battle Of The Garages", volume 1, a nice cover of "Tell Me" (Jagger/Richard).

7" « Love Me Again » b/w « Come To Me » (USA [Delford Sound #780123] 1977) Both sides are wonderful, kind of fresh-sounding garage pop songs with a Beatles/Byrds feel.

LOUIE LOUIE [New Jersey]

Guitarist on the first Justin TROUBLE LP. It can be heard on both tracks.

7" « Love Isn't Pretty » b/w « Spinnin' Around » (USA [Rebel Riot #LL-1] 1983)

The LOW NUMBERS [Claremount, California]

The band included Rhino Records co-founder Harold Bronson. They named themselves The LOW NUMBERS probably paying homage to the first incanation of The Who. According to the Trouser Press guide, "The Low Numbers were an ad hoc studio invention attempting a conceptual exercise in Brit-pop nostalgia". Don't know more about it but anyway, their LP was filled with pretty good mod/punk-but-pop ditties.

Harold Bronson : lead vocals Louie Maxfield : guitar Dave Dennard : bass David Schneider : drums

7" « Shock Treetments » b/w « Try It Released » (USA [Big Seven Inch Rds #BSS-001] 1976) The flip side is "Try It", originally by The Standells. LP « TWIST AGAIN WITH THE LOW NUMBERS » (USA [Rhino #RNLP 004] 1978) Most of the time the band showed off a staggering beat like if (a less arty) Richard Hell was trying to be a (New York) Doll going pop like in (the very good) "1977 Sunset Strip" or Will Birch's "Original Model", but in order to give the whole picture I must not forget to mention hints of sixties mod-pop (a faithful cover of Jam's "In The City", an obscure Daltrey's song called "Early Morning Taxi" and Graham Parker's "Hotel Chambermaid"...), Kim Fowley ("Shock Treetments"), `77 "punk-folk" (in fact it clearly reminds Subway Sect like in "All The Wrong Girls Like Me") with kinda nasal bubblegum vocals ("She's Not Gonna Be In My Song"). Oh yes there's also a nice surf song called "Savage surf". Very recommended anyway.

LUCKY PIERRE [Cleveland, Ohio]

7" « Fans And Cameras » b/w « Idlewood Single » (USA 1979) 7" « Into My Arms » b/w « Match Single » (USA 1980-81)

LUXURY [Des Moines, Iowa]

7" « Stupidest Thing » b/w « What Kind Of Question's That? » (USA [Angry Young Records #AYR 1277] 1978) Two sides are good pop-rock (flip is a ballad) in a pre-powerpop Shoes-y vein. Recommended [pierre] 7" « Green Hearts » b/w « One In A Million » (USA [Angry Young Records #AYR 2469] 1980) EP 12" « EP#1 » : b/w (USA [Angry Young Records #AYREP01] 1980) Good new wave-ish powerpop. This 6-songs mini-LP contains a couple of good songs : the surf-influenced "Did She Really Meant That", "Tube Ballet" and the mod-pop tinged "Bible School".