This is the first Stereo Total LP record, which was originally put out by German label Little Teddy in 1995, and has been long out of print. Bungalow has just re-issued it. 10 of these songs were on the US released Stereo Total record on Bobsled Records (which shares the same front cover image), but there are 9 songs on this LP which we haven't had until now. One of those 9 (a Pop Tarts remix of Dactyl Rock) was on the Winter Rose compilation CD that came with the first issue of the Japanese fanzine Beikoku Ongaku we got, but that CD has been missing from the station for some time now.

The carousel have two CD's out, "I forgot to remember to forget" and "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz". The song Bella Vista cover ("my boy and his motorbike") was on the alphabet one, which is the lesser of my favorites of the two. "I forgot to remember to forget" is a very good CD, I would recommend it. since they are a liz price band, there's a definitely talulah gosh-y feel to them, but definitely not as fast. amelia fletcher plays recorder on one of the songs, "strawberry fayre."

---AJ Naito, February 16, 1999

Brighton's Fourteen Iced Bears aimed to be the Thirteenth Floor Elevators, The Byrds and the Bunnymen polished off with a JAMC noise sheen. They were a four man band from 1988 playing post-"Crucial Three" music heavily influenced by Ian McCullogh, Julian Cope, and Pete Wylie (The Crucial Three), of Liverpool's Echo & The Bunnymen, Teardrop Explodes, & Wah!, the 3 bands who drove the Zoo Records scene in the early 80's and influenced an era. NME critics were cruel in their recent review of this disc, but the truth is that this record isn't at all bad. I'm glad to add it to the racks of ZBC. There are 17 originals, plus 3 (unexceptional) live songs, two of which are covers - Teardrop's "Bouncing Babies" and Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdive". Here's what the Overground site says about this CD-"One of the best C86 bands, the 14 Iced Bears stayed the course longer than most calling it a day after 5 years in 1991. This 20 track compilation recalls their most successful period whilst signed to the Thunderball label and includes previously unreleased material."

Love Theme From Cha Cha Cha is an electro-pop take on 70s radio hit Hot Buttered Popcorn. Cha Cha Cha are a 5 person band from Riverside CA. We have 2 other 7inchs from them. There are 7 songs on this CD. Most of the songs would fit on 'Funk To The Folks' (Brian Coleman Mon, 5-6PM) as easily as on ZBC Rock. They have a really big sound, and have much more dimension than bands they may be grouped with, such as West Coast contemporaries Sukpatch or Volume All-Stars. I think Cha Cha Cha have a bigger future ahead of them than either of those acts, and that this record is better than records from those bands.

"Eggstone began in Sweden in 1986, when Patrik Bartosch, Maurits Carlsson and Per Sunding formed a band using the blueprints from bands like The Jam and The Clash, but adding a tea-spoon of The Smiths and Prefab Sprout." - >From their website. I've loved my own copy of this CD at my home for some time now. It is upbeat sunny pop that at times sounds like Nick Heyward fronting Super Furry Animals, and at other times just sounds like something indescribably good. These songs make you feel good, and just seem to describe a life you wish that you led. As far as song recommendations, if you like any of these songs you'll like just about all of the songs, so choose your own faves and play away. The CD also can be put in your computer for a great video of a song thats not on the disc, called "Never Been A Better Day".

Formerly Juniper & now feat Mike from Roper. This single has 2 originals, and sounds to me like if Slant 6 had been California beachbums instead of DC citykids.

In 1973 Patti Smith invited Lenny Kaye on stage with her to accompany her poems with his scratching & pickings. A decade later Mike Watts and Kira presented their bass duets under the name Dos. Suran Song is a thinking person with feelings and opinions. Suran Song In Stag is her and William Weis, with William accompanying as did Lenny Kaye, and Suran's voice weaving the tapestries Kira's bass did in Dos. Pure Agitator honors three of the duo's heros, with its cover art tipping it's hat to The Ex, a Fugazi cover from the 1990 LP Repeater, and a grandiose Bowie cover from 1972's Ziggy Stardust LP. The originals kick too. Suran's melodies and vision can draw you in to her extra bright colored world. William's bass roots the vision in the timbre of a single instruments sound. Together their chemistry is a sweet elixer to taste.

This is a self released CDR by a Philadelphia aural ensemble who sound like a cult more than a band, with elements of Industrial, The Ex, and Psychic TV. There's probably only a handful of these made, so we should be glad that former Boston resident Sussi Hansen sent us a copy of this Philly band she loves.