THE SINCEROS - More of the Best Power Pop You've (Probably) Never Heard

There are many artists in my music collection who have made a healthy number of albums, yet somehow I rarely find myself listening to them, or when I do, have to dig to find songs I actually want to hear. And then there are bands in my collection like The Sinceros.

The Sinceros were a London-based band active from 1978 to 1981 that straddled the line between quirky new wave and more traditional, straightforward power pop. Their brief existence spawned only two LPs - 1979's The Sound of Sunbathing and 1981's Pet Rock - but somehow I never get sick of listening to them, and constantly find myself coming back to both albums - especially Pet Rock.

The now-obscure Sinceros consisted of Mark Kjeldsen, Ron François, Don Snow and Bobby Irwin. Kjeldsen was the band's primary singer and songwriter, but François also contributed a considerable amount of material and vocals.

Shortly after forming, The Sinceros scored a record deal with Epic, and quickly released The Sound of Sunbathing. The lead single, Take Me to Your Leader, is the band's most recognized tune, a minor hit that comes close to being a novelty track. Some 7" copies of the sci-fi themed song were even pressed on martian-green vinyl. While I like the song, I actually consider it to be one of The Sinceros' weakest and most dated. For me, The Sound of Sunbathing yielded even greater treasures in the likes of So They Know, second single Worlds Apart and album closer Good Luck (To You), all of which are energetic numbers with memorable melodies. In fact, the entire first Sinceros album is pretty great.


As much as I love The Sound of Sunbathing, I really felt like I struck gold when I found Pet Rock. The album evolved from the failed, unreleased sophomore record, 2nd Debut. The Sinceros took many of the songs they recorded for 2nd Debut, gave them a face lift, threw in a few others and released Pet Rock in 1981. Pet Rock has become one of my favorite albums of all time, and one that I consider absolutely essential for any fan of power pop or new wave.

The album kicks off with a trio of insanely catchy songs. First single and album opener Disappearing is sparkling, pretty, full-on pop with a lead vocal by Snow that should have been a number one hit. The bittersweet Memory Lane continues down a similar path, while Socially goes back to the energy and fun of their debut - only the hook is much stronger. Another highlight is the jangly side one closer Barcelona, which is probably the most lyrically interesting track. Falling in and out of Love is a short and sweet 60s-pop-inspired song later covered by Tracey Ullman. Girl I Realize is Motown on a sugar high. The pristine Midsong is the perfect end to the album - reflective and gorgeous.

Pet Rock is power pop ear candy of the highest quality from start to finish. Criminally, both it and The Sound of Sunbathing failed to take off as they should have, and The Sinceros called it a day in 1981. Kjeldsen went on to perform with the Danny Adler Band, and reportedly became a taxi driver in Holland before sadly dying of AIDS in the 1990s. Snow went on to work with Squeeze and a variety of other artists, and now goes by John Savannah (link). Life after The Sinceros for François consisted of work with bands such as The Teardrop Explodes and Eurogliders, while Irwin has played with Nick Lowe.

It is also criminal that neither of the Sinceros albums has been released on CD. Do yourself a favor and track down vinyl copies. In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite Sinceros songs ripped from my very own LPs.

- The Sinceros - Disappearing (from Pet Rock)
- The Sinceros - Socially (from Pet Rock)
- The Sinceros - Worlds Apart (from The Sound of Sunbathing)

FOR FANS OF:
The dB's, Shoes, Pezband, 20/20, Squeeze, The Dugites, Pearl Harbor & the Explosions, Phil Seymour, The Rubinoos, The Kings

WEB LINKS:
- The Sinceros on Wikipedia
- Informative Sinceros discography site
- The Sinceros on Rateyourmusic.com
- Take Me to Your Leader video on Youtube
- The Sinceros on AllMusic Guide

PEZBAND - Tasty Chicago Power Pop

While I've been a major fan of classic power pop bands such as The dB's and Shoes for years, I only very recently found out about the magnificent Pezband. Pezband came out of Chicago and onto the power pop scene in 1977 with their eponymous first album on Passport Records, and not only did they have a great name (makes me think of the candy), they had a canon of strong songs to boot. The band holds a unique place in Chicago power pop in that they sounded rawer than Shoes, but less hard rock than Cheap Trick. Even so, any fan of either of those classic Chicago bands should find much to love about Pezband.

The band's first album is by far my favorite of their three LPs, and I would rank it very highly in my list of essential albums for any fan of power pop. The album opens with Baby it's Cold Outside (no, not the cheesy pop standard), a must-include song for any power pop mix CD. The album never really loses steam, jumping from classic to classic with tunes such as Tracer, Princess Mary, Gas Grill and Please Be Somewhere Tonight. There is an irresistible 60s-inspired innocence to these hook-filled songs, but they are also marked by a sheer enthusiasm that gives the collection an edge. In addition to the songs themselves, the distinctive vocals of lead singer Mimi Betinis add to Pezband's charm.

Pezband went on to release two other albums - Laughing in the Dark in 1978 and Cover to Cover in 1979. While both of these are very enjoyable releases, for me they don't quite reach the level of greatness set by the first album.

Laughing in the Dark is a burst of rock and roll energy from start to finish (there's really not one mellow song in the bunch) and a bit rougher around the edges, bringing in some pub rock sounds to the classic power pop formula. The album spawned one hands down classic in Stop! Wait a Minute, which is generally considered Pezband's second signature song after Baby it's Cold Outside, and an additional single in On and On. While the raw energy of this album can't be denied, I personally find the hooks to be a bit stronger on Pezband.

1979's Cover to Cover is another worthwhile release and an enjoyable listen all the way through, although the album lacks a surefire classic in the vein of Baby it's Cold Outside or Stop! Wait a Minute.

Unfortunately, despite three fantastic albums, Pezband never quite gathered enough steam to gain them widespread recognition, and the band ended its first run in 1980. Despite an unsuccessful attempt to restart Pezband in late 1981, little was heard from the members until 2006 when the band reformed and began playing new, well-received shows, much to the delight of both old and new fans.

With any luck, we'll even be treated to some new Pezband recorded material.

All three Pezband albums have been released on CD, but unfortunately only as pricey Japanese imports. However, the inflated price of these discs is well worth it considering the high quality of the music, and they can be purchased through Not Lame Records (link) or other outlets such as Amazon.com.

Below is a vinyl rip of Baby it's Cold Outside for your listening pleasure. If you like what you hear, please seek out the full Pezband albums. You won't likely be disappointed.

Pezband - Baby it's Cold Outside

PEZBAND LINEUP:
- Mimi Betinis - lead vocals, guitar
- Tommy Gawenda - lead guitar
- Mike Gorman - bass, vocals
- Mick Rain - drums, vocals

FOR FANS OF:
Shoes, Cheap Trick, The dB's, Sneakers, Badfinger, Big Star, The Beatles, Dwight Twilley, Phil Seymour

WEB LINKS:
- Pezband Official Myspace Site
- Pezband on Wikipedia
- Pezband on Allmusic Guide
- 2007 Youtube video of Pezband performing a new song live in Chicago