T.M.L. - Should Have Done Better / Can’t Take It No More. USA ~ Chicago, Illinois

A) side is a moderately paced driving song with a scratchy sound and a nice fuzz break. Chorus is overlong. B) side is more moody. Organ is a distinguishing feature. Seems the latter track is going to break out into a proggy bit but always holds back. Sort of like Procol Harum I suppose.

3.0 / 3.0

4/20/25 (review)

Caretaker - Rampage / Sin Trips. 1981 USA-Illinois

From Zion, Illinois (on the shores of Lake Michigan bordering Wisconsin). Pretty cool phased riffing opener. Goes into a more straightforward early metal styled track. Still like the phasing throughout. Four minute song that is two minutes longer than it needs to be. B) side catches Judas Priest in their British Steel stride. Nice guitar soloing on this one, and I like the hyperactive drumming as if there's no tomorrow (there probably wasn't). Pretty good rendition of the style I'd submit. 

4/15/24

3.0 / 3.5

Iron Tongue - (Ride on Down to the) San Antonio Line / It Could Have Been a Real Love. 1976 USA-Chicago

Cool name for a band. Looks like a modern heavy group from Arkansas nabbed it as well. Guessing these guys are from the Chicago area because of the label base. Guitar tone is almost psych, but ultimately this is bar room dancin' hard rock n' roll music. Fist pump your Old Style bottle while trying to two step at the same time. B side is remarkably similar, though bordering novelty territory.

2.5 / 2.5

3/31/24

Zendik - Is There No Peace / Aesop. 1970 USA-Chicago

Zendik are a band from Chicago that has found themselves on a couple of those Brown Acid series albums (met those guys in Austin BTW as they were interested in some of JL's stuff). The A side is fairly strong hard rock, with lots of screaming vocals, and hyperactive drumming. There's some psych leftover here too. B side is more melodic. Ultimately both tracks fall into the sought after "bonehead" category. Though I'd submit that tag sells most of these pieces short in terms of thoughtfulness. I like that they state "Recorded in America". 

12/17/23

Park Avenue Playground - I Know / The Trip. 1969 USA-Chicago

From the Chicago suburb of Lansing. Despite being on a "major minor", this 45 is extinct. The B side is considered one of the pinnacles of American psych, and it's easy to understand why. Loaded with fuzz, organ, and trippy vocals, it defines what the psychedelic era means in the States. Fortunately I have this track courtesy of the Beyond the Calico Wall CD compilation. 'I Know' is like a rawer Strawberry Alarm Clock, so I'm down with this side too. 

5/15/18 (first listen); 12/17/23 (review / new entry)

Faustus - Come on Down / Days of Swashbuckling. 1978 USA-Illinois

This is one of those bands that have a better moniker and titles than the actual music. The A) side is a mix of boogie rock and melodic AOR. The latter saving the effort. The B) side is much better with a mix of earnest hard rock and prog rock ambition. There's some faint mellotron as a backdrop. For whatever reason, I'm most reminded of Ethos here. Not a life changer, but worth tracking down.

Hard to tell where the group is from. Plenty of references to north central Illinois, Chicago, and St. Louis. They managed to finally get an album out in 1983, which looks to be an attempt at radio stardom. That which did not happen obviously.

Ownership: SP: 1978 Golden Eagle. Online acquisition (2021)

Looks like we ended up with the exact same copy as the original poster once had on Discogs! Ours has the signatures in the same place. It's too exact to be a coincidence.

5/3/21 (first listen); 12/11/21 (review / new entry)

The Dags - Watching the Clouds Roll By / She Cried. 196? USA-Chicago

This 45 is another complete unknown. It is presumed that this is the same band that also went by The Daggs (same label), and is sought after due to being anthologized many years ago. This is a fine psychedelic 45. The a) side is a trippy folk psych number, as the title suggests. Not as dreamy as The Manchester Bridge Band, but very pleasant all the same. The b) side is a cover of the old chestnut most associated with Jay and The Americans and The Lettermen. There's some mid-60s Beatles in their sound as well. The a) side is a slow grower, and makes it a keeper. I'd guess 1966 or 67 as a date.

Discogs says they're from Illinois. RYM says Texas. The seller I bought it from says Chicago. OK, two out of three wins - Chicago it is!

Ownership: SP: 19?? Decade. Online acquisition (2020) 

8/21/20 (first listen); 5/16/21 (review / new entry)

Keystones - I See the Face of a Lady / Here's My Heart. 1972 USA-Chicago

This obscure 45 from the Chicago area is mostly spacey pop psych with dreamy vocals. The a) side features harpsichord and organ over a drifty love song. The b) side opens with a fuzz chord that is repeated elsewhere, and has more of an organ presence. Similar song styles on each. Pity the guitarist never ripped off a solo, as the sound is delicious. Overall it sounds more like something from 1968 than '72, which might explain its total disappearance from the landscape.

Ownership: SP: 1972 Herbie. Online acquisition (2020).

5/18/20 (first listen); 3/7/21 (review / new entry)

Storm - Break it Down / Back Off. 1977 USA-Chicago

Now this is my kind of hard rock! One of the best of my SP purchases last year. Heavy guitars and crunchy Hammond on side a), with Moog synthesizer and screaming guitar solos on the flip. Vocalist is screaming on top throughout. Not even 6 minutes of material here, and I'm still completely satisfied. I want to hear much more from these guys - maybe they have more in a can somewhere. Interesting they are on the same obscure label as the also excellent Damrod I spoke about last year on this blog. I presume, because of this, they are from Chicago as well.

Ownership: SP: 1977 Ruby promo. Online acquisition (2020). 

7/4/20 (first listen); 3/7/21 (review / new entry)

The Raindear Army ‎- Subterranean Sunset / Aviator. 1967 USA-Illinois

The Raindear Army were a band from Springfield, Illinois who released only this one 45 (on Ledger Records of Peoria) before breaking up. 'Subterranean Sunset' is a beast, with fuzz chords right up front and haunting organ in the background. Great snotty vocals followed by the expected amped up guitar solo. Then the slayer here is the introduction of flute towards the end, something right out of the 1973 Italian prog playbook. This is my kind of freaky underground psych. This track was appropriately anthologized on the Illinois Psychedelic States release. The flip is a fast paced garage rocker with similar vocals, but with (way) toned down guitars, and what sounds like a kazoo (?!) solo. Not bad on the whole - but it's the a) side that's killer here.

Ownership: SP: 1967 Ledger. Another big surprise from the RT collection. 

12/20/20 (first listen / review / new entry)

The Slapp - Naughty Little Secrets / Paper Woman. 1981 USA-Chicago

The Slapp, of unknown origin (possibly the Chicago area), definitely have the sound of the early 80s. More of a straightforward, hard driving rock, that reminds me of Cheap Trick at times. The songwriting on both tracks is a cut above the usual, and could easily have been radio hits in their era. Best of all is each track features a raw hard rock guitar solo, more rooted in the mid 70s which recalls Ted Nugent or even Frank Marino at times. Excellent little pickup here.

Ownership: SP: 1981 Rock Candy. With picture sleeve. Online acquisition.

6/25/20 (first listen / review / new entry)

Damrod - Once Again / Twelve Hour Man. 1975 USA-Chicago

Damrod were one of those classic proggy hard rock bands we often find in the Midwest part of the USA, though very few ever made much of a splash in their era. Similar to early 70s Uriah Heep but mixed with a mid 70s progressive rock awareness. Great organ, fuzzed electric guitar leads, and synthesizer. One SP is their total output and both tracks are excellent. Would love to know more about these guys - and do they have more material? Presumed to be from Chicago since that's where the label is from.

Ownership: SP: 1975 Ruby. Apparently a stash of new copies had been discovered in the last few years. I just bought one of them. Seems to be going out of stock again.

6/25/20 (first listen /  review / new entry)