2 Plus 2 - Two Girls / Stay Around Me. 1985 USA-Pennsylvania

Music is fairly dumbo hair metal. "Two girls for every guy" being the thought provoking chorus, sung over and over. Not too bad though. Decent riffing. Some crack research turned up bupkis. The label address is in Sellersville, which sits in between Allentown and Philadelphia.

Own. Online acquisition (2022)

12/18/22 (first listen / review); 1/1/25 (new entry)

Racket - It's Our Night / Cruisin' (Down Main Street). 1981 USA-Pittsburgh

An older sounding 45 than the date suggests, while there is synthesizer, there's also Hammond organ and phased guitar. A better than average hard rock, and it looks to be related in some way to Poobah (Peppermint Productions). Good stuff.

Recent evidence places this 45 from 1981 and the band is from Pittsburgh.

Own. Online acquisition (2022).

12/22/22 (first listen / review); 1/1/25 (new entry)

Sterling Cooke – Don't Need You Anymore / Tomorrow Never Knows. 1982 USA-Pennsylvania

From northeastern Pennsylvania. File Sterling Koch (real name) next to Uli Jon Roth as guys who had no intention of letting Hendrix's legacy become forgotten. A) side sounds like the first Electric Sun album, which gets you a gold star in my book. B) side obliterates the Beatles tune with more of that Hendrix goodness. Completely out of time coming around in the early 80s like this. Great two sider.

This would be the debut recording for Koch, and it looks like he went on to form The Sterling Cooke Force and released two albums* and one more single. He then recording under just the name Sterling Cooke and released two cassettes. Guessing they're shred, based on this 2009 RYM review comment from the same single above: "A few years later, Sterling would be aping Joe Satriani while playing in a hair-metal band with people half his age. Now he plays born-again blues on a lap steel, according to his MySpace page."

*- I since purchased both - the first is fantastic like this single, the second is hair metal and not so good.

4/1/24

The Innkeepers II - Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show / Cryin's Not My Style. USA-Pennsyvlania

Complete unknown here. If I owned this it would go straight into my Unknown Vinyl Records blog. Label is from northeast Pennsylvania. A) side is a cover of Neil Diamond. Though advertised as psych, this is gather 'round the campfire singalong-and-clap music. Other side isn't that much better, but has a better chord progression and no handclaps. 

I didn't get the label image and it isn't showing anywhere at the moment, including popsike.

2 / 2

1/23/24

The Cardboard Box - Come on Baby / Carol. 1969 USA-Pennsylvania

From Pottstown. A side starts off with a bit of distortion and moves into uptempo garage territory, with an almost funky beat. Good fuzz solo near the two minute mark. 'Carol' is a sleepy ballad. A side has been comped, so it's become sought after. 

1/23/24

Shira - Liar / Frank's Ant Farm. 1973 USA-Philadelphia

Shira are a somewhat unknown group out of Philadelphia who released two promo 45s and then disappeared. 'Liar' is a kick ass hard rock number with a little bit of a funk edge. 'Frank's Ant Farm' is a dual guitar proggy hard rock instrumental that oddly reminds me of Automatic Fine Tuning. Excellent two sider. 

It would appear their other 45 isn't worth bothering with.

Ownership: SP: 1973 Jamie promo. Recent online acquisition. 

4/19/21 (first listen); 6/6/21 (review / new entry)

Buffoon - Lisa / Greetings. 1974 USA-Pittsburgh

Another week, another unknown prog rock single. Buffoon were from Pittsburgh and this appears to be their only output. Nothing is known about them. They're a bit early for the classic Midwest prog sound, and it becomes obvious the UK prog bands of the early 70s are the primary influence. One can hear Tony Kaye era Yes as well. Great organ, psychedelic guitar, and rough-hewn vocals define these two great tracks. 'Lisa' is the better of the two songs, but 'Greetings' is great too (and you can hear it on YouTube).

Ownership: SP: 1974 Asterik. Online acquisition.

5/4/20 (first listen); 8/6/20 (review / new entry)