For those of you who like pure and melodic, power pop, I can recommend to
check out an album by a band called The 45s. Their album is one of the best
releases I have heard in a long time. Their sound is based on the Sixties
(Beatles, Who, Kinks), with flashes of contemporary artists like Owsley,
Phantom Planet and others.
The funny thing about this release is, that it isn't a 'real' release. In
fact, the band (from Austin, Texas) doesn't even exist anymore. The CD
contains 11 tracks that were supposed for an album release on Mercury, but
except for two singles, nothing else was released. One of the their members
(and main songwriter) Matt Hales went on to a solo career and released an
album as Aqualung at the end of last year.

Anyway, I can only recommend this album (and I know some of you on this list
will LOVE it), though it will be very hard to get. Fortunately, a
distribution company in Holland (Bertus) picked it up, so I was able to get
my copy, even though I still had to wait four weeks for it. But, according
to a web site from the UK dedicated to the now defunct band, the CD can be
ordered online.

Go here to find some info about the album:
http://www.the45s.co.uk/news.shtml

Or here to hear some samples:
http://www.the45s.co.uk/cgi-bin/imagefolio/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Downloads/M
P3s

Patrick Beckers

n.p. The 45s - s/t (it's so catchy, I keep on playing it...)