The Young Pennsylvanians - The Incredible Sound Of.... The Young Pennsylvanians (Majestic Sound Records 2001)

The Young Pennsylvanians are from Kobe, Japan and were formed in Summer 1998. They are playing real teen punk!!!… or better “100% Pure Pittsburgh Beat” as they state on their website www.mindrocker.net. They have a lot of influences, too many to mention here. They are still active, especially live, but no further recordings have been made since 2009. 

 

The band consists of:
Mammy Burgher: Bass Guitar
Kazuyo Burgher: Drums, Vocals
SY-Number1: Lead Guitar, Reverb & Fuzz
SY-Number2: Rhythm Guitar, Vocals

 

 

Here’s a review from Ritchie Apple who runs the outstanding label “Screaming Apple Records”, published in the German OX-fanzine. Nothing else found.  Source

Japanische 6t´s Jünger zelebrieren ihre Liebe für klassischen Beat und Garage-Punk bis ins letzte Detail.Da hat NEATBEATS-Chef und Majestic Sound Records-Inhaber Mr. Pan mal wieder ein gutes Händchen bewiesen, denn die YOUNG PA´S verstehen ihr Handwerk.
Ein langjähriges, intensives Studium der schönen (Garagen)-Künste zahlt sich eben aus. Bin immer wieder erstaunt, wie spielstark Bands aus Japan sind. Die Vier rocken sich durch den prächtigen Euro-Beat-Garten der Mitt-Sechziger und verstehen sich obendrein auch noch vortrefflich auf die Entsendung einer Teen-Punk-Hymne nach der anderen.
Da haben es wahrscheinlich selbst die "No Hit Wonders" besagter Dekade schwer gehabt authentischer zu klingen. Allerdings scheinen sie doch ein wenig Angst vor der eigenen Courage zu haben, denn sie verzichten fast durchgehend auf eigenes Material und bauen ganz auf die Klasse obskurer Coverversionen.
Eigentlich schade. Ändert aber nichts an der Tatsache, das "the incredible sound of..." vielleicht nicht unbedingt "incredible", aber in jedem Fall ´ne klasse Platte ist, die sicherlich zu den besten neuen Garagen Alben gehört, die ich in letzter Zeit gehört habe.
Wer also eine Vorliebe für "Pebbles" und "Back From The Grave" Compilations und Bands wie die frühen CHESTERFIELD KINGS oder THANES hat, wird um diese Scheibe nicht umhin kommen. Feines Teil.

The Young Pennsylvanians - The Incredible Sound Of.... The Young Pennsylvanians (Majestic Sound Records 2001) FLAC    320

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The Graves - Amazing Graves (Big Dipper Records 2002)

Amazing Neo-60’s Garage Punk from Norway. This release also contains the tracks of their only 7inch Single "I Wanna Do It Again b/w I’ve Been Thinking".

Here is a new band from Norway with their debut 45 on Big Dipper Records, a label that released the debut LP by The Launderettes too. The Graves are a fresh garage punk band and this 45 shows that these four guys and one girl know how to do it. The first side begins with a guitar riff that reminds me of “Bad Little Woman” and whole bunch of garage songs (that doesn’t mean that isn’t this nice, ok?). The whole song is based on that riff and the result is a real success! “I’ve Been Thinkin” is a cover of Paul Bearer & The Hearsemen tune and is a great punker with swirling farfisa in front. The songs of that 45 may already have been released by Big Dipper on CD format too, so if you don’t have a turntable at home (I bet you do!) you can also enjoy the Graves tunes on CD. If you dig the 80s Scandinavian garage punk scene, don’t miss this one!    8 out of 10    -Source

This was the 1^st release by The Graves, a hot garage punk outfit from the cold Norway. There are 5 songs in here from which ‘I Wanna Do It Again’ and ‘I’ve Been Thinking’ were released as their debut 45 last year. “Daytime Lover” which opens this mini-album is a wonderful garage pop tune with strong refrain, female harmonies and catchy guitar. “Friday At The Hideout” and “The Graves Theme” is in the best Lust-O-Rama and Cosmic Dropouts tradition. As for the other two songs that I mentioned in the beginning you can go to previous review to read about.    -Source

The Graves - Amazing Graves (Big Dipper Records 2002) FLAC    320

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The Indikation - In Terms Of... (Teen Sound Records ‎2004)

Ever since their first single on the French Larsen label, there was something in the air “indikating” that something’s about to hit the moderndaze sixties scene.

Over the past year or so, they kept us curious, breaking the uncertainty with two more shiny little vinyl’s (another one on Larsen and one on the German Screaming Apple label) and now here’s the full-length experience, THE colourful beat stomp, in terms of The Indikation!.

The opening tune Search Your Heart is “indikative” enough of the mid-to-end ‘60s mod aesthetics they are trying to preserve, through the sound and the looks.

Of course, the Zombie-like “intelligent” r’n’beat is unavoidable and it materializes in the shape of Looking At You, adding some McGuinn-ish 12-string flourishes and By My Side, with an almost gospel a-cappella ending, while the catchy melody of Got To Tell Them turns them into Go(u)ld-men.

As always, The Indikation also provide a coupla cleverly chosen covers, making them their own (…like The Zombies’ What More Can I Do, Chad & Jeremy’s Should I, the Donovan-written You Just Gotta Know My Mind originally done by Karen Veros in ’65 and Dana Gillespie in ’68 or The Times’ (She Can’t Replace) The Love We Knew).

Though I’m not much of an instro guy, even London Electricity, which is actually a semi-instro, is a sure crowd mover containing lines such as “If you need some satisfaction, Indikation’s got the action!”.

Of course, for the sake of authencity, Liam Watson’s Toe Rag studio is the place that makes all of this really happening!    -Garwood Pickjon

The long awaited debut album by The Indikation is finally out! The Indikation have been around for at least 2 years since they put out their first 45 on Larsen Records. They did create a very good reputation with their following 2 45s on Screaming Apple and Larsen Records and normally the album followed. The result is brilliant. This album is wonderful, full of freakbeat, pop and RnB music recorded in Toe Rag studios in London by whom else but Liam Watson himself. Mr. Watson is again responsible for a high quality sound record though it isn’t the high standards of sound that makes this album perfect. It’s mostly the ability of each one Indikation members starting from Per Oydir (organ/piano), whose compositions in here stand above the rest: Songs like ‘Looking At You’ (composed in collaboration with Frode Skjold, guitar/vocals), ‘London Electricity’ (with Thomas Jamt Roaas – drums), ‘Go To Tell Them’ and ‘By My Side’ are simply remarkable. The same ability in compositions is not a charisma only for Per but for the other members of the band like Peder Bernhardt (vocals/harmonica/percussion) who is responsible along with Thomas for the album opening freakbeat/pop song titled ‘Search your Heart’ and the up tempo beatlesque beat titled ‘I Can End Your Misery’, which is one of the best moments of the album, for its tempo, harmonies and organ groove. I don’t have to be unrighteous with the bass player, Christian Brodsjo, who may not have any of his own compositions in here but it’s more than obvious that its his ability along with Thomas that offers The Indikation this tight and strong rhythm beat. The album includes overall 12 songs from which the half of them is covers and it’s going to be out in vinyl too in March (why not the Acid Lemon album too, Massimo?). ‘In Terms Of…’ is the best beat album since The Embrooks ‘Our New Day’ on Voxx Records! You can listen it to it at 6.00 AM either you just woke up or you are on your way home after hangin’ out! POP in terms of The Indikation, that is, of course! If you need some satisfaction, The Indikation got the action!!!    -Source 

The Indikation - In Terms Of... (Teen Sound Records ‎2004) FLAC   320

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Kek '66 - Kek '66 (Animal Records 1999)

Biography: (Translation by Google)

Continued on the Amsterdam neo-sixties group The Kliek, who in 1990 steals the hearts of many beat-lovers with their self-titled debut album in both the Netherlands and far beyond. Reference points for the music of Kek 66 are American garage punk from the years 1964-1967 and the Nederbeat of Q 65 and Golden Earrings from the mid-sixties.

1996  When the Amsterdam-based neo-sixties band The Kliek made a definitive end of it in 1995, singer Robert Müter decides to start his own band that goes further where The Kliek is held up. Together with drummer Stefan Sleutel, who has been part of The Kliek and bassist and second vocalist Marc de Regt in a gray past, they join forces and Kek '66 is a fact. The first single Na Na Na / Angela / You Treated Me Bad appears on the Spanish Guerssen label. Na Na Na is an adaptation of a Shoes classic, while Angela is a Spanish-speaking song. The single appears on a Spanish label, because there is hardly any interest in neo-sixties music in the Netherlands and Kek '66 already has a tour through Spain.

1997  Kek '66 leaves for Spain for the second time. During a Psychedelic Party at the Vrieshuis in Amsterdam, drummer Stefan Sleutel says goodbye to the band. Just like at the time at The Kliek, Stefan makes room for the Russian Zenja Guberman. In the sixties underground world Kek 66, now without apostrophe, starts to become a well-known name, without there being any great name recognition in the Netherlands.

1998  The second single How Many Times? / Land Of Dreams appears on the French Larsen label. In addition, the final hand is put on the debut album.

1999  In the "Paradiso" the first album, simply Kek 66 entitled, is being christened. The press unanimously praises the album that is released on vinyl by the Utrecht Pornogram Records. The music of Kek 66 goes back to the heyday of American psychedelic garage bands like 13th Floor Elevators and Electric Prunes and the Nederbeat of Q 65 and Golden Earrings.

2000  Kek '66 The CD version of the first album (with a bonus number on it) appears, partly inspired by an aversion to the Dutch music industry, with the Spanish Animal Records. The group undertakes a tour through Russia (where drummer Zenja was born), Germany and Spain. In the Netherlands, despite the good reviews, it remains difficult for Kek 66 to get underfoot.

2002  In the spring the second album On The Outside Looking In is released, both on CD and on vinyl. On the record Phantom Frank (former Treble Spankers) provides a special arrangement of the song Sandra.

Kek '66 - Kek '66 (Animal Records 1999) FLAC   320

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