by Chuck Eddy
Bram Tchaikovsky: Brit powerpop trio led by a bloke who used to be in muscular pub-rock band the Motors hit the U.S. Top 40 in the summer of '79 with an extremely catchy and audibly Springsteen-influenced song about an inflatable sex doll. Fun fact: not to be confused with the Records, or anybody classical. Highly recommended: "Girl of My Dreams"
Brewed By Noon: Combo led by Irish-American Brooklyn drummer Sean Noonan palatably mixes African and other worldly influences into semi-harmolodic modern jazz. Fun fact: sound sometimes falls somewhere in the general vicinity of certain Ronald Shannon Jackson and Art Ensemble of Chicago records. Recommended: Brewed By Noon
Brewer & Shipley: Quaintly mustachioed Ohio-and-Oklahoma-bred folk-rock duo hit the U.S. Top 40 in the winter of '71 with a jaunty number about smoking marijuana with Jesus. Fun fact: "Almost anyone who has ever considered him or herself a member of the counter-culture will remember those lines," wrote one P.K. Vollmuth. "Such an uptempo, gentle, happy song -- which stirred up such a controversy!" Recommended: One Toke Over the Line: Best Of
B Rich: Baltimore rapper came up with a sound in the early '00s that incorporated gumbofied New Orleans-style R&B rhythms more blatantly than any of those more famous New Orleans rappers do. Fun fact: samples the Meters, Grace Jones, Gwen McCrae and "Movin' on Up" (the theme from The Jeffersons). Recommended: 80 Dimes
Alicia Bridges: Sapphic North Carolina disco diva later had her butch blonde haircut stolen by Billy Idol and the title of her only hit stolen in the Cars' "Let's Go." Fun fact: seemingly hoping she'd cross over to Foreigner fans, Polydor put together a promo EP of her more guitar-oriented songs for rock stations in 1978, but AOR didn't bite. Recommended: "I Love the Nightlife," "Body Heat," "Diamond in the Rough"
The Briefs: Goofball Seattle powerpop punks opened the '00s antsily fabricating the Buzzcocks/999/Adverts sector of 1979-1980 all the way down to skinny ties and new wave shades, but got incrementally less hooky as time went on. Fun fact: have songs about Dolly Parton, Bob Seger and Gary Glitter. Recommended: Hit After Hit
Brian Briggs: Mixer, engineer and synth whiz at Todd Rundgren's Bearsville Studios merged post-rockabilly and proto-techno, plus a little Spaghetti Western reggae, in the early '80s. Fun fact: translated "Crosstown Traffic" into new wave. Recommended: Combat Zone
George Brigman: Long-haired Maryland wild-man guitar genius has been self-pressing crazed and powerful wasteland blooze-raunch in the robust Groundhogs tradition on a secluded shoestring budget since the middle '70s. Fun fact: plays slow stuff that will leave you breathless as well. Highly recommended: Jungle Rot
Britny Fox: Despite some of the dumbest lyrics in human history (see: "Save the Weak"), ridiculously tarted-up Pennsylvania glam-metal foursome made consistently rip-roaring music in the late '80s and beyond. Fun fact: Rob Sheffield once suggested they might be hiding Kajagoogoo in their hair. Recommended: Britny Fox, Bite Down Hard, The Best Of
- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2008 All Media Guide, LLC.
Thank you. This is a fantastic, inspiring mixed bag, snarkily but not cynically worded.
My wighat is off to you!