The Shazam kicks

I've been so busy that I've let slide listening to a bunch of tunes from The Shazam that I bought way back in August.

Back in July, Bruce Brodeen at Not Lame Records (if you love music, follow his Tweets) tossed together a nice $22 deal: the new Shazam CD "Meteor" + a "Best of The Shazam" CD-R + "Here's To All The Misfits ...,"
an EP of unreleased rarities. Even in these days of cut-price music, that's a great deal.

I got right on the new disc, "Meteor," which is something of a comeback after six years off. It's excellent power pop that can stand on its own. But it's the two discs that Bruce threw in to good customers that are primo. Sadly, it's taken me two months to really immerse myself it these songs. The best-of is just that -- top to bottom excellence. The EP gives you a glimpse at the influences behind their sound (stuff like The Move and The Who").

If you're a fan of bands like Cheap Trick, Badfinger and Material Issue, you'll love The Shazam. This is music that sounds great loud, particularly in a car racing down the highway with the windows down.

You can sample the sounds at the band's MySpace page or buy them directly from the band's site or from NotLame (unfortunately the bonus discs were only for those who pre-ordered). The good thing about ordering from NotLame is that you never know when Bruce is going to toss something extra in your order just for the hell of it (he once sent me a CD-R of obscure Swedish power pop that's amazingly good). That serendipity is why NotLame has been able to build a business around power pop, a pretty narrow musical niche.