BEATFOR110 - February Singles Weekender II

The mid 80's saw a renaissance of guitar music, which echoed throughout the world. Bands such as Rain Parade, Green On Red in the U.S.A. to The Hoodoo Gurus, and Scientist in Australia plus many more from all points in between. Sweden is one of this places where guitar pop music have been always top of the class.
Cod Lovers formed in late ‘88 in Norrköping, a seaport city of Sweden. After a few explosive gigs they soon gained the interest of their friend Ola Hermanson and his record label Ceilidh Productions. The single Best Friend was released, media coverage was soaring and the band played the Hultsfred festival in 1990. Two albums and the last single Kill The Time in 1991. Six years after their glorious beginnings at Yule-tide, they gallantly disbanded, after a final awesome show at a Christmas party.

Cod Lovers - Kill The Time [7" Celidh Productions 1991]

One of the great lost pop singles of the decade. One of the great lost band of the decade. The Chairs are a group to rediscover for all pop guitar aficionados. Formed in 1986 from the nucleus of Essex psychedelic feedback farmers The Gene Tryp, The Chairs began as a three piece before engaging the services of roadie Dave Read, whose organ stylings soon became central to the band's sound. They released a string of independently produced singles between 1987 and 1990, difficult to tell which was best. Factor in a Radio One session, Single Of The Week in the NME, and lavish praise from the likes of Steve Lamacq and Elvis Costello.
Paul Sullivan (singer, guitarist, composer) following making pop gems under the moniker The Liberty Takers. (Beatfor30).

The Chairs - Honey I Need A Girl Of A Different Stripe [7" Pink Halo Records 1988]

The Leatherwoods were a loose duo comprised of Kansas-to-Minneapolis transplants Todd Newman and Tim O'Reagan, with assistance from utility man "Pablo Louseorama" (aka Paul Westerberg, who co-wrote songs while contributing guitar, bass and keyboards).
Minneapolitan Todd Newman has made records for a variety of labels including Medium Cool, the Bus Stop Label, and Barber's Itch, sometimes using the Leatherwoods moniker, sometimes not, playing with such bands as Lions and Dog, The Swingin' Dicks, Rocky and the Bluelighters, Curtiss A, The Hayley Mills Brothers, The Beatifics, Grant Hart, Lori Wray, and The Hang Ups.
O'Reagan went on to play drums with Joe Henry and the Jayhawks, and piecing together a solo album.

Todd Newman & The Leatherwoods - To Win You Back [7' Reverb Jr 1988]

Seattle power-pop pioneer Jim Basnight led the Moberlys visibly in the late '70s and nearly out of sight for another decade, creating a body of work dripping with quality and excitement, garage rock meets pop sound. This was their second single after the high collected Live In The Sun released in 1977. Flipside is a outrage cover of The Sonics’ Cinderella.

Jim Basnight & The Moberlys - I Want To Be Yours [7" Precedent Records 1983]