John Felice & The Lowdowns

John Felice & The Lowdowns was a short-lived but memorable project led by American guitarist, singer and songwriter John Felice, a key figure in the Boston garage rock and power pop scene. After making his name with The Real Kids, Felice continued exploring the raw, hook-filled sound that had defined his earlier work, forming The Lowdowns during the late 1980s. The line-up brought together Billy Borgioli on bass, Martin Paul Rowland on guitar, Pete Taylor on drums, and Felice on vocals and guitar, creating a band that balanced tough, energetic rock with catchy melodies and a strong sense of classic songwriting.

 
Although the group never achieved widespread commercial recognition, John Felice & The Lowdowns built a solid reputation among fans of garage rock, power pop and punk-influenced rock. Their songs reflected Felice's lifelong admiration for British Invasion bands, American rock and roll and the raw spirit of the 1970s punk explosion, without sounding like a simple revival act. Tight performances and straightforward arrangements gave the music an immediacy that appealed to listeners looking for honest, guitar-driven rock. 

 
The band recorded only a small amount of material, making their releases sought after by collectors of independent rock from the era. Their recordings captured the chemistry between the four musicians and showed that Felice's songwriting remained as sharp as ever after his years with The Real Kids. Even with a relatively brief lifespan, the project stands as an interesting chapter in his long career, bridging the gap between his influential early work and his later solo recordings and collaborations.

 

Bruce Joyner

Bruce Joyner (August 9, 1952 – March 9, 2025) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter from Fitzgerald, Georgia, whose career followed its own path, far away from the mainstream but deeply respected by fans of garage rock, rockabilly and roots-driven rock. His music blended the raw spirit of 1950s rock and roll with the energy of punk and garage, creating a distinctive sound that never felt like a nostalgic exercise. Instead, Joyner gave those classic influences a fresh edge, backed by an unmistakable voice that carried years of determination and experience. 

His life was marked by extraordinary resilience. As a child he suffered a series of serious accidents, including an incident that permanently affected his vocal cords and a car crash during his teenage years that left him partially paralyzed. Those physical challenges stayed with him for the rest of his life, often requiring him to perform seated or with the help of a cane, but they never stopped him from writing, recording or taking the stage. In many ways, those experiences added even more character to his performances, giving his voice a weathered quality that perfectly suited the emotional weight of his songs.

 
After moving to Los Angeles in the late 1970s, Joyner formed The Unknowns, a band that quickly earned a reputation on the city's underground scene. Their mix of rockabilly, garage rock, surf instrumentals and punk attitude fit perfectly alongside the emerging roots-rock revival, and their recordings for labels such as Bomp! and Sire became cult favorites. Although commercial success remained limited, the band built a loyal following and gained lasting respect among collectors and fans of American underground rock. 

During the following decades Joyner continued making music under several names, including Bruce Joyner & The Plantations and Bruce Joyner & The Tinglers. Albums such as 'Way Down South', 'Swimming With Friends', 'Slave Of Emotion' and 'Beyond The Dark' showed that he wasn't interested in repeating himself. Southern roots, blues, folk, country and garage rock all found their place in his songwriting, which often reflected memories of growing up in Georgia and the changing landscape of the American South. 

Away from music, Joyner also worked as a teacher and was a black belt judo instructor, balancing his artistic career with a life devoted to education and other interests. He passed away on March 9, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia, at the age of 72. While he never became a household name, Bruce Joyner left behind a body of work that continues to be rediscovered by listeners who appreciate honest songwriting, gritty performances and artists who stayed true to their own vision regardless of trends. 

Eddie Ray Porter

Eddie Ray Porter (October 19, 1956 – April 15, 2009) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter whose records blended roots rock, country rock and atmospheric alternative rock with an introspective songwriting style. Although he never became a household name, he earned a loyal following among fans of the mid-1980s American underground scene, thanks to a pair of albums that combined memorable melodies with thoughtful, cinematic lyrics. 

 
Porter emerged in the mid-1980s with 'When The Morning Falls' (1986), a debut that caught the attention of critics for its mix of Americana, folk-influenced rock and moody guitar work. The album featured lead guitar contributions from Chuck Prophet, then a member of Green on Red, adding another layer of depth to Porter's already strong songwriting. Reviewers at the time praised the record for standing comfortably alongside the alternative roots-rock movement while maintaining its own identity through Porter's expressive vocals and reflective lyrics. 

 
He followed it with 'Dance On The Earth' in 1988, expanding his sound without losing the intimate feel that characterized his debut. The record continued to explore themes of loneliness, hope and redemption, wrapped in arrangements that balanced rock, folk and country influences. While commercial success remained elusive, the album was well received by critics and became another favorite among collectors of independent American rock from the era. 

 
Eddie Ray Porter recorded only a small body of work, including the later CD '3-Letter To Mary', but his music has remained appreciated by listeners who enjoy literate songwriting and roots-oriented rock that avoids easy clichés. His albums have become sought-after releases on vinyl, especially the original editions issued by Less Records in the United States and New Rose Records in France. 

 
Porter passed away on April 15, 2009, at the age of 52. His catalog may be modest, but it continues to reward anyone willing to dig beyond the better-known names of the 1980s Americana and alternative rock scene. His songs still sound heartfelt, unpretentious and timeless, reflecting the work of a songwriter who valued atmosphere and honest storytelling over commercial trends. 

 

Lolitas

The Lolitas came together in West Berlin in 1986, bringing together musicians from three different countries with a shared love of raw, guitar-driven rock. The band was founded by French vocalist and drummer Françoise Cactus, French guitarist Coco Neubauer, and Italian guitarist Michele Tutti Frutti. Inspired by the energy of American garage rock while proudly singing in French, they carved out a distinctive sound that stood apart from much of the German underground scene of the late 1980s. 

Originally formed as a trio, the lineup soon expanded when bassist Olga La Basse joined, giving the band a fuller and more powerful sound. Not long after, Michele Tutti Frutti left and was replaced by guitarist Tex Morton, the stage name of Peter Hajunga. With Françoise Cactus handling vocals and drums, Coco Neubauer and Tex Morton on guitars, and Olga La Basse on bass, the group settled into the lineup that would define their early years. 

The Lolitas mixed fuzzy garage riffs, straightforward rock 'n' roll and a touch of punk attitude, all delivered with French-language lyrics that gave them an unmistakable personality. Their cross-cultural background and stripped-down approach made them a memorable act within the European garage rock revival, proving that American-inspired rock could take on a fresh identity when filtered through the creative atmosphere of West Berlin. 

Carmaig De Forest

Decades before millennial hipsters embraced the ukulele as a cool item, Carmaig DeForest reclaimed the tiny four-string instrument to accompany his witty, punk-leaning songs about love and politics. DeForest was born on September 9, 1957. He developed a passion for rock & roll at a young age, but when he enrolled at the University of California in Santa Cruz in 1978, he studied theater with an eye toward becoming an actor and stage director. He shifted creative gears when he attended a workshop in directing led by Spalding Gray, who encouraged DeForest to create work that more closely reflected his own life. He started writing songs, and lacking another instrument, he used a ukulele he'd bought to decorate his dorm room to accompany himself. In 1980, DeForest joined a short-lived Santa Cruz punk band called Art & the Paganhearts, and in 1982 he relocated to Los Angeles, where he launched a career as a solo performer. DeForest's energetic performing style and clever songwriting helped him win a devoted audience in California, despite his unconventional choice of instrument, and he regularly shared bills with the Violent Femmes, They Might Be Giants, and the Ramones. (The Femmes were such big fans that bandleader Gordon Gano briefly moonlighted in DeForest's backing band.) DeForest's music caught the attention of A&R men at Bigtime Records, an indie label that had struck a distribution deal with BMG, and he signed with them to cut an album in 1986. Fellow Bigtime artist Alex Chilton came on board to produce and play guitar on DeForest's debut; however, Bigtime fell prey to financial difficulties, and went out of business before the album could be released. Undaunted, DeForest and Chilton headed back to the studio and re-cut the songs, which were released by the independent Good Foot Records label. The album, 'I Shall Be Released', was well reviewed and found favor at college radio, where adventurous programmers latched onto political numbers like "Judas" (about then-president Ronald Reagan) and "Crack's No Worse Than the Fascist Threat." However, Good Foot wasn't a well-funded label, and within a year, the imprint had gone under and 'I Shall Be Released' was out of print. The European New Rose label put out an EP, '6 Live Cuts', before 1987 was out, and DeForest remained busy as a live act, playing clubs and festivals across the country. He next began playing guitar and working with a rotating pool of musicians he dubbed DeathGrooveLoveParty (bassist Ned Doherty was the only other constant member). After several years of live performances, they made their recording debut with the 1992 single "George Bush Lies" b/w "Love Is Strong," and in 1993, they released a full-length album titled 'Death Groove Love Party'. 1997 saw DeForest once again picking up the uke for the LP 'El Camino Real', and in 2004, he released a revised version of "George Bush Lies" as a salvo against the re-election campaign of George W. Bush. DeForest issued his fourth solo album, 'Idiot Strings', in 2007, but largely retired from the music business after that, though he was involved in children's musical education programs in the Pacific Northwest. In 2017, DeForest's debut album was given a remastered and expanded release by Omnivore Recordings, which included unreleased live and studio performances; the new edition was titled 'I Shall Be Re-Released'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

 

Turbines

Turbines came together in Roxbury, Massachusetts, in 1983, bringing together a solid mix of bluesy rock, bar-band grit and straight-ahead guitar-driven energy. The original lineup featured John Hovorka on vocals and guitar, Jack Hickey on guitar, Fred Nazzaro on drums and Dave Shibler on bass. Their sound drew heavily from classic American rock and blues traditions, combining strong riffs with a raw, no-frills approach that fit comfortably alongside the roots-rock revival of the decade. 

 
The band's first big opportunity arrived when they signed with Big Time Records (America) Inc., an independent label that was building a reputation for working with rock and alternative acts during the mid-1980s. Expectations were promising, but things never developed as hoped, and after releasing their debut album the group parted ways with the label before they had the chance to establish a wider audience.

 
Rather than calling it a day, Turbines pressed on and found a new home with the French independent label New Rose Records, a company well known for championing garage rock, punk, roots rock and American underground artists. Their second and final album appeared through New Rose, giving the band one last opportunity to showcase their blues-infused rock to an international audience. Although their recording career was brief, Turbines left behind a pair of albums that captured the spirit of hard-working American rock bands of the 1980s, earning them a small but loyal following among collectors of overlooked roots-oriented rock. 

 

Lmnop

LMNOP is Stephen Fievet, an Atlanta native whose deceptively sweet vocal style and fondness for near-bubblegum melodies partially hides about the most twisted, perverse sense of humor in rock & roll history. Along with his musical activities, Fievet publishes the deliberately offensive comic "Babysue", designs handbill-sized posters (his "missing dog head" poster became a sensation in Internet circles in the mid-'90s, and although this bizarre deadpan joke about a poodle named Ling-Ling was eventually traced back to Fievet, it still travels the World Wide Web among people who believe it's real), and writes nakedly autobiographical, painfully intimate poetry and prose that may or may not be one giant deadpan joke. It's impossible to tell, and Fievet likes it that way. 

 
LMNOP first hit the pop underground with three self-released cassettes, 1982's 'LMNOP', 1984's 'LMNOP LMNOP', and 1985's 'LMNO3'. Fievet's most accessible work, these tapes are ultra-catchy pop with clever lyrics, hooks aplenty, and Fievet's most deceptively innocent vocals. Fievet re-recorded some tracks from these three tapes for his first two vinyl albums, 1986's 'Elemen Opee Elpee' and 1987's 'Pony', which sound like a cross between R. Stevie Moore and The Three O'Clock. 

 
LMNOP's darker and more "difficult" period started with 1989's 'Numbles'; on this album, the arrangements are a bit more stripped down and Fievet starts examining more unsettling emotions in his often depressed-sounding lyrics. 'Pony' and 'Numbles' were released by the French label New Rose, but when that label went under, Fievet returned to his cassette-only roots, releasing 1993's 'Mnemonic', which is basically "Numbles Part Two", and 1994's 'The Tiny Cupcake Dilemma', a retrospective disc containing 24 live solo acoustic performances of songs from all the preceding LMNOP releases. 

 
Fievet released two full-length CDs in the mid-'90s. 1995's 30-track 'Camera-Sized Life' is even more lyrically despairing than 'Numbles' or 'Mnemonic', and the songs are progressively more stripped down and fragile, often dispensing with drums and bass entirely. 1996's 'Pound' adds another ten songs -barely over a quarter of the 40 songs break the two-minute mark- and strips down the instrumentation even further, and the lyrical content has largely mutated from the depressive into the downright strange, with an increasingly hostile and alienated lyrical tone made even more disturbing by the fact that Fievet's singing style is as sweet and cuddly as ever. 

 
Since those two mammoth endeavors, Fievet has seemingly put LMNOP on hold, putting most of his time into his comic book and an online record review site. He has, however, embraced the home digital revolution by reissuing all of his early LP and cassette releases on CD-Rs, available through his website.  [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

 

Pianosaurus

A delightful curiosity during the serene '80s, Pianosaurus played juvenile pop songs on -what else?- rinky-dink pianos, plastic horns, and a full array of children's toys. Bandmates Alex Garvin, Bianca "Flystrip" Miller, and Steve Dansiger came together in New York State in the early '80s, and self-released their first two albums, both recorded live and issued in 1985. Two years later, Rounder Records released Pianosaurus' proper debut, 'Groovy Neighborhood', produced by Peter Holsapple (of The dB's) and featuring covers of Chuck Berry and John Lee Hooker. In 1988, the trio appeared in Francis Ford Coppola's "New York Stories", guesting on the soundtrack as well, and were ready to release their second album, 'Back to School', when Garvin left the band (apparently under mental strain). Tragically, the LP remains unissued. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

 

Reptiles At Dawn

Reptiles At Dawn were one of those bands that blurred geographical lines in the underground rock scene of the late 1980s. Although the group's members originally came from New Zealand, they relocated to Sydney, Australia, where they spent the early years of their career building a reputation on the local circuit. The move placed them in the middle of a vibrant independent music community and helped shape the band's identity during a period when alternative rock, garage sounds and post-punk influences were constantly intersecting. 

At the centre of the group were vocalist Tony Collins and guitarist Anthony Norman, both veterans of New Zealand's fiercely independent punk scene. Before forming Reptiles At Dawn, the pair had played together in The Henchmen, a band known for its rough-edged, Stooges-inspired sound and uncompromising attitude. Their musical partnership stretched back even further to Dum Dum Boys, whose 1981 album 'Let There Be Noise' is often recognised as one of the earliest full-length punk records to emerge from New Zealand. Collins' forceful vocal style and Norman's raw, Detroit-influenced guitar work became defining features throughout each stage of their musical journey. 

Operating under the name Reptiles At Dawn throughout the latter half of the 1980s, the band carved out its own place within the independent music landscape. Their background gave them a distinctive perspective, combining the spirit of the New Zealand underground with the opportunities offered by Sydney's thriving live scene. While they never became a household name, Reptiles At Dawn remain an interesting chapter in the trans-Tasman story of alternative music, representing a generation of musicians who followed their instincts and carried their sound wherever the next stage happened to be. 

Fortune Tellers

Fortune Tellers were one of those bands that gave the Oklahoma music scene its own distinct identity during the 1980s. Based in Oklahoma City, they built a reputation as a fierce live act, combining hard-driving rhythm and blues with garage rock energy and a deep love for the roots of American rock'n'roll. While plenty of bands of the period chased commercial trends, Fortune Tellers stayed committed to the sounds that inspired them, drawing from artists such as Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters and Link Wray. Their dedication earned them a loyal local following and eventually attracted the attention of the French label New Rose Records, which released the group's three albums during the second half of the decade. 

The classic line-up featured Basile Kolliopoulos on vocals and rhythm guitar, his younger brother Miho Kolliopoulos on lead and slide guitar, Mike Newberry on drums and Victor Goetz on bass. Basile and Miho had grown up in Greece before settling in Oklahoma, bringing with them a passion for American blues and rhythm and blues that had fascinated them since childhood. Basile's gritty vocal delivery and commanding stage presence were perfectly complemented by Miho's expressive guitar work, which could shift from sharp, concise leads to wild, wah-infused solos. Meanwhile, the rhythm section of Mike Newberry and Victor Goetz provided the powerful, danceable groove that became one of the band's trademarks. 

Between the mid and late 1980s, Fortune Tellers released three albums: 'Fortunes Told For Free', 'Musick Without Tears' and 'Lively Up!'. Although the records captured part of their appeal, those who saw the group on stage often described the live performances as the real experience. The band became a fixture of the Oklahoma City club circuit, sharing bills with touring acts and even backing legendary performers such as Bo Diddley on occasion. Their refusal to compromise stylistically may have limited their commercial reach, but it also helped establish them as one of Oklahoma's most respected underground rock acts. 

Even after their original run came to an end around 1990, the reputation of Fortune Tellers continued to grow among collectors and local music historians. Basile went on to lead The Reverb Brothers, while Miho, Victor and Mike remained active in various projects connected to the Oklahoma scene. Basile Kolliopoulos passed away in 2013, but the recordings and the stories surrounding the group have ensured that Fortune Tellers remain remembered as one of the most distinctive and beloved rock'n'roll bands to emerge from Oklahoma during the 1980s. Their legacy rests not on chart success, but on years of electrifying performances and an unwavering commitment to playing the music they loved.