Monday, May 31, 2010

Power-Popscurites: Popular Mechanix! - S/T (1979)


Power-Popscurites is a series meant to bring to light power-pop bands so unknown that they've even been missed by greater minds of the blogosphere.

Winnipeg's seventies punk/new wave community was small terms of size and impact. Alongside, The Fuse, Popular Mechanix! were one of the big fish in this frozen pond. The band, Stu Nichols - Vocals/Guitars, Boris Hoagy - Bass/Vocal and Greg Gardner - Drums/Vocals, borrowed from ska, punk, power-pop and the quirkier side of new wave to make music they called "snow wave". The band, who resided somewhere between The Diodes and The Pointed Sticks, musically and geographically, got to make two indie L.P.'s, both of which were, for many years, ubiquitous in Winnipeg .

You have to scrunch up your ears to imagine how much more a sympathetic producer could've done with this tight trio and their developing song-craft on their self-titled debut. The album is loaded with deftly-arranged tracks that wittily rail against Las Vegas toilets, Winnipeg winters, painter pants and Mazola Oil, all the while proving that it's "Fun To Be Dumb".




Popular Mechanix! - Ice Box City


Popular Mechanix! - Fun to be Dumb


(Thanks to Punk History Canada for all the images)

Self-Titled link is in the comments

Speaking of comments, Give us you evaluation of Popular Mechanix!

Posted by jeffen at 7:42 AM
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4 comments:

  1. jeffenMay 31, 2010 at 7:48 AM

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    HEY, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT POPULAR MECHANIX, PLEASE LEAVE US A COMMENT






    http://www.mediafire.com/?zoddydyyyoy

    ReplyDelete
  2. DougMay 31, 2010 at 11:31 AM

    Jeffen

    First thanks for The Cavedogs stuff.

    Gee, Popular Mechanix! have not crossed my wee mind for many years.Thanks.Will await second album.

    I have recently seen an LP(vinyl) of a 1978 El Mocambo show by The Diodes that was released in Italy.It is listed on the Bongo Beat site.

    And The Pointed Sticks have a new album.I think they will/are touring.

    Stuff by The Modernettes and The Pointed Sticks available via Sudden Death Records.

    Doug

    ReplyDelete
  3. jeffenJune 3, 2010 at 6:55 AM

    Doug
    Good links to some great Canadian punk band - we may get to the Diodes here yet...
    Thanks for the words.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousNovember 7, 2010 at 1:20 AM

    A nifty indie album. Though not half as good as the second one, Western World. Thanks for posting this little rough diamond.

    ReplyDelete

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