Happy Holidays!

Wow, it's been four months since I posted? Sorry about that.

Since it's Christmas I'm in a giving mood. I can't guarantee how often I'll be updating House of Hairspray in the future, but today I've uploaded three new albums and I'm setting to work on filling some of the many requests I've received over the past few months.

Needless to say, even if I'm not updating regularly, the links (more than 150 albums and counting!) will stay active, so enjoy!

Fletchanator
House of Hairspray blogger

Contraband - Contraband [1991]

Country: USA

Year: 1991

Line-up: Richard Black (vocals), Tracii Guns (guitar), Michael Schenker (guitar), Share Pedersen (bass), Bobby Blotzer (drums)

TRACK LISTING
1. All the Way from Memphis
2. Kiss by Kiss
3. Intimate Outrage
4. Bad for Each Other
5. Loud Guitars, Fast Cars and Wild, Wild Livin'
6. Good Rockin' Tonight
7. If This is Love
8. Stand
9. Tonight You're Mine
10. Hang On to Yourself

Requested by: Rex Rogers

Fletchanator's comment: Contraband were a bona fide hair metal supergroup, featuring members of Shark Island (Black), Ratt (Blotzer), Vixen (Pedersen), LA Guns (Guns) and MSG (Schenker). They put out just the one album, which followed an unplugged session featuring Ratt and Vixen, with Schenker as guest guitarist. Unfortunately the combined effort doesn't really live up to any of the bands the members came from, but that's not to say it's bad or anything. The kind of straight forward rock that resulted makes you think these guys just got together and jammed. There's a definite old fashioned rock 'n roll sound to it.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Bangalore Choir - On Target [1992]

Country: USA

Year: 1992

Line-up: David Reece (vocals), Curt Mitchell (guitar), John Kirk (guitar), Ian Mayo (bass), Jackie Ramos (drums)

TRACK LISTING
1. Angel in Black
2. Loaded Gun
3. If the Good Die Young
4. Doin the Dance
5. Hold On to You
6. All or Nothin'
7. Slippin' Away
8. She Can't Stop
9. Freight Train Rollin'
10. Just One Night

Fletchanator's comment: Bangalore Choir only ever put out one album, but unlike a lot of one-and-out bands, these guys weren't young strugglers who got one shot and didn't make it. In fact, Bangalore Choir was something of a minor league supergroup. Awesome singer David Reece had previously fronted Dare Force, guitarists Kirk and Mitchell were ex-Razormaid, and the rhythm section was ex-Hericane Alice (incidently, you'll find Dare Force, Razormaid and Hericane Alice all on this blog). Together they combined for one brilliant melodic hard rock album which is very remiscent of Whitesnake's hair metal era stuff (mostly due to Reece sounding quite similar to David Coverdale). It's a shame Bangalore Choir didn't continue for long. Reece went on to form Sircle of Silence, while Ramos and Mayo hooked up with Doug Aldrich (ex-Lion, now playing with Dio and Whitesnake) in Bad Moon Rising and then Burning Rain.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Cadillac Bratz - Fasten Your Seatbelts [1991]

Country: USA

Year: 1991

Line-up: Michael "Spaz" Seville (vocals), Wade Jackson (guitar), Chris Morriah (bass/keyboards), Joey Cotola (drums)

TRACK LISTING

1. PYBUM (Put Your Body Under Me)

2. Don't Be Afraid

3. Diamond Disease

4. Hurt So Long

5. Over EZs

6. Down Dirty Detroit

7. Save It

8. Drivin'

Fletchanator's comment: Here we have another one-and-out band who showed plenty of promise but didn't get any breaks in the industry. Miami's Cadillac Bratz play a straight forward brand of radio friendly party rock, sounding like a mix of Europe, Danger Danger and Trixter. Nothing really standout, but good honest melodic hard rock.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Radio Active Cats - Radio Active Cats [1991]

Country: USA

Year: 1991

Line-up: Shel Graves (vocals), Ian Espinoza (guitar), Ron Maldonado (bass), Michael Graves (drums)

TRACK LISTING

1. Shotgun Shack

2. Hold On Tight

3. Bed of Roses

4. Finger in the Pie

5. Standin in the Rain

6. Love Razor

7. Cry on my Shoulder

8. Think About Love

9. Cheap Mascara

10. Knock Knock

11. Wet Hot Sweat

Requested by: Khairul

Fletchanator's comment: Another one-album band, Radio Active Cats have an interesting sound, mixing a country twang and a hint of blues into hard rock with a fair share of sleazy lyrics. If you don't mind a bit of country with your rock, you might dig this.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Under Fire - Under Fire [2001]

Country: USA

Year: 2001

Line-up: Moki Demarco (vocals), Cary Sharaf (guitar), Greg Wise (bass), Jim Waldo (keyboards), Steve Schwartz (drums)

TRACK LISTING

1. No More Heartaches

2. Crazy for Love

3. Heart in Pain

4. Rolling Down That Road

5. Love You One More Time

6. Hold Out

7. Burning Desire

8. Crossfire

9. Always on the Run

10. When You Feel Lonely

Requested by: Bidyut

Fletchanator's comment: This album, the sole recording by AOR band Under Fire, was recorded in 1988 and released many years later, as seems to be the craze these days (small labels finding obscure hard rock from 10-15 years ago and releasing it now). Featuring the keyboard work of Jim Waldo (from late 70s AOR band New England), Under Fire reminds me of some of Foreigner's 1980s stuff. One for the AOR/keyboard fans out there.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Badlands - Badlands [1989]

Country: USA

Year: 1989

Line-up: Ray Gillen (vocals), Jake E Lee (guitar), Greg Chaisson (bass), Eric Singer (drums)

TRACK LISTING

1. High Wire

2. Dreams in the Dark

3. Jade's Song

4. Winter's Call

5. Dancing on the Edge

6. Streets Cry Freedom

7. Hard River

8. Rumblin' Train

9. Devil's Stomp

10. Seasons

11. Ball and Chain

Fletchanator's comment: Badlands were something of a supergroup, featuring future and past members of KISS (Singer), Black Sabbath (Gillen) and Ozzy Osbourne's band (Lee). Don't expect anything sounding like those bands though. On this, their first album, Badlands kick ass with a slice of blues-influenced hard rock, very reminiscent of Led Zeppelin with a hard rock twist. Sadly Gillen died in 1993 - he had a great voice. Jake E Lee is a fantastic guitarist, and Singer's solid on the skins. If you don't already have this one, trust me, you need it!

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Babylon AD - Babylon AD [1989]

Country: USA

Year: 1989

Line-up: Derek Davis (vocals), Ron Freschi (guitar), Danny DeLaRosa (guitar), Robb Reid (bass), Jamey Pacheco (drums)

TRACK LISTING

1. Bang Go the Bells

2. Hammer Swings Down

3. Caught in the Crossfire

4. Desperate

5. The Kid Goes Wild

6. Shot O' Love

7. Maryanne

8. Back in Babylon

9. Sweet Temptation

10. Sally Danced

Fletchanator's comment: Oakland, California's Babylon AD were another hair metal band that never got the recognition they deserved. This is their impressive debut, with some great rocking tunes (Bang Go the Bells, Hammer Swings Down, Shot O' Love) and an above-average ballad (Desperate). Derek Davis had one of those great gravelly voices, at times reminding me of Jeff Keith from Tesla. 

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Blue Tears - Blue Tears [1990]

Country: USA

Year: 1990

Line-up: Gregg Fulkerson (vocals), Bryan Hall (guitar), Mike Spears (bass), Charlie Lauderdale (drums)

TRACK LISTING

1. Rockin With the Radio

2. Crush

3. Blue Tears

4. Take This Heart

5. Halfway to Heaven

6. Innocent Kiss

7. Racing With The Moon

8. Kiss Me Goodbye

9. True Romance

10. Thunder in the Night

Requested by: Brent

Fletchanator's comment: Ah yes, Blue Tears. They definitely put out the best Bon Jovi albums that Bon Jovi didn't put out themselves. The singer doesn't just sound like JBJ, he sings in JBJ's style too. Heck, most of the songs are structured the same as Bon Jovi songs. If you can look past the obvious lack of originality though, Blue Tears are a great listen. 

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Vice - Made for Pleasure [1988]

Country: Germany

Year: 1988

Line-up: Jan Ghiantinic (vocals), Christian Limburg (guitar), Jorg Hargeschmier (guitar), Peter Juhve (bass), Fritz Randow (drums)

TRACK LISTING

1. Feel My Body

2. Last Day of War

3. Red Light Night

4. Trouble in Paradise

5. Bad Girl

6. Made for Pleasure

7. Running

8. Rocking All Over The World

9. Hot Summer Night Party

10. Boys Got The Fever

11. Sally

Requested by: Patrick S

Fletchanator's comment: Okay, the album cover is... lame. No doubt. But this album, the debut effort by German melodic rockers Vice is pretty good party rock. Catchy, full of gang vocals - you'll think these guys are from sunny California rather than Germany.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Envy - Ain't It A Sin [1987]

Country: USA

Year: 1987

Line-up: Rhonni Stile (vocals), Gina Stile (guitar, vocals), Bill Spencer (bass), Danny Kapps (drums), Alan St John (keyboards)

TRACK LISTING

1. Ain't It a Sin

2. I Believe In You

3. Heartache

4. Lie Here Waiting

5. Wait on You

6. You're So Hot

7. All the Reasons

8. I See the Light

9. I'm Not Your Lover

10. Hurt Me

Fletchanator's comment: Envy was a hard rock band with a female lead singer which put out only one album. Upon listening, my first comparisons were Vixen and Heart, ironic  because I subsequently found out that guitarist Gina Stile joined Vixen in 1997 and in 2002 joined a Heart tribute band. If you like Vixen and Heart, you'll enjoy this.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Catalyst - Paradise [1990]

Country: USA

Year: 1990

Line-up: Unknown

TRACK LISTING

1. Crackdown/Breakdown

2. Dropout Loser

3. I Wanna Live

4. Break My Heart Again

5. You Can't Please Everybody

6. Time

7. Fire in Her Eyes

8. Shelter of your Heart

9. Hold on to your Love

10. Paradise

11. Burning in the Fire

12. Trash Before you Crash

Fletchanator's comment: This is one of those rare occasions when I actually don't know much about the band. I got this album off the internet and can't even find a listing for the band members. All I know is this is Catalyst's only album. It's melodic hard rock, bordering on AOR for some songs, rockier on others. Nothing great, but listenable.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

YLD - Fools in Paradise

Country: France

Year: 1989

Line-up: Kevin Mellenbruch (vocals), James Bengson (guitar), Sam Lee (bass), Brian Eads (drums)

TRACK LISTING

1. Wild Girls

2. Good Times Bad Times

3. I Need

4. Simple But True

5. The Distance

6. Music Music

7. So Cute

8. Wounded in Action

9. Writing in the Sand

10. Let It Go

Fletchanator's comment: This is the one and only album released by French four-piece YLD. It's straight-forward hard rock with a good beat and average vocals (probably the weakest part of their effort, IMO). Still, how many French hair metal bands do you know of?

Download (NEW LINK JULY 2016)

Sweet Savage - Archives [2003]

Country: USA

Year: 2003

Line-up: Joey C Jones (vocals), Chris Sheridan (guitar), Laine Sheridan (bass), Randy St John (drums)

TRACK LISTING

1. On the Rocks

2. Do Ya

3. Fox on the Run

4. Head over Heels

5. Breakaway

6. Summer Song

7. Desert Rose

8. Love You Hate You

9. Cut it Out

10. Deja Vu

11. Picture Yourself

12. Prisoner of Paradise

13. Crank It Up

Fletchanator's comment: Archives is the belated CD release of material produced between 1984 and 1989 by one of Hollywood hair metal's best bands you've probably never heard of. In the mid-80s, Sweet Savage were big on the Sunset Strip scene, particularly in Europe, but sadly they split in 89, just when it seemed they were on the verge of breaking out. The lead singer sounds like early Vince Neil and the sound is pure Hollywood glam. The first five songs are studio cuts, the rest are live bootlegs, but it's all good stuff and a must have for serious hair metal fans.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Wicked Lester - The Original Wicked Lester Session [1972]

Country: USA

Year: 1972

Line-up: Stanley Eisen (vocals), Steve Coronel (guitar), Gene Klein (bass), Tony Zerella (drums), Brooke Ostlander (keyboards)

TRACK LISTING

1. What Happens in the Darkness

2. She

3. Sweet Ophelia

4. When the Bell Rings

5. Simple Type

6. Love Her All I Can

7. Keep Me Waiting

8. We Want To (Shout It Out Loud)

9. Long, Long Road

Fletchanator's comment: Yesterday I uploaded a taste of Pantera before they were big, and now it's KISS before they were KISS. Well, half of the original KISS anyway, and the guys who've kept the band going all these years. Stanley Eisen became Paul Stanley, and Gene Klein became Gene Simmons. This is a bootleg, not an official album, since none was ever released by Wicked Lester. The sound is raw and even more simplistic than the subsequent KISS material, but is a must have for any fans of the make up-wearing glam legends.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Pantera - Metal Magic [1983]

Country: USA

Year: 1983

Line-up: Tony Lee Glaze (vocals), Darrell Abbott (guitar), Rex Brown (bass), Vinnie Paul (drums)

TRACK LISTING

1. Ride My Rocket

2. I'll Be Alright

3. Tell Me If You Want It

4. Latest Lover

5. Biggest Part Of Me

6. Metal Magic

7. Widowmaker

8. Nothin' On (But The Radio)

9. Sad Lover

10. Rock Out!

Fletchanator's comment: Before they were one of the biggest groove metal bands of the 1990s, Pantera were an unknown glam band from Texas. This is their small-time debut, with second vocalist Glaze, who would give way to Phil Anselmo when the band changed to a more heavy sound. It's almost hard to believe this is Pantera, but Darrell "Dime Bag" Abbott (RIP) is at his blistering best, shredding up the fret board. You can hear various influences, including Van Halen and KISS, and there's a hint of NWOBHM in there as well. Definitely check this one out!

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Joker - Joker [1990]

Country: USA

Year: 1990

Line-up: Tony Ingala (vocals), Nick Sikich (guitar), Joe Miro (guitar / keyboards), Brian Smolar (bass), Mike Stone (drums)

Track Listing:
1. I Want Love
2. Say Yeah
3. Lorraine
4. Party For Your Life
5. Somewhere In Time
6. She Wants Vengeance
7. Pledge An Allegiance
8. Remember
9. Change
10. Hey Salesman

Request of: Mike

Fletchanator's comment: There's nothing unique about Joker, but the first of two albums they put in the early 90s (followed up by 1992's Cool Deal) is a good effort. The sound is tight party rock, with a vocalist who reminds me of TNT's Tony Harnell. There's some rough edges around the singing, but the guitars are very good. Definitely worth checking out.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Dirty Looks - Gasoline [2007]

Country: USA

Year: 2007

Line-up: Henrik Ostergaard (vocals/guitar), Paul Lidel (guitar), Trevor Huster (bass), Bruce Rivers (drums)

Track List: 1. Doesn't Count The Juice
2. 2nd Chance (Didn't Take It)
3. See You In The Morning
4. Through Your Eyes
5. If The World Stopped Spinning
6. Over Me
7. Stick Around
8. "I Am That I Am"
9. Everythings Gonna Be Alright
10. New White Naked
11. Trick Of The Moon

Fletchanator's comment: I don't usually upload such recent albums, but I was so pumped about Dirty Looks putting out a new album last year, I thought I'd share it. After an absence of 9 years, Henrik and the boys returned with a classic slice of West Coast sleaze rock. While Gasoline doesn't quite measure up to the classics Cool from the Wire and Turn of the Screw, it's a great album. These boys haven't lost anything over the years, and most importantly haven't compromised their sound. The best song is "If the World Stopped Spinning", which is classic Dirty Looks and wouldn't have been out of place on Cool from the Wire. Recommended.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Xcursion - Xcursion EP [1983]

Country: USA

Year: 1983

Line-up: Mark Slaughter (vocals/guitar), Al "Rex" Rumley (bass), Anthony White (drums)

Track Listing:
1. Mouthful of Steel
2. Love is Blind
3. Can't Take It
4. Skull Queen

Fletchanator's comment: Okay, this isn't hair metal or hard rock. It's NWOBHM, kind of like a cross between Iron Maiden and Odin. What does make it worthy of this blog is the fact that it featured a young Mark Slaughter in his first band, prior to Vinnie Vincent Invasion and Slaughter. It's a worthy addition to any hair metal collection for that reason.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Shooting Gallery - Shooting Gallery [1992]

Country: Finland/UK

Year: 1992

Line-up: Billy G. Bang (vocals), Andy McCoy (guitar), Dave Tregunna (bass), Paul Garisto (drums)

Track Listing:
1. Restless
2. Teenage Breakdown
3. Nature Of My Business
4. Don't Never Leave Me
5. House Of Ecstacy
6. Little Bit Of Magic
7. I Mess Around
8. Striptease
9. Brown Eyed Girl
10. Devil Calling
11. Leave Me Alone
12. Dandelion

Fletchanator's comment: I've been looking for this album on CD for a few years, and would you believe I found it in the discount bin at a music store? This is the only album by Shooting Gallery, a band most noted because it featured former Hanoi Rocks guitarist Andy McCoy (you'll find Hanoi Rocks' Two Steps from the Move on this blog). It also features former Kill City Dragons singer Billy G Bang (their only album is also on this blog). Unfortunately this doesn't live up to the greatness of Hanoi Rocks, in fact it's not even better than Kill City Dragons. It's sleazy hard rock like those two bands, but doesn't reach the heights of either. Still, it's pretty good and definitely worth adding to your collection if you don't already have it.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Frozen Ghost - Frozen Ghost [1987]

Country: Canada

Year: 1987

Line-up: Arnold Lanni (vocals/guitar/keyboards), Derry Grehan (guitar), Wolf Hassel (bass), John Bouvette (drums)

Track Listing
1. Should I See
2. Promises
3. Beware The Masque
4. Yum Bai Ya
5. Love Like Fire
6. End Of The Line
7. Time Is The Answer
8. Love Without Lies
9. Soldiers Cry
10. Truth In Lies

Fletchanator's comment: Debut from Canadian AOR act Frozen Ghost, formed by former Sheriff members Lanni and Hassel, along with former Honeymoon Suite guitarist Grehan. If you like radio-friendly rock in the vein of Icehouse, Richard Marx and Sheriff, you'll enjoy this.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)