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)