Roulettes - s/t

Name: Roulettes
Album: s/t
Year:1981
Style: Power Pop, New Wave
Similar Bands: Journey, Badfinger, Shoes
"One-Word" Review: Pure Power Pop
Based Out Of: LA, CA
Label: Takoma, Chrysalis

 Cover, Record

Back, Record

Roulettes (1981)

1. Only Heaven Knows 3:08
2. Hold Me 3:50
3. Baby Don't Go 3:08
4. Love is Like a Telescope 3:36
5. This Ain't the Way 3:10 /
6. Come On 3:06
7. Dynamite 2:43
8. Livin's Lovin' You 3:52
9. Turn Look Away 3:52
10. Dream About Me 3:18

Album Rating (1-10):8.0

Members & Other Bands:
Bart Bishop - Producer, Lead Vox, Vox Organ, Guitar, Autoharp (Providence, Surprise, Allan Clarke, DNA, Wackers, Laguna)
Denny Bruce - Producer
Jim Behrendt - Engineer, Mixing
Bill Hecklard - Engineer
Jim Lowry - Bass (Liquid Gang,  Boo Boo McAfee, Makani E, laguna)
Jeff Holman - Drums (Donna Summer, Disco Tex & Sex-O-Lettes, Laguna)
Tom McMeekan - Lead guitar, Back Vox (Mystics, Laguna)
Duane Hitchings - Keys (Buddy Miles Express, Cactus, Charmer, Steel, Thee Image, The Runaways, Rod Stewart, Bad Finger, Alice Cooper, Kim Carnes)
Chris Castle - Drums (Cousineau, Ross Holloway)
Tom Tompkins - Violin, Viola (Providence, Justin Hayward, Moody Blues)
John Van Hamersveld - Art Direction
Nic Rozsa - Photography

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band. The cover gives off a big Monkees vibe, but I imagine the music is much more late 70's style power than pop, taking the back photo into consideration.

Album Review: So this is some pure power pop, with a little new wave elements added, like a Farfisa keyboard added to "Telescope" and "Come On". Baby Don't Go is a poppy compact Powerpop gem, hitting all the template features of the genre: catchy guitar, soaring power solos, driving tempo, and harmonies in the chorus. Add in the topic of relationships/romance, and this could be Badfinger.

Stand Out Track: Baby Don't Go

Links:
Discogs
Providence Wiki (brief mention of the band)
Shotgun Solution
Bart Bishop Memorial Fund