Tanned, rested and ready - Punk Rock Monday

For the first PRM of the new year, I opted to go with some Chicago-style power pop from Material Issue. This is one of those "had to be there in the moment" bands, I think. I first stumbled across on a Friday evening sojourn to the Flamingo Bar and Grill (one of the only all-age venues in Knoxville - and one where it was exceptionally easy to get beer) when I was a junior in high school. They were a staple of my pre-college years, but I kind of lost interest upon graduation when I felt that they were "too poppy." Which is a shame, because they wrote really great catchy tunes. Sadly, frontman Jim Ellison took his only life a few years ago. Also, there isn't a lot of live footage of them - they were an exceptional band to go see, especially in a club setting. So here's a few vids from the MTV and a live acoustic performance.

"Valerie Loves Me"


"Diane"


"Next Big Thing"