VA - 415 Music (1980, 415 Records)

Where do I begin with this one?  My first observation is that for a compilation this common, I'm surprised it hasn't been digitized elsewhere in the blogosphere.  At any rate, just about of all the songs here are of a brief era when AOR/power-pop/new wave could successfully intermingle with virtually no clear cut demarcations.  Yes, this is that 415 Records, the San Francisco imprint that would eventually hop into bed with CBS Records (i.e. Sony) and release full lengths by "serious" nationally known acts like Wire Train and Translator in the mid-80s.  I regard those two examples as "serious," in comparison to the considerably more lighthearted and occasionally frivolous roster showcased on 415 Music.  Several of the young hopefuls here would fit in like a glove on Hyped to Death's Teenline anthologies - Times 5, Jo Allen and the Shapes, and The Donuts all delivering peppy, melodious, and most importantly, substantive tunes that really warranted exposure beyond this disk.  The Offs, Mutants, and my favorites, SVT (whose "Heart of Stone" is a must hear) would record singles for 415 Records as well, some preceding the release of 415 Music.  Elsewhere, Sudden Fun offer a slice of Pezband/Romantics-esque slice of pop, The Symptoms vaguely mimic the Dickies template, while an undercurrent of minimalist synths informs The VIP's "She's a Put On."

01. The Readymades - 415 Music 
02. Times 5 - Is Your Radio-active?
03. The Mutants - Baby's No Good
04. 391 - Searching for a Thrill
05. Sudden Fun - (I Can't Wait For The) Weekend Show
06. The Donuts (feat. Lisa Bosch) - Johnny, Johnny
07. SVT - Always Come Back for More
08. The Symptoms - Simple Sabotage
09. The VIPs - She's a Put On
10. Jo Allen And The Shapes - Shimmy, Shimmy
11. The Offs - I've Got the Handle

Hear