The Finders - Demos (1980)

They never were the pinnacle of the power pop heap, nor were they praised by the hipster cognoscenti of their era, but San Fran's Finders had the chops and songs to warrant a seat at the big boys table.  Of course, a discography limited to a couple of locally released singles in the pre-internet era didn't exactly behoove this foursome in regards to publicity and such.  Nonetheless, the last ten years have witnessed some bona fide canonizing of the Finders oeuvre, with a pair of retrospectives, including the Finders Keepers collection.  With a sound vaguely recalling early Plimsouls, and perhaps a gutsier Raspberries, they were off to a decent, if not particularly innovative start.  And you can experience that "start" for yourselves with this (presumably) band sanctioned set of four-track demos tracked in 1980.  Lo-fidelity is the watchword here, featuring an albums worth of raw, analog-soaked tunes including their signature piece "Calling Dr. Howard," as well as assertive keepers like "Don't Let It" and "Standin' in the Rain."

01. Don't Let It
02. Hold Tight
03. It All Worked Out
04. Summer Love
05. Let's Go Home Tonight
06. Think I'll Ask Her
07. You're So Rogue
08. Ain't No Use in Tryin'
09. Calling Dr. Howard
10. On and Off
11. I've Had It
12. Keep Your Hands Off Of My Baby
13. Which Way
14. Bad Food
15. Standin' in the Rain
16. It's So Insane
17. The Way It Goes

Hear