V/A - Home Runs Vols. 1 & 2 (Songs That'll Take You All The Way) (2000/02, Sound Asleep)

The number of homegrown various artists collections compiling rare, turn-of-the-decade power pop and punk singles that seemingly materialize out of the blue never ceases to amaze or impress me, even in the event when I may not own physical copies of them. In previous years I've shared multiple volumes of well-curated series like Teen Line, Powerpearls, and Every One a Classic.  Home Runs (Songs That'll Take You All The Way) courtesy of  Sweden's Sound Asleep Records quietly cropped up in the early 2000's gathering up dozens of vintage of should-have been classic 45 sides from the late '70s to the mid '80s with a similar aesthetic to the aforementioned, and I've got volumes 1 & 2 on tap for tonight.

As much as I'd like to give insight to all of the 41 bands represented, a much more cursory synopsis will have to suffice.  For starters, there's not much overlap between the bands covered on Home Runs and Wilfully Obscure, though there are some relatively higher profile names that we've covered - Seattle denizens The Heats and Moberlys for starters, not to mention The Windbreakers are present, and I think I've namedropped the likes of Screen Test, Beat Rodeo and perhaps even the Incredible Casuals, but that's about the extent of it.  The rest of these names, generally speaking, are uncharted territory for the bulk of us...and as such are ripe for further picking and examination.  And what of this cavalcade of virtual unknowns you might ask?  The Shakers and Jimmy True are jangle-merchants of the highest order, New Jersey's Modulators are loosely on par with Shoes, and X-Dreams are a cheeky, rollicking blast.  Elsewhere, New York's Beatles-indebted Poppees appear with the melodious "If She Cries," Meantime proudly take a cue from Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, and the Hi-Fi's featured a young Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, prior to their more renown stint in the long-running Blue Rodeo.  By no means are these the only highlights, but I'm not about to give anything further away.  I will mention there's a third volume in the Home Runs series that I still need to get my hands on...and I think you know what that portends.  Cheers.

Volume 1 (2000)

01. Gary Private – Home Run

02. Barry Knoedl – Baby Don't Give Up

03. Windbreakers - I Never Thought

04. Rikki Rush - Donna

05. The Patriots - That Way

06. Young Fresh Fellows - How Much About Last Night Do You Remember

07. Pete Holly & The Looks – What Did I Say

08. Eric Collis - Someone Better

09. The Rooms - She Loves Me/She Loves Me Not

10. The Shakers - Til I'm Gone

11. David Hines - I Go to Pieces

12. The Impossible Years – She's No Fun

13. David Quinton – Does It Matter To You

14. Willie English - I Can't Have You

15. The Badbeats - Lies

16. Tom Wilson - Break Down Your Door

17. Dynette Set - Learn to Love

18. X-Dreams – Space Shuttle Stowaway

19. The Incredible Casuals – Money Won't Buy You Happiness

20. The Mercenaries - oh Sally

21. Tommy Rock - It's Later Than You Think

Hear

Volume 2 (2002)

01. The Dawgs- Shot of Your Love

02. The Poppees - Is She Cries

03. Modulators - She's So Cynical

04. Tom Stevens - Just One Night With You

05. The Heats - Nights With You

06. Beat Rodeo - Mimi

07. Moberlys - You Know I Know

08. The Rubinoos - Gorilla

09. Saucers - A Certain Kind of Shy

10. Jimmy Rue - Cheap Fun

11. The B-Girls - Fun at the Beach

12. The Toys - I'm Telling You Now

13. The News - Don't Talk to Me

14. Meantime - Two For One

15. The Shout - Sha-Day-la-Day

16. Hi-fi's - Look What You've Done

17. The Nads - You Don't Know Me

18. Screen Test - I Am Sincere

19. Buddy Love - I Just Wanna Hold You

20. The Right Profile - Underneath the Window

Hear