Eddie Helder ‎– I Caught You Walking In My Shoes / You Can’t Walk Away 45RPM

Mid-1970s, Madelia, Minnesota

About ten years previous, Eddie was singer-guitarist of Prince & The Paupers.

I Caught You Walking In My Shoes

You Can’t Walk Away

Rockefellers four-song cassette, 1996

I recently let Chris Dorn, Rockefellers’ main man, know that I consider him just about the best pop songwriter to ever come from this state (Chris is from Mankato). I was going to conjure up a list of the top five Minnesota pop songwriters (I love lists), but it hasn’t come to me yet (Dan Sarka would be in there). Perhaps later. There are some good ones, but it is obvious from this cassette that Chris is going the be the top player here. These songs ended up on a compilation CD called SymPOPphony #1: A Collection of American Power Pop, and The Rockefellers were themselves a pit-stop between Chris’ involvement in The Wellington Tempests and The Beatifics. But what a pit-stop, outstanding Minnesota Power Pop.

Thank you Chris Dorn for giving me the green light for posting these.

Just Like it Was Before

I Love You Better

All Your Former Boyfriends

She’s Never Wrong

Obscura five-song cassette, May 1997

Obscura have a very American Primitive sensibility; simple songs performed with so much personalty and character, the artistic sense just oozes from your speakers. Peggy Niederer and Michael Wayne hail from Mankato, Minnesota; they still get together to play music sometimes. I love Peggy’s offhanded-sounding vocals and Michael’s simple yet stunning guitar lines. Here are the songs from their 1997 tape, all hail Obscura!

Thanks to Peggy Niederer for allowing me to post these here for you to hear.

Falling Stars

Our Heart’s Garden

Drowning

Sailing Ships (and Saving Grace)

The Lover and The Loner