The Flashcubes may be the great lost power pop group of the 1970s. Formed in 1977 in the sleepy little city of Syracuse, NY, the Flashcubes combined their love for the timeless British Invasion rock'n' roll of the Beatles, the Kinks, the Hollies and the Who with the high-energy sounds of the punk rockers just starting to make a big noise around that same time. Throw in a healthy reverence for classic power pop acts like Big Star and the Raspberries--and a healthy irreverence for everything else--and you've got a fair picture of what made the Flashcubes shine so brightly.

The Flashcubes are guitarists Paul Armstrong and Arty Lenin, bassist Gary Frenay and drummer Tommy Allen. During their initial life span of 1977-1980, the Flashcubes released only two singles, "Christi Girl" and "Wait Til Next Week," on their own Northside Records label. They always seemed on the brink of bigger things--everyone who knew them just presumed the Flashcubes would become stars--but the big things never materialized. Paul was