In 1979, legendary Seattle guitarist/producer Kurt Bloch formed The Fastbacks. They made bright, tight and explosive music that wasn't quite Punk, not quite Pop and totally distinct. When they disbanded in 2001 Bloch initiated a new band, Sgt. Major, recruiting Young Fresh Fellows band mate Jim Sangster and ex-Posie Mike Musburger. In 2007 the current incarnation took shape with Leslie Beattie (Cantona, Flatpack) on vocals. Their debut, The Idea Factory, contains Bloch's trademark wit, optimism and feisty schoolboy angst. The 13 songs are a sort of controlled explosion, the recipe for which: take a 1960's pop music machine and stuff it with The Who and some Ramonesy punk rock. This is the VINYL release of the CD solicited in August.