Artist: The Optic Nerve
Title: Collection
Year Of Release: 1994-2022
Country: US
Genre:   Alternative/Indie Rock, Garage Rock Revival
Quality: FLAC | lossless
Cover: Front

Garage rock band from New York City, NY formed in 1985 by leader Bobby Belfiore along with Elan and Orin Portnoy and Ira Elliott. Elan and Ira left to be full time Fuzztones, and Tony Matura was brought in for the lifetime of the band on guitar and vocals. Drums were handled by Frank Manlin, Greg Clark and Ken Anderson during the Optic Nerve’s duration and Tom Ward played bass. The band disbanded in 1988.

Although born from the '80s New York garage scene, the Optic Nerve had nothing whatsoever in common with the movement other than their single-minded idealism to act as if the '80s and the synthesized music that surrounded them was not happening. Rather than using the blaring fuzz tones and screaming the "put down" anthems of the garage rock revival, they took the jangling motifs of the Byrds, the Beatles, and a hint of the mid-'60s protest singers to create a sound that, if spawned in 1965, would have brought them success. In the mid-'80s however, '60s-styled folk-rock was not a huge seller -- even with fans of the neo-garage scene. Acts like the Fuzztones, the Cynics, and the Lyres may have achieved cult underground status, releasing a number of records between them and touring across Europe, but the Optic Nerve only released two singles during their brief existence and rarely played outside of Brooklyn. Bobby Belfiore (main songwriter and singer) formed the nucleus of the band in 1985. Over their two-year tenure, a number of musicians went in and out of their ranks -- including members of garage bands the Fuzztones and Gravedigger V. However, lead guitarist and harmony vocalist Tony Matura was a mainstay, and the combination of his and Belfiore's sweet harmonies and folk-rock jangling gave the Optic Nerve their distinct quality. In 1993 and 1994, both Screaming Apple and Get Hip released an album, each consisting of Optic Nerve demos recorded throughout the mid- to late '80s. Every song deserved to be released at the time of recording, but in an era when garage revival and paisley pop were so popular, the Optic Nerve's country-tinged folk-rock was out of sync with both movements and caused little attention. Thankfully, these albums have gained some belated exposure. In 1999, they re-formed for a performance at Cavestomp in New York.

Tracklist:
1993 - Forever And A Day
01. Hopin' To See You
02. Any Day Now
03. Real Go-Getter
04. Hard To Keep
05. A Long Way To Keep
06. Call On Me
07. What's Been Missing
08. She's Alright
09. Take Me
10. Tompkins Square Blues

1994 - Lotta Nerve
01. Ain't That a Man
02. Mayfair
03. Happy Ever After
04. Take Me
05. Leaving Yesterday Behind
06. Same Way Too
07. Kiss Her Goodbye
08. What's She Trying to Do
09. What's Been Missin'
10. Like to Get to Know Her
11. She's a Drag
12. I See the Truth
13. The Girl with the Beautiful Eyes

2022- ON!
01. Lindsey, Donna, Shannon and Me
02. Yesterday All over Again
03. Jamie Rowe
04. Here to Stay
05. Everyday Sunshine
06. There Was a Time
07. Going to the Moon
08. Penelope Tuesday
09. In Love Again
10. She Has a Way of Making My Day
11. Melissa and Heather
12. Sunshine Girl
13. Alli
14. Fancy Free with Nanci
15. Who's Loving Her Now

“On!” is the lost, previously unreleased album by legendary NY garage-pop, folk-rockers OPTIC NERVE.
Produced by Dave Amels and Dennis Diken and recorded in 2005 but possessing the same magical, timeless sound & spirit of their classic '80s recordings, full of jangly guitars and innocent vocal harmonies.
Here, main songwriters Bobby Belfiore and Tony Matura combine their main influences (Byrds, Velvet Underground, Monkees…) with a good dose of 60s pop-psych and sunshine pop.

Group Members:
Bobby Belfiore, Dave Amels, Frank Manlin, Ken Anderson, Orin Portnoy, Tom Ward, Tony Matura