The Holidays – Hope for the Youth

The Holidays
Hope for the Youth
1985 Racket Records (RR8501)

Mini Mendex – Vocals, bass
Mark Schrock – Guitar, vocals
Rich Mendez – Drums, Vocals

Side 1:

1. Turn and Live
2. Little Love
3. Only You
4. Didn’t She Know
5. Maybe Some Day
6. Got to Tell You

Side 2:

1. Telephone
2. Back to Basics
3. Why are You Different
4. First Love
5. My Holiday
6. Tear the Curtain

This is, as far as I know, the demo debut of The Holidays. They went on to release two albums for Broken Records (Everything is Now in 1988 and Restless Heart in 1989), and then Mini Mendez formed bands like The Reckless Ways and The Glimmer Stars before going solo. The same catchy power-pop that is displayed on later albums is in full force here, just with a bit of a muffled demo quality recording value. It seems that only “Little Love” and “Maybe Someday” are the only two tracks to make it on to Everything is Now. Mini Mendez is still out there making music, so it is interesting to see where it all began. These songs are catchy just like his current material, so he has had his song writing gift for quite a while now.