Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers: Live (Beserkley); The Tyla Gang: Yachtless (Beserkley)

BESERKLEY RECORDS certainly keep things interesting. Slightly over a year ago they became the first American New Wave independent to secure a distribution deal with a major company (CBS) and seemed poised to at least make a ripple, if not a splash, in the biz in 1977 with their small but talented roster: Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, Earthquake, the Rubinoos and Greg Kihn.