1960 nightclub recordings from Lenny Bruce – done at a time when he was really opening up stylistically, and taking on a host of themes that really tell a tale of the times! The work here is plenty edgey – lots of sharp turns, offbeat ideas, and that sharp wit that makes Bruce one of the greatest sets of eyes to view the 60s from the perspective of the 21st Century. Titles include "Don's Big Dago", "Marriage, Divorce, & Motels", "Father Flotsky's Triumph", "Lima Ohio", and "How To Relax Your Colored Friends At Parties". (Comedy, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

One of Hugo Montenegro's dreamier LPs of the 60s – a mellow batch of instrumentals composed by Hugo, all based around the theme of female "candy"! The approach is subtle, but there's actually some really great moments on here – the kind of offbeat instrumentation that we always like in Hugo's work, complete with odd percussion, nice use of organ, spooky voices, and other nice touches that make this one a lot cooler than you might think! Titles include "Kitten", "Theme For Irma", "Jean", "Little Lo", "Fanny's Theme", "Amber", and "Suzie". LP, Vinyl record album

Pre-moog work from Hugo Montenegro – but a set that's still pretty darn groovy! The Beach Boys reference in the title is very well put, as Hugo's using some cool harmony vocals for the record – a chorus that definitely takes some of its inspiration from Brian Wilson, singing here both with lyrics, and some wordless modes – not on every track, but used enough to give the record a really Sunshine Pop sort of appeal! Other instrumentation is great too – electric bass underneath fuller strings, offbeat woodwinds, fuzzy guitar, and even a bit of whistling – which has a cool sort of electronic feel. The blend of sounds is amazing – very unique, and already showing that Montenegro's one of the hippest talents of the 60s. Titles include "Classical Gas", "Rosemary's Baby", "Night Rider", "Lady in Cement", "A Future Left Behind", "Tony's Theme", and "Good Vibrations". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest, grooviest Christmas records we've heard in years – a set that's the first-ever effort from Roman Coppola's Molto Groovy Productions – and which has a mod 60s vibe all the way through! The styles here are steeped in the best Italian soundtrack modes from years back – cool keyboards, fuzzy organ, funky basslines, and lots of offbeat instrumentation that really transforms the tunes – almost as if someone like Piero Umiliani or Ennio Morricone recorded a whole album of Christmas instrumentals! The sound is perfect – even better than you might suspect from the cover – and you can take it from us, as we're not easily fooled by "fake" retro projects – and really tip our hat to these guys for getting the instrumentation, arrangements, and production just right. Most titles are familiar songs, but done in very unusual styles – and tracks include "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "Joy To The World", "Jingle Bells", "Sleigh Ride", "Feliz Navidad", "Little Drummer Boy", "Silver Bells", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". (Holiday Music, Now Sound) CD

One of the coolest, grooviest Christmas records we've heard in years – a set that's the first-ever effort from Roman Coppola's Molto Groovy Productions – and which has a mod 60s vibe all the way through! The styles here are steeped in the best Italian soundtrack modes from years back – cool keyboards, fuzzy organ, funky basslines, and lots of offbeat instrumentation that really transforms the tunes – almost as if someone like Piero Umiliani or Ennio Morricone recorded a whole album of Christmas instrumentals! The sound is perfect – even better than you might suspect from the cover – and you can take it from us, as we're not easily fooled by "fake" retro projects – and really tip our hat to these guys for getting the instrumentation, arrangements, and production just right. Most titles are familiar songs, but done in very unusual styles – and tracks include "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "Joy To The World", "Jingle Bells", "Sleigh Ride", "Feliz Navidad", "Little Drummer Boy", "Silver Bells", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". (Holiday Music, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

Incredibly groovy work from a set of German crime films of the late 60s and early 70s – all in a very mod and jazzy mode! The music was all done by the legendary Gert Wilden – who also weighed in for Crippled Dick with the excellent Schulmadchen Report collection – and the overall feel is very much in the mode of some of the best Peter Thomas soundtracks from the same generation. There's lots of great twists and turns in the arrangements – and the tunes are not just jazzy, but also feature some great use of organ, vocals, and odd production – making for some wonderfully swinging tracks that have a really offbeat sound. As usual, the whole thing's packaged with some great Crippled Dick touches – and the CD features a total of 20 tracks that include "Oriental Twist", "Desert Hips", "Murder Beat", "Green Spider Theme", "Rolf Torring", "Piano Blues", and "White Cargo". (Soundtracks, Now Sound) CD

A record that's lovingly handmade by Warner studio genius Mason Williams – an artist who, like so many of Warner's great talents of the late 60s, started out in folk, but soon exploded to great new heights in the recording freedom offered by the label – as you'll hear in this really incredible set! Williams mixes acoustic instrumentation with larger arrangements, offbeat rhythms, and occasional vocals – post-folk, post-sunshine pop, and with these hip undercurrents that were barely understood in the right way at the time – even though Mason himself was enough of a popular figure for some folks. The songwriting is smart, and the instrumentation and arrangements even more so – as you'll hear on a great reworking of his famous "Classical Gas", plus "Jose's Piece", "Find A Reason To Believe", "Saturday Night At The World", "Tomato Vendetta", and "It's Over". (Rock, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's dedicated to the famous Beatles producer George Martin, and which seeks to bring together a whole host of sounds and styles that not only influenced his work in the studio – but which also represent maybe the odder aspects of the British scene, in a way that really helps create a greater understanding of the more offbeat sounds of The Fab Four themselves! CD1 is titled In All Directions – and brings together jazz, skiffle, vocal tracks, and plenty more – in a nicely varied lineup that includes work from Basil Kirchin, John Dankworth, Bert Weedon, The Vipers, Christopher Logue, Temperance Seven, Ray Cathode, Ron Goodwin, and Cleo Laine. CD2 is titled Experiments With Pop – and has a bit of comedic moments mixed with more musical selections – in a lineup that includes Peter Sellers, John Dankworth, Flanders & Swann, Matt Monro, The Goods, Bernard Cribbins, and Ron Goodwin. CD3 is titled Comedy Surrealist, and continues that spirit – with more Goon Show material, Beyond The Fringe, The Alberts, Peter Cook & Dudley Moore, and other important pre-Monty Python acts from the UK – who often brought a lot of creativity to the production of their work in the studio. CD4 features straighter classical influences, but in a range of modes – tracks that begin with Bach, and move through Chopin, Ravel, Debussy, Holst, and even Gershwin. As always with these unusual sets on El Records, there's a lot of thought that goes into the choice of material – drawing lines between sounds that we really didn't expect! CD

Weird and wild novelty numbers from the glory days of the 7" single – tunes that are mostly rockers, but which also show all the cool and unusual ways that folks were experimenting with new styles and studio modes, then putting the results on a two to three minute 45rpm chunk of vinyl – getting the gags and goofs out there in the years before social media and the internet! There's a wonderfully offbeat selection of cuts here – comedic intentions mixed with inventive instrumentation, odd arrangements, and hip production – on tracks that include "Ho Ho Rock & Roll" by Sid Ramin, "You Tickle Me Baby" by The Royal Jokers, "Your Wiggle & Your Giggle" by Lue Renny, "Breakin Up" by The Fabulous Continentals, "Hey Lulu" by Hank Marvin, "The Mad Scientist" by The Zanies, "Good For A Laugh" by The Paollos, "Lafin Gas" by Adolphus Bell & The All Starts, "The Giggler" by Pat & The Wildcats, "Scrub" by Jim Doval & The Gauchos, and "Laffin Beatnik" by Johnny Beeman. (Rock, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe not the most politically correct of the entries in the Greasy Mike series of weird and wild 45s – as the collection brings together material that offers a postwar take on the East – in a weird mish-mash of rocking styles blended with imagined ideas of Pacific-rimmed culture! The territory is surprisingly playful, if you can put aside any sort of winge factor – and the "exotic" approach makes for lots of unusual guitar lines, offbeat arrangements, and even some cool reed solos too! The set features 16 titles in all – and tunes include "Husband Wife Lung Slices" by The Fugu Five, "Saki Rock" by The Windsors, "Hong Kong" by Jackie Lee, "Hot Sake" by Copper Penny, "Far East Rock" by The Manhattans, "Along The Ginza" by Yo Yo Hashi, "Tokyo Stomp" by Chuck Fayne, "Saki" by Earl Craig, and "Chop Suey" by The Dawnbreakers. (Rock, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album