The second album from Question Mark & The Mysterians – even more obscure than the first, and harder and heavier too! There's an energy and brashness here that's undeniable – like the group have really gotten their isht together – and found a way to push past the simple melodic groove of their debut! All the best elements from that set are still in place – the cool organ, Question Mark's almost-conversational vocals – and the garagey production that makes the guitars sound great. But there's also a focus that comes through strongly – like the combo were really finding the right way to interact – no doubt after a string of club performances on the strength of their singles! Titles include a long take on "Shout", plus "Do You Feel It", "Smokes", "Hangin On A String", "Got To", "I'll Be Back", and "Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible fantasy of California pop – recorded too late in the 60s to really strike big, but with a perfect approach to mid-decade Beach Boys at their best! Mark Eric's clearly borrowing plenty of pages from Brian Wilson's bag for this set (and maybe Brian Hyland too) – and the original tunes have the beautiful quality of Wilson's best writing in the pre-Pet Sounds years – dealing with deeper themes, but in a very careful and sometimes guarded way that makes the tunes that much more heartfelt. The arrangements are Wilson-inspired too – but have a more mature style than the lyrics – handled by Vic Briggs with a quality that's similar to the brilliant Surf Symphony album of the same year – almost a dreamy remembrance of the sweeter side of California earlier in the decade, but undercut with some of the bluer, more adult modes of the time. Backings feature swirling strings, ringing vibes, and some groovy guitar – and Mark's vocals are often recorded in a way that harmonizes them against the lead – a one-man vocal group, with echoes of The Four Freshmen at times. Titles include "California Home", "Move With The Dawn", "Laura's Changing", "Lynn's Baby", "Just Passing By", "Sad Is The Way That I Feel", and "Take Me With You". LP, Vinyl record album

Mark Fry was just a young lad when he recorded this album – as you might guess from the cover – a Brit staying in Italy, where he cut this rare gem that's gone onto legendary status over the years – a set that's maybe circulated in far more unofficial copies than its original release! The style is a bit hard to peg – not the traditional folk of the UK scene of the time, but equally acoustic overall, and touched with some occasional older instrumentation – yet delivered with a much trippier vibe, maybe even more in a mode that points towards more addled sounds that would emerge later in the next decade. The structure is great – with some poetic "Dreaming With Alice" passages between most songs – and titles that include "Mandolin Man", "Down Narrow Streets", "The Witch", "A Norman Soldier", "Lute & Flute", and "Roses For Columbus" – all beautifully dark, yet dreamy. LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing sounds from Polish composer Andrzej Korzynski – penned for a legendary horror film from the early 80s! The movie goes way beyond typical grit and gore – with a surreal bent that's made it the stuff of much discussion over the years – and Korzynski's music definitely lives up to the spirit of the images on the screen – mixing 80s electronics with offbeat strings, odd percussion, and other compelling bits – often used in very short songs that shift often throughout the course of the album – easily making the record one of the most playful we've ever heard from Finders Keepers – yet also one of the darkest too! A few sweet keyboard melodies offset some of the spookiness in a nice way – and titles include "Helen Has Green Eyes", "Opetanie 1", "The Night The Screaming Stops", "Blue Ford B AZ6", "Heinrick's Demise", "Mark Looks In The Fridge", "What Is It", and "Closely Observed Anna". (Soundtracks, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary first album from Kraftwerk – a groundbreaking set recorded when the group was more of a proggish outfit, and still yet to make their mark in the world of electronics! As with early work by Cluster, the instrumentation here is often from more conventional rock sources, but really abstracted through the production work of Connie Plank. Flute, violin, organ, and drums resonate with a new sort of intensity here – stretched out over long tracks and mixed up so that their sounds take on different shapes and textures. Album features 4 tracks in all – "Ruckzuck", "Stratovarius", "Megaherz", and "Vom Himmel Hoch". LP, Vinyl record album

A mad mix of loud guitar, wild samples, and heavy Brazilian percussion – all nicely topped with the soulful vocals of Chico Science! The record's one of the group's earlier ones, and it's filled with a sense of raw power and experimentation that easily demonstrates why the band grabbed so much attention so quickly. Forget all those cliches you keep hearing about the postmodern power of Tropicalia – this stuff's equally as complex, and filled with bits and pieces you wouldn't even imagine! Titles include "Da Lama Ao Caos", "Salusatiano Song", "Riso Flora", "Coco Dub", "Rios, Pontes & Overdrives", and "A Cidade", which has a nice little snippet from Mark E Smith! (Brazil, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album