One of the weird LPs that French Horn player John Graas made in the 50's, featuring that cumbersome instrument in a set of surprisingly light and loose jazz tracks. Graas' playing on the French Horn is a bit like Gerry Mulligan's on the baritone – that is, he takes these turns and twists that surprise you, given the nature of the horn. He's joined here by Art Pepper, Conte Candoli, Bob Cooper, and Paul Moer, and the set's a nice batch of West Coast chamber type stuff. Tracks include "Van Nuys Indeed", "Land of Broken Toys", "Blocksounds", 'Development", "Swing Nicely" and "Rogeresque". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing set by Lee Morgan – and one that was recorded in the 60s, but not issued until many years later! The album has this really weird sound, which is a combination of Morgan's trumpet, Wayne Shorter's tenor, Herbie Hancock's piano, and Bobby Hutcherson's vibes – the last of which gives the record a uniquely angular quality, and a stark modernist sound that's different from other Lee Morgan albums. This odd sound is possibly one reason why Blue Note didn't release the album at the time – and it's also a quality that makes the finally-issued record a real treasure – an even more wonderful chapter in the great later years of Morgan's all-too-short jazz career! The title track "The Procrastinator" is amazing – and other titles include "Soft Touch", "Dear Sir", "Stopstart", and "Rio". CD

2 fantastic unreleased sets by Lee Morgan! The first one later came out under the name The Procrastinator – and it has this really weird sound, which is a combination of Morgan's trumpet, Wayne Shorter's tenor, Herbie Hancock's piano, and Bobby Hutcherson's vibes – the last of which gives the record a uniquely angular quality, and a stark modernist sound that's different from other Morgan albums. Titles include "Dear Sir", "Stopstart", and "Rio". The second set features a sextet with Julian Priester, George Coleman, Harold Mabern, and Walter Booker – on tracks that are equally great, and entitled "Free Flow", "Mr Johnson", "The Stroker", "Uncle Rough", and "Untitled Boogaloo". LP, Vinyl record album

A wild and weird early soundtrack work from the great Melvin Van Peebles – a set of songs composed by the man himself, and put together for an early directorial effort about a white man who wakes up one morning and finds himself black – and has to discover the real version of society from an African-American perspective! The music and politics are very similar to Melvin's early albums for A&M – songs that borrow from a few different styles, and aren't just straight soul and funk – handled with some larger arrangements from Bob Matthews, who amplifies some of the wildness in the tunes! Tracks include "Love, That's America", "Great Guy", "Eviction Scene", and "Where Are The Children". LP, Vinyl record album

British folk music got really weird and wonderful at the end of the 60s – light years from the crew cut versions of The Kingston Trio, or the twangy modes of Bob Dylan wannabees – but also very different from the more rockish directions that American folk acts were taking at the time! If anything, the British artists showed an even deeper commitment to acoustic modes – and far more ancient ones than American groups had access too – a thousand year legacy of British Isles music, but reworked into an often-trippy style would find more famous iterations in groups from Fairport Convention through Current 93, and even in the Wicker Man soundtrack as well! Most of the music here is much more obscure than those references – groups that were big in the UK, but maybe didn't have as much of an impact over here during the period – which makes this 63 track box set a real treasure trove of discovery – filled with many tunes we'd never heard before, and put together in a very special way. Titles include "Black Girl" by Mary Anne, "Till The Morning Comes" by Dando Shaft, "Roses For Columbus" by Mark Frhy, "Love Is A Funny Thing" by Spyrogyra, "Come All You Travellers" by Wight, "Willow's Song" by Nagnet, "Cruious Crystals Of Unusual Purity" by Bridget St John, "Prisoners Victims Strangers Friends" by Paper Bubble, "Gabilan" by Duncan Browne, "Meeting By The Moonlight Mill" by Dry Heart, "Silence Returns" by Beau, "Me & My Kite" by Fuschia, "The Colour Is Blue" by Country Sun, "Welcome To The Citadel" by Marc Brierley, "Garden Song (demo)" by Bill Fay, and "Upon Reflection" by Heron. CD

Wild stuff! John Blair was a soul singer and violinist with a weird approach that mixed soul, pop, and a little bit of rock into a sweet electric vibe with that kind of unique sound that people used to overlook because they never knew where to slot it – but which is getting a lot more recognition these days, thanks to open-minded groovers. Bob James did the arrangements for this strange album, and the best moments are baroque soul tracks with a sweet slow mellow groove. Includes a nice version of "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", a medley of "Golden Slumbers/Ooh Child", and the groovy original "Hey Root People", with a nice bubbling keyboard on the intro. LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly great batch of kick ass rock and roll tunes – southern fried, but done with a cosmic undercurrent that makes for a mighty weird approach! The drums are amazing – fierce right from the get-go, in a way that has made the record a favorite with break collectors for years – and the fuzzy guitars really step out strongly too – with just a slight southern twang, and a great edge that keeps things pretty funky at parts! Bobby Caldwell is in the group on percussion, piano, vibes, and bells – and he also co-wrote most of the songs on the album – and titles include the classic "Dancing Madly Backwards", plus "Myopic Void", "Frozen Over", "Thousand Days Of Yesterdays", "As The Moon Speaks", and "Astral Lady". CD

A weird little record by Buddy Montgomery – the vibes-playing member of the Montgomery family that also included Monk and Wes. The "2 sided" concept here means that side one features Montgomery in a quintet with Harold Mabern on piano, Montego Joe on congas, and Joe Farrell on tenor, and side two features a smaller group, a trio with Buddy, Monk, and Billy Hart, working through mellow versions of tunes from Camelot. This mixed approach was used often on Milestone sets of this vintage – like work by Bobby Timmons and Phil Upchurch – and as on some of those records, the clash of styles makes for interesting work, a bit loose at times, but a nice break from the more standard Prestige/Blue Note style. Titles include "Personage – Wes", "Samba", "Probin", and "Blues For David". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing set by Lee Morgan – and one that was recorded in the 60s, but not issued until many years later! The album has this really weird sound, which is a combination of Morgan's trumpet, Wayne Shorter's tenor, Herbie Hancock's piano, and Bobby Hutcherson's vibes – the last of which gives the record a uniquely angular quality, and a stark modernist sound that's different from other Lee Morgan albums. This odd sound is possibly one reason why Blue Note didn't release the album at the time – and it's also a quality that makes the finally-issued record a real treasure – an even more wonderful chapter in the great later years of Morgan's all-too-short jazz career! The title track "The Procrastinator" is amazing – and other titles include "Soft Touch", "Dear Sir", "Stopstart", and "Rio". CD

A mindblowing debut from Roxy Music – a record that took the world by storm in the 70s, and which is still pretty darn revolutionary all these many years later! Sure, the cover looks a bit cheesy and trashy, but the core of the music is amazing – this blistering array of guitars, electronics, and saxophone – all honed into songs that provide the perfect setting for the haunting vocals of Bryan Ferry! If you only know these guys from their later, softer work, you'll be quite surprised here – as the saxes by Andy Mackay are woven right in alongside the guitar of Phil Manzanera, and the album's laced with weird electronic and tape touches from Brian Eno. Peter Sinfield produced – as yet another mighty talent that was part of the proceedings – and titles include "Re-make/Re-Model", "Ladytron", "If There Is Something", "HB", "The Bob", "Chance Meeting", "Would You Believe", "Sea Breezes", and "Bitters End". CD

A mindblowing debut from Roxy Music – a record that took the world by storm in the 70s, and which is still pretty darn revolutionary all these many years later! Sure, the cover looks a bit cheesy and trashy, but the core of the music is amazing – this blistering array of guitars, electronics, and saxophone – all honed into songs that provide the perfect setting for the haunting vocals of Bryan Ferry! If you only know these guys from their later, softer work, you'll be quite surprised here – as the saxes by Andy Mackay are woven right in alongside the guitar of Phil Manzanera, and the album's laced with weird electronic and tape touches from Brian Eno. Peter Sinfield produced – as yet another mighty talent that was part of the proceedings – and titles include "Re-make/Re-Model", "Ladytron", "If There Is Something", "HB", "The Bob", "Chance Meeting", "Would You Believe", "Sea Breezes", and "Bitters End". LP, Vinyl record album

A weird and wild little record – and one that came as quite a surprise to folks who'd previously known Link Wray as the king of the raunchy guitar instrumental in the 60s! Here, Link sings as well as plays – working in his legendary Three Track Shack, which was located in Maryland, but has a vibe that feels like it came right out of the Louisiana swamps! The style of the music follows suit – almost as if Link saw folks like Tony Joe White, Bobby Charles, and some of their contemporaries – and tried to find his unique take on the raunchy blend of roots rock, country, and maybe some occasional funky currents. Polydor cleaned the album up a bit for release – but no too much – and titles include "Juke Box Mama", "Rise & Fall Of Jimmy Stokes", "La De Da", "Black River Swamp", "Tail Dragger", "Ice People", and "Fire & Brimstone". LP, Vinyl record album

A great array of bug-related tunes from the glory days of the 45rpm single – mostly rock numbers, but with some cool instrumental, soul, and exotica tracks thrown into the mix as well! The package is one of the weirdest of the many great themed compilations we've stocked from Bear Family records – and is different than some of the more monster-oriented collections that come out every year for the Halloween season – as the work here is definitely filled with references to spiders, flies, and other six-legged critters – as you'll dig on cuts that include "Hornet's Nest" by Curtis Knight, "Tarantula" by Bruce Gist & The Invaders, "Black Widow" by The Nobles, "The Fly" by Chubby Checker, "Tsetse Fly" by Martin Denny, "Get Away Fly" by Buddy Lucas, "Lady Bug" by Chet Poison Ivey, "The Wedding Of The Bugs" by Moon Mullican, "Tarantula" by The Storms, "The Web" by Abie Available Baker, "Little Cricket" by The Royal Teens, "Tarantula" by The Tarantulas, "Fly Trouble" by Hank Williams, "The Spider & The Fly" by Bobby Christian, "Beatle Bug" by Link Davis, and "The Bug" by the Swing Kings. CD

A whole host of weird little songs from the glory days of the 45rpm single – a great assortment of tracks that ran up the charts during the big years of the novelty record – a moment that wasn't just about putting a quick joke on record, but also using the larger space of the studio in some really experimental ways! The set does a great job of mixing famous novelty tracks with more obscure numbers – served up in a variety of styles, but all really united in the way the records use interesting turns of phrase and playful production to create something new and magical over the course of a few short minutes. Titles include "Smoochin In The Sewer With Louie" by The Empalas, "Neow Not Neow" by Kookie Kat, "Big Foot" by Googie Rene, "I Hates Rabbits" by Jerry Neal, "Wombat Twist" by Glenn & christy, "Mad (part 1)" by Bobby Borda Five, "Blah" by Sidney & The Chimps, "There's A New Sound" by Tony Burrello, "Cozy Little Compact Car" by Bryan Hyland, "Kookie's Mad Pad" by Edd Byrnes, "Paralyzed" by Legendary Stardust Cowboy, "The Blob" by The Five Blobs, and "One Hen Two Ducks Three Squawking Geese" by Blue Chips. CD

Weird, wild, wonderful work from the 7" single underground of the postwar years – music from a time when monster themes pervaded all sorts of musical styles – rock, soul, jazz, and even blues too – which resulted in a great run of very groovy records! This package digs deep into the sounds of those glory days – serving up some cuts that are pretty horroriffic, mixed with others that might have a slight novelty sort of approach – qualities that are sometimes emphasized by odd production techniques and other studio tricks! The package features 28 tracks in all, including a number of horror rockers we've not seen compiled elsewhere – titles that include "Horror Show" by Johnny Thunder, "The Hammer" by Faye Adams, "Terror" by The Bees, "Vampire" by Bobby Barrett, "Jack The Ripper" by The Tip Tops, "Shiverin & Shakin" by Edwin & Alvin, "Jack The Ripper" by The Elites, "Horror Pictures" by The Calvanes, "Graveyard Blues" by John Lee Hooker, "The Mummy" by Bob McFadden & Dor, "Igor's Lament" by Tony & The Monstrosities, "Cemetery Blues" by Lightnin Hopkins, "The Hex" by The Moroccos, "Witchcraft In The Air" by Betty Lavette, and "Graveyard Disposition" by Gatemouth Moore. CD

A crazy collection of singles from the pre-hippie years of the beatnik – that cool cat who loved jazz, read poetry, and dug the scene with plenty of attitude! That attitude is the main focus of most of the cuts here – obscure tracks from the late 50s and early 60s that poke fun at the heady thoughts and easy intellectualism of the beat scene – presented in a range of different styles that really run the gamut – from jazz, to rock, to many other genres in between – including a fair bit of offbeat spoken word and instrumental records too! The vibe here follows nicely in the other Lux & Ivy collections on the Righteous label – full of weird and wild records we never would have discovered otherwise – with cuts that include "Dog" by Bob Dorough, "Laffin Beatnik" by Johnny Beeman, "Reaching Into In" by Ken Nordine, "No Pictures Please" by Rod McKuen, "Manhattan Fable" by Babs Gonzales, "Pimples & Braces" by Spike Jones & The City Slickers, "Teenage Beatnik" by Louis Nye, "A Beatnik Story" by The Expressos, "Meet The Bongo Man" by Johnny O, and "William Butler Yeats On The Third Avenue El" by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. CD

If you know us at all, you'll know that we really love a well-themed compilation – and we're especially in love with the sort of collection like this – which can bring together all sorts of weird and unusual singles with the united spirit of a holiday theme! This collection is even cooler and groovier than some other Halloween compilations out there – as in addition to the monster rock and horror film trailers that usually show up, there's some surprising contributions from jazz vocalists, mainstream entertainers, and country artists – which make the whole thing an array of surprises all the way through! The notes and song selection are up there with the best from Bear Family – and titles include "Monster Gonzales" by Tommy Bruce & The Bruisers, "Vampira" by Bobby Bare, "Strollin Spooks" by Ken Nordine, "Dragonfly" by Tommy Dee & The Mellotones "Ghost Satellite" by Bob & Jerry, "Creature From Outer Space" by Sonny Day, "Ghost Trains" by Hank Snow, "The Monsters Hop" by Bert Convy, "Dead" by The Poets, "The Boogie Man" by The Cadillacs, "The Ghost Hop" by The Surfmen, "The Headless Horseman" by Kay Starr, and "Spooky" by George Barnes. CD

Totally great sounds for the Halloween season – a mad mix of instrumentals, vocals, and offbeat singles from the late 50s and early 60s – exactly the kind of music that keeps things weird and wild on the last day of October! Some of these gems are in the best novelty mode of the time, while others have more of a horror rock sort of vibe – and together, the package is a wonderful tribute to a near-lost genre – one that maybe got a bit wrecked when groups like The Cramps or Misfits tried to celebrate the sound all year long! 35 tracks in all – including "Tickler" by The Sherwoods, "Beware" by Bill Buchanan, "The Gorilla" by Bert Convy, "The Creep" by Ted Heath, "Voodoo Walk" by Sonny Richards Panics, "Something's Going On In My Room" by Daddy Cleanhead, "Hell's Bells" by David Carroll, "Devil's Den" by Duante Turley, "The Raven" by Freddie Countryman, "The Ghost Song" by Salty Holmes, "When All The Streets Are Dark" by Somethin Smith & The Redheads, "Dear Jeepers" by Bob Guy, and "Ghost Guitars" by Baron Daemon & The Vampires. CD

Latin rhythms, Italian lyrics, jazzy solos, and lots more groovy touches – all coming together here in a special set of tracks that evokes the cross-cultural brilliance of London's Soho at the end of the 50s! The set's got a really unique vibe – with songs that mix electric guitars and heavy percussion, swinging vocals and rocking rhythms, jazzy scatting and weird instrumentation – all with the completely great ear for a special tune that we've come to expect from the Croydon Municipal label! If you've dug their other compilations, you'll definitely find plenty here to love – on 25 titles that include "Nicola Bossa Nova" by Bob Leaper, "Ciquo Minuti Ancora" by Peppini Di Capri, "Cappucina" by Ted Heath, "Esso Besso" by Victor Silvester, "Cha Cha Pop Pop" by Tony Scott, "Hot Toddy" by The Swe Danes, "Teenager Blues" by The Kessler Sisters, "Harry Lime Cha Cha" by Edmundo Ros, "Taboo" by Charles Blackwell, "Madison A Saint Tropez" by Tommy Kinsman, "Papa Loves Mambo" by Marino Marini, and "Mambo Inn" by The Modernes. CD

The title's a bit confusing, but the set's got Lux & Ivy going right back to the roots of the weird, wonderful sounds that inspired their music in The Cramps – offbeat, hard-edged 45s from the glory days of the 7" single – served up here in a range of styles, on a range of topics – all of which sound pretty darn wonderful together! There's definitely some raw soul numbers in the mix, next to rough-edged rockers, twang-heavy guitar tunes, and plenty more – all from an array of very small labels from the late 50s and early 60s. Titles include "Upturn" by Eddie Smith & The Hornets, "Payday" by Terry Richards, "Relief Check" by Bobby Sue & Her Freeloaders, "You Tell Her I Stutter" by Jimmy Lee Prow, "Nag" by The Halos, "Iggy Joe" by Willie Ward, "Party Line" by Kip Shane, "Two Cats & A Mouse" by Mickey Mandolin, "Fidel Castro Rock" by Danny Williams, "Jazz Vs Rock & Roll" by Woody Byrd, and "Magic Carpet" by The Aladdins. CD

One of the weird LPs that French Horn player John Graas made in the 50's, featuring that cumbersome instrument in a set of surprisingly light and loose jazz tracks. Graas' playing on the French Horn is a bit like Gerry Mulligan's on the baritone – that is, he takes these turns and twists that surprise you, given the nature of the horn. He's joined here by Art Pepper, Conte Candoli, Bob Cooper, and Paul Moer, and the set's a nice batch of West Coast chamber type stuff. Tracks include "Van Nuys Indeed", "Land of Broken Toys", "Blocksounds", 'Development", "Swing Nicely" and "Rogeresque". LP, Vinyl record album

A really weird little album from Hollywood hipster Bobby Jameson – and a record that's probably best-remembered for its production by the legendary Curt Boettcher! The songs are all originals by Bobby, and they run in a range of styles that go far past the usual Sunshine pop of Boettcher's other productions of the time – often showing traces of the creeping psychedelia of the LA scene, with some especially trippy moments early on, which are counterbalanced by some sweeter, softer pop as the album progresses. Jameson's vocals aren't always on the money, but he really has a way of hitting the spirit of each tune nicely – on titles that include "Know Yourself", "Windows & Doors", "Right By My Side", "Who's Putting Who On", "The New Age", "Jenny", "Do You Believe In Yesterday", "Candy Colored Dragon", and "Places Times & The People". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit slicker than some of Harvey's earlier albums – but in a good way! The set's got some weirdly compressed guitar funk – sounding like it's been pressed through a play-do machine, shaped and twisted in weirdly stretched ways that make the sound of the strings sound all weird and trippy, even though the funky rhythms are tight and straight ahead. There's no standout break cuts, but the whole album's pretty darn strong overall. Titles include "What The Funk", "Fish Walk", "Green Apple Quickstep", "Shangrenade", and "Sugarloaf". Bobby Lyle is on keyboards, too! LP, Vinyl record album

A really weird, really moody sort of record – one that was issued in the mid 80s, but by a guy who seems to think that he's still working in the singer/songwriter generation of the late 70s! For Scott Seskind, punk and new wave never happened – as the songs here are personal, heartfelt, and delivered with this darkly-presented folk style – not the sunny optimism of the early 60s, but more that smoky haze from the second half of the decade – infused with the realization that the revolution wasn't gonna happen, with more focus on personal issues. There's some great moody echo in the production, which really helps set the tone – and titles include "War", "Empty Arms", "Unknown & Disliked", "Bobby Sands", "You're The Reason", "This Is My Country", "Out Of The Blue", "Our Ring", and "Been Waitin". CD

A huge run of music from this legendary psychedelic band – all served up here in a single set! First up is their Part 1 album – the initial uttering from the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band – a group with a heady sound that definitely lives up to their name! There's less "pop art" going on here than just trippy psych – served up at a level that makes the group one of the best bigger label examples of the style at the time – and definitely a lot more edgey than some of their labelmates on Warner. Jimmy Bowen produced, but really keeps all the edges intact – and titles include the completely insane "Help I'm A Rock" (actually about a rock calling for help!) – plus "Shifting Sands", "1906", "Transparent Day", "Here's Where You Belong", and "If You Want This Love". Next is Volume 2 – the amazing second album from this ultra-cool group – a set that's even weirder and wilder than their debut! The trio are maybe one of the few who really live up to the farthest expectations of the psych generation – as they're really open to let their minds fly in their choice of lyrics, instrumentation, and overall presentation of the record – which hardly seems the sort to yield any sort of singles at all, even though a few of the tunes are downright catchy! Instead, the whole thing's put forth as a dark statement on late 60s society – with a sound that's as heavy as the subject matter, and not afraid to really pus all the freak and fuzz as far as it can go! Quite surprising, even for the Reprise label – and tracks include "Queen Nymphet", "Tracy Had a Hard Day Sunday", "In the Arena", "Smell of Incense", "Suppose They Gave A War & No One Comes", "Overture Wcpaeb (part 2)", and "Carte Blanche" – which supposedly they were given in recording the album! Next is Child's Guide To Good & Evil, the third album in the continuing genius of the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band – a group who are certainly as experimental as their name would imply, but who can also come across with some warmer Sunshine Pop touches too! And it's that which makes the group so wonderful – the blend of freak and sweet, of fuzz and fun – all given a special shape in the studio through the genius of producer Jimmy Bowen, whose work here with Bob Markley is superb – and very much open to the best freedoms that Warner was offering its creative talents at the time! The song titles are equally superb – and titles include "A Child's Guide To Good & Evil", "Ritual #1", "Anniversary of World War III", "Eighteen Is Over The Hill", "As Kind As Summer", and "Our Drummer Always Plays In the Nude". CD 4 features 18 more bonus tracks – rare takes and alternate mixes of titles that include "Watch Yourself", "Ritual #1", "As Kind As Summer", "Eighteen Is Over The Hill", and "Until The Poorest People Have Money To Spend" – plus other tracks too. And all the other three albums are presented in both mono and stereo mixes – which makes for 84 tracks in the full set! CD