The Demon Beat “Shit, We’re 23″

Everything on Shit, We’re 23, the third release from Shephersdtown’s the Demon Beat, is so deliberate. And that is absolutely the essential quality for a timeless album. 

The Lemon Pipers

The Lemon Pipers were a fairly hard-edged sorta-psychedelic band from Oxford, Ohio. And when they weren’t blow your mind, they were a slightly dazed, folky band of the Lovin’ Spoonful variety. Suffice to say, they had ambition and vision, and they there’s a good reason we still hear them on the radio today.

Tom Waits “Circus (Live)”

Tom Waits is an amazing encyclopedia of weird Americana. Sheer unparalleled creepiness dribbles from nearly everything he records. And it’s all strangely familiar.

BBR

I’ve been remiss in keeping up with new releases from Big Bullet Records (I’ve been watching a lot of Star Trek: Voyager and sorting and re-sorting my record collection), so I hope these drive-by reviews will get me back up to speed.

Harpers Bizarre “Anything Goes”

Harpers Bizarre were an odd lot of gentlemen. Their first LP, Feelin’ Groovy, was a sunshiny, saccharine starburst from the Summer of Love. Heavy on West Coast feel-goodery and carried along by very well chosen Randy Newman covers, it ushered in a new era of quirky twee pop.

The Idle Race “The Birthday Party”

Typically, I avoid sharing albums. I like to share music, but I don’t want to undercut anyone’s ability to make a living.

But it’s my birthday. So I’m sharing the entire 1968 album The Birthday Party by the Idle Race (Jeff Lynne’s post-Nightriders, pre-Move, pre-ELO band). As a nugget of British sorta-psychedelia, it’s wonderful, lyrically adventurous, playful and highly entertaining–much like yours truly. So naturally you’ll be thinking of me the whole time you listen…because again, it’s my birthday.

Ben Folds Five “Eddie Walker”

I’m old and getting older. (I hope you didn’t have another, more errantly romanticized impression of my age.) This weekend I’ll be putting another year on the shelf, and each time that happens I get a little more nostalgic; well, maybe just a little more maudlin. I don’t live in the past, but, well… I’m from there.

Terminal Ballistics, Volume 1

Dem folks at Big Bullet Records have released their first compilation: Terminal Ballistics, Volume 1. Sounds dangerous, but it’s free, so the pros and cons are obviously weighty indeed.

Asha Bhosle “Dum Maro Dum”

“Dum Maro Dum” appeared in a 1971 Bollywood film, Hare Rama Hare Krishna. Not surprisingly, I have no idea what either the song or the movie is about, though apparently it was something of a pschedelic drug romp. Of course. Regardless, it’s a wonderful, blurry, buzzing entry in Asha Bhosle’s massive catalogue of songs.

The Classics IV “Traces”

Hmm. The most I can think of to say about the Classics IV (also known as Dennis Yost & The Classics IV, but that never sounds right to me) is they were a reliably good, mid-level, workman-like pop band from the ’60s that had a string of well-received songs still heard on oldies radio.