Bonerz

This should explain everything.

“Book” – …”Book’s” Greatest Hits Vol. 13

At a certain point in life one should probably start to assume the existence of things that previously seemed inconceivable. Like, for example, of course there is a wah-wah-synth-steel-drum-new-wave cover of Fraser & DeBolt’s “Gypsy Solitaire” by these Southwestern redneck lounge goofballs on an LP otherwise inhabited by questionable Western Swing, cheesy ballads, tepid funk, […]

The Luft Sisters – Full House

From my prized collection of LPs featuring people holding over-sized playing cards. Not unremarkable. Can we all agree on that? “Hit In The Heart” [Audio clip: view full post to listen] “All Through The Night” [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Alexander Curly – Vette Jus & Boerenjongens

This LP is Dutch & from the mid 70s, the cover cracks me up. Piercing blue eyes, lopsided mustache, tartan jacket, obtrusive cat, china teacup & weird lamp/bong. I think it might be a comedy record, but I don’t speak dutch so can’t be sure, it sounds like it though. To my ears there is […]

The Krug Bros – The Memories Remain

Private press soft rock LP out of Wisconsin from 1981. Side A is all originals while Side B sees the brothers covering a bunch of songs from the likes of Bob Dylan, Neil Young & the Beatles among others. Loren & Leon Krug look like twins, but I’m not sure about that. The cover of […]

"Gabriel": Unicorn Love

I was not sure how to best describe this record, but fortunately the liner notes do a wonderful job: “Tony lived in 8 states and 13 cities across the U.S. and has an exceptional understanding of the soul of America. He identifies with the suffering heart and the various kinds of pain that life dishes […]

Tom Wilson: All-American Boy

Tom sings about all the stuff he does on the cover of his album, and more! [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Paul Becker & Hearing Things: Safe

Quirky local record with what has to be one of my favorite covers ever. Musically it’s a somewhat uneasy mix of ultra lightweight punk, bland AOR, and ballads with an almost prog bent. A tough one to figure out as there seems to be a whiff of novelty to it, but also some fairly sound […]

The Holker Family – Feelin’ Good

I instantly fell in love with The Holker Family – endlessly coming at me in their gym shorts and tube socks. It only got better when I opened the gate-fold to find The Holker’s engaged in all manner of recreational activities. (Is this a private home gym? Why is there wainscoting in the basketball court?) […]

Dr. Adi Tamboli – Musician and Physician

“Adi understands the pain and agony of human life. He soothes his patients and brings happiness to young hearts, through his medical background and his extravagant musical talents.” [Audio clip: view full post to listen] [Audio clip: view full post to listen] [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Jimmy Bowman – Swings At The Golden Fox

Private Press Jazz for the late 60s cocktail set.  Jimmy Bowman was (is?) a journeyman pianist who at some stage apparently held a residency at the Golden Fox club in Minneapolis.  The title of this 45 is a little misleading though because it was actually recorded in a Minneapolis studio (UA Recording Studios) rather than […]

Windstone: Take Time

A really unusual lounge act lp I found in Lower Oregon this last summer. What can I say… I just can’t turn away such clearly pimpin’ home-made white guys. They stick mostly to pretty bland renditions of standards, but there is fortunately one completely off the wall track that I’m guessing must have been their […]

Joe Goldmark: Pickin’ My Pleasures

Local Oakland, CA record that I busted out again while doing a mix recently. Cool souled out steel guitar instrumentals with a killer version of Alvin Cash’s “Twine Time”. If you’ve ever doubted the close ties between country music and funk, then this (among other things) should be required listening. Rumor has it that Joe […]

Michael Patterson ‘Touch Me’ (TMS)

This pianist and Richard Karn lookalike brings the marina rock soul with female backup singers, Rhodes and an analog synth on “Bringing It Back” and the cover of “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover”. Mr. Patterson was a studio musician and composer before he released this solo project on his Beverly Hills, CA based vanity […]

Bob Kolve – Chase Your Clouds Away

When Bob finally tired of recording cheesy faux-country ballads, corny jazz numbers, and flaccid pop tunes, he wrote the acid-rock banger that is Neptune’s Sea (just do your best to forgive his regrettable decision to sing over it).

The Laughing Bear

This man really isn’t a bear. [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

The Nifty Levites with Raymond Smolover – Edge of Freedom

Cantor Raymond Smolover apparently wasn’t an unimportant figure in the Jewish music scene in the states, having produced and written (comic) opera’s and also teaching singing and vocal training techniques to many. Here’s a curious record he did with the youth choir The Nifty Levites for the Bell label, called “Edge of Freedom, a folk/rock […]

Patrick Haggerty and Eve / Lavender Country

Described somewhere on the internet as “the first gay album,” which is of course nonsense (this was 1973), this is nonetheless a milestone and beat Peter Gruzden’s The Unicorn for the title of first topically gay private press country LP by three years. And when I say it’s gay I mean explictly queer and proud […]