Psych /
As I Am
Recording a solo album in 1969 allowed Troggs guitarist Chris Britton to take a stab at greater artistic freedom, though the presence of a familiar set of suspects meant that the resultant LP, As I Am, didn’t veer too far from The Troggs’ standard blend of poppy psychedelia and garage rock, constructed with a particular English bent. Producer and keyboardist Colin Frechter shaped the group’s Mixed Bag release, and his wistful harpsichord on tracks like If You Really Care lend a baroque air to th…
Walk Away Renée / Pretty Ballerina
**2019 stock, reduced price** The baroque pop band The Left Banke formed back in 1965 in New York City. With their debut album Walk Away Renée / Pretty Ballerina they hit the charts and both title songs became hit singles in the US. They're known for their vocal harmonies, which can be heard on most of the tracks of the album. With their pioneering use of strings, harpsichord and woodwinds they created a unique baroque sound. The beautiful and emotional vibe they laid down in their music can be …
The Birthday Party
**2019 stock, reduced price** In 1967, The Idle Race were the first major signing by the new British arm of Liberty Records. The group were well received by the music press for their melodies, whimsical lyrics and inventive production. They often appeared on the same bill with such bands as The Spencer Davis Group, The Who, Small Faces, Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues, Status Quo, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Yes, Free, and The Move. Influential BBC disc jockeys such as John Peel and Kenny Everett were big bo…
The American Metaphysical Circus
New York avant-garde luminary Joe Byrd had been the leader of pioneering ’60s electronica band The United States of America until given the heave-ho by his own creation. His riposte was to create this in turns beguiling and bizarre album, which if anything is even further out on a limb than his previous band’s sole groundbreaking LP. While obviously a ’60s sounding record, its many unexpected twists and turns along with Byrd’s stunning production leave it sounding undated, existing parallel to i…
Australian Sun
What about Harry Merry? Harry Den Hartog is a talented singer and songwriter from Rotterdam in the Netherlands where music drew his attention from a young age. At the age of eight he got his first piano lessons and in the '90s he started to compose his own music using several keyboards like Casio wk3500 and Roland E-86. His music is quite pleasant, flashy and a little bit crazy, with his tracks having an absolute mastership of the pop formula. On this 7" single released by Meeuw Muzak, Harry Mer…
Circus Maximus
Mixing a lively folk troubadour style with a sunny voice that would befit that of Donovan, along with a sly, subversive humor that surely influenced the likes of Belle & Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch, “Circus Maximus” opens boldly and doesn’t let up. The playfully unconventional collection of songs delivers punchy doses of folk balladry and Judeo-Christian imagery that would rival the religious themes and prolific tendencies of Current 93’s David Tibet in theme, if not tone. And Currie’s beautifull…