THE GIANT ROBOTS
"Record Riot" - CD
This is the kind of music I continue to do reviews of in hopes of finding. This is a four-piece band from France that knows what go-go is all about. Stephanie plays the organ and sings, Michel plays the guitar and sings, Julia plays the bass and sings, and Tanguy plays drums and looks hot in a pair of Speedos. If you're curious as to what movies, cars and pleasure beverages each member likes and dislikes, well you'll just have to get this platter and read the liner notes for yourself. The group writes their own odes to the glory that was youth culture circa 1965. In case you need reminders, the band has provided dance suggestions after each song. Heaven forbid you'd do the frug to "Jukebox" and the shake to "Tell Me What to Do," after the Giant Robots have clearly explained that the reverse is correct. If you can't figure out on your own what step works well with "Malaga Twist," though, I give up! (www.voodoorhythm.com)

IAN & THE AZTECS
"Don't Ha-Ha" b/w "Clap It Up" - Single
Yup, many was the day back in 1964 that I rocked out to my prized Ian & The Aztecs records... NOT! I'm going to go out on a limb here and express the opinion that this is yet another Eddie Angel project. There was a band called Ian & The Zodiacs back in the day and another called The Aztecs. There was also an outfit called Casey Jones and The Governors that had a minor hit with "Don't Ha-Ha." I suppose this disc represents the best of all possible worlds. Eddie Aztec, Ian Aztec, Graham Aztec and Teen Beat Aztec (a phony name if ever I heard one) do a raunchy, retro garage version of the song I've always thought of as "Don't You Just Know It" and an even raunchier b-side. This is classic, minimalist Merseybeat rock and roll of the toughest sort and the guitar sure sounds to me like Eddie's flailing away on it!... Hah!, a trip to the band's MySpace page confirmed my suspicions. This is Eddie and Jason of Los Straitjackets and Ian and Graham of Rocky Velvet and The Lustre Kings. I hope an album follows before too long. (www.spinoutmusic.com)

THE INSANITIZERS
"Dark Surf Collection" - CD
I rarely bother with these homemade affairs, but there is something about this one that strikes a chord with me. I was initially curious about some of the song titles. "Orderguy" - Is that about the fellow who asks you if you want fries with your hamburger? "Pipe-Wipe" - Is that a melding of "Pipeline" and "Wipeout"? "Forbidden Extremity" - Is that about your middle finger? Luckily, there is a printed insert that explains these tunes as well as "Invasion of the Mektoids," "Puppetor" and eleven other tortured excursions into the fringes of surf music. I was right about "Pipe-Wipe"!! This is a two-man project in which one wrote the songs and played guitar and bass and then got a hand from his drummer buddy. I get the feeling "Lost in the Third Dimension" is an autobiographical number. Spooky oddball fun. (www.myspace.com/surinsanitizers)

LONG JOHN THOMAS AND THE DUFFS
"Presenting..." - CD
I like this CD very much so don't jump to any conclusions to the contrary when I say it sounds to me like a poor man's version of Johnny Kidd and The Pirates with somewhat shaky musicianship and a vocalist whose phony British accent is only marginally better than mine. As was often the case with vinyl pop releases in '60s England, this release contains 14 tracks instead of the customary 12 found on the American counterparts. Most of the songs are covers, some of well worn standards such as "Ain't She Sweet" and "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose its Flavor?" but most are more obscure ditties such as "9 Times Out of 10" and "Buckle Shoe Stomp." There's even an old Pirates song, "So What?" The four originals, "Shake, Shake Little Gwendolyn," "Be Cool," "Girl with the Pretty Face," and "Fish N' Chips" are in the same vein and good enough that I'm hoping an all-original set follows some day. Johnny Kidd died way too early. I'm glad his eye patch went to a worthy cause. (www.myspace.com/wormtonerecords)

NICK LOWE
"At My Age" - CD
This feller is still firing on all six cylinders. I was lucky enough to catch his show when he breezed through town recently. While most of the show was made up of old favorites, about half of the songs from this latest recording were peppered throughout and were every bit as engaging and well received. Nick has mellowed some over the years, but he has retained his wry wit, and song craft skills. "Long Limbed Girl," "Hope for Us All," "People Change" and "Rome Wasn't Built in a Day" are all fine examples of warm stories of love and life delivered with a wealth of clever turns of the phrase. It doesn't hurt one bit that these are all songs bursting with catchy hooks. While the general pace has been toned down a tad, the sparkle and sense of fun is there for the discerning lover of classy pop music to savor at leisure. Nick Lowe's latest tour was just Nick and a guitar. While it sounded plenty full and peppy, I'd love to see him backed by the band featured on this disc some day. (www.yeproc.com)

MARK GAMSJAGER AND THE LUSTRE KINGS
"Way Out There" - CD
I met Mark in Wisconsin last year at a huge '50s rock festival. I'm glad he turned me on to his latest disc; this is some great roots music. Mark plays guitar and sings lead, Graham Tichy (currently moonlighting with Ian & The Aztecs) plays guitar and sings harmony, Jim Haggerty plays upright bass and sings harmony, Jason "Teen Beat" Smay, another moonlighter, plays drums, and Jeff Potter plays piano. Together they create some of the finest rockabilly and truck drivin' boogie around. "Mr. Big," "Empty Town," "Long Lean Baby" and eight other blasts of fun with a swingin' rhythm are guaranteed to bring a smile to your face... and keep your happy feet movin'. When the dust has settled, you can go back and pick up the fellers' back catalog. (www.lustrekings.com)

THE MARTINI KINGS
"Dance of the Virgins" - CD
This latest album of island manna is the first for this group that is comprised of all original material. I'm not just saying this to suck up to the brothers Marsico; I truly feel this is the most enjoyable batch of tunes they've released so far. The exotic mix of vibes, acoustic bass, marimba, piano, jungle drums, violin and haunting female vocal flourishes make songs like "Missing the Maui Moon," "Sticky Rice," and "Singapore Sling" the perfect vehicles to take you to a much more relaxing yet exciting place. Throw in the occasional bird sounds and your inward trip to the land of tikis and Mai Tais is complete. The crowning jewel here is the title track, which is presented in its AM radio friendly, just under three minutes version, and the nearly fourteen minute long magnum opus version ala Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." The musicians take the dancing virgin around the world in this ever-evolving number, but they return her in the same condition she was in when the journey began. The Martini Kings are entlemen to the core. (www.martinikings.net)

MEN FROM S.P.E.C.T.R.E.
"The Living Eye" - CD
This is some funky, goodtime instrumental music that hoists the sound of the Hammond organ to ever-higher strata. Like a lot of releases from this label, this would make excellent soundtrack music. In fact, you can visualize a movie unfolding in your mind as you listen to this CD and read the titles of each track as they segue into each other. "Black Tank," "The Luck of Teela Brown," "Purple Pill People," "The Living Eye," "Apartment 23," "Wild Driver," "Mercury Wall," "Electric Tiger Snake," "The Robbery," "White Russian" and... "Astralkorper." Boy, how about that scene with the belly dancer eating pizza at the zoo, eh? Or did I lose you in Apartment 23?? There is some nice synthesizer work here that makes this far more enjoyable than your average Hammond organ funk boogie. (www.hammondbeat.com)

MISTY LANE #21 - (Magazine with CD Comp.)
This zine from Rome is published in English and is always jam packed with coverage of '60s bands both well known and obscure. This issue features articles about and/or interviews with The Jefferson Airplane, The Blues Magoos, Q-65, The Choir, The Raspberries, Mapleoak, The Rising Storm, The Dovers, The Open Mind, The Fairytale and scads of others. Fans of Ugly Things Magazine will dig the interview Massimo did with Mike Stax. This is only part one, though, so it appears Misty Lane is going for the same leave them wanting more strategy that has kept folks so eager for each issue of Ugly Things over the years. A real bonus is getting to hear the bands you are reading about while their stories are still fresh in your '60s addled mind. The zine comes with a CD comp. This one features rare tracks by '60s notables Just Us, The Bubbles, The Nite Owls and various others found in the print section as well as tracks by retro groups of the '80s to the present including Mike Stax's old group The Tell Tale Hearts. Misty Lane is also the home of my article, "Unifying Theory of the Universe," which explains everything that has ever existed via an exploration of garage music and cosmology... sort of. Go Massimo go!! (www.mistylane.it)

THE MONKS
"Demo Tapes 1965" - CD
Wow! If you are a Monks fan, you probably already have this. Before Black Monk Time was recorded Gary, Eddie, Roger, Dave and Larry had been playing live shows in Germany as The Five Torquays, doing lots of covers of hits of the day. After hooking up with some fellow free thinking managers, they recorded ten songs in which they laid down some quirky works in progress in hopes of finding a label to work with. When Polydor took the band onboard, they sent the group into a studio and the result is one of the wildest artifacts of mid-'60s rock and roll experimentation. The demos that started the ball rolling for The Monks were six months old by then and their set had changed somewhat. Two of the songs, "Pretty Suzanne" and "Hushie Pushie" had been dropped and others had been added. Arrangements had been changed. Lyrics had been added or altered. It's a wonderful thing for Monks geeks that the demos are available as an historic document... and as a damn good listen! This set includes two songs the band recorded previously as The Five Torquays, "There She Walks," and Boys are Boys," as well as a tribute remix medley piece called "Monk Hop." Wild, dad, wild! (www.playloud.org and www.munster-records.com)

MUCK AND THE MIRES
"1-2-3-4" - CD
I'm glad I got to see this band when they came to town shortly after being named the winners in Little Steven's best garage band contest a few years back. They were truly inspirational live. They are no slouches when it comes to recorded music either. There are more than a few songs on this latest effort that remind me of the title track to Tom Hank's "That Thing You Do." It's not that they sound the same, it's more that I can imagine watching a movie built around one of them and not getting tired of it after seeing the band get their first gig, dump the original iffy bass player, fall in love, top the charts and break up while playing it over and over and over. Ten well crafted '60s inspired pop gems and a rollicking cover of The Outsiders' "(Just Like) Romeo & Juliet." (www.dionysusrecords.com)

WILD BILLY CHILDISH AND THE MUSICIANS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE
"Christmas 1979" - CD
I'm always a little uneasy when Billy breaks up one of his bands because I know I will miss the steady flow of comfort ear candy. Luckily, he always seems to come up with a new outfit with the same garage stomp and swagger. This latest group combines the drive of Thee Mighty Caesars and Buff Medways with the feminine charm of The Del Monas and Headcoatees. Billy's grinding axe and angst riddled voice is right at home with Nurse Julie on bass and vocals and Wolf Howard bashing away on the drums. The band only has one other album under their belts, but they have decided the time is right for a Christmas album. The closest thing to "Jingle Bells," though, is a raunchy take on the old Sonics raver, "Santa Clause." Billy has thrown all his usual unhealthy obsessions and obvious inspirations into a blender along with his views about what Christmas means to him and created a whole slew of original holiday numbers. "Father Christmas is Dressed in Green," "Pete Townsend's Christmas," "Knick Knack, Paddy Whack (Chuck it in the Bin)," "Merry Christmas Fritz," and "Christmas Lights" will likely never become standards, but its nice to have a Christmas album with a decidedly different vibe to haul out each year to decorate the tree to. (www.damagedgoods.co.uk)