New releases last eight weeks: 50s/60s

Review: This desirable 7" record by Fabio, originally released in 1968 and reissued in 2024, is a true gem of psychedelic rock. With its raw, garage-infused sound, the record transports listeners to the vibrant counterculture era. The title track, 'LSD Lindo Sonho Delirante,' embodies the album's trippy, dreamy atmosphere. Its distorted guitars and hypnotic rhythms create a swirling soundscape that evokes the surreal experiences of psychedelic rock.. 'O Reloginho' offers a more upbeat contrast with its catchy melody and playful lyrics. Fabio's unique blend of psychedelic rock and garage aesthetics makes this album an essential addition to any collector's library. Its rarity and sonic charm will undoubtedly appeal to enthusiasts of the genre.

Review: .Often considered to be one of the biggest commercial flops in music recording history, Standing In The Spotlight was the 1989 debut solo album from Ramones bassist Dee Dee Ramone. Released under his rap moniker Dee Dee King, the bizarre project served up an amalgam of old school hip-hop, late 50s garage rock and even doo-wop, all blended together in chaotic fashion, and led by Dee Dee's new gangster bravura. It's been noted that the hip-hop-centric attire seen on the cover was adorned by Dee Dee at his last few Ramones shows shortly before departing, which drew major ire from his bandmates. Tapping Marky Ramone to oversee percussion samples, and even enlisting Debbie Harry (Blondie) to provide backing vocals on 'Mashed Potato Time', and, 'German Kid', with the latter featuring vocals sung in both English and German (nodding to Dee Dee's growing up as an army brat), the album was crafted with every earnest intention of launching Dee Dee's solo career. Conceptually inspired whilst in rehab and used as a project of focus when embracing his newfound sobriety; the sheer enthusiasm and fearlessness of Standing In The Spotlight grants it a pass and a place as a truly absurd offshoot oddity from a vital member of the one of the defining punk bands.

Review: Jazzman Records' curatorial moniker Greasy Mike delivers a seventh compilation in his eponymous beatnik jazz series. At The Beatnik Cafe follows up former visits to the Tropical Island, the Chinese Takeaway, and the Halloween haunted house for a trip back in time and place to 1950s New York, netting the sonic essence of the Beat generation. Predominantly comprising swing, bebop and hard bop recorded during and at the turn of the following decade, we're smitten at the likes of Harvey Anderson's 'Monday Night At 8PM', The Seven Arts Beat Society's 'New York Havana', and Cindy Laine's 'Whispering Wind', all of which amount to prototypical, quiet cafe-bound storms, and the perfect complements for free-assocative poetry composition and goatee grooming.

Review: This is, indeed, a compilation of mod, curator Dean Rudland's focus here is Ace Records, whose whopping catalogue provides a historic snapshot of Black American funk and southern soul. A dynamic selection of faintly jazz-intoned US soul and r&b is hauled from the net here, as delights from the likes of Richard Berry, The Merced Blue Notes, Jimmy Hughes, James Carr, Timmy Thomas and Lowell Fulsom hear them engaging in various thematic staples of the time: pining after girls, deliberating over faux pas, riffing against Hammonds, and revelling - finding joy, in fact - in the everyday blues. With a few Northern soul treats also peppered in there to contrast to the introductory southerly comforts, this is the perfect intro compilation for those seeking the best music to go with their mohair.