The Halibuts - Life On The Bottom (Upstart)
"The west coast's hottest and happiest instrumental surf sextet is back!"
The Halibuts play clean, fun instrumental rock with lots of surprises thrown in here and there to create a sound all their own. They aren't afraid to throw in jingle bells, cow bells, horns, piano, and trumpets into their songs. The variety found on this discs makes catagorization difficult; you definitely can't call 'em a surf band. They go from the perkiness of "Caldera" to the introspective stylings of "Stinky" without flinching. My favorite track on here is also the one with the oddest name: "Ta-Hu-Wa-Hu-Wai". They conclude the recording with a smoky rendition of Gershwin's "Summertime". The CD is packaged with a see-through insert to make the case look like a miniature aquarium. (Upstart Records, P.O. Box 44-1418, W. Sommerville, MA 02144.)

Harmonicats - Harmonicats (Varese Sarabande)
"This group is famous for the harmonica of Jerry Murad and such hits as Peg O' My Heart and Bewitched."
Let by Jerry Murad, this harmonica trio plays rich, melodic tunes that will make you think of a more innocent time. Among the standards included here are September Song, Tea For Two, If I Had My Way, and many others. I really like some of their later theme albums, especially The Soul of Italy, which has a bunch of Italian classics. This one is great for hearing what they sounded like during their early years. (Continental #4)

The Hi-Balls - Hi-Balls Feel Good Rock and Roll 7" (Regent)
The Hi-Balls go for the cheap beer soaked frat rock sound, and achieve it in spades on this fine release from Regent Recordings. It's a little sloppy, but the energy of this combo comes through. It's a wonder Estrus hasn't snatched these guys up yet. If you dig The Makers or the Lord High Fixers you oughta dig The Hi-Balls. (Continental #5)

Huevos Rancheros - Get Outta Dodge (Mint)
"A damn good record and a damn good reason to throw a fiesta."
I’m not sure if this is considered an EP or an LP. There are seven tracks on here, which is about half way in-between the two formats. Anyway, what you’ll find here is some of the best instro rawk you’ll find anywhere. The first six tracks are originals, written for maximum rock n’ roll pleasure. ‘Shadow Of The Apache’ is kind of a Tex-Mex hoedown, with plenty of twang and bouncy bass. The final track is the oft covered ‘Lonely Bull’. If you haven’t heard these guys before, this is a fine intro to Huevos Rancheros’ brand of spy n’ surf rock. (The Continental #2)

Huevos Rancheros - Longo Weekendo Fiesta (Lucky)
No press kit was included.
Sheesus! These guys really know how to tear a place up. The three boys in this band must be the bastard sons of Link Wray, only the fruits of his loins could rock like this! Whatcha get here are 21 tunes, half originals and half covers, performed live in front of a rabid audience somewhere. What's cool about this band is that they don't play covers note-for-note. They add their own unique spin to them, so every tune has that unmistakable Huevos sound. Included here are all of yer HR favs, like "Endsville", "Get Outta Dodge", Huevosaurus", "Secret Recipe", and more, plus a few Link tunes - "Jack The Ripper", "Hotel Lonliness", and "Rawhide". Long live the kings of Canadian instro rawk!!! (Lucky Records, P.O. Box 4636, Seattle, WA 98104.) (The Continental #1)

The Human Tornados - The Human Tornados (Klang)
"The Human Tornados prove that instrumental rock n' roll remains a living, breathing and sweating art."
What an amazing surprise this disc was! I had never heard of The Human Tornados until their CD appeared in my mailbox and it hasn't left my stereo since. Imagine a combination of Los Straitjackets (their on-stage fire) and Satan's Pilgrims (their incredible sense of melody) and you've got The Human Tornados. They even do Jobim's Wave (which appeared on Satan's Pilgrims' last CD) and it's really a tossup as to which version is better. This CD is a must for every instro rock aficionado. (Continental #4)

The Huntington Cads - Go Exotic!! (Mai Tai)
"Their first full length album features some of the prettiest and saddest melodies ever laid down by a Fender Jazzmaster."
The Cads play clean, fun surf music with tons of melodies and lots of experience behind them. Featuring ex-members of The Finks and The Boardwalkers, as well as a guy named Josh, they have created a fine sound for themselves. What sets them apart from other surf bands is their extensive use of acoustic guitars as playing the rhythm parts. This softens their sound a bit, but also adds more depth to their sound. "Enchantment" is one of the standout tracks on here, full of mystery and intrigue. If you haven' heard The Cads on one of their singles, you've really been missing something. For 14 tracks of surf magic, it's time for you to join The Huntington Cads and Go Exotic!! (Mai Tai Records, 841 W. Collins, Orange, CA 92667.) (The Continental #1)

Dick Hyman - Moog - The Electric Eclectics of Dick Hyman (Varese Sarabande)
""Originally released in 1969 on Command Records, this album spent 30 weeks on the Billboard album chart and spawned the hit single The Minotaur."
One look at the cover art will tell you you're in for some spaced-out listening. This was music way ahead of it's time. If you dig the sound of the Moog synthesizer you will undoubtedly enjoy Dick Hyman's use of this electronic instrument. I have been a big Kraftwerk fan for years and this is right up my alley, sounding similar to their earlier albums like Ralf & Florian and Autobahn. This may be even more wacked out than that. If you are into cool sounds from the edge of the exotica genre, Varese Sarabande is the label.

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