Duke Levine - Lava CD
"Levine's third Daring Records release and the eagerly-awaited follow up to the acclaimed Memphis-to-Bakersfield jaunt, Country Soul Guitar, is a barn burnin' tour of musical Americana."
I wasn't sure what to expect from this just looking at the cover art, but it's quite a cool CD musicwise. Mixing the finer elements of rockabilly, swing, country, lounge, and Duane Eddy-like twang, this 11 track CD got plenty of time in my player. Speaking of Duane Eddy, he does a fine cover of Stalkin'. The title track is a fine example of spaghetti western music done right. My favorite track is Lover's Lane, which is a mid-tempo Tex-Mex twanger that reminded me of the first Friends of Dean Martinez album. (Continental #4)

The Lively Ones - Hang Five!!! The Best Of The Lively Ones CD (Del-Fi)
This has got to be one of the best, if not the best surf reissue CD's ever. There are loads of excellent tunes here: High Tide, Goofy Foot, Misirlou, Surf Rider, Telstar, Mr. Moto, Bustin' Surfboards, Surf Beat, and many more. From the high-energy staccato picking of High Tide to the Shadows-like sound of Exodus The Lively Ones could do it all. With a booklet of rare photos and liner notes written by Domenic Priore, this package is a must for every surf fanatic. (Continental #4)

The Loons - The Loons (Demo)
"The raw, primitive sound of The Loons veers between twisted, high energy punk R&B rave-ups and moodier, more disturbing material."
The first minute or so of this tape is filled with the sound of loons and narration done like an episode of Wild Kingdom. What you'll hear next is the savage sound of this four piece combo out of San Diego composed of former members of The Tell-Tale Hearts, The Hoods, and The Bomboras. If I had to compare The Loons to anyone I guess it would have to be The Standells, which is definitely a compliment. This is one of the few demo tapes that I won't be recording over. (Mike Stax, 3707 Fifth Ave. #145, San Diego, CA 92103.) (Hmmm...#7)

Lord High Fixers - Once Upon A Time Called...Right Now! CD (Estrus)
"The Lord High Fixers' aural onslaught of unrestrained fury and feedback continues with their latest six-song shakedown."
Loud, noisy, snotty grind-rock with lots of feedback and raw vocals battling to grab your attention. This is music that you can't ignore. Put it on and watch your party get out of hand, cans of beer will start flying across the room, bowls of pretzels will hit the floor, and soon the cops will be at your door telling you to turn this shit off. (Hmmm...#7)

Los Straitjackets - Viva Los Straitjackets CD (Upstart)
"The masked men of instrumental rock are back."
You will not find a group of more talented musicians than the four members of Los Straitjackets. These guys are well versed in the long history of instrumental rock, which works to their advantage when coming up with new tunes. 'Viva Los Straitjackets' is their second release on Upstart, following their popular debut disk entitled 'The Utterly Fantastic Sound Of Los Straitjackets'. This set of tunes sounds even better, if that is possible, especially tunes like "Lonely Apache", "Pacifica", and "Lawnmower". If they swing through your neck of the woods, be sure to catch 'em live. That's where they're at their best, cranking out one cool tune after another while sweating up a storm behind their Mexican wrestling masks. (Upstart Records, P.O. Box 44-1418, W. Sommerville, MA 02144.) (Hmmm...#7)

Los Mel-tones - Surfin' At Black Point CD (Halakahiki)
"Realizing the futility of pursuing the big wave sport on a river, they decided to form a band with the aim of capturing the feeling of the power of a surging wave and the pounding surf."
Quite an amazing release from this Canadian combo, sixteen original tunes full of reverb, pounding drums, and throbbing bass. From the opening riffs of Rocket Sled To Oahu to the closing chords of Astronomic you'll be taken on a journey through a land of big waves, sandy beaches, cool beverages, and plenty of reverb. (Continental #4)

Lou Hoeffner Trio Minus One - Derrick 2000 7" (Sheep) If you dig sci-fi soundtrack music with a little bit of Shadows inspired twang, then the Lou Hoeffner Trio Minus One is the combo for you. The lead track goes back and forth between a slow, haunting melody and a fast, spy soundtrack stomp. The flip side contains a sci-fi space rocker called Harry-In-Orbit. Two members of the Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited (with a recent release on Mai Tai Records) are in this combo. Fans of Man Or Astroman? with an open mind will really like this 7 release. (Continental #5)

The Loved Ones - The Loved Ones EP (Get Hip) The Loved Ones are/were a great R & B group. I just got this for review and it came out way back in 1992. In any case, this 7" shows fine musicianship and the vocals/harmonica of lead singer Bart Davenport. You'll find four tracks here - Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights), Crying In The Morning, Hold On and Sticks & Stones. (Continental #5)

Lucky Me - Spoon EP (Collective Fruit)
The best thing about this release is that it's pressed on cool root beer colored vinyl. The band includes Jon Auer of The Posies, who also engineered and mixed the EP. I wasn't too crazy about the music though - Jon's far removed from the sound The Posies had just a few years ago. (Continental #5)

The Lustre Kings - Mark Gamsjager Rocks & The Lustre Kings Roll CD (Cacophone)
"This is that walk, that talk, that look and that car. Bowling shirts and sharp shoes, Neon signs and late hours."
This rockin' little platter is jam packed with cool rockabilly & down n' dirty rock n' roll tunes. These cats have got the pure vintage sound down pat, rockin' through tunes like Bopalena, Rockin' Daddy, Prissy Missy, Four O' Clock Baby, and Rumble. With that big ole Gretsch strapped around his neck, Mark Gamsjager lays down some of the coolest rockabilly licks you'll find anywhere, while the rest of The Lustre Kings provide the boppin' rhythm. So give this disc a spin at your next fish fry, you'll be the hit of the party. (Continental #4)

The Lustre Kings - Rockabilly Is Good Food 7" (Cacophone)
"They're an extremely cool extremely slick rockabilly trio."
I love rockabilly like this. The Lustre Kings sound like a traditional rockabilly band from the 50's, complete with exquisite guitar picking, heavy reverb on the vocals, and the fast shuffle drum beat. The A-side, "Evil Woman", chugs along like a mighty steam train before completely losing control at the end. The B-side is called "No Club (Lone Wolf)" is a bit slower, going for a spooky, ballad type atmosphere. Recorded live in front of a rabid audience in Trumansburg, New York. (The Continental #1)

Arthur Lyman - Taboo CD (Rykodisc/HiFi)
"The group, their instruments, their sound and their music, are native, pulsatingly primitive, often eerie."
Ryko have done an outstanding job with this reissue. The sound quality here is perfect, with every exotic instrument and birdcall jumping out of the speakers. The liner notes are comprehensive, with beautiful photos sprinkled thoughout. All of the tracks from the original album are here, along with several bonus tracks pulled from Lyman’s Bwana A album. In all there are sixteen slices of sound that will conjure up images of swinging palm trees, hula dancers, and fruity rum drinks. (The Continental #2)

Arthur Lyman - With A Christmas Vibe CD (Rykodisc)
"Remixed and remastered, even including a special "secret" bonus New Years track that we found in our archive of outtakes."
This reissue from Rykodisc offers a new sound for traditional holiday tunes. These tracks were originally released as Mele Kalikimaka back in the 60's. On this recording Lyman uses the traditional melodies, but uses vibes and other Hawaiian instrumentation for the orchestrations. There are a few placed jingle bells thrown in as well. To complete the package there are extensive liner notes, Hawaiian holiday food recipies, and lots of cool photos. You just can't help having fun while listening to this. For a true taste of Christmas in Hawaii, give this one a listen. (Rykodisc, Shetland Park, 27 Congress St., Salem, MA 01970.) (The Continental #1)

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