Idlewilde South - Feel It / Pedro's Bar & Grill. 1980 USA-South Carolina

From the hinterlands of South Carolina. A) side is FM friendly bar n' roll. B) side features an opening cool hard rock riff that reminds me of Blackfoot when they catch a groove. Actually the whole song reminds me of Blackfoot.

1/23/24

Doug Mays & The Sticky Kids - Raining in My Heart / Part Time Lover. 1981 USA-Mississippi

From Biloxi. About as bad as you would expect. A) side is straight up early 80s dummy hard rock. B) side is worse with a bluesy angle that makes you want to forget the decade altogether. 

2.5 / 2.0

1/23/24

Wilderness II - Strange Kind of Woman / In Medley. 1972 USA-Oklahoma

From Tulsa. Both tracks are badly produced Deep Purple covers. B) side is 'Lazy' with some extending jamming. 

2.5 / 2.5

1/23/24

The Innkeepers II - Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show / Cryin's Not My Style. USA-Pennsyvlania

Complete unknown here. If I owned this it would go straight into my Unknown Vinyl Records blog. Label is from northeast Pennsylvania. A) side is a cover of Neil Diamond. Though advertised as psych, this is gather 'round the campfire singalong-and-clap music. Other side isn't that much better, but has a better chord progression and no handclaps. 

I didn't get the label image and it isn't showing anywhere at the moment, including popsike.

2 / 2

1/23/24

The Cardboard Box - Come on Baby / Carol. 1969 USA-Pennsylvania

From Pottstown. A side starts off with a bit of distortion and moves into uptempo garage territory, with an almost funky beat. Good fuzz solo near the two minute mark. 'Carol' is a sleepy ballad. A side has been comped, so it's become sought after. 

1/23/24

August - All the Time in the World / Old Lady. USA-Boston

Pop / Bubblegum psych with light hard rock touches. Has some decent distorted soloing. Mostly unknown. Label is from Boston, so likely a New England based group. 

1/23/24

Soul Patrol - Don't Knock the Cop / Peter Pan. 1971 USA-Fort Worth

Soul Patrol's sole 45 is a four figure expensive rarity. Musically it's right in the JB's / James Brown strike zone. Tight horns, rhythm guitar, sax, funky bass/drums, lots of "huh's" and "owws". 'Peter Pan' is instrumental and is in a similar musical vein.

1/2/24

Yellow Hair – Somewhere / Talent For Lovin'. 1969 USA-Missouri

A) side is like a psychedelic America (the band). Has their folk rock style but the harmony is more Beach Boys oriented. I'm a sucker for "la la la la's". They were from St. Joseph. Not a sound I'd associate with the region. On the B side their Midwest upbringing comes out. More aggressive with fuzz, fast drumming, and a rural rock underpinning.

1/2/24

Unsettled Society – 17 Diamond Studded Cadillacs / Passion Seeds. 1969 USA-New York

A side is a heavy wah wah psych classic that's been comped quite a bit. Neither track made any of the ones I own, so this is my first exposure. In hearing the drum patterns and guitar effects, one has to presume Iron Butterfly's poster was up in their collective bedrooms. Proto Krautrock really. B side goes for the witchy mystic midnight hour sound. They can't sing, but that's part of the allure honestly. Looks like they were from Syracuse.

1/2/24

Inner Lite – Hold On To Him / Tabula Rasa. 1969 USA-Iowa

Here's an oddball release from Des Moines, Iowa of all places. The label name certainly would have been considered risqué in its era. A) side is a pleasant organ driven pop psych, not that far from what Bacharach was writing, minus the talented musicians of course. B side ups the rock ante from the off, with a fine guitar solo early on and he never gives back the song from there. 

1/2/24

Something Different – Zulu Man / Chemical Reaction. 1970 USA

Starts off with harpsichord and goes into a folk rock direction from there. Also I hear what sounds like a bouzouki, perhaps the reason why they named the group as they did. B side starts off with a more aggressive beat before the harpsichord joins in. We also get some organ jamming and a percussion solo. For 1970 it really is something different. No idea where these guys might be from. 

3 / 3

1/2/24