My Soul Has Been Psychedelicized: A '60s Garage Rock Compilation

      I know that there are a lot of '60s garage rock compilations already out in the world.  Like, was every twenty-year-old on the planet in the late 1960s in a garage band that released a single at some point for a regional label? I can't definitively remember what the impetus was creating yet another one, but I think it might have been finding the Brazilian Nuggets series. as well as rediscovering the Los Nuggetz series.  And then at some point, I just kept burrowing down into the giant rabbit hole of obscure '60s garage rock, only clawing my way out recently. I've posted the first two volumes of what will ultimately be a six-volume set.  Hope folks find some stuff they like that they have not heard before.

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                                           Volume 1

Action Woman	The Litter
Bad Girl	Zakary Thaks
Go Go en Patines	Los Vikingos
Tried To Hide	The 13th Floor Elevators
It's A Cry'n Shame	Gentlemen
I Want More	Tropics
Mrs. Robinson	Francis Morello
Psychotic Reaction	Count Five
Walking Down Lonesome Road	The Merrymen
What'd I Say	Fernando Conde e os Electrónicos
Hide Yourself	The Vejtables
Jack the Ripper	Link Wray & The Wraymen
No Money No Honey	The Invaders
Chiya Chiya	Conjunto Nueva Galaxia
I'm in Pittsburgh (and it's Raining)	The Outcasts
It's My Fault	The Rattles
Con Su Soledad	The Flippers
Tartária	OS TARTAROS
Volume 2
At the River's Edge	The New Colony Six
Mirror Of Your Mind	We The People
Comete	Les Fanatic's
One Track Mind	The Knickerbockers
Edge of Nowhere	The Sunday Group
No Next Time	Bobby & Laurie
She's About a Mover	Sir Douglas Quintet
I'm Going Home	The Choir
Mr. Train Hurry Up	Shelly y Nueva Generación
It's Love	The Misty Wizards
Voices Green and Purple	The Bees
You're Doin' Me Wrong	Billy McKnight & the Plus 4
Maid Of Sugar, Maid Of Spice	Mouse And The Traps
Bye, Bye Chiquilla	Los Brincos
Shish kebab yéyé	Ali Baba & ses 4 voleurs
Searching	The Entertainers
Strolling After Dark	Shades
Time Has Come Today	The Chambers Brothers

                                           

When I am Revealing My Heart: A Clem Snide/Eef Barzelay Compilation

     I bought Clem Snide’s Ghost of Fashion when it was released in 2001.  I think I gave it a couple of cursory listens, and then ignored it for about 15 years.  When I listened to it again, several of the songs really resonated, and it made me a lot more receptive to the truly sublime Forever Just Beyond, maybe my favorite album from 2020.  But it was only in 2025 that I truly went down the rabbit hole.  In particular, the lead singer and main songwriter of Clem Snide, Eef Barzelay, has an enormous repertoire of covers available on Bandcamp. So even though there are thirty songs here, there’s a lot more Clem/Eef to enjoy.  In addition to Forever Just Beyond, I particularly recommend Fan Chosen Covers 5, We Leave Only Ashes, and You Were a Diamond.  And if Clem/Eef grows on you like they grew on me, Eef does play house concerts. 

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           Volume 1

I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire

All Green

The Ballad Of Ice Cube Boy And Snowflake Girl

Denise

Song For Bob Crane

Me No

Love The Unknown

Let's Explode

The King of Carrot Flowers, Pt. One

Those Spanish Ladies of the Night

Now The Moment's Gone

Escape Artist Blues

Avalanche

Flake

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

         Volume 2

From The Morning

Sea Legs

Sam Spirals

Jews for Jesus Blues

Teenage Existentialist

The Open Road

Free

Don't Think Twice, It's All Right

Lost On The River

Don't Bring No Ladder

Free

Grace

My Drug Buddy

Saturday Sun

Find Love

On the Right Side of 2025

Even though I'm at an age where the years are supposed to get (i.e. seem) shorter, I swear 2025
felt like a decade.  Sigh....... But at least there was a lot of good music.  I'm not sure if artists were just making great downbeat music or I gravitated more (than usual) to downbeat music.  Maybe it's both.

In particular, I would recommend the 2025 releases by Folk Bitch Trio, the Sinners soundtrack, Antibalas, De La Soul, Neko Case, Ken Pomeroy, Sessa, and Tobacco City. 

Once again, I only included artists that were not on the 2023 or 2024 best of volumes.  Also, all of the previous year-end compilations are available (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024).

Wishing everyone a much less gruesome 2026!

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Disc 1
Morning on K Road	Steve Gunn
Wake	SYML
Bright Yellow Sun	West Texas Exiles
Leads Me Home	The War And Treaty
Last Hard Bible	Sunny Sweeney
The Catastrophe (Good Luck With That, Man)	Car Seat Headrest
Sweet Danger	Obongjayar
Dearest Darling	Thee Headcoats
Summer Of Love	Throwing Muses
Nowhere Now	Eve Adams
Praga	Tim Bernardes
Fallen Leaves	Mekons
Afterlife	Sharon Van Etten
Lo Life	Antibalas
Into Nothing	Lera Lynn
That There's a Strategy	Shrunken Elvis
Town Lights Fade	Chris Eckman
Into My Arms	Lykke Li
Disc 2
Cathode Ray	Folk Bitch Trio
Estou Pensando Em Você (feat. Johanna)	Nyron Higor
Nearsight [SID]	Miguel
Cabin In The Sky	De La Soul
The Third Door	Vanishing Twin
Bienvenue à la maison	Amadou & Mariam
Wang Dang Doodle	Cedric Burnside, Shardé Thomas, & Tierinii Jackson
NOIRE	Sudan Archives
Winchester Mansion of Sound	Neko Case
Better Deal Blues	Daniel Donato
Workin' Man Blues	Willie Nelson
Hush	Jessie Baylin
Lifetime	Erika de Casier
Flannel Cowboy	Ken Pomeroy
Coronation Street	CMAT
God Knows	Tunde Adebimpe
Heart of Gold	Fiona Apple
Love Me Like You Used To Do	Margo Price
Disc 3
Everybody Hurts	Lucius
Snow Camping	Laura Veirs and the Choir Who Couldn't Say
Survival Mode	Lilliana Villines
El Techno	Geckøs
My Get Back	Holly Golightly
Glencoe	Paul Burch
Dead Or Gone To Dallas	Steve Earle & Reckless Kelly
Time Ain't Nothin'	GARRETT T. CAPPS
I Don't Care	Kelly Willis
Let Me Dream	Julianna Riolino
Dodói	Sessa
Here Comes The Sun	anaiis
Pale, Through the Window	Ruston Kelly
Big Deal	Lucy Dacus
Don't Miss Your Bus Lorraine	The Delines
Colorado	Tobacco City
Bullfighter	Joleen Brown
The Mouth	Anna von Hausswolff

 

On the Right Side of Christmas 2025

    I really wanted to get this posted on the weekend so folks could play it while putting up their trees, but I just can't seem to get anything done in a timely fashion these days. Plus, I'm having an issue with my file sharing service.  Alas.   Regardless, I've got another Christmas compilation (and I should note all sixteen of the previous Christmas compilations are available for download).  It's not quite as mellow as last year's, but still family-friendly, I think. Hope everyone has a very Happy Holidays!

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O Holy Night	Irma Thomas
Merry Christmas Baby	Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers
Christmas In Jail	The Youngsters
It's Christmas Time Once Again	Brian Hyland
Foggy Xmas Breakdown	Xmas Balls
Run Rudolph Run	Dave Edmunds
Marshmallow March	The Surfrajettes
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)	Blue Skies for Black Hearts
Christmas Time's a Comin'	Ranch Girls & Hillbilly Boogiemen
Purple Snowflakes	Weeping Willows
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas	First Aid Kit
Christmas Is Holy	Jimmy Silva's Goat 5
Falalalalove Ya	Nikki Lane
I Believe In St. Nick	The Cashmeres
Christmas Will Be Just Another Day	Jenni Muldaur and BV's
White Winter Hymnal	Piney Gir (Feat. Roxys)
White Christmas	Charlie Parker
I Want You With Me At Christmas	Jesse Belvin
We Three Kings	Steve Hunter
Time For Love	The Yuletime Lifters
Adeste Fideles	The Mills Brothers
Noche De Paz	Carla Morrison
Cruel World	Concrete Blonde
Auld Lang Syne	Platters

Give Me Coffee Every Time

    I forgot what impelled me to create this coffee-themed compilation, but in doing so, I realized that there are a LOT more songs about alcohol than coffee.  I completely understand, even as an older person who drinks very little alcohol and a lot of coffee these days.  And, judging by the songs below, I would say that coffee does provide some excellent inspiration. 

         I kinda cheated a little bit by including two songs written by Tom T. Hall and two written by Gwil Owen, but  the cover versions were just too good to overlook.  Enjoy!!

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Coffee	Miguel
One More Cup Of Coffee	Bob Dylan
Don't Forget the Coffee Billy Joe	Tom T. Hall
Hot Black Coffee	Gwil Owen
Five Cups Of Coffee	The Jayhawks
Coffee Monkey	The Bottle Rockets
Clown’s Coffee	The Coctails
Coffee Grindin' Blues	Asylum Street Spankers
One Cup Of Coffee	Bob Marley
Coffee Stain	Sarah Harmer
Scalding Hot Coffee Rag	Craig Ventresco
The Coffee Song	Sam Cooke
Cup of Coffee	Johnny Cash
Too Much Coffee	Toni Price
Cigarettes and Coffee Blues	Jean Shepard
Salt in Your Coffee	Betty James
Coffee & Acker Cake	Acker Bilk
Black Coffee In Bed	Squeeze
Black Coffee and Lifesavers	Randy Weeks
Cigarettes And Coffee	Otis Redding
Black Coffee	Julie London
Coffee, Coffee, Coffee	Freedy Johnston