various artists - Trick Or Treat (Music To Scare Your Neighbours - Vintage 45’s From Lux And Ivy’s Haunted Basement)

Stinky's gone and done it again, dropping another fantastic comp over at Jokonky, this time celebrating spooky season for 2025. While I (justifiably) razzed him for the lack of Misfits, it's a pretty spectacular outing, as I've come to expect from his curations. It also inspired today's post, for what that's worth.

Those of you who have been on this trek with me for a while know that I like to share a Mummies record as my Halloween post every year. This year shall be no different, but I turned up this double CD for a tenner down on the Central Coast last winter, and I've been sitting on it for 10 months to bust it out. There's this cottage industry of "songs that Lux and Ivy taught us" comps, of such varying qualities that I can't bother to separate the wheat from the chaff. This one, though, has proven to be a wise investment of $10. Originating from the Righteous label (a Cherry Red imprint), you get 50 cuts of horror rock, all stemming from a time when jukin' and jivin' caused a moral panic. The horror was real!

If you're a rockabilly novice like I am, but want something different than Bobby Pickett or Glenn Danzig to play at your party this year, throw this one on the speakers and cut a rug.

Discogs

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various artists - The Groups Of Wrath: Songs Of The Naked City

This one was hanging out on a low shelf, all by its lonesome, when i came across it a few months ago. And the title on the spine gave me doo-wop or jazz noir vibes. So imagine my surprise to discover this was a compilation originally compiled by Marty Thau, owner of Red Star Records and NYC new wave impressiaro. Any look at the emergence of punk and new wave is going to gain my interest; the selections herein grabbed my attention:

• A pair of cuts from the New York Dolls' second LP
• Two Thau-produced Ramones demos from 1975
• The first Blondie single on Private Stock ("X Offender" b/w "In The Sun")
• One of my all-time favorite 45s - Suicide's "Cheree" b/w "I Remember"
• Two contributions each from Bloodless Pharaohs and the Fleshtones, both originally appearing on 1980's "Marty Thau Presents"
• A dynamic duo from Richard Hell & the Voidoids' 1982 LP, "Destiny Street"

There's a good chance that you're like me, and you already own a fair amount of these in their original forms, or as reissues, or part of other compilations. But it's nice to share something like this, with very distinctive curaation, and some Bob Gruen photography on the cover, with someone who hasn't discovered this era yet. I probably would have lost my mind if I had gotten this on cassette in 1991; so many groups I now find influential all gathered in one place, the same year I discovered Sonic Youth and Nirvana and Public Enemy. It's pretty cool to think about, which is why my niece is getting a copy of this in the mail in time for Thanksgiving.

Discogs

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various artists - Mailorder Is Still Fun!

 Oh sweet zombie Jesus...I forgot to write anything over the weekend. Time to bust out a quick 50-100 words on a 24-year-old label sampler.

"Mailorder Is Still Fun!"...and it still is, really. Asian Man always came correct with a package full of stickers and fliers and every once in a while a 1" pin or tow. It was most welcome getting a shit ton of swag on top of an Alkaline Trio LP or a Link 80 CD.

Extra tracks appended to the end, courtesy of Tomato Head Records, if the ol' noggin recalls correctly. This would have been the place I would have heard Big D and the Kids Table for the first time.

And done with 4 minutes to spare!

Discogs

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various artists - ClePunk.com Volume One

Smog Veil Records in Cleveland put out a ton of great records over their 30 years in existence. The Offbeats discography they put out in 2002 just rips, "The Day The Earth Met Rocket From The Tombs" is a must have for any self-respecting Dead Boys or Pere Ubu fan, and they released great records from Obnox, This Moment in Black History, x_x, and the Pagans. It's all good stuff worth keeping an eye peeled open for.

This is not one of those worthy releases. That's not talking shit, or even implying it's bad. Compiled by the folks at clepunk.com, I'm sure I copped this because I've never been afraid of a scene sampler, and it was on S.V., who'd never steered me wrong. But there aren't much in the way of standouts here, IMO. I was familiar with Allergic To Whores when I got this; they'd put out a pair of albums on Sound Pollution. The Unknown came from that vein of Midwestern pop punk from whence sprang Screeching Weasel and Dillinger 4. There's a band called Hellvis who play...you guessed it...psychobilly. There's also a band called Standing 69s, and one called Jacknife Powerbombs, and one called Phestur, so if you're into clever band names, you'll probably be way stoked on this.

This one might not be worth the $3 (plus shipping) you'd pay on Discogs for a copy, but it's better than a sharp poke in the dick. Enjoy.

Discogs

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The Cramps - Psychedelic Jungle / Gravest Hits

In the before/before time, I had a pretty reliable rule: if a bar had the Cramps on the jukebox, they were going to be my type of gin joint.

I'm partial to their earliest work, featuring the late Bryan Gregory on guitar alongside Poison Ivy. But this set, released by I.R.S. all the way back in '86, offers the best of both worlds: the second LP from the Cramps, 1981's "Psychedelic Jungle", and their 1979 12" "Gravest Hits". "Jungle" is rad as its one of Kid Congo Power's' earliest appearances on vinyl; he replaced Gregory after the Cramps' first LP, and began doing double duty in the Gun Club in 1982.

This is so trashy. It makes me want to sniff glue and watch some Joe Don Baker movies. I want to stomp on feet and eat a plate of cake and go back to drinking $2 whiskeys in a shitty part of town and put about 20 Cramps on the jukebox and wake up with a painful, delicious headache from too much fun.

Discogs

Click here to download.