The Shames were a garage rock band from Ipswich, Massachusetts who were active in the mid-1960s. They are known amongst collectors for two songs which are highly regarded: "Special Ones" and especially "My World is Upside Down," which has been mentioned as a classic in the genre.
"It's a Cry'n Shame" is a song written by Seab Meador and Mike Kelley and was recorded in 1966 by the Gentlemen, an American garage rock band from Dallas, Texas who were active between 1964 and 1968. It was originally released as the B-side to "You Can't Be True" but has become by far the better-known song. "It's a Cry'n Shame" has been included in several garage rock compilations and is now recognized as one of the greatest songs in the genre.
Teenage Shutdown! is a series of garage rock compilation albums assembled by Tim Warren of Crypt Records, best known for his Back from the Grave series. Most of the volumes in the Teenage Shutdown! series, gravitate towards the more raw and aggressive examples of the genre, but some volumes also reflect different aspects of garage rock, such as frat rock, soul-influenced rock, as well as folk rock and psychedelic. The series currently consists of fifteen LP's and CD's, which unlike the Back from the Grave series, are identical in both formats. The first ten installments were released in 1998 and the remainder in 1999 and 2000. The first volume Jump, Jive and Harmonize, was culled from the collection of 45-rpm singles owned by Mike Markesich. The series tends to follow the packaging format employed by other garage compilation series such as Pebbles and Back from the Grave: each volume includes detailed liner notes, for this series written by Mike Markesich, which include basic information about each song and group, such as origin and recording date. The information that they present reflects thorough research, including information about the circumstances of the recordings and brief biographical sketches of the groups. The various albums in the series occasionally include photographs of groups not actually included on the track listings, sometimes even going as far as to have such bands pictured on the front sleeves. Currently, there are fifteen volumes in the series.
Teenage Shutdown! Nobody to Love, sometimes referred to as "Volume 5", is the fifth installment in the Teenage Shutdown! series of garage rock compilations put out by Tim Warren of Crypt Records, which is available on both LP and compact disc formats. This volume was released on October 6, 1998, and consists primarily of folk rock-influenced material, not to mention some protest songs, as indicated in the sub-heading, "Mid-60s Teen Folkpunk: 18 Tales of Tension & Trauma". Like all of the entries in the series, the collection was compiled and mastered by Warren, using original 45 rpm records selected from the collection of garage rock archivist Mike Markesich.
Teenage Shutdown! Teen Jangler Blowout!, sometimes referred to as "Volume 9," is the ninth installment in the Teenage Shutdown! series of garage rock compilations put out by Tim Warren of Crypt Records, which is available on both LP and compact disc formats. This volume was released on December 29, 1998 and consists of primarily rocking and upbeat songs, as indicated by the sub-heading which reads "Cool Teen Clang n' Jangle Lowdown." Like all of the entries in the series, the collection was compiled and mastered by Warren, using original 45 rpm records selected from the collection of noted garage rock archivist, Mike Markesich.
"The World Ain't Round It's Square" is a song recorded in 1966 by The Savages, a garage rock band from Bermuda and was written by Howie Rego and Bobby Zuill. It was recorded live at the Hub, a nightclub at the Princess Hotel in Bermuda and appeared on their live album taped from the event, Live 'n Wild. The song has been mentioned as a landmark anthem of 1960s youthful defiance and is ranked #4 in the list of the 1000 greatest garage rock records in Mike Markesich's Teenbeat Mayhem. It has been featured on the Teenage Shutdown! The World Ain't Round, It's Square! compilation as well as included the reissue of Live 'n Wild.
Allentown Anglophile is a compilation album featuring American garage rock bands that were formed in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and active in the 1960s and 1970s. The album compiles various tracks taken from rare singles, original master tapes, and unreleased material that were previously only made available to few garage rock enthusiasts. It is the first installment of albums related to the Allentown garage rock scene, and was released on Distortions Records on April 15, 2005.
Sir Winston and the Commons were an American garage rock band formed in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1963. The group released two highly regarded singles, which, upon release, earned the band a regional following, and resulted in reinterest in their music over the years. At the height of their popularity, Sir Winston and the Commons were regulars at the teen dance club the Cellar, in Chicago.
The Escapades were an American garage rock band from Memphis, Tennessee who were active in the 1960s. They became one of the most popular groups in the Memphis area during the mid-1960s and recorded two singles. "I Tell No Lies", the A-side of their debut single, became a big hit in Memphis and around the South. They were signed to Verve Records, who released their follow-up, "Mad, Mad, Mad", which featured a fuzz-toned guitar line. Their work is highly regarded by garage rock enthusiasts and collectors and has appeared on various compilations.
Joe Frank and the Knights were an American garage rock band from Leland, Mississippi who were active between 1959 and 1965. They were led by Joe Frank Carollo. In the early-to-mid 1960s their popularity grew beyond the Mississippi delta and Memphis areas as they became one of the most popular groups in various parts of the Southern United States. They had a regional hit with "Can't Find a Way", which attracted the attention of ABC Records who picked up the record and re-released it for national distribution. However, the band broke up shortly thereafter, and Carollo joined the T-Bones, who later evolved into the soft rock trio Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds in the early 1970s.
Lawson and Four More were an American garage rock/psychedelic rock band from Memphis, Tennessee, who were active in the 1960s. The group was led by Bobby Lawson and was known for their hard, blues-based sound which, as they evolved, increasingly incorporated esoteric psychedelic elements. The group regularly worked with musician, songwriter, and producer Jim Dickinson and cut the first rock release for Memphis label, Ardent Records. As a side-project, they briefly recorded under the name The Avengers, as a Batman-themed takeoff group in 1966.
The Echoes of Carnaby Street were an American garage rock band from Miami, Florida who were active in the 1960s. They became a popular live act in the Miami area and enjoyed a minor regional hit with "No Place Or Time", released on Thames Records. In the intervening years their work has come to the attention of garage rock enthusiasts, particularly with the inclusion of "No Place No Time" on the 1986 Louisiana Punk Groups From The 60's Vol. 1 compilation, which paradoxically resulted in helping contribute to the misconception that they were a Louisiana band.
Randy and the Radiants were an American garage rock band from Memphis, Tennessee who were active from 1962 to 1966 and then again 1976–1984. They were one of the most popular groups in the Memphis area during the 1960s. Through their association with Knox Phillips, son of Sam Phillips, they signed with Sun Records and recorded two singles on the label which became hits in the region. Their second release, "My Way of Thinking", became one of the top hits in the area, reaching #1 on WGMN's charts. The group's work has today become highly regarded amongst garage rock enthusiasts and collectors.
The Dagenites were an American garage rock a band from Oxon Hill, Maryland near Washington, DC, who were active in the 1960s. They shared management and frequent billing with noted guitarist and performer Link Wray. In recent years their work has become highly regarded amongst garage rock enthusiasts and collectors and has been included on several compilations. The Dagenites are especially known for their proto-punk anthems, "I Don't Want to Try it Again" and "I'm Gone Slide", both of which have been mentioned as garage rock classics.
The Oxford Circle was an American garage rock and psychedelic rock band from Davis, California, near Sacramento, who were active from 1964 to 1967. They became a popular garage rock act with a proto-punk sound influenced by Them and other blues-based bands of the British Invasion, that, in addition to heavy guitar feedback, came to encompass psychedelia. The group began to make appearances in San Francisco, where they became a top draw in venues such as the Avalon Ballroom. They taped a show at the Avalon in 1966 and, after lying in the vaults for years, it was rereleased in 1997 on the Nuggets from California: Live at the Avalon 1966 anthology. In 1967, they released the single, "Foolish Woman" b/w "Mind Destruction", which is also included, along with several other studio outtakes, on the Nuggets from California compilation. In 1967, drummer Paul Whaley left to play in pioneering heavy rock act Blue Cheer. Lead vocalist and guitarist Gary Lee Yoder and bassist Dehner Patten left to form Kak, who recorded for Epic Records. Yoder subsequently went on to join Blue Cheer in one of their later configurations.
The Movin' Morfomen were an American garage rock and psychedelic band from Espanola, New Mexico, who active in the 1960s. They became one of the most popular acts in New Mexico and had several local and regional hits. They are well-regarded by garage rock and psychedelic enthusiasts, and their collected works appear on the Flashbacks! anthology, issued in 1997.
The Kreeg were an American garage rock band from Albuquerque, New Mexico who were active in the 1960s. They were one of the most popular groups in the Albuquerque area and enjoyed local hits from both sides of their 1966 single "How Can I" b/w "Impressin'". Their work has come to the attention of garage rock enthusiasts with the release of the 1996 anthology Impressin', which features their complete recordings.
The Brymers were an American garage rock band from San Joaquin Valley, California, who were active in the 1960s. They had a regional hit with the song "Sacrifice", which also received distribution overseas and managed to garnish airplay in parts of Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. Although they only released one single, they recorded numerous unissued tracks that would subsequently be released on CD between 2007 and 2008. The group reunited in 2007 and have since been active on stage and in the studio, releasing five CDs containing old and new material. "Sacrifice" and their version of "The House of the Rising Sun" were both featured in the film Jobs starring Ashton Kutcher. Their song "I Want to Tell You" was included in a scene from the ABC TV series Once Upon A Time.
The Grifs were an American garage rock band from Charlotte, North Carolina, who were active in the 1960s. Their song, "Catch a Ride" became the number one hit in Charlotte and did well in markets around the Carolinas, and reached number one in Birmingham, Alabama. The group was able to secure airplay in northern markets, such as in Lansing, Michigan, where it reached number one, as well as in the Detroit area and parts of Canada. They were invited to open for the Amboy Dukes in Detroit, where they began to play frequent engagements in the Michigan region, and recorded their second single, "Keep Dreaming", in Detroit. Just when the Grifs prospects looked hopeful, drummer Roy Skinner departed and guitarist Mike Wingate received a draft notice to go to Vietnam. By early 1968, the group folded. Their work is now highly regarded by garage rock enthusiasts and several of their songs have appeared on compilations.
Last of the Garage Punk Unknowns, Volumes 7 & 8: Heartbroken American Garage Jangle Misery 1965–1967 is a compilation album of 1960s garage rock available on compact disc and is part of the Last of the Garage Punk Unknowns series created and compiled by Tim Warren for Crypt Records. It was released and 2015 and combines volumes 7 and 8 of the LP counterparts in the series. Most of the set focuses on downcast and moody rock songs and ballads. Several of the tracks display folk rock influence. Packaging includes detailed liner notes that include basic information about each song and group, such as origin and recording date. The album also includes photographs of musical groups, and cover artwork reflects the mid-1960s style graphic art popular on record sleeves of the time.
