Monday, November 21, 2011

Lux and Ivy's Favorites Volume Sixteen











Here is Lux and Ivy's Favorites Volume 16.

This volume is based entirely upon the track listing for a tape called FLAMEOUT ON THE RANCHO GRANDE. It has become apparent over the years of making these compilations that Lux used to make mix tapes and then title them with a combination of the song titles on the tape (i.e. FORBIDDEN CITY DOGFOOD etc).

This track listing was fascinating in that 99 percent of the tracks were from the easy listening/exotica/incredibly strange music vein. Lux and Ivy talked about this genre quite a bit in the in the Incredibly Strange Music interview, and some of the previous volumes have touched upon this genre, but here you get a complete over dose! This is a nearly vocal-less compilation filled with castanets, mutated harmonicas, wild steel guitar, accordions, a few kaiju themes, some wild jungle drumming, and I think there's a theremin in there somewhere.

This is the first volume taken largely from LP's, so do some digging. Pick up some the LP's these songs were taken from. There will be hours of listening enjoyment ahead (for those of you with brave ears).

The two stand out artists for me are Leo Diamond and Joe Maize. I was somewhat familiar with Leo Diamond from the Skin Diver's Suite LP , but that didn't prepare me for the awesomeness of the couple of tracks that can be heard here. Both tracks are taken from the LP, EXCITING SOUNDS FROM ROMANTIC PLACES. The harmonica sounds he comes up with are wild. Speaking of wild, say hello to Joe Maize! This guy is an amazing steel guitar player. The sounds he gets on some of these tracks are jaw dropping. I highly recommend the LP, PRESENTING JOE MAIZE AND HIS CORDSMEN on Decca. I guess their live shows were a mix of comedy routines and music. If you find the LP and see the cover, you'll get an idea of what their live show must have been like.

A Huge thank you goes out to Hiroshi Sekiguchi for sending me the track listing so I could put this together. And of course, a huge thank you to Adam Fitch for his continuing contributions to the look of the series. Also, thanks to Paul Goff for sending me beauty dragster.

All this wouldn't fit on one CD, there are 2 "sides".

Enjoy

Side_One (link fixed)
Side_Two

If you downloaded before 9:00 PM EST, please download again, you are missing some artwork.