VA - Intoxica! Strange And Sleazy Instrumental Sounds From The SoCal Suburbs (2013)

This is the first in a series presenting the Downey output by genre. Interestingly, the first compilation out of the gate is an instrumental collection, but not a surf comp. (Everyone knows Pipeline, but theyll just have to wait). The Downey vaults have been trawled thoroughly in order to bring straight-from-the-masters quality (and in doing so, discovering that the released sides were only the tip of the iceberg).

This collection features instrumentals from the young bands from the California beach communities and as far east as Las Vegas; cabaret acts from the lounges of Lake Tahoe and Palm Springs; mixed in with some great R&B names who used Downeys studio and cut some fine instrumental of their own. The theme that links them is a quirky sense of drama and fun, a certain sleaziness, a movie theme creativity, and all recorded in an experimental fashion the equal of Joe Meek, who was working contemporaneously in London.

This collection will appeal to instrumental collectors, who have to have all sax/guitar tracks they dont yet have, and this comp has oodles of rare sides and seven unreleased gems. They will be familiar with the likes of the Revels, Rumblers, Nevegans and Hustlers. At the same time it has appeal for the lover of lounge-sleaze.