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An Xperience Article: THE RECORD FILE by Tony Mastrianni

Written by Staff on June 8, 2026

THE RECORD FILE by Tony Mastrianni

SUNDAZED RECORDS AND WARNER MUSIC SHINING BRIGHTLY; THE DANDY WARHOLS IMPRESS & NO HOLDS BARRED ROCK FROM CLEOPATRA RECORDS!

The original owners of SUNDAZED RECORDS were from Coxsackie, NY, where the offices were located. The company was founded in 1989, sold in 2017, and is now part of the Exceleration family of labels. Sundazed is now based in Hillsborough, North Carolina, and they continue to reissue great vinyl records of rock, garage punk, jazz, sunshine pop, and everything weird and wonderful. The label is “Aces Up” among serious collectors, and you can purchase their product at independent record stores or search the label online and order directly. Kudos to this superb label for re-releasing so many outstanding vinyl records and for issuing numerous new former LP titles that continue to fascinate record aficionados.

THE RUNAWAYS (self-titled) LP. Well, you read here in March about FANNY’s reissued album ‘Mother’s Pride;’ now it is time to tell you that another great 70s all-women American rock band, The Runaways, are raised again. Originally issued and out of print, Sundazed has reissued it yet again – this time on blue vinyl. Joan Jett and Cherie Currie led this hard-driven, fresh array of electrically charged, frenetic vocals. “Cherry Bomb” literally exploded on the charts as a major single from this album. It was their first commercial hit. The girls could really kick it with their knee-high boots, slam-bam vocals, and high-energy electric guitar attack. They captivated audiences both in their recordings and in performance. Here, there are many great tracks. Cherie sang with power and vigor on “Secrets,” and she and Joan whispered back and forth on the final track, “Dead End Justice.” If you listened to Joan Jett and The Blackhearts but never listened to The Runaways, you are in for some high-powered sonic boom. And, I did not get to tell you how impressive Lita Ford is on guitar. This is a five-star record throughout! Now available in limited edition blue vinyl.

THE AMBOY DUKES ‘JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE MIND’ LP

Ted Nugent was the center of the band, with his amazing guitar prowess, but the 1960’s band was star-studded with other talented musicians, taking us on a psychedelic journey. Singer John Drake had a distinctive phrasing, and rhythm guitarist Steve Farmer wrote much of the material herein and played guitar adeptly. Known for the title track single, the album is loaded with mind-bending sounds. A powerhouse of psychedelia captured in the studio. One terrific album, from the 60’s. Recorded with precision by producer Bob Shad. Wonderfully executed with some tinges of jazz. (Shad’s main gig was his production of jazz albums). 4 STAR LP. Limited quantities still available.

Here are several other recommended SUNDAZED 60’s reissued LP titles that you might want to consider buying before they are sold out:

PSYCHADELIC CLASSICS: EDENS CHILDREN self-titled; EDENS CHILDREN ‘Sure Looks Real” w/ bonus tracks; (The aforementioned) THE AMBOY DUKES ‘Journey To The Center Of the Mind’ (hookah glass blue vinyl) **early Ted Nugent’s band masterpiece; JOKER’S WILD ‘Step Outside Your Mind’ 2-LP; THE ORIENT EXPRESS self-titled (red and blue splatter color vinyl); THE SUPERFINE DANDELINE self-titled (blue vinyl); INTERNATIONAL SUBMARINE BAND ‘Safe At Home’ (featuring early Gram Parsons) in analog mono. All these reissues were from acclaimed ’60s

underground bands who were revolutionary in creating original psychedelic sounds. These rare commodities are now available. High-quality pressings, and they are reasonably priced. Act now, as quantities remain limited for these psych classics.

RECORD STORE DAY (RSD) was in April. SUNDAZED scored big once again. Try snagging these two RSD special releases: THE SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS ‘Roasted Right’ (expanded edition); and, DR. JOHN ‘The Brightest Smile in Town’ EP. Both are selling out quickly. Get them while they are still some available. You may also find these great scarce records on eBAY or DISCOGS.

Also, for RSD ‘A JAZZ TRIBUTE TO PAVEMENT’ (2-LP Gold colored vinyl. This contains a great batch of jazz from Sundazed, and a “must have” for jazz collectors! Experience a unique blend of jazz and alternative rock with ‘Gold Soundz: A Jazz Tribute To Pavement’. This album features the exceptional talents of Reginald Veal, Carter James, Cyrus Chestnut, and Ali Jackson, re-interpreting classic standards. Pavement tracks in a fresh jazz style. Great for parties or serious listening alike. Interpretations of classic jazz songs are reborn here.

And a few other titles that will appeal to collectors with limited quantities left: ‘Blonde On A Bum Trick’ soundtrack featuring Leslie West’s first band, The Vagrants; a taste of psychedelia with 60’s reissue of The Leaves ‘All The Good That’s Gathering’. Look for more coverage of this great indie label in the coming months.

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DANDY WARHOLS ‘PIN UPS’ IMPRESSIVE NEW COVERS ALBUM!

From Beat The World/Little Cloud Records comes some British great gender defying rock music, thanks to Portland icons, The Dandy Warhols, who return with a razor new single, “LOVE SONG,” an astounding cover version of the seminal track originally written and recorded by The Damned. Taken from the band’s recently released new covers album “Love Song” captures the thrill of a band paying tribute to the song’s wiry menace and sardonic bite not by imitation, but by embodiment – recalling the original spirit of late-’70s punk through their own unmistakable lens. This is a fascinating record from what I hear on the advance music download. It is a listener experience like no other – powerful interpretations reaching the hallmark of excellence.

Inspired by David Bowie’s 1973 tribute record of the same name, ’Pin Ups” collects a wide-ranging, lovingly curated set of songs by artists who have shaped, challenged, and inspired the band over decades. The album – featuring covers of The Cure, Gang of Four, The Clash, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Cramps, The Runaways, Violent Femmes, The Byrds, and more – spans unreleased gems, deep cuts, B-sides, and contributions originally scattered across tribute compilations and international releases. The first single,” Kiss Off” (a cover of the Violent Femmes), introduced the project with Zia McCabe on lead vocals, while “Love Song” shifts the spotlight back to Courtney for swingin’ baritone energy. They pay tribute to one of their favorite bands, The Damned, in a special way. You see, decadence is nothing new to rock. Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground invented it. Roxy Music flaunted it, and The DANDY WARHOLS keep reinventing it. The album is filled with searing guitar bites and synthesizer wizardry. Vocals are flush, and everything is well-orchestrated. This is perhaps the best indie album thus far in 2026! This top-notch array of cover songs hits on all cylinders!

The LP is truly richly sentimental, recalling some of their favorite songs, or songs by their favorite bands, or just songs they admired, arriving on the heels of a monumental run for The Dandy Warhols, including their critically acclaimed album ‘ROCKMAKER’ (2024), its reimagined companion ‘ROCK REMAKER’ (2025), and a powerful return to the stage with The Oregon Symphony, further cementing the band’s enduring creative momentum. The Dandy Warhols are Courtney Taylor-Taylor (vocals, guitar), Peter G. Holmström (guitar, keyboards), Zia McCabe (keyboard, bass, percussion), and Brent DeBoer (drums, backing vocals). FIVE STARS!

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DEE SNIDER AND TRACII GUNS JOIN CARMINE APPICE AND CACTUS FOR “THE LITTLE RED ROOSTER” from CLEOPATRA RECORDS

– “The Little Red Rooster” is one of the all-time consummate Chicago blues numbers. Written by the great Willie Dixon in 1961, it was first recorded by Howlin’ Wolf that same year, before becoming a major US hit for Sam Cooke in 1963. The following year, it was transformed into a worldwide mega-smash by The Rolling Stones. In fact,“Little Red Rooster” remains the only true blues number ever to top the UK chart.

Now, the Rooster is back again, thanks to CLEOPATRA RECORDS, in the hands of drum legend Carmine Appice and his revitalized Cactus, although it was not hatched by Cactus alone. Hot on the news of his retirement from live work, Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) turns in a characteristically charismatic lead vocal; Tracii Guns (LA Guns) lays down his most blues-wailing’ guitar – and there is a video, too, created and edited by Dominic Esposito/Deville Films and co-directed by Carmine himself.

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Also, just out from this great little label: a DEAD BOYS Two-For-One LP. It is part of the label’s very sought-after Live Bootleg Series, titled ‘Down on The Bowery/From the Sleaziest Catacombs, ‘ you get two no-holds-barred live sets as recorded at CBGB’s in NYC in 1977 and 1978, respectively. Each set is wild and lascivious, with Stiv Bators on vocals. His style is like Steven Tyler in the punk groove. The music is uncompromised and full of great guitar riffs and brazen vocals tied to a tight rhythm section!

KRAFTWERK REISSUE 50TH ANNIVERSARY BUNDLE SET RELEASE ON WARNER/ PARLOPHONE RECORDS

To celebrate reaching its 50th Anniversary, electro pioneers Kraftwerk have announced three new editions of their landmark 1975 album ‘Radio-Activity’ released recently. Using the original 16-track master tapes, Kraftwerk founder Ralf Hütter with engineer Fritz Hilpert have created a brand-new Dolby Atmos Mix which takes Kraftwerk’s first all-electronic album and brings vivid new shading, immersive and richly layered cinematic depth to the most boldly experimental album in the Kraftwerk catalog.

There are three formats of ‘Radio-Activity’ available now as follows (1) A Blu-ray audio disc featuring Dolby Atmos mix plus inner booklet housed in 50th Anniversary artwork. The Blu-ray contains the following stunning audio content: Dolby Atmos Mix; 5.1 mix (re-rendered from the Dolby Atmos Mix) Stereo Mix (24 bit) of the 2009 stereo remaster; (2) A spectacular 12″ vinyl picture disc vinyl (2009 stereo remaster), and (3) Full digital release of the Dolby Atmos mix through Apple Music, Amazon, etc. It was their first all-electronic album and brings vivid new shading, forensic detail, and richly layered cinematic depth to the most boldly experimental album in the Kraftwerk catalogue.

The band is also embarking on a Spring/Summer worldwide European tour to promote this bundle. This is a really special bundle from one of the pioneers of synthesizer electronic music this side of Brian Eno.

Also on Warner Records is the new the Black Keys highly anticipated fourteenth studio album ‘Peaches!’ The album features two power-laden songs issued on digital format prior to the physical product release. These impressive songs: “Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire;” and the lead single “You Got To Lose” are k-i-l-l-e-r blues rock! This impressive LP is a visceral and sublimely raw 10-song collection. It is perhaps the band’s most natural record since their 2002 debut, ‘The Big Come Up.’ The songs on the album reflect their obsessive record-collecting habit, which in recent years has escalated into an ongoing series of Record Hang DJ-set dance parties. These hangs fueled a deeper period of musical archaeology.

…TILL NEXT TIME