New Carroll Gardens vinyl and tape shop Almost Ready Records boasts a selection of around 5,000 titles. We asked co-owner Harry Howes to name the weirdest and most interesting ones.
Robbie the Werewolf, “At the Waleback” LP
“This is probably the weirdest record in the shop. It’s advertised on the back cover as ‘a party record.’ I’d say so with songs like ‘Vampire Man,’ ‘Drums And Guns,’ ‘Streets Of Transylvania,’ and ‘Rockin’ Werewolf.’ Its sounds are of the ‘lounge folk’ variety and was likely recorded in a beatnik coffee shop circa 1964.”
The Falling Spikes (AKA the Velvet Underground), “Screen Test” LP
“This is a rare mid ’80s fanclub release with Andy Warhol cover art. It contains drugged out Velvets instrumentals and audio versions of some of Warhol’s ‘Screen Tests.’ If you’re unfamiliar, there’s a bunch on YouTube.”
The Hit Hard Crew, “Doin’ Drugs” 12”
“This is in fact about not doin’ drugs. I wonder if there’s more straight-edge hip-hop out there.”
Bad Street USA, “Freebirds Greatest” cassette
“This is a cassette of wrestling songs by a band called Bad Street USA, which is made up of members of six-time WCCW six-man tag team champions the Fabulous Freebirds! It’s on an upstate wrestling cassette label called American Dream Tapes. We have other American Dream tapes in stock by the likes of Dusty Rhodes, ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper, Macho Man Randy Savage, and more.”
Cramps, “Human Fly” and “Surfin Bird”
“This one is cheating a little, but it’s original pressings of the first two Cramps singles. Both produced by Alex Chilton [of Big Star and Box Tops fame] in 1977 and self-released on the Cramps’ Vengeance Records.”
