Teenage Thunder Rescued: Three Essential ’60s Garage Punk Acetates from Mojo-Bone Records
Over the last few months California-based label Mojo-Bone Records has been hard at it preparing these three distinctly triumphal sounding releases for our attention, not to mention for our immense enjoyment.
The first to arrive just as 2025 turned into 2026 are Adam & the Evils. This lot got together in various groups around the Milmont Park and Leedom area of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, but, after consolidating as Adam & the Evils in 1966, left behind a magnificent blast of top drawer teen garage punk. Rescued from acetate, this hard to contain, molten-hot demo gets its first commercial airing here — just how and why it’s taken so long to be discovered is a question no doubt on the lips of all who’ve had the pleasure of already hearing this, as well as all those who may subsequently come to know that particular pleasure. This is especially so regarding our first cut to come under the needle, “Don’t Wait ‘Til The Sun Shines”, an extraordinary brooding cut penned by the group’s lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Brazzas. Don’t discount or underestimate the angst-ridden, power-laden flipside “Point Five”, however, for this exquisitely engineered, though primitive sounding, surf-infused guitar blaster is a remake of a much-loved cut originally by fellow PA combo the Nomads, first rediscovered on “Crude PA”, an exemplary sixties groups compilation unleashed by Dave Brown’s Distortions label in 1990.
Next up are obscure Ohio aggregation the Groop. Although their splurge of raving teen punk was found nameless on the original acetate, Tim Warren and Crypt label buddies were buoyed enough to give this unrelenting charm offensive a slot on the long-anticipated eighth volume of their “Back From The Grave” series in 1996, bestowing upon it the title “Alright” in the process! Gracing the flipside is “Without You”, a contrasting slice of folk-rock imbued vulnerability that will gnaw at the heartstrings of the more romantically inclined among you.
Mojo-Bone’s latest, hot off the press new release features a group called the Beefeaters – no, not the Los Angeles, early Byrds variant but a sensational, should’ve been successful five-man tribe hailing from Texas — you can tell almost from the very first notes being played and / or vocal being snarled out on the consummate “Don’t Hurt Me” that these guys were Lone Star state dwellers. Note: the labels suggest the tracks were cut in Houston, but information gleaned later confirms the session actually took place in Sellars studio in Dallas, however, as labels had already been printed using the incorrect location, it was decided to leave it be, and just add the correct details in the accompanying sleevenote.
The Beefeaters were originally known as Rocky and the Flying Squirrels but renamed themselves in honour of all things English and mod. Regardless, they give out big time on these two truly astonishing, on-the-brink examples of the unmistakeable Texas-based sound approach; allow, if you will, their slightly unhinged yet melodic, rhythmic beat to get under your skin, and also listen out for those highly appealing folk-rock strains that can especially be heard across the flipside. Do this and satisfaction will indeed be guaranteed. Both these songs were first heard all the way back in 1984 when they kicked off each side of Cicadelic Records’ “Texas Punk Volume 1” collection; the topside further resurrected twenty-odd years later on Sundazed’s “Garage Beat ‘66 Volume 5: Readin’ Your Will” compilation.
One of those visceral, juggernaut-like, rollickingly infectious numbers, “Don’t Hurt Me” deserves repeated turntable plays until you tire of the compelling rhythmic pulse, tumbling, hard to decipher lyrics and repetitive chorus chant it puts out. But will you ever…? Although also favouring an uptempo pace, “Change My Mind” is much more the moodier composition, splendidly executed, its dreamy-sounding verse signature then finds a mini-minor key explosion to surprise us with, and even manages – not once or twice but thrice – to sneak in George Harrison’s cool five note semi-isolated descending guitar line from “Nowhere Man”. This is mid-sixties melancholic teen pop perfection personified!
Thing is, although none of these groups probably made it much beyond their respective state lines, if at all, let alone any records which they may have been fortunate enough to make featuring on any kind of charts, I’m sure you’ll agree (after immersing yourself fully in the sonic bolts that emanate from the compositions under discussion here) that they each possess some ultra-special ingredient that makes them wholly irresistible to, especially, ears already attuned to the crazy, wild sounds of teen punk, garage folk-rock and all those moodily compelling avenues which lie somewhere betwixt and between. So if you dig big on original sixties garage punk sounds, and whether you’ve heard some or all of these before, or perhaps none at all, you’ll certainly want to forthwith add all three of these small, magical, indispensable creations to your collection!
Lenny Helsing
Adam & the Evils — “Don’t Wait Til The Sun Goes Down” / “Point Five”
The Groop — “Alright!” / “Without You”
The Beefeaters – “Don’t Hurt Me” / “Change My Mind”
(All three are Mojo-Bone Records 7” 45 rpm singles)
