Music: Mystery Tapes: Recent finds:

Gwen & Amy Found at a Goodwill in Louisville, KY. On December 15, 1984, two large entertainment events took place in Louisville: KISS and opening act Queensryche performed at Commonwealth Stadium, and the Kentucky Wildcats played the Cardinals at Louisville. It's unlikely that the mysterious "Gwen & Amy" attended either event. At some point during this day they recorded this cassette tape of their rather dour piano/organ duets, which have some fascinating and (no doubt unintentionally) creepy moments. Their tentative and cautious renditions of various Christmas songs are a special highlight.

"That's the Way Love Goes" by Scott Found at a flea market in Richmond, KY. This is a baffling demo tape in which some guy named Scott sings a modern-country cheesed-out rendition of Lefty Frizzell's "That's the Way Love Goes" with all the heart and soul of an overripe grapefruit. The backing music, though putrid, is so much more slick and professional than the singer that it's almost a certainty he's singing over a pre-recorded backing track. But for what sinister purpose? And for gosh sakes, we hope that's not Scott's handwriting on the label.

Snowball & Cuttipy Found at a Salvation Army in Okolona, KY. No, this isn't a surrealist folk duo - it turns out that "Cuttipy" is a child's misspelling of "Cutie Pie". Some little girl tries mostly in vain to get her pets to make sounds into her tape recorder, and she makes babytalk and goo-goo sounds as she tries to coax them for almost the entire length of this C-60. As mind-numbing and hypnotizing as Chinese water torture, yet strangely compelling. Towards the end of side two, we get some screechy acapella renditions of songs that I don't recognize (possibly originals, judging from the non-sequitur lyrics) and some piano recital madness that makes Gwen & Amy look like Ferrante & Teicher.

Eventually selections from our Mystery Tapes department will be made available on "Talent", a projected series of compilation CDs. In the meantime, if you just can't wait, contact us and maybe we can do some swapping.