? & the Mysterians

On the back of the album cover of ? and the Mysterians' Action, there is a list of "the facts" about the band. Their "likes" mostly consist of "girls," "science fiction," and "the color black," the combination of which pretty much describes their music. Action contains some of the best early-'60s, AM-pop-meets-garage-noise tunes -- a mixture that also produced the L.A. sound of the Seeds and would later lead to the utter genius of the Velvet Underground. But like the Beatles when they were in Hamburg, ? and the Mysterians are content to play catchy renditions of their rock & roll favorites. They burn through the first verse of "Shout"; play some pure sugar pop on the groovy, fantastic organ-driven "Hangin' on a String"; and give "Can't Get Enough of You Baby" the garage treatment. But ? and the Mysterians have some real innovation, too. They start their version of the hit "Girl (You Captivate Me)" with dark, almost spoken vocals. Originals like "It's Not Easy" are infused with R&B sensibilities. But "Smokes" is the real winner -- it bleeds with raucous basement party grooves that set the stage for much of rock to come. ~ Charles Spano, All Music Guide