Flamin' Groovies - Kicks (2007)

One of America's most influential cult bands, Flamin Groovies came out of the San Francisco area in 1965 playing greasy, bluesy rock & roll dashed with British Invasion panache -- all of this in a city and an era dominated by hippie culture. Out of step with the zeitgeist, they moved to England in 1972 and hooked up with Dave Edmunds, who was keen to produce them. They recorded a handful of songs together; however, this collaboration yielded little until 1976, when the Groovies released Shake Some Action. Loaded with ringing guitars, great covers, and Edmunds' spongy, bass-heavy production, Shake Some Action became a well-received album in punk-era Britain. ~ John Dougan