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V/A – Ultra-Lounge Vol. 8: Cocktail Capers (space age pop): The Ultra-lounge series of discs showcase some of the oddest, coolest lounge of the 50′s and 60′s, and this one is no exception. I can’t find a solid theme running through the tracks that would indicate why this is called “Cocktail Capers”, but it really doesn’t matter because the disc is a kitschy romp through 60′s easy listening. I like listening to this particular disc while driving to make my giant-winged tint mobile feel like it’s a vintage convertible in the opening credits of a 60′s comedy/spy movie. I do a lot of smiling and nodding while I’m driving along, imagining #1GF! sitting next to me wearing a pair of big, black 60′s sunglasses and a head scarf. It’s a good thing that my windows are tinted or this disc might lead people to believe that I’m not the perfectly well-adjusted and rational person that I’ve always claimed to be. B

V/A – Ultra-Lounge Vol. 3: Space-Capades (space age pop): The tracks on Space Capades hover around 1960, when space exploration was still exciting and novel, and that really shows through the energy of this disc. It’s full of unique and fun arrangements from old-time greats like Avino Rey, David Rose, and Les Baxter, but I think three tracks really stand out. The first is a cover of Raymond Scott’s “Powerhouse”, which you may not be familiar with by name, but if grew up on classic cartoons, it will definitely be familiar to you. The Bobby Hammack Combo adds a fairly jazzy angle to the track without losing its cartoonish fun. The other two tracks, “You’re the Top” and “Lonesome Road” were written and performed by Dean Elliott, one of the composers who worked on early Mr. Magoo and Tom & Jerry cartoons. The Elliott tracks are so unique that I would go so far as to say that they make the disc worth owning even if you were able to ignore the fun in the rest of it. B+

V/A – Ultra-Lounge Vol. 11: organs in Orbit (space age pop): Being the eleventh album in the Ultra lounge series, you won’t find the same level of oddities as in earlier albums, but no other album in the series will make you want to roller skate more. Given that “orbit” is in the title, I expected something a little more odd and spaced out, but I ended up with the surreal feeling of being locked in a rollerskating rink after hours with a mad organist. There isn’t anything particularly wrong with this album, but I can’t say that I listen to it all the way through very often. If you’re really into organs (ahem) then this may be a disc for you, but there are better discs in the series for you to spend your money on. C

V/A – Ultra-Lounge Vol. 2: Mambo Fever (space age pop): Oh Lucy! I’m hOOoome! The mambo was all the rage in the 50′s, and this disc features some of the most fun tracks of the time. Cover songs like “Peter Gunn” and “Hooray for Hollywood” raise a playful eyebrow when done in the mambo style, while originals like the “Oink, Oink Mambo” bring a full smile. This collection includes classic artists like Yma Sumac, the John Buzon Trio, and Billy May, and is a fun addition to any music collection. B

V/A – Ultra-Lounge Vol. 14: Bossa Novaville (space age pop): Mambo and Bossa Nova are such close musical cousins that if they didn’t have separate switches on grandma’s organ, most people might not know that there was a difference between them. If I had to musically separate them, I might say that if the Mambo is a hot dance floor, then the Bossa Nova is the smoky piano bar right next to it. As the fourteenth disc in the Ultra Lounge series, this disc isn’t full of musical oddities like its predecessors, but it certainly is a relaxing ride through the short-lived Bossa Nova era of the early 1960′s. It includes the most popular Bossa Nova track of all time, “The Girl From Ipanema”, but I found it odd that it wasn’t sung by Astrud Gilberto, which many consider to be the standard version of the song. That oversight aside, there is a smoothness to this disc that makes me want to grow a thin mustache and look at everyone with a half smile and one raised eyebrow. C+

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