Fall fairs abound in the small towns of many nations, with booths oscillating between the obvious and the obscene. In popular culture the ‘carnival’ particularly is often off the beaten track. In that spirit we offer up some musical acts that ride a fine line between family entertainment and not-ready-for-prime-time playing.

Let’s start with the most unready for prime time candidate, Uncle Funkle. The album is called Portrait of My Penis – need I say more? The album appears to have 46 tracks but nearly half amount to 30 seconds or so of AM radio send ups. And I’m not going to even try to capture what is going on here artistically. Every kind of style gets a look in, if only briefly, while the lyrical themes are typically wacky, decidedly unserious, and often obscene. But there are some good tunes and hilarious lyrics here. “Wilderness Survival” mocks end-of-times survivalists with a sing-along gusto. The electric guitars propelling “There’s Still Guitars in Country Music” seem to defy the ostensible genre-nod happening here but I’ll take them. “Last Night’s Dinner” is a 1950s derivative pop novelty number. And then late in the game comes a song that really rocks things up. “It’s All a Game” is the kind of a song that gets music nerds arguing about just where to draw the line between hard rock and power pop. Uncle Funkle may not be for everyone but the band is a great goofy blast in small doses.

Going in a totally different direction, The Lemons are suitable for everybody from kindergarten to the old folks home. The sound is seventies DIY, a bit folk rocky meets bubblegum pop. These guys could sub for the house band over at Schoolhouse Rocks, for sure. Another Yellow World is the group’s first record of originals in a decade and essentially takes up where they left off. These are mostly pretty pop tunes meant to be squeezed out of a small AM transistor radio speaker playing somewhere outside. Opening cut “Lemonade” is sweetness itself distilled into a minute and 16 seconds of melody. “I Love Lee” is so late 1960s radio ready while “Laura” begs to be a campfire crowd singalong. Despite the consistent aural texture of these recordings, there is variety. “Over and Over” reminds me of The Archies whereas “Honey” marries a brittle Byrds riffing to a stark vocal. Just when you think you’ve the measure of what is going here “My Submarine” throws in a garage rock feel. Closing track “Tallulah Falls” is real departure with its strong country vibe.

Dutch/Croatian artist Marina Tadic really is an original. Her Eerie Wanda records combine a performance art temperament with a folk pop aesthetic akin to Laurie Anderson, Suzanne Vega and Canadian Jane Siberry. Her best known work appears to be 2019’s Pet Town, a low key collection of sly tunes that gesture toward so many styles without really committing to any. It’s like the songs just take the shading but Tadic’s own inimitable songwriting and performance really define everything. Take “Rockabiller” as an example. It keeps us edging toward a more rocking blowout but Tadic never lets go the reins. The magic here is often in the subtle deployment of sounds. “Hands of the Devil” features a hypnotic use of handclaps. Opening cut and title track “Pet Town” gives you the whole treatment with a light, almost pixie-like playful array of strumming, keyboard notes and overlapping vocals. If there could a single from this collection, it would be the seductive “Magnetic Woman.” The project’s debut album Hum also has some great tunes, like the 1950s throwback “I am Over Here” and the Tristan-esque “The Reason.” By contrast, 2022’s Internal Radio moves in a decidedly more experimental direction.

Slip the needle onto Montreal native Bloodshot Bill’s latest album So Fed Up and you could be forgiven for locating him somewhere well south of the Mason-Dixon line. But as the presser for his 19^th album spells it out, the sound is “equal parts wild-eyed ‘50s punk, greasy garage rock, and untamed hillbilly howl.” So in that sense it sorta belongs to everyone. And you’re gonna want a piece of this party platter. Things launch with the rockabilly dancer “Talk to You” before steadying the groove expertly on “Kissin Underwater.” “Rule Book” will get those heels kicking up pronto. “Say What You Want to Say” is just a classic 1950s country warbler. The slickest should-be radio single here would probably be “It Happens.” Personally I just love the guitar tones on this disc. “Please Don’t Break My Heart” kicks off with a Johnny Horton rockabilly guitar lead line before settling into a Nervous Norvus-style vocal. “The Very Thought of You” evokes the classic country sound Nashville seems to have forgotten with just a drop of John Fogerty-style swamp. Stumbling across Bloodshot Bill all I can say is ‘what a find!’

You’ve strolled down the midway at our online carnival and the treats are on display. Go ahead. Indulge yourself.

Photo ‘Almost Blues’ courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.