The latest entry in the "Luxy and Ivy" compilation album series from Cherry Red Records presents 21 cool, smokey tracks associated with the world of film noir--specifically, the pinnacle of the movement from the 1950s. It was during this latter era of the noir cycle that we draw so many of the stereotypes that we have about noir: the sultry saxophones, the mellow resonance of xylophones, even the bomp bomp bombast of brass, sounding an ominous alarm. The soundtrack of noir didn't just exist on cinema screens, either, but also played out weekly on the glowing black and white televisions of millions of viewers, as programs like Johnny Staccato, Dragnet, and Peter Gunn brought the dangers of the night into the living room. Those familiar with the connotations of the "Lux and Ivy" branding from this collection (Lux Interior and Poison Ivy were founding members of the The Cramps, a rock band with punk tendencies and a deep affection for fifties and sixties cult...
