Our Story

Founded in Rome in September 1989 by musician, record collector and music enthusiast Massimo del Pozzo, Misty Lane began as a fanzine devoted to the sounds of the 1960s underground. What followed was an independent musical adventure encompassing record labels, bands, international collaborations, books, concerts, record fairs and mail order, all driven by a fascination with Garage, Beat, Psychedelia and the countless musical worlds surrounding them.

More than three decades later, the Misty Lane Music family has been involved in approximately 300 record releases, including original productions, archival reissues, compilations and collaborations with other labels. Yet the story begins well before the first issue of the magazine.

Before Misty Lane: The Underground Years

Massimo del Pozzo's musical journey began in Rome's underground scene during the early 1980s. After playing in several Punk bands until 1985, his interests increasingly turned towards Neo-Psychedelia, the Paisley Underground and the rediscovery of Sixties Garage music.

Projects such as The Side-Walkers and The Silent Shapes reflected this transition, at a time when a new generation of musicians was looking back to the raw energy, melodic imagination and experimental spirit of the previous two decades.

The Silent Shapes — 1987–1988

It was an era of musical discovery, when obscure singles, independent magazines and underground record shops provided an alternative history of popular music, far removed from the mainstream. These experiences would eventually shape both Massimo's musical identity and the philosophy behind Misty Lane.

September 1989: A Magazine, a Band and a Record Label

September 1989 marked a turning point. That month saw the birth of Misty Lane, initially conceived as a fanzine dedicated to Garage, Psychedelia, Beat and other overlooked sounds of the 1960s. The record label followed shortly afterwards.

At almost exactly the same time, Massimo formed The Others in Rome, a band that would become a central part of his musical life for more than a decade.

The magazine, the label and the band were closely connected expressions of the same vision: discovering forgotten music, creating new sounds inspired by it and building connections between musicians and collectors across national borders.

The Others went through several line-up changes before eventually disbanding in 2002, leaving behind a substantial body of recordings and an important chapter in the Italian Garage revival.

Meanwhile, Massimo continued exploring different interpretations of the genre through projects such as The Tyme Society!, rooted in a purist Folk-Garage approach, and The Human Factor-Y, inspired by the primitive Garage-Punk spirit celebrated by the Back From The Grave compilations.

The Tyme Society! — Record sleeves and Misty Lane Fest Expo 2000 memorabilia.

The Garage Revival: Crossing Borders

By the late 1990s, the boundaries between the American and European Garage scenes were becoming increasingly fluid. Massimo performed and collaborated with musicians associated with legendary American bands including Gonn, The Fuzztones and Link Protrudi & The Jaymen.

Particularly important was his friendship and musical partnership with Rudi Protrudi, frontman of The Fuzztones. The Others shared stages and projects with Protrudi, opening the way to further musical collaborations and recordings, including work connected with The Fuzztones and Protrudi's Bubblegum-Punk band Tina Peel.

Among the notable recordings of this period was Yellow, Purple and Green, recorded in 1998 by The Others with Rudi Protrudi and Craig Moore of Gonn, and released on Teen Sound.

These collaborations reflected something essential about the Garage underground: the distinction between fan, musician, collector and record producer was often remarkably thin. Shared enthusiasm could turn into a friendship, a tour or a record.

1996 — Early Connections

1998 — Records and European Tours

1999–2000 — On the Road

The Fuzztones and Continuing Connections

Misty Lane Records: Rediscovering the Sixties

While new bands were keeping the Garage spirit alive, Misty Lane Records pursued another equally important mission: rescuing extraordinary recordings from obscurity. The label developed a catalogue of archival releases devoted to little-known bands, particularly from the American Garage, Folk-Punk and Psychedelic scenes of the mid-to-late 1960s.

Among its most significant projects was the rediscovery of The Dovers, a Californian group whose handful of singles had become highly sought-after treasures among collectors.

In 2000, Misty Lane joined forces with renowned Garage record collector and historian Mike Markesich to bring together the band's complete singles output on a 10-inch record.

Twenty-five years later, in 2025, the collection returned in LP format. The recordings were newly remastered from the material used for the original edition, while the accompanying documentation was expanded with previously unpublished interviews, photographs and liner notes.

The project embodies the philosophy that has guided Misty Lane from the beginning: these records are not simply collectibles, but fragments of musical history deserving to be heard, preserved and understood.

Over the years, the label has also issued numerous compilations dedicated to obscure, predominantly American Garage bands of the 1960s. A series of carefully curated 7-inch EPs has similarly brought together the surviving recordings of groups such as The Bold, Tonto & The Renegades and The Tol-Puddle Martyrs, bands whose entire recorded legacy sometimes consisted of just two original singles.

Tonto & The Renegades — Misty Lane Records

The Bold — "Gotta Get Some"

Teen Sound Records: The Garage Spirit Never Dies

If Misty Lane Records concentrated on recovering the sounds of the past, Teen Sound Records, established in 1997, became a platform for the bands carrying that same spirit into the present.

Its catalogue grew into an international meeting point for Garage, Beat, Surf and Psychedelic music. From Russia's The Thunderbeats to France's Les Playboys and Terence Christiansen, Germany's The Cheeks, Scotland's The Thanes and Spain's Los Immediatos, Teen Sound developed strong connections with musicians throughout the international underground.

The Italian scene was equally important, represented by artists such as Tony Borlotti e i Suoi Flauers, The Preachers, The Cavemen, The Sick Rose and a substantial part of the catalogue of Rome's The Others.

In more recent years, Teen Sound has increasingly focused on restoring, expanding and reissuing important recordings from the 1980s Garage revival and Paisley Underground era. Alongside releases devoted to The Things, The Unclaimed, The Thanes and The Sick Rose, the label's catalogue also includes releases by The Steppes and Australia's The Stems.

Other significant projects include Nevermore, the double LP devoted to San Diego's The Tell-Tale Hearts; the reissue of Outta the Nest, the 1985 debut album by New York's The Vipers; and Fuzz Fest '84, a compilation preserving an important document of New York's 1980s Garage scene.

Rather than treating Garage music as a fixed historical style, Teen Sound has always approached it as a living tradition, constantly rediscovered and reinterpreted by new generations.

Misty Lane Magazine: From DIY Fanzine to Printed Publication

Launched in September 1989, Misty Lane Magazine began as a small, mimeographed fanzine devoted to the sounds of the Sixties underground, particularly Garage, Beat and Psychedelia.

In 1995, the original DIY format gave way to a professionally printed magazine, marking an important step in its development. The cassette tapes accompanying the early issues were eventually replaced by 7-inch vinyl records and CDs included with each new issue.

Across its history, Misty Lane Magazine published 21 issues, combining independent music journalism with recordings and the same spirit of discovery that shaped the record labels.

Beyond the Records: Books, Festivals and the Collector's Ear

The Misty Lane story has never been confined to vinyl. Its mail-order activity connected collectors and listeners with records, CDs, magazines, books and other hard-to-find material, while Misty Lane Books extended that passion into music publishing.

Following a book devoted to the Dutch band The Outsiders, Misty Lane Books published On the Street I Met a Dog, the English-language autobiography of Greg Prevost, singer of The Chesterfield Kings.

For many years, the Misty Lane Cultural Association was also active in the underground music scene, organizing and supporting festivals, record fairs, all-nighters and concerts, both in Italy and abroad. These events brought musicians, collectors and audiences together, helping the music thrive beyond the records themselves.

Over the past twenty-five years, Massimo has also appeared behind the turntables at numerous events in Italy, across Europe and in the United States, including some of the most significant gatherings within the international Garage and Psychedelic scene.

His extensive record collection and lifelong passion for uncovering obscure sounds have been central to this activity. Yet he has never regarded himself as a DJ in the conventional sense. He prefers the term record selector: someone who shares discoveries, introduces audiences to forgotten music and lets the records speak for themselves.

The Misty Lane Cultural Association ceased its activities in 2020, but the connections, friendships and musical experiences it helped create remain an essential part of the project's history.

A New Chapter: Alessandra Monoriti and Crytmo Records

An important new chapter began with the involvement of Alessandra Monoriti, who has collaborated with Massimo since 2011. Her contribution became an essential part of the project, encompassing editorial work, graphic design and the development of new musical initiatives.

In 2015, Massimo and Alessandra founded Crytmo Records, conceived as a way of expanding their musical horizons beyond traditional Garage and Beat territory.

Crytmo opened the door to Folk, Americana, Blues, World Music, contemporary Pop-Psych and Neo-Psychedelia, reflecting a broader interest in artists whose music could not necessarily be defined by a single genre.

Alessandra continues to play a central role as CEO of Crytmo Records, as well as editor and graphic designer for the wider Misty Lane Music group.

Crytmo remains an important part of Misty Lane Music's evolving identity, reflecting a desire to explore new musical territories while preserving the independent spirit that has guided the project since 1989.

Boss-A-Tone: Records Made for the Dancefloor

Another distinctive part of the Misty Lane Music family is Boss-A-Tone, an independent label created by friends, DJs and record collectors united by a passion for rare 1960s and 1970s sounds.

Its compilations explored the territory between Soul, Beat and Garage-Psych, with a particular emphasis on records capable of bringing forgotten musical treasures back onto the dancefloor. Boss-A-Tone chose Misty Lane as its exclusive distributor.

The label has been inactive for several years, and most of its releases are now sold out, with no further repressings currently planned. Its catalogue nevertheless remains a distinctive expression of the collector culture that has always surrounded Misty Lane.

Still Playing: Massimo del Pozzo and Thee Sydes

Throughout the development of the labels, Massimo never completely abandoned his role as a musician.

Following the end of The Others in 2002 and the later A'Dam Sykles album "Out Of The Circle Game" in 2009,

The A'Dam Sykles — Record sleeves and band photographs, 2009.

This continuing musical activity remains closely connected to the philosophy of Misty Lane: the music is not simply something to collect, archive or release. It is something to play.

Thee Sydes — Record sleeve, live performances and band photographs.

Misty Lane Music Today: An Independent Story Still Being Written

From a small Roman fanzine launched in September 1989 to a family of independent record labels with approximately 300 releases and collaborations, Misty Lane has followed a path defined less by commercial trends than by personal enthusiasm.

Its history includes rediscovered Sixties singles, contemporary Garage bands, international collaborations, books, compilations, archival reissues and new recordings that move far beyond the musical territory of its beginnings.

What connects these seemingly different activities is a belief that great music deserves to be heard, regardless of when or where it was recorded.

Today, Misty Lane Music brings together the continuing work of Misty Lane Records, Teen Sound Records and Crytmo Records, alongside the mail-order shop and the exclusive distribution of the remaining Boss-A-Tone catalogue.

More than thirty-five years after the first issue of Misty Lane appeared, the original curiosity remains intact.

The records keep spinning. The story goes on.

Misty Lane Music & Friends — A lifetime of music, friendship and shared passions.

MISTY LANE MUSIC — Independent sounds since 1989
mistylane.records@gmail.com
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