(Psychedelic, folk) The Hobbits - Down To Middle Earth - 1967, MP3 (tracks), 192 kbps

: Folk-rock outfit the Hobbits was the studio project of Queens, New York-born singer/songwriter Jimmy Curtiss, who ranks as one of the more interesting footnotes in the history of rock & roll — the rare would-be teen idol who actually wrote his own material (and did so admirably), he later expanded his reach into psychedelia and harmony-laden folk-rock, but while the subject of a small cult following, none of his records ever made a commercial dent.
On their 1967 debut Down to Middle Earth, the Hobbits turned out relatively straightforward sunshine pop. Well-arranged melodies and picture-perfect harmonies do grab the attention in places — elements of "Let Me Run My Fingers Through Your Mind" recall the Beach Boys; elsewhere, moments conjure visions of a more psilocybically aware Monkees...