Misfits Meet the Nutley Brass

A novelty record in the truest sense, Sam Elwitt’s Jerry Only-endorsed Nutley Brass’ loungecore treatment of Misfits standards is a delight on first listen, but the giddy pleasures of karaoke-ready versions of "Skulls,” "Hatebreeders” and "Die, Die My Darling” fade faster than you’d expect. In fact, without Glenn Danzig’s full-throated croon, the Nutley Brass’ treatments of "Last Caress” and "Astro Zombies” are less lounge-worthy than the original Misfits recordings. The arrangements are intricate, the performances sharp, and Elwitt’s fondness for the source material apparent throughout Fiend Club Lounge, but once the sense of comic incongruity between matter and method passes, there’s little else to hold onto here — aside from the complimentary coaster, of course.