Like many of their Detroit contemporaries, the Detroit Emeralds made a move to up-tempo club sounds towards the end of the 70s – but also like some of the better groups in the city (like the Fantastic Four), the Emeralds had the vocal strength to make the move and still keep a bit of soul in... read more
Sweet soul jazz from the 70s Detroit scene – and a record with a ties to the same scene as Tribe Records! The sound here is straightforward and soulful – a bit of electricity at the bottom and some fluidly gliding horn work on the top – plus some key vocals from a group that... read more
Damn great work from Raheem DeVaughn – the full promise of his soulful sojourn in the underground mixtape scene! Raheem first got his start laying down vocals over beats and other folks' tracks on self-crafted CDs that changed hands covertly in the east coast scene – and that... read more
An infectious batch of soul tunes from Raheem DeVaughn – his long overdue debut for Jive Records! Raheem stands apart from many in the mainstream soul and neo soul, not because he wears his influences so proudly on his sleeve, but in the way he wears them. Raheem's soul style is born of... read more
One of the undisputed masterpieces LPs of 70s soul! William De Vaughn may never be remembered for anything else – and the poor guy will always be mistaken for Curtis Mayfield by record shoppers everywhere – but he really out-Curtised Curtis on the super-dope original version of "Be... read more
Genius work from William De Vaughn – recorded years after his classic "Be Thankful" album, and with a different, modern soul feel – but equally great in its own sort of way! The album came 6 years after De Vaughn's classic crossover hit of the mid 70s – and it's got the... read more
A really wild little album – and exactly what it says in the title: hard rock from the Middle East! The album takes eastern instrumentation on oud, bouzoki, tamboura, and accordion – and fuses it with some hard grooving bass, guitar, and drums – all hitting heavy late 60s acid-ti... read more
Devo brings their classic theory of De-Evolution to the Spuds of Seattle in 1981 – right around the time of the group's popular peak! Devo archivist Michael Pilmer (of Devo-Obsesso, ground zero for all things Devo on the web) purportedly found the tapes in a shoebox full of cassettes in Bob... read more
MC Breed's crew steps out on their own, with production by Breed, Warren G and DJ Slip, and guest spots by MC Eiht and Bushwick Bill lets you know this LP's got a very street level approach. Includes "Caps Get Peeled", "Things In Tha Hood", "Digga Bigga Ditch", 'Roll... read more
Vintage images from Japanese movie posters – almost all of them hand-painted for the local market, and quite different than more famous images that circulated worldwide! The work here often has a warm, painterly quality – which really personalizes the presentation of the films,... read more
Quite a chance for singer Dessy Di Lauro – but no surprise, either – given that Dessy's always been one of the more inventive talents of the underground! The set definitely takes its title seriously – and although served up in a contemporary soul style, the music sometimes echoes... read more
Unbelievable – and a record that's one of our favorites by the fantastic Italian jazz pianist! Marco Di Marco is a richly talented player with a keen ear for lyrical beauty and a strong sense of the groove – and here, he's working in quartet formation, in New York, with a group that... read more
A set that features DiMeola moving into some very dynamic territory – jamming out heavy on a mix of electric and acoustic guitars, with additional help from Paco DeLucia on acoustic at points. The instrumentation also features heavy electric piano from Jan Hammer, other keyboards from Barry... read more
Afro grooves galore – all taken to rich new territory in the hands of a few contemporary mixers! The set's based around a core track – "Prudence", sung and played by Cheick Hamala Diabate – with great work on ngoni in the lead – a hip stringed instrument that... read more
Double LP promo pressing with instrumental versions of all the tracks from the Hatred, Passions & Infidelity LP, including "5 Fingas Of Death", "This One", "No Wondah (The Projects)", "The Hiatus", "Painz & Strife", and "JD's... read more
Raw funk from Diazpora – a contemporary cut, but one with the same sort of gritty edge you'd expect from the Tramp label's usual rare funky 45s! "Non Sports" has an odd title, but an incredible groove – a right-on-the-money blend of fast drums, blasting horns, and riffing... read more
While we have more or less dismissed a lot of the Celluloid world music productions from the 80s in the past, we look back now and realize that was pretty much just purist snobbery. This Laswell produced album of funky afro grooves doesn't have the same hard African funk that we dig so much about... read more
Manu Dibango —
Kusini ... LP
Delta Sigma Theta,
1975. New Copy (reissue)....
$15.99Just Sold Out!
A fantastic bit of rare funk from Manu Dibango – originally scored for a film that starred Greg Morris, Ruby Dee, and Ossie Davis – but every bit as funky as Manu's own work of the time! The tunes are all very firmly in the best style of his earliest work of the 70s, with loads of... read more
Deric Dickens —
Speed Date ... CD
Deric Dickens,
2011. Used ....
$0.49
Vic Dickenson & Joe Thomas —
Mainstream ... CD
Atlantic (Japan),
1958. New Copy ....
$15.99
A great trad revival set from trombonist Vic Dickenson – working here with trumpeter Joe Thomas, in a style that really shows the respect that Atlantic Records had for older jazz modes – even during the height of their R&B and modern jazz years! The group's a great one – with... read more
Walt Dickerson —
To My Queen ... LP
Prestige,
1962. New Copy (reissue)....
$9.99
An excellent album by vibist Walt Dickerson – perhaps his most adventurous work from the early days! The title track's a seventeen minute long swirling mix of vibes, piano, bass, and drums – with an excellent moody feel and a cool set of chromatic changes of the sort that characterized... read more
Funky Bo Diddley – one of Bo's key early 70s sessions for Chess Records – all of which have him stepping out in a much harder groove than years past! The sound here is relatively tight – with Diddley guitar and vocals on top of some larger arrangements from Bob Gallo –... read more
Bo Diddley —
Big Bad Bo ... CD
Chess/Get On Down,
1974. New Copy ....
$12.9914.99
Heavy funk from the legendary Bo Diddley – one of his amazing comeback albums from the early 70s for Chess, all of which are plenty darn great! For this set, Bo's traded in the scratchy guitar mode of his classic work for a sweeter, tighter funk-based sound – a groove that's supported... read more
Bo Diddley —
Big Bad Bo ... LP
Chess,
1974. New Copy (reissue)....
$9.99
Heavy funk from the legendary Bo Diddley – one of his amazing comeback albums from the early 70s for Chess, all of which are plenty darn great! For this set, Bo's traded in the scratchy guitar mode of his classic work for a sweeter, tighter funk-based sound – a groove that's supported... read more
Nasty nasty funk from the great Bo Diddley – one of his rare funky 70s classics for Chess – produced by Johnny Otis with a really tripped-out groove! The album's got an edge that seems to go even farther than some of Bo's other Chess work at the time – and picks up the full-on... read more
Nasty nasty funk from the great Bo Diddley – one of his rare funky 70s classics for Chess – produced by Johnny Otis with a really tripped-out groove! The album's got an edge that seems to go even farther than some of Bo's other Chess work at the time – and picks up the full-on... read more
An album led by pianist Aaron Diehl – but a set that also features some especially great vibes from Warren Wolf – one of our favorite players on the instrument in the past decade or so! Wolf's tones ring out beautifully – with that richness he really brings to his own albums, and... read more
Amazing sounds from Senegal – a group working here with a trio of singers and some mighty great guitar from Papa Seck – all wrapped up into a groove that mixes the earthy with the trippy! The rhythms bump around with some really hypnotic elements, and often wrap the guitar right around... read more
The Digables certainly weren't the first or most innovative hip hop group to rely upon cooled out jazz for the backbone of their sound. In fact without Tribe Called Quest's second album, Digable Planets probably wouldn't even have existed, at least not in anything close to the same form. What... read more
We're not always the biggest Digital Underground fans, but Shock G/Humpty comes close to the funky goofiness of their earlier hits – with a definite Parliafunkadelicment edge (it samples "Aqua Boogie", but without the heavy sound that drowns a lot of the later west coast hip hop... read more
Rootsy work from the 70s – not disco style, per the title! We don't care whether you dub him the original Ragnam Piza or the Dub Organizer, Dillinger chats it up in nice style on this set of bouncing Bunny Lee rhythms, keeping himself busy, so you don't have to! The bionic dread unleashes a... read more
The third and perhaps best album yet for Swiss beatcrafter and all around soundscape adventurer Dimlite! To date, Dimlite has colored from as broad of a sonic palette as just about anyone in the contemporary electronic scene – taking cues from classic art rock and experimental pop, psych... read more
Dining Rooms —
Ink ... LP
Schema (Italy),
2007. Very Good 2LP ....
$9.99
Another great achievement from this groovy Italian group – an album that's head and shoulders above anything they were doing just a few short years ago! The Dining Rooms deep to deepen their sound more and more with each new record – hitting a range of tones and colors that take them... read more
Dinosaur L (Arthur Russell) —
24 24 Music ... CD
Sleeping Bag,
1981. Used ....
$8.99
An incredible full album from Dinosaur L – the legendary New York dancefloor project of Arthur Russell! The group's a punky, funky, chunky amalgam of bass thumping, guitar riffing, keyboard filling, and sax honking – all very much in the spirit of Russell's best quirky club work of the... read more
An incredible album from Dinosaur L – the legendary New York dancefloor project of Arthur Russell! – fleshed out and expanded more than ever before by Sleeping Bag and Get On Down Records! The group's core sound is a punky, funky, chunky amalgam of bass thumping, guitar riffing,... read more
Excellent pre-GoGo funk from this east coast group. "Everybody Here Must Party" has a tight funky groove, and a very catchy hook in the chorus. There's an instrumental on the flip, so you can enjoy it both ways!... read more
One of the best records of the post rock 90s – the masterful Directions In Music from Bundy K Brown, Doug Sharin and James Warden – a record that will sound fresh and insistent for as long as anyone's listening to it! This one stands up to the passing of time as well as any other... read more
Diskjokke —
En Fin Tid ... CD
Smalltown Supersound (Norway),
2010. Used ....
$5.99
Amazing stuff! This is a totally cool bit of early electronics from the late 60s – and the music is dark and spooky, with lots of weird wild harsh electronics (if you know Dissevelt's other albums, you'll know what we mean!) The whole thing sounds sort of like a mad robot playing a crazy... read more
Dissipated Face With Daniel Carter —
Live At CBGB 1986 EP ... 7-inch
Roaratorio,
1986. New Copy (pic cover, reissue)....
$7.99
Mindblowing punk and free jazz collision from Dissipated Face – with alto sax behemoth Daniel Carter blowing fiercely out front – a fast, brutal, yet defiantly musical quartet of songs recorded live in 1986 at the legendary Bowery club! This great 7-inch, 33 1/3 RPM EP has four killer... read more
A long-overdue recognition of the blues contributions of Willie Dixon – a set that pulls him out of the indie ghetto and pushes him firmly into the mainstream with this key release on Columbia Records! Yet despite that placement, the style is nicely down home – a strong recreation of... read more
Double LP from 1998 DMC mix champ, DJ Craze featuring long, mostly instrumental tracks, with, of course, lots of nice dj work and some well-chosen vocal samples. Most of the tracks are low- to mid-tempo, but one of our favorites is the triple speed "Miami International Break". 12 tracks... read more
These guys have come a long way since their early series of jazz break tracks issued nearly a decade ago – to a style in which they blend together strands of soundtrack themes, older jazz, downtempo beats, and a heck of a lot more that's bubbling under the mix! This set features snippets of... read more
A sharp Statement Of Intent from DJ Format – whose format is timeless boombap and deft live instrumention on this solid set – which includes collaborations with Sureshot La Lock, Phill Most Chill, Nostalgia 77 and others! Classic craft, though timelessly inventive. The spacey sci fi... read more
DJ Format is joined by a pair of the more innovative figures in leftfield hip hop – the ever-adventurous Edan and underground mic hero Mr Lif! "Spaceship Earth" is killer – with raw and funky backdrop, psych funk guitar in the mix and other cosmic atmospherics. Edan is is... read more
DJ Heather —
Tangerine ... CD
After Hours,
2000. Used ....
$5.99
With vocals by Triple Seis, Headcrack and Miss Jones.... read more
DJ Kentaro —
Contrast ... CD
Ninja Tune,
2012. New Copy ....
$13.99
The first full length in a few years from world class turntablist DJ Kentaro – and a pretty diverse set of floor-shaking instrumentals – plus a number vocal cuts with a strong roster of guests. Kentaro is a sharp producer/artist on top of the turntablist skills, crafting well-paced... read more
The first full length in a few years from world class turntablist DJ Kentaro – and a pretty diverse set of floor-shaking instrumentals – plus a number vocal cuts with a strong roster of guests. Kentaro is a sharp producer/artist on top of the turntablist skills, crafting well-paced... read more
The lyrically focused set in the 2 Stepping Stones compilations from DJ Krush – part remix album, part retrospective – featuring Company Flow, Black Thought & Malik B of the Roots, Mos Def, Aesop Rock, Zap Mama and others! Lyricism kind of finds Krush in his most hip hop reverent... read more
DJ Nu-Mark —
Broken Sunlight ... LP
Hot Plate,
2012. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ....
$19.9920.98
Finally a strong full-length from Nu-Mark – the myriad strengths of which were amply hinted up via the epic 10" series that led up to it – and an album that packs plenty of diverse, timeless beatcraft and stellar guests on the mic! Nu-Mark's got a sharp, crisp edge with his beats... read more
Finally a strong full-length from Nu-Mark – the myriad strengths of which were amply hinted up via the epic 10" series that led up to it – and an album that packs plenty of diverse, timeless beatcraft and stellar guests on the mic! Nu-Mark's got a sharp, crisp edge with his beats... read more
DJ Nu-Mark's Broken Sunlight – issued here on a USB Flash Drive that's shaped like a record needle – and features lots of bonus material! The USB itself just might be the coolest thing of its kind that we've ever seen! It's so well fabricated, if you look at it quickly enough, you're... read more
DJ Nu-Mark is joined by Aloe Blacc and Charles Bradley – plus the Gospel Queens! "Dont Play Around" kicks off Broken Sunlight Series #6 – and it's naturally the most funky soul-based ray of Broken Sunlight we've seen to date – but in the production department, it's... read more
A full-on collaborative album from underground mic legend Freddie Foxxx, aka Bumpy Knuckle, and hip hop heavyweight champion producer DJ Premier! Primo and Bumpy Knuckles go way, way back – and KoleXXXion does a pretty solid job of honoring the legacies of both. This is the 2LP acapellas,... read more
DJ tools from DJ Rectangle. Tracks include "Battle The Bridge Break", "Southpark Shaolin Samples", "Scratch-A-Tonic Zone", "Funky Freaknik Beats", "Apache Attacks", "Dirty Rotten Skills", "Tight-Tacular Beats", "I'm Still... read more
A classic mix of breaks and samples that scream late 90s New York. Riz has been on the scene forever as a member of Crooklyn Clan, and his experience as a DJ really shows on this one. The mixing is SOLID, all the transitions, cuts, and blends are flawless, and the continuity is unmatched. This... read more
The stellar remix version of DJ Shadow's early 00s masterpiece Private Press – made for the Japanese market and never released in the US – featuring remixes, b-sides and more – with mixes or appearances by Unkle, Roots Manuva, Mos Def, Z Trip and others! 14 tracks in all: "S... read more
A great set of archival DJ Shadow instros from the early-to-mid 90s – from back when his primary means of production was the Akai MPC sampler – along with his endless arsenal of vinyl and limitless creative inspiration! This is formative, but essential material for fans of classic... read more
A 7" single, but one that packs the punch of a 12" – thanks to impeccable production from DJ Spinna, who's really bringing back the crisper side of his game! "Motion Picture" bristles with action right from the start – leading in with a cool spoken bit, then... read more
A nice mix of danceable beats, keys and sampled atmospheres from DJ Sun – a producer with an appropriate moniker – as he delivers a nice and warm batch of grooves! Jazzy hip hop beats and samples, global beatcraft and some nice, fusiony keys float in and out here – with a guest... read more