Rock — LPs  

The incredibly rare underground funk of Stone Coal White – whose couple of raw, incendiary psych funk 45s have been furiously sought for years – fleshed out here with newly discovered and previously unissued tracks for this most amazing full length on DJ Shadow's Cali Tex label! Stone Coal White featured a core lineup of bassist Melvin Payne, drummer Joe Roddrick and guitarist Tommy Mundy (or is it Munday?) – busting out a hazy, raucous and fuzzed out groove that's steeped in both funk and psychedelia. It's got more of a raw edge than most of their contemporaries and the later 70s combos to come out of the fertile Dayton scene – really cool stuff that's a joy to see respectfully issued all these years later. Mucho thanks to Dante Carfagna and Josh Davis for seeing it through! There's a revolving cast of vocalists – Dennis Mundy on "You Know" and "Hell Below", King Solomon Prather on "People's", Robert "Dapp" Brown on the gritty cover of "Ain't No Sunshine" and a cat called Cookieman on "Move Your Hand". Also includes "Stone Coal White", "Warm Up" and "Free".

Dark 80s electronics from X Ray Pop – a record that has all the freaky, fuzzy touches of some of the best work coming out of the North of England in the late 70s – but was recorded a few years later, and originally only issued as a limited edition cassette tape! That format is the only reason the record never got wider acclaim at the time – as it's a corker, and would easily have become one of the best-remembered electro-trash sets of the time – punky in attitude, but electro in presentation – and topped with some surprisingly sweet French language vocals from the lovely Zouka Dzaza. Doc Pilot handles all the keyboards and beats – and titles include "Chapeau Volant", "Bobby Bonbek", "Nana Electronique", "Nous Sommes", "Gogol Le Mongol", "Funky Cat", and "Cobaye".

Cheap Thrills, maybe – but they cut deeply and last forever! This is one of the greatest albums by Big Brother & The Holding Company – and it's also one of the most important in cementing the legacy of singer Janis Joplin. The raw manic energy of the group at their live best is somehow bottled and presented on record as perfectly as it ever could be – and even better are the delicate moments that show such an incredible depth! Titles include "Turtle Blues", "Oh Sweet Mary", "Ball & Chain", "Summertime", "Piece Of My Heart", and "I Need A Man To Love".

A should-be Cali country rock classic by Chris Darrow – and a real rare gem of a record we'd put right up there with the best of its kind! Multi-instrumentalist Darrow might be best known to psych enthusiasts – as he was a founding member of Kaleidoscope – but as a session player, he's worked with an eclectic roster of major players that includes Frank Zappa, Gram Parsons, Leonard Cohen, Sly Stone, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and others. His solo work is akin to some other great, but better-known Cali country rockers, and honestly, we'd rate this record up against the aforementioned Mr. Parsons – it's really that good – but with more eclectic instrumentation. Catchy songs that are well sung and expertly-crafted – with Chris playing guitars, mandolin, dobro, fiddle and just about anything else with strings on it – and some light percussion, too! Other players include Ed Black, Loren Newkirk, Arnie Moore and Mickey McGhee – plus a sweet group of backing vocalists that includes Jennifer Warren. Titles include "Beware Of Time", "Lovers Of Sleep Abed Tonight", "Shawnee Moon", "Move On Down The Line", "Song For Steven", "Cocaine Lil", "Alligator Man", "Keep On Trying", "New Zoot", "The Show Must Go On", "The Sky Is Not Blue Today" and "We Can Both Learn To Say I Love You".

Global psychedelic grooves from Zambia – the tripped out sounds of Witch! Witch works in a killer rock groove on Lazy Bones, with furious rhythms, heavy drums and fuzzed out guitars. It's all nice and raw and done with a really heady and fierce sense of groove – but there's some more delicate moments with acoustic guitars, and a focus on melody, too – but most tunes bring the a raw, echoing fuzz groove. The lyrics are in English and many of their influences are western, but the African rock groove is in full effect, particularly in the insistent rhythms. Titles include "Black Tears", "Motherless Child", "Strange Dream", "Havoc", "October Night", "Off Ma Boots", "Lazy Bones", "Little Clown", and more.

A wonderfully weird project from Alan Bishop – famous member of Sun City Girls, and also the man who's given us the Sublime Frequencies label! The sound here is a great mix of both of those worlds – some of the exotic tones that SF has explored in its groundbreaking global releases, mixed with some of the offbeat sounds we've always loved from Sun City Girls – yet somehow also fused at times into a catchy approach that's almost pop at points, then quickly offset by darker elements that are right around the corner. Filled with surprises – and titles include "Black Blood", "Death Zoo", "Summer Rain", "Dark Hall", "Hitman Boy", and "Dream Machine".

A rare slice of power pop from the end of the 70s – just the kind of indie label gem that makes the genre so great! In a world where so many other groups were getting punky or quirky, The Toms keep things tight and right – really focusing on catchy melodies and well-penned rhythms – delivered with a simple, straightforward approach that's free from gimmicks, but plenty darn compelling. Lyrics are pretty fresh, but also have a sort of "instant classic" feel – making you wonder if you'd heard the songs before, given the way they grab you right away. Titles include "Let's Be Friends Again", "You Must Have Crossed My Mind", "Other Boys Do", "The Door", "It's Needless", "The Flame", "Think About Me", and "Better Than Anyone Else".

The striking debut of Marianne Faithfull – a complicated mix of folk and pop styles, with a spooky other-worldly sound that's impossible to describe accurately! Marianne's voice has a trilling quality that makes it sound at once ancient and innocent – handled here with lightly drifting backings that create an eerie mood on some of the album's best songs. The set was arranged and produced by Jon Mark – and titles include "Come My Way", "Jaberwock", "Portland Town", "Spanish Is A Living Tongue", "Full Fathom Five", "Down In The Sally Garden", and "Black Girl".