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80s groove galore – a pair of classic albums form Dayton! Hot Fun is a wonderfully sweet groover from Dayton – a group that's equal parts modern soul and 80s groove – and outta site all the way! The album's big title hit is a remake of Sly Stone's classic "Hot Fun In The Summertime", done in such a way that it's got a cool skating stepper's groove to it – and set amidst some jazzy riffing and ensemble vocals that are totally great. The rest of the album follows in a similar mode – really bouncy and joyous, with mixed male and female vocals stepping out over a set of lean, mean 80s groovers that should have been huge! Tracks include "Hot Fun", "Patiently", "We Can't Miss", "Meet The Man", "Movin Up", and "Gunch". Feel The Music is a massively wonderful album from Dayton – an album that has the group really getting their groove together – still sticking a bit in the older funk mode from the past, but also bringing in some warmer, deeper touches to their music too! There's a solidness here that's undeniable – a balance of rhythms and instrumentation that few other soul groups of the time were hitting – topped by vocals that have a nice dose of jazz in the mix too, with the sort of sophistication you might expect to hear from some of Wayne Henderson's At Home productions. Production is nice and warm, never too cold or commercial – and titles include the group's great cut "The Sound Of Music" – not the theme from the Broadway show, but a great two-stepper that's instantly infectious – plus "Caught In The Middle", "It Must Be Love", "Promise Me", and "Lookin Up".

A landmark look at the rise of hip hop in the New York scene – filmed in the mid 80s, and featuring loads of vintage footage from the streets! The images here are alone worth the price of admission – but there's also plenty of compelling meat to the feature too – including vintage interviews with Grand Master Flash, Run DMC, Schoolly D, Mr Magic, Biz Markie, Doug E Fresh, Roxanne Shante, and CBS Crew – all done in voices that are as fresh as the music they were making at the time! The film is like finding a time machine back to the old school – and although the feature is only about 45 minutes, it packs plenty of punch.

A trio of amazing albums – all of which really live up to the legend of Kim Fowley! First up is the well-titled Outrageous – one of the wildest albums ever from LA scenester Fowley – done in a very weird, very messed-up style that sort of sounds like The Stooges meet The Modern Lovers meet Alice Cooper! Fowley's fantastic on vocals – which are sort of of screeched and screamed, with revolutionary Riot On Sunset Strip-type lyrics, fused with a bit of Jim Morrison stoner spiritualism – a lot more compelling than you'd expect, and really mindblowing all the way through! The album's a perfect illustration of the genius that made Kim legendary, even when he wasn't having much of an impact on the mainstream – and titles include the incredible "Animal Man", plus "Hide & Seek", "Chinese Water Torture", "Bubble Gum", "Inner Space Discovery", and "Caught In The Middle". Next is Born To Be Wild – mindblowing organ work from the mighty Kim Fowley – a rare instrumental set that has Kim carving out amazing sounds on the organ that really match is vocal force on other records of the time! The set's a bit more soulful than usual for Fowley – a record that almost pushes a soul instrumental sound more strongly than Kim's usual Sunset Strip sleaze – although there is a nice fuzzy undercurrent to the record at times too! The set burns like some lost Tower Records soundtrack – and titles include "Born To Be Wild", "Soul Limbo", "Space Odyssey", "I Can't Stop Dancing", "Savage In The Sun", "Fresno1963", and "Pictures of Matchstick Men". Good Clean Fun is filled with awesome work from madman Kim Fowley – an album that offers hard rockers, some nice groovers, and even some trippier tracks that feature spoken or performed bits! The record's got a really wonderful approach that's a look at the lost genius of the LA scene of the late 60s – emphasized by an appearance on the record by Rodney Bingeheimer, the mayor of Sunset Strip, plus work by Motorcycle John and the Frog Prince! If you've ever heard about Fowley, but never found the record to truly convey his insanity on record, this is the one to check out – as it's as brilliant as it is insane! Titles include "Energy", "Baby Rocked Her Dolly", "Motorcycle", "One Man Band", "Good Clean Fun", "Search For A Teenage Woman", "I'm Not Young Anymore", "Lights The Blind & Lame Can See", and "Kangaroo".

A record that's got a lot more to offer than just the "fun" promised in the title – and a set with a much deeper feel than you might guess from its wrapping paper cover! The quartet is definitely heavy on horns – soprano and alto sax from Volker Schlott, tenor and flute from Thomas Klemm, trombone from Jorg Huke, and trumpet and flughelhorn from Joachim Hesse – all working here with only a bit of percussion, but mostly just crafting these amazing lines in space between their horns – in ways that maybe echo a bit of the sax quartet style of the time from the US, but which definitely goes way way beyond as well! Things are never too far outside, and at many times, there's this sense of color and tone that almost recall some late 50s/early 60s experiments from folks like Jimmy Giuffre or Art Farmer – with all the sense of swing and soul that might imply. Other numbers have a more contemporary feel – and titles include "Round Funk", "Primo Tono", "Permanent'z", "Kanon II", "Bluestekuchen", "3 Saxophonie Nr 2", "Free Notes", and "Largo Lapidarius".

Amazing sounds from The Hollies – a smoking selection of rare recordings for the BBC – overflowing with goodness, and a much-needed addition to their fab 60s catalog! We really love the sound of The Hollies in the studio – but the amazing thing here is that these live, spontaneous radio recordings are equally great – handled with that well-honed sound that few of their contemporaries could touch – a beautiful blend of jangle pop, harmony vocals, and just the right sort of rough edges to really make the whole thing come across beautifully! Tracks are pulled from programs that include Saturday Club, Delaney's Delight, Top Gear, and This Must Be The Place – and the set features a whopping 32 tracks that include "The Games We Play", "I'm Alive", "Look Through Any Window", "Jennifer Eccles", "Here I Go Again", "Wings", "Shake", "Wishyouawish", "Step Inside", "Hard Hard Year", "Charlie & Fred", "Nobody", "She Said Yeah", "Too Many People", and "So Lonely".

Classics from the mid 80s east coast hip hop master class – BDP, Just-Ice, T La Rock, Skinny Boys, Tricky Tee and Mantronix – benchmark singles, circa '86! This compilation was put together by Five Day Weekend as a soundtrack inspired by Big Fun In The Big Town – the little seen documentary by Dutch filmmaker Bram Van Splunter. Includes "South Bronx" and "9MM Goes Bang" by Boogie Down Productions, "Cold Getting Dumb" by Just-Ice, "Breaking Bells" and "Back To Burn" by T La Rock, "Jockbox" by Skinny Boys, "Leave It To The Drums" by Tricky Tee and "Bassline" and "Ladies" by Mantronix.

Classics from the mid 80s east coast hip hop master class – BDP, Just-Ice, T La Rock, Skinny Boys, Tricky Tee and Mantronix – benchmark singles, circa '86! This compilation was put together by Five Day Weekend as a soundtrack inspired by Big Fun In The Big Town – the little seen documentary by Dutch filmmaker Bram Van Splunter. Includes "South Bronx" and "9MM Goes Bang" by Boogie Down Productions, "Cold Getting Dumb" by Just-Ice, "Breaking Bells" and "Back To Burn" by T La Rock, "Jockbox" by Skinny Boys, "Leave It To The Drums" by Tricky Tee and "Bassline" and "Ladies" by Mantronix.

A rare early Latin session from Charles Fox – an artist who's best known for his TV and film soundtrack work of the 70s – but who really cooks nicely on this sweet 60s set! The album's got an all-star crew – including flute from Johnny Pacheco, and rhythms from Louie Ramirez – and the groove is a much jazzier take on charanga styles than usual – filled with the kind of vivid twists and turns you might expect from Charles' soundtrack work! Elliot Romero handles most of the vocals, but it's the instrumental interplay that really grabs us – complex and swinging at the same time, with lots of dark notes that really deepen the sound of the album. Titles include "Contento Estoy", "Matilda Y Maceo", "Chiquita", "Viene Acabando", "El Melao", "Que Rica Pachanga", and "No Me Dejes De Querer" – plus the totally killer "Blue Pachanga" – worth the price of the album alone!

A tripped-out funky number that begins with some great guitar – scratching away in a Sly Stone mode, before the track rolls into vocals by Phil Flowers, with a weird heavy soul kind of sound. Kind of in the rock/funk mode – like other work on Epic at the time!

Think major label rock is boring? Think again – and check out this incredible set of tracks from the late 60s and early 70s – all pulled from the catalogs of Liberty and United Artists Records, and recorded at a time when both labels were really willing to take a lot of chances with their music! In the 60s, Liberty was mostly known as a mainstream pop outlet in the US – but over in Europe, the company was recording some incredible cutting-edge groups that included important early prog rockers, space rockers, psyche rockers, and jazz rockers – the kind of genre-crossing groups that were the mainstay of FM radio in its early days, and which are documented here wonderfully in a 3CD set that's overflowing with rare tunes and great notes! Much of the work here has never been issued on CD, and the tracks offer a key picture of an era that's nearly lost – presented with a great sense of timing, history, and full-rocking energy. 39 tracks in all – with titles that include "Intro & Outro" by Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, "The Birthday" by Idle Race, "The Seed" by BB Blunder, "Here Comes Mister Time" by If, "Let Me Take You Home" by Gypsy, "Our Captain Cried All Hands" by Allan Taylor, "Little Boy" by Reg King, "Cherry Red" by The Groundhogs, "Paperhouse" by Can, "Country Girl" by Brinsley Schwarz, "Daughter Of The Fireplace" by Man, "Take Me Away" by Colin Scot, "Out Of My Tree" by Clive John, "Psychedelic Warlords" by Hawkwind, "Home Again" by Cochise, "Razor Blade & Rattlesnake" by Deke Leonard, and "Living In The World Today" by Neutrons.

An excellent album of hard electric funk, with tight Betty Davis-ish vocals over the top, and lots of heavy guitar-driven funky backings underneath! Maxayn was a real nutter, and never cut many records – but this one's probably the best version of her stoner funk sound from the early 70s. Includes the great moogy cut "Moonfunk", plus "Bail Out" and "Life is What You Make It".

An essential batch of music – four overlooked gems from the German Ego label of the late 70s – one of which is a stone classic that we've treasured for decades! All albums here are incredible – but our absolute favorite is Benny Bailey's Serenade To A Planet – a set that we think is one of the greatest jazz records ever! By the time of this 1976 release, trumpeter Benny Bailey had already had quite a history – working with Quincy Jones in his early years, and recording for MPS with the likes of Nathan Davis and the Clark Boland Big Band, as well as some of the best other players in Europe. This set's Benny's masterpiece – a soulful batch of tunes that feels like it was lifted from the catalog of Strata East, but which is played by a quintet that features Europeans Ferdinand Povel on tenor, Joe Haider on piano, and Isla Eckinger on bass – as well as American Kenny Clarke on drums. The vibe is perfect – and the group's harmoniously searching with a strong modal groove on nearly every track. Titles include "Aquarian Moods", "Neptunis", "Little B", and "The Kicker". East Of Isar is something of a follow-up to that date – done by Bailey with tenorist Sal Nistico – in a wonderful group that also includes Joe Haider on piano, Isla Eckinger on bass, and Billie Brooks on drums! The Haider/Eckinger team are known from other Bailey sessions in Europe – all of which are fantastic – and they perform extremely well here, too. Tracks are long, with a wonderfully searching quality – and titles include "Blues For Trane", "Joyful Sadness", and "East Of Isar". Then, the set steps into Just For Fun – another great album with a very similar groove – thanks to rhythm from Joe Haider on piano, Gunter Lenz on bass, and Joe Nay on drums. The group's backing up tenorist Sal Nistico – usually a sleepy talent, but a sparkling one on this session, thanks to a lively lyrical rhythm section, and some great compositions by Joe Haider. The whole thing sparkles with the kind of imagination and energy that keeps you tracking down sessions on MPS and other European labels – and with tracks like "Beautiful Black Casanova", "Do Not Make Circles", and "7787", you won't be disappointed in this one! And last by not least is After A Long Time – from trumpeter Dusko Goykovich – a rare gem that's in a similar format to Benny Bailey's classic Serenade To A Planet! Dusko stretches out beautifully on the record – in a group that features Joe Haider on piano, Roman Schwaller on tenor, Isla Eckinger on bass, and Alvin Queen on drums. Titles include "Emotionally", "After A Long Time", "Summit", "Mountain Witch", and "The Hunt Is On".

The Chicago steppers scene hits the junior crowd – and comes up with a host of simpler slides for younger dancers! The package is billed as being for kids, but actually works well for anyone who finds some of the more complicated steps too difficult (like us, if you've ever seen us on the dancefloor!) New slides include "Tambourine", "Wobble", "Cupid Slide", and "The Turbo Slide" – and the set has the delightfully grass roots packaging of some of the other Chicago steppers DVDs we've stocked!

A nice bit of Detroit Techno – one that really crossed over into the mainstream, hitting all the stops on the remixes here with one from Derrick May, another from Juan Atkins, another from Steve Silk Hurley and the radio version of the original from Kevin Saunderson!

A creative highpoint for The Mekons – even if too few were listening at the time! The greatest curse The Mekons have to deal with is their relative obscurity, outside of underground rock aficionados – and if you don't require the fieriness of their punkier earlier albums, we can't recommend Curse Of The Mekons highly enough. It includes the fierce "Authority" – one of our favorite Mekons songs ever – a that roars and mourns at the same time! The album's a stunner from beginning-to-end, though. Includes "The Curse", "Blue Arse", "Wild & Blue", "Secrets", "Nocturne", "Sorceror", "Brutal", "Waltz" and "100% Song". This CD edition also includes their great A&M EP Fun 90 – with "Makes No Difference", "Sheffield Park", "Having A Party" and "One Horse Town".

Detroit underground hits the mainstream – in a seminal album of crossover dance tracks! Kevin Saunderson and vocalist Paris Grey, along with help from Juan Atkins, craft a set of tunes that managed to hook the rest of the world on the electro sound that had been bubbling under in the Motor City for most of the 80s. And sure, there's more hooks and less darkness than on some of Saunderson's earlier work – but is that such a bad thing? Not to our ears, as lots of these tunes have still held up quite well over the years. Titles include "Paradise", "Ain't Nobody Better", "Big Fun", "Do You Love What You Feel", "Good Life", and "Secrets Of The Mind".

An obscure early party record!

A massive look at the mighty pairing of Cannonball Adderley and David Axelrod – a partnership that's way more than just jazz musician and producer! Axelrod's talents in the studio are many, but his greatest heights were possibly reached in collaboration with Cannonball – a relationship that spawned an amazing run of singles and albums that allowed the saxophonist to expand his music to amazing new levels, and touch audiences that few other jazz musicians could reach! Axelrod's sense of sound and timing are a perfect match for Cannonball's intrinsically funky approach to the saxophone – and no matter what the setting here, from big band to small combo, studio recordings to live date, high concept records to relaxed jazz sessions, there's an undeniable groove in the music that never lets up. The CD pulls together a very wide range of work from key Axelrod/Adderley Capitol recordings – and offers a double-length look at their pairing that's as soulful as it is essential. Titles include "The Black Messiah", "Space Spiritual", "Do Do Do", "Gone", "Ndolima", "Up & At It", "Hummin", "Make Your Own Temple", "Tensity", "Fun In The Church", "Khutsana", "Price You Got To Pay To Be Free", "Walk Tall", "Music You All", and "Dialogues For Jazz Quintet & Orchestra".

The first album by Atlantic Starr – a tight set of modern soul tunes with a very different feel than their later work! Part of the credit goes to Bobby Eli – who arranged and produced the set, giving it a feel that's almost late Philly – tight, sophisticated, and right on the money at all the best points! There's a number of sweet mellow ballads with lead vocals by Sharon Bryant, and other tracks that groove in an uptempo way that points towards more of the group's 80s work – a great mix of modes that makes for a really well-developed album right out of the gate. Titles include "Gimme Your Lovin", "The Love I Never Had", "Visions", "Keep It Comin", "Stand Up", "Where There's Smoke There's Fire", "We Got It Together", and "Being In Love With You Is So Much Fun".

Eerie early 60s material from Les Baxter – his soundtrack work for Roger Corman's American International feature The Man With X-Ray Eyes – plus Corman's Morella entry in the Poe-themed anthology Tales Of Terror! The Man With X-Ray Eyes is one of those groovy soundtracks where the mood and style of the material matches the titles pretty greatly – "Penthouse", "Fast Twist", "Casino Lounge", "Posh" and more. Fun stuff! The Morella material is, appropriately more gothic horror themed and it's very well done at that! Includes "The Corpse And The Ghost", "Lenora/Morella/Fire & Smoke/Eerie House" and more. This great La La Land set also includes 4 bonus tracks from The Man With X-Ray Eyes.

The Beach Boys' installment in Capitol's hot rod-themed Shut Down series – the first edition of which was devoted to a host of different artists! It's clear that even in this setting, The Beach Boys have way more to offer than just a few gimmicky car songs – as the record offers some of the early group's most tender, personal moments – real early gems like "The Warmth Of The Sun" and "Don't Worry Baby" - mixed in with more playful numbers like "Fun Fun Fun", "This Car Of Mine", "In The Parkin Lot", "Shut Down Part 2", and "Keep An Eye On Summer". It's this mix that really gets at the group's genius at the time – maturity creeping out amidst the youthful themes, in ways that few other 60s acts could ever hope to match. Includes the complete album in both the mono and stereo mixes!

That's almost a hip hop cover on the front – one that would be years ahead of its time – but the record's a great batch of soul from this overlooked group! There's a tightness here that goes way beyond the previous album from Black Ice – a really top-shelf delivery all the way through – of the sort you'd expect to hear from a much bigger act at the time. The album's divided into two sides – a "lover's side" and a "dancer's side" – the latter of which features the band grooving in kind of an 80s club mode, with lots of bass pedals and a smooth funky sound that's not too bad. The real strength, though, is the lover's side – which is sort of an update of the 70s east coast harmony sound, given a smooth modern soul twist, but still retaining the best part of the vocal style, especially on the midtempo cuts. Titles include "I Just Wanna Hold You", "This Time", "Never Knew Love", "Big Fun", and the ode to designer jeans, "Sergios (I Want To Be With You)".

A killer late set by Bloodstone – one that holds on to all the excellent harmonies they brought to their 70s work, but which pushes their groove forward in a whole new direction! There's a warm modern glow to the set – one that works perfectly with the vocals – and the quintet still have a hell of a way with a ballad – singing in that slow-tripping style that was never too overly emotive, yet could pack a hell of a punch back in the day – especially in the wee hours! The tunes here are longer than before, and inflected by some rich arrangements by both the Isley Brothers and McKinley Jackson – and the set's got an Isleys-like approach by putting all the ballads on one side, and the groovers on another. These groovers really hold onto the harmonies wonderfully – making for a great follow-up to the ballads – and titles include the sublime smooth stepping track "We Go A Long Way Back", plus "Go On & Cry", "How Does It Feel", "Nite Time Fun", "My Love Grows Stronger", and "My Kind Of Woman". CD features great bonus tracks too – "My Love Grows Stronger (part 2)", "Go On & Cry (7" mix)", and "We Go A Long Way Back (12" mix)".

Ah, yes, it's a sunshine day, alright – and this batch of groovy, polyester 70s TV pop fits just right! God help us for admitting this, but these goofy, well arranged, dumb fun numbers from the Brady Kids 70s LPs are a heck of a good time, and a pretty true distillation of 70s vanilla pop sounds. It ain't nearly as glorious as the best stuff from the Monkees or the Partridge Family as real pop art, nor does it need to be. Like Jonny Bravo, they they fit the suit just fine! Includes "It's A Sunshine Day", "We Can Make The World A Whole Lot Brighter", the very Brady cover of cheese classic "American Pie", "Keep On", "Merry Go Round", "Candy (Sugar Shoppe)", "Truckin' Back To You", "We'll Always Be Friends"

One of the greatest albums ever from BT Express – tighter, smoother, and classier than the group's early funky disco sessions – and with a cosmic sound that shows them really growing at the time! The sound here steps off from both the group's own horn-heavy disco sides of the 70s, and from the more righteous ensemble funk work of the Earth Wind & Fire generation – and there's also a nice undercurrent of the snapping midtempo rhythms that would show up even later in the early 80s indie club scene. Funk is still very much a part of the BT Express sound – and even when coming together like an all-pro outfit, the group are still hitting hard on the rhythms and well-crafted guitar parts. A wonderful record throughout – the kind of late session that could easily be overlooked, but which represents some of the group's best work! Titles include "Takin' Off", "Does It Feel Good", "Closer", "Better Late Than Never", and "Have Some Fun".

One of coolest live documents of folk music adventuror Sandy Bull you could ask for – recorded at the Berkeley Community Theater in 1976 – with Bull playing the oud, on stage with early version of the TASCAM 4-track recorder, utilized here as his backing "band"! He dubs his tape machine The Rhythm Ace – with Bull playing the oud to pre-taped drum machine and bass, and talking to the audience about just what heck they're seeing and hearing. We don't know of the audience was in awe, dumbstruck or what – folk fellows didn't do this kind of thing on stage in '76 – which makes it all the more rewarding to hear 35+ years later! Sandy's musicianship is brilliant, and it's great fun to listen to him talk about his pal The Rhythm Ace, too. Includes "Oud", "Love Is Forever", "Driftin", "Alligator Wrestler" (with an intro) and "New York City" – plus a demo of his Rhythm Ace.

One of the great ones! No kidding, Jaki Byard was an amazing talent in the 60s – and records like this one are rare treasures to be sought-after by any serious jazz fan. Byard had an incredible range of talents and influences – and, like his frequent bandmate Roland Kirk, he could often run through all of them in a very short stretch, packing each song with a wealth of feeling, technique, and sheer raw fun. This album's a darn tough one to find on vinyl – and it's reissued here with a previously unissued track. The group includes Byard on piano and alto, plus Jimmy Owens, Paul Chambers, and Billy Higgins. Tracks include "Spanish Tinge", "Olean Visit", "Geb Piano Roll", "Snow Flakes", and "On The Spot". Also includes the previously unissued "Snow Flakes".

A motherlode of music from the glory days of Chairmen Of The Board – tremendous tunes from that time when the group were one of the freshest things in soul music – partly for their unique vocal approach, and partly for the bold, upbeat sound of their backings! All the work here comes from the Invictus Records years of the early 70s – and the set rolls out strongly with bold production from Holland Dozier Holland – often with a heady vibe that adds a nice degree of righteousness to the mix. The set's got over 20 tracks in all – and titles include "Skin I'm In", "Feeling Alright", "Elmo James", "Finders Keepers", "I'm A Sign Of Changing Times", "Let's Have Some Fun", "So Glad You're Mine", "Everything's Tuesday", "Chairman Of The Board", "Pay To The Piper", "Give Me Just A Little More Time", and "Working On a Building Of Love".

Probably the rarest of all albums by The Chairmen Of The Board – and also the last! The album was cut after the band re-formed briefly, and it's got a fuzzed-out heavy soul sound that's quite different from some of the group's earlier work. There's heavy guitar on many tracks – riffing away in a psychedelic mode that dominates most tracks, but which almost buries the group's vocals. The album's a great one if you dig the funk side of the Chairmen – and at times, it almost reminds us of The Politicians, who were kind of labelmates of the group. Includes the excellent two-part funk track "Life & Death" – plus "Love At First Sight", "Everybody Party All Night", "Let's Have Some Fun", "Finder's Keepers", "Skin I'm In", and "White Rose (Freedom Flower)". Lots of bonus tracks too – including "Finders Keepers (inst)", "Someone Just Like You", "Come On In & Dance", and "You've Got Extra Added Power In Your Love".

The Chipmunks take on The Beatles – in an early version of fab four fun! Titles are almost all early Lennon/McCartney numbers, sung by Alvin and the gang with a surprisingly nice groove!

A bit more high concept than before for Stanley Clarke – almost a suite of sorts, but one that still has some great standout tunes in the mix! Although Clarke used to bring his higher concepts to bear in the space of a single song, this one's more of a full exploration of the character in the title – served up at the best moments with more soul than on previous albums from Stanley, some nicely tuneful tracks that almost get a bit funky at points. There's a bit of vocals on the record – courtesy of Dee Dee Bridgewater and others – and guests include Freddie Hubbard, Stan Getz, Harvey Mason, Tom Scott, and Airto. Titles include "More Hot Fun", "Slow Dance", "He Lives On", "Dayride", "Got To Find My Own Place", "Closing Statement", and "A Serious Occasion".

Great post-Parliafunkadelicment work from George Clinton – surely the biggest hit of his albums for Capitol – especially since it features the singles "Atomic Dog" and "Loopzilla"! We'll be honest in saying that at the time this one came out, as die-hard Detroit funk fans, we remember thinking "oh gosh, George has lost it" – but from the perspective of many years later, the record sure sounds like classic P-Funk to us – really picking up where the last few Funkadelic and Parliament albums left off! The album sports a great Pedro Bell cover, features some nice work with Bootsy, includes the hits "Atomic Dog" and "Loopzilla" – and also features some lesser-known gems that include "Pot Sharing Tots", "Get Dressed", "Computer Games", and "One Fun At A Time".

A nice 6 song mini LP/EP scorcher from Portsmouth, NH garage rockers The Connection! Seven Nights To Rock is a hook-filled blast – with a tight, no frills and no-nonsense style inspired by the greatests 60s garage sounds – and a tuneful delivery that's above and beyond so many of their contemporary peers. The group not only has a great ear for hooks, but the ability to pull them off with a mix of raucous rock and sweeter harmonies. Fun stuff! Includes "Seven Nights To Rock", "I Think She Digs Me", "Comes 'N Goes", "Bad To Worse", a cover of The Ramones rarity "Yeah Yeah" and in another cool nod to The Ramones – the Connection original "Gonna Leave You" features production by Ed Stasium – producer/engineer of some the Ramones most treasured material!

A great later record by The Cramps – still stomping their inimitable brand of seedy, sexy macabre-billy in as fine of a form as they'd been in a number of years by this point! After the slicked-up studio sound of the preceding Flamejob, they wisely strip the production polish away for a rawer sound here – though still less murky than the late 70s and early 80s recordings. It's the right balance! Really fun stuff from legendary act that really don't get enough praise for their consistently solid records in the later years. Includes "Cramp Stomp", "God Monster", "It Thing Hard-On", "Shena's In A Goth Gang", "Queen Of Pain", "Devil Behind That Bush", "Super Goo", "Hypno Sex Ray", "Wet Nightmare", "Badsass Bug", "Haulass Hyena" and more.

A totally fun later record from The Cramps – with solid roots rock, fuzzed out garagey stormers and vintage B-Movie imagery as brilliantly as always! By this point, The Cramps were understandably being championed for their killer live show more than their records, which is too bad, because this a gem that's been largely buried in the early 90s crypt. It's a nice mix of faster than usual paced punky numbers and their trademark, slower grooving melange of Chess Records, surf, rockabilly and all around mix of both pivotal and obscure influences. Includes "Dames, Booze, Chains And Boots", "Two Headed Sex Change", "Blow Up Your Mind", "Hardworkin' Man", "Miniskirt Stomp", "I Wanna Get In Your Pants", "Bend Over, I'll Drive", "Eyeball In My Martini", "Hipsille 29 BC" and "The Strangeness In Me".

A Latin classic from the word "bang"! This album was the one that busted Joe Cuba out of the Latin ghetto – into the sound of 60s soul, early funk, and beyond. The record's a stone winner – filled with boogaloo tracks delivered by Joe's firey young sextet, a killer ensemble that was setting the Latin world on its ear at the time. The title track – "Bang Bang" – is one of those tracks that you'll recognize from a million references, but which never sounds as good as it does on this impeccable version from Joe. The whole album follows in a similar suit – blending Latin, jazz, and soul with effortless ease – shifting between English and Spanish lyrics in a genre-busting style that really captures all the freshness of the era. The whole thing's great, and titles include "Asi Soy", "Alafia", "Triste", "Mujer Divina", "Oh Yeah", "Sock It To Me", and the "Bang Bang" follow-up, "Push, Push, Push". Great, hard, and a heck of a lot of fun!

Titles include "Cheek To Cheek", "On The One For Fun", "Stay Awhile With Me", "Nice Girls", and "A Love Song".

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 list that includes Leah Alvarez, Jessica Zweback, Tim Ruiz, Mark Sound and Meghan Hendley. "Tomorrow", "Bus", "Break", "Sednsation", "Stinger", "Heart Seed" feat Leah Alvarez, "Ten" feat Jessica Zweback, "Monday Drive", "F Train To Church", "Brown Brother" feat Tim Ruiz", "Seconds", "Fun", "Dubai", "Life" and more. Also includes a bonus version of "Heart Seed" with Leah Alvarez and Martin Perna.

We have to admit we find these records to be a lot of fun, but no one could possibly buy the spiel in the liner notes about their "effect on the imagination and subconscious of the listener". Two extended soundscapes here: side one is "The Psychologically Ultimate Seashore", side two is the "Optimum Aviary". As the notes say, play at any speed, for different psychological effects.

Sunny wonderfulness from one of the grooviest vocal groups of all time! This is Free Design's legendary album for children – referred to in the title as "very important people" – and it's a strangely hip set of tracks designed to get the kids to open up in a groovy late 60s kind of way. Given that the Free Design always sounded like a bunch of hippy kids, the setting is perfect for them – and they dreamily make their way through a great set of nearly all original tracks that sparkle with an innocent charm that's slyly deeper than you'd guess from the kid-orientation of the set! Original titles include "Love You", "Kites Are Fun", "Daniel Dolphin", "Ronda 'Go Round", "Bubbles", "Little Cowboy", and "Scarlet Tree". CD features 2 bonus tracks – both outtakes from "For The Love Of Your Lips", a Chapstick commercial!

A mix of post disco soul sophistication and laidback funky numbers from Gaston – a welcome approach from the early 80s era – a time when too many contemporary soul acts moved towards a more overly polished vibe! Gaston's self-titled LP is just polished enough – with a bright sound, lead and call-and-response harmony vocals, bouncy bass lines, soulful keys and sweet synths. Fun party soul jams and a couple of tasteful ballads, too! Titles include "Mind Sticker", "You Don't Love Me", "Broken Record", "You Turn Me On", "Benny Hill", "Here A Funk, There A Funk, Everywhere A Funk Funk", "Love Is Gonna Getcha" and "We Come To Take Control".

Fab vocal work from the Golddiggers – the female backing singers who would sing in variety numbers with Dean Martin on his weekly TV show! Although the girls were usually in the background on Dean's show, they take center stage here – swinging their way through a mix of 60s mod tracks and a few older-styled numbers. The album's got a great version of "Montage" from How Sweet It Is, a nice take on "59th Street Bridge Song", plus "The Kumquat Tree", "It's Fun To Be Young", and "It Seems Like Yesterday".

Lovely 60s girl pop from Lesley Gore – the sweet, soaring, brightly sunny Magic Colors album – released in full for the first time ever – and with a huge assortment of bonus tracks, too! Magic Colors should have come out on Mercury in 1967, but it wasn't to be. Well, better late than never, right? It's fluffy, but fun – with sweet vocals by Leslie and with arrangements by Bob Crewe, Jack Nitzsche, Gamble & Huff, Thom Bell and others. The album tracks include "It's A Happening World", "Magic Colors", "Brink Of Disaster", "I'm Fallin' Down", "To Sir With Love" and more. Includes a whopping 15 bonus singles: "Summer And Sandy", "Small Talk", "I Can't Make It Without You", "Summer Symphony", "One By One", "Wedding Bell Blues" and more. 25 tracks in all!

A great compendium of album and 45 cover art for always fun to look at, often horrible to listen to records released by actors, athletes and other celebrities! Feast upon the cover art for records by Don Johnson, Morton Downey Jr, The Chicago Bears, John Schneider, Alyssa Milano, Eddie Murphy, David Hasselhoff, The Brady Bunch, Ed McMahon, Goldie Hawn, Anthony Quinn, John Davidson, Mister Rogers and many more. Paperback, 127 pages.

A charming batch of mid 60s popular tunes done in loungey, sort of boozy arrangements in some places and uptempo mod in others from Noel Harrison – who went on to have a few hits as well as a successful acting career – tackling Dylan, Lennon/McCartney, and more with a really swinging aplomb! Moddish touches abound, with some rocking soul & pop backing in the rolling drums, trippy organ washes, horn punctuation and girl backing vocals! Really cheeky stuff and good fun! "It's All Over Now Baby Blue", "God Bless The Child", "She's A Woman", "Mr Tamborine Man", "A Young Girl (Of Sixteen)", "All Blues", "Like Stranger", "Tomorrow Is My Turn" and more.

A stunning disco classic from Dan Hartman – maybe an unlikely talent for the dancefloors, given his image on the cover – but an artist who definitely went onto shape the sound of the clubs at the end of the 70s! The album's got the Hartman groove really hitting hard, and right on the money – a tightly compressed approach to disco that really lays heavily on the hooks – in a style that's similar to where Peter Brown was going at the time, with a similar compressed sensibility that gets past any of the fluff that was drowning others in the disco generation! In fact, it could well be argued that the approach here really helps focus a dancefloor sound towards the modes of the 80s – while still allowing for the fluid soul of the disco years too – a style that's summed up perfectly in the album's extended classic "Vertigo/Relight My Fire", which features famous vocals by Loleatta Holloway! Other titles are all sweet too – and include "Free Ride", "I Love Makin Music", "Just For Fun", "Love Strong", and "Hands Down". CD features some nice bonus tracks too – "Boogie All Summer (single)", "Relight My Fire (single)", "Hands Down (12" version)", "Hands Down (Hands Up)", "Relight My Fire (historical 1979 rmx)", and "Vertigo/Relight My Fire (progressive instrumental rmx)".

Mayer Hawthorne moves to the majors on How Do You Do – bringing that fun, neo classic bedroom soul sound he did so well on Stones Throw with him – pretty much picking up right where Strange Arrangement left off! The Mayer Hawthorne story was a strange one from the start – white producer/DJ crafting real-deal, moody, sultry throwback soul under a pseudonym that gets him signed to Stones Throw. The best news, really, is that he's still doing what we loved on the Stones Throw LP and singles. Skirting throwback Motown and indie soul conventions, but winking ever so slyly at them, making strings sound scratchy, warm and well-worn, subtle horns to sooth and stir, his own vocals layered for a group-like effect. Bonus points for his use of the superstar cameo – he brings Snoop Dogg in to SING, not to serve as an obligatory rhyme cameo. Well played, Mayer Hawthorne! Includes "Get To Know You", "A Long Time", "Can't Stop" with Snoop, "Finally Falling", "Hooked", "You Called Me", "No Strings", "Dreaming", "The Walk" and more.

Fantastic stuff – and a beautiful album of modal grooves that really deserves wider recognition! Horn plays alto and flute in a groovy west coast quintet with Emil Richards on vibes and Paul Moer on piano – and the overall feel is very similar to his stellar Something Blue album on the HiFi label. Tracks begin with some tight bass and drum workouts, then the piano of Moers sets down lines that let horn and Richards groove over the top. Wonderful stuff – with only a hint of Horn's later hippy-dippy work, and some great tight jazz soloing. Titles include "Fun Time", "Now Hear This", "Abstraction", and "Straight Ahead".

One of the nicer Willie Hutch albums on Motown – a killer batch of heavy and funky tracks that evoke some of his soundtrack work from the same time – as well as a more hard grooving album-oriented approach! Willie arranged and produced, and there's lots of nice moogy and guitary bits – plus sweet backup chorus vocals and a few more soaring elements – making this one a cool mix of grittier grooves, stranger textures and a few softer touches. Titles include "Get Ready For The Get Down", "Don't You Let Nobody Tell You How To Do Your Thing", "I'm Gonna Stay", "Mark Of The Beast", "Woman You Touched Me" and "Life's No Fun Living In the Ghetto".

The first new album from Iggy & The Stooges since Raw Power – that's 40 g****amn years if you're counting – and it's a pretty damn good! Yeah, we're gonna say it again, as it's probably necessary to repeat it: the first new album from Iggy & The Stooges (aka, the version of the band with James Williamson on guitar) in 4 decades is worth picking up. Yes, really! Frankly, it shouldn't be such a surprise, given that their live show is still essential, but after the Stooges proper reunion album The Weirdness (with the now deceased Ron Asheton on guitar. . .but like this new version of the band, it featured latter day Stooge Mike Watt on bass to replace the earlier departed Dave Alexander) bombed bigtime, expectations were low. Rather than try to replace the frenzied Raw Power vibe, they're really just out to make a fun, snarky, profane, no BS rock 'n' roll record here and that's what they do. Iggy has been more of a weird crooner in the studio in recent years than the wild-eyed howler that he becomes on stage, and that's what he does here, too. On top of the balls out rockers, there's a couple of surprisingly strong acoustic numbers – and occasional Stooge sax honker Steve Mackay makes a welcome appearance. The best Iggy album in years, with or without the Stooges! Titles include "Burn", "Sex & Money", "Job", "Gun", "Unfriendly World", "Ready To Die", "DD's", "Dirty Deal", "Beat That Guy" and "The Departed".

The cover says this is "an album if great rockin songs by Wanda Jackson" and they are indeed pretty rockin! Rather than rock, these tunes are more rockabilly, of course – and Wanda's amazing, raspy yet pretty voice is definitely rooted in classic honky tonk, too. It's a really fun record from her prime at Capitol. Tracks include "Lonely Week-Ends", "Kansas City", "Fallin", "Hard Headed Woman", "Tongue Tied", "Sparkling Brown Eyes", and "Man We Had A Party". One of the highlights of the record is the killer guitar playing – with credit to Roy Clark!

A goofy title track, and a groovy little album from Jan & Dean – a set that has them settling nicely into their role as one of the most playful pairs in west coast pop – with a heck of a lot more staying power than some of their more surf-washed contemporaries! The album's got a number of tracks that follow in the similar LA-environs mode as the title track – but instead of being gimmicky, they almost come across with this whimsical sort of charm – like they're Jan & Dean's version of British tunes from The Kinks – a wonderfully playful picture postcard version of California, with more wit than you might expect! Titles include "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena", "The Anaheim Azusa & Cuckamonga Sewing Circle", "Summer Means Fun", "Old Ladies Seldom Power Shift", "Sidewalk Surfin", "One Piece Topless Bathing Suit", and "Horace The Swinging School Bus Driver".

A goofy title track, and a groovy little album from Jan & Dean – a set that has them settling nicely into their role as one of the most playful pairs in west coast pop – with a heck of a lot more staying power than some of their more surf-washed contemporaries! The album's got a number of tracks that follow in the similar LA-environs mode as the title track – but instead of being gimmicky, they almost come across with this whimsical sort of charm – like they're Jan & Dean's version of British tunes from The Kinks – a wonderfully playful picture postcard version of California, with more wit than you might expect! Titles include "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena", "The Anaheim Azusa & Cuckamonga Sewing Circle", "Summer Means Fun", "Old Ladies Seldom Power Shift", "Sidewalk Surfin", "One Piece Topless Bathing Suit", and "Horace The Swinging School Bus Driver".

Rare work from the west coast mainstream pop underground of the 60s – that magical musical place where cats who had bigger gigs were able to make some special sounds in between the chart singles – groovy little records that often got lost amidst the shifting sands of time! Two of the biggest talents on that scene of the time were Beach Boy Bruce Johnston and producer Terry Melcher – both of whom worked on much bigger projects, especially in later years, but also cut some cool stuff here together as a duo. The music here is heavy on the harmonies you'd expect from a duo with their experience – but most vocals are duo mode, not quartet or quintet – set amidst some totally sweet hot rod and surf-styled music – produced mostly by Melcher with this cool squished-up studio sound! The set features rare singles, a few unissued numbers, mono cuts, and even some work by the related Rogues – 20 whopping titles that include "Come On Let's Go", "Hawaii", "Summer Means Fun", "Raining In My Heart", "Roger's Reef", "Yeah", "Thank You Baby", "Halfway", "Four Strong Winds", "Look Who's Laughing Now", "Come Love", and "Custom Machine".

High school and hot rods – groovy Capitol work, courtesy of producer Gary Usher – and of course, it features an incredible roster of west coast studio geniuses behind the curtain! A fun mix of instrumentals and vocal tunes, with beach and surf harmonies, R&B-indebted rumblers and other thematic touches – honking sax, gritty percussion, nicely grooving organs and chugging guitars – what more could you ask for? The niceness of the vocal tunes is a surprise, but the instrumentals are unsurprisingly great! Titles include "Hot Rod High", "Midnight Auto", "School Days", "Be True To Your School", "Hot Rod, USA", "I Get Around", "Rock Around The Clock", "Skippin' School", "Theme For Teen Love" and more.

Jesse Saunders has some fun with an 8-bit sampler and little vocal bits referencing the Amityville Horror film (we think) over this spare, almost electro-sounding early Chicago house cut.

One of the weirdest records ever on ESP – a dreamy mix of vocals from this family-based group – set to jazz-based instrumentation, over rhythms that range from funky to bossa! The singing's a bit rough at times, but that's part of the charm – as The Leavitts have an earnest, honest approach to their music – a bit of a message in some of the lyrics, and a fair bit of poetic imagery too – done with an approach that's somewhere in the territory of The Free Design, but not nearly as polished! Music is handled by a very hip batch of players – including Chick Corea on piano, Pete Yellin on flute, and Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax – all musicians who add great sounds to the group's own work on guitar, and give the record a solid instrumental grounding. Pretty amazing stuff, and a lot more charming than you might expect – with tracks that include "The Saints Of My City Are Children", "Fun City", "Notes So High", "Candy", "Once I Had A Little Duck", "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", and "O Amor Em Paz".

Killer 50s work from the great Little Walter – tracks that show that he was of the greatest blues acts working for Chess Records at the time! Many of the numbers here are heavy on Walter's classic harmonica style, but they also feature plenty of rough-edged vocals with a nicely soulful approach. Instrumentation is mostly small combo – with Otis Spann on piano, Freddie Robinson and Leonard Caston on guitars, and Willie Dixon on bass – among a variety of other players on the different sessions. Titles include "Hate To See You Go", "Key To The Highway", "Blue & Lonesome", "I Had My Fun", "I Got To Find My Baby", "Nobody But You", "Take Me Back", and "Roller Coaster".

A pretty nice action soundtrack from French composer Jacques Loussier – not as all-out groovy as some of his other work from the 60s, but filled with some nice touches that include jagged instrumentation over orchestrations, creating some jazzed-up bits that feel more like 60s crime jazz than 70s adventurism. Titles include "Curry & The Diamonds", "The Mercenaries", "Claire's First Appearance", "Friendly Natives Having Fun", "The Fight", and "Curry Kills Henlein".

A late Norm Whitfield production from the 80s, with a slick commercial soul groove, that's a bit more lean than a lot of his other work. A bit of an odd sidebar sort of record, but not without a few nice moments. Includes "Dance With Me, Baby", "What You Gonna Do", "Easier To Say Goodbye", "Monster Fun", "Don't You Want To Give Me Some", "Got To Stop Wanting It", "Let The Music Take Your Mind" and "Linda".

A bouncy little soundtrack – with a feel that's just what you'd expect from the cover – plenty of playful 80s grooves with a good mix of sex and schlock – all pretty heavy on keyboards, basslines, and beats! The film's an erotic romp, in the best style of the decade – and Franco Micalizzi has plenty of fun with the music – moving into styles that are a lot more playful than most of his serious scoring of the decade before – almost a musical equivalent of the sexy image on the front! CD features 22 tracks in all – with titles that include "Topeka Surfin", "Rimini Rimini", "Makin Changes", "Summer Night", "Funky Banana", and "Sweet Money".

A great addition to the Modern Jazz Quartet – as the clarinet of Jimmy Giuffre brings a sharp modern edge to the record! The album's similar to the other MJQ Music Inn date with Sonny Rollins – and shows how the addition of a reed player can really unlock new colors, tones, and possibilities in the sounds of the group. And in this case, given the Giuffre's at the height of his early powers – coming off some sublime trio dates for Atlantic – the pairing of players is completely sublime! Titles include "A Fugue At Music Inn", "Serenade", and "Fun".

A 7-inch single commemorating Willie Nelson's 80th birthday – and his faith in and use of a particularly herbal remedy! Includes the Heroes album version of "Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die" with fellow aficionado Snoop Dogg, plus longtime friend and collaborator Kris Kristifferson and Willie acolyte Jamey Johnson. It's a fun track, but the real keeper is the flipside – Willie Nelson's previously unreleased solo version. Willie's often at his best when he's recorded in sparer, lonelier settings, and that's true for this track, too.

Massive! An incredibly sweet, funky batch Black Ark reggae – killer cuts by Leo Graham, The Imposters, Dillinger, The Gladiators and more, most especially, the mighty Upsetters! A number of the vocal tracks have a sweet harmony sound, and while other compilations often pair dubs and vocal versions, this one skims the cream instead, only pairing up a few cuts that way, but don't worry, there's no shortage of Upsetters jammies here. Scratch drops just the right amount of murky sauce on these numbers recorded between '73 and '75. Titles include Leo Graham's "Jump It", Sam Carty's "Life Is A Flower", Dillinger "Cane River Rock", The Imposters "Have Some Fun" and "Nature Man", The Gladiators "Time" and The Upsetters' "Vampire (horns)", "Jamaican Theme" and 'Perceptive Dub".

The fun fun soundtrack to Rock 'N' Roll High School – that gloriously, knowingly trashy Roger Corman produced movie vehicle for the Ramones! Of course The Ramones are all over he soundtrack, but it's got a bunch of 70s new wave and hard rock from Devo, Eno, Nick Lowe, Todd Rundgren and more. Includes "Rock N Roll High School", "I Want You Around", a medley of "Blitzkrieg Bop", "Pinhead", "California Sun" and more by The Ramones, "Come Back Jonee" by Devo, "Energy Fools The Magician" by Eno, "So It Goes" by Nick Lowe, "School Days" by Chuck Berry, "School's Out" by Alice Cooper and more.

70s soundtrack grooves from Italian composer Carlo Savina – with giallo and thriller aspects to the sound, but the theme also revolves into a late 70s disco and funk flavored style! It's really fun stuff, bringing in the spare, haunting, macabre tension of the giallo genre – with funky drums, bass, guitars and keyboards in between the spookier movements – and some beautiful vocal atmospherics from Edda Dell'Orso floating in and out. 15 sequences of the title theme.

A groundbreaking debut from The Seeds – one of those albums that seemed to come out of nowhere back in the 60s, then went onto have an undeniable influence on music for decades to come! The music is gritty and garagey right from the start – but also has a sinister focus that really sets the group apart from some of their contemporaries – a knowing way of putting the whole thing over that makes the whole thing way more than just a happy accident! Vocals are by leader Sky Saxon, and the set features some classic ripping guitars from Jan Savage – and also has great use of piano and melodica – in a mode that's a bit like some of the more rock-oriented work by Love, but a bit looser and more garagey. Titles include "No Escape", "Try To Understand", "Girl I Want You", "Lose Your Mind", "Evil Hoodoo", and the searing classic "Pushin Too Hard". CD features 10 bonus tracks, including some previously unreleased numbers – titles that include "Girl I Want You (alt overdub)", "Evil Hoodoo (unedited take)", "Nobody Spoil My Fun (alt overdub)", "She's Wrong", "Daisy Mae", "Dreaming Of Your Love", "Pushin Too Hard (take 1)", and "Out Of The Question (version 1)".

Features two tracks from Higher – the upcoming box set – one of them previously unreleased – plus a previously unreleased instrumental medley created for the band’s appearance on the Merv Griffin show! Includes "Medley Music Lover/I Want To Take You Higher/Music Lover (live)", "Higher (mono single master)" and "TV Medley: Sing A Simple Song/Hot Fun In The Summertime/I Want To Take You Higher".

A wonderful record – one you might pass up easily, but not to be missed – as it's one of our straight jazz treasures of the 80s! The album's mostly straight ahead hardbop – recorded with a largeish group that includes Robin Eubanks on trombone, Steve Coleman on saxes, Mulgrew Miller on piano, Ralph Moore on tenor, and Wallce Roney on trumpet. The soulfulness of the players really makes the album sparkle – as all inventively blow around tightly scripted tunes laid down by Smith, driving with the fierceness of some of Art Blakey's best work towards the end of the 60s, recorded here with a lot more energy than the usual Concord session. Titles include "Just Have Fun", "Song Of Joy", "The Creeper", "A Simple Samba Song", and "Love Will Find A Way".

An amazing album – and a space soul classic for the 21st Century! Steve Spacek really caught us by surprise with this set – because he's working here in a much deeper groove than ever before – one that's slower, spacier, and which has him coming off like some outer space version of Marvin Gaye! There's a vibe here that's like some of the best recent work coming from Detroit – but a sound that also goes farther, and which is much more soul-based than groove-oriented – beautifully hitting on all burners with a chunky set of rhythms that sounds perfect next to the airier keyboards of the set, and which help Steve's vocals to really hit home on the lyrics. Titles include "Dollar", "Slave", "Thursdays", "Rapid Rate", "The Hills", "3 Hours Of Fun", "Love Yu Be", "I'm Glad", "Smoke", "Days Of My Life", and "Look Into My Eyes".

The fiery debut of the Stooges! It isn't quite the out-there masterpiece that Fun House would be, and it's not quite as aurally blistering as Raw Power (we might be able to blame producer John Cale for this) but it's still one of the most powerful rock records of the era! Iggy & the boys could never do better than "I Wanna Be Your Dog" – and you also get the titanic classics "No Fun" & "1969" – plus "Not Right" and "Real Cool Time". What would the world be like without late 60s, Michigan-bred rawk?

The fiery debut of the Stooges! It isn't quite the out-there masterpiece that Fun House would be, and it's not quite as aurally blistering as Raw Power (we might be able to blame producer John Cale for this) but it's still one of the most powerful rock records of the era! Iggy & the boys could never do better than "I Wanna Be Your Dog" – and you also get the titanic classics "No Fun" & "1969" – plus "Not Right" and "Real Cool Time". What would the world be like without late 60s, Michigan-bred rawk?

The follow up to "Do The James" with real nice mid-tempo late 80's production, representing the fun, less serious side of hip hop, along the lines of Stezo and Special Ed. With production by the legendary Paul C McKasty.

Raucous drag strip rockers and driving R&B-fueled instrumentals by The T-Bones – killer material on Liberty from a group of young session wizards – including Hal Blaine, Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, Dave Pell, Steve Douglas and others! It's wildly fun stuff that goes all in with the drag strip novelty – but totally transcends it – with some rubber-burning, rumbling excellence! Killer guitars, sax, organ drums from a one-time relatively anonymous cast of players. Includes "Hey Little Cobra", "Shut Down", "Drag City", "Draggin'", "Scorchin", "Little Deuce Coupe", "Boss Drag" and more.

A surprisingly nice little set from Clark Terry – featuring arrangements by Oliver Nelson, and a pretty nice little group that includes Budd Johnson on tenor and Eddie Costa on vibes and piano. The material appears to be lifted from the musical All American – by the team of Charles Strouse & Lee Adams – although the notes, and certainly not the title, don't do much to indicate this. The best part of the set is Nelson – who manages to, here as always, take any sort of material and give it a really strong swingin – bouncing it up with a lot of soul, and creating plenty of space for some strong breakout solos. Titles include "What A Country", "Same Language", "The Fight Song", "Nightlife", and "It's Fun To Think".

3 tracks of pop-club crossover, not quite as sublime as their hit "Genius Of Love", but still loads of fun, with a post-punk Danceteria vibe.

Heady keyboards from Trash Company – an artist who's been making grooves since the late 70s, and who definitely has an ear for a really raw sound! The music's less disco than other PPU reissues – and is mighty dark throughout – with lots of distortion on the beats and keys, and an overall sound that feels like the Italian Cosmic scene collided with early Factory Records! EP features five sweet tracks – including "I Don't Mind", "Having Fun", "For The Hook", "Pluto", and "Bigga Man".

A pretty incredible compilation of Cambodia Rock – the best one we've come across – classic original Khmer Rock from scene pioneer Sinn Sisamouth and many more! The set as an effort to present this fun, groovy and yes, spectacular Cambodian Rock as it was originally heard by the people in its pre-Pol Pot heyday – before the original vinyl releases were hidden away and eventually circulated via low quality cassette bootlegs – and it sounds great! Awesome stuff all around, much of it with a raw garage psych vibe with fuzzed out guitars, heavy drums, woozy organ and male & female lead vocals – always with a groovy rhythm. Includes "Do You No Wrong Again" by Thra Kha Band, "Khnyom Jah Karake" by Tet Somnang & Meas Samon, "Pros Chang Reiy" and "Pail Loung Rom (Go To Dance)" by Pan Ron, "Jet Snaeh Theang Nov" and "Yuvachon Yuvatey Samai Tmai (New Generation Youth" by Sinn Sisamouth & Ros Dereysothea, "Duang Netra" and "Satt Thee Thuy" by Sinn Sisamouth, "Bong Rau Roub Khnyom" by Ros Sereysothea, "Youm Os Tirk Pnake" by Pov Vannary and more. 19 tracks on 2LPs in a nice gatefold sleeve with fairly extensive notes on the back cover and inside the gatefold.

More Lost Legends Of Surf Guitar put together by Sundazed – absolutely killer tunes from the crème of the underground crop! These are the inventors and originators of the seedy surf garage sound – including The Trashmen, The Belairs, Jan Davis, The Gladiators, The Avengers VI and many more. All the hallmark elements of classic surf are here in full force – the reverb guitar sound, heavy sax, shouted vocals and the all around rumbling vibe. Sundazed gives it the reverent treatment these tunes deserve, but it's still presented in a fun, unfussy way. Incredible! 28 tracks on 2LPs – including a few previously unissued tunes – and it's all in the original mono mixes. Includes "Time Bomb" by The Avengers VI, "Surfbuster" by Jan Davis, "Volcanic Action" by The Belairs, "The Hearse" by Al Casey, "(They Call The Wind) Maria" by PJ And Artie, "Surfbeat" by The Surfriders, "Istambul" by The Gladiators, "Moon Race" by The Citations, "Strange Fever" by Thom Starr And The Galaxies, "The Truant" by The Truants, "Raw-Hide" by The Pastels.

Groovy, moddish, magnificent and sunny girl pop from The Land Of The Rising Sun – pummeling drums, jumping arrangements and groovy vocals from the mid-to-late 60s Japanese scene! This is fantastic stuff, any kitch or novelty appeal you might be expecting is kind of muted by the exceptional quality and excellent performances – but it is flat out fun! As the title states, strains of pop, beat & bossa – plus mod & psychedelic fuzz – and the vocals girl group vocals are bright, rocking, playful or sultry or innocent depending on the groove! 25 tracks in all: "Black Room by Jun Mayuzumi, Sharock No 1" by Mie Nakao, "Nagisa No Tenshi" by Mieko Hirota, "Hatsu Koi No Letter" by Miki Obata, "Bazazz Tengoku" by The Cupids, "Aeba Suki Suki" by Margaret With Bunnys, "Nukui Aitsu" by Mika Nohira, "Kiiro No Sekai" by J Girls and more.

The sweet sound of 70s Blue Note – a really wonderful stretch for the label, and a time when the company was stretching out in a range of sublimely soulful directions! This period's probably best known for the influence of Larry Mizell on some of the label's key players, but it's also got plenty more to offer too – Brazilian influences in the rhythms, electric undercurrents in the instrumentation, and some especially soulful vocals on some of the best-remembered tracks. Old players are born anew, new players rise to lofty heights, and the whole thing's an amazing discovery in jazz – filled with key tracks that do a better job of summing up 70s Blue Note than our few worlds ever could! 20 tracks in all – including "Chicago Damn" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Koko & Lee Roe" by Gene Harris, "Love So Far Away" by Donald Byrd, "Fun House" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Cheshire Cat" by Ronnie Foster, "Kumquat Kid" by Eddie Henderson, "People Make The World Go Round" by Bobby Hutcherson, "In Pursuit Of the 27th Man" by Horace Silver, "You're Everything" by Carmen McRae, "Route" by Moacir Santos, "Sassy Soul Strut" by Lou Donaldson, "Always There" by Ronnie Laws, "Essence Of Mystery" by Alphonse Mouzon, and "Motherland" by The Waters.

A treasure trove of 50s and 60s music from Puerto Rico – and a killer compilation centered around the pioneering work of percussionist Rafael Cortijo and singer Ismael Rivera! Essentially, this a blueprint for the global salsa, tropical and Latin scenes to come – and it's invigorating, tightly grooving and wonderful stuff all the way! Wall-to-wall Afro and West Indian-indebted percussion and rhythms, with tight horns and incredible vocals. It's filled pioneering work, but this is hardly a history listen – it's a fun set, and a sprawling one at that! Includes "Cortaron a Elena" by Cortijo (as Canario & Su Grupo con Raful), "En Orbita" by Baltazar Carrero, "Habla Cuembre" by Los Caballeros Del Ritmo, "El Plenero" by Mon Rivera Y Su Orquesta, "Dejalo Que Suba" by by Cortijo (as Canario & Su Grupo con Raful), "Belinda" by Chivirico, "Cucala" by Cortijo Y Su Combo con Ismael Rivera, "Ron Con Coco" by Mon Rivera Y Su Orquesta and more. 30 tracks on 2CDs.

A massively expanded version of the original Sehorn's Soul Farm compilation – one that adds in a huge amount of bonus tracks, and makes for an even more essential batch of New Orleans soul! The cuts here all come from the original Sansu empire formed by Marshall Sehorn and Allen Toussaint – a key force in New Orleans soul of the 60s – thanks to Toussaint's amazing ear for new talent, and bold new styles of production in the studio! Toussaint went onto much greater fame on bigger labels in the 70s, but his work here is still his best – a hard-edged, uniquely rhythmic groove that forever changed the sound of soul in the Crescent City. The 2CD set brings together material that appeared on both original Sehorn's Soul Farm collections in the 80s – mostly culled from labels like Sansu and Deesu, plus bits from other sources – and it also adds in 18 more bonus cuts too, which makes for a whopping batch of 50 New Orleans soul classics. Cuts include "Sadie Mae" by Joe Haywood, "Did You Have Fun" by Willie West, "A Lady" by Warren Lee, "Chicken Strut" by The Meters, "Look Way Back" by Diamond Joe, "Man Of The Street" by Ironing Board Sam, "How To Pick A Winner" by Diamond Joe, "Lovely Woman" by Eldrige Holmes, "Hotcha Mama" by Ernie K Doe, "Mean Man" by Betty Harris, "Hercules" by Aaron Neville, "Sinner Girl" by Benny Spellman, "Blues Tears & Sorrow" by John Williams, and "Star Revue" by Warren Lee.

A glittering assortment of grooves from the always-great Melting Pot Music label – served up here in a special limited sampler that features a few different versions of tunes, some unreleased tracks, and forthcoming numbers too! As you'd guess from Melting Pot, there's plenty of funky nuggets in the set – in styles that range from straight deep funk to processed beats to hip hop instrumentalism – but always at a level that's far beyond the conventional! Titles include "Walk With Us" by Dexter, "Rollin" by Hade X Gutta, "Droptop" by Tbrck, "New Fun" by Brzzvll & Stijn, "Pass It On" by Funkommunity, "Giscar" by Suff Daddy, "My Bike" by Aischa Traida, and "Early Bird" by Uhuru Peak.

Great post-Parliafunkadelicment work from George Clinton – surely the biggest hit of his albums for Capitol – especially since it features the singles "Atomic Dog" and "Loopzilla"! We'll be honest in saying that at the time this one came out, as die-hard Detroit funk fans, we remember thinking "oh gosh, George has lost it" – but from the perspective of many years later, the record sure sounds like classic P-Funk to us – really picking up where the last few Funkadelic and Parliament albums left off! The album sports a great Pedro Bell cover, features some nice work with Bootsy, includes the hits "Atomic Dog" and "Loopzilla" – and also features some lesser-known gems that include "Pot Sharing Tots", "Get Dressed", "Computer Games", and "One Fun At A Time".

The first new album from Iggy & The Stooges since Raw Power – that's 40 g****amn years if you're counting – and it's a pretty damn good! Yeah, we're gonna say it again, as it's probably necessary to repeat it: the first new album from Iggy & The Stooges (aka, the version of the band with James Williamson on guitar) in 4 decades is worth picking up. Yes, really! Frankly, it shouldn't be such a surprise, given that their live show is still essential, but after the Stooges proper reunion album The Weirdness (with the now deceased Ron Asheton on guitar. . .but like this new version of the band, it featured latter day Stooge Mike Watt on bass to replace the earlier departed Dave Alexander) bombed bigtime, expectations were low. Rather than try to replace the frenzied Raw Power vibe, they're really just out to make a fun, snarky, profane, no BS rock 'n' roll record here and that's what they do. Iggy has been more of a weird crooner in the studio in recent years than the wild-eyed howler that he becomes on stage, and that's what he does here, too. On top of the balls out rockers, there's a couple of surprisingly strong acoustic numbers – and occasional Stooge sax honker Steve Mackay makes a welcome appearance. The best Iggy album in years, with or without the Stooges! Titles include "Burn", "Sex & Money", "Job", "Gun", "Unfriendly World", "Ready To Die", "DD's", "Dirty Deal", "Beat That Guy" and "The Departed".

A classic collaboration between Peggy Lee and Nelson Riddle – and a record that really set the tone for Lee's famous Capitol sides of the 60s! The groove here is very upbeat – as you might guess from the title – with a bouncing, almost syncopated approach that's definitely Riddle's, but which also hints at some of Lee's more soul-based backings of the 60s from Jack Marshall – those slinky-stepping groovers that would really put her back in front of American ears. Many tunes are older numbers, but they're updated nicely by Riddle's playful backings – and cuts include "Jump For Joy", "Back In Your Own Back Yard", "Old Devil Moon", "What A Little Moonlight Can Do", "Just In Time", "Music Music Music", "Four Or Five Times", and "Ain't We Got Fun".

A treasure trove of rare soul and R&B 45 numbers from the King & Federal catalogs – featuring some big names and lesser-remembered singers – absolutely fantastic stuff, most of which have never been issued on CD before! King & Federal at it's most exciting. Compiled by DJ Mr Fine Wine, it includes "Marsanova" by Hank Marr, "The Buggy Ride" by Rudy Ray Moore, "The Bossa Nova Watusi Twist" by Freddy King, "What's Your Name" by Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, "Run Baby" by Carol Ford, "Steam Roller" by Mickey Baker, "Monkey Tonight" by Eddie Kirk, "Fun Fun" by Lloyd Nolen, "Shout Bamalama" by Otis Redding, "I Say, I Love You" by Johnny Watson and more.

A tremendous bit of psychedelic pop from sunny California at the end of the 60s – one of those records that has a heck of a lot more going on than most of the bigger sets at the time! Sunlight work in territory that's not unfamiliar – harmony vocals, guitar-based grooves, and slightly hippieish lyrics – but they've got a way of putting together the tunes that's really a cut above – a compelling style that somehow makes all the best elements really resonate strongly, with a perfection that delights more and more with each new track on the album! There's kind of a timeless quality to the record that almost makes it feel like something recorded many years later – but the overall production and instrumentation are very 60s-based, with a really great sound throughout. CD features the full album plus bonus tracks – and titles include "David", "Light Without Heat", "Hammond Eggs", "Sometimes A Woman", "Second Thoughts", "Seven Times Infinity", and "The Fun Machine".

The Sweet Inspirations move in the same musical direction as their once-labelmates in Memphis, the Emotions – and turn their soulful harmonies towards a sound that's clearly aimed a bit more at the northern dancefloors. However, despite the fact that the album might be thought of as a throwaway disco set (emphasized by the fact that the girls toured with the Bee Gees that year), it's actually a pretty nice little record – one that makes things more interesting than we could have expected for the group! The vocals are actually extremely strong, and very well suited to just about all the settings on the album – and it was a particularly great move for the group to title the album after Greg Diamond's "Hot Butterfly", as that tune is done wonderfully here – with a snapping groove and sweet female soul that puts it somewhere between versions by Diamond and Chaka Khan. Other tracks include "Love Is On The Way", "Face To Face", "Hot Fun", "Do It Right", and "Holding Back".