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A great little discovery from the 60s – work from a teeny tiny Canadian label, but all of it pretty darn great! Not many groups recorded for the Gaeity Records label, but they all seem to be pretty well skilled at picking up on the best elements of 60s psyche pop and garage – all delivered here with a simple but effective groove that's almost a bridge between the LA and Chicago scenes of the mid 60s. CD features 24 tracks in all – broken into sections group by group – and titles include "World Of Dreams" and "Only In America" by The Plague, "Lies" and "Nature's Love" by Solid Reputation, "So Much In Love With You" and "My Time Is Comin" by The Checkerlads, "If You Can Dig It" and "Ode To A Cucumber, A Berry, & A Flower" by The Dewline, "Lexington Avenue" by Farmer John, "Yours Until Tomorrow" and "That's The Tune" by Flying Colours, "To Be Back Home" and "I Brought My Love With Me" by NRG/Merriday Park, and "Baby Get Out" and "Set Me Free" by Portland Street South.

Melodic psychedelia from 70s Iran – an incredible full scale anthology of recordings by guitarist and vocalist Kourosh Yaghmaei from the pre-revolution years – and an absolute treasure! Kouroush often recorded with his brothers – Kourosh singing lead and playing guitars or bass – with Kamran Yaghmaei on guitars and backing vocals and Kambiz Yaghmaei on keys and backing vocals. Other players contribute drums, bass and occasional additional elements – harmonica or horns on few tracks. The sound is a really wonderful amalgam of western garage, psych and strains of funk with native Iranian modes and tempos. The songs here sink in on an emotional level without us knowing a word of the language – the passionate vocals work wonderfully in that regard – but musically, it's innovative stuff that's nicely tripped out and heavily rhythmic, without compromising the melodic sensibility. The heavy duty 3LP set features 21 tracks in all – in a sweet 6 panel gatefold with a 24 page booklet – featuring extensive notes and photos, with Kourosh's story told in autobiographical detail. Like other recent Now Again packages, it's really beautifully done! Titles include "Gol E Yakh", "Dar Enteha", "Paiz", "Leila", "Del Dareh Pir Misheh", "Shirin Joon", "Ghazal", "Mosafere Shahre Baran", "Saghe", "Niyayesh", "Saraabe Toe", "Baroona", "Khaar", Bachehaye Khoobe Koocheh" and more.

Early to mid 70s Persian Funk – a nicely compiled set featuring some of the funkiest music released on Iran's Ahang Rooz label from the early-to-mid 70s! It's got instrumental stormers and vocal numbers – in Farsi and English – funk and soul steeped Persian grooves from an incredible period for modern music in the Middle East! Ahang Rooz rose up during a much different period in Iran, when government's Ministry Of Culture nurtured the label and grew to release albums by the biggest acts in the region. From the outset, the label produced music that blended regional folk styles and instrumentation with globally popular genres. Secret Stash celebrates the funky stuff for Persian Funk – be it straight forward or global pop and psych infused. Includes a few great covers, include Martik's take on Stevie Wonder's "Past Time Paradise" and Googoosh's raw and funky version of "Respect" – and other tracks include "Cheshm Be Rah" by Shohreh, "Hard Groove" by Ahamaizadeh, "Soul Raga" by Mehrpouya, "Prison Song" by Shahram Shabpareh, "Del Dare Pir Misheh" by Kourosh Yaghmaei, "Morteza" by Morteza and more. 11 in all.

An amazing view of Iran in the years before the Ayatollah – a rich tapestry of mainstream music that really opens up our understanding of the country at the time! Before the revolution, Iran was one of the most modern nations in the Middle East – and the tunes here really show a strong desire to blend regional traditions with more Western sounds – not just the trippy psych and rock you might know from other compilations, but a good deal of other pop modes too! The tunes often have the vocals right out front, layered over lively rhythms backed by fuller orchestrations – often, on some of the best cuts, with an energy that reminds us of Indian or Pakistani pop of the period. Other numbers get a bit more romantic, but in ways that are still pretty compelling – given the unusual instrumentation, production, and obvious difference in language. Notes are great – almost a guidebook to Iranian popular music at the time – and titles include "Gheseye Rooze Siah" by Habib, "Khaar" by Kourush Yaghmaei, "Ey Vallah" by Pooran, "Omadi" by Shohreh, "Goftam Be Chasm" by Hassan Khayatbashi, "Kalaghaey Khabarchin" by Leila Forouhar, "Tang Ast Dilam" by Ahmad Zahir, "Age Mishod Che Mishod" by Googoosh, "Hobab" by Neli, "Asheghi Doroughe" by Hamid Shabkhiz, and "Abre Payizi" by Simin Ghanem. 28 tracks on 2CDs.