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A hip little set from The Beat Boys – an Argetine group working in late 60s Brazil, supposedly with a bit of an influence on the sound of Tropicalia! The sound here is a bit straighter than the work of Caetano Veloso or Os Mutantes – a bit in the Jovem Guarda sound of more mainstream Brazilian rock, but with some hipper influences too – including a strong Beatles influence that makes for some great harmonies on the vocals, and instrumentation that really pushes beyond the standard straight Anglo rock modes of the time. Instrumentation features some fuzzy guitars, which are occasionally a bit tripped-out – plus organ, bass, and drums – all topped by echoey vocals from the group. Titles include "O Meu Tamborim", "A Time For Remembrance", "A Felicidade", "Wake Me Shake Me", "Sempre Esperando", "Aria Para A Corda Sol", and "Era Uma Menina". CD reissue features some great notes on the band, plus some vintage photos – and also includes the bonus track "Canudinho".

The Fat Boys, before they became known as such, with production by Kurtis Blow, and some nice early beat boxing from Buff.

Blistering funk rock and raw, tightly grooving psych soul from small town Victoria, TX – trailblazing material from Kool & Together. This is an amazing anthology from Heavy Light/Light In The Attic that pulls together material from private press 45s the group put in the early-to-mid 70s and previously unreleased tracks recorded by Texas music legend Huey P Meaux. There's a raw soul, funky drums & percussion core to Kool & Together's style that's really great! Singer Tyrone Sanders doubles as the group's conga player, which is a great touch! There's a demonstrable level of gritty psych soul and rock in the mix, too – wah wah guitar, in particular – but they're much more into a tight, heady groove than the kind of lumbering heft and solo-heavy styles of other Hendrix disciples. It's a family band – the earliest tracks on the set feature Charles Sanders Sr on vocals, with Charles Jr on guitar, Tyrone on conga and Joe Sanders on drums – with the boys trading lead vocals and instrumentation on other later recordings, along with additional players. A great discovery from Heavy Light Records! 19 tracks in all: "Sittin' On A Hot Red Stove", "I Know", "If You Can", "Wino Man", "Magic Words", "Peace Is At Hand", "Better Days", "Fly So High", "Electronic Funk", "Reaching Out", "Hooked On Life", "Blow It Out Your Mind", "Get Your Feet Off The Ground" and more, plus 4 demos: "Escapism Beat", "Hot Pants", "Nassau Beat" and "Wino Man".

As great a rock & roll album as there's ever been! It's impossible to describe this record without sounding like a blow hard, but you really can't overstate what these four goony guys from Queens accomplished. 30-odd years of the most visceral pop music concentrated into 2 minute, 3 chord blasts of beautiful sonic catharsis – and they could barely even play. Thanks boys! Tracks include "Blitzkrieg Bop", "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", "Beat On The Brat", "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue", "I Don't Wanna Around With You", "Loudmouth", and "Today Your Love Tomorrow The World".

Soul & blues performances from Hoss Allen's 1966 Rhythm & Blues Revue program which ran on US television and is purported to be the first syndicated series ever revolving around black singers in the US! The history is incredible, but the compilation is all around the music and it's great stuff – featuring Gatemouth Brown, Rodge Martin, The Beat Boys, Earl Gaines, The Might Hannibal, Robert parker, Cleo Randle and many more. 24 tracks in all: "Have You Ever Been Mistreated" by Gatemouth Brown, "Hitch Hike" by The Beat Boys, "Empty Arms & Bitter Tears" by Gerri Taylor, "Respect" by Rodge Martin, "I Don't Know Why I Love You" by Clarence "Frogman" Henry, "24 Hours A Day" by Earl Gaines and much more.

First volume in this series from WBLS jock Mr Magic. All the big early Profile hits from 1981-84, 12 tracks in all: Word of Mouth "King Kut", with the Profile big beat sound, Disco 4 " We're At The Party", Pebblee-Poo "A Fly Guy" (an answer to the Boogie Boys "Fly Girl"), Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde "Genius Rap" and "AM/PM" – their best cut by far, Fresh 3 MC's "Fresh", Run-DMC "Jam Master Jammin' (rmx)" and "King Of Rock", Masterdon Committee "Funkbox 2", Rock Master Scott & The Dynamic 3 "It's Life (You Gotta Think Twice)", Spyder D "Buckwheat's Beat", and Dana Dane "Nightmares".

Sweet and smooth 70s soul – hand-picked with a freshness that should appeal to folks who found these sounds through the hip hop that these grooves laid the sonic groundwork for. The tracks on here aren't as beat or break-heavy as some of the material on other sample-driven collections – but that's fine with us, as the tracks move into a sophisticated soul range that's always a pleasure to hear, bringing together the kind of well-produced 70s tracks we love! Titles include "Sweet Taste Of Sin" by Dennis Coffey, "I'll See You In Hell First" by Phillip Mitchell, "Do It To Me Now" by Fatback, "Don't Risk Your Happiness On Foolishness" by Fantastic Four, "Killing Time" by Natural Essence, "Your Love Is My Desire" by Eramus Hall, "Baby Get Down" by Eddie McLoyd, "Set It Out" by The Detroit Emeralds, "Love Starved" by Shirley Brown, "I'm Gonna Have To Tell Her" by Isaac Hayes, "If I Had The Power" by Johnny Guitar Watson, and "I Got To Have Your Love Now" by Caesar Frazier.

What can we say? The Beasties continue their manic trio hip hop style mixed with the live jazz/funk/garage (as in rock, not house) sound and keyboards by Money Mark – featuring a bunch of their classic material, and underappreciated album cuts. The Beasties could really do no wrong at this point in their unlikely long career. Includes the great cut "Get It Together" featuring a very sharp Q-Tip stealing the show And you can't go wrong with any LP that samples Ramelzee and K-Rob's "Beat Bop." Other tracks include the unstoppable "Sure Shot" and "Sabotage", plus "Futterman's Rule", "Shambala", "The Scoop", "Do It", "Heart Attack Man", "Bodhisattva Wow", and "Root Down".

Jumpin' rhythm & blues from Johnny Jones – excellent, exciting recordings in more of an r&b revue sound than the more definitively blues based numbers later on – big collection of numbers devided between sessions with The Jimmy Beck Orchestra and The Imperial Seven, aka The Beat Boys. Given the largeish backing, the numbers have a jumpin' groove, but the players keeping it tight enough that some bluesy intimacy is still there in the fabric. Some sessions feature alternate lead vocalists, a few with Earl Gaines, a couple with Larry Birdsong, plus Charles Walker, Levert Allison and others. 35 tracks in all! "Every Night In The Week", "Now That We're Together", "Best Of Luck Baby", "Slave To Love", "Fiesta", "Oh Baby", "I'm Going Home", "Slow Down Baby", "Mercy On My Soul". "24 Hours A Day", "Pickin' Berries" and more.

Think what you want about the Pet Shop Boys, this tune's still got a simple charm that we love – one of the last gasps of early 80s British pop seeping into American club – and a nicely spoken lyric that still beat out most of what was going on in US pop at the time!

What can we say? The Beasties continue with the live jazz/funk/garage (as in rock, not house) sound and keyboards by Money Mark. With the classic "Get It Together" featuring Q-Tip. And you can't go wrong with any LP that samples Ramelzee and K-Rob's "Beat Bop." Other tracks include "Sure Shot", "Futterman's Rule", "Shambala", "Sabotage", "The Scoop", "Do It", "Heart Attack Man", "Bodhisattva Wow", and "Root Down".

The Kurtis Blow-produced debut album by The Fat Boys! We'll say it: respect is due to The Fat Boys – so put the pop culture novelty status, fat comedy cliches and Disorderlies debacle aside. If you're a child of the early 80s, there's a reasonable chance that The Fat Boys were the first rap group you ever heard – and that alone makes them no joke if you ask us. Another thing: the best of their cuts are pretty damn nice, holding up as well some of the best rap circa '84 – and this debut album indeed features some of their best cuts! Includes "Stick 'Em", Fat Boys", "The Place To Be""Human Beat Box", "Can You Feel It?", "Stick 'Em" & "Jailhouse Rap". Limited 2012 vinyl version is remastered – in comes in a pizza box! Limited 2012 picture disc vinyl version is remastered – in comes in a pizza box!

The Kurtis Blow-produced debut album by The Fat Boys! We'll say it: respect is due to The Fat Boys – so put the pop culture novelty status, fat comedy cliches and Disorderlies debacle aside. If you're a child of the early 80s, there's a reasonable chance that The Fat Boys were the first rap group you ever heard – and that alone makes them no joke if you ask us. Another thing: the best of their cuts are pretty damn nice, holding up as well some of the best rap circa '84 – and this debut album indeed features some of their best cuts! Includes "Stick 'Em", Fat Boys", "The Place To Be""Human Beat Box", "Can You Feel It?", "Stick 'Em" & "Jailhouse Rap". Limited 2012 vinyl version is remastered – in comes in a pizza box!

What can we say? The Beasties continue with the live jazz/funk/garage (as in rock, not house) sound and keyboards by Money Mark. With the classic "Get It Together" featuring Q-Tip. And you can't go wrong with any LP that samples Ramelzee and K-Rob's "Beat Bop." Other tracks include "Sure Shot", "Futterman's Rule", "Shambala", "Sabotage", "The Scoop", "Do It", "Heart Attack Man", "Bodhisattva Wow", and "Root Down".

Definitely up there with the best of 1997, this 8 track ep starts off with the amazing "Scapegoat", an interesting look at blaming the world, where Slug runs through a list of things that are causing strife in life. "Primer" has hilarious and insightful verses from the perspective of the dead-end life of a white trash trailer park resident beating up on his wife/baby mother with the chorus "I own the Camaro and the mobile home, so where you gonna go." "Multiples" is another highlight, a dedication to underground MC's, b-boys, graffiti writers, and DJs. Quality mid-west hiphop from the indie heydays.

The Beach Boys – day by day, year by year, presented in a very compelling diary format that really gets past some of the overblown mythos about the group! Author Badman goes for a "just the facts" sort of approach – and lists key days in the group's career from the 60s onward – with most of the details given to important stretches before 1970, but some key information from later decades too. Each entry is dated, with specific information on what the Beach Boys were involved in on that day – recording, rehearsing, touring, etc – with a surprising amount of vintage photos and other bits to support the text. Perhaps most compelling is the book's frequent use of Musicians Union sheets for recording sessions – listing session players and their details (including, oddly, social security numbers!) – which really helps illuminate the way that the records were being made. 399 pages, softcover, with black and white images.

A glorious relic of early 70s studio pop – and a record that's awash in unapologetic references to The Beatles and The Beach Boys! Chesapeake Jukebox Band were a short-lived collaboration between singer-songwriters Steve Sawyer and Freddie McFinn, who are working here with genius producer Ron Frangipone in the best compressed style of the legendary Record Plant studios. There's lessons here learned clearly from Brian Wilson, Phil Spector, George Martin, and some of the hipsters on the late 60s Warner scene – but an overall approach that's a bit more personal in the lyrics – which makes for a great combination with the loftier production of the album. At one level, there's also a spaciousness here that reminds us a bit of later work from the UK pop scene – but again, the whole thing's a bit more down to earth, in a way that we really like. Titles include "Sad Nite In Boston", "This Time", "Jennifer", "Love", "Until We Meet Again", "Daisies For The 8th Of May", "Fizbee's Tavern", and "The Door's Unlatched". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – "Don't Howdy Doody On Me", "Crime Of The Century", and "Don't Cry Your Eyes Out".

A pair of overlooked gems from 70s singer/songwriter Marty Cooper – an artist who definitely leans towards the country side of the spectrum, but also comes across with more of a mellow rock feel too! A Minute Of Your Time is a 1972 set for the Barnaby label – one that beautifully mixes Cooper's raspy vocals with tunes that run from country twang to jazzier lines – especially on the tunes that feature sweet electric piano, and a bit less acoustic guitar. There's a knowing wink to some of these tunes – almost an echo of Lee Hazlewood, although Marty's a lot more sincere – and titles include "The Indiana Girl", "I Wrote A Song", "Mama Was A Cowgirl", "Cowboys & Daddies", and "To Say Goodbye To Anne". If You Were A Singer is a German-only album from the end of the 70s – but one that has Marty Cooper still working in the best mellow modes of his earlier work – kind of a commentary on country music and country ideals, nestled in a style that's real enough to have appeal to the mainstream it's commenting on. Titles include "Wine Wine Wine", "Stephen", "Like A Gypsy", "A Second Hand Song", and "Ten Dollar Room". CD features one bonus track – the previously unissued "The Biplane Evermore".

Modern electronic grooves from Funkadiba – a duo that features the legendary Daniele Baldelli, the DJ reknowned for his contributions to the famous Cosmic nightclub! The styles here are definitely an update of that classic Cosmic groove – lots of spare, stark beats mixed with synth and keyboard parts – but usually handled with a slightly warmer feel overall – one that almost shifts back from the 80s roots to grab a bit more 70s funk too – which is mixed in with the rhythms to deepen the soul of the cuts nicely! Titles include "Dirty Sun", "Countdown", "I Must Feel Better", "Barabba Funk", "Funka Takin Over", and "Skippy & The Funky Boys".

Pure AM radio pop from the glory days of MGM! Pop impresario Tony Scotti was one of the harmony vocalists who comprised Heaven Bound – and he produced the album with a sweet sound that's part late Beach Boys, part 70s Four Seasons, and part LA electric soundtrack. The record's got some real charms, and plenty of breathy 70s pop song hooks. Includes versions of Neil Young's "On The Way Home" and The Beatles' "I Will" – plus "He'd Rather Have The Rain", "I Kept On Loving You", "Five Hundred Miles", and "Come Run With Me".

Wicked electro grooves from Kavinsky – five mixes of the cut "Protovision", but brought together here with the fuzzy frenzy of a John Carpenter soundtrack! The initial version is a great instrumental – with some guitars from Raw Man that have a really classic 80s vibe – mixed with some heavy and sweet electro beats! Sugar Tongue Slim steps in with vocals on the second one, then other remixes open up the groove in some really great ways!

Some of the greatest albums in rock and roll are those that were never released – including some that finally saw the light of day after decades, like the Beach Boys' Smile! This book really gets at that fact beautifully – showing how, although never issued, some of these key creative projects really represent the ongoing struggle of rock music in the music business – the push and pull between different forces, and the resulting crash when musical moments never come to be! Each chapter tells the tale of a different album that didn't make it – David Bowie's Toy, Seal's Wonderland, and other projects by The Beastie Boys, Beck, Chicago, Ray Davies, Adam Ant, The Jungle Brothers, and others – almost a musical version of the comic book What If? There's also a final chapter on other almost-rans, including a few that might just make it – and the book has a nice breezy style that's nicely journalistic at times. 319 pages, softcover.

A monster album that's gone on to influence a generation – but which was barely recognized at the time! Singer Eugene McDaniels had scored big with some pop hits in the 60s under the name Gene McDaniels – but here, he steps out in a righteous batch of offbeat funk tunes – filled with politics, offbeat rhythms, and some very weird instrumentation. The whole thing's awash in moody, jazzy changes – of the style that showed up often in samples by Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, and other artists who drew keen inspiration from this record. Titles include the massive "Jagger the Dagger" – plus "The Lord Is Back", "Lovin Man", "Headless Heroes", "Freedom Death Dance", and "Supermarket Blues".

One of the biggest moments of the New York club scene of the early 80s! The Peech Boys cut their teeth at the Paradise Garage during the classic Larry Levan years – and this album has them working with Levan to forge a record of crossover club grooves filled with linn drum beats and DMX riffing – all produced with a warmly soulful vibe that's classic Levan all the way through! The album's got a groove that mixes together bits of electro street soul with fuller, richer rhythms that are almost a precursor some of the mainstream house of years to come. Titles include a version of the group's classic "Don't Make Me Wait", plus the cuts "Love Kills Pain On Contact", "Life Is Something Special", and "On A Journey". Keith Haring cover, lots of positive vibes, and a lot easier to take seriously than the Village People!

The UK hit "Beware Of The Boys" is a pretty irresistible club track that fuses a Punjabi born bhangra groove with hip hop beats and clever pop culture samples, most notably the theme of the cheesy Night Rider show from 80s television. Here, power remixer Switch "garridges" the crap out of the song for the remix. There's a fine line between generally strong tracks like this and bad short-lived novelty singles – here's hoping P MC can follow this up with something equally great!

Rockin soul from the start of the 60s – a great batch of upbeat numbers that definitely show the rougher side of the Northern groove! Lots of these tracks sit perfectly in a space between early soul music and R&B – and strut along with the heavier grooves of the latter, yet soar with the bold vocals of the former – making for a mix of modes that's mighty nice! There's loads of rare singles here we might not have heard otherwise – and titles include "Somebody Else's Sweetheart" by The Wanderers, "Puddentane" by Lula Reed, "I'm Hurting" by Billy Gales, "You Crack Me Up" by Charlie Baker, "This Little Love Of Mine" by Buddy Ace, "The Snake" by Maximillian, "Boys Will Be Boys" by Joe Tex, "Wait" by Sidney Barnes, "You're A Little Too Late" by Danny Owens, "That's A Good Idea" by Grover Mitchell, and "That's Why I Cry" by Varetta Dillard.

Cosmic grooves and spacey post disco compiled by Dompteur Mooner – a great third volume of the Elaste series from Compost Records! The soul if disco splintered in the cosmos in the early 80s, soaring strings giving way to funky synths, proto-techno programming and all around galactic feel in the clubs of Europe and pretty much all around the world – and this set pulls together the widest range yet! Definitely not disco in a conventional set, but spacey synth funk and influential club grooves from the early 80s underground that sounds great today! Includes "Take A Chance (Dompteur Mooner Edit)" by Queen Samantha, "Urth" by Mobius, "Beats of Love" by Nacht Und Nebel, "Allein (Original Version)" by Tabu, "Beuys Boys" by Pollyester, "Jamacia Running" by The Pool, "Powerslide" by Mythos, "Africa (Dub Mix)" by Key Of Dreams and more. 14 tracks on the CD version.

Great versions of tunes penned by George Harrison – all of them by Brazilian artists, and most of them of older vintage too! Given that Harrison often wrote some of the edgiest tunes of The Beatles, the recordings here are already on good footing – and given that the collection does a great job of picking cuts from older albums of the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s – then throwing in a few more recent recordings – the scope of material is pretty darn great! Most tracks still have the lyrics in English, but a few feature Portuguese lyrics instead – and the set features versions of "Taxman" by Meire Pavao, "Don't Bother Me" by The Bells, "Te Adoro" by Golden Boys & The Fevers, "That Is All" by Hevelyn Costa, "Something" by Evinha, "I Need You" by Rosa Maria, "My Sweet Lord" by Chitaozinho & Xororo, "Love Comes To Everyone" by Zizi Possi, and "Piggies" by Twiggy & Andreas Kisser's Lostapes.

A compilation of Ghana music like we've never seen before – and straight up beautifully put together by Soundway – 70s sounds that fused regional traditions with boundary free soul, rhythm & blues, and rock! Ghana in the 1970s was in a transition from a more prosperous, and less militarily tenuous culture, and the music at the time is really wonderful. This collection of obscure album tracks and singles from the time feature many smaller combo groups, rather than large scale dance bands, with highlife jazz & soul, guitar and percussion based Afrobeat, and Ghana traditions fused with international styles wonderfully. Fantastic stuff that sits proudly up there with the great Nigeria Special sister series from Soundway! The vinyl box set version has 2 tracks on on the CD version or digital download, and 2 more tracks previously only available on the CD version of the Ghana Soundz compilation: 37 tracks on 5 LPs, plus a 12 page booklet with rare photos and history: "Kai Wawa" by The Mercury Dance Band, "Din Ya Sugri" by Cristy Azuma & Upper International, "Nya Asem Hwe" by City Boys Band, "Edinya Benya" by Hedzoleh Soundz, "Odo Mmera" by Pa Steele's African Brothers, "Wompe Masem" by African Brothers International Band, "Akampanye" by The Sweet Talks, "You Can Go" by Bokoor Band, "Owuo" by Sawaaba Soundz, "Sisi Mbon" by Honny & The Bees Band and more.

A quartet of cool remixes – all pulled from vintage grooves on the Kenya Special – but brought together here with a slightly contemporary flavor! The work still echoes its roots quite strongly, but often has a more focused rhythmic approach – tilted towards the dancefloor with the remix energy, yet never with any sort of forced beats or gimmicky additions. Together, the tracks might well serve as a blueprint to show others the right way to remix older African grooves – and titles include "Tiga Kundega (Hide & Smile edit)" by Gatanga Boys Band, "Mapenzi Hayana Daktari (Frankie Francis edit)" by Nairobi Matata Jazz, "Ndiri Ndanogio Niwe (Batida 1977 rmx)" by Mbiri Young Stars, and "Kivelenge (Busy Twist rmx)" by Kalambya Boys.

Seminal soul from one of Chicago's greatest labels in the 60s – the One-Der-Ful/Mar-V-Lus imprints, plus tracks from related Toddlin Town too – home to some of the best indie work at the time! The quality here is right up there with the best you'd hear from Chess, Okeh, or Brunswick in the 60s – no surprise, since the pair of labels shared lots of similar talents with the bigger companies – as well as session men, songwriters, and producers too! The full scope of Chicago soul is really covered here – upbeat groovers for the dancefloor, heartfelt ballads with great harmonies, and some of the harder-edged bluesy numbers that really helped put One-Der-Ful on the map! There's also some key early examples of funk – proof that in the 60s, Chicago was one of the hippest scenes in the world – and the set comes with 2 CDs, nestled in a hardback booklet of notes and photos – with a whopping 50 tracks in all. Titles include "Tired Of Being Lonely" by The Sharpees, "Without You" by The Ulti-Mations, "That's How It Is" by Otis Clay, "Keep On Dancin" by Alvin Cash, "The Funky Judge" by Bull & The Matadors, "I Get A Groove" by Thomas East & The Fabulous Playboys, "Damper Down" by Bobby Davis, "The Town I Live In" by McKinley Mitchell, "Come Back Home" by Beny Turner, "Master Key" by Harold Burrage, "If I Could Live My Life All Over" by Dorothy Prince, "You Told A Lie" by Johnny Sayles, "New Girl" by The Accents, and "Don't You Worry" by Joe & Mack.

One of the coolest collections we've seen from the Sublime Frequencies label so far – a rich document of the "pop yeh yeh" movement in Singapore and Malaysia during the late 60s – a wonderful criss-crossing of Anglo pop styles and more exotic modes! The vibe here is a bit similar to French yeh yeh pop of the period – influenced by the sound of the early Beatles, and served up with a lot of twangy guitar next to warmly melodic vocals – in this case, never sung in English at all, and with odd inflections that are way different than the way the voice is used in Brit rock! Guitar is really at the forefront on most numbers – and like the vocals, often recorded with an echoey touch that's not unlike some Tokyo pop of the same time. And equally impressive as the music is the documentation in the book – two big books, full of great photos and as much history as information on the music – all wrapped around a CD that features 26 tracks that include "Bintang Pujaan" by Hasanah Haron & The Spiritual 70s, "Dara" by M Osman & Les Fentones, "Oh Teruna" by Fatima Amin & The Clans, "Budi Bahasa" by Adnan Othman & The Rhythm Boys, "Temasah Ria" by M Said & Les Remaja, and "Syurga Idaman" by Azizah Mohamed & Orkes Nirwana.

Excellent compilation of Disco Not Disco style new wave tracks, on the awesome Ze imprint, with a great meeting of downtown new wave and disco sensibilities. 6 tracks in all: material "Busting Out", Was (Not Was) "Wheel Me Out", Christina "Drive My Car", Gichy Dan "Cowboys & Gangsters", Don Armando's 2nd Ave Rumba Band "Deputy Of Love" and Coati Mundi "Que Pasa/Me No Pop I".

Smoking soul from the Cincinnatti scene – a massive amount of work we've never heard before – no surprise, since the set features lots of unreleased tracks! Most of the music here came from the Fraternity label – and most of the artists are blue-eyed soul singers hitting a funkier sort of vibe – one that's got occasional bits of funky rock in the mix, with echoes of the headier sounds going on in Detroit! Upbeat moments mix nicely with darker undercurrents – and most music comes from the Cinci songwriting/producing team of Wayne Perry and Randy McNutt – who also perform here a bit too. While there's been no shortage of soulful sounds from Ohio to find release in the past few years, this stuff really has a unique vibe – largely done with a tightly-arranged, highly-energetic vibe that stands out right away. Titles Includes "Mr Bus Driver", "Gimme The Green Light", "Right Or Wrong", and "Get 'Em While They're Hot" by Wayne Perry; "Gonna Have A Good Time" by Little Flint, "Pain" by The Boys In The Band, "Little Bit Of Lovin'" by Wood-I with Wayne Perry, "Waiting For You" by The Hometown Band, "I Like Skin" by Rick Bam Powell, and "Souled Out" by Soul Limited.

J Dilla's brother Illa J collaborates with Dilla for the Yancey Boys album – produced with a batch of Dilla's beats! This album could have gone wrong in a number of ways for a number of reasons – but truth be told it's a quality record that's actually worth checking out! Most importantly, Illa J's is a genuine talent – rolling with a mix of singing and rhyming is really unique – and the bright, spacey funk beats by Dilla are naturally top notch & timeless. Tracks include "Timeless", "We Here", "R U Listenin'" feat Guilty Simpson, "All Good", "Swagger", "Illasoul", "Air Signs" and more.

The Beasties' masterpiece – and one of the original nightmares for sampling opponents everywhere – the cut & paste hip hop classic Paul's Boutique! The Dust Brothers unapologetic way of weaving very famous samples with soul, funk and film score obscurities would steal the show if not for the infectious, boisterous rhymes of the Beastie Boys – they couldn't possibly have cared less about alienating the massive frat boy fan base built with License To Ill, and it's a joy to behold. It's one of those mindblowing pop transformations on par with the Beatles (who the Beasties and Dust Brothers were so brazen to sample several times on this album) and the Beach Boys on the pop maturation scale from earlier hits to later artistry – even if the wild lyrics and deft back & forth rhymes by the Beasties are the antithesis of maturity. From classic rock dinosaurs to soul and disco classics, from the Jaws score to "Dueling Banjos", it all finds it's way into the beatcraft – and both mainstream pop and underground hip hop are better now because of this record. Tracks include "Hey Ladies", "Shake Your Rump", "High Plains Drifter", "Shadrach", "Johnny Ryall", "Eggman", "Car Thief", "What Comes Around", the "B-Boy Bouillabaisse" suite and more.

Some of the earliest recorded work from trumpeter Kenny Dorham – presented here in an overstuffed set that brings together most of his appearances on the Savoy label! The core standout tunes here are 10 numbers recorded in 1946 by The Bebop Boys – a combo that featured Dorham, Sonny Stitt, and Bud Powell coming together on tight, short, very upbeat bop material that ranked with some of the best early 78s of the genre. Titles by this group include "Seven Up", "Bebop In Pastel", "Serenade To A Square", "Fools Fancy", and "Bombay". Other material on the CD includes a solo by Kenny on "The Jitney Man" by Billy Eckstine, plus 3 tracks with the Milt Jackson Sextet from 1949 – including "Conglomeration", "Bruz", and "Roll Em Bags". Kenny also plays on three 1949 recordings with Charlie Parker – "Barbados", "Scrapple From The Apple", and "Bebop" – as well as four 1956 numbers with Cecil Payne – including "Grooving High", "Man Of Moods", and "Saucer Eyes".

Do not buy this expecting hissy, atonal blip hop – El-Producto is the marquee name here, but this is decisively a late model avant garde jazz record – and a pretty sweet one at that! As with many of the better records in the Blue Series, Matthew Shipp's piano rolls through the center most of the time, loosely keeping the groove going so the crack group can improvise around the edges. Blessedly, the group is more than happy to keep an underlying melodicism at the core – it's always a little ragged, but never too self consciously out. The usual Thirsty Ear subjects are in the mix – Guillermo Brown on drums, Roy Campbell, William Parker on bass, and Steve Swell on trombone. "Produced, arranged, composed and mixed" by El-P – which seems like a pretty heavy workload, but we think he fleshed ideas out with the group at the stage of conception, and let the boys do what they do, largely improvising the results. And you really can feel El-P's intellectual presence in spots, particular the sudden shifts in drum patterns, which kind of mirror the producer's penchant for drivingly broken beats. Regardless of whoever is most responsible, it's a very nice record. It's interesting without trying too damn hard to be weird, and melodic without being too cloying. Tracks include "Please Stay (Yesterday), the epic "Sunrise Over Bklyn", "Get Your Hand Off My Shoulder, Pig", "Get Modal", "Intrigue In The House Of India", "Something Is Wrong", "When The Moon Was Blue" and more.

E&A return with a new full length with a few dizzyingly strong cuts – and a slew of others that aren't quite so hot, but still register. DJ Abilities lays down some pretty rocking beats and Eyedea's flow is simply astounding on the best cuts – particularly the single "Now" . One of these days the boys will make a full length as tight as that track. "Reintroducing", "Kept", "Now", "Exausted Love", "Star Destroyer" "Get Along", "Two Men And A Lady", "Act Right", "Glass" and more.

Parkstrumentals from Chicago producer Grant Parks – with classic boombap styled beatcraft built to last – plus a stellar roster of contributions from MCs such as Sadat X, Masta Ace, KRS One, AG, Phil G, Grand Daddy IU & others! 19 tracks including "State Of Consciousness", "Cornerstone", "They Want More" feat K Sparks, "Put Em High", "Piano Heat", "Heavenly","Wild Cowboys", "So Refined" with Phil G, Isis Rose and Lennon of Project Mayhem, "A Message From The Teacher" with KRS One and more.

Amazing sounds from the delta – but way different than the usual blues you might expect! Sid Hemphill is a really unique talent – a multi-instrumentalist who made most of the records heard on this set – and a strong proponent of the earlier Mississippi use of panpipes! The local variant heard here is referred to as "quills" – and often mixed with a rocking fiddle accompaniment in the background – moving up and down with kind of a devilish quality that really sets an edge underneath the rough-edged vocals, too! Also, the vintage recording feel also gives the music a very offbeat feel – and from the notes inside the package, it sounds like Alan Lomax really worked hard to track down these sounds of Sid's. Titles include "The Devil's Dream", "Leather Britches", "Sidewalks Of New York", "Rye Straw", "Boll Weevil", "Jesse James", and "Come On Boys Let's Go To The Ball".

MOP's fourth has it's share of filler and repetition, but its high points find the Brownsville boys at their bleak, confrontational best. Once again, sprinkled with beats and mixes by Premier that threaten to steal the show. Includes Welcome To Brownsville", "everyday", "Ante Up", "Face Off 2K1", "Warriorz", "Old Timerz", "Nig-gotiate", "Cold As Ice" and more. 19 in all.

Raw soul, heavy funk, snotty rock, and raucous R&B – all pulled from the legendary record collection of Lux Interior and Poison Ivy! The sounds here are the sorts that went onto form the blueprint for The Cramps – and the package is overflowing with rare gems that are hand-picked by the pair – the kind of underground, indie singles that have always made record-digging so great – plucked up by Lux and Ivy in the years before most of us even started searching for wax! The cool 10" set features two dozen tunes – and titles include "Drive Daddy Drive" by Little Sylvia, "Stormy Weather" by The Five Sharps, "Rock A Bongo Boogie" by Terry Snyder, "Red Headed Flea" by The Caps, "Chickie Run" by Homer Denison Jr, "99 Chicks" by Ron Haydock & The Boppers, "Baby Brother" by Bill Carter & The Rovin Gamblers, "Service With A Smile" by The Kuf-Linx, "Imagination" by The Quotations, "Tongue Tied" by Betty McQuade, and "The Vulture" by Ronny Ray's Playboys.

Nigerian funk & boogie numbers from the late 70s & early 80s – post Afrobeat and post disco material from the prosperous, post dictatorship years – funk, soul and disco infused stormers from Mixed Grill, Bayo Damnazio, The Stormmers, Joe Maks, Segun Robert, Martha Ulaeto, Honey Machine, Emma Baloka and more! Joyous, infections grooves with modern production and masterful musicianship – be it tight jazz funk, dancefloor soul, or synth & keys flavored boogie. The set has English vocals throughout, and the titles include "A Brand New Wayo" by Mixed Grill, "Show Me Your Backside" by Kris Okotie, "Boys And Girls" by Joe Moks, "Music Alone" by Martha Ulaeto, "Slow Down" by Amas, "Funky Situation" by Chris Mba, "Pleasure" by Honey Machine, "Love Or Money" by The Stormmers, "Let's Love Each Other" by Emma Baloka and more. 15 tracks on 2LPs.

A monster album that's gone onto influence a generation – but which was barely recognized at the time! Singer Eugene McDaniels had scored big with some pop hits in the 60s under the name Gene McDaniels – but here, he steps out in a righteous batch of offbeat funk tunes – filled with politics, offbeat rhythms, and some very weird instrumentation. The whole thing's awash in moody, jazzy changes – of the style that showed up often in samples by Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, and other artists who drew keen inspiration from this record. Titles include the massive "Jagger the Dagger" – plus "The Lord Is Back", "Lovin Man", "Headless Heroes", "Freedom Death Dance", and "Supermarket Blues".

Pre-moog work from Hugo Montenegro – but a set that's still pretty darn groovy! The Beach Boys reference in the title is very well put, as Hugo's using some cool harmony vocals for the record – a chorus that definitely takes some of its inspiration from Brian Wilson, singing here both with lyrics, and some wordless modes – not on every track, but used enough to give the record a really Sunshine Pop sort of appeal! Other instrumentation is great too – electric bass underneath fuller strings, offbeat woodwinds, fuzzy guitar, and even a bit of whistling – which has a cool sort of electronic feel. The blend of sounds is amazing – very unique, and already showing that Montenegro's one of the hippest talents of the 60s. Titles include "Classical Gas", "Rosemary's Baby", "Night Rider", "Lady in Cement", "A Future Left Behind", "Tony's Theme", and "Good Vibrations".

Another masterful set from Beanfield – an even better album than their great Human Patterns, if you can believe that – and one with much more of an adventurous soul feel than we've heard from the boys before! The fractured electronics and broken beats feel that the group made sound so melodious in their previous work is still here, but Beanfield takes a huge step here as far as cohesive songwriting goes! Four of the album's 11 tracks feature vocals by Ernesto – the opener "Chosen", "Someone Like You", "Close To You" and "Kiss" and it's those cuts that give the album it's smooth and soulful overall feel. It's not that beats don't bump – they still skip and pulse along on the soul-based tunes, but it's all laid down with an amazing tunefulness that really kind of caught us off guard! Two of the other tracks feature vocals by Bajka, and those have a stronger club groove, but still go down very sweetly. Another great one on Compost! Other tracks include "Mr. Park", "Vertigowheel", "Welcome" featuring vocals by Marzenka (one of the more pounding club tunes in the set), "Cargo" and more.