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Classic work from Brick – a group who went onto become surprisingly successful during the 70s with a hot Atlanta blend of funky soul and uptempo club grooves. The group has a feel that would be taken up heavily a few years later by LA funk combos – particularly those on the Solar label – and their style of slicking up funky licks into a tightly compressed sound was obviously a bit hit with the kids of their generation, and hip hop sample heads in years to come. This 12 track greatest hits set includes the classic g-funk number "Dusic", plus "Music Magic", "Dazz", "Good High", "Free Happy", "We Don't Wanna Sit Down, We Wanna Get Down", and "Living From The Mind".

A killer debut from Brick – the start of a massive run at the end of the 70s, a time when the group was easily one of the biggest acts to come out of the up-and-coming Atlanta scene! Like some other Atlanta acts of the time, Brick had a way of fusing older funky soul on a tighter modern groove – coming up with a sound that was nice and lean – perfect for these key transitional years of funk – with influences that were felt for years, in places as far away as the west coast! Case in point is the album's classic "Dazz" – one of those cuts that never gets old – nestled nicely in a lineup that also includes "Music Matic", "Here We Come", "Good High", "Brick City", and "Sister Twister".

A great look at one of the indie giants in record retailing – Louisville's proud Ear X-Tacy Records – a pretty great shop for over 25 years! The film captures the store at a relatively sad point in its history – fighting to stay alive amidst a changing industry, and eventually not able to make it – a story that's been the same for far too many stores in the past decade or so. But there's also a nice spirit of celebration, too – and given how much stores like this are becoming a thing of the past, it's nice to have some well-documented footage – so we can still visually shop the Ear X-Tacy racks!

Jethro Tull's classic prog album–or is it a parody of a prog album? The LP-length "song", filled with dense lyrics, alternates between hard rock, English folk, and classical.

Lots of classics – including "Candle In The Wind", "Funeral For A Friend", "Bennie & The Jets", "Social Disease", "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting", "Harmony", "Jamaica Jerk-Off", and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road".

A great little live set – ostensibly a Dizzy Gillespie performance, but with some very strong guest stars! The core of the group is Diz's great one from the early 60s – with Lalo Schifrin on piano and Leo Wright on alto and flute, and they're joined by Stan Getz, JJ Johnson, and Candido for this tasty set of three long tracks: "Kush", "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Bop 'N' Boogie".

Classic work from Brick – a group who went onto become surprisingly successful during the 70s with a hot Atlanta blend of funky soul and uptempo club grooves – absolutely killing it early on with this self-titled second album! Brick has a feel that would be taken up heavily a few years later by LA funk combos – particularly those on the Solar label – and their style of slicking up funky licks into a tightly compressed sound was obviously a big hit with the kids of their generation. Includes the sample classic "Dusic", plus "Living From The Mind", "Happy", "Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody", "Honey Chile", Fun", "Hello" and more. This CD edition on Wounded Bird has 2 bonus tracks: "Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody (Single Version)" and "Dusic (Short Version)".

Very early work from Captain Beefheart – recorded back when Ry Cooder was a member of The Magic Band – and packaged here on a limited edition 7" single! The cover image is unique to this release – and the original single is rare as hen's teeth too!

Gritty underground hip hop from Lil Fame & Termanology – working to together as Fizzyology! Fizzyology the album has production by Lil Fame (as Fizzy Womack), DJ Premier , Alchemist, Statik Selektah and J-Waxx – and appearances by Busta Rhymes, Freeway, Bun B and others. Strong stuff – with tracks that roll from tense and ominous to raw funk – and with sharp rhymes all the way. Includes "After Midnight", "Fizzyology", "Hustler's Ringtone" feat Bun B, "From The Streets" feat Freeway, "Play Dirty" feat Busta Rhymes & Styles P, "It's Easy", "Too Tough For TV", "Pray For Me" feat Kira, "Lil Ghetto Boy" feat Lee Wilson and more. 2CD bonus tracks: "Crazy" feat MOP and "Thuggaton".

Tight hip hop from the superhero team of Inspectah Deck with 7L & Esoteric – mostly produced by 7L, with a most welcome guest producer in the legendary DJ Premier – and it's a strong statement from the underappreciated Wu Tang gamer and the ever-creative DJ 7L! On the production tip, 7L pays homage to classic Wu without copying it – and utilizing both classic and completely leftfield samples in a fresh, funky way. The rhymes by Deck and Eso are top shelf, too – with a guest list that includes Roc Marciano, Oh No, Ghostface and others. Includes "Air 'Em Out", "Cement 3's" feat Roc Marciano, "Czar Refaeli" feat Oh No, "Rock Beat", "Savagely Attacked" feat Ghostface Killah, "Marvel Team-Up", "It's Raw" feat Action Bronson, "Let It Off", "Word War 4", "Poisonous Thoughts" feat Mr. Mfn Exquire, "Shoguns" feat Cappadonna & Vinnie Paz, "Hazmat Rap" and the DJ Premier-produced "Let It Off".

Classic schooled superhero team Czarface – with Wu Tang veteran Inspectah Deck with 7L & Esoteric – and they get even heavier with a guest appearance Action Bronson! Includes the standout "Czardi Gras (It's Raw Again)" plus the instrumental and "Wake Up Show" promo spot of the B-Side.

Tight hip hop from the superhero team of Inspectah Deck with 7L & Esoteric – mostly produced by 7L, with a most welcome guest producer in the legendary DJ Premier – and it's a strong statement from the underappreciated Wu Tang gamer and the ever-creative DJ 7L! On the production tip, 7L pays homage to classic Wu without copying it – and utilizing both classic and completely leftfield samples in a fresh, funky way. The rhymes by Deck and Eso are top shelf, too – with a guest list that includes Roc Marciano, Oh No, Ghostface and others. Includes "Air 'Em Out", "Cement 3's" feat Roc Marciano, "Czar Refaeli" feat Oh No, "Rock Beat", "Savagely Attacked" feat Ghostface Killah, "Marvel Team-Up", "It's Raw" feat Action Bronson, "Let It Off", "Word War 4", "Poisonous Thoughts" feat Mr. Mfn Exquire, "Shoguns" feat Cappadonna & Vinnie Paz, "Hazmat Rap" and the DJ Premier-produced "Let It Off".

Oh No once again delivers on the conceptual front – an allstar hip hop project built on Dolemite samples – produced and arranged by Oh No and featuring a stellar guest roster with Erick Sermon, MF Doom, Evidence, Alchemist, Big Pooh, Frank Nitt, Roc C, Guilty Simpson, Jose James, Phife Dawg and more! Rudy Ray Moore and his Dolemite are a vital part of underground hip hop' DNA, so to Oh No's credit, he doesn't go for most obvious fodder or weigh it all too heavily with movie dialogue or the most memorable soundtrack bits. Like the best hip hop ever made, Oh No crafts personal, unique and original music out of samples, and this record belongs to him and his guests! Includes "Real Serious" with Evidence & Alchemist, "The Guns" feat Guilty Simpson & MED, "Time" feat Roc C & Chino XL, "Hallucinations" feat Prozack Turner, "Ohnomite Jazz", "Touch It" feat Frank Nitt, "Dues N Donts" feat Jose James & Phife Dawg, "Runnin The Show" feat Erick Sermon. CD features 2 bonus tracks: "Life Games" feat LMNO and "Overload" feat Wildchild.

Gritty underground hip hop from Lil Fame & Termanology – working to together as Fizzyology! Fizzyology the album has production by Lil Fame (as Fizzy Womack), DJ Premier , Alchemist, Statik Selektah and J-Waxx – and appearances by Busta Rhymes, Freeway, Bun B and others. Strong stuff – with tracks that roll from tense and ominous to raw funk – and with sharp rhymes all the way. Includes "After Midnight", "Fizzyology", "Hustler's Ringtone" feat Bun B, "From The Streets" feat Freeway, "Play Dirty" feat Busta Rhymes & Styles P, "It's Easy", "Too Tough For TV", "Pray For Me" feat Kira, "Lil Ghetto Boy" feat Lee Wilson and more.

Brick City vet and Artifacts affiliate Beneficience delivers a sharp set of hip hop in Concrete Soul for Ill Adrenaline – featuring an impressive roster of guests – but to Bene's credit, he's never overshadowed here! Guests include Lord Tariq, Masta Ace, Chubb Rock, Roc Marciano, El Da Sensei, D-Flow, Billy Danze, AG and more. Includes "YWE" with Lord Tariq, "Reality Vs Fiction" feat Masta Ace, "Cold Train" with Grap Luva & Rob-O, "Concrete Soul" feat Troo Kula of Brainwash 2000, "Masterful Method" with Chubb Rock, "Art Of War" with Billy Danze of MOP, "All Real" feat AG, "Metal Cuff Links" feat Nature,, "Somethin' Yall Can Roll Wit", "Under Constructuon, "Hood Cartel" with Roc Marciano and more.

Rare hard funky soul from early 70s titans Damn Sam The Miracle Man – and some of the rawest, fiercest funk we've ever heard! Damn Sam is actually a group – spearheaded by vocalist OC Tolbert – a man with a roaring voice and righteous delivery that could tear through brick – and producer Jack Taylor. If not for the amazing funky 45 tracks "Damn Sam The Miracle Man", "Smash" and "BJ" – all of which appear on this long lost LP – they may have been obscure to even the most diligent crate diggers, an argument in favor of that format if there ever was one. The group is a real killer, with absolutely pummeling funky drums and snapping electric congas & bongo work on just about every track – plus soaring trumpet and sax work that counterbalance the fury of Tolbert's vocals nicely. Tolbert's history with gospel lends a genuine spiritual aspect to the frenzy, too – one of the sweetest raw funk tornadoes you could every hope to get swept up by! Other tracks include "Give Me Another Joint", "Let Me Be Your Only Man", "LA 26000", "Poor Mary", Music Makes You Feel Alright", "Rainy Night In Georgia", and "Sonny B".

Em's fourth album hits many of the same notes as its predecessor, signaling a bit of a comfort zone for the former Slim Shady. The beats largely fall on the darker-toned lilt of the now instantly identifiable sound. Tracks include "Just Lose It", "Mosh", "Evil Deeds", "Never Enough" with Nate Dogg & 50 Cent, "Yellow Brick Road", "Like Toy Soldiers", "Puke", "My 1st Single", "Big Weenie", "Ass Like That", "Spend Some Time" with Obie Trice, Stat Quo & 50, "Mockingbird", "One Shot 2 Shot" with D-12 and "Encore" featuring Dr. Dre.

A lost album from the legendary Stax Records – a full set of tracks from the deep soul group Hot Sauce – planned as a record of its own in the final years of the label, but never issued at the time! Hot Sauce were one of the funkiest groups on Stax in the early 70s – a wickedly badass group who sported great lead vocals from Rhonda Washington – a singer who really knew how to stay on the groove and send the whole thing home! The work on this set is a great evolution of the Stax groove – and shows where the label might have gone in terms of 70s funk, had they stayed the course – and although the album's long overdue to get released, we're plenty happy to finally have it out after all these years. Many tracks were issued over the years as singles, and the set also features a few tracks not intended for the album too – titles that include "Stop Dogging Me", "Funny", "Mama's Baby", "I'll Kill A Brick", "Good Woman Turning Bad", "I Can't Let You Go", "Echoes From The Past", and "I Can't Win For Losing".

A great performance from this ultra-hip group – a set of American players who got plenty of chance to work on the European scene of the 60s and 70s – hence the Paris Reunion name! The lineup features Woody Shaw on trumpet, Johnny Griffin on tenor, Nathan Davis on tenor and soprano sax, Slide Hampton on trombone, Kenny Drew on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Billy Brooks on drums – and they're joined by London legend Dizzy Reece on trumpet too. Titles are different than those on the For Klook album, although the spirit here is the same – a performance dedicated to the recently-departed Kenny Clarke – with titles that include "Rue Chaptal", "Lonely Windows", "To Kill A Brick", "Foofy For President", "Fifty Six", and "The Big Fist".

A tremendous set from bassist Nat Reeves – a player who doesn't always record as a leader, but one whose talents have graced countless great groups over the years! The album's got a tight, elegant sort of sound – rooted strongly in Nat's soulful basslines, which step out front all the time – a bit like Ray Brown in his best small combo work – yet still leave plenty of space for sparkling trumpet lines from Joshua Bruneau, warm-rolling piano lines from Rich Germanson, and drums from Jonathan Barber. The strength of the bass gives the album a soulful depth right from the start – which the other instruments only improve on – and titles include "Fungii Mama", "Moon River", "So Tired", "Little Waltaz", "Brick's Blues", and "Laverne Walk".

A jam packed collection of classic funk that formed the bedrock of the hip hop revolution – iconic breakbeat material and straight up funky treasures – a 2CD set compied by Dean Rudland! This new set celebrates the great earlier Breaks series on Harmless with a nice mix of numbers that are as classic as can be to beat diggers, but only recoginizable for the sampled bits to younger and more mainstream listeners, plus better-remembered classics that are just as important . The set features tracks by Mohawks, Liquid Liquid, Al Green, Taana Gardner, Last Poets, Funkadelic, Cymande, MFSB, Brick, Syl Johnson, The O'Jays, Average White Band and many more. 31 tracks on 2CDs: "The Champ" by Mohawks, "Space Funk" by Manzel, "Get Down With The Philly Sound" by MFSB, "Love And Happiness" by Al Green, "The Message" by Cymande, "Groovin'" by Willie Mitchell, "Tramp" by Lowell Fulsom, "Here I Go Again" by Jean Plum and many more.

A real standout set from the 80s years of trumpeter Woody Shaw – a solidly burning live set that blows away most of his studio work from the time! The album's noteworthy first of all for the presence of Bobby Hutcherson on vibes – whose soulful spiritual approach of the period dovetails nicely with the strongly righteous tone of Shaw's horn – but the rest of the group is great too, and benefits from extremely strong bass work from Stafford James, tight drums from Tony Reedus, spiraling piano lines from Mulgrew Miller, and some bold lines on trombone from a young Steve Turre! Tracks are all quite long – really flowing with an open, soulful sort of energy that really puts Shaw at the top of his power, and almost urges Hutcherson onto new heights in the process. Titles include "To Kill A Brick", "Apex", "Orange Crescent", and "All The Things You Are".

The album that started it all for Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – the monumental Safe As Milk – a more focused effort the epic strangeness to come, but still a freak rock masterpiece! Don Van Vliet and the first Magic Band get loose on some messed up, raw white boy blues, filterede through a fish eye lens with an unbridled energy and the good Captain's unique approach that just begins to hint at the sublime weirdness he'd unleash later on. Includes "Abba Zabba", "Dropout Boogie", "Zig Zag Wanderer", "Electricity", "Yellow Brick Road", "Grown So Ugly", "Autumn's Child" and more.

Hard to see how these nighttime folks get any lovin done – give that the grooves in the series are always so great, we're bound to spend the whole evening on the dancefloor! This smoking 17th entry (!) in the collection is every bit as grooving as the rest – heavy on the kind of 80s soul that still sounds pretty darn fresh today – cuts that never got the right sort of chance back in the day, and which are finally being rediscovered and given new life in the 21st Century! Rhythms are heavy on keyboards and beats – with a fair bit of bassy bits too – and titles include "Sweat" by Brick, "Lovequake" by Bobby King, "Just Begun To Love You" by Renee Aldrich, "Cry Like A Wolf" by RJ's Latest Arrival, "Give Me" by I Level, "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie" by Intrique, "This Time" by Funk Deluxe, "Hot Girl" by Private Eye, and "Let's Change It Up" by Inner Life.

A surprisingly huge soundtrack from the 60s – thanks partly to the main title theme, which is a variation on the same "Amen" theme that Curtis Mayfield would make big with The Impressions! Most of the record is prime Jerry Goldsmith scoring, though – wonderful instrumentals that have this complicated blend of tones and colors, yet still some folksy undercurrents too – almost a Copeland-like point in Goldsmith's pantheon, with the mix of majesty and humanity that reference implies! Titles include "Homer Returns", "The Roof", "Homer Awakes/Breakfast", "The Contractor", "Out Of Bricks", "Amen", "No Hammer/Return Of The Prodigal", and "Feed The Slaves/Drive To Mass".

The Ex smacked the end of the 80s away with this sprawling double album – feature more than 30 tracks worth of pummeling, pounding, thumping and stumping – an assemblage of straight-up, full throttle group numbers and much-varried errata from individual members and collaborators! The Ex was always better at ambitious, unpredictable left turns than many of their more celebrated American underground rock contemporaries – and there's plenty of testimony on here! Tracks include "At The Gates", "Pigs & Scales", "Morning Star", "Wall Has Ears", "To Be Clear", "Gentlemen", "Make That Call", "Shopping Street", "Brickbat", "Watch The Driver", "Tin Gods", "The Early Bird's Worm", "Catkin", "Upstairs With Picasso" and many more!

Not everyone digs the later Captain and crew, but the early 80s efforts have finally gotten their just props after all these years – and we'll we'll come right out and say that this second to last album before Don Van Vliet hung up the music for painting has always sounded great to us! The Magic Band is incredible as always – with Jeff Morris Tepper, Drumbo French and Eric Drew Feldman's antics under the Captain's idiosyncratic vocalese. With "Hot Head", "Ashtray Heart", "A Carrot Is As Close As A Rabbit Gets To A Diamond", "Run Paint Run Run", "Sue Egypt", "Brickbats", "Dirty Blue Gene", "Best Batch Yet", "Telephone", "Flavor Bud Living", "Sherriff Of Hong Kong" and "Making Love To A Vampire With A Monkey On My Knee".

Not disco Moroder, but schlager Moroder – great early recordings from German maestro Giorgio, done before his famous dancefloor hits of the later 70s – and with a very groovy sound throughout! The music here is more pop than soul, but often has these sweet and freaky little touches – a bit like the way that French pop artists of the late 60s would cop an American mode, then turn it around with some cool local touches of their own – or trip things out with a few inflections borrowed from psych or other new rock modes! Some tunes are playful and catchy, others are more ballsy and brash – especially as the set moves on, and the music hits those immediate pre-disco years that make for some of Moroder's most compelling. Massive 2CD package features 51 rare cuts from these early years – titles that include "Cinnamon", "Tempo D'Amore", "Underdog", "Watch Your Step", "Bla Bla Diddly", "Love's Morning Land", "Mah Na Mah Na", "Crippled Words", "Lie Lie Lie", "Collico", "Heaven Helps The Man", "Bricks & Mortar", "It's A Shame", and "Today's A Tomorrow".

The mostly orchestral music used for the Kubrick film, with alternating spooky and grand passages Strauss, Ligetti and others. Inlcudes "Also Sprach Zarathustra", "Requiem For Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Mixed Choirs & Orchestra", "Luz Aeterna", "The Blue Danube" and "Atmospheres". In a groovy gatefold sleeve with great stills from the film inside and and excellent sci fi illustration on the front and back cover!