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Sax player Lester Sterling shines brightly on "The Big Job" – and it's really saying something that he stands out so brilliantly here – as the rhythm is incredible! Easygoing, but masterful sax by Sterling over a tight bass, drums and organ. A stellar instrumental, with the Aggrovators version on the flip.

Rare work from composer Robby Poitevin – pulled from two groovy Italian films of the late 60s! Tecnica Di Un Omicidio is a great action score, put together with a heavy dose of jazz – great vibes, flute, and plenty of other horns – blasting out with a hip style over lots of tight percussion – almost in the manner of spy films from the time, but with a lot more complexity at points, almost the depths of a drama, without any of the sleepy moments. The film's represented by 12 tracks here, all of them pretty great, and pretty different from each other – a really fresh batch of music that includes "Alba A New York", "Central Station", "My Man", "L'Ultima Vittima", "Bassifondi", "Clint In Agguato", and "Tecnica Di Un Omicido". Quella Carogna Dell'Ispettore Sterling is a great score to a hip 60s crime thriller – served up with a mod mix of bossa nova, jazz, and some groovier bits – really great music that easily rivals the late 60s greatness of better-known Italian composers like Armando Trovajoli or Piero Piccioni! Some tunes are upbeat and driving – almost in a mod mode – while others have a dreamier style that makes cool use of organ and voice, the latter of which is handled by I Cantori Moderni on two tracks, and Gianfranca Montedoro on one more. There's an odd sort of feel to the music, in ways that have the same sort of charm as the great score for The Tenth Victim, especially in the use of organ. Titles include "Allucianzione", "One More Step", "Alba A San Francisco", "Tema Dell'Ispettore Sterling", and "Adesso Che Hai Vent'Anni".

Somebody's finally gone out and written a book about one subject we can really get behind – the Record Store – and not only that, they've done a beautiful job with the entire package too! The book takes a look at the importance of the record store – not just historically, but culturally as well – with an especially important focus on the need for stores in the digital age, as a way of keeping both the music, and interest in the music, alive and well for generations to come! As you might guess from the subtitle, authors Calamar and Gallo have a bit of an agenda in their portrait – but they really pave the way with some great recollections of record stores past, incredible bits not just from folks who owned and worked in stores, but also from famous shoppers, artists, and collectors too. And even cooler, the book is filled with lots of great photographs – wonderful images of old stores in color and black and white, plus lots of great sidebar bits that help draw a focus on key issues in record retail. If you, like us, get a bit of a rush every time you walk into a record store, then you'll be sure to get an equal rush from this book – a wonderful tome that's one we can send home to our parents, and finally show them we've got a career worth a bit of respect! 238 pages, hardcover, and really beautifully done.

A beautiful book of vintage hard rock album covers – starting in the late 60s, and running through the early 80s – all to provide a perfect showcase of the best images of the genre from the vinyl generation! The book's got way more than pictures, though – as each oversize page includes not just a full color album image, but a short essay on the image as well – along with dates of release, and art credits too – all showing that the authors have really done their work in putting the whole thing together. The cover is nice and heavy – with almost a black velvet sort of look – and the book is 263 pages, and nice and heavy too!

A sterling set from the great Will Downing – and a record that definitely has the master at the top of his game throughout! The package features some songs from his recent trilogy of EP releases – Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow – but also includes five new songs too – and together, the tunes work wonderfully to create one of the best full length efforts from Downing in years! Will's got this style that's easy-flowing, yet completely confident too – a reminder that sometimes the best approach to male soul music is one that relaxes into the groove – in ways that so many other singers in the younger generation seem to have forgotten. The backings are great too – as laidback as Downing's vocals, without any of the clunk that might have happened if Will was recording for a bigger label trying to push him into the charts. There's plenty of glow and warmth throughout – and titles include "Only One", "Send For Me", "Falling", "Stuff That I Like", "One Step Closer", "Never Find Another Love", "Sexy", and "You Were Meant Just For Me" – a duet with Avery Sunshine. Also includes a totally great long track – a "live rehearsal" of the medley "I Go Crazy/Wishing On A Star/Try".

With McGriff on organ and Fender Rhodes – plus Arnold Sterling on alto, Bully Butler on guitar, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Belton Evans on drums, and Ray Mantilla on percussion. Titles include "Song For My Father", "This One's For Ray", "Night Train", and "Mercy Mercy Mercy".

Top notch instrumentals from the loose collective dubbed Third World All Stars – recorded in the mid 70s at London's Chalk Farm and EFM studios – and featuring both London-based and visiting Jamaican legends in the mix! The production is billed to Count Shelly, and it features some base rhythms cut for Errol Dunkley's Sit And Cry Over You Record – released on Shelley's label. The rhythms are indeed impeccable, and there are all these unique soulful layers added to them that really give it a worthwhile life of their own as a soulful reggae instrumentals set. Players include Michael Bammy Rose on sax, Lester Sterling on trumpet and sax, Tyrone Downie, Gladdy Anderson and Winston Wright on keys, Jackie Jackson on bass and Winston Grennan on drums. Beautiful, timeless and soulful rhythms that are on par with the finest Carribbean music of the period – whether it was recorded in Kingston, London, or anywhere else. Essential! Includes "Rebel Rock", "Repatriation Remedy", "Our Dream World", "Patricia's Love", "Soothing In The Mind", "Black Moon", "For All Ways", "Just For You", "Train To Skaville" and "Moog In Blues".

Top notch instrumentals from the loose collective dubbed Third World All Stars – recorded in the mid 70s at London's Chalk Farm and EFM studios – and featuring both London-based and visiting Jamaican legends in the mix! The production is billed to Count Shelly, and it features some base rhythms cut for Errol Dunkley's Sit And Cry Over You Record – released on Shelley's label. The rhythms are indeed impeccable, and there are all these unique soulful layers added to them that really give it a worthwhile life of their own as a soulful reggae instrumentals set. Players include Michael Bammy Rose on sax, Lester Sterling on trumpet and sax, Tyrone Downie, Gladdy Anderson and Winston Wright on keys, Jackie Jackson on bass and Winston Grennan on drums. Beautiful, timeless and soulful rhythms that are on par with the finest Carribbean music of the period – whether it was recorded in Kingston, London, or anywhere else. Essential! Includes "Rebel Rock", "Repatriation Remedy", "Our Dream World", "Patricia's Love", "Soothing In The Mind", "Black Moon", "For All Ways", "Just For You", "Train To Skaville" and "Moog In Blues".

Produced by Tosh himself, band includes Keith Sterling, Santa Davison, Fully Fullwood, Sticky thompson, Skully Sims and others. 8 tracks in all, including "No Nuclear War", "Nah Goa Jail", "Fight Apartheid", "Vampire", "In My Song", "Lesson In My Life", "Testify" and "Come Together".

A sterling set from the great Will Downing – and a record that definitely has the master at the top of his game throughout! The package features some songs from his recent trilogy of EP releases – Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow – but also includes five new songs too – and together, the tunes work wonderfully to create one of the best full length efforts from Downing in years! Will's got this style that's easy-flowing, yet completely confident too – a reminder that sometimes the best approach to male soul music is one that relaxes into the groove – in ways that so many other singers in the younger generation seem to have forgotten. The backings are great too – as laidback as Downing's vocals, without any of the clunk that might have happened if Will was recording for a bigger label trying to push him into the charts. There's plenty of glow and warmth throughout – and titles include "Only One", "Send For Me", "Falling", "Stuff That I Like", "One Step Closer", "Never Find Another Love", "Sexy", and "You Were Meant Just For Me" – a duet with Avery Sunshine. Also includes a totally great long track – a "live rehearsal" of the medley "I Go Crazy/Wishing On A Star/Try".

Early 60s greatness from The Skatalites – Kingston recordings from 1963 & '64 – peak era material, but perhaps not amongst the best remembered – produced by King Edwards! It was cut during various sessions during that year+ long period featuring the legendary players – Tommy McCook, Roland Alphonso, Don Drummond, Lester Sterling, Ernest Raglin, Jackie Mitto, Drumbago, Charlie Organaire and others. 14 ska scorchers: "Jones Town Special", "Red China", "Jazz Ska", "African Queen", "What A Skandal", "Shank I Sheck", "Kingston 11", "Collie Foot", "Man About Town" and more.

A much-needed anthology of solo material from VU drummer Moe Tucker – also the singer and one woman band on many of the best recordings here – a massive set that also includes recordings with Velvets cohorts Lou Reed, John Cale and Sterling Morrison, out rock eccentrics Jad Fair and Daniel Johnston, Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore and Lee Renaldo, Jonathan Richman and others! The majority of the material comes from independent and self-released records that Moe made from the early 80s to mid 90s – a fascinating wealth of songs that explore the proto rock primitivism that was such an indispensable facet of her style of drumming, along with excellent art rock collaborations with fellow outcast geniuses, Moe's loving, but skewed take on classic girl group songs and more. We learned some things about Moe Tucker we didn't know before this set. Thanks to Sundazed for such a solid statement on the great legacy of her later years! Includes "Bo Diddley", a wooly version of "Heroin", "Hey Mersh!", "Andy", "Pale Blue Eyes", "Lazy", "Then He Kissed Me", "I'm Waiting For The Man", "Spam Again (Live)", "I've Seen Into Your Soul", "Poor Little Fool", "I Wanna", "Last Night I Said Goodbye To My Friend" (previously unissued), "After Hours", "I’m Not", "Blue All The Way To Canada", "Slippin' And Slidin'", "Around And Around" and more. 28 tracks on the 3LP version.

A bursting treasure chest of prime rocksteady from Treasure Isle – featuring incredible 60s soulful and steady rockin' numbers by Alton Ellis & The Flames, The Paragons, Lester Sterling & Tommy McCook, The Melodians, Phyllis Dillon, The Three Tops, Joya Landis, Dobby Dobson, John Holt and many more! The consistency throughout this set, as well as the geniune love for the material that went into compiling is pretty wonderful – as are the songs. It's all from the fertile period of the rocksteady style, that soulful and steady sound that simmered out of the preceding ska style – spanning '66-'68 – backed by Duke Reid and backed by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics. 40 tracks on 2CDs: "Girl I've Got A Date", by Alton Ellis & The Flames, "You Don't Need Me" by Melodians, "In The Midnight Hour" by The Silvertones, "Wear You To The Ball" by The Paragons, "Queen Majesty" by The Techniques, "It's Raining" by The Three Tops, "Soul Serenade" by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics, "I'm A Loving Pauper" by Dobby Dobson, "Angel In The Morning" by Joya Landis and many more.