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One of the most cerebral Wire cover features to date – a 20 page special that looks at the relationship between language and underground music – with contributions from David Toop, Nina Power, Alasdair Roberts, Ken Hollings, Hua Hsu, Rob Young, and others! The issue also still has some of its favorite features too – including the Invisible Jukebox with Jaap Blonk as a guest, looks at scenes in Newcastle, Australia and the Northeast of England – as well as a massive amount of reviews, news, and other nice bits!

Wolf Eyes makes the cover this time around – and the issue also features a great story on the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock – plus articles on Oval, Morphosis, and Pedro Reyes! But as always, the best bits are in the fringes – especially the wealth of reviews that always makes The Wire so great for anyone who likes their sounds on the left end of the spectrum!

Brooklyn synth explorer Daniel Lopatin, aka, Oneohtrix Point Never is on the cover – plus features on avant bassist Joshua Abrams' work with gimbri tones, Gnawa rhythms and other North African inspiration, the Amsterdam sonic innovators at STEIM (STudio for Electro-Instrumental Music), Berlin minimalist techno master Ricardo Villalobos in the Invisible Jukebox, the Global Ear on the Soviet Georgian electronics scene in Tbilisi and more – plus dozens of reviews!

Wire's amazing second album – and a pretty astonishing creative leap for the band! Nowadays, Chairs Missing can be seen as a transitional point between the rawer art punk genius of the preceding Pink Flag and the icy synth flourishes of the 154 album to follow. That said, it's an almost unbelievably great album all on its own. Pink Flag's title track and another couple of songs hinted at the sparer, more brooding possibilities of their music, and they go deeper into that on Chairs Missing, without compromising the immediacy. Essential! Titles include "Heatbeat", "Practice Makes Perfect", "Being Sucked In Again", "I Am The Fly", "Outdoor Miner", "Sand In My Joints", "I Feel Mysterious Today", "Marooned", "French Film Blurred", "Mercy" and more.

One of greatest of all British punk era records – released in '77 and one that transcends mid-to-late 70s punk cultural baggage better than just about any other – an absolute benchmark! Wire kept it short and sweet on Pink Flag – with 21 tracks in about 35 minutes – and it's as artful as it is succinct. The band would soon prove to be as creatively ambitious as any of their peers and the incendiary blast of Pink Flag would make way for experimental flourishes on follow up records that are ultimately just as important and influential, but we'd hasten to claim they'd ever make a better album than this one. "Reuters", "Field Day For The Sundays", "Three Girl Rumba", "Ex Lion Tamer", "The Commercial", "Strange", "Different To Me", "12 X U", "Start To Move", "Lowdown", "Surgeon's Girl", "Pink Flag" and more.

German minimalist composer Jakob Ullmann is on the cover – and this great issue of the Wire also has pieces on NY street dancer and Flying Lotus collaborator Storyboard P, the Global Ear on Tuscaloosa, Alabama , Irish artist Vicki Lagan in Cross Platform, Pan Sonic's Mika Vainio in the invisible Jukebox, jazz-trained digital experimenter Ashley Paul and much more! This issues free CD is Wire Tapper 31, with tracks by Omnivore, Anna Steiden & Chra, Christopher Cordoba, MIR, Hanno Leichtmann, ROBERTS, Felicia Atkinson, The Resource Centre, Emanuele De Raymondi, Michael Jon Fink, RSS Boys and more.

The mighty Mats Gustafsson is on the cover of The Wire this time around – a fitting tribute to the decades of amazing music he's given us – both overseas, and here in Chicago as well! The long feature really gets at Mats' dedication to his music – his strong sense of work ethic, his willingness to always keep changing things around, and his good sense of humor as well! Other articles include features on Little Annie, Lonnie Hollye, Ergo Phizmiz, and a User's Guide To US Hardcore – plus the huge amount of reviews and news that always make the magazine so great!

Ghetto, maybe, but it's most certainly prime era ska! Ghetto Ska is a stellar compilation of tracks from vaults of the Wirl & Federal Studios – backed by the Skatalites and featuring numbers by Theophilus Beckford, Frank Cosmo, Lloyd Clarke and others. The vocals are soulful and the shuffle rhythm in full effect here – heavy with numbers fronted by T Beckford. Includes "Don't Have A Ticket Don't Worry", "Seven Long Years" and more by T Beckford, "Come On My People" and "Brother Nathan" by Daniel Johnson, "Love Me Or Leave Me" by Lloyd Clarke, "On Your Knees" by Frank Cosmo, "Now You're Gone" by Shenley & Annette, "Streets Of Glory" by Basil Gabiddon and more.

Way more than some of the star-type bios on Scott Walker that have littered the market over the years – and instead, a well-chosen collection of writings on Walker that really get at the full depth of his genius! The book's a co-production with The Wire – and definitely lives up to the thoughtfulness you'd expect from that association – as editor Rob Young pulls together work on Scott from a number of different fronts – served up first in chapters on specific records, each written by a different artist and commissioned for the book – then moving onto other interview material too. Includes writings by Nina Power, Ian Penman, Biba Kopf, Amanda Petrusich, Richard Cook, Anthony Reynolds, David Toop, and others – and the book is 297 pages, hardcover.

A 22 track collection of work by Mike Cambpell – a little-known Bay Area vocalist from the 80s, with a sweetly swinging style that's very much in the tradition of Mark Murphy, another San Francisco contemporary. The CD features 12 tracks from Campell's 1982 album Secret Fantasy, originally issued on the Palo Alto Jazz label – plus another 10 tracks from various sessions throughout the 80s, all with a similar warm small combo feel. The tracks are a mix of originals, standards, and some hipper fare from the left end of the jazz vocal spectrum – and titles include "Dat Dere", "Early", "Another Star", "I'm Always Drunk In San Francisco", "Round Midnight", "Soft Strum Blues", "And It All Goes Round & Round", "Mystery", "Alone Again", and "High Wire".

The final third of Jackie DeShannon's legendary run for Imperial Records in the 60s – a smashing batch of singles that really represent some great musical growth at the time! On these sides, Jackie's even more soulful than before – definitely taking inspiration from the generation of singers who were singing her songs – and from the growing wave of girl vocalists who were working with more soulful styles too – especially those from the Brill Building scene. The result is a great blend of New York uptown and LA sunshine – a superb batch of tunes that really sums up the unique place that Jackie DeShannon had in modern music. Many tunes are originals by Jackie – and the set also features great tunes penned by Jimmy Holiday and Bobby Womack too – titles that include "Changin My Mind", "I Keep Wanting You", "What Is This", "Nicole", "Nobody's Home To Go Home To", "You Keep Me Hangin On/Hurt So Bad", "Brighton Hill", "Christmas", "Keep Me In Mind", "Bird On The Wire", "What Was Your Day Like", "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", "Always Together", and "Do You Know How Christmas Trees Are Grown".

Al Green's first LP – with a very different feel than his later work on Hi. The record's got a harder southern soul groove – almost in a Wilson Pickett/Arthur Conley mode, but with some sweeter elements in the backing. Al's voice is still incredible, although different than later, in that he's singing with a really open vibe, letting himself go a bit more, and not keeping in that smooth sophisticated mode of later years. Originally released by the tiny Hot Line label, and issued later by Bell Records when Al started to hit big with Hi Records during the early 70s. Titles include "Back Up Train", "Get Yourself Together", "Don't Leave Me", "Let Me Help You", "Hot Wire", and "Stop & Check Myself".

Haunting work by the enigmatic Gurdjieff – pulled from lost wire and tape recordings, and beautifully remastered for the set! Gurdjieff was perhaps known best for his work as a mystic, philosopher, and spiritualist – but he also had an amazing approach to the harmonium, one that was informed by his theories on life and energy – and which brought some amazing sounds out of the instrument! The material was all recorded in 1949 – and has this elliptical, stretched-out quality that went on to influence a number of later keyboardists – including Keith Jarrett and others! Great silkscreened cover – and the LP features 7 improvised tracks in all.

Key moments in the career of Charles Mingus – all recorded during the crucial years of 1964 and 1965, and featuring the first-time release of a fair bit of live material too! The set represents the first full presentation of recordings that have appeared piecemeal on a handful of obscure releases – self-released records from Mingus himself – Town Hall, My Favorite Quintet, and Music Written For Monterey – all really expanded here with the full recordings of the tracks, and unreleased titles provided from the original tapes! Mingus was really on fire during these years – severed from most of his bigger label associations, and freely working on some of his most inventive ideas with various smaller groups of players – all fresh young talents who were key interpreters of Charles' ideas – including Johnny Coles and Lonnie Hillyer on trumpet, Jimmy Owens on trumpet and flugelhorn, Charles McPherson on alto sax, Clifford Jordan on tenor, Jaki Byard on piano, Eric Dolphy on alto, flute, and bass clarinet. The stalwart Dannie Richmond is on drums, and the sides represent some of Dolphy's last, and most important recordings on the planet – recordings done at Town Hall and in Amsterdam in April of 1964 – in addition to live material at Monterey in 1964 and 1965, in Minneapolis in May of 1965. Tracks are all quite long – some pushing the half-hour timing – and as with the best live Mingus, there's variations here that go way past any studio readings – really incredible solo flights that are still beautifully integrated with the ideas of the main group. Titles include "So Long Eric", "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress Then Blue Silk", "Mingus Piano Solo", "Bird Preamble", "Themeless Blues", "Copa City Titty", "A Lonely Day In Selma", "Cocktails For Two", "Praying With Eric", "Parkeriana", "ATFW", "Meditations On A Pair Of Wire Cutters", and "Meditations On Integration". 7CDs, limited edition, and with a great book of notes too!

A really unique album for Chaka Khan – one in which she teams up with a host of jazz artists to craft a classic-styled set of vocals! Given that Chaka was at the height of her 80s groove solo career at the time of this one, the move was a surprising one – but also a great chance for Chaka to show that she had a lot more to offer than just pop chops, as she sounds pretty darn great scatting on these classic jazz numbers. Players include Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Lenny White, and Chick Corea – and titles include "Them There Eyes", "All Of Me", "Take The A Train", "Hire Wire", "The Aerialist", and "I Hear Music".

The undisputed King, even to this day! 10 more blazing Tubby dub rubs, ample evidence to why he's remained enthroned to this day: space echo drops and reverb adding some tasty dub sauce to chugging rhythms from Sly & Robbie, Fully Fullwood, Santa Davis, Wire Lindo, Chinna Smith and others. Includes "Super Star Dub", "King Zion Dub", "Rubba Dunza", "Blood, Sweat & Dunza Dub", "King, Queen & Minstrel Dub", "Easy Dread & Check This Dub", "Fancy Up A Dub" and "Stalag 80 Dub".

Dubby funk with plenty of Jamaican undertones, but not exactly a reggae set – and instead the sort of wonderful criss-crossing of modes we've come to expect from The Lions! The group definitely owes a lot to the sound of 60s and 70s Kingston – yet their approach is different, too – a bit sharper and maybe more soul-based than the usual reggae group – in ways that belie some of the deep funk associations of the group members! Yet from a reggae perspective, the set's right on the money too – played at a level that easily rivals the Studio One sound back in the day, yet served up with production that's even sharper overall – thanks to work by Connie Price in the studio. Titles include "Birds On A Wire", "This Generation", "Picture On The Wall", "New Girl", "Pieces Of A Man", "Let's Go Out Tonight", and "Be Easy".

With Chris Potter, Robin Eubanks, Steve Nelson, and Billy Kilson. 8 tracks in all: "Looking Up", "Make Believe", "A Seeking Spirit", "High Wire", "Jugglers Paradise", "Candlelight Vigil", "Wonders Never Cease" and "Down Time".

Dubby funk with plenty of Jamaican undertones, but not exactly a reggae set – and instead the sort of wonderful criss-crossing of modes we've come to expect from The Lions! The group definitely owes a lot to the sound of 60s and 70s Kingston – yet their approach is different, too – a bit sharper and maybe more soul-based than the usual reggae group – in ways that belie some of the deep funk associations of the group members! Yet from a reggae perspective, the set's right on the money too – played at a level that easily rivals the Studio One sound back in the day, yet served up with production that's even sharper overall – thanks to work by Connie Price in the studio. Titles include "Birds On A Wire", "This Generation", "Picture On The Wall", "New Girl", "Pieces Of A Man", "Let's Go Out Tonight", and "Be Easy".

One of the greatest albums ever in the history of funk – the first album by The Meters, and virtually the blueprint for countless funk records to come! The album's bubbling over with classics – all hard-hitting instrumentals played by the group in an effortlessly tight style, produced to perfection by Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn in their classic 60s New Orleans style. A blinding masterpiece of bass, drums, and scratchy guitar – with tracks that include "Cardova", "Cissy Strut", "Sophisticated Cissy", "Here Comes The Meter Man", "Ease Back", "Ann", "6V6 La", and "Live Wire".

Jazzy funk and an all around pretty diverse batch of tunes from the JTQ – with some mighty Rhodes funk tunes, some more groovy jazz tunes, some instro soul, and bits of bossa! James opens up the Rhodes and Hammond funk flavors we best know him for when the mood hits, but we really love the jazzier stuff, too, which he's working more with this time out – on piano, plus clavinet – with the players including Andrew McKinney on bass, Adam Betts on drums, Nick Smart on trumpet, Gareth Lockrane on flute and John Parricelli on guitar. Titles include "Blacksmith", "Rochester Raining", "Same Old Fool", "New World", "Inner Mystic Love", "Stonemason", "Blue Lady", "Hot Wire", "Milk & Honey" and more.

A nice compilation of tracks pulled from Blood & Fire's fantastic reggae reissue series. While this is the sort of collection labels put together to introduce you to their catalog, it plays really well from beginning to end – a wonderful testament to the deep digging the folks at Blood & Fire have done to bring together some sought after roots tracks! 17 cuts: Linval Thompson & U Brown "Train to Zion (discomix)", Vivian Jackson & the Prophets "Fire In A Kingston", Impact All Stars "Easy Come Dub", Junior Byles & Rupert Reid "Chant Down Babylon", Johnny Clarke "Love Up Your Brothers & Sisters (extended)", King Tubby "Bag A Wire Dub", Max Romeo "Valley of Jehosaphat (extended)", the Chantells "Natty Supper", Inner Circle & the Fatman Riddim Section "General Amin", Cornell Campbell "Two Face Rasta (extended)", Trinity "Tradition", Linval Thompson "Jah Jah the Conqueror", Sylford Walker "Babylonians", Big Youth "Mama Look", Gregory Isaacs "Slave Master",the Tamlins "Baltimore" and Leroy Smart & I Roy "Jah is My Light/Wicked Eat Dirt".

A massive collection of ska instrumentals – all the real deal from the initial 60s start of the genre – and all pulled from the legendary Top Deck catalog! There's a crisp, raw edge to these tracks that nobody else was able to ever match again – a sinister vibe that comes from the bold production style, cool compressed rhythms, and soulful sax and trumpet solos that really make these numbers cook! Given that the set's all instrumental, the vibe here is a lot different than most ska revival work too – almost more in a 60s soul instrumental mode – with great traces to the inspiration of the genre. Titles include "Shot In The Dark" and "Determination" by Roland Alphonso, "China Town" and "China Clipper" by The Skatalites, "Scattered Lights" and "Red Is Danger" by Tommy McCook, "Warlock" by Jackie Mittoo, "Love In The Afternoon" by Don Drummond, "Live Wire" by Lyn Taitt & Jackie Mittoo, "Yogi Man" and "Red Is Danger" by Johnny Moore, "Shock Resistance" by Baba Brooks, "Lawless Street" by King Sporty & The Skatalites, and "Ti Pi Tin" by Raymond Harper.

The long awaited sides C & D in Madlib's incredible blend of Bombay soundtrack-styled funk, blunted Eastern beats, and all round stunning Middle Eastern accented hip hop instros! This time out Madlib, er, Beat Konducta is conducting beats, strings & things from India and/or otherwise East – but the way in which the beats bluntly thump is quintessential Madlib – you know it and love it from the first beat! 'Lib really breathes fresh life into this approach – going miles deeper than anyone out there doing the Bollywood-hip hop hybrid – coming up with a sound all his own. Amazing! "Get It Right", "More Rice", "Indian Bells", "Club Scene", "Duel", "Organ Stroll", "In The Cave", "Malfunction", "Victory", "Smoke Circle", "Raw Ground Wire", "New Bombay", "Shah Sound", "Another Getaway", and more.

Codeine's complete early 90s Sub Pop recordings – plus a wealth of bonus material that includes some great demos, live tracks, singles and Peel Sessions – a beautiful box set from Numero! The set puts together each of the 3 double gatefold vinyl versions of Frigid Stars, Barely Real and White Birch – that's 6LPs of essential Codeine – plus the complete recordings on 3CDs. All tracks restored from the original masters, each gatefold features an insert booklet of notes, essays and photos, and the box set version also includes a 5' X 1' poster! Moody, masterful indie rock with an intoxicating haze – Codeine truly deserves a lavish, respectful archival bounty such as this! Frigid Stars includes "D", "Gravel Bed", "Pickup Song", "3 Angels", "New Year's", "Second Chance", "Cave-In", "Cigarette Machine", "Old Things" and "Pea". Numero's double vinyl version includes a full LP of bonus tracks: "Castle (Demo)", "Skeletons (Demo)", "3 Angels (Demo)", "Corner Store (Demo)", "Summer Dresses", "Pea (Acoustic)", "Second Chance" (Demo), "Pickup Song (Demo)", "Cave In (Demo)" and "Kitchen". Barely Real includes "Realize", "Jr", "Barely Real", "Hard To Find", "W." and "Promise Of Love". Bonus tracks include "Jr (Demo)", "Tom (Demo)", "Wird (Demo)", "I Wonder (Demo)", "Hydroplane", "A L'Ombre De Nous", "Realize (Demo)" and "Broken-Hearted Wire". White Birch includes "Tom", "Wird", "Vacancy", "Kitchen Light", "Washed Up", "Smoking Room", "Median (Peel Session)", "Loss Leader (Peel Session)", "Sure Looks That Way (Peel Session)", "Atmosphere", "D (Live)", "Something New", "Ides (Demo)" and "Smoking Room (Demo)".

The second album from Leonard Cohen – a more stripped down effort produced by Bob Johnston, with some really odd washes of sound on the outer edges of the sound – adding some slightly uneasy atmosphere that's paired masterfully with Cohen's moody pen. An album full of subtle triumphs, with a few of his more iconic songs and certainly in the upper regions of best work. Titles include the classic "Bird On The Wire", "Story of Isaac", "Seems So Long Ago, Nancy", "The Butcher", "You Know Who I Am", "Lady Midnight" and "Tonight Will Be Fine". Includes two bonus tracks – "Like A Bird" and "Nothing To One".

One of the greatest albums ever in the history of funk – the first album by The Meters, and virtually the blueprint for countless funk records to come! The album's bubbling over with classics – all hard-hitting instrumentals played by the group in an effortlessly tight style, produced to perfection by Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn in their classic 60s New Orleans style. A blinding masterpiece of bass, drums, and scratchy guitar – with tracks that include "Cardova", "Cissy Strut", "Sophisticated Cissy", "Here Comes The Meter Man", "Ease Back", "Ann", "6V6 La", and "Live Wire". Plus, the CD features 2 previously unissued tracks – "Soul Machine" and a nice cover of "The Look Of Love"!

A tasty set of rootsy mid 70s rhythms, cut by the core of the Upsetters band, with Wire Lindo, Bobby Chung and Carlton and Family Man Barrett, alongside a host of other musicians. Though it's not credited as such, the set's supposedly cut at Tubby's and was mixed by one of his acolytes, Prince Phillip Smart, who approaches the mix with a very minimalist touch, not too much space dust sprinkled over the rhythms here, which is just the way we like it on this set, it lets the percolating funk bubble up from underneath without too much echo to get in the way! A heavy lesser known dub side that's one of our forgotten favorites! 11 tracks in all, including "Bradsta Dub", "Ista Episode", "Dub In My Soul", "KC Black", "Mike-O-Lette", "Capo Dub" and "Shotman Chow".

Martha and the girls' entry into Motown's well-done series of 70s multi-LP collections – this one only a double-length set, but still filled with plenty of great bits by the group! The set features a solid decade's worth of work – material from the trio's 1962 start at Motown, up to some of their even better albums for the label in the early 70s. Titles include "Bless You", "Honey Love", "Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things", "My Baby Loves Me", "Honey Chile", "Jimmy Mack", "I Promise To Wait My Love", "Benjamin", "Tear It On Down", "In & Out Of My Life", "Live Wire", "Wild One", "Motoring", "Nowhere To Run", "Quicksand", "Love Is Like A Heat Wave", and "I'll Have To Let Him Go".

Pretty great pop-psych from Daughters Of Albion – a set that mixes the sing-song nature of the tunes with some deeper LA production from Leon Russell – all in a great blend fo styles that's really made the album a standout over the years! The group's a duo – Greg Dempsey and Kathy Yesse, both of whom have such long hair, it's hard to tell who's who – both singers who come from a folksy background, yet bring in that mix of Sunshine Pop modes that so many post-folkies on the west coast were using at the time – a great ear for sweet harmonies and catchy tunes, but with an undercurrent of darkness too! Titles include "I Love Her And She Loves Me", "Still Care About You", "Yes Our Love Is Growing", "Candle Song", "Lady Fingers", "Sweet Susan Constantine", "Well Wired", and "John Flip Lockup". CD features two bonus tracks too – "Well Wired (mono 45)" and "Story Of Sad (mono 45)".

With "Europa & The Pirate Twins", "Flying North", "Weightless", "Leipzig", "Windpower", "She Blinded Me With Science", "Commercial Breakup", "Urges", "Airwaves", "Radio Silence" and "Cloudburst At Shingle Street".

We're not entirely certain of the precise connection to Pablo here, as this set is credited as Augustus Pablo Presents, but it's excellent all the same – and there is some tasty knob twirling courtesy of the master King Tubby! There's some sweet melodica blowing over some rhythms that sound like they date from the late 70s at the earliest to us, and Pablo's given songwriting credit on most of these tunes. The real deal! Includes "House Raid", "Shake Down", "Shake Up", "Gun Trade", "Hillside Airstrip", "Barbwire Disaster", "Road Block", "Big Rip Off", and "Curly Dub".

Seminal club tracks from the New York underground at the end of the 70s – a host of killer singles from the Spring, Vanguard, and Posse labels – all in a fantastic blend of boogie, disco, electro, and soul! The work here is easily some of the most sophisticated to come out of the east coast club scene at the time – a real return to indie genius after disco broke heavily in the mainstream, almost a reinvention of the groove with a host of new elements! Some of these tunes will be familiar, but they're presented here in their full extended versions next to others that have been un-reissued for years – making the set an essential batch of tunes that really gets at the best sound of New York from these years! 10 long tracks in all – including "Over Like A Fat Rat" by Fonda Rae, "It Ain't No Big Thing" by Rainbow Brown, "Money (Dollar Bill Y'All)" by Jimmy Spicer, "Charley Says (Roller Boogie Baby)" by King Tim III, "Wired For Games" by C-Bank, "Rockin It" by MC Flex & The FBI Crew, "Electric Kingdom" by Twilight 22, "Is This The Future" by Fatback, "Love Hangover" by Players Association, and "You Keep On Making Me Hot" by Busta Jones.

One of the coolest portable turntables you'll ever find – based on a sweet 70s design, but nicely updated for the 21st Century! The unique unit features kind of a sandwich design – grabbing the record on the spindle, with a tonearm that comes from the side, and moves towards the middle – which is where it ends up when you pack the whole thing up for easy carrying! Speeds are 45 and 33rpm – and, oddly, the turntable can also broadcast wirelessly to two different FM frequencies – so that you can spin records on the player, then hear the music back over a radio! And if that's not enough, there's also a vinyl digitizer – which lets you digitize your records, putting them on your hard drive, and creating MP3 files with the software included in the package. Comes with an AC adapter – so you can plug it in anywhere – but you can also run the unit with 6AA batteries, too (sold separately, natch!)