... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A late 50s session, but an album that captures Lighnin Hopkins in a rootsy style that could well hearken back to the 78rpm blues records of the 30s – thanks to production by Samuel B Charters, who captured Hopkins alone making music in his apartment in Houston! The tracks have that beautifully spare, yet indescribably rich sound of Hopkins at his best – wonderfully expressive through just a few vocal inflections and deft changes on the guitar – augmented here by one track that also features Lighnin just speaking, recalling his meeting with Blind Lemon Jefferson. Titles include "Bad Luck & Trouble", "Penitentiary Blues", "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean", "Tell Me Baby", "Fan It", "Goin Back To Florida", "Trouble Stay Way From My Door", and "Come Go Home With Me". CD

The Siegel Schwall Band change things up a bit here – leaving behind the rootsy Sam Charters production of their first few albums for the the heady sound of Dunwich – and picking up just a bit of electric piano and electric bass in the process! The style is still rooted in blues, but maybe not as slavishly tied to the modes of Chess Records as before – as the group, especially Corky Siegel, seem to be coming up with lyrical modes that are maybe a bit more of a nod to the north side crowds that were really cheering them on in Chicago – not mainstream, certainly, but maybe a bit more longhaired than south side juke joint crowds – almost a bit of a Bay Area vibe in the mix. Titles include "Angel Food Cake", "Song", "A Sunshine Day In My Mind", "Do You Remember", "I Don't Want You To Be My Girl", and "Geronimo". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal set of Chicago blues – the first volume in a series of classic recordings done by Vanguard Records in an effort to show the rest of the world all the hip new sounds that were coming out of the Windy City in the 60s! The approach here is a bit like some of the rural blues sets from years past – in that Samuel Charters headed to Chicago, booked studio time, and managed to get some key groups at their best – all at a level that would soon be picked up by the Delmark label as they helped to document the scene! Junior Wells sings and plays harmonica in a quartet with Buddy Guy on guitar, on titles that include "Messin With The Kid", "Vietcong Blues", "All Night Long", and "It Hurts Me So". JB Hutto plays guitar and sings in his Hawks trio – on titles that include "Too Much Alcohol", "That's The Truth", "Going Ahead", and "Please Help". And Otis Spann plays piano and sings, with help from SP Leary on drums – on titles that include "Spann's Stomp", "Marie", "Burning Fire", and "SP Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the greatest moment ever from Country Joe & The Fish – an insane blend of politics, psychedelia, rock roots, and more – all wrapped up in a nice of carnival-esque style that really lives up to the group's name! Many folks later copied the group – and others, like The Fugs, worked in somewhat similar territory – yet there's a really special sound to the group on this early set, a balance that brings more focus to otherwise trippy moments, more sense to their political agenda, and these sharp instrumental inflections that really send the whole thing home. Blues historian Samuel Charters produced, giving the record another influential quality – and titles include "The Fish Cheer & I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die-Rag", "Who Am I", "Pat's Song", "Magoo", "Jam", "Eastern Song", and "Colors For Susan". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal set of Chicago blues – still ten times better than all the imitators it spawned – and a beautiful package that brings together all three albums in this legendary series from Vanguard Records! These are tracks that were all captured at a time when the city's scene was nice and raw – new ideas in electric blues still spilling out of clubs on the south and west side, where producer Samuel Charters was able to capture these cuts with some of the same strengths he brought to rural blues collections from the south for other labels. The package is overflowing with key work from legendary figures – including Junior Wells, JB Hutto & His Hawks, Otis Spann, Jimmy Cotton, Otis Rush, Homesick James, Johnny Young, and Johnny Shines. LP, Vinyl record album

30 tracks from The Charters, The Nobletones, The Gaynotes, The Pyramids, The Blenders, The Twisters, The Laurels, The Varieteers, and The Limelighters. CD

A nice, diverse display of avant instrumental soundscapes from Tortoise – who sound as unpredictable and vital as they have in years on Beacons Of Ancesorship! All the descriptions of how groundbreaking Tortoise was in the earlier years, and forward looking they've remained throughout their career is all fine and good (and true) – but in the decade and a half of accolades, it isn't often discussed how flat out fun the group is at its best – and that's what we love about this record. Here they blend dynamics built from Krautrock and elastic proggy influences, electronic experimentalism, dubby bass, hypnotic soundtracky vibes, and even a little bit of raw, rugged punk into an overall approach that's Tortoise through and through. Their best since Standards, to say the least, and up there with their best work. Titles include "High Class Slim Came Floatin In", "Prepare Your Coffin", "Northern Something", "Gigantes", "Penumbra", "Yinxianghechechengqi", "The Fall Of The Seven Diamonds Plus One", "Minors", Monument Six Thousand One Hundred", "De Chelly" and "Charteroak Foundation". CD

A diverse display of hard grooving avant instrumental soundscapes from Tortoise! All the descriptions of how groundbreaking Tortoise was in the earlier years, and forward looking they've remained throughout their career is all fine and good (and true) – but it isn't often discussed how flat out fun the group is at its best – and that's what we love about this record. Here they blend dynamics built from Krautrock and elastic proggy influences, electronic experimentalism, dubby bass, hypnotic soundtracky vibes, and even a little bit of raw, rugged punk into an overall approach that's Tortoise through and through. Titles include "High Class Slim Came Floatin In", "Prepare Your Coffin", "Northern Something", "Gigantes", "Penumbra", "Yinxianghechechengqi", "The Fall Of The Seven Diamonds Plus One", "Minors", Monument Six Thousand One Hundred", "De Chelly" and "Charteroak Foundation". LP, Vinyl record album