Wonderful work from guitarist Oren Ambarchi – a little more expansive than his preceding effort on Drag City, thanks to larger group and a wider range of instrumentation, while building on what loved about it! The style is tough to pin down in the best kind of way, with strains of improvisational jazz and hypnotic minimalism, but a unique melodic drive that's as compelling as it is tough to cleanly categorize. Collaborators this time include returning Swedish jazz bassist Johan Berthling, drummer Joe Talia, a second guitarist in Julia Reidy, Sam Dunscombe on bass clarinet – and for extra otherworldly, yet melodic atmosphere is some synth by Jim O'Rourke and pedal steel by BJ Cole on a couple of tracks. The whole Shebang is a 4 part set – each track running long, to give it a nice amount of space to build up, settle down, and flow into the next – and numbered 1 to 4. (Jazz, Rock) CD

A soaring set from the great Robbie Basho – one of the most unique artists of his generation! Basho's often mentioned in the same breath as John Fahey, but a record like this really shows his difference – as the record not only features wonderful work on both 6 and 12 string guitar from Basho, but also has lots of these oddly-sung, surprisingly heartfelt lyrics – in a mode that's quite far from folk roots, and which instead has this really soulful warbling that really adds a lot to the spirit of the tunes. The only other instrumentation is some very cool work on the South Indian log drum – and titles include "Omaha Tribal Prayer", "Sweet Medicine", "Roses & Gold", "Joseph", "Blue Corn Serenade", and "Wounded Knee Soliloquy". (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

A trio of spacey classics from Tim Blake – all brought together in a single set! First up Crystal Machine – fantastic sounds from Tim Blake, an artist who previously worked with Gong, and sometimes worked with Hawkwind – but who really came into his own on this legendary album of electronics! Tim works here on a self-constructed "crystal machine" – a bank of electronics that was often played in performance to front some trippy film installations (as shown on the cover) – which perfectly suited the stretched-out spacey style of his music! The vibe is maybe a bit like early Tangerine Dream, but with some of the warmer modes of the French electronic scene of the time – and titles include "Midnight", "Last Ride Of The Boogie Child", "Synthese Intemporel", and "Crystal Presence". On the cover of Blake's New Jerusalem, Tim looks like he's sitting at the helm of a spaceship on the cover – and in a way, that's what his music was at the time – a way of taking off to the skies on waves of electronics, in the kinds of sounds that Blake first created in his Crystal Machine project, but which have an even sharper focus here! The album's got more vocals than Tim's previous effort, and in a way that's what really sets it apart from the rest – as Blake's got this warmly positive approach that would be at home in progressive folk, but which here comes across with a very unique style – given the mostly electronic setting of the album! All the banks of knobs, slides, and keys pictured on the cover are used to strongly skillful effect – on titles that include "Generator", "Passage Sur La Cite", "New Jerusalem", "Song For A New Age", and "Lighthouse". Magick is a really great later set from electronic genius Tim Blake – an album recorded 15 years after his early classics, and done in his windmill home in France – but all played live, in a way that makes the electronics and keyboards here maybe more amazing! Blake has certainly picked up some of the elements from the 80s generation who were influenced by his earlier work – but also keeps the more open sense of song structure from his classics at points – with a sound that still knows when to revel in the best analog moments, next to the digital ones. Titles include "Tonight", "Strange Secret Of Ohm Gliding", "A Dream", "More Magick", and "Waiting For Nati". Also features the bonus b-side "The Woodland Voice". CD

Four lost albums from David Blue – a really compelling singer/songwriter, ripe for rediscovery! First up is These 23 Days In September, recorded for Reprise – a really moody little record from David Blue – a folksy singer who's got a style that definitely lives up to the melancholy promise of his name! Blue's definitely an artist with a difference – working in the familiar mode of vocals and acoustic guitar, but with an edge and distinctness that really sets him apart from the folkies of a few year before – that sense of different that really set apart a new wave of contemporaries, like Leonard Cohen, Fred Neill, or Tom Rapp. Titles include "These 23 Days In September", "The Sailor's Lament", "Scales For A Window Thief", "You Will Come Back Again", "Slow & Easy", and "The Grand Hotel". Stories is an overlooked early set on Asylum – the kind of really special singer/songwriter material that really set the label apart at the start of the 70s! David Blue has this compelling vocal style that's moody, but down to earth – inflected here and there with guitar contributions from Ry Cooder, who's understated, but really brings out some special qualities in the tunes. Jack Nitzsche adds in some light strings at points – but overall, things are pretty spare and personal – and titles include "Looking For A Friend", "Another One Like Me", "Sister Rose", "The Blues", "Come On John", "Marianne", and "Fire In The Morning". Nice Baby & The Angel shows David Blue really starting to get some star power in his mix – a fuller set, produced by Graham Nash – with work from Nash on guitar, plus more guitar from Dave Mason and David Lindley – in a nice mix of roots elements, but which never overwhelm that unique sense of songwriting and vocals that set David Blue apart from the rest. Titles include "Darlin Jenny", "Troubadour Song", "Train To Anaheim", "True To You", "On Sunday Any Sunday", and "Outlaw Man". On the cover of Cupid's Arrow, David Blue might look a bit cheesy, what with his open shirt and all – but he's definitely the real deal, and very down to earth in his singer/songwriter approach – with a quality that's only underscored by the lineup on the set – a group that features Levon Helm on drums, Jesse Ed Davis on guitar, David Lindley on mandolin and slide, and Barry Goldberg on piano and organ, and also handling production of the album too. The shift from David's roots is a bit like that taken by other contemporaries who once started in more folksy territory, then found a new way to grow in the west coast singer/songwriter scene – and that means that things are more electrified, but still quite far from mainstream music – with original tunes from Blue throughout, and titles that include "I Feel Bad", "Maria Maria", "Primeval Tune", She's Got You", "Tom's Song", and "Run Run Run". CD

Haunting work from Jimmy Campbell – an overlooked British songwriter at the end of the 60s, and one with a really unusual approach to his music! At some level, Jimmy's got some of the folksy touches of the Nick Drake generation – a sound that might have been right at home on Island Records – but at another level, his style here is very much his own too – a bit more sensitive, and delivered with this odd vocal quality that's unlike anything we can think of – as unique to Jimmy as Tom Rapp's voice was to Pearls Before Swine, or Biff Rose's was to his own great late 60s sides! Instrumentation is relatively spare on most numbers – just acoustic guitar and a bit of rhythm, yet hardly in typical folksy modes – and titles include "When I Sit Down To Reason", "Adrian Henri's Party Night", "On A Monday", "Lyanna", "Dear Marge", "Penny In My Pocket", "Another Vincent Van Gough", and "Michelangelo". CD

Hey, don't hold Wayne Cochran's hair against him – because he's one massively soulful dude, despite a high white pompadour – and really knew how to rock the clubs back in the 60s! Cochran's a really unique figure – working with a look that was whiter-than-white, but coming across with a groove that was right up there in the best funky soul mode of the time! Wayne played for the same sort of crowds that went to see Baby Huey & The Babysitters – blending together soul and R&B influences with a really party-oriented groove laid down by his legendary CC Riders backup group – and crossing countless borders along the way, all in pursuit of a socking soul sound! This wonderful set is the best we've ever seen on his music – and features tracks pulled from his sessions for King, Chess, and Mercury – plus a full never-issued live album for King, titled The Wayne Cochran Show. There's more than a few covers here of other 60s soul tunes, but Wayne somehow manages to make most of them sound even better than the originals – bringing in funky arrangements that weren't even used on the hits, and making us wish we'd had a chance to catch his cooking show back in the day. 38 tracks in all – with titles that include "Dance To The Music", "Hold On I'm Coming", "Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song)", "I Can't Turn You Loose", "Hard To Handle", "Chopper 70", "Everybody", "Let Me Come With You", "My Machine", "Get Ready", "Which One Should I Choose", "I'm In Trouble", "The Peak Of Love", "Somebody Please", "I'm Leaving It Up To You", and "Big City Woman". (Soul, Rock) CD

A pair of really unusual albums from Mike Cooper – presented here in a single package! The core set, Life & Death In Paradise, is one of the last in a run of classics that Cooper gave the world at the start of his career – and has really unusual collaborations with members of the London jazz scene – including bassist Harry Miller, saxophonist Mike Osborne, and drummer Louis Moholo! The jazz component of the record is small – this is definitely acoustic singer/songwriter material, not the work the musicians might have issued on the Ogun label – but the set does represent a really nice shift for Cooper, and a great setting for the kind of offbeat songs he does so well. Titles include "Critical Incidents", "OMM Coda", "Suicide De Luxe", "Black Night Crash", "Rocket Summer", and the long "Life & Death In Paradise" suite. The package also features material from many years later – a live acoustic set recorded in Milan in 2018, showing Cooper still as a hell of a talent, with an even more complex understanding of the acoustic guitar – matched by his own unique vocalizations on some of the best tracks. Titles include "Peach Trees", "In Moments Of Reverie", "Lord Franklin", "Sage & Thyme", and "Industrial Hazard". CD

A treasure trove of work from a singer who's finally getting his due – Louisiana legend Jimmy Donley, an artist whose career was as short-lived as his time on the planet – but who worked during the early 60s in a wonderful blend of soul, R&B, and rough-edged rock! The package is amazing – and a much-needed look at this artist who burned incredibly brightly for a few short years, before taking his own life in the mid 60s. Jimmy's a hell of a singer, and a damn great songwriter too – and according to the notes, most of the tunes on the set originated with him, but were sold quickly to others to earn cash – a fact that hardly keeps the music from being a great representation of Donley's genius. There's definitely some echoes of New Orleans soul in the recordings, but given that many of the sessions were handled by Huey P Meux, there's also a west Louisiana vibe, too – with almost some grittier east Texas elements as well. The sound is quite unique – and uniquely breathtaking in this scope – a 2CD set that features 20 songs issued on singles for the Tear Drop label – plus another 36 tracks as demos, duets, and other rare material! Titles include "A Woman's Gotta Have Her Way", "Think It Over", "Strange Strange Feeling", "Love Bug", "Baby Ain't That Love", "Just A Game", "Santa Don't Pass Me By", "Baby Heaven Sent Me You", "Loving Cajun Style", "Forever Lillie May", "I Still Care", "It's Time To Say Goodbye", and "I'll Keep On Movin". (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

A pair of wonderful albums from the great John Fahey – back to back on a single CD! First up is Rivers & Religion – a really unique album by John Fahey – issued during a short stretch of initial mainstream approval, and a brief time of recording for Warner Brothers! Some of the album's quite different than the spare, solo Fahey you might know – and mixes his legendary guitar work with more elaborate elements than usual – additional instrumentation that includes bass, banjo, clarinet, piano, trombone, and fiddle – but all used at a level that really supports John's presence, not occludes it. Other tracks return to spare acoustic steel string guitar – creating an evocative balance that's mighty nice. Titles include "Funeral Song For Mississippi John Hurt", "Texas & Pacific Blues", "Dixie Pig Bar B Q Blues", "Lord Have Mercy Song", and "Deep River". After The Ball is a set with a disco ball on the cover, but a record that fits right in with the best early 20th century aesthetic in the work of John Fahey – particularly his way of reiimagining older musical traditions! There's a bit of added instrumentation on the record – two tracks that have some slight trad jazz flourishes – but overall, the album's mostly a solo effort with loads of wonderful guitar work from John – still as creative and as complicated as in his best recordings for Takoma! Other added instrumentation sometimes expands the sound with mandolin or banjo, but again in very sensitive ways – and titles include "Bucktown Stomp", "Om Shanthi Norris", "Beverly", and "Horses". (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

A deep dive into the genius of Faust – material recorded by the groundbreaking experimental collective at their home base during the early 70s, none of issued at the time! The work here stands as a seminal addendum to the too-small catalog of the group's material from these days – and the sounds within really show Faust at their most creative – moving through the kind of sonic territory that you'd know from their records, but presented here as if you've discovered an album that you somehow passed by! Some tracks are spare and moody, others driving and jamming – and throughout the material, Faust show that really unique ear for mixing live instrumentation and studio experimentation – all at a level that was very much their own, even in the heady company of the Krautrock generation. The material was originally part of the expensive Faust box set, but is presented here as a standalone release – and titles on volume two include "Danach", "Lampe An Tur Zu Leutte Rein", "Wir Wollen Mehr Volumen Kriegen", "Arrampicarsi Sul Vesuvio", "As Tu Vu Mon Ombre", "Ma Trompette", and "Dampf". CD

A really fantastic chapter in the career of the legendary Bill Fay – material that might have formed a lost third album, had any record company chosen to respond at the time – and which, presented here, really serves to illuminate a lost chapter in Bill's musical lineage! The set has Fay working with a small group of younger musicians who were originally fans who were disappointed that Decca never released another album after Bill's first two – so they got in touch, and set about helping Fay find a new vision in his music with their help! The sound is often stark and lean, with more of an edge than Fay's first two records – still graced with those enigmatic vocals and really haunting songwriting, but with moodier elements that really give the music some bite. The original batch of recordings has been expanded out here by a number of other rare recordings from the same time – really unique bits of varying length – and if you love Fay's music, you'll find plenty to love within! CD

An overlooked 70s gem from the great Jose Feliciano – a set that really continues the warm soul styles he'd hit on his last few years at RCA – a wonderful blend for his unique vocals and his tremendous way of putting over a tune! The set was recorded down at Muscle Shoals, but it's got a nicely subtle approach that never tries to lean on the modes of that studio too strongly – avoiding some of the cliches that other records might showcase in such a setting – and throughout it all, it's clear that Jose's the star in the spotlight, using that warmly crackling vocal approach in a wonderful way – especially on the more upbeat modern soul moments. Titles include "Every Woman", "Marguerita", "Loving Her Was Easier", "Sweet Soul Music", "I Love Making Love To You", "Love Comes From Unexpected Places", and "Funny/Night Life". CD features the bonus track "What I Wanna Do". CD

A really cool group from the late 60s UK scene – one that we might be temped to put in the hipper camp of the jazz rock world of the time, but who've maybe got a bit more of the latter style than the former – which makes their use of tenor and trumpet come across in a really unique way! There's a nicely psychedelic approach at the core of the record – with a sound that might be more familiar in terms of the guitar work, lyrical style, and vocals – but when topped with trumpet from Dave Caswell, and a mix of tenor, alto, and soprano work from John Smith, the record really takes on some unique qualities that really set it apart from the pack. Titles include "Children Of The Sun", "Pastorale", "A Modern Day Fairy Tale", "Blood", "Frog Galliard", "I Wanna Be Back Home", and "Hear The Colours". CD

A really cool British group, and one who work here with equal influences from blues and jazz – all at a level that has the complex riffing of a group like Colosseum mixed with some of the earthier woodwinds of Jethro Tull! Female lead singer Linda Rothwell has a really unique style, and one that doesn't try too hard to ape bigger American names of the time – while Joseph Rosbotham provides loads of cool work on flute and tenor, which further underscores the album's special kind of sound. Malcolm Grundy turns in some excellent work on guitar – and titles include "Port & Lemon Lady", "Hunters Song", "Men", "I Heard A Song About A Friend", "Emerge Breath Sunshine Dandelion", and "Prism". CD

Some of our favorite work ever from the mighty Lee Hazlewood – material recorded under his own name for Reprise Records – during a stretch when he was also producing for the label with Nancy Sinatra and Dean Martin! The 2CD set features 3 full albums, plus great bonus tracks too – and the assembled lot is as great of a tribute to Hazlewood's genius as we've ever seen! First up is The NSVIPs – a set that follows up the same sort of "story song" format that Lee laid down on his wonderful Trouble album for Mercury – but done here with themes that are a bit hipper, and more wry – in keeping with his Reprise persona. Next is Friday's Child, which has some of Hazlewood's most beautifully-penned tunes – tracks that mix the whimsy of his bigger hits with some great darker elements. Last up is the amazing Love & Other Crimes – one of our favorite albums of the 60s, magically recorded in Paris with a very unique sound – and a style that's a bit different than some of Hazlewood's other records. Titles include "First Street Blues", "I Had A Friend", "Everybody Calls Me Something", "Me & Charlie", "A Real Live Fool", "Hutchinson Jail", "By The Way", "Houston", "Morning Dew", "The House Song", "Love & Other Crimes", "Pour Man", and "Wait & See". Bonus tracks are great too – and include Hazlewood tracks "Ode To Billie Joe", "Rainbow Woman", "I Am You Are", and "Charlie Bill Nelson" – plus other gems that include "Just Bluesin" and "Houston" by Sanford Clark, "A Stranger In Town" by The Vanguards, "The Whisk" by The Whisk Kids, "Zapata" by Jack Nitzsche, "What Are We Gonna Do In 64" by The Wildcats, "Our Man Flint" by The Ring A Dings, and "This Town" by Duane Eddy. 55 tracks in all. (Vocalists, Rock) CD

A legendary psych set from the Chicago scene of the late 60s – served up by a group who take their name from the famous horror author HP Lovecraft, and who get some sublime production from Dunwich – also another Lovecraft reference! The group have a really unique vibe – in that they've got some of the eeriness of late folk, mixed with fuzzier psychedelic instrumentation – vocals that have that quality from that moment in the summer of love when the sunshine children were starting to realize that the world was a darker place – with lots of spooky spaces to explore! The instrumentation is great – with all sorts of elements that really open up the sound, like harpsichord, clavichord, flute, tympani, 12 string guitar, and guitaroon – and the harmony vocals of the group really have an unsetting vibe. Jazzman Eddie Higgins plays a bit of vibes, and handles some larger arrangements – and titles include "I've Been Wrong Before", "The Time Machine", "That's How Much I Love You", "Wayfaring Stranger", "Let's Get Together", and "That's The Bag I'm In". CD

A heavy-duty combo from the Chicago scene – and one who've got some mighty deep roots in the city, which they use to serve up a unique blend of funk, soul, rock, and roots – all topped with lead vocals from soul music journalist James Porter! James has a really striking approach, and really infuses the songs with a lot of power and energy – driven by harmonica, drums, bass, and plenty of electric piano and organ used in lean and powerful ways! Titles include "Chatham Ain't Chatham", "Riverbound", "Blunt", "No Way No How", "Backwards In Time", and "Did You Forget My Name". CD

Totally wonderful work from this overlooked 60s duo – Jon Abdnor and Javonne Braga – a pair who recorded for the very cool underground pop powerhouse Abnak Records, and have this rough-edged quality that really makes the music wonderful all the way through! The style is as groovy and pop psych as you might expect from the image on the cover – but there's a particular sort of execution here that really makes the music stand out – in part a sense of male/female vocal pairing that has all the unique charms of a Lee Hazlewood project, but more rough around the edges – so much so at some times they almost come across like John Doe and Exene singing on early records by X. A tremendous treat throughout – with titles that include "Gift Of Love", "You Don't Care", "How Come", "I Want Some More", "Thursday Morning", "Drums", "Doctor Jon The Medicine Man", and "Truly Truly True". CD

Even better than the first album from Kensington Market – and a set that really extends their unique sound! There's a bit more confidence on a few of the tunes here – but never too much to dominate the group's personal approach to their music – and the instrumentation gets a bit bold at points, with a bit of fuzz on guitar, some moog and organ, and drums that make some of the best numbers move into compelling rhythms. The vocals always have a nicely lyrical feel – a good fit for the poetic lyrics – and titles include "Said I Could Be Happy", "If It Is Love", "Help Me", "Think About The Times", "Cartoon", "Dorian", "Side I Am", "Ciao", and "The Thinker". CD

The great Arto Lindsay solo, and at a level that really has his unique character coming out more than ever – definitely different than some of the more song-based records he gave us decades back, and very much in the territory of the sounds that made him such a force during the no wave generation! Arto sings and plays guitar – but the results are hardly as ordinary as that might make you expect – as Lindsay moves from noise one minute to sweeter crooning the next – all with an understanding of the boundaries of sound, and the pleasures in stepping back after reaching them in performance. Every track is a new surprise – and titles include "A Mirror Trying To Do Its Job", "Parallel", "Nothing", "The Famous Land Of Evening", "Your Hair Sticks To My Cheek", "Many Body", and "Yoga". (Jazz, Rock) CD