A really weird, really moody sort of record – one that was issued in the mid 80s, but by a guy who seems to think that he's still working in the singer/songwriter generation of the late 70s! For Scott Seskind, punk and new wave never happened – as the songs here are personal, heartfelt, and delivered with this darkly-presented folk style – not the sunny optimism of the early 60s, but more that smoky haze from the second half of the decade – infused with the realization that the revolution wasn't gonna happen, with more focus on personal issues. There's some great moody echo in the production, which really helps set the tone – and titles include "War", "Empty Arms", "Unknown & Disliked", "Bobby Sands", "You're The Reason", "This Is My Country", "Out Of The Blue", "Our Ring", and "Been Waitin". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic sounds from the well-named "prince of power pop" – the mighty Phil Seymour, a singer who only gave us a few albums at the start of the 80s – but a singer who really helped to define a generation at the time! Seymour came onto the scene after the initial ripples of punk and new wave – and, in a way, his music was almost more of a basic return to standard rock and roll – but without all the overblown trappings of the 70s, in a way that really just focused on the singer and the song, and Seymour's incredible talent for putting over a hook! Titles include "Precious To Me", "I Found A Love", "Let Her Dance", "Won't Finish Here", "Baby It's You", "Love You So Much", "Trying To Get To You", and "Then We Get Up". LP, Vinyl record album

Early 80s Chicago new wave. Two songs from this release also appear on very early Sub Pop cassette 'zine compilations. LP, Vinyl record album

One of those totally cool records from the German new wave – a set that's every bit as cartoony as you might guess from its cover, and which resonates strongly with work at the time from artists like Pyrolator or Der Plan! The music is in the territory of cold wave electronics, but warmer and more playful too – almost like some of the Japanese work that sprung up at the end of the 70s, but with some of the quirkier elements that makes us love the German new wave so much! There's plenty of cool keyboards and processed vocals – and titles include "Butterfly Baccanal", "I Can Sing", "Wutt Wutt", "Bubbles & Smoke", "Shine On Me", and "I See Stars". LP, Vinyl record album

A really tremendous album from The Talking Heads – and a set that moves far past their already-great early records, to really show a rhythmic complexity we never would have expected! Brian Eno is helping the group in the studio again here, and the record really shows both David Byrne and Eno's late 70s fascination with global rhythms – elements that are often used in spare, simple little ways to really help inflect the tunes with a playful imagination that goes way beyond the colder post-punk and new wave of most of their contemporaries! The balance of previous aesthetics with these new grooves is wonderful – heard to great effect on the classic club cut "I Zimbra" – but brewing up strongly underneath on gems that include "Mind", "Paper", "Cities", "Life During Wartime", "Memories Can't Wait", "Air", "Heaven", "Animals", "Electric Guitar", and "Drugs". LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool work from Telex – a trio who are really coming into their own on this third record, and maybe starting to resonate with some of the groups they helped inspire in the world of electro pop – particularly the more playful acts of the German new wave! As with some of those groups, there's a nice mix of wit and electronics on the set, but served up in English language lyrics that really help the group transcend their scene – finding a new home for the electronics of Marc Moulin and Dan Lacksman, as they get key lyric contributions here from Ron and Russel Male of Sparks! Titles include "Haven't We Met Somewhere Before", "Sigmund Freud's Party", "Exercise Is Good For You", "Brainwash", and "Dream O Mat". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the real standouts in the late 70s run of records from The Tubes – a set that's not only got the tunes united by a concept, but which also features some impeccable production from Todd Rundgren! The group's fuzz on the guitars is turned up nice – almost like they're trying to give a nod to the new wave generation, while Rundgren ups the catchiness of their tunes, and finds a way to make the whole thing not get bogged down in the larger concept of the record – which is a commentary about television in the modern age. Titles include "TV Is King", "Prime Time", "Getoverture", "I Want It All Now", "No Way Out", "Only The Strong Survive", and "Telecide". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising classic from the early 80s underground – a record that came to the world from the scene in Milwaukee, where neither the group nor the rest of the world would have expected the album to have such staying power over the decades! And yet, from the very first needle drop, it's hard to imagine otherwise – as the record's got this raw intensity that's not really punk, certainly not new wave – almost an American primitivist energy that really gets to the heart of the matter from the very first note – and goes on to deliver a non-stop testament of angst and longing, set to scratchy guitar and fast-riffing drums! Gordon Gano's vocals perfectly fit the spirit of the songs – and the set's full of classics that include "Blister In The Sun", "Kiss Off", "Add It Up", "Gone Daddy Gone", and "Prove My Love". 3LP version features a huge amount of bonus material on the second disc – demos of most tracks for the album, and live recordings from the same time – plus UK single tracks "Ugly" and "Gimme The Car" on the bonus 7" single! LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising classic from the early 80s underground – a record that came to the world from the scene in Milwaukee, where neither the group nor the rest of the world would have expected the album to have such staying power over the decades! And yet, from the very first needle drop, it's hard to imagine otherwise – as the record's got this raw intensity that's not really punk, certainly not new wave – almost an American primitivist energy that really gets to the heart of the matter from the very first note – and goes on to deliver a non-stop testament of angst and longing, set to scratchy guitar and fast-riffing drums! Gordon Gano's vocals perfectly fit the spirit of the songs – and the set's full of classics that include "Blister In The Sun", "Kiss Off", "Add It Up", "Gone Daddy Gone", and "Prove My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Late 70s punk and new wave bands in the Minneapolis area! Includes Suburbs, Commandos, Jets, Pistons, Fingerprints, Buzz Barker & The Atomic Bums, and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A fabulous look at a new wave of music that hit the American scene at the end of the 60s – sophisticated songs with a deep sense of narrative that went way beyond the usual – first sprung by the world of country music, but with an influence that went on to touch all other styles too! This set goes right to the core – and brings together cuts from the hippest songwriters of the period, delivered in versions that may well be the best to ever make it on records – including a few tunes that will really come as a surprise if you think you know the artists from their hits! As you'd guess from the title, the world here is very similar to that in "Ode To Billie Joe" – a world that's also given great illumination by the detailed notes within. Titles include "Endless Miles Of Highway" by Jerry Reed, "If Only She Had Stayed" by Chris Gantry, "July 12, 1939" by Charlie Rich, "What Am I Doing In LA" by Nat Stuckey, "The House Song" by Lee Hazlewood, "Mr Jackson's Got Nothing To Do" by John Hartford, "Widow Wimberley" by Tony Joe White, "Mr Walker It's All Over" by Billie Jo Spears, "Drivin Nails In The Walls" by Waylon Jennings, "Four Shades Of Love" by Henson Cargill, "The Back Side Of Dallas" by Jeanne C Riley, "Way Before The Time Of Towns" by Hoyt Axton, "Down From Dover" by Dolly Parton, "Fabulous Body & Smile" by Sir Robert Charles Griggs, and "Why Can't I Come Home" by Ed Bruce. (Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Fuzzy guitars, analog electronics, moody production, and slightly sinister vocals – all elements you'll find in abundance here, in this well done look at UK work from a generation when the US scene was dipping into modes that were later dubbed "post-rock" – and helped to define the style of a generation! The British take on this territory is nicely different from American work of the time – and there's maybe a larger, wider palette of approaches going on – elements borrowed from other styles and generations, but woven into these wonderful waves of sound that made for a great farewell to the 20th century! The collection is in a slightly newer range than we're used to hearing from Ace Records, but they do an equally great job with the material – as the choice of cuts is superb, and the detailed notes provide plenty of direction throughout the musical journey. Titles include "City Poison" by Moonshake, "Second Language" by Disco Inferno, "Darling Effect" by Insides, "Starry Night" by Laika, "Every Day Shines (D mix)" by Earwig, "Play Away" by Electric Sound Of Joy, "Through You" by Seefeel, "Loose Threads" by Pram, "In The Light Of Time" by Flying Saucer Attack, "The Weight" by Hood, "A Street Scene" by Bark Psychosis, "Naturally Occurring Anchors" by Spoonfed Hybrid, In The Event Of Just Looking" by Appliance, "Sun Drawing" by Movietone, and "A Cherry Wave From Stranded Youngsters" by Mogwai. LP, Vinyl record album

The title here is very apt – as there's a reaching sort of vibe to the whole record – uplifting tunes from the farther reaches of the Numero catalog, all brought together in a way that really makes things soar! Genres shift nicely, and maybe the lack of description or cover notes is a good way of just making you trust the label and dive right in – something we've been doing for many years now! Tracks include "The Kiss" by Alex Johnson, "To Live In The Sea" by Masumi Hara, "Touch" by Calvin Keys, "Rain" by Bob Siebert, "Enchanted Pool Suite (prelude & part 1)" by Lenny White, "The Kiss" by Alex Johnson, "Thou Art With Me" by LaRhonda LeGette, "Past Life Regression" by ART Wilson, "Modulation Del Sol" by Ascending Wave, and "Gold Dust Twins" by Reach. (Funky Compilations, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant batch of electronic, cold wave, and post-punk tracks – all drawn from the farther reaches of the Swiss underground of the 80s – a scene that was far more secret than those in the UK, Germany, or other European hotbeds of electronic experimentation! We'd heard only a few of these groups before – and back in the day, we were constantly searching for Euro electronic and new wave records – and the work that Strut have done to put the whole thing together is wonderful, as these rare gems are also illuminated with detailed notes that really shine a light on the darker corners of this sonic scene. Titles include "Anfang" by Mittageisen, "Le Jour L'Ennui" by Aboriginal Voices, "Boat Song" by Lilliput, "Asho II" by Bells Of Kyoto, "Labyrinth" by Jurg Nutz, "Basic Ground Without Voice" by Konx, "Soyledir" by Cafe Turk, "Nightmare" by Unknownmix, "Arbeiter" by Schamanen Circel, and "Glettscher" by El Deux. LP, Vinyl record album

A great debut from Bow Wow Wow, and a mighty second act from Maclolm McLaren – whose work with the young group was one of his main projects after getting rejected by the Sex Pistols! This group's got a very different vibe, and an equally longstanding appeal – as playfully new wave as the Pistols were punk – with all sorts of romping rhythms that are heavy on drums, played by ex-members of The Ants – and fronted with lead vocals from the teenaged Annabella Lwin – a singer who really knows how to step out front with a lot of brash, young energy! There's a tribal groove to most tracks that really fits the title of the album – and tracks include "Jungle Boy", "King Kong", "Chihuahua", "Go Wild In The Country", "Why Are Babies So Wise", "Orang-Outang", and "Hello Hello Daddy (I'll Sacrifice You)". LP, Vinyl record album

David Bowie back in costume at the end of the 70s – but informed enough from his Berlin trilogy that he's coming at things quite differently here! The album's a great summation of the sounds on Low, Heroes, and Lodger – taken almost back to some Ziggy Stardust and Space Oddity territory, but in ways that are a bit leaner, and more focused. Even more impressive, though, is the near-complete absence of other 1980 elements in the set – hardly any influences from punk or new wave, no post-disco dancefloor elements – just deeply unique Bowie all the way through, and proof that he could always find his own space in music when he wanted! Titles include "Up The Hill Backwards", "Teenage Wildlife", "Scream Like A Baby", "Because You're Young", "Scary Monsters", "Ashes to Ashes", "Fashion", and "Kingdom Come". LP, Vinyl record album

Not The Cars' first album, but the one that definitely catapulted them from Boston underground to mainstream fame – quite a surprise, given the style that most of the bigger acts were laying down at the time! And of course, we say that from the more mainstream bent of our American market – where punk had yet to penetrate the radio and other outlets – which made the new wave sounds of The Cars a surprisingly strong tilt in a more contemporary direction for both major labels and broadcast radio. All these many years later, the group's elevated to classic rock status, but that's only because of the strength of the songs – a classic lineup that includes "Let's Go", "Candy O", "Night Spots", "You Can't Hold On Too Long", "Got A Lot On My Head", "It's All I Can Do", and "Since I Held You". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-remembered classic from The Cars – one of those records that had the group finding a perfect way to tap into new wave energy from the underground, yet somehow manage to score some major hits at a time when American radio was still pretty shy of so many new sounds! This set still has the group pretty close to their Boston roots – commercial, but never too polished – and in addition to the title hit "Shake It Up", other tracks include "Think It Over", "Since You're Gone", "I'm Not The One", "Victim Of Love", "This Could Be Love", and "A Dream Away". LP, Vinyl record album

A heck of a great record – and we don't mind saying it! After knocking around in territory that ran from new wave to neo ska, retro swing, and other assorted genres, Joe Jackson really emerged with a strong voice on this 1982 classic. The album's a loving tribute to New York – and is steeped in Jackson's growing knowledge of Latin and jazz music – performed here by a great group that really sets things up right, and recorded in a warmly acoustic mode that was quite striking for the time! The tracks on the set hold up incredibly well over the years – getting past the cliches that later plagued Jackson's career, and reminding us of how great he was at his best. LP, Vinyl record album

A classic album from one of the coolest groups to emerge from the southern rock scene of the 70s – a combo who can be as tight and jazzy as The Crusaders one minute, then show off their down home roots the next! Sea Level have a sound that's impeccable throughout this self-titled set – almost a Macon, Georgia answer to the sound of Steely Dan in LA – and the set mixes instrumental tracks that have a jazzy fusion vibe with more straightforward tracks that hit the soul-inspired sound of southern rock in the years after the rise of Memphis and Muscle Shoals. The jazz cuts are the real charmers – tremendous stuff that we'd rank right up there with the best fusion of the period – and titles include "Rain In Spain", "Shake A Leg", "Grand Larceny", "Scarborough Fair", "Just A Good Feeling", "Tidal Wave", and "Nothing Matters But The Fever". LP, Vinyl record album

They may look goofy on the cover, but the young B-52s are incredible here – working with this spare sense of power that almost makes us think that we didn't need most of what happened in rock and roll during the 70s – given the way these guys can distill a mood or moment down to just a few deft instrumental turns and offbeat lyrics! The record's not punk, but it's also not new wave either – at least in the conventional way – and there's a darkness here that goes way past any simple cliches you may have associated with the band – a haunting feel that transcends most of what they were ever capable of in later years. We might even say this one tops their debut – and titles include "Party Out Of Bounds", "Dirty Back Road", "Runnin Around", "Give Me Back My Man", "Private Idaho", "Devil In My Car", "Quiche Lorraine", "Strobe Light" and "53 Miles West Of Venus". LP, Vinyl record album

Great early work from Biting Tongues – a group who gave Factory Records a few great singles in the mid 80s, but who are heard here a few years before – on an album that was only issued on cassette at the time! We've always loved these guys – and they've got a way of mixing the punk/funk of A Certain Ratio with some of the moodier currents of the Manchester scene – touched also by lots of great lines on trumpet and tenor sax, the latter of which almost gives their music some Blurt-like qualities! Yet the rhythms also move more in the cold wave mode – which mixes with the horns and live percussion to create a very cool blend – on titles that include "Denture Beach", "Read This", "Unhook That Boy", "Forty Three", "Evening State", "Or With Eyes Closed", and "Reflector". LP, Vinyl record album

Not The Cars' first album, but the one that definitely catapulted them from Boston underground to mainstream fame – quite a surprise, given the style that most of the bigger acts were laying down at the time! And of course, we say that from the more mainstream bent of our American market – where punk had yet to penetrate the radio and other outlets – which made the new wave sounds of The Cars a surprisingly strong tilt in a more contemporary direction for both major labels and broadcast radio. All these many years later, the group's elevated to classic rock status, but that's only because of the strength of the songs – a classic lineup that includes "Let's Go", "Candy O", "Night Spots", "You Can't Hold On Too Long", "Got A Lot On My Head", "It's All I Can Do", and "Since I Held You". LP, Vinyl record album

Underground work from the Manchester scene at the start of the 80s – and work that's even more deeply underground than some of the city's post-punk classics at the time! Spider King only ever issued a track or two back in the day, but the music on this first full LP is worthy of the best from the North England indie world at the time – sometimes as dark as the early cold wave material, sometimes more witty and catchy, with almost a new wave vibe – all done with a homemade brew of electronics, keyboards, and basslines – plus maybe a slight bit of punkish sneer in the vocals. Only two of the album's ten tracks was released before, and titles include "Shot To Pieces", "City Girls", "Mad Dog", "Chinese Takeaway", "Back On The Pills", and "Would You Wanna Die For England". LP, Vinyl record album

A real standout from Ray Davies and crew – heavy-hitting here with guitars that seem a bit more amped up than usual, and a slight post-punkish groove that's almost a reinvention of the group's sound for an 80s new wave market! The album's a surprisingly hard rocker in parts, and has a darkness that's a nice change from some of the late 70s Kinks material – but also shows Ray still able to come up with some more tender numbers in just the right spots. Tracks include "Add It Up", "Destroyer", "Yo Yo", "Art Lover", "Better Things", "Killer's Eyes", "Around The Dial", and "Give The People What They Want". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite 60s surf soundtracks ever – an amazing blend of Stu Phillips orchestrations with some key vocal moments from the trio of Dino Desi & Billy! The album's got a wonderful theme – "Thru Spray Colored Glasses" – sung initially by the trio, then served up by Stu in a number of variations that change with the different exotic locales of the film – India, Hong Kong, Hawaii, and Morocco – all referenced slightly in the instrumentation, but in ways that always retain Phillips' grooviest inspirations! Strings blend with bits of harpsichord, vibes, voices, Spanish guitar, and these "watery" woodwinds that almost remind us of Australian jazz in the same period – and titles include "Thru Spray Colored Glasses", "Big Wave Bay", "Incinerator", "Ranee Express", "Nazare", and "Cascis". (Soundtracks, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

The excellent second album from Pilot, really perfecting the guitars, keyboards and vocals and hooks formula that shot them into the pop consciousness a year or so earlier – probably their best album ever! The first record had the massive hit "Magic" (aka oh, oh, it's. . .) but this record has a few tunes with hooks that are just as sharp. The opener "You're My No 1" is so catchy, we can hardly believe it's not a throwback pop radio staple, and the record has a few of tracks nearly as grand. The vocals & harmonies are better arranged, and the guitars and keyboards are in that great comfort zone between the glam pop of the previous couple years and the new wave pop to come. Somewhat silly bubble gum lyricism, sure, but it's tasty stuff! Other tracks include "January", "Love Is", "Call Me Round", "To You Alone", "Passion Piece", "Dear Artist" and more! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest mainstream rock and roll debuts of all time – and a record that still blows away just about any other later work by The Pretenders! The set's got this raw, sneering power that's neither punk, nor new wave – but which seems to be very much of that moment – a very unique blend of the group's Ohio roots and their London experience – honed to razor-sharp perfection, but never slick or polished at all. Chrissie Hynde is quite far from her ballad modes, and brings this raw, adult vibe to the record that really sets a whole new level for women in rock – never sweet, but never sexed-up either – standing as firmly in the group alongside her masculine cohorts as she does on the cover. Production is great – oddly dark in all the right ways, but with a very simple elegance – and the album's near-perfect from start to finish – with tracks that include "Precious", "The Phone Call", "Tattooed Love Boys", "Private Life", "Kid", "The Wait", and "Mystery Achievement". LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool work from Jean-Luic Aime – ex-member of Univers Zero, working here in a very heady brew of cold wave electronics! The music shifts between spare, almost tuneful numbers that remind us a bit of Minny Pops or Young Marble Giants – and some much more experimental sounds that belie Aime's legacy – done with a homegrown feel that would have been right at home in the darker corners of the early Crammed Disc universe! The album brings together tracks from a few different small-label cassette recordings, with full notes on the music from Andy Votel – and titles include "Prima Linea", "Scorpio", "Coaltar Saponine", "I Can Help You You Know", and "Ultrissima On The J's M". LP, Vinyl record album

The mindblowing first album by The Talking Heads – a bold statement by a very young band who'd go on to shape the sounds of the left field for generations to come! The sound is spare and very focused – maybe the first layer that David Byrne would then build up when adding more percussion, horns, electronics, and some of those elements from funk and global music that were such a continuing influence. Here, the group's fresh out of school, filled with imagination, and able to do so much with just a little – all led by Byrne's fantastic sense of songwriting and presentation – in a mode that's completely his own. The record's not punk, not new wave, and still continues to be in its own space of inventiveness, imagination, and forthright lyricism. Every song's a classic – and titles include "Uh-Oh Love Comes To Town", "New Feeling", "Tentative Decisions", "Happy Day", "Who Is It", "No Compassion", "The Book I Read", "Don't Worry About The Government", "First Week/Last Week Carefree", "Psycho Killer", and "Pulled Up". LP, Vinyl record album

The early works of this legendary German post-punk quintet – an all-female group who started out in punk, but soon hit much more interesting territory – as you'll hear on these early singles recorded both for the Zick Zack and 4AD labels! Later Xmal work was maybe a bit more goth, but these tracks have a stark and experimental approach that's right up there with the best of the German new wave of the time – sounds that both echo some of the UK experiments in the post-punk years, and also refine some of the earlier excesses of Krautrock and take them to nicely focused territory. Titles include "Die Wolken", "Schwarze Welt", "Incubus Succubus", "Blut Is Liebe", "Zu Jung Zu Alt", "Kalbermarsch", and "Grosstandindianer". LP, Vinyl record album

The third album from The Cars, and a set that nicely focuses more on some of the sharper, new wave elements in the group's sound – maybe more of a confident return to the quirky modes that got them going in the first place, once they were solidly at the forefront of the American mainstream! The keyboards and basslines often take more of a lead on the tunes, with the guitar lines nicely compressed in the rhythms – and titles include the hit "Touch & Go" – plus "Down Boys", "Misfit Kids", "Up & Down", "You Wear Those Eyes", "Running To You", "Gimme Some Slack", "Don't Tell Me No", "Getting Through", and "Panorama". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic new wave soundtrack to this late 70s film about wayward kids that starred Matt Dillon and Vincent Spano. Tracks include "Ooh Child" by Valerie Carter; "Hello There", "Surrender", "Downed", and "Speak Now of Forever Hold Your Piece" by Cheap Trick; "Just What I Needed" and "My Best Friend's Girl" by The Cars; and "Teenage Lobotomy" by The Ramones. Very much in the Valley Girl soundtrack spirit. (Soundtracks, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Neat Neat Neat", "New Rose", "See Her Tonite", "So Messed Up", "I Feel Alright", "Stab Your Back", and "Born To Kill". LP, Vinyl record album

A completely wonderful album from Haruomi Hosono – a real watershed not just in his own career, but in the development of mainstream Japanese music too! The set's got the sophistication of the best of the singer/songwriter underground in the US – not just in the lyrical presentation, which you might not be able to understand – but also in terms of the overall production, arrangements, and instrumentation – which seem to echo some of the hippest currents of that LA underground that often found its greatest flowering in those under-sold albums on Warner Brothers during the late 60s. Hosono's vocals are wonderful – completely charming, even if you can't grasp the language – and the album's a much-treasured set from the Japanese 70s scene. (Japanese, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

The classic opening salvo from The Jam! In The City finds the band in prime form right out of the, already blending their love of 60s beat and R&B with fast, infectious energy of first wave punk rock. They stood out from the pack tremendously back in the day, and that uniqueness kept the best of their records from ever aging a day – it's as incredible as ever! Includes "In The City", "I've Changed My Address", "Slow Down", "I Got In Time", "Away From The Numbers", their mod punk riff on Neal Hefti's "Batman Theme", "In The City", "Sounds From The Street", "Non-Stop Dancing", "Time For Truth" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set from that second chapter on the California scene – that moment when the big initial wave of successful groups had rose and broke, leaving behind all sorts of new creative partnerships! This set's a great example of one of those – as Jefferson Airplane members Paul Kantner and Grace Slick come together with David Freiberg of Quicksilver Messenger Service – then open the door to a whole host of guests who really help make the whole thing an all-star Bay Area affair! You can definitely hear some echoes of Quicksilver, especially some of the more down to earth modes of the later records by that group – which fit perfectly with the vocals – and the lineup features work by Jerry Garcia on guitar on most tracks, plus Mickey Hart on percussion, Papa John Creach on violin, Jorma Kaukonen on guitar, Jack Casady on bass, The Pointer Sisters on backup vocals, and even David Crosby on guest vocals on one track. Titles include "White Boy", "Fishman", "Sketches Of China", "Ballad Of The Chrome Nun", "Flowers Of The Night", and "Across The Board". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic! Where would electronic pop be without Gary Numan's "Cars"? Alongside Kraftwerk's classic 80s albums and Yellow Magic Orchestra's first LP, this album by Gary Numan ranks as one of the most essential synth driven LPs on a creative level – and it rightly brought the sound to the masses at the time, too – thanks to a brilliant pop sensibility, awash with robotic tones that will forever vindicate 80s new wave. Includes "Airlane", "Metal", "Complex", "Films", "ME", "Tracks", "Observer", "Conversation", "Cars" and "Engineers". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual album from the Japanese scene of the 80s – a set that was unissued at the time, but which is right in line with the other groundbreaking music of Yazuaki Shimizu! At some level, there's echoes of the instrumental experiments of Ryuichi Sakamoto going on here – but at another level, there's a feel that's colder, and more stark – almost like some of the cold wave elements of the European scene – which, when blended with a few occasional warmer aspects of the record, really makes for a sound that's wonderful! All tracks are instrumental, although it does feel like there's some processed vocals in the blend – and titles include "Ore No Umi", "Shiasate", "Peruvian Pink", "Ashita", "Asate", and "Kagerofu". (Japanese, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A second album of sorts from Suicide – but one that came out a long four years after their seminal debut, at a time when all of the groups that Suicide had influenced had grown up on their own to fill up the underground! Yet the duo of Martin Rev and Alan Vega are still way ahead of the pack here – and even production by Ric Ocasek can't smooth their edges or dampen their madness, or bog them down in any sort of new wave cliches! Instead, it just feels like they've upgraded their electronics a bit, and maybe put a slight bit of care into the recording of Vega's vocals – without messing with the mix too much. Titles include "Harlem", "Be Bop Kid", "Diamonds Fur Coat Champagne", "Fast Money Music", "Sweetheart", "Mr Ray", and "Shadazz". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most compelling grooves the Talking Heads ever recorded – a set that sparkles with imaginative touches, and railroads forward on a wave of complicated rhythms! The sound is brilliant throughout – a genre-less approach that sheds the group's earlier art nerd aesthetic for one that's clearly influenced by late 70s funk and club – but takes that influence in a whole new direction! The whole thing's even fresher than some of the artier downtown moments that bubbled around at the time – as David Byrne and the group actually managed to cross over big with the record – hitting not only urban markets, but also getting some play from the classic rock crowd too. Brian Eno produced, and co-wrote the songs with the group – and some great Green World-esque electronics bubble through the mix, and hold the whole thing together beautifully. Titles include "Houses In Motion", "Once In A Lifetime", "The Great Curve", "Crosseyed & Painless", "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)", "Listening Wind", "Seen & Not Seen", and "The Overload". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most compelling grooves the Talking Heads ever recorded – a set that sparkles with imaginative touches, and railroads forward on a wave of complicated rhythms! The sound is brilliant throughout – a genre-less approach that sheds the group's earlier art nerd aesthetic for one that's clearly influenced by late 70s funk and club – but takes that influence in a whole new direction! The whole thing's even fresher than some of the artier downtown moments that bubbled around at the time – as David Byrne and the group actually managed to cross over big with the record – hitting not only urban markets, but also getting some play from the classic rock crowd too. Brian Eno produced, and co-wrote the songs with the group – and some great Green World-esque electronics bubble through the mix, and hold the whole thing together beautifully. Titles include "Houses In Motion", "Once In A Lifetime", "The Great Curve", "Crosseyed & Painless", "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)", "Listening Wind", "Seen & Not Seen", and "The Overload". LP, Vinyl record album

The great self-titled set from Tuff Darts – one of the less-remembered groups to play the CBGB scene of the late 70s, and one who effortlessly blend punkish energy with tighter power pop sounds! The group are maybe a strong precursor of new wave styles to come in the following year or two after the record's release – but they've also got a rawer sound overall, and a snottier vibe on some of their tunes – not exactly Dead Boys territory, but with the vibe that you might guess from their look on the cover! Yet they're also not afraid to get tuneful when they want, which happens on a few key tunes here – part of a great lineup that includes "My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms", "Phone Booth Man", "Your Love Is Like Nuclear Waste", "Rats", "Slash", "Fun City", and "Love & Trouble". LP, Vinyl record album

Frenetic and energetic work from James White and the Blacks – a seminal album in the post-punk New York scene, and one of the fiercest documents of the no wave sound! White combines jagged punk rock guitars with some more funk-inspired rhythms and odd traces of free jazz – all sifted into one genre-f*cking album that grabs you from the get-go! The sound is incredible – an inspiration for countless other groups, but rarely duplicated as well – with tracks that include "Bleached Black", "White Devil", "Almost Black", "Heat Wave", "Stained Sheets", and "Contort Yourself". LP, Vinyl record album

The early works of this legendary German post-punk quintet – an all-female group who started out in punk, but soon hit much more interesting territory – as you'll hear on these early singles recorded both for the Zick Zack and 4AD labels! Later Xmal work was maybe a bit more goth, but these tracks have a stark and experimental approach that's right up there with the best of the German new wave of the time – sounds that both echo some of the UK experiments in the post-punk years, and also refine some of the earlier excesses of Krautrock and take them to nicely focused territory. Titles include "Die Wolken", "Schwarze Welt", "Incubus Succubus", "Blut Is Liebe", "Zu Jung Zu Alt", "Kalbermarsch", and "Grosstandindianer". LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a vibe that's as spare and lonely as the image on the cover – a set that features all sorts of really cool underground and indie tracks from the late 70s and early 80s – not punk or new wave music at all, but instead these really obscure, ethereal tunes that are kind of an unusual extension of the loner folk world of the generation before! Yet the music isn't folk at all – sometimes acoustic, sometimes electric – sometimes with looser song structures, but sometimes an occasional hook – recorded with nice currents of darkness that really make the collection work well together as a whole! Titles include "The Lost Road" by Doria, "Silvery Waterfalls" by Luellen Reese, "Child Of Earth", "Animal Talk" by Dana Alberts, "Child Of Nature" by The Key Of Creek, "Is This What You Like" by Terra, and "The Tribe" by The Fred Bloggs Band. LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual document of the legendary scene around CBGB's on the lower east side – one that gets at the great range of music that passed through the doors of the clubs, in addition to some of the better known punk acts who helped form its legend! The music here runs the gamut from seminal new wave to bar rock – and the choice of cuts is interesting, most likely culled together from acts who didn't have any sort of record label contract at the time. Titles include "Head Over Heels", "Slash" and "All For The Love Of Rock And Roll" by the Tuff Darts; "Operetico", "AVM" and "Poe" by the Shirts; "Cadillac Moon", "Change It Comes" and "Let Me Dream If I Want To" by Mink Deville; "Over, Under, Sideways, Down" and "I'm Really Not this Way" by Manster, "We Deliver" by the Miamis, "I Need A Million" and "It Feels Alright Tonight" by the Laughing Dogs, "Romance" by Sun, and "Everybody's Depraved" by Stuart's Hammer. LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising side of the legendary Stax Records – especially if you only know the Memphis powerhouse as an outlet for funk and soul! There was always a bit of crossover between country and soul – even in the early days, a label like King Records could easily handle both – or a company like Atlantic could find a way to make its soul singers handle country tunes with ease. Yet the approach here is pure country – tracks recorded during the final few years of Stax – at a time when the company was both growing strongly, thanks to the fame of Isaac Hayes and others – and also trying out new ideas to round out the strength of their operation. Given their proximity to Nashville, and the fact that Memphis studios like Sun or Ardent had handled country-styled sounds – the move seemed to be a good one, and definitely comes across here in the quality of the tracks! The music has a nice left-of-Nashville vibe – almost like some of the growing wave from Austin soon to come, but also a bit like the cooler indie 45 country market of the 70s – which is finally getting its due these days. Either way, the sounds here are way past the hits, and way past the more standard modes of the time – and show that Stax Records could bring as much of a magic touch to country as they could to other sounds they recorded. Titles include "Hippie From The Hills" by Roland Eaton, "The River's Too Wide" by Karen Casey, "That Glass" by Eddie Bond, "Sweet Country Music" by Becki Bluefield, "My Girl" by Danny Bryan, "Satisfied Woman" by Paige O'Brian, "All The Love You'll Ever Need" by Cliff Cochran, "A Mom & A Dad For Christmas" by Lee Denson, and "Truck Driver's Heaven" by Roger Hallmark. (Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

The Kay Bank studios were located in the Twin Cities during the 60s – quite far from the oceans on both coasts, and even from the Great Lakes mentioned in the title – yet that didn't stop them from turning out a surprisingly great array of surf rock singles at the time! The music here resonates strongly with both the warmer surf instrumentals down in Cali, and some of the guitar instrumentals from the Pacific Northwest – recorded with just the right amount of echo to bring out the best in the driving guitar lines and bass – and often urged on strongly by some mighty nice drums! As you can guess, the tracks within are plenty rare – and although a few were issued as small indie label singles, most of the material here never came out at the time – served up in a set of tracks that includes "Disintegration" by The Readymen, "Caliente" by The Marauders, "Heaven's Devil" by The Boss Tweeds, "Girl Don't Tell Me" by The Satisfactions, "Za Boo" by The Valients, "Bird Gasp 65" by The Trashmen, "Little Queenie (inst)" by The Furys, "Surf Beat" by The Chancellors, and "80 Foot Wave" by The Vaqueros. LP, Vinyl record album

Be warned – this might not be the Beastie Boys you know and love, because this special set has the trio returning to their punk rock roots – getting some help from Awol, and blasting through tracks that are as loud and fast as the work on their early Polly Wog Stew EP! In fact, the group are so fast here that they blast through the songs very quickly – the record is just a quarter of an hour in length – yet given that they could just have kept doing their same hitmaking thing at the time, it's great to hear them still be able to operate in a hardcore mode! Titles include "Square Wave In Unison", "Brand New", "Deal With It", "Believe Me", and "Nervous Assistant". Again, this is not hip hop – it's punk rock! Includes bonus tracks – "Light My Fire" and "Soba Violence". (Hip Hop, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A rare early chapter in the long legacy of Human League and Heaven 17 – a group of musicians who'd partly go on to form the latter, recently departed from the former – yet still working strongly in the dark, electronic style of the earliest releases from the Sheffield scene! There's plenty of moody analogue sounds going on here – and as a cassette only release back in the day, the whole thing is a key slice of that cold wave underground of the early 80s, even though its members reached later fame – definitely working in territory that's more avant and electronic at times, but with more rhythmic instrumentals as well! Titles include "Music To Kill Your Parents By", "Decline Of The West", "Honeymoon In New York", "A Baby Called Billy", "Wipe The Board Clean", "Uptown Apocalypse", and "The Optimum Chant". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from the initial run of Black Sabbath – the last album to feature Ozzy Osborne on vocals, and a set that really hones the group's power of the previous years! You might expect a more commercial outing from the cover – or maybe think that these guys were trying on some newer waves at the end of the 70s – but honestly, the guitars are as sharp as ever, Ozzy's vocals are nice and fierce, and there's a cool, compressed vibe that really shows these guys influencing a new generation with their music. The bass is maybe not as heavy as before, but that seems to be the only point of power missing from the pentagram – on titles that include "Never Say Die", "Junior's Eyes", "Johnny Blade", "Shock Wave", "Air Dance", "Swinging The Chain", and "Breakout". LP, Vinyl record album

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". LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool work from Belgian artist Jacques Charlier – music that almost brings a cold wave style into play with some more familiar French song styles – but with this dark edge that almost feels like work on Factory Records or Disques Du Crepuscule! A good deal of these tracks are unreleased, and fit nicely to the few that came out on albums in the mid 80s – almost all with a spare drum machine rhythm behind Charlier's effects-laden guitar and stark vocals – sometimes coming across like Vini Riley of Durutti Column in an angry mood on a bad day! We'd not heard any of this work when it was release, which makes the whole thing a great discovery, especially given the unreleased tracks – a set with titles that include "Vampirella", "Perki Show", "Check Up", "L'Amour Dans Les Chansons", "Sambas", "Passing Time", "Tout Va Bien", "Un Chat Dans Mon Lit", and "End Of WE". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite projects from the early years of Chris & Cosey – music done for a video release, but still very much like their own studio records of the time – yet with less vocals, and more sonic elements in the mix – so that the whole thing feels like a rare nugget from the farther reaches of the cold wave years! As with Cabaret Voltaire and some of their other contemporaries, music for videos and films always really seemed to open up different sides of the electronic artists of the period – elements that sometimes brought in a richer sense of feeling, but also a greater sense of freedom too – as they were shifting their sounds for the images, not the confines of a vocal tune. That's definitely the case here – served up on tunes that include "Wellspring Of Life", "The Final Calling", "Dancing Ghosts", "Meeting Mr Evans", "Temple Bar", and "Invisible Spectrum". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive batch of music from the undisputed king of the surf guitar – the mighty Dick Dale, heard here on a host of cuts that were originally issued as 45rpm singles during the early 60s – including material done both for Capitol Records and the earlier Deltone label! If you've not heard Dick before, you're in for a treat – and even if you have, you'll find plenty of gems to discover here – especially on the b-sides – as nearly every number is an instrumental penned by Dale, and recorded with just the right sort of early 60s Cali studio genius to make the lean instrumentation sparkle with a really timeless vibe! The whole set's great, without any stumbles at all – a fantastic testament to the strengths of Dick in his prime – with a total of 28 tracks that include "Grudge Run", "Glory Wave", "Let's Go Trippin 65", "Who Can He Be", "Shake N Stomp", "A Run For Life", "Secret Surfin Spot", "Wild Ideas", "Mr Eliminator", "Grudge Run", "Watusi Jo", and "The Scavenger". LP, Vinyl record album

New Wave hits Brazil – in case you couldn't tell by the album's op-art cover, and Dusek's sunglassed trendoid image on the front! The album seems to be relatively tongue in cheek – although it's a bit hard to tell if you don't speak the language – and titles include "Rock Da Cachorra", "Barrados No Baile", "Nao Minta Vovo", "Cabelos Negros", and "Enfant Terrible". (Brazil, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album