Non-stop screamers from the initial Alice Cooper run at Warner Brothers – a hefty set list that includes "School's Out", "Be My Lover", "I'm Eighteen", "No More Mr Nice Guy", "Elected", "Billion Dollar Babies", "Teenage Lament", "Muscle Of Love", "Is It My Body", "Under My Wheels", and "Hello Hooray" – 22 tracks total. CD

Essential old school Elvis Costello from the peak years of the Attractions era! Trust is one of the earliest albums in which Costello started to shake the punkish roots off just a bit, adding a bit more of his sock soul influences into his patented power pop. Tracks include "Clubland", "Lover's Walk", "You'll Never Be A Man", "Pretty Words", "Watch Your Step", "New Lace Sleeve", and "From A Whisper To A Scream". LP, Vinyl record album

Essential old school Elvis Costello from the peak years of the Attractions era! Trust is one of the earliest albums in which Costello started to shake the punkish roots off just a bit, adding a bit more of his sock soul influences into his patented power pop. Tracks include "Clubland", "Lover's Walk", "You'll Never Be A Man", "Pretty Words", "Watch Your Step", "New Lace Sleeve", and "From A Whisper To A Scream". CD

Excellent material from Sonny Criss' late 60's comeback period! By this point, Criss had a sound, style, and maturity that was unmatched by any of his LA contemporaries – a way of blowing the alto that was neither boppish, nor cliched in R&B modes – and instead burst forth with a sense of soulful sophistication that was quite unique! Sonny's sound here is incredible throughout – a clear, clean approach to his instrument that is quite different than his style of a few years before – and he's set up in a great little combo that includes Hampton Hawes on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, and Shelly Mann on drums. Titles include the killer "California Screamin" – plus "I'll Catch The Sun", "Blue Sunset", "Cry Me A River", and "Don't Rain On My Parade". CD

Current Rage were one of the more obscure groups to come out of the Athens, GA scene in the early 80s – but they've also got all the instantly creative energy that made that short-lived world of music every bit as exciting as some of the best New York sounds at the time! There's a nicely choppy approach to the rhythms going on here, and plenty of strong guitar play too – deft music that's somewhere in the territory of Pylon, and like that group, maybe a warmer US answer to British post-punk sounds of the same time. Titles include "Right Side Of The Brain", "Bitte Schoen", "Sweet Torture", "My Dog Sam", "Looking Through Gels", and "Scream In The Dark". Expanded version features bonus tracks that include "Adventures In America", "Punch A Clock", "The Theme", "Constant Hiss (demo)", and live tracks "My Dog Sam", "AF", "Tequila", and "The Book Pressed Flowers". LP, Vinyl record album

Current Rage were one of the more obscure groups to come out of the Athens, GA scene in the early 80s – but they've also got all the instantly creative energy that made that short-lived world of music every bit as exciting as some of the best New York sounds at the time! There's a nicely choppy approach to the rhythms going on here, and plenty of strong guitar play too – deft music that's somewhere in the territory of Pylon, and like that group, maybe a warmer US answer to British post-punk sounds of the same time. Titles include "Right Side Of The Brain", "Bitte Schoen", "Sweet Torture", "My Dog Sam", "Looking Through Gels", and "Scream In The Dark". Expanded version features bonus tracks that include "Adventures In America", "Punch A Clock", "The Theme", "Constant Hiss", and live tracks "My Dog Sam", "AF", "Tequila", and "The Book Pressed Flowers". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from Betty Davis – one of the most impressive female funk talents ever! If you ever needed a definition of funk, this record may well be it – snapping drums, sharp-edged guitars, and sex-filled basslines that slink and slide all over the bottom of the grooves – a perfect setting for Betty's incredible vocals – which themselves have a smokey, raspy quality that's completely unique! At times, Davis is almost speaking, but at others she's practically screaming – belting out the lyrics in a way that makes you feel like you're sharing some space with her at the end of the bar as she gets more and more wound up about issues and people who are on her mind. And as if the vocals weren't enough, the backings are incredible too – filled with drum breaks and basslines that few other albums can match – all wrapped around badass tunes that include "Shoo-B-Doop & Cop Him", "He Was A Big Freak", "70's Blues", "Git In There", "Special People", "Don't Call Her No Tramp", and "Your Mama Wants Ya Back". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from Betty Davis – one of the most impressive female funk talents ever! If you ever needed a definition of funk, this record may well be it – snapping drums, sharp-edged guitars, and sex-filled basslines that slink and slide all over the bottom of the grooves – a perfect setting for Betty's incredible vocals – which themselves have a smokey, raspy quality that's completely unique! At times, Davis is almost speaking, but at others she's practically screaming – belting out the lyrics in a way that makes you feel like you're sharing some space with her at the end of the bar as she gets more and more wound up about issues and people who are on her mind. And as if the vocals weren't enough, the backings are incredible too – filled with drum breaks and basslines that few other albums can match – all wrapped around badass tunes that include "Shoo-B-Doop & Cop Him", "He Was A Big Freak", "70's Blues", "Git In There", "Special People", "Don't Call Her No Tramp", and "Your Mama Wants Ya Back". Expanded CD features new remastering, a deluxe booklet, and 4 previously unreleased bonus tracks that include Record Plant rough mixes of "70s Blues", "Git In There", "He Was A Big Freak", and "Don't Call Her No Tramp". CD

Killer work from Betty Davis – one of the most impressive female funk talents ever! If you ever needed a definition of funk, this record may well be it – snapping drums, sharp-edged guitars, and sex-filled basslines that slink and slide all over the bottom of the grooves – a perfect setting for Betty's incredible vocals – which themselves have a smokey, raspy quality that's completely unique! At times, Davis is almost speaking, but at others she's practically screaming – belting out the lyrics in a way that makes you feel like you're sharing some space with her at the end of the bar as she gets more and more wound up about issues and people who are on her mind. And as if the vocals weren't enough, the backings are incredible too – filled with drum breaks and basslines that few other albums can match – all wrapped around badass tunes that include "Shoo-B-Doop & Cop Him", "He Was A Big Freak", "70's Blues", "Git In There", "Special People", "Don't Call Her No Tramp", and "Your Mama Wants Ya Back". Expanded CD features new remastering, a deluxe 32 page booklet, and 4 previously unreleased bonus tracks that include Record Plant rough mixes of "70s Blues", "Git In There", "He Was A Big Freak", and "Don't Call Her No Tramp". CD

Killer work from Betty Davis – one of the most impressive female funk talents ever! If you ever needed a definition of funk, this record may well be it – snapping drums, sharp-edged guitars, and sex-filled basslines that slink and slide all over the bottom of the grooves – a perfect setting for Betty's incredible vocals – which themselves have a smokey, raspy quality that's completely unique! At times, Davis is almost speaking, but at others she's practically screaming – belting out the lyrics in a way that makes you feel like you're sharing some space with her at the end of the bar as she gets more and more wound up about issues and people who are on her mind. And as if the vocals weren't enough, the backings are incredible too – filled with drum breaks and basslines that few other albums can match – all wrapped around badass tunes that include "Shoo-B-Doop & Cop Him", "He Was A Big Freak", "70's Blues", "Git In There", "Special People", "Don't Call Her No Tramp", and "Your Mama Wants Ya Back". LP, Vinyl record album

Don't pass this one up! Although lots of other albums by Eddie Lockjaw Davis are laidback quartet and quintet sessions, done in a soul jazz organ/tenor mode – this session features Eddie working with stunning bigger band backings, in a searingly soulful sound that's simply incredible! The leadoff track, "Trane Whistle", has Lockjaw really working new waves of sound into his tenor sax – screaming the horn in a way that you thought you'd never hear, and playing with tones that are a lot darker than usual! The set moves on from there in a nice batch of material that includes "Whole Nelson" and "Stolen Moments", two fantastic originals by Oliver Nelson, who also arranged the album – and takes a great deal of responsibility for the strength of the set. The record shows a whole new side of Davis' talents – one that was barely if ever recorded like this again – and which is made even better by the presence of freshly modern players that include Eric Dolphy, Richard Williams, Melba Liston, and Roy Haynes. Great stuff! CD

A huge breakout album for Def Leppard – and a record that maybe set the style for so many other mainstream hard rock acts in the mid 80s – thanks to a mix of crisp drums, searing guitars, and screaming vocals with an anthemic feel that really sends things over the top! And sure, it's not art rock by any stretch of the imagination – but it's also a bit fresher than some of the hair rock imitators that copped the sound a few years later – with titles that include "Rock Rock Till You Drop", "Photograph", "Rock Of Ages", "Foolin'", "Billy's Got A Gun", "Action Not Words", "Die Hard The Hunter", and "Stagefright". CD

One of the great ones from Ian Dury – a record that goes way beyond simple quirky rock, and explodes with some wonderful jazzy touches! The sound here is totally great – very much in the sway of Chaz Jankel's musical direction, and filled with great bits on sax, keyboards, and guitar that have a fair bit more warmth and soul than Dury's original records. There's actually less standout hits here – but that's ok, because the record has a really unified feel overall – strongly in the funky arty dancefloor mode that you might expect from some of the Ze Records camp. Titles include "Dance Of The Screamers", "Inbetweenies", "Quiet", "Sink My Boats", "Don't Ask Me", "This Is What We Find", and "Uneasy Sunny Day Hotsy Totsy". CD

One of the great ones from Ian Dury – a record that goes way beyond simple quirky rock, and explodes with some wonderful jazzy touches! The sound here is totally great – very much in the sway of Chaz Jankel's musical direction, and filled with great bits on sax, keyboards, and guitar that have a fair bit more warmth and soul than Dury's original records. There's actually less standout hits here – but that's ok, because the record has a really unified feel overall – strongly in the funky arty dancefloor mode that you might expect from some of the Ze Records camp. Titles include "Dance Of The Screamers", "Inbetweenies", "Quiet", "Sink My Boats", "Don't Ask Me", "This Is What We Find", and "Uneasy Sunny Day Hotsy Totsy". LP, Vinyl record album

The highly anticipated solo album from Def Jux CEO and Company Flow vet El-Producto is all that and a bucket of black hole warp speed 9 intensity. Excellent, dark, space age, new millennial hip hop.. This album flows from many songs without breaks between them, with jagged, scattered beats and lush synth-scapes. At points it sounds very cinematic, yet very grounded in thick, pounding break beats. The whole thing is produced by El-P himself, with Rhyme Sayer Entertainment's DJ Abilities on all the scratching, with many Def Jux guests like Aesop, Lif, CamuTao, and Vast. Ill Bill, C Rayz Walz, Rob Sonic, and Cage also make appearances. Songs include "Deep Space 9mm" with the raw Rawkus dis, "Tuned Mass Damper" with awesome scream samples, "Dead Disnee", "Delorean", the biting "Stepfather Factory", "Lazerfaces' Warning", "Constellation Funk" and more! 3LPs! LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Standout early work from the mighty Esquerita – an artist you might initially write off as a Little Richard copycat, but one who also delivers a whole lot more in the end! The groove here is rough R&B, inflected with a touch of early soul – and the piano lines are worth the price of admission, played at a level that goes back to early New Orleans roots, but with more 50s bluesy currents – often alongside some tenor and guitar that rival the best instrumentation you'd find on indie singles at the time from King and Atlantic – quite a surprise for the normally-pop Capitol Records. And the vocals are something else, too – certainly with a soaring, screaming range – but also just wonderful when they're more down to earth, and in the groove. Titles include "Hey, Miss Lucy", "Why Did It Take You So Long", "She Left Me Cryin'", "Get Back Baby", "I Need You", "Maybe Baby", and "I'm Battie Over Hattie". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful early record from singer Bill Fay – recorded in a baroque brilliance that rivals the late 60s work of Scott Walker! Like Walker, Fay's as much a poet as he is a singer – and he's also got the great fortune here to be working with some excellent arrangements – handled by British jazzman Michael Gibbs, and featuring some excellent guitar work from Ray Russell. That said, Bill Fay has a distinctly artful presence with a style that's all his own! He's slightly folksy at times, with echoes of some of more mysterious aspects of late 60s and early 70s psych folk scenesters – but his overall vision is far more elaborate, and carried off here to perfection in a rare kind of "once in a career" record that still holds up beautifully today! Titles include "Garden Song", "The Sun Is Bored", "Narrow Way", "We Have Laid Here", "Methane River", "Goodnight Stan", "Be Not So Fearful", and "Down To The Bridge". CD also features 2 bonus tracks, the earlier single sides "Some Good Advice" and "Screams In The Ears". CD

Funky funky Maynard – and a sweet set of electric big band jazz that's got plenty of nice moments! The album features a core rhythm group that really goes to town – jamming in sort of a Clarke-Boland sort of way, with lots of propulsive changes that create a full-on and often funky groove – as Maynard and other horns blow like mad over the top, sending the album into screaming, soaring grooves that almost never let up. The record was Maynard's first US effort in a long time – and was produced by Teo Macero with a very electric-conscious sound that further enforced the hipness of the music! Titles include "Pochahontas", "Awright Awright", "Nice N Juicy", "SOMF", and "Mother Fingers". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the funkiest records ever from Maynard Ferguson – the climax of a great run of bigger group grooves in the 70s! The record's a tight batch of groovers, with production and keyboards by Bob James – and the whole thing's a mixture of big band funk and electronics that's simply out of this world! Side one kicks off with two massive numbers – the Arp-heavy "Cheshire Cat Walk", and the Kool & The Gang-ish "Primal Scream" – and both cuts are quite long, with loads of cool instrumental effects. Side two is a bit softer, but it does include a long keyboard groover called "Swamp". CD

Bass heavy funk from Larry Graham – a record done when he was moving into the solo spotlight a bit more than before, but a set that's still got an undeniable Graham Central Station groove! The tunes are tight, but never too polished – and lie in a sweet little space that's somewhere between Bootsy Collins & Zapp, with all the best elements that both of those artists were showing at the time. A few tunes get a bit more sweetly soulful, but never too much so – just a nice change of pace to showcase Larry's growing confidence in his vocals. Titles include "Sneaky Freak", "Star Walk", "Foxy Lady", "Tonight", "Scream", and "The Entertainer". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A really big, really unusual collection of work from the legendary Screamin Jay Hawkins – one that's probably a lot more "rarities" than "hits" in the title – as the set features material recorded for a variety of different small labels, over a pretty large span of time! The track list is a nice complement to some of the more mainstream collections of Screamin Jay's work – as the titles here still have that raw R&B power that made Hawkins such an amazing force in music, from the early R&B years on up through the underground of soul in the 60s and 70s – with a range here that's a nice change from some of his overplayed spooky classics. 2CD set features 29 tracks in all – and titles include "Portrait Of A Man", "Just Don't Care", "Armpit No 6", "Please Try To Understand", "I Is", "Baptize Me In Wine", "Nitty Gritty", "Pauline", "$10,000 Lincoln Continental", "What A Price I Must Pay", "Live Love Or Die", "Well I Tried", and "I Hear Voices" – plus two unusual takes on "I Put A Spell On You", one recorded before the famous 50s version on Okeh, the other from 1973. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible lost moment in the career of Screamin Jay Hawkins – material that was recorded in London in the mid 60s, and with a very different flavor than most of Hawkins' other material! There's a mod jazz approach to this set that's totally great – as Jay's raw vocals come into play with a sweet-grooving Hammond, in a combo that also features some sharp work on guitar, and some strong sax solos too! The upbeat, jazzy vibe is totally great – and gives Screamin Jay a whole new focus for his vocals – and for his songwriting, too – as most of the material here is original. And while Hawkins is always best remembered for his spooky, gimmicky cuts, this material is equally great in a totally different way – and, if it were pursued further, might have given the man a whole new direction in his career. Make no mistake, there's still plenty here to love if you're a longtime fan of Screamin Jay Hawkins – but you'll also really appreciate the mod grooves in the set as well! Titles include "I Wanna Know", "In My Dream", "Change Your Ways", "Serving Time", "Please Forgive Me", "Move Me", "My Marion", and "All Night". Plus, CD features a whopping 12 bonus tracks – a few alternate takes, and other versions of album songs – plus the titles "I'm Lonely" and "Stone Crazy". CD

One of the most obscure albums ever recorded by Screamin Jay Hawkins – and one of the best, as well – a rare session done down in Nashville, and with a rootsy vibe that works perfect for Jay's amazing voice! There's a bit less hoke here than Hawkins can sometimes have – and although the songs still resonate with that striking approach that got Hawkins rediscovered by a whole generation at the end of the 60s, there's also less gimmick, too – and a mode that goes for some deeper southern soul elements at all the best moments. Titles include "Portrait Of A Man", "Don't Deceive Me", "Ashes", "We Love", "I Don't Know", "Please Don't Leave Me", and "Guess Who". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic 50s recordings from the great Screamin Jay Hawkins! LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

Titles include "This Is All", "Little Demon", "Just Don't Care", "You Made Me Love You", "Yellow Cat", "Frenzy", "Feast Of The Mau Mau", and "I Put A Spell On You" – 17 tracks total. CD

Includes the albums Castle Rock, In A Mellow Tone, Perdido, and Creamy. CD

Includes the albums Castle Rock, In A Mellow Tone, Perdido, Creamy, Blues A Plenty, Side By Side, and Back To Back. CD

Well, it's HIS story, actually – a bit overblown in concept, and probably execution – but a record that's got some nice nuggets underneath, if you know where to look. The first half is the backstory – gems from Michael's earlier years on Epic – including "Remember The Time", "The Girl Is Mine", "Bad", "Rock With You", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "She's Out Of My Life", "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough", and "Wanna Be Startin Something". The second half is "HIStory Continues" – newer material that might have made a decent album on its own, but which probably pales slightly in comparison with the classics. Tracks include the "Scream" duet with Janet – plus "You Are Not Alone", "Childhood", "2 Bad", "Tabloid Junkie", "This Time Around", "Come Together", and "They Don't Care About Us". CD

Remix by Frankie Knuckles. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Searing stuff – easily one of Etta James' greatest albums! The set is a non-stop jam, recorded live at the New Era Club in Nashville before a small and screaming crowd – a perfect performance all the way through, one that showcases Etta as she rarely sounded on vinyl during the 1960s. The whole album runs away like a train on fire, and it's filled with incredibly lively readings of tracks like "Something's Got A Hold On Me", "Baby What You Want Me To Do", "Money", "Seven Day Fool", and "Woke Up This Morning" – all taken at versions longer than the usual under-3 minute single takes! LP, Vinyl record album

Searing stuff – easily one of Etta James' greatest albums! The set is a non-stop jam, recorded live at the New Era Club in Nashville before a small and screaming crowd – a perfect performance all the way through, one that showcases Etta as she rarely sounded on vinyl during the 1960s. The whole album runs away like a train on fire, and it's filled with incredibly lively readings of tracks like "Something's Got A Hold On Me", "Baby What You Want Me To Do", "Money", "Seven Day Fool", and "Woke Up This Morning" – all taken at versions longer than the usual under-3 minute single takes! Also includes 3 bonus tracks not on the original LP releases: "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby", "All I Could Do Is Cry" and "I Just Want To Make Love To You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best versions of "Funky Four Corners" we've ever heard! The bass is rattling along at a level so loud and heavy that it's bound to pop the top off your speaker – while Jerry screams and shouts his way through the lyrics in a way that would make James Brown proud, a fact that he even acknowledges when he shouts "Sorry JB!" at one point in the cut! "Soul Lover" is fantastic too – a funky answer song to "Tramp", with a similar hard sock beat, and a hard break at the intro, which is augmented here by conga work! Both cuts are great – and one of the best singles ever by Jerry O! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Includes the albums Sin After Sin, British Steel, Screaming For Vengeance, and Painkiller – all with bonus tracks. The full box is designed to hold all 12 albums from the 2001 remaster series. CD

One of the many chapters of Jimi's career before his famous Experience recordings – a set of hard rocking soul tracks with singer Curtis Knight, recorded in a really lively sort of party feel! The quality of the set almost makes us think this one was a live session – especially on the really great 10 minute track "Get That Feeling" – a stone jamming number that features some mean funky guitar from Jimi, and some screaming vocals from Curtis! Other titles include "How Would You Feel", "Simon Says", "Hush Now", "Welcome Home", and "Strange Things". LP, Vinyl record album

A great one – and the kind of European jazz album that kicks like a Clarke/Boland Big Band album! Hans Koller directs a large-scale swinging big band of some of the best European and American expatriot players of the time – like Sahib Shihab, Benny Bailey, Donald Byrd, Johnny Griffin, and Albert Mangelsdorff – and the set screams with intense solos, and a tight groove that pushes past any of the cliches you could imagine for a set like this. One of the things that makes the session great is some groovy organ, played by Infried Hoffman, the German player who was in Klaus Doldinger's early group. Doldinger's also on here, and his sound is way better than on his 70's work. Titles include "Hip Hit", "Revelation", "Conversation", "Knodel-Waltzer", and "Blazy Bones Revisited". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Amazing sounds from Polish composer Andrzej Korzynski – penned for a legendary horror film from the early 80s! The movie goes way beyond typical grit and gore – with a surreal bent that's made it the stuff of much discussion over the years – and Korzynski's music definitely lives up to the spirit of the images on the screen – mixing 80s electronics with offbeat strings, odd percussion, and other compelling bits – often used in very short songs that shift often throughout the course of the album – easily making the record one of the most playful we've ever heard from Finders Keepers – yet also one of the darkest too! A few sweet keyboard melodies offset some of the spookiness in a nice way – and titles include "Helen Has Green Eyes", "Opetanie 1", "The Night The Screaming Stops", "Blue Ford B AZ6", "Heinrick's Demise", "Mark Looks In The Fridge", "What Is It", and "Closely Observed Anna". LP, Vinyl record album

A real move forward in the career of Stacy Lattisaw – an album that has her coming across with a much more mature feel than before, even though she was still quite young at the time! The record's got an unabashedly poppish sensibility, but one that also has some of the more complicated modes showing up in soul during the early 80s – an undercurrent of jazzier phrasings that's partly the work of producer/arranger Narada Michael Walden! Titles include a remake of "Love On A Two Way Street", plus "With You", "Young Girl", "Spotlight", "Screamin Off The Top", "Feel My Love Tonight", and "It Was So Easy". LP, Vinyl record album

Not the out there primal scream of Plastic Ono, and more of an impeccably produced, easy to love landmark from John Lennon! The title track, beautiful as it is, is so heavily ingrained into rock & roll myth making machine that it's become too easy to overlook how great most of the songs on the album are. It must be the most consistent of John's LPs post-Beatles, and it's just about as essential as they come. Co-produced by Phil Spector, yet it's often not as grandly orchestrated as a Wall Of Sound effort, and well tailored to Lennon's songs. Includes "Give Me Some Truth", "Oh My Love", "How Do You Sleep?", "Imagine", "Crippled Inside", "Jealous Guy" and "I Don't Want To Be A Soldier". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from The Litter – the Minneapolis psych quintet who first broke big on their Emerge album for ABC/Probe – but who are heard here a year earlier, with a sound that's maybe even more trippy and powerful overall! The back of the album carries the message "play at the loudest volume your equipment, ears, and neighbors will permit" – and that tip's definitely a good one – as the louder the record, the more the fuzzy guitars and freaky vocals will blow you away, although these guys are already pretty darn persuasive even at a lower volume too! Titles include "Apologies To 2069", "Here I Go Again", "Under The Screaming Double Eagle", "Kaleidiscope", "Mindbreaker", and "She's Not There". LP, Vinyl record album

James Brown's always cited Little Willie John as one of his biggest vocal influences – and on this CD, you'll definitely hear why! In a world of R&B shouters and screamers, Willie had a talent for subtle soul that was quite unique. He still had as much vocal power as some of his contemporaries, and could use it when he wanted to – but at the drop of a hat, he could also shift into a sadder, mellower mode that was extremely compelling, and which showed a sophistication in R&B that was normally the province of jazz singers. This nicely-done 20-track set pulls together loads of gems from Willie's classic years at King – including his famous version of "Fever", plus "All Around The World", "Spasms", "Leave My Kitten Alone", "Talk To Me, Talk To Me", "My Nerves", "Person To Person", "Sleep", "Home At Last", "My Baby's In Love With Another Guy", and "I Like To See My Baby", a nice duet with Hank Ballard. CD

Weird and wild sounds from Screaming Lord Sutch – and a set that has as many "heavy friends" at play as his better-known previous album for Cotillion! As with that set, the vibe here is an odd mix of older beat group styles from mid 60s London, but filtered through a generation that's already bursting out with hard rock, psych, and prog inspiration – which means any nod towards older rock and soul roots come out sounding very offbeat in the end! Players include Ritchie Blackmore on lead guitar, Keith Moon on drums, and Noel Redding on bass – and titles include "Country Club", "Great Balls Of Fire", "Bye Bye Johnny/Johnny B Goode", "Gotta Keep A Rocking", and "Hands Of Jack The Ripper", which is mini-horror movie itself! LP, Vinyl record album

The lasting legacy of Screaming Lord Sutch – and an album that's almost equally well-known for its work by a host of famous guests – including Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, John Bonham, and others! Page is perhaps the most involved here – as he produced the set with Sutch, co-wrote some tracks, and plays some mighty searing guitar – as does Beck, which makes the album almost worth it alone for all the wonderful solos! But Sutch himself is pretty great too – kind of a mish-mash of late 60s nasty camp references, with the same sinister vibe as Kim Fowley – and an equally freewheeling approach to a tune that makes the album a heck of a lot of fun. Titles include "Gutty Guitar", "Flashing Lights", "Wailing Sounds", "Thumping Beat", "Union Jack Car", and "London". CD

Both of the rare albums on the tiny Tuba label, cut by jazz vibist Johnny Lytle in the 60s! The Loop is one of the coolest, grooviest albums ever from jazz vibist Johnny Lytle – a set that really leans into the impact that he was having with the soul instrumental crowd, and which serves up tunes in these short, tight grooves that show why Johnny was the king of the stepping dancefloor in the 60s! The set's still done with producer Orrin Keepnews, who'd handled Lytle's earlier jazz sides – but the tunes are shorter, and have the grooves punched up nicely – with plenty of cool Hammond work from organist Milt Harris, and tight drums from Peppy Hinnant – augment6ed with work from Willie Rodriguez on congas, and guest piano from Wynton Kelly on a few cuts! The whole thing's sweet and groovy, and the set features Johnny Lytle originals "Big Bill", "The Shyster", "Possum Grease", "The Man", "The Loop", and "Hot Sauce" – plus a cool cover of "Cristo Redentor". New & Groovy is one of Johnny Lytle's great recordings for the Tuba label, and probably one of the albums that shows his funky jazz vibes style at its best! The whole thing is very nicely stripped down - and the focus of the album is on down-and-dirty groovers, perfect for the jazzy stepper set that still digs Lytle loads! Lots of short groovy ditties on here which match Lytle's vibes and Milt Harris' organ. The group also includes Wynton Kelly on piano, George Duvivier on bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums, and Montego Joe on conga and percussion. Tracks include "The Snapper", "Selim", "The Pulpit", and "Screamin' Loud", "Too Close For Comfort" and more. CD

Witer Kit Mackintosh begins with the use of auto-tune in the first decade of this century, the uses that as a springboard to look at a the underground genres listed in the title! Kit's trying very hard to be current, and add in a chapter of musical history that's sometimes overlooked by more rock or hip hop-biased volumes – and the book offers examinations of Young Thug, Migos, Vybz Kartel, and others – before then ending with an interview with himself! Softcover edition is 151 pages. Book

Sweet 70s grooving from South America – the only album ever recorded by this great little group from Uruguay! The set was done at the end of the 70s, but it's got a style that recalls the best electric work from the US and UK at the start of the decade – sort of a blend of funky easy, jazzy instrumentals, and some of the hipper styles of the sound library scene! There's a sweetness to many of the tunes, to be sure – but they've also got a snapping rhythm that's mighty nice, and plenty of great bits on guitar, keyboards, and just a hint of funky flute and sax – plus some occasional Latin rhythms that change things up nicely. The overall sound almost reminds us of some of those early 70s Brazilian groups that would offer up their take on a European instrumental groove – such as Super Erotico – but the end result is also a bit more funky too! Titles include the great originals "El Ladron" and "Maranata" – plus versions of "Charlies Angels", "Song For My Father", "Carly Carola", and "Primal Scream". CD

Excellent single off the Mezzanine LP, an album filled with great cuts by the godfathers of the Bristol trip hop scene. Liz Fraser of the Cocteau Twins vocals float over the dense, bass heavy beats, which gets a spacy modern dub treatment by the Mad Professor and as well as another nice remix courtesy of Primal Scream. CD

A killer live set from Hammond genius Jack McDuff – one of a few totally smoking records he did in this style for Prestige during the 60s! The group's a quartet, with stunning work from the young George Benson on guitar, burning tenor from Red Holloway, and amazing drums from Joe Dukes – one of the few players on the kit who really got the right energy to match McDuff on the keys! The album's filled with screamin' groovers throughout, including a great version of "Girl From Ipanema", plus originals like "Another Goodun" and "S'Okay". McDuff was always best in a live setting – and this rare gem is a great testament to that fact! LP, Vinyl record album

A real killer from Brother Jack McDuff – one of his first truly great albums, and a record that has him breaking from the sleepier R&B organ sound of the 50s – into the leaner, cleaner mode of the 60s! The album's one of the first to have him playing with the incredible drummer Joe Dukes – who gives the grooves plenty of weird twists and turns – that trademark McDuff approach to rhythm that would really set him apart from other organ players. The rest of the group features Leo Wright on alto sax and Kenny Burrell on guitar – both great players here, and not always heard with Jack. Titles include an early take on "Soulful Drums", plus the cuts "After Hours", "Screamin", and "He's A Real Gone Guy". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most progressive bands on the Chicago scene of the time – with some great trippy touches, including "screaming" billed to one band member! Tracks are nice and long – with titles that include "Spiders In Neals Basement", "The Monster Bride", "Witches Theme & Dance", and "A Brief Message From Your Local Media". LP, Vinyl record album

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Four heavy classics from Buddy Miles – all together in a single set! First up is Expressway To Your Skull – a super tripped-out blend of rock, funk, and soul – easily one of Buddy Miles' most mindblowing albums – and a classic that never lets up at all! Buddy's leading the whole group on drums – really kicking things large from behind the kit – while the rest of the group jams in a heavy style that's got plenty of fuzzed-out guitar and jazzy horn riffs – virtually a blueprint for countless other rock funk groups that copped Buddy's style in years to come. The drums alone are worth the price of admission – but the whole album's so right, tight, and outta sight that it's been a favorite in our crates for years! Titles include "Train", "Let Your Lovelight Shine", "Don't Mess With Cupid", "Funky Mule", and "Wrap It Up". Electric Church is filled with bluesy soul from Buddy Miles – an album that was half-produced by Jimi Hendrix, and which showcases the really crowd-pleasing side of Miles' sound! Tracks are a mix of soul covers and original numbers – done in a mode that puts plenty of guitar out front in the mix, and which uses Buddy's screaming vocals a bit more than his heavier drums. Horns are used on most numbers to give them a bit of southern soul inflection, and titles include a great live jamming take on "Wrap It Up", the funky "Destructive Love", and the cuts "Cigarettes & Coffee", "Miss Lady", "Texas", and "My Chant". Them Changes is a landmark album of crossover funk – fuzzed out rock, soul, and jazzy licks all coming into play together – held totally tight by drummer Buddy Miles, the undisputed king of his scene! Buddy's drums are super-heavy – holding down his Freedom Express group with a heavy jazz-rock sound that would soon have a huge influence on other groups. Includes Buddy's original version of "Them Changes" – a tune that was instantly covered by everyone at the time – plus the cuts "Memphis Train", "Your Feeling Is Mine", "Dreams", and "Down By The River". Last up is We Got To Live Together – pure crossover genius from Buddy Miles – a great mix of funky soul and rockish touches – and the kind of record that easily put Buddy in the same camp as Sly Stone or The Isley Brothers with mainstream audiences of the time! Tracks here are a bit longer and more jamming than work by either of those two artists – with the kind of heavy guitar and horns that played heavily to the Fillmore crowd – but the overall sound of the record is a fair bit more soulful and even funkier than some other Miles' efforts from the earlier years too, with plenty of his tight drums in the mix! Titles include a great 12 minute reading of the title track "We Got To Live Together" – plus "Take It Off Him & Put It On Me", "Runaway Child", "Walking Down The Highway", and "Easy Greasy". CD

A fantastic live album, and one that has The Moments singing before an audience made up of love-starved female prisoners! The girls in the crowd are outrageous, and you'll hear them screaming like mad as the sexy Moments work their way through live versions of tracks like "I Do", "Sunday", "Not On The Ouside", "Going In Circles", and "Letter". Not only is this album filled with great east coast group soul, but it also almost sounds like a riot's about to break out! LP, Vinyl record album

2 lost sessions from early 60s tenor titan Wild Bill Moore – an R&B inflected player who only cut a few sides on his own, all of them a unique mix of jazz with some of the more screaming R&B saxophone tendencies! This set brings together two albums that feature Bill rocking with a Latinized rhythm section – Ben Riley on drums, Joe Benjamin on bass, and Ray Barretto on conga, kicking things up from the bottom. One album features Johnny Hammond Smith on organ, the other Junior Mance on piano – and both sets groove nicely with a wealth of original tracks! Titles include "Heavy Soul", "A Good Un", "Tearin Out", "Wild Bill's Beat", "Sister Caroline", "Bottom Groove", "Bubbles", "My Little Girl", and "Down With It". CD

Jaunty, sprightly grooves from the wonderful Chris Montez – one of his sublime 60s classics for A&M Records, done with beautiful backings from the great Nick DeCaro! The pairing of Montez and DeCaro is totally great – as Nick finds a way to really get the right sort of punch out of Chris' light and dreamy voice – this kind of back/forth, sing/song sort of rhythm that really works wonders – taking familiar tunes, and turning them into whole new Montez-motivated numbers! There's more than a bit of bossa in the mix, and the whole thing's put together with a dreamy creamy A&M sound that really sends us – and titles include "The Girl From Ipanema", "Our Day Will Come", "Time After Time", "Elena", "Going Out Of My Head", and "Sunny". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost session from early 60s tenor titan Wild Bill Moore – an R&B inflected player who only cut a few sides on his own, all of them a unique mix of jazz with some of the more screaming R&B saxophone tendencies! This set features Bill rocking with a Latinized rhythm section – Ben Riley on drums, Joe Benjamin on bass, Junior Mance on piano and Ray Barretto on conga, kicking things up from the bottom. 7 tracks in all: "Heavy Soul", "A Good Un", "Tearin Out", "Wild Bill's Beat", "Things Are Getting Better", "Bubbles", and "Just You, Just Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Tisziji Munoz on guitars, Dave Liebman on saxophones, John Medeski on piano, and others. CD

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Includes the albums Meet Oliver Nelson, Taking Care Of Business, Screamin' The Blues, Soul Battle, Blues & The Abstract Blues, Straight Ahead, Main Stem, and Afro-American Sketches. CD

One of the most open-ended and laidback records ever from Oliver Nelson – a set that gets away from the tighter arrangements of other albums, and really lets you concentrate on his saxophone work! The album's got a really wonderful feel throughout – easygoing and soulful, with work by a sextet that includes Eric Dolphy on alto, Richard Williams on trumpet, and Richard Wyands on piano – all grooving beautifully with immaculate Rudy Van Gelder production – used here with a slightly echoey quality that really deepens the sound of the set! Nelson plays both alto and tenor sax – and titles include "Screamin The Blues", "Alto-It is", "The Meetin", "The Drive", "Three Seconds", and "March On March On". CD

One of the most open-ended and laidback records ever from Oliver Nelson – a set that gets away from the tighter arrangements of other albums, and really lets you concentrate on his saxophone work! The album's got a really wonderful feel throughout – easygoing and soulful, with work by a sextet that includes Eric Dolphy on alto, Richard Williams on trumpet, and Richard Wyands on piano – all grooving beautifully with immaculate Rudy Van Gelder production – used here with a slightly echoey quality that really deepens the sound of the set! Nelson plays both alto and tenor sax – and titles include "Screamin The Blues", "Alto-It is", "The Meetin", "The Drive", "Three Seconds", and "March On March On". CD

Laidback psychedelia from this hip British trio – a group that was something of a placeholder in between Peter Dunton's work in The Flies and Please – but which are plenty darn great on their own! Most of the tunes here have a style that's spare and melodic amidst the fuzz – a quality that almost reminds us of Spacemen 3 at times, especially given that the group's a trio. There's some vocals on the record, but they always seem to take second seat next to the guitar bits and keyboards – possibly because no singing could ever match the subtle sonic genius of these more electric elements. Titles include "What You See", "Dream Scream", "Out Of Sight", "Just Another Day", "Forever", "Going With The Flow", "Urban Ways", "Going Back", and "Dream". CD

One of the most incredible African collections we've ever heard – almost more amazing than the African Scream Contest set from the same label! The package focuses on work by Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou – a group who really live up to their name, by bringing in a host of complicated rhythms to their music – including the "sato" groove, which is kind of a modern funky take on older voodoo modes! Production is often echoey – in ways that dub out the bass and drums nicely – and make the guitar parts sound nice and sinister – the vocals too, for that matter, even though we can't ever understand the lyrics. The music was originally recorded for a variety of different labels, but is brought together here beautifully – complete with a 44 page, full color booklet that not only tells the tale of the group, but also that of all the labels – then follows the whole thing up with a discography as well – a real labor of love that's as much of a visual treat as it is a sonic delight. Titles include "Se We Non Nan", "Ako Ba Ho", "Mi Ni Non Kpo", "Assibavi", "Mi Homlan Dadale", "Iya Me Dji Ki Bi Ni", "Mawa Mon Nou Mio", and "Koutoulie". CD

Legendary Paramount recordings from Charlie Patton – mostly recorded in Richmond, Indiana in 1929 – but easily some of the most important Mississippi blues of the time! The package features a wealth of seminal songs from the June, 1929 session that really helped launch the Patton legacy – tracks that are arguably as important to the development of blues as the work of Robert Johnson, and which quite possibly circulated even more at the time. Patton's got a slightly folksy approach, and a sense of darkness that really makes most of these numbers very riveting, even all these many decades later – an acoustic brilliance that's had folks coming back to his music time and time again over the years.. CD features 20 titles in all – and tracks include "Screamin & Hollerin The Blues", "Pea Vine Blues", "Hammer Blues", "Dry Well Blues", "Poor Me", "Hang It On The Wall", "Down The Dirt Road Blues", "Mississippi Boweavil Blues", and "Tom Rushen Blues". CD

One of the best albums by offbeat jazz singer Annette Peacock – one with a loose, very innovative vibe in arrangements – with some pretty darn cool electronics! Annette not only has a strong voice, she's fearlessly creative in her use of it – and on this album, her vocals are often processed through the electronics – in a way that's a good decade ahead of the curve, but never in a way that never denigrates her strength as a singer! At times, she's screaming like Betty Davis in a funky mode, at others she's getting raw and dirty in a Tom Waits vein, and at others she presages 80s club oddities like Klaus Nomi! Somehow these divergent modes work together, making this one of the most unique and trailblazing albums of Annette's career! Includes the funky break track "Pony", a pretty compelling number, plus "I'm The One", "Been & Gone", "Love Me Tender", "Blood", "One Way", "Gesture Without Plot", "Did You Hear Me Mommy?" and "7 Days". CD

A return to grittier, more focused rock by Pearl Jam after taking a surprisingly loose approach on the underrated No Code – definitely among their finer records to come after the post-grunge boom years earlier in the decade! Pearl Jam is arguably at their best when they're balancing a genuine love for creatively daring rock with an unabashed love for fist-pumping scream along anthems, and they unyieldingly nail that on Yield. A late 90s rock classic. Includes "Brain Of J", "Faithfully", "No Way", "Given To Fly", "Wishlist", "Pilate", "Do The Evolution", "MFC", "Low Light", "In Hiding", "Push Me, Pull Me", "and "All Those Yesterdays". CD

Teddy Pendergrass follows up the style of Lou Rawls' double live album for Philly International – and goes for a very similar mix of modes that showcases all his charm and soulful spirit! The 2LP set features material recorded in both Philly and LA – with a fair bit of Teddy's working the audience along with the tunes. And as an added bonus, side 4 of the album also features radio interview material with Teddy, plus a few new studio tracks for the set – a nice addition, but one that also makes us wonder why, after 2 locations of live recording, they couldn't get together enough concert material for the record! Titles include "Life Is A Song Worth Singing", "Only You", "Turn Off The Lights", "Do Me", "Close The Door", "Come Go With Me", "Where Did All The Lovin Go", "Get UP Get Down Get Funky Get Loose", "When Somebody Loves You Back", "Shout & Scream", "It's You I Love", and "LA Rap". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of our favorite work ever by Esther Phillips – served up on a compilation that does a great job of sorting through her classic 70s sides for Kudu, CTI, and Mercury! Back in the 60s, Esther sung in a sad and bluesy sort of soul style – but in the 70s, at the time of these recordings, Esther picked up a sweet electric vibe, really hipping up her sound with lots of funky guitar, bass, and keyboards. The result is tremendous – as you'll hear on this set – as Esther works with arrangers that include Pee Wee Ellis, Bob James, Benny Golson and Harvey Mason to cut some wickedly soulful tunes! The set includes 18 tracks in all, with titles that include "Use Me", "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", "That's All Right With Me", "I've Never Found A Man", "Brother Brother", "From A Whisper To A Scream", "All The Way Down", "Black Eyed Blues", "Native New Yorker", "Changing", "SOS", "We've Got A Good Thing Going", "You Think Of Him", "Bedtime Stories", and "I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy About Me". CD

One of our favorite-ever albums from Esther Phillips – an album that really helped her transform her sound for the 70s! The approach here is a lot more jazzy than before – served up with a good dose of funk, thanks to arrangements from Pee Wee Ellis – fresh from his work with James Brown, but even more electrically-oriented here! The groove is great – and the album's one of the best Kudu sides from the early 70s – a perfect blend of soul, jazz, and funk – all wrapped up with a new level of sophistication that benefits all parties involved. Other players include Richard Tee on keyboards, Eric Gale on guitar, Bernard Purdie on drums, Airto on percussion, and Hank Crawford on alto sax. Titles include an incredible cover of Gil Scott Heron's "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", plus "From A Whisper To A Scream", "Till My Back Ain't Got No Bone", "Your Love Is So Doggone Good", Scarred Knees", and "Baby, I'm For Real". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album from Shawn Phillips – featuring Phillips recording in London with members of Traffic backing him up – in a style that's a great extrapolation of folksy and bluesy roots with some of the hipper styles going down in England at the end of the 60s. Phillips does a great job of expanding his bag way past simple acoustic folk for the record – and manages to do so with a simple, personal quality that's quite different than most of his contemporaries – a sound that should have made him as big as labelmate Cat Stevens, but which has also held up a fair bit better over the years, thanks to Shawn's somewhat obscure status. Titles include "Not Quite Nonsense", "Screamer For Phlyses", "For JFK RFK & MLK", "Lovely Lady", "Withered Roses", "L Ballade", and "No Question". LP, Vinyl record album

Recorded Live 16 November 1974 at Empire Pool - Wembley, London, UK. CD

A great little live set – recorded overseas, but with a really classic 60s southern soul sound overall! Stax always did a pretty good job of shopping its big artists overseas – where they met with extremely enthusiastic response, as you'll hear in this classic live album recorded by Otis Redding! The basic structure of the songs is very similar in time and presentation to the studio versions – but the band is very lively, many numbers are taken at faster tempos, and Otis is working himself to death to please the screaming crowd. Titles include "Day Tripper", "Try A Little Tenderness", "Respect", "Can't Turn You Loose", "My Girl", and "Shake". CD

A great little live set – recorded overseas, but with a really classic 60s southern soul sound overall! Stax always did a pretty good job of shopping its big artists overseas – where they met with extremely enthusiastic response, as you'll hear in this classic live album recorded by Otis Redding! The basic structure of the songs is very similar in time and presentation to the studio versions – but the band is very lively, many numbers are taken at faster tempos, and Otis is working himself to death to please the screaming crowd. Titles include "Day Tripper", "Try A Little Tenderness", "Respect", "Can't Turn You Loose", "My Girl", and "Shake". LP, Vinyl record album