One of the true pop masterpieces of the 90s! This albums' a beautiful mix of Brian Wilson-y production, Capitol countrified pop, soaring LA 60s instrumentation, and about a million other influences! Genius Sean O'Hagan's put the whole thing together, and the record is the kind of lost pop treasure you've always hoped to find searching through the old LP racks – but never thought you'd get on a CD in the 90s. Includes the amazing "Checking In, Checking Out" – which outdoes Jimmy Webb in its Webb-ness; the moody "Giddy & Gay"; and lots of other nice moments like "The Goat Strings", "Track Goes By", and "Up In the Hills". CD

It's been quite awhile since the last High Llamas album – and in that time, the genius of Sean O'Hagan seems to have distilled even more – to a point where all those great elements he was able to layer together on previous records come out with a spare focus that maybe makes the whole thing even more wonderful! The album's as completely charming as its title and title track – and maybe seems to even borrow a bit from the coolest currents of the Japanese indie scene in the 90s, while also letting Sean's wonderful vocals warm things up – every bit as great as when we first fell in love with his music in Microdisney, but maybe even better with age. The record features guest appearances from Bonnie Prince Billy, Rae Morris, and Fryars – and titles include "Hey Panda", "Sisters Friends", "Hungriest Man", "The Water Moves", "Yoga Goat", "Stone Cold Slow", "The Grade", and "Fall Off The Mountain". CD

You probably know the name of Jonathan Coe as a writer – for books that include What A Carve Up and The Rotters Club – but he's also had plenty of ties to music, including projects with Louis Philippe and High Llamas – and this new set of jazz-based works done with Artchipel Orchestra! The songs are all penned by Coe, and handled by the group with a great mix of larger charts and individual voices – all at a level that hearkens back to vintage work like this on the UK scene from artists like Mike Westbrook or Michael Gibbs – both of whom would be great comparisons to the vibe of this project! Ferdinando Farao arranged and conducted the group – which features a variety of saxes, flute, trumpet, trombone, and even some mighty nice vibes – on titles that include "Spring In My Step", "Erbalunga", "Looking For Cicely", and "Suspended Moment". CD

Beautiful later work from XTC – a record that has the group really reveling in that new pastoral sensibility they unlocked with Mummer – on songs that are more slowed down than at their start, with great use of acoustic instrumentation too – all with this well-crafted sense of songwriting that almost seems to preface some of the work to come by groups like High Llamas or Cardinal! There's so many folks who are slavish to the early years of XTC that they often miss the beauty of a record like this – a really cohesive whole that's given some superb production by Todd Rundgren in one of his best 80s moments. Titles include "Dear God", "Dying", "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul", "Big Day", "Another Satellite", "That's Really Super Supergirl", "The Meeting Place", "Summer's Cauldron", and "1000 Umbrellas". CD

Tracks from Soul Swingers, Wayne McGhie, Stereolab & High Llamas, Bernard Purdie, Madlib, Danger Mouse & Murs, Clarence Mack Express, Free Design, Last Poets, Sharpshooters, Manitoba, Black On White Affair. CD

Beautiful later work from XTC – a record that has the group really reveling in that new pastoral sensibility they unlocked with Mummer – on songs that are more slowed down than at their start, with great use of acoustic instrumentation too – all with this well-crafted sense of songwriting that almost seems to preface some of the work to come by groups like High Llamas or Cardinal! There's so many folks who are slavish to the early years of XTC that they often miss the beauty of a record like this – a really cohesive whole that's given some superb production by Todd Rundgren in one of his best 80s moments. Titles include "Dear God", "Dying", "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul", "Big Day", "Another Satellite", "That's Really Super Supergirl", "The Meeting Place", "Summer's Cauldron", and "1000 Umbrellas". CD

On the heels of their Sessomato Experience, Easy Tempo release this compilation of older Italian soundtrack grooves – by Luis Bacalov, Armando Trovajoli, Piero Umiliani, and Piero Piccioni – remixed by modern European mixologists – like Kid Loco, Jazz Brothers, Rainer Truby Trio, Maffia Sound System, and Gak Sato. As with the other projects, the effort is an attempt update some of these funky grooves, and turn them towards the modern dancefloor. This CD version has an extra mix of Umiliani by the High Llamas, a mix of Umiliani's "Mah Na Mah Na" by the Karminsky Experience and a remix of "Sessomatto" by Raphael Sebbag. CD