This hip Chicago group reference our mighty 606 urban trail here – and come across with a sound that's equally city gritty – served up in a blend of elements borrowed from blues, funk, soul, and rock! There's plenty of great harmonica in the grooves – performed by lead singer James Porter, a vocalist with a very distinct, powerful sound – one that really resonates with some of the work he's given our city over the past few decades as both a force in radio and in print! Titles include "Walkin The 606", "What's The Deal", "Play Me Or Trade Me", "Your Way Ain't Workin", and "Hidey Hole". CD

A very different picture of the British scene than you might know from the worlds of classic rock and chart hits of the early 70s – as this collection focuses on a really special sort of sound that hints at the bleaker, less satisfying sides of English life – often with a slightly sinister quality that might come as a big surprise! The package is a follow-up to previous gems from compilers Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs – like the compilations English Weather and State Of The Union – and like those, there's a wonderfully unified vision to the whole package – almost a mini-sociology statement, but one that's completely fun – given the fantastic range of music chosen for the album. Tracks are a non-stop surprise all the way through – as glammy bits mix with offbeat pop, catchy prog, and plenty of other tunes that maybe defy any sort of generic description altogether! Titles include "Rod" by Matchbox, "Kill" by Mike McGear, "Part Of The Union" by The Brothers, "The Hertfordshire Rock" by Ricky Wilde, "Sailing" by Sutherland Brothers Band, "And The Fun Goes On" by Lieutenant Pigeon, "War Against War" by Pheon Bear, "Roly Pin" by Roly, "Stardust" by David Essex, "What Ruthy Said" by Cockney Rebel, "Why Am I Waiting" by Robin Goodfellow, "Urban Guerilla" by Hawkwind, "Londonderry" by Phil Cordell, and "Cut Loose" by Stud Leather. CD

A deep dive into the sound of Los Angeles in the middle of the 60s – a really well-done box that somehow manages to mix together all the different strains of music that were going on in the city of angels at the time – sunshine pop, garage rock, psych, pop, and even more experimental modes – served up here in a set list that's full of some of the coolest, hippest groups of the time! The box takes its title from a Beach Boys tune, but this isn't a set of well-played oldies from AM radio – and instead, the selection demonstrates the continued appreciation of this period of music over the decades, and the shift in interest to some of the more groundbreaking, obscure groups of the period – served up here with bigger names as well – all with the detailed notes and overflowing amount of tracks that we love from these boxes on the Grapefruit label! There's a massive 90 tracks in all – with work from Mark Eric, Jim & The Lords, The Heroes, Candy Company, Odds & Ends, Spirit, The Misunderstood, Urban Renewal Project, Peanut Butter Conspiracy, Captain Beefheart, Ruthann Friedman, The Rogues, Music Machine, Whatt Four, Velvet Illusions, Merrell & The Xiles, Sanctions, Grass Roots, New Wave, West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Grains Of Sand, Merry Go Round, Human Expression, Love, Laughing Wind, Roger Nichols & The Small Circle Of Friends, Boystown, Gene Clark, and many others! CD

A great look at a really lost legacy in music from Charlie Rich – obscure sides recorded for RCA Records in the early 60s – done after his initial rush of genius on Sun Records, and before his later commercial success on Epic! Charlie's got one of the all-time great voices in pop music – a richness that easily rivals that of Memphis contemporary Elvis Presley, and which never fully got its due at the time – even though labels like RCA and Smash provided Rich with some fantastic material and production! Charlie's work for Smash has been picked up by the cognoscenti in recent years, and we'd honestly put these RCA tracks right up alongside them – with a similar Tennessee blend of soul and rock, rural and urban – all delivered by Charlie's incredibly charming vocal approach, and recorded with a depth that goes way beyond the usual RCA production modes of the time. There's plenty of currents of soul in the mix – even some New York-styled modes, which really work well with Rich – and this 40 track set is the first time this material has ever been pulled together – long-overdue, and a real treat to our ears! Titles include "Like Someone In Love", "Lady Love", "Nice & Easy", "Big Boss Man", "It's All Over Now", "The Grass Is Always Greener", "Now Everybody Knows", "My Mountain Dew", "The Big Build Up", "She Called Me Baby", "Gentleman Jim", "Christmas Greetings", "All Of My Friends Are Gonna Be Strangers", "Is Goodbye That Easy To Say", "Tragedy", "Ten Dollars & A Clean White Shirt", "Tomorrow Night", and "No Room To Dance". CD

Fantastic west coast blues from the 60s, none of issued at the time – collected together here in a set that really shows the continuing evolution of the sound of LA! During the 60s, the city's blues took on some of the transformations that were happing in Chicago – with similar roots in a southern scene that moved into a hipper, more urban environment – where blues phrasing was more electrified, and mixed with influences from soul and jazz – often with some funky hybrids along the way! All the cuts here were recorded by Kent Records – the clear black music powerhouse of the west coast at the time – and half were issued on rare Japanese CDs in the 90s, the other 12 appear here for the first time ever – and as usual with Ace, the presentation, notes, and sound quality are wonderful. Titles include "Mama Said" and "Hey Baby" by Willie Headen, "Address In My Hand" and "Soul Blues" by Willie Garland, "Christine" and "Baby Don't Tear My Clothes" by Model T Slim, "Blues Pain" by Lowell Fulson, "You Told Me A Lie" by Smokey Wilson, "Before Day" by Big Mama Thornton, and "Rocks In My Pillow" and "Let Me Play With Your Poodle" by Long Gone Miles. CD

Rare Bacharach galore – an assortment of under-reissued tracks all penned by the mighty Burt – most of which are from the heyday of 60s uptown soul! Despite the 1952 in the date range on the title, almost all the tunes here are from the mid 60s – that time when Bacharach was writing new tunes like a demon, and getting most of them recorded by a range of great talents on the New York scene. Singers are a good mix of soul, pop, rock, and vocal artists – and although the material was done for a variety of different labels, there's a relatively unified feel – thanks to that snapping syncopation that Burt always brought to work like this. CD features 26 titles in all – including "How About" by Della Reese, "Third Window From The Right" by Dean Barlow, "I Wake Up Crying" by Del Shannon, "I Looked For You" by Charlie Gracie, "That's Not The Answer" by Vi Velasco, "More Time To Be With You" by Brook Benton, "Three Friends" by The Turbans, "Move It On The Backbeat" by Burt & The Backbeats, "You're Telling Our Secrets" by Dee Clark, "Thirty Miles Of Railroad Track" by The Hammond Brothers, "The Story Of My Life" by Big Al Downing, "Made In Paris" by Trini Lopez, "Rain From The Skies" by Adam Wade, and "True Love Never Runs Smooth" by Don & Juan. CD