A bit more of a stripped-down set than other work that Benny Sings has given us in recent years – definitely a record with the vibe of the beat tape promised in the title – but one that still has some of the soulful elements that Benny's given us on other records too! The hip hop element is stronger here than usual, right down to the record's guests – who include Koreatown Oddity, Cola Boyy, Mocky, St Panther, Rae Khalil, and others – and Benny put the album together out of elements that weren't used in the final version of his album Music – but which still carry some of the soulful currents of that set. Titles include "Money & Guns", "Don't Look", "CGEOOL", "Green Grass", "Watch Me Heal", "Song 13", and "Mag Ik In Je Huid". LP, Vinyl record album

The amazing first album from Big Star – a set that came out of nowhere, made hardly a ripple on the charts, yet went onto crash in big waves of sound for generations to come! The style here is unlike thing else before – hardly what you'd expect from the group's Memphis roots or Alex Chilton's previous performances – yet the group's music has become a generation-defining sound in the way it blends southern inflections with harder rock influences, and a lean, gritty quality that's arguably in a late 70s space between punk and power pop. Every element is wonderful – guitars that are powerful, but never indulgent – vocals that are moving, but never overly emotive – and a balance between sensitive and searing moments that even The Replacements could never hope to match. A landmark all the way through – with tracks that include "Feel", "Ballad Of El Goodo", "In The Street", "The India Song", "When My Baby's Beside Me", "Give Me Another Chance", "Don't Lie To Me", "Thirteen", "Watch The Sunrise", and "Try Again". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite David Bowie albums ever! Aladdin Sane was a real turning point for Bowie – recorded on the heels of the tremendously popular Ziggy Stardust album, but really pushing the boundaries past the more straight-ahead rock and glam of that record. Instead of just sitting on his laurels, Bowie tripped out into a wilder, weirder world with this one – mixing together elements of some of the baroque arrangements of early records, with the meaner leaner sound of the 70s – populating the songs with freaks, weirdos, and odd characters that gave the whole thing a really creepy edge. The whole thing's an oft-overlooked gem that, to us, is truly one of Bowie's most magical moments – and titles include "Drive In Saturday", "Panic In Detroit", "Aladdin Sane", "Watch That Man", "The Jean Genie", "The Prettiest Star", "Time", and "Lady Grinning Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite David Bowie albums ever! Aladdin Sane was a real turning point for Bowie – recorded on the heels of the tremendously popular Ziggy Stardust album, but really pushing the boundaries past the more straight-ahead rock and glam of that record. Instead of just sitting on his laurels, Bowie tripped out into a wilder, weirder world with this one – mixing together elements of some of the baroque arrangements of early records, with the meaner leaner sound of the 70s – populating the songs with freaks, weirdos, and odd characters that gave the whole thing a really creepy edge. The whole thing's an oft-overlooked gem that, to us, is truly one of Bowie's most magical moments – and titles include "Drive In Saturday", "Panic In Detroit", "Aladdin Sane", "Watch That Man", "The Jean Genie", "The Prettiest Star", "Time", and "Lady Grinning Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

A rock-solid effort from De La Soul at the start of the 21st Century – a record that really has the group coming back into their own! On previous records, it had been a little difficult to tell if De La Soul has been trying harder to please their critics, or simply finally being true to themselves by expelling all traces of the perceived hippy-isms of their earlier work – and the answer is probably somewhere in between, but leaning towards their autonomy. They've been a new group all together since Stakes Is High, and Bionix is certainly their best work since – with the Wu Tang-like piano driven beat of the title track, the catchy soul of "Baby Phat" and "Simply", both of which should be nice club hits, and more than a few subtle nods to the Prince Paul years, especially on the "Simply Havin" interlude. "What We Do (For Love)" makes great use of a Slick Rick guest spot – complete with the horny fanfare. Cee-Lo shows up on "Held Down", and B-Real appears on "Peer Pressure" – both of which suggest that De La spent a little time in Stankonia last year. Other tracks include "Watch Out", "Special", "The Sauce", "Pawn Star", "It's American", and "Trying People". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most tripped-out music ever from The Holy Modal Rounders – and that's saying a lot, given the nature of the group! This unique early album on ESP features two side-long tracks – both of which are mini-suites of sort, and filled with odd sounds, weird themes, and a strange mixture of hippie instrumentation and sci-fi experimentation! The group for the record is a quartet – with the core combo of Peter Stampfel on violin and vocals and Steve Weber on guitar, augmented by playwright Sam Shephard on drums and Lee Crabtree on piano and organ – plus extra vocals from the trio of Antonia, Barbara, & Wendy. The music is in the best free-thinking style of other rock on the ESP label in the 60s – and titles include "Jimmy & Crash Survey The Universe" and "The Second-Hand Watch". LP2 features Live In 1965 – Some of the earliest music ever from The Holy Modal Rounders – a rare live performance from 1965, recorded at the Chess Mate nightclub in Detroit, and featuring only the duo of Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber! The music here is a bit more folksy and a bit less trippy than some of the Rounders' later recordings, but it still shows a decidedly left-field approach – not just in the subjects of the tunes, but also in the way the guitar, banjo, and fiddle are used – almost as additional voices at times, instead of conventional folk instrumentation. Titles include "Crowley Waltz", "Black Eyed Suzy", "My Mind Capsized", "Fishin Blues", "Rum Mountain", "Random Canyon", "Skin Game", "Indian War Whoop", and "Flop Eared Mule". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that no hip hop home should be without – the debut album from Main Source, but a set that's more than strong enough to stand next to the best from contemporaries like De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, and Black Sheep! Like all three of those groups, these guys have a way of bringing together fresh rhythms and samples, sharp-edged writing, and a keen sense of wit – all part of that next-generation level of intellectual hip hop that made them so groundbreaking at the time – and which still makes this album a fantastic delight all these many years later! The album introduced the world to the genius of Large Professor – and continues to shine for decades, thanks to tunes that include "Snake Eyes", "Looking At The Front Door", "Live At The Barbecue", "Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball", "Peace Is Not The Word To Play", "Watch Roger Do His Thang", "He Got So Much Soul (He Don't Need No Music)", and "Just Hangin Out". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that no hip hop home should be without – the one and only album from Main Source, but a set that's more than strong enough to stand next to the best from contemporaries like De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, and Black Sheep! Like all three of those groups, these guys have a way of bringing together fresh rhythms and samples, sharp-edged writing, and a keen sense of wit – all part of that next-generation level of intellectual hip hop that made them so groundbreaking at the time – and which still makes this album a fantastic delight all these many years later! The album introduced the world to the genius of Large Professor – and continues to shine for decades, thanks to tunes that include "Snake Eyes", "Looking At The Front Door", "Live At The Barbecue", "Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball", "Peace Is Not The Word To Play", "Watch Roger Do His Thang", "He Got So Much Soul (He Don't Need No Music)", and "Just Hangin Out". LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic record – a righteous blend of jazz and spoken word, served up at a level that rivals some of the famous collaborations between Langston Hughes and Charles Mingus! The tunes have a similar introspective quality to that work, but are delivered with a style that's maybe more 70s spiritual jazz overall – instrumentation by a quartet that features Jim Work on acoustic and electric piano, next to bass, drums, percussion, and some very cool effects! Words were all penned and spoken by Jim Marks – who also wrote the music, even though he doesn't play any of the instruments – on beautiful tracks that include "Jazz Is Ourselves", "On Black", "Eulogy For Dewey", "I Out To Watch That Ego", and "It's Time To Become". LP, Vinyl record album

The debut album from Terrace Martin, and a set that already has him stretching out and building bridges between scenes and genres – at a level that has continued to make him one of the real giants of the west coast scene! The record's never just about Terrace's keys or saxophone – although his work on both are totally great – and instead, there's an equal presence here from the guests – Robert Glasper on Fender Rhodes, or artists like Kendrick Lamar, Lalah Hathaway, Ty Dolla Sign, Musiq Soulchild, and others on vocals – balancing hip hop and soul with Martin's jazz at the core, as he awakes new ears sounds they never would have discovered otherwise! Titles include "Triangle Ship", "No Wrong No Right", "Over Time", "Watch U Sleep", "Something Else", "You're The One", "I'm For Real", "Gone", and "Motivation". LP, Vinyl record album

Prime 80s work from Tears For Fears – a duo who manage to mix new romantic charms with some surprisingly strong electro pop styles! This set has the group rivalling Human League on their first few tuneful records – with maybe even some darker echoes around the edges – and though the album was part of a big flurry of electric UK pop that was coming out over the space of a few short years, it's also got more depth than most – which has given the album a surprisingly strong run over the decades. Titles include Change", "Mad World", and "Pale Shelter" – plus "Watch Me Bleed", "The Prisoner", "The Hurting", "Suffer The Children", "Ideas As Opiates", and "Start Of The Breakdown". LP, Vinyl record album

DMZ's badass self-titled set for Sire from '78 – buzzsaw guitars, driving rhythms, manic vocals and eerie organs – an incredible combination of 60s garage inspiration and ferocious punk-era urgency! DMZ migh have been weird fit at a Sire label that at the time was struggling to get The Ramones and Richard Hell into the mainstream – but boy, is it ever worthy stuff! Includes "Mighty Idy", "Bad Attitude", "Watch For Me Girl", "Cinderella", "Don't Jump Me Mother", "Destroyer", "Out Of Our Tree", "Border Line", "Do Not Enter" and "From Home". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic female funk – a set of grooves that's way more natural than you might guess from the beehive in the title – the harder sound of 60s soul and early 70s funk – all pulled together from a host of rare 7" singles from back in the day! The set's got Numero breaking past the range of a single label or local scene – to pull together the best bits from all over, as a massive collection of all-female funky grooves! Titles include "You Got Me Under Your Spell" by Mae Young, "Good Things' by Pearl Dowell, "Watch The Dog That Bring The Bone" by Sandy Gaye, "Daddy Don't Know About Sugar Bear" by Marva Whitney, "Hot Pats (part 1)" by The 20th Century, "I'm Not Ready For Love" by Promise, "Save The Children" by Lolla Collins, "Come Back Boy" by The Ba-Roz, "Second Avenue" by Sonics Band, and the Chicago classic "I'm A Streaker Baby" by Arelean Brown. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic female funk – a set of grooves that's way more natural than you might guess from the beehive in the title – the harder sound of 60s soul and early 70s funk – all pulled together from a host of rare 7" singles from back in the day! The set's got Numero breaking past the range of a single label or local scene – to pull together the best bits from all over, as a massive collection of all-female funky grooves! Titles include "You Got Me Under Your Spell" by Mae Young, "Good Things' by Pearl Dowell, "Watch The Dog That Bring The Bone" by Sandy Gaye, "Daddy Don't Know About Sugar Bear" by Marva Whitney, "Hot Pats (part 1)" by The 20th Century, "I'm Not Ready For Love" by Promise, "Save The Children" by Lolla Collins, "Come Back Boy" by The Ba-Roz, "Second Avenue" by Sonics Band, and the Chicago classic "I'm A Streaker Baby" by Arelean Brown. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic lost psych album – with a moody spacey sound augmented by lots of organ, harpsichord, and electric piano! The best cuts are short and echoey – with kind of a trippy pop feel that sounds like post-Brit invasion lyricism, mixed with LA stoner freedom, and a good dash of Love-esque soul. Titles include Tim Hardin's great "You Upset the Grace of Living", "Hang Onto A Dream", and "Never Too Far" – plus a very cool version of "Nature Boy", and the tracks "Tiffany Rings", "I Watch The Moon", and "Me About You". LP, Vinyl record album

The massive second album by PE – and the one where where the hit their full creative stride, and their politics and philosphy hit at full force – moving Public Enemy from an imposing threat to both the hip hop and pop music status quo to a straight up cultural phenomenon! There's little we can add to canon of critical regard this unimpeachable classic – just know that it's as essential as any hip hop album of the era. Includes "Bring The Noise", "Don't Believe The Hype", "Prophets Of Rage" and "Rebel Without A Pause", "Cold Lampin With Flavor", "Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic", "Louder Than A Bomb", "Caught, Can We Get A Witness", "She Watch Channel Zero", "Night Of The Living Baseheads", "Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos", "Prophets For Right To Fight" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A double-length collection of work from two obscure Atlanta soul labels – the Tragar and Note imprints, both run by local producer Jesse Jones! Back in the day, Atlanta wasn't nearly as big of an outlet for soul records as it's become in recent years – so Jones' labels were key in showcasing under-exposed local talent in the city, a range of soul groups, solo singers, and funk combos – all produced here with a really fresh sound! Nearly every track here is super-obscure – and there's few southern soul cliches to get in the way of the music – no overdone blues, no Hotlanta disco, no Muscle Shoals copies – just honest-to-goodness indie soul at its best – full of life, vitality, and personality – all presented with the usual deep-digging Numero look at the artists in the notes. The package is one of the biggest Numero collections so far – and really tells the tale of this crucially overlooked scene – a key link between more familiar southern styles and rising Northern modes, all with a personality of its own. Titles include "All Because of You" and "Down In The Country" by Tee Fletcher, "The Hump" and "Tipping Strings" by The Knights, "Somebody Got A Help Me" and "Love is So Mean" by Richard Cook, "Ain't That Sharp" by Young Divines, "Watch The Dog That Bring The Bone" by Sandy Gaye, "Messing Around" by Bobby Owens & The Diplomats, "Shake Daddy Shake" and "Try" by Eula Cooper, "Tumbling Down" by Langston & French, "You Got A Spell On Me" by Bill Wright, "Now That I'm Wise" by Nathan Wilkes, and "Nitecap" by L Daniels. LP, Vinyl record album

A double-length collection of work from two obscure Atlanta soul labels – the Tragar and Note imprints, both run by local producer Jesse Jones! Back in the day, Atlanta wasn't nearly as big of an outlet for soul records as it's become in recent years – so Jones' labels were key in showcasing under-exposed local talent in the city, a range of soul groups, solo singers, and funk combos – all produced here with a really fresh sound! Nearly every track here is super-obscure – and there's few southern soul cliches to get in the way of the music – no overdone blues, no Hotlanta disco, no Muscle Shoals copies – just honest-to-goodness indie soul at its best – full of life, vitality, and personality – all presented with the usual deep-digging Numero look at the artists in the notes. The package is one of the biggest Numero collections so far – and really tells the tale of this crucially overlooked scene – a key link between more familiar southern styles and rising Northern modes, all with a personality of its own. Titles include "All Because of You" and "Down In The Country" by Tee Fletcher, "The Hump" and "Tipping Strings" by The Knights, "Somebody Got A Help Me" and "Love is So Mean" by Richard Cook, "Ain't That Sharp" by Young Divines, "Watch The Dog That Bring The Bone" by Sandy Gaye, "Messing Around" by Bobby Owens & The Diplomats, "Shake Daddy Shake" and "Try" by Eula Cooper, "Tumbling Down" by Langston & French, "You Got A Spell On Me" by Bill Wright, "Now That I'm Wise" by Nathan Wilkes, and "Nitecap" by L Daniels. LP, Vinyl record album

A really haunting little sound library record, and one that's very different than just about anything else we can think of in the genre! The set is filled with spare keyboards and electronics – almost in the territory of Terry Riley, but slowed down in pace – so that it's more spacious and meditative, with these elements that almost feel like they'd be perfect for tripping out in a planetarium and watching some nighttime star show! The work was originally used in the film In Kluis, but works beautifully here as a meditative album on its own – with titles that include "Fences", "Nude", "The Wall", "Tree Angle", "Observations", "Problems", "Inside", and "Desire". LP, Vinyl record album

The incredible debut of the mighty Jill Scott – a record that asks and answers a question with the title – then goes on to not only establish Jill as one of the freshest soul music talents of her generation, but also an artist who set the tone for so many others to follow! The record explodes out of the Philly scene with a mixture of underground soul and hip hop production elements – echoing classic modes, yet instantly present too – in a way that still sounds fresher than most of the copycat records that came in its wake – and a good deal of records that preceded it too. Jill scores big with a totally seductive blend of warm instrumentation, subdued funky beats, and immensely captivating soul vocals – and the whole record is awash in Fender Rhodes, giving it a spacey soul sound that will make the record a classic for years to come! Titles include "The Way", "Do You Remember", "Long Rain", "Love Rain", "Honey Molasses", "Slowly Surely", "Watching Me", "One Is The Magic #", and "He Loves Me" – but it's allllll good! The LP includes a remix of "Love Rain" featuring Mos Def! LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible snapshot of the funky soul genius of Sly Stone in an early transitional period – featuring all the known recordings of his short-lived Stone Flower label and production house from 1969-1970! Sly was a rising star at this point, and while the Stone Flower Productions name had been established already for Sly & The Family Stone's work-to-date, there was a brief period when he and manager David Kapralik set out make Stone Flower an official management and production house – and recorded some great tunes with female vocal trio Little Sister, funky soul singer and harmonica player Joe Hicks and funk rock sextet 6ix – as well as some gems sung by Sly himself. Sly & The Family Stone were soon to take off in a really huge way, his business relationship with Kapalik was becoming strained, and other factors behind-the-scenes made it impossible for Stone Flower Productions to really take root, but this brief period is fantastic. We're so glad it's been dug up and collected here! The cuts are primarily written and produced by Sly Stone – with Sly out front on "Just Like A Baby", "Africa", "Spirit" and "Scared" – and other great tracks include "You're The One" and "Somebody's Watching You" by Little Sister, "Home Sweet Home (Part 2)" and "I'm Going Home (Part 1)" by Joe Hicks, "Trying To Make You Feel Good", "You Can, We Can" by 6ix and more. 18 tracks in all – with a nice booklet of notes by Alec Palao, and an interview with the elusive Sly Stone himself! LP, Vinyl record album

A true classic by Jimi with the original Experience lineup – the third of three straight up masterpiece LPs to come out in just over a year's time by the group! You could call the leftfield astral effects in the mix experimental if you had to – innovations in the studio with echo, that hallucinatory backwards sound effect and other stranger bits – but the passionate, naturally expressive playing and singing by Jimi makes it all fell just right, and the Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell still don't get enough credit for being at the heart of such greatness. A massive 2LP effort that includes "Voodoo Chile", "Crosstown Traffic", "Electric Ladyland", "Little Miss Strange", "Moon Turn The Tides", "Still Raining Still Dreaming" and "All Along The Watchtower". LP, Vinyl record album

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, recording in the very familiar territory of the Birdland nightclub – in a format that was handled previously by the Blue Note label, but maybe never with a lineup this great! The performance features the sublime frontline trio of Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, and Bobby Timmons on piano – all players that are their youthful best, and completely on fire with creative imagination under Blakey's leadership – the start of a great run for all of them as solo stars too. The tracks are long, and even if the tunes are sometimes familiar, the performances are spectacular – that special Jazz Messengers energy that makes records like this so great. This second volume includes the tracks "Night Watch", "The Summit", "High Modes", and "The Things I Love". LP, Vinyl record album