DJ Deep does it again – and takes us on a magical journey across decades and cities – bringing back some lost house music gems from Chicago, Detroit, and New York – most of which are from the late 80s and early 90s independent years of the scene! There's a nicely simple sound to most of the tracks here – a style that takes house music back to the core elements of its roots without getting trapped in cliche or overplayed tracks – just simple beats, keys, and maybe a dash of vocals – plus usually a core element that develops as the track rolls on, changing slightly through the minimalist progression of the tune. 2CD set features a both mixed and unmixed disc – with titles that include "The Numbers" by Rodney Baker, "Bring U Up" by Romanthony, "Drum Drum" by Jovonn, "Let Your Body Talk" by Ace & The Sandman, "I'll Never Let You Go" by William S, "I'm So Deep" by Vincent Floyd, "Pump That Body (deep house mix)" by Mr Lee, "Motivation Song" by G Strings, "Whispers" by Ron Allen, "Rain Forest" by Lowkey, and "Feel The Fire/Urban Culture" by Naomi Danielle. CD

A Count Basie trio set – the second meeting of the Kansas City Three, a combo that features Ray Brown on bass an Louis Bellson on drums! Basie's really great here – out front, and moving with modes that are quite different than his fuller group sessions – surprisingly sensitive at points, even though still imbued with all of his trademark swing! Bellson's touch on the kit really helps – punctuating things, while never going too far at all – a nice punch, right when needed – and Ray Brown proves once again that he's just the right fit for just about any combo. Titles include "Racehorse", "Blues For Eric", "Draw", "Sandman", "If I Could Be With You For One Hour Tonight", and "I Surrender Dear". LP, Vinyl record album

Metallica's breakout smash, the album that catapulted the band and the thrash metal genre to the top of the charts. While the production shines just a little brighter then the first few albums, the band is far from extinguishing their torch as metal trailblazers – to this point, there's very few songs as heavy as "Enter Sandman" got into regular airplay rotation and the most of the album hits even harder, even as they fully embraced the more melodic capabilities they barely touched on in the past. Includes "Enter Sandman", "Sad But True", "Nothing Else Matters", "Don't' Tread On Me", "Holier Than Thou" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of classic albums from The Undisputed Truth! First up is Method To The Madness – a gem from the second chapter of the group – that time when they stepped away from Motown, and followed producer/creator Norman Whitfield to his own label in California! The shift of record companies also marks a cool shift in styles too – an approach that still has all the bold, bassy elements you'd know from the earlier hits – but one that also has some fuller, more cosmic elements too! The set begins with a weird electronic spoken number that's almost experimental – then brings up the bass for a bit of heavy funk, while also using electric elements in a way that really points the way to sounds that other big funk groups would cop at the start of the 80s – but which really sound fresh here. Titles include "Sunshine", "Take A Vacation From Life (And Visit Your Dreams)", "Life Ain't So Easy", "You + Me = Love", "Cosmic Contact", "Hole In The Wall", and "Let's Go Down To The Disco". Smokin has them still going strong with Whitfield, in a groove that's every bit as wonderful as their early years! There's a killer mix of funk and deeper soul here that few other acts could handle this well – a way of hitting the flashy funk of Sly & The Family Stone or Graham Central Station – but also not falling into any showbiz traps, either – in a mode that really his the group not only respecting the role of each member, but also working together in a very cohesive way on the album. The result is a great little set that balances funky grooves with some excellent cosmic soul cuts – supported by great session work from giants like Wah Wah Watson, Walt Downing, and Jack Ashford. Titles include "Show Time", "Space Machine", "I Can't Get Enough Of Your Love", "Misunderstood", "Sandman", "Atomic Funk", and "Talkin To The Wind". CD

The Undisputed Truth are still going very strong at the end of the 70s – working with original producer Norman Whitfield, in a groove that's every bit as wonderful as their early years! There's a killer mix of funk and deeper soul here that few other acts could handle this well – a way of hitting the flashy funk of Sly & The Family Stone or Graham Central Station – but also not falling into any showbiz traps, either – in a mode that really his the group not only respecting the role of each member, but also working together in a very cohesive way on the album. The result is a great little set that balances funky grooves with some excellent cosmic soul cuts – supported by great session work from giants like Wah Wah Watson, Walt Downing, and Jack Ashford. A few cool keyboard lines further cement the sound of the record – and titles include "Show Time", "Space Machine", "I Can't Get Enough Of Your Love", "Misunderstood", "Sandman", "Atomic Funk", and "Talkin To The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work from The Box Tops – a set that has the group moving way past their early hits, and finding this really sort of special place in the world of up-and-coming artists in the 60s! The Box Tops were maybe one of the first Memphis rock groups to really put together all the great elements that were bubbling in that city's scene during the 60s – the unique hybrid of soul, country, R&B, and other influences that were filtering into groups via the cross-cultural vibe of the city. That quality really comes through here – partly in the group's performance and the lead vocals of Alex Chilton, partly in the great production by Dann Penn, who also wrote a number of tracks with Spooner Oldham, and partly in the way that fuller arrangements are used to underscore some more soulful touches in the music. Titles include "Sandman", "Choo Choo Train", "I'm Movin On", "People Gonna Talk", "She Shot A Hole In My Soul", "I Met Her In Church", "I Can Dig It", and "If I Had Let You In". LP, Vinyl record album

The most straight up hip hop record from DJ Spinna in quite a while, and it's a tight one! The spacey soul beats Spinna works with get plenty of space to do their thing on Sonic Smash, but there's a tighter, funkier, grittier vibe, too – with some veteran MCs and upstarts on board – include Phonte of Little Brother, Elzhi of Slum Village and Jigmastas, plus Torae, John Robinson, Dynas and more! Titles include "Guaranteed" feat Phonte of Little Brother & Yahzarah, "More Colors" feat Elzhi from Slum Village, "Elemental" feat Sputnik Brown, "Lyrics Is Back" feat Torae, "Lights Out" feat John Robinson, "New York (Duck For Cover)" feat Jigmastas, "Call Me Senor" feat Senor Kaos, "Get On Down" feat Fresh Daily, Homeboy Sandman, & P Casso, "Making Your Way In The World" feat Breeze Brewin & J-Treds, "More" feat Dynas, CD

A pretty great idea for a late 60s rock record – even if the record itself is even better than its idea! The whole concept of the "masked marauders" was that the group was supposedly formed by big rockers of the time – unable to be listed on the cover, because of contractual obligations. And in truth, the set does sound a lot like it could have been lifted from sessions by The Rolling Stones, or Get Back-era Beatles – plus maybe a few other contemporaries too – yet it's all actually the work of some great unknowns, who came up with a sweet gimmick to get the record out there! On its own, the set's a real charmer – and has a mix of rootsy modes and tighter, deeper ideas that's not unlike some of the George Harrison/Phil Spector work – save for those moments when the Marauders are clearly trying to sound a bit more like a big name act. Titles include "I Can't Get No Nookie", "Cow Pie", "Duke Of Earl", "I Am The Japanese Sandman", "Later", "More Or Less Hudson's Bay Again", and "Season Of The Witch". Also features two mono single tracks – "Cow Pie" and "I Can't Get No Nookie". CD