... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... CD

A well-recorded set of live material – one side from a 1972 BBC broadcast, one side from a 1974 In Concert Broadcast! Also includes a studio outtake of "Pyajamarama" – plus versions of "Grey Lagoons", "Sea Breeze", "Virginia Plain", "Song For Europe", "Re-Make/Re-Model", and "Do The Strand". LP, Vinyl record album

Mavis Staples follows up her strong run of recent solo albums by a live set that's maybe even rootsier than the studio material – recorded in London with a nicely small band – which gives the music a nice sort of bite, right from the start! Guitarist Rick Holmstrom is almost an equal star in the spotlight – as his bluesy guitar licks are a big part of the album's sound, and either kick off a tune with a bold lead, or solo for a bit right in the middle. Mavis hardly needs an introduction here – given all the recent acclaim she's gotten in the press – and she does a nice job of throwing in a few surprises along the way, on titles that include "Love & Trust", "What You Gonna Do", "You Are Not Alone", "Can You Get To That", "Let's Do It Again", "Slippery People", "We're Gonna Make It", "Touch A Hand", "Dedicated", and "Who Told You That". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Deluxe edition with bound 94 page booklet. CD

... CD

Packaged in a cool oversized book type case. CD

The debut of Tom Waits – a prettier, less gravelly-voiced and less knowingly seedy effort than the albums to come – and a set that's as tender as any that Waits would ever record! This is Waits in after hours yearning mode, still upright on a barstool or a piano bench, not yet having fallen in a gutter. One of his best! Includes "Ol' 55", "I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You", "Midnight Lullaby", the beautiful "Martha" – which still one of his best written songs), plus "Rosie", "Lonely", "Ice Cream Man", "Closing Time", "Grapefruit Moon", and "Little Trip To Heaven". LP, Vinyl record album

An insane record – and one of the strangest moments in pop music during the early 70s! Coven are best known to most folks for cutting the message-oriented, sweet folk tune "One Tin Soldier" – but here, they change course completely – and offer up a whole album dedicated to the dark arts and satanic pursuits – with a sonic quality that actually beats just about anything ever recorded by Anton La Vey! The record is ostensibly an "anti-witchcraft" album – but it actually comes off as being totally sincere – in a really great way. Some tunes are song-based – like "Coven In Charing Cross", "Black Sabbath", and "Choke Thirst Die" – but the album also has this really long "Satanic Mass", which even features the Lord's Prayer spoken backwards – completely creepy, in a Kenneth Anger magick sort of way! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastically righteous set – a blend of funk and politics that we haven't heard done this well since the 70s – even though the whole record is aimed at dealing with contemporary issues – as you might guess from the title's reference to the late Eric Garner! The set's dedicated to Garner and other victims of brutality – and the group have a sound that's partly in the rich current of bottom-heavy funk of years back – ala Norman Whitfield's work with the Temptations, or maybe even Fuji – mixed with more contemporary elements that seem to further the contemplative aspects of some of the best songs! These guys are a perfect bridge between generations – and a great reminder that, despite the passage of decades, so many issues still haunt us today as they did decades ago. Titles include "Sense Of An Ending", "Three Stars Collide", "Emancipation", "Anti Anthem", "Destiny Skies", "Harlem River", "Bullet", and "2020". CD

Prime weirdness from The Residents! It's fair to consider Fingerprince as a transitional effort from the group, though it's not a dismissible one – it's out there, exciting and may be easier to get all the way through than some of the more anti-pop experiments they delivered in the mid-to-late 70s. It's probably not as confrontational as Meet The Residents and Third Reich 'N Roll – or perhaps it just seems less vicious because the cover art isn't as confrontational. Side one has shorter pieces, which seem to be informed by vintage exotica and field recordings, though it sounds like nothing but the Residents. Side 2 is a single long suite. Titles include "You Yesyesyes", "Home Age Conversation", "Godsong", "March De La Winni", "Bossy", "Boo Who?", "Tournequit Of Roses" and the the 17+ minute, side-long "Six Things To A Cycle". LP, Vinyl record album

The first, independent, Roots LP with so many classics that never made it to their later import and major label releases. What more can we say... Tracks include "The Roots Is Comin", "Pass The Popcorn", "The Anti-Circle", "Writers Block", "Good Music", "Grits", "Leonard I-V", "I'm Out Deah", "Essawhamah? (Live At The Soulshack)", "Popcorn Revisited", "Common Dust", "The Session (Longest Posse Cut In History)", "Carryin' On", "Peace", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A monster couple tracks by The Bob Seger System – from long before Bob become a road weary superstar, working in the late 60s with a pummeling mix of garage rock and real love for gritty Detroit soul! "2+2=?" is a trudging, sort of anti-war song with massive drums and the bass loud in the mix, and Bob had a lot of that great, gravelly grit in his voice even at this young age! "Ivory" a bit more of a rocker's nod to raw soul, again with a killer bass groove, this one with heavy organ, too! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A second set of crucial solo work from Bunny Wailer – material that comes from the time when Bob Marley was hitting huge global success on his own, then passed away too early, and left Bunny as one of the key forces to carry on the original ideas of the Wailers trio! And actually, by that time, Bunny had already gone much deeper – stepping out with material like this, from his own Solomonic Productions imprint, which was about as deeply indie as Bob Marley was commercial – keeping things really raw, spare, and laidback on the production tip – as Bunny continued to push a very righteous agenda with some wonderful tunes of his own! There's only a bit of a hint at some of the changes in larger reggae on these tracks – maybe some longer songs that showcase the move towards 12" singles and album tracks, which actually allows for more interesting production and dubbier moments amidst the roots reggae message of the cuts. Titles include "Anti Apartheid", "Solidarity", "Arab Oil Weapon", "Solomonic Dub", "Galang So", "Riding", "Trouble Is On The Road Ahead", "Cease Fire", "Rule Dancehall", and "Love Fire". LP, Vinyl record album

Totally great material – a very unique package that features some rare gems from the UK postpunk scene that we've only seen on this set! Tracks include "Breach Birth (Blockade mix) by In The Nursery, "Skin Scraped Back" by Workforce, "Muscoviet Musquito" by Xymox, "Gravespit" by Blurt, "Smurf In The Goulag" by Clair Obscur, "Sounds Like Something Dirty" by A Certain Ratio, "Ha" by The Anti Group, "Theme" by Chakk, "Motor City Nightmare" by Hula, and "They're Biting" by A Primary Industry. LP, Vinyl record album

A really great look at the vibrant music scene in the UK city of Sheffield – a place that made its mark in so many different ways, you'll often find us referencing it in comments for other music on the website! The initial sound of Sheffield was an electronic one – an important voice in the post-punk years of England, where some of the initial experimenters were using analogue electronics in ways that were very different from more stodgy, more academic modes from other scenes – tuned more towards a replacement for guitars, and a way of serving up some of the darker British singles of the late 70s. Sheffield was maybe one of the more experimental, more political parts of the UK scene during the early 80s – but could also deliver a tuneful side too, in a shift that's really well documented in this collection. As things moved forward, Sheffield styles had a huge impact on other English recordings – but continued to show the way forward, with a special vibe all through the 80s – as you'll hear on this decade-long journey in music, supported by great and very detailed notes, presented in a cool book-style package. The set features 84 tracks in all – a huge collection of music – with work from Human League, Danse Society, De Tian, Molodoy, TV Product, Y?, Vision, Artery, Stunt Kites, Flying Alphonso Brothers, They Must Be Russians, I scream Brothers, Mein Glas Fabrik, Negatives, Chain, Hula, Dachau Choir, In The Nursery, UV Pop, Pulp, The Midnight Choir, The Anti Group, AC Temple, Scala Timpani, One Thousand Violins, ABC, Mau Maus, Acrobats Of Desire, and many others. CD

Featuring NOFX, Flogging Molly, Anti-Flag, Thursday, Atmosphere, Lawrence Arms, Bad Religion, Good Charlotte, Alkaline Trio, Simple Plan, Death By Stereo, and more. CD

The mighty drummer Elvin Jones is working here with a very hip group – in a mode that's maybe a nice extension of his Blue Note material at the start of the 70s, in a style that shows that he definitely still has all of his groove! As with those records, there's a key reedman in place here – the young Steve Grossman, whose sharp lines are balanced with round basswork from David Williams, and excellent guitar from Roland Prince – who almost sets these chromatic fires along the way! There's also plenty of strong guest help – reeds from Frank Foster, Joe Farrell, and Azar Lawrence, piano from Kenny Barron, and percussion from the great Candido. Titles include "Haresah", "Someone's Rocking My Jazzboat", "Agenda", "Anti Calypso", and "My Lover". CD

Beautiful late work from Lee Morgan! The last five years of Lee's life saw him really stretching out to do some fantastic writing, playing, and leading – and this record stands today as one of the best examples of that period – a pure act of genius, with a sound that really takes off from Lee's earlier Blue Note albums. The styles are a unique blend of soulful hardbop and the more stretched-out spiritualism that would later emerge in the early 70s soul jazz scene – and players include the lesser-known Frank Mitchell on tenor, plus Jackie McLean on alto, Cedar Walton on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – the last of whom provides an amazingly lyrical approach to rhythm, the sort that was key to some of Lee Morgan's best work of the time! Titles include "Afreaka", "Short Count", "The Cry Of My People", "Anti Climax", and "Psychedelic". LP, Vinyl record album

The roots of Lisa Stansfield, and lots of great lost moments too – a wealth of rare remixes and other odd bits – and from what we can tell, none of these were used as bonus tracks on the other 2CD reissues of her albums! The depths of Lisa's music knows no bounds – as her strong run of full length records really tops, if not beats the efforts of any of her UK soul contemporaries. But the albums are only part of the picture, as the Stansfield sound has been spread strongly over so many other great collaborations with other artists – including Coldcut, Massive Attack, Frankie Knuckles, and many others all featured in this 3CD set. The package has a great heavy book-styled cover – and features 33 tracks that include "Change (metamorphosis mix)", "What Did I Do To You (anti poll tax dub)", "Set Your Loving Free (low life mix)", "People Hold On (full length disco mix)", "Let's Just Call It Love (feel it mix)", "The Line (Ian O'Brien's benfleet mix)", "Live Together (big beat mix)", "All Around The World (American club mix)", "I'm Leavin (Hex Hector NYC rough mix)", "Never Never Gonna Give You Up (Frankie Knuckles classic club mix)", "What Did I Do To You (Morales mix)", "You Can't Deny It (Sky King mix)", and lots lots more! CD

A truly incredible overview of 70s Indonesian funk, rock and psychedelia infused recordings – and it's beautifully put together, to boot – one of the very best compilations yet from Stones Throw's Now Again branch! There's an undercurrent of funk to most of this material, but it's always topped off with prog & psych rhythmic heaviness and dexterity, and usually done with passionate, feverish vocals. The story of Indonesian underground music of the time is a complicated one, and one that's been hard to come by outside of the region, given the difficult political circumstances of the time. This amazing set does a tremendous service for this music. Essential! Includes "Haai" by Panbers, "Anti Gandja" by The Brims, "Bad News" by Rollies, "People" by Super Kid", "Evil War" by Shark Move, "Shake Me" by Aja, "The Promise" by Rhythm Kids, "Uang" by Duo Kribo, "Pantun Lama" by Murry Lama, "Hear Me" by Golden Wing, "Candle Light" by Beny Soebardja And Lizard and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Anti-Apartheid rap from this posse of mostly British rap artists, the Black Rhyme Organisation To Help Equal Rights featuring Bernie Grant, London Rhyme Syndicate, Overlord X, London Posse, Cookie Crew, Freshski, Demon Boyz, Gatecrash, Icepick, She Rockers, Junior San, MC Mello, Standing Ovation, Trouble & Bass and HiJack. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A fantastic 20th anniversary celebration of Burnt Sugar – one of the most righteous, forward-thinking ensembles of the past few decades – some of the first proponents of a 21st Century sound that now seems to be flowing from many other corners! Yet these guys are still unlike anyone else we can think of – maybe a jazz ensemble at the core, but one that's keenly aware of soul, funk, and hip hop – and not afraid to allow any of those elements equal play in their music – almost as if Duke Ellington grew up in the 90s, listening to electric Miles Davis, Tribe Called Quest, and Curtis Mayfield – then found a way to expand larger musical ideas based on influences that diverse. Greg Tate founded the group, and directs with bassist Jared Michael Nickerson – and this series of three CDs is dedicated to bringing back some of the group's best work, much of which has gone out of print in recent years. Guests on this third volume include Vijay Iyer, Matana Roberts, Anti-Pop Consortium, Jeremiah Abia, and others – and titles include "God Is Black", "Black Fros Black Gold", "Young Frankenstank", "Sleep Is The Cousin Of Def", "Mack Jarrett", "Chains & Water", "The Name Is Blunt Sonny Blount", "Spartacus Free The Slaves", and "A Blood Sample From Erroll Garner". CD

Vive Le Rock normally focuses on the music of late 70s punk and beyond – but this time around, the cover feature looks back to the influence of early 70s David Bowie on the sounds of decades to come – alongside other features on The Mission, Ed Tudor Pole, Anti Flag, The Specials, Slaughter, Circle Jerks, and the legendary Handsome Dick Manitoba! As always, there's plenty of pics and very vivid presentation – which really helps illuminate the mix of musical history and new recordings. Magazine

Amazing sounds from one of the best funky combos anywhere – ever! Antibalas have certainly risen to fame in the years since we first heard their Afro-styled grooves – working famously in the Fela musical, and reaching generations of ears with their own brilliant records. Yet throughout it all, they've always stayed true to their sound – and, if anything, are even sharper, tighter, and funkier than before – all extremely adept not only at playing their instruments, but at hitting the right sort of sound to cut through all the BS that was holding back funky Afro grooves for years! Part of that sound comes from superb Daptone production by Gabriel Roth – who really knows how to keep things lean and mean and full of energy. But the core credit really goes to the group – who never cease to amaze us here – and continually come up with fresh sounds on their keyboards and horns – and inventive rhythms to match! Titles include "Dirty Money", "The Rat Catcher", "Ari Degbe", "Ibeji", "Sare Kon Kon", and "Him Belly No Go Sweet". CD

Antibalas take a page from the Wu-Tang book, and add a little kung fu action to their music – with results that maybe make this set one of their freshest in years! All the core energy of the group is very firmly in place – that razor-sharp instrumentation that's made these guys one of the best funky groups on the planet for over 20 years, and which also still makes Antibalas head and shoulders above some of the groups that sprung up in their wake – and this time around, the lyrical themes are nicely expanded, so that the vocals have as much dynamic energy as the horns and Afro Funk percussion – almost with this narrative approach that furthers the message in the music. Titles include "Lai Lai", "Fight Am Finish", "Koto", "Amenawon", and "Mttt (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of great albums from the overlooked Ars Nova – back to back in a single set! First up is the 1968 self-titled Ars Nova – a wonderful little set of post-folk rock – with lots of lovely baroque touches! Ars Nova were really short-lived group – known for only two rare records – but they've got a sound that perfectly sums up a generation! There's a wonderful LA late 60s sound here – somewhere between Love and The Byrds, with the baroque touches of the former and the best country influences of the latter – all wrapped up in earnest, honest songwriting that makes even the ambitious moments come across with surprising charm. A true lost relic, and the kind of record that should be in any late 60s cannon! Titles include "Album In Your Mind", "Pavan For My Lady", "General Clover Ends A War", "And How Am I To Know", "Fields Of People", "Automatic Love", and "Song To The City". Sunshine & Shadows is the second tripped-out set from Ars Nova – an under-remembered late 60s group who had a great talent for blending together a range of different styles! At some level, Ars Nova share qualities with some of the harder-jamming groups of their time – but they've also got a sound that expands to bring in folk, blues, jazz, and more baroque elements – played by the group with a lineup that includes some nice work on trumpet by Jimmy Owens, who at this point was a core member of the combo. Brooks Arthur handled the overall music direction, with a quality that recalls some of his work on Verve – and the album features the wonderful bossa-styled groover "Walk On The Sand", a romping soul jazz take on Jimmy Owens' "You Had Better Listen", and the cuts "Rubbish", "Please Don't Go Now", "Temporary Serenade", "She Promises Everything", and "Round Once Again". CD

Titles include "Freak A Ristic", "Cool Calm Collected", "Silver Shadow", "Let's Start It Over", "Thank You", and "If Your Heart Isn't In It". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album by Atlantic Starr – a tight set of modern soul tunes with a very different feel than their later work! Part of the credit goes to Bobby Eli – who arranged and produced the set, giving it a feel that's almost late Philly – tight, sophisticated, and right on the money at all the best points! There's a number of sweet mellow ballads with lead vocals by Sharon Bryant, and other tracks that groove in an uptempo way that points towards more of the group's 80s work – a great mix of modes that makes for a really well-developed album right out of the gate. Titles include "Gimme Your Lovin", "The Love I Never Had", "Visions", "Keep It Comin", "Stand Up", "Where There's Smoke There's Fire", "We Got It Together", and "Being In Love With You Is So Much Fun". CD features a bonus track – "Stand Up (single version)". CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

... CD

A very cool inner sleeve for CDs – perfect for storing them in LP-styled covers! The clear plastic sleeves are similar to the ones you get in Japanese Paper Sleeve packages – and they're great for using if you lose your sleeves from any of those, or if you've bought LP-styled CD packages from other outlets – and want something to protect the CD inside! Antistatic, and very well constructed. Record Care

Chamber 3 is Christian Eckert on guitar, Steffen Weber on tenor, and Matt Jorgensen on drums – with guest work from Phil Sparks on bass. CD

A fantastic vintage performance from the legendary Ray Charles – his first concert outside the US, spread out over four different nights at the Antibes Festival in France in 1961! This package brings together the full performance for the first time ever – not only including material from all four nights that Ray played the festival, but also bonus tracks that feature Charles on piano with other singers too. The tunes are a nice mix of the jazzier style of the last few Atlantic albums, with some of the more familiar R&B of Ray's 50s singles – and titles include "Lil Darlin", "The Story", "Georgia On My Mind", "What'd I Say", "My Bonnie", "One Mint Julep", "Hornful Soul", "Let The Good Times Roll", "Tell The Truth", "I Wonder", and "With You On My Mind". Bonus tracks feature material with Lula Reed, Joe Turner, Tommy Ridgely, and Guitar Slim – and the 4CD set features 61 tracks in all. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Quadrant 4", "Moon Germs", "Stratus", "Do What Cha Wanna", "Panhandler", "Pleasant Pheasant", and "Red Baron". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

The early genius of John Coltrane – summed up perfectly on his albums for Atlantic Records! Coltrane was really going through some amazing changes here – picking up on some of his more modal and freewheeling solo expressions, while also able to hang back in some of the more soulful moments of his previous work on Prestige – criss-crossing jazz territory that few would touch this well again, even though Coltrane continues to influence so many with these records! The package presents five full albums in mono – all of them classics – Giant Steps (with the title track, "Naima", "Mr PC", and "Cousin Mary"), Bags & Trane (a duet session with vibist Milt Jackson), Ole Coltrane (with the incredible side-long title cut), Coltrane Plays The Blues, and The Avant Garde (an amazing collaboration with trumpeter Don Cherry). Package also includes The Coltrane Legacy – a special collection of rare mono recordings, with the titles "Untitled Original", "26-2", "Original Untitled Ballad", "Centerpiece", "Stairway To The Stars", and "Blues Legacy". Box also features a 7" 45rpm single of "My Favorite Things" in mono – and box, vinyl, covers, and booklet are nice and heavy! LP, Vinyl record album

What can we say? Trane's work for Atlantic is still some of his best – and the versions of tunes on this album remain as some of the best-remembered tracks in his rich rich bag of songs. Titles include "Giant Steps", "Naima", "Cousin Mary", "Equinox", and the fantastic original 13 minute reading of "My Favorite Things". CD

Issued by the group on their own label, with titles that include "Amigo", "Desengano II", "Silencio", "Esta Sellado", "Desmayo", and "Tu Ausencia". LP, Vinyl record album

Very searing sounds here from reedman Lao Dan – who not only blows alto sax, but also suona and Chinese bamboo flute – all in a freely improvised setting with Paul Flaherty on alto and tenor, Damon Smith on bass, and Randall Colbourne on drums and percussion! Some moments are bold and full-on – especially when Dan is on alto, next to Flaherty – others are somewhat spacious, but still pick up this intensity as they progress – which happens often, given that three of the album's four tracks are well past the 20 minute mark! Titles include "Long Shadows", "Relentless Still", "Winter Dawn", and "Noise & Light". CD