... LP, Vinyl record album

Blue belles with attitude, and plenty of soul as well – a sweet collection of west coast female R&B from the postwar years – put together with the usual top-shelf standard we expect from Ace Records! And although R&B, the tunes here almost have an early soul sound at points – deep, heartfelt vocals that definitely lay the groundwork for southern soul and other styles to come in the 60s. All the work here comes from the vaults of Modern/RPM Records – and in addition to some key sides from the late 40s and 1950s, the package also features some unreleased treasures that easily stand head-to-head with the commercially released tracks on the set. The CD features 28 tracks in all – 23 on this format for the first time ever – and as usual with Ace, the booklet's a wealth of information, label scans, and vintage photos. Titles include "Mr T 99" by Del Graham, "Two Years Of Torture" by Edna Broughton, "I Ain't In The Mood" by Helen Humes, "I'm Tellin You Baby" by The Nic Nacs, "That's Fat Jack" by Jimmy Lee & Artis, "Nightmare Blues"by Mari Jones, "Be Bop Boogie" by Effie Smith, "Lonely Girl" by Cordella De Milo, "Mean Ole Gal" by Esther Jones with Johnny Otis, and "Vivianne's Boogie" by Vivianne Green. 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

This issue features a fantastic interview with the Dirty Wurds, one of Chicago's greatest blues-based 60s garage bands! Also featuring interviews with peter Bagge, Al Aronowitz, and Unknown Hinson, plus features on Andy Kaufman, Chicago Stoner rock, comic book history and much more. Plus numerous comix and detailed, insightful remembrances of Richard Tepp, Ray Charles, Arthur Kane, Richie Cordell, Johnny Ramone, Russ Meyer, Greg Shaw and more. Also includes bonus CD! Magazine

A massive treasure from the P-Funk empire – an unreleased George Clinton project during his glory days on Westbound Records! The group features Gary Shider in the lead on vocals – with support from other US Music members, and a fair bit of the current Funkadelic lineup too – musicians who played on the legendary America Eats Its Young sessions, recorded at the same time as this one! The sound is incredibly sinister – even more tripped-out, fuzzy, and psychedelic than most regular Funkadelic work – with lots of dark moments, and basslines that are sure to blast out your speakers – courtesy of Cordell Mosson. Other group members chime in with Shider, too – in the best Clinton-directed style of the time – and the whole thing has a massive ensemble feel that's wonderful, and right up there with the well known Westbound P-Funk recordings of the time. Why this one wasn't released is a real mystery to us – but we're mighty thankful to finally have it out! Titles include "This Broken Heart", "Baby I Owe You Something Good", "Be What You Is", "I Miss My Baby", and "Rat Kiss The Cat On The Naval". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 19 tracks and featuring songs by the Untouchables, Classic Four, Larry Lee & the Leisures, Kenny & the Socialites, Jo-Ann, the Question Marks, Starfires, Ritchie Cordell, and more! CD

Yulesville is coolsville – especially when it comes in the form of a killer collection of rare Christmas singles from the folks at Bear Family! The package is awash in the kind of groovy, sometimes goofy Holiday singles that broke big in the early years of rock and soul – a nice antidote to the sort of sleepier work that usually graced the record racks in earlier years – and the kind of music that's perfect for sipping egg nog into the wee small hours of Christmas morning! There's plenty of gems here that we've never heard before, and plenty of other great nuggets too – titles that include "Rock & Roll Christmas" by Cordell Jackson, "Wishing Is For Fools" by The Melodeers, "Jingle Jangle" by The Penguins, "Jingle Rock" by Tommy Lee & The Orbits, "Big White Cadillac" by Little Joey Farr, "Xmas Bell Rock" by Barry & The Highlights, "Twisten Bells" by Santo & Johnny, "Sleigh Bell Rock" by Three Aces & A Joker, "Winter Wonderland" by Allen & The Flames, "The Cactus Christmas Tree" by The McGuire Sisters, "It's Christmas Everywhere" by Paul Anka, "All Winter Long" by Linda Laure, and "Christmas Kisses" by The Bookends & Ray Anthony. 33 tracks in all! CD