... LP, Vinyl record album

Fuzzy and genuinely well-crafted private press grooves from the Emerson brothers – with crazy good hooks, some surprisingly solid musicianship – and songs that range from straight-up catchy, though fuzz-drenched rock, to funk and soul! Donnie Emerson is the lead singer, guitarist and bass player, along with some synth – and on the best tunes, he's got a confident, laidback and warm style on vocals that truly doesn't feel the voice of a kid still in his teens – with brother Joe on drums and other friends on backing vocals here and there. Here's a record that profoundly transcends the private press novelty and the goofy jumpsuits they're rocking on the front cover! Includes "Good Time", "Give Me The Chance", "Baby", the instrumental groover "Feels Like The Sun", "Love Is", "Don't Go Lovin' Nobody Else", "Dream Full Of Dreams" and "My Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

The only solo record by Memphis/Muscle Shoals session hero and songwriter Spooner Oldham! Spooner's organ and piano sessions and knack for soulful songwriting with partner Dan Penn will forever cement his legend in the southern soul AND rock canons, but he rarely sought a spotlight of his own. This rarity is really something special! The first half is a stylistically diverse snapshot of his songwriting side, with some lesser remembered tunes he wrote or co-wrote, sung with folksy charm. The back half is a sweet, largely instrumental medley version of some huge songs he originally played on for others. A low key gem! Includes "The Lord Loves An Rolling Stone", "Life's A Package Of Puzzles", "Julie Brown's Forest", "Easy Listening" a great instrumental medley of "When A Man Loves A Woman", "Cry Like A Baby", "Respect" and other soulful tunes and "Will The Circle Be Unbroken". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible document of the new wave of country sounds that bubbled up from the underground in the 70s – amazing new music that went far beyond the styles of Nashville, to encompass a big range of modes from Texas and other points south – penned and performed by musicians who'd have a huge influence for generations to come! This expanded set features music from the Heartworn Highways film – which provided a documentary of this new generation – and the songs are recorded in just the right sort of stripped-down, personal style to make the right qualities shine through instantly. The set still blows away just about any insurgent country sounds from later years – and titles include "That Old Time Feeling" by Guy Clark, "I Still Sing The Old Songs" by David Allen Coe, "Bluebird Wine" by Rodney Crowell, "Alabama Highway" by Steve Young, "Waiting Round To Die" by Townes Van Zandt, "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" by Steve Young, "Darlin Commit Me" by Steve Earle, "The Black Label Blues" by Gamble Rogers, "Pancho & Lefty" by Townes Van Zandt, and "One For The One" by John Hiatt. LP, Vinyl record album

Warm, soulful sounds from a crucial time in the Japanese music scene – a 70s moment when the nation was finding a special groove of its own – but one that also drew heavily from American soul and jazz as well! It's no secret that the Japanese have always had a great love of American sounds – but by the mid 70s, that longtime love had also turned into some great homegrown sounds of their own – as Japan developed a number of its own strong soul singers, who were often backed by the ever-growing array of great jazz musicians, particularly those of the fusion side of the spectrum. Plus, there also seemed to be a lot more criss-crossing between Tokyo and US studios at the time – particularly those on the west coast – which resulted in a special blend of sounds that had all the class and cool of the Japanese urban scene, but also some of the sunniness of the west coast too. That special mix of music is perfectly summed up here – in a collection that offers up plenty of cuts that were never issued outside of Japan back in the day – with vocals both in English and Japanese, and plenty of grooves that are perfect for any fan of fusion-styled R&B. Titles include the classic "LA Nights" by Yasuko Agawa – plus "Say Goodbye" by Hiroshi Sato, "I Say Who" by Tomoko Soryo, "Sports Men" by Haruomi Hosoni, "Midnight Driver" by Minako Yoshida, "Machibouke" by Tazumi Toyoshima, "Exotic Yokogao" by Hitomi Tohyama, "Lady Pink Panther" by Shigeru Suzuki, "Drip Dry Eyes" by Yukihiro Takahashi, and "Bamboo Vendor" by Masayoshi Takanaka. CD

A really special look at the sound of the Pacific Northwest – served up here on a host of rare recordings from legendary Seattle producer Kearney Barton – all pulled from never-issued tapes that were stored at his home for decades, and released here to the public for the first time ever! The music is a really great mix of modes – rare funk and soul, trippy psych, and some of the leaner, meaner cuts that first put the northwest scene on the map at the start of the 60s – music that spans a much wider spectrum than you might expect from a city like Seattle – a huge cultural cache that really reflects the wider musical version of Barton! The spirit's a fair bit like some of the best genre-crossing Numero compilations from years back – and the whole thing's overstuffed with rare nuggets we'd never have heard otherwise, backed up with plenty of notes on the music, and on Barton himself. Titles include "Happy" by Secret Dynamics, "Looking Through Eyes Of Glass" by Ann Wilson & The Daybreaks, "Sticky" by James Henry & The Olympics, "Occupation Soul" by Occupation Soul, "Wrong Age" by Muf, "High Flyer" by Magic Ferns, "All My Nights All My Days" by The Wailers, "Qui El Petit" by Wilkins, "Everybody Knows" by Sweet Rolle, "Hold To God's Unchanging Hand" by Beacon Hill First Baptist Choir, "Mmm Mmm Mmm" by Dave Lewis, and "Don't Ask Me" by Tiki & The Fabulous. CD

Never-heard music from the enigmatic Jim Sullivan – the singer/songwriter who disappeared in the New Mexico desert after giving the world his fantastic album UFO! The style here is a bit different than that one, and maybe even more to the heart of Jim's spirit – as the work was all recorded in 1969, with just vocals and guitar – in a way that lets the brilliance of Jim's songcraft come across even more strongly than before – but all without ever feeling like scratchy demo tapes, or half-finished ideas! Instead, the album stands as a much-needed addition to the tiny Sullivan catalog – and really has us wondering what else Jim would have given us, if the shadows of mystery hadn't taken him away. Titles include "Roll Back The Time", "Walls", "Sandman", "Jerome", "Close My Eyes", "What Is My Name", and "So Natural". CD

A wonderful snapshot of the late 60s/early 70s underground rock scene in Vancouver! The original album was put together as a benefit for the Cool Aid House – a shelter for homeless youth in Vancouver, and no doubt a haven for hippie culture at the time. The album was and is a vital document of the scene – touching on the freedom-seeking vibe of the time in the lyricism, but free of hippie rock cliche –it's great stuff! Sunny and loose harmonies, deft acoustic and electric instrumentation, creative and inviting music from Spring, Route Nine, Mock Duck, Papa Bear's Medicine Show, Black Snake, Mock Duck and others. Includes "Girl Of The Night Suite" by Route Nine, "The Reason" and "Catfish" by Black Snake, "Do Re Me" by Mock Duck, "Gardens And Flowers" by Hydro Electric Streetcar and more. This beautiful joint effort reissue from Light In The Attic and Lion includes a bonus second LP of material! 9 on LP2: "Borrowed Song" by Mock Duck, "Wordplay" by Spring, "Carousel" by Black Snake, "The Planet Man" by Greydon Moore and Leo Jung and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Warm, soulful sounds from a crucial time in the Japanese music scene – a 70s moment when the nation was finding a special groove of its own – but one that also drew heavily from American soul and jazz as well! It's no secret that the Japanese have always had a great love of American sounds – but by the mid 70s, that longtime love had also turned into some great homegrown sounds of their own – as Japan developed a number of its own strong soul singers, who were often backed by the ever-growing array of great jazz musicians, particularly those of the fusion side of the spectrum. Plus, there also seemed to be a lot more criss-crossing between Tokyo and US studios at the time – particularly those on the west coast – which resulted in a special blend of sounds that had all the class and cool of the Japanese urban scene, but also some of the sunniness of the west coast too. That special mix of music is perfectly summed up here – in a collection that offers up plenty of cuts that were never issued outside of Japan back in the day – with vocals both in English and Japanese, and plenty of grooves that are perfect for any fan of fusion-styled R&B. Titles include the classic "LA Nights" by Yasuko Agawa – plus "Say Goodbye" by Hiroshi Sato, "I Say Who" by Tomoko Soryo, "Sports Men" by Haruomi Hosoni, "Midnight Driver" by Minako Yoshida, "Machibouke" by Tazumi Toyoshima, "Exotic Yokogao" by Hitomi Tohyama, "Lady Pink Panther" by Shigeru Suzuki, "Drip Dry Eyes" by Yukihiro Takahashi, and "Bamboo Vendor" by Masayoshi Takanaka. LP, Vinyl record album

New work from the Sharpshooters – the best record we've ever heard from this Seattle-based duo! These guys have grown tremendously since the last time we heard from them – really stretching out their range of influences and styles, in a way that makes this album a delightful blend of beats, riffs, samples, and skits – leaping from record to record with an amazing array of sounds, as surprising at each turn as it is funky! A few tracks have vocals, but the best bits are really the instrumental ones, including the nice little interlude bits. Titles include "Love Walked Past", "All That Glitters", "The Sound Of Soul", "Japanese Mathematics", "The Young & The Restless", "Give It Up", "Toot My Own Horn", "Never Gonna", and "Pommes Frites". CD