One of the most lavish, loving books on hip hop that we've ever seen – a huge volume that manages to be a history of rap music, a photo book, a guide to key albums, and also a personal journey as well – all served up with a vivid, non-stop array of images that make the whole thing even more of a visual delight than digging in the crates! The volume is huge – stuffed with over 1000 images, most in color – photos of album covers, street art, hip hop DJs and MCs, and countless other subjects – all presented in loose chronological order, alongside a history and evolution of the music, plus a timeline of key records and moments – all guided by some personal reflections by the author as well. Chuck D gives the book some huge props in the intro – and this updated volume is a heavy 446 pages, in a softcover edition, filled with images throughout. Book

Funky soul by this Chicago duo that takes the Sam and Dave sound into the funky 70's. Gene Chandler produced. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Excellent psychedelic soul from the Chicago scene that circulated around Gene Chandler at the end of the 60s. Gene produced this one for his Mister Chand label, and Richard Evans provided some nice deep bass-y arrangements – while Simtec & Wylie shout and groove along in their best style! 7-inch, Vinyl record

An incredible batch of prime garage rock era nuggets from the Peruvian scene – fuzzy gems by the Saicos! The Saicos bring a sense of menace to these tunes – with a guitar tone touched with an eerie vibe, and lead vocals that are really piercing and gravelly in that instills this primordial edge that needs to be heard to be believed – but that balance it off with some moddish, British invasion grooves, too. The overall sound manages to blend both the heavy menace of cult acts like the Monks and the Seeds with the tunefulness of the Animals – and clear precursor the garage punk for decades to come! Titles include "Come On (Ven Aqui)", "Ana", "Demolicion", "Lonely Star (Estrella Solitaria)", "Cememterio", "Te Amo", "Fugitivo De Alcatraz", "Salvaje", "El Entierro De Los Gatos", "Besando A Otra" and "Intensamente". Comes with a great booklet, too! LP, Vinyl record album

One of many, many posthumous compilations, but one with some nice rare bits. Comprised mostly of live recordings fromteh Wailers prime early 70s years, plus a few nice studio outtakes, and interspersed with snippets from a radio interview with Marley. Inlcudes "Talkin' Blues", "Burnin' & Lootin'", "Kinky Reggae", "Get Up, Stand Up", "Rastaman Chant", "bend Down Low" and "I Shot The Sheriff". Cassette

A beautifully rich session from bassist Gary Peacock – one that draws equal energy from his three associates on the date – all of whom did some great ECM Records work on their own! Peacock composed the tunes, and his spacious notes on bass provide the core setting – but the album really sparkles with sharp-edged tenor and soprano sax lines from Jan Garbarek, some moody trumpet tones from Tomasz Stanko, and unbridled work on drums from Jack DeJohnette, who almost seems much more free of structure than Peacock on bass. Titles include "Allegory", "Paradigm", "Moor", "Legends", "Voice From The Past", and "Ode For Tomten". LP, Vinyl record album

Cosmic grooves and spacey post disco compiled by Dompteur Mooner – a great third volume of the Elaste series from Compost Records! The soul if disco splintered in the cosmos in the early 80s, soaring strings giving way to funky synths, proto-techno programming and all around galactic feel in the clubs of Europe and pretty much all around the world – and this set pulls together the widest range yet! Definitely not disco in a conventional set, but spacey synth funk and influential club grooves from the early 80s underground that sounds great today! Includes "Take A Chance (Dompteur Mooner Edit)" by Queen Samantha, "Urth" by Mobius, "Beats of Love" by Nacht Und Nebel, "Allein (Original Version)" by Tabu, "Beuys Boys" by Pollyester, "Jamacia Running" by The Pool, "Powerslide" by Mythos, "Africa (Dub Mix)" by Key Of Dreams and more. Includes "Take A Chance (Dopmteur Mooner Edit)" by Queen Samantha, "Urth" by Mobius, "Beats of Love" by Nacht Und Nebel, "Allein (Original Version)" by Tabu, "Beuys Boys" by Pollyester, "Jamacia Running" by The Pool and more. 10 tracks on 2LP for the vinyl version. LP, Vinyl record album

No rift in decorum here – as the record may well be one of the tightest, most focused efforts we've ever heard from trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire – a beautifully-played live set from a really wonderful quartet! Ambrose shapes his notes perfectly throughout – over these building, blocky piano parts from Sam Harris – whose sense of color both balances and amplifies the presence of the leader. The pairing is so great, we might almost miss the work of Harish Raghavan on bass and Justin Brown on drums – except for moments when they burst out in waves of richness that are very inspirational. The song style and length shifts throughout, but never breaks the cohesiveness of the set – and titles include "Brooklyn", "Moment In Between The Rest", "Umteyo", "Maurice & Michael", "Taymoor's World", "Condor", "Withered", and "HAMS". CD

Really beautiful sounds from this great little group – an ensemble who definitely seem to evoke some of the organic qualities of the forest, while also moving between melodic moments and freer, almost windblown levels of sonic expression! At the core is the amazing Chad Taylor on drums – whose looseness and open ear are perfect for the proceedings – led by David Lord on a variety of guitars, and colored strongly by the work of Christine Tavolacci on flutes, David Tranchina on bass, and Nathan Hubbard on vibes, marimba, and percussion! The guitar mixes with other instruments in a really great way, unlocking marvelous colors throughout – on titles that include "Trees Yield Tomte", "All Orange Aleuria", "Nectria", "Wood Nymph", "Green Cap", and "Infant Elm". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing return to form for the Ethiopiques series – wonderful cuts from that early 70s moment when Ethiopian music was really exploding with new ideas! If you've dug some of the other sets in the series – especially those by Mulatu, Tlahoun Gessesse, and Mahmoud Ahmed – you'll find plenty to love here – as the rhythms are exotic, the instrumentation unusual, and the sounds out of this world – really amazing stuff that breaks down any conventions you might expect – exactly that fresh spirit that's been taken up by so many younger artists in recent years. As with other volumes, notes are both in English and French, with lots of images too – and titles include "Wefe Yelala" by Damtew Ayele, "Gebre Guratch Gute" by Abbebe Tessemma, "Yakolele" by Gemetchu Itana, "Kasegnesh" by Tlahoun Gessesse, "Balendjere" by Abayneh Dedjene, "Yeborena Game" by Hayle Werque, and "Ayamaru Eshete" by Essatu Tessemma. CD