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New Order take a slightly sweeter turn for this mid 80s set – but still never lose the charm that won us from their first few records! There's a warmth here we might not have expected in the immediate post-Joy Division years – and a catchy tunefulness on some of the biggest crossover numbers on the set – yet, given the commercial dreck of the time, New Order are still way ahead of the pack – and from the perspective of these many years later, we're even more impressed at the way they manage to balance nascent pop sensibilities with some of the darker leanings of their roots. More than enough edgey guitar and moody basslines to please fans of the first two albums – on titles that include "Sunrise", "Elegia", "Love Vigilantes", "The Perfect Kiss", "Sub Culture", "Face Up", and "Sooner Than You Think". 2CD set features 8 more bonus cuts – including "Shellshock (substance edit)", "The Perfect Kiss", "Subculture (John Robie rmx)", "Salvation (theme)", "Dub Vulture", and "Shame Of The Nation". CD

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The steely cover's an apt one – as New Order have still largely held onto their edge here – those raspy guitars and moodier moments that first marked their early work – all elements that keep things compelling amidst some of the more tuneful moments of the songs! There's definitely a lot more hooks than before, but most tracks are still pretty far from commercial pop – and if anything, showcase the preference for darker sounds that would mark the alt rock underground that was springing up in the US, clearly a generation inspired by New Order's initial experiments. Titles include "All Day Long", "Weirdo", "Paradise", "State Of The Nation", "Angel Dust", "Every Little Counts", and "As It Is When It Was". CD

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A breakin' classic – and the record that almost got Arthur Baker into a lot of trouble! This is the US issue of New Order's classic electro-driven "Confusion" – offered up here on Baker's Streetwise label in a semi-legit release, with some extra mixes that take the tune past the original, into great territory for the electro crowd! 12-inch, Vinyl record

New Order take a slightly sweeter turn for this mid 80s set – but still never lose the charm that won us from their first few records! There's a warmth here we might not have expected in the immediate post-Joy Division years – and a catchy tunefulness on some of the biggest crossover numbers on the set – yet, given the commercial dreck of the time, New Order are still way ahead of the pack – and from the perspective of these many years later, we're even more impressed at the way they manage to balance nascent pop sensibilities with some of the darker leanings of their roots. More than enough edgey guitar and moody basslines to please fans of the first two albums – on titles that include "Sunrise", "Elegia", "Love Vigilantes", "The Perfect Kiss", "Sub Culture", "Face Up", and "Sooner Than You Think". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful early work from New Order – a stunning full-length set that brilliantly follows on the promise of their initial singles! Production is by Martin Hannett at the top of his game – almost even more sonically sensitive to New Order's work than that of Joy Division – especially given the additional electronics here. Tracks are all quite dark, but never too overdone – and although there's a hint of dancefloor energy, it's definitely second on the agenda in the music – since most tunes still have a moody post-punk feel. Titles include "Truth", "Senses", "The Him", "ICB", "Denial", "Doubts Even Here", and "Dreams Never End". LP, Vinyl record album

Arguably the most perfect record ever from New Order – a stunning second full length set that has the group emerging from the turgid depths of the early post-Ian Curtis years, and before the schmaltzy pop of the John Hughes generation! The electronics are wonderful – definitely a few generations ahead of their time, especially in the way they realize all the north England experimentation of the time, but bring it into more tuneful territory – yet never without losing its edge. The group produced the record themselves, and managed to hold onto lots of the best lessons learned from Martin Hannett – and there's a tightness and economy to the songwriting that holds up beautifully over the years. Titles include "Ultraviolence", "The Village", "We All Stand", "Your Silent Face", and the lovely "Leave Me Alone". CD

Arguably the most perfect record ever from New Order – a stunning second full length set that has the group emerging from the turgid depths of the early post-Ian Curtis years, and before the schmaltzy pop of the John Hughes generation! The electronics are wonderful – definitely a few generations ahead of their time, especially in the way they realize all the north England experimentation of the time, but bring it into more tuneful territory – yet never without losing its edge. The group produced the record themselves, and managed to hold onto lots of the best lessons learned from Martin Hannett – and there's a tightness and economy to the songwriting that holds up beautifully over the years. Titles include "Ultraviolence", "The Village", "We All Stand", "Your Silent Face", and the lovely "Leave Me Alone". LP, Vinyl record album

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Three disc collection of works by members of New Order and other Factory Records musicians. CD

The steely cover's an apt one – as New Order have still largely held onto their edge here – those raspy guitars and moodier moments that first marked their early work – all elements that keep things compelling amidst some of the more tuneful moments of the songs! There's definitely a lot more hooks than before, but most tracks are still pretty far from commercial pop – and if anything, showcase the preference for darker sounds that would mark the alt rock underground that was springing up in the US, clearly a generation inspired by New Order's initial experiments. Titles include "All Day Long", "Weirdo", "Paradise", "State Of The Nation", "Angel Dust", "Every Little Counts", and "As It Is When It Was". 2CD set features lots of bonus singles – including "Blue Monday 88", "Bizarre Love Triangle (Shep Pettibone rmx)", "1963", "True Faith (Shep Pettibone rmx)", "Touched By The Hand Of God", and "Evil Dust". CD

Extended mixes of songs on the Music Complete album. CD

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Beautiful early work from New Order – a stunning full-length set that brilliantly follows on the promise of their initial singles! Production is by Martin Hannett at the top of his game – almost even more sonically sensitive to New Order's work than that of Joy Division – especially given the additional electronics here. Tracks are all quite dark, but never too overdone – and although there's a hint of dancefloor energy, it's definitely second on the agenda in the music – since most tunes still have a moody post-punk feel. Titles include "Truth", "Senses", "The Him", "ICB", "Denial", "Doubts Even Here", and "Dreams Never End". 2CD set is filled with brilliant bonus tracks – 10 more numbers that include important early singles – with tracks that include "Hurt", "Mesh", "Ceremony", "Procession", "Cries & Whispers", "In A Lonely Place", "Everything's Gone Green", and both 12" and 7" mixes of "Temptation". CD

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Includes performances of "Turn The Heater On", "We All Stand", "Too Late", and "5-8-6". CD

Arguably the most perfect record ever from New Order – a stunning second full length set that has the group emerging from the turgid depths of the early post-Ian Curtis years, and before the schmaltzy pop of the John Hughes generation! The electronics are wonderful – definitely a few generations ahead of their time, especially in the way they realize all the north England experimentation of the time, but bring it into more tuneful territory – yet never without losing its edge. The group produced the record themselves, and managed to hold onto lots of the best lessons learned from Martin Hannett – and there's a tightness and economy to the songwriting that holds up beautifully over the years. Titles include "Ultraviolence", "The Village", "We All Stand", "Your Silent Face", and the lovely "Leave Me Alone". 2CD set features 8 more bonus cuts – including "Blue Monday", "The Beach", "Confusion", "Thieves Like Us", "Lonesome Tonight", "Murder", and instrumental versions of "Confusion" and "Thieves Like Us". CD

A very cool little set, and one that's a lot different than you might expect from the "new romantics" reference in the title! Sure, there's some cuts here that are from the moment when the British scene was cracking the charts with nice haircuts, catchy electro rhythms, and smart lyrics – but the bulk of the set is actually music from the generation before – the kind of work that inspired the new romantics of the early 80s, mixed with cuts from that era, but which are not nearly as well known! The box begins very early in the 70s, and traces bits of prog, glam, and other pre-punk styles – then ends up in more familiar territory at the end, but with a less familiar vibe. Make sense? Probably not – but that's the great thing about a really well-done collection like this – 59 tracks with really great notes – and work from Tubeway Army, The Cure, Zager & Evans, Lounge Lizards, Grace Jones, Fox, Magazine, Spandau Ballet, Heaven 17, Japan, Yellow, Nightmares In Wax, Visage, Landscape, Flying Lizards, Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band, Sister Sledge, Lipps Inc, Barry Gray, Glaxo Babies, New Order, Blue Rondo A La Turk, Tom Tom Club, ABC, M, Heat Exchange, John Foxx, The Normal, and many others! CD

Badu is back with some of the deepest, funkiest and best music of her career – a mindblowing treatise for a New Amerykah – and what we'll consider an instant classic whether the world at large catches on or not! Erykah steps up this time with a set that balances the wilder impulses of her criminally underappreciated Worldwide Underground and more of a hip hop based, righteously grooving style – but still bursts with a freshness that's unrivaled to say the least. From free spirited soul, to sparse hip hop funk this record is both blunt and beautiful – with a slow-building emotional resonance that'll reach the most jaded souls. Modern soul music of the first order that gives us goosebumps from the first spin to the last beat! The album kicks off with Erykah riffing on and remixing Ramp's "American Promise" as an intro – and it just gets deeper from there. Producers/collaborators include Madlib, Sa-Ra, Karriem Riggins, James Poyser and ?uestlove. Amazing!!! Titles include "The Healer", "Me", "My People", "Soldier", "The Cell", "Twinkle", "Master Teacher", "The Hump" and "Telephone". LP, Vinyl record album

The DOG here stands for drums, organ, and guitar – played, in order, by Cecil Brooks II, Kyle Koehler, and Matt Chertkoff – a hip little trio that definitely lives up to the groove we've come to expect from Brooks! Years back, when first recording for Muse Records, Brooks really won us over as a real traditionalist in the soul jazz mode – a 90s artist who could still hang onto the best energy of the 60s Prestige Records sound. And all these many years later, Cecil's still one of the best cats to come up with that sound – heard here in a really cooking blend of Hammond, guitar, and drums – all recorded live at Brooks' own club in New Jersey – a spot that holds onto the long Garden State tradition of heavy Hammond grooves. Titles include "Tu Tu", "Theme From Mannix", "Sunny", "Hey Joe", "Penn Relays", "Don't Know Why", and "They Long To Be Close To You". CD

Ralph J Gleason might just be one of the coolest cats to ever write about music – a key part of the San Francisco scene during the postwar years – where his talents helped illuminate both the worlds of art and music during the beat generation – then really helped shine a spotlight on all the cultural changes in the city during the 60s – which even led to Gleason's role in the founding of Rolling Stone magazine! Gleason always had a great eye (and ear) for things that were new and special, but never in a way that was slavish to the moment – or to its creator – and the book features an initial section on his writings on jazz and blues – with essays on John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Carmen McRae, BB King, John Handy, Vince Guaraldi & Bola Sete, Cal Tjader, Ben Webster, the San Francisco Jazz scene, and other diverse topics. The second section features Gleason on folk and rock – with bits on Jefferson Airplane, Hank Williams, Lenny Bruce, Odetta, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and others – and the final section features articles on politics and culture – covering topics that include Richard Nixon, radio payola, Law & Order, flower children, and other slices of society, seen from the Gleason viewpoint. Book is hardcover, and 309 pages. Book

A beautiful bit of electro pop from Modern Art – a group who was a much more obscure part of the UK post-punk scene than some of the artists recording for labels like Cherry Red or Factory Records! Yet there's also a sound here that really evokes some of the hipper strands of the latter – maybe the sound of early New Order, but without as much darkness, or the excellent From The Hip album by Section 25! Like that record, the approach here is spare and focused on electric percussion and instrumentation – used very tunefully, and on tunes that are surprisingly catchy, even though quite far from any commercial territory. The simplicity gives the record a surprisingly optimistic feel – and since the original run was only issued on cassette, the whole thing missed getting the attention it deserved the first time around. Titles include "Dreaming Again", "Discover", "Sad Delusion", "Oriental Towers", "Sand In Your Eyes", and "Stars" – with three bonus tracks too! CD

The piano of Oscar Peterson meets the vibes of Milt Jackson – and the result is a wonderfully groovy set! We can't remember when the 2 players had worked together before in order to have such "reunion" – but they work together beautifully on this session, with Jackson's vibes bringing in a whole new range of colors, tones, and sounds to the usual Peterson set! As with the other MPS recordings in Oscar's career, the sound here is impeccable – very well done, and in a way that has the ringing tones of both players floating in air beautifully next to each other. Ray Brown's bass and the drums of Louis Hayes complete the group – and titles include "Satisfaction", "Dream Of You", "When I Fall In Love", "Red Top", "Reunion Blues", and "Some Day My Prince Will Come". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic work from the Razz team of Matt Warren and Ralphi Rosario – and the kind of single that really shows the influence of UK imports on the Chicago house scene! The music has this stark, cold feel that almost takes off from New Order's "Confusion" in terms of construction and spirit – especially the dub versions on the US single of that cut – but there's also some warmer elements too, thanks to mixing by Farley Jackmaster Funk! 12-inch, Vinyl record

13 tracks from Asian Dub Foundation, Soul Coughing, Portishead, Goldie, Fishmans, The Folk Implosion, New Order, Stretch & Vern Presents "MADDOG", Wildchild, Ian Brown, The Cure, and Orbital. CD

Beautiful sounds from a very unique label – one started in Paris by a Malian merchant in the 80s, in order to both present sounds from his homeland, and all of the wonderful new variations that were taking place on the cross-cultural scene in France! The body of work is partly a compelling document of culture in diaspora, but more importantly presents a nice range of grooves with a vibe that's very different than mainstream music from the time – especially some of the too-commercialized records that were shifting big numbers on the world music scene. Most of these tracks have a very down to earth presentation – professional, but never overdone – mixing older styles with electric instrumentation and just a touch of studio sweetening, but hardly much at all. Titles include "Duna" by Halima Kissima Toure, "Ayebo" by Hadja Soumano, "Bolinaame" by Diaby Doua, "Tenedo" by Ami Traore, "Alla Da Fo Na" by Halima Kissima Toure, "Soso" by Mah Kouyate, "Nogome" by Lassana Hawa Cissokho, and "Kori" by Mamadou Tangoudia. Most tracks originally issued on cassette or digital – and appear here on vinyl for the first time ever! LP, Vinyl record album

Sharp hooks, huge melodies, and 70s guitar pop greatness from Pilot – a genius pop group who only gave the world a handful of records, all of them pretty darn great! From The Album Of The Same Name includes their signature tune, "Magic" – and it's one of those songs everyone knows, whether or not they no who made it – but Pilot soars all around on these tunes. The guitars have punch, but the falsetto vocals are the main cabin of this vessel – and it's grand 70s soft rock of the first order! Other tracks include "Just A Smile", Lucky For Some", "Girl Next Door", "Sooner Or Later", "Never Give Up", "Sky Blue", "Never Give Up", and "Over The Moon". Second Flight is the excellent second album from Pilot, really perfecting the guitars, keyboards and vocals and hooks formula that shot them into the pop consciousness a year or so earlier – probably their best album ever! The opener "You're My No 1" is so catchy, we can hardly believe it's not a throwback pop radio staple, and the record has a few of tracks nearly as grand. The vocals & harmonies are better arranged, and the guitars and keyboards are in that great comfort zone between the glam pop of the previous couple years and the new wave pop to come. Somewhat silly bubble gum lyricism, sure, but it's tasty stuff! Other tracks include "January", "Love Is", "Call Me Round", "To You Alone", "Passion Piece", "Dear Artist" and more, plus the bonus demos "You're Devotion", "Love Is", "January" and "Lady Luck". Morin Heights is later work from 70s soft rock tunesmiths Pilot – a couple years on from their biggest hit, but still making gloriously catchy tunes! The hallmarks of their earlier stuff is here, with some twists & turns. The lyrics are the kind of lovestruck or lovelorn naivete that's cloying to some, and hopelessly endearing to others – relying more this time out and an overall catchiness than huge choruses and hummable singles. We'd fly with these guys anytime! Titles include "Hold On", "Canada", "First After Me", "Steps", "The Mover", "Penny In My Pocket", and "Maniac". Two's A Crowd is the last full 70s album from Pilot – just a duo by this point, but working with all the punch and panache of their early records! As before, their ability for hook-heavy tunes is amazing – as there's so many numbers here that could have been huge AM radio hits, but which also have some surprisingly thoughtful lyrical touches, and arrangements that are simple, but which really pack a hell of a punch. Titles include "Monday Tuesday", "Big Screen Kill", "Creeping Round At Midnight", "Library Door", and "Mr Do Or Die". CD features lots of related bonus tracks – including "Pamela", "Ra Ta Ta", "Just Let Me Be", "Maniac", "Us", "Lady Luck", "No Ties No Strings", "Are You In Love", "Just A Smile", and "Stop & Let Go". CD

Not just a collection of doo wop recordings, but a huge set that instead traces the development of vocal harmony styles from the 30s through the early 60s – starting at a time when jazz-based groups were adding hip new modes to older styles of singing together, through an era when R&B really helped the vocals take flight, to a period when street corner vocalizing was giving birth to a generation of fantastic young acts! The set features a massive 72 tracks over the course of the 3CDs within, all in chronological order, with notes in English and French – and work from groups who include The Nutmegs, Velvets, Keith & Enid, Pharoahs, Robins, Platters, Chips, Earls, Regents, Marcels, Orioles, Golden Gate Jubilee Quintet, Dominoes, Ravens, Ink Spots, Delta Rhythm Boys, Mellows, Bobbettes, Miracles, and many others! CD

One of the funkiest albums ever from Junior Parker – a great little set that shows he had a lot more to offer than just the average bluesman! The album's got a nice little soul sound in the backings – tight rhythms from Horace Ott, who nicely avoids a lot of the cliches that the blues business was hitting at the time – in order to keep Junior in hip territory that's filled with breaking drums and heavy basslines! There's a few key crossover tracks here, plus some surprisingly sweeter numbers – and the album's a gem through and through – well-appreciated by new generations over the years, thanks to its diversity of tracks! Titles include a great break version of "Taxman" – plus two more Beatles numbers, "Tomorrow Never Knows" and "Lady Madonna" – and the tracks "Outside Man", "Darling Depend On Me", "You Know I Love You", "River's Invitation", and "Just To Hold My Hand". CD

One of the funkiest albums ever from Junior Parker – a great little set that shows he had a lot more to offer than just the average bluesman! The album's got a nice little soul sound in the backings – tight rhythms from Horace Ott, who nicely avoids a lot of the cliches that the blues business was hitting at the time – in order to keep Junior in hip territory that's filled with breaking drums and heavy basslines! There's a few key crossover tracks here, plus some surprisingly sweeter numbers – and the album's a gem through and through – well-appreciated by new generations over the years, thanks to its diversity of tracks! Titles include a great break version of "Taxman" – plus two more Beatles numbers, "Tomorrow Never Knows" and "Lady Madonna" – and the tracks "Outside Man", "Darling Depend On Me", "You Know I Love You", "River's Invitation", and "Just To Hold My Hand". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual album from bassist William Parker – an artist whose musical world is usually quite far from the 70s soul of Curtis Mayfield – even though both Mayfield and Parker are pretty darn righteous individuals! Yet here, Curtis and William come together in a stunning way – as Parker reworks classic Mayfield songs, and transforms them into fantastic vehicles for spiritual jazz expression! The group has a warmly collaborative vibe, and energy that feels like some lost indie jazz project from the 70s – all held together by Parker's bold acoustic bass and masterful leadership – in a lineup that includes vocals from Leena Conquest, piano from Dave Burrell, saxes and flute from Sabir Mateen, tenor and soprano from Darryl Foster, trumpet from Lewis Barnes, drums from Hamid Drake, and poetry and voice from Amari Baraka. With a lineup like that, you can already guess the vibe – and we can promise that the whole is even better than you might have hoped! Titles include "I Plan To Stay A Believer", "If There's A Hell Below", "This Is My Country", "People Get Ready/The Inside Song", "It's Alright", "Freddie's Dead", "New World Order", and a great 17 minute take on "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue". CD

A massively cool collection of work from the legendary Otis Redding – a set that brings together every single that Otis cut for Stax Records, plus a number of posthumous tracks issued on Atlantic too – each presented here with every a and b-side, all in their original mono mixes too! Even if you've got some other Otis Redding in your collection, the package is still pretty darn essential for a number of reasons – not just because it offers up a lot of overlooked b-sides, or because the mono mixes really give the cuts a new sense of raw power – but also because the package traces an evolution of Redding's music in chronological order, and really stands as a true testament to his big steps forward in the short few years he was on this planet! Plus, the package also has a really unique level of presentation – a 7" book-style jacket, which then offers up full color scans of each single included in the set – so that each page you turn is like handling a piece of vintage wax itself. Loads of great tracks throughout – 70 gems that include "Hard To Handle", "Direct Me", "Ooh Carla Ooh Otis", "Snatch A Little Piece", "Johnny's Heartbreak", "That's A Good Idea", "Nock On Wood", "Tramp", "Good To Me", "I'm Sick Y'All", "Respect", "Any Ole Way", "Come To Me", "Hey Hey Baby", and lots lots more! CD

Chinese detective fiction, but with a fascinating twist – a series of separate, but related crime stories – all involving a single detective – presented in reverse order from the present to the past! Written that way, the story takes on a completely different perspective than in a more conventional mode – as the details as a whole are a bit more oblique, and only get greater exposure and understanding as you move backwards in time. As part of that process, the story also follows the changes in Hong Kong, moving backwards – and as with all great detective fiction set in New York, the city is as much a character of the story as the individuals within it. 490 pages, softcover. Book

The last full chapter in the legacy of Joy Division – an album that ws issued in the wake of the untimely early death of Ian Curtis – a special double-length set that brought together all the unreleased material at the time! The package features a number of tracks that the group were working on before Curtis died – material that still shows a much more Joy Division-centric aesthetic than the sound of New Order to come – and the package also features live material from 1980 – an interesting change from the studio sound of the group (even though the whole set was still produced by Martin Hannett!) Features the group's famous cover of "Sister Ray", plus "Glass", "The Only Mistake", "The Sound Of Music", "Exercise One", "Dead Souls", "Walked In Line", "Ceremony", "Shadowplay", "Transmission", "Decades", "Digital", and "New Dawn Fades". Cassette

Seminal sounds from one of the most important labels of the early bebop years – a tiny imprint based in LA, but one that played a big role on the New York scene as well! Dial Records is often best-remembered for documenting some key early material by Charlie Parker – but as you'll see in this set, the company had a wonderful ear for other artists too – and managed to record some incredible work during a relatively short span of time! The tracks here were all done in a span of less than four years – from mid 1945 through late 1948 – yet together, they represent a blueprint of bop that would last for years to come – material that has often come out in varied formats over the years, and finally gets its full, proper presentation here – in an overstuffed box that's in the best Mosaic Records tradition! The collection features individual sessions, laid out in chronological order – with full notes on each, and a presentation that tracks down obscure tracks from varied releases, then brings them together to represent the full creative output at each moment. The 9CD package features 185 tracks in all – on sessions led by Red Norvo, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Howard McGhee, Sonny Berman & Bill Harris, Dexter Gordon, Erroll Garner, Earl Coleman and Fats Navarro, Dodo Marmarosa, and the team of Wardell Grey and Dexter Gordon. CD

Dig 80s electro pop? You'll find plenty to love here – as the set's a killer collection of tracks from a time when the UK scene was really exploding with new ideas and fresh music! The "radio" in the title is a reference to the fact that once-underground electronic acts were starting to get wider fame – tightening up their sound a bit, yet still sounding pretty darn great – never too poppy or overproduced, and with a quality that's pretty wonderful all these many years later! Most groups here are from the UK, but there's a few other European acts too – and the set moves between warmer coldwave to catchy electro tunes – in a selection of 56 titles, by artists who include Fad Gadget, Colourbox, Japan, Heaven 17, Thomas Leer, Communication, The Passage, Talk Talk, Thomas Dolby, Fiat Lux, New Order, Yello, Soft Cell', 'Blancmange, Poeme Electronique, OMD, Ultravox, Section 25, Endgames, Moebius, Zoo Boutique, Human League, Thick Pigeon, and many others! CD

Sublime sounds from Clarence Carter – wonderful work from his second wave of singles for Fame Records – a wealth of great music from a time when Carter was really coming into his own! Clarence was great right from the start, but here you can really hear him finding his own voice – that all-knowing, storytelling approach that could make even a simple lyric spin out in a way that was totally captivating – with a quality that set Carter apart from some of his more tear-jerked southern soul contemporaries, into a space of class and confidence that would serve him well for years to come! Every number here was recorded at the Fame Studios, with the kind of killer backings you'd expect from the Muscle Shoals team – and although the singles were initially issues over a few different labels (Fame, Atlantic, and United Artists) – they're brought together here in complete order, for a massive 22 track set. Tracks include "I'm The One", "I Hate To Love & Run", "Slipped Tripped & Fell In Love", "Say It One More Time", "It's All In Your Mind", "Sixty Minute Man", "Heartbreak Woman", "Love's Trying To Come To You", "I Found Somebody New", and "Put On Your Shoes & Walk" – plus "If You Can't Beat Em", which is a duet with Candi Staton! CD

Timeless funky grooves from the The New Mastersounds – the decade + strong UK combo that's been one of the very best and most vital forces in the international funk revival pretty much since its inception! Breaks From The Border marks the first time the group has recorded an album in the US – in the border town of Tornillo, TX (hence the title) – and it's one of their best albums. The studio was stocked with vintage keys, amps, drums and recording equipment – and the record truly has the warmth and true sounding vibe of some of our favorite jazzy funk records of the late 60s. The New Mastersounds deliver some group vocal hooks here and there, but their bread & butter has always been a killer groove, and that's still the deal. They're also impeccable musicians – Eddie Roberts slaying us with the guitar, Simon Allen on drums, Pete Shand on bass and Joe Tatton on Hammond, Fender Rhodes and other keys. Includes "Take What You Need", "Run The Gauntlet", "Free Man", "Freckles", "On The Border", "Walk In These Shoes", "Passport", "Josus", "Can You Get It?", "Turn It Up" and "Up In The Air". CD

An album that should certainly put drummer Zach Adleman on the map – not just for his playing, but also for his overall conception in jazz – as the album's overflowing with wonderful original material from Zach, who also has a great sense of his role as a leader too! There's a tight, focused flow to the whole group – which is saying a lot, as the record features some all-star work mixed with great lesser-knowns as well – a combo that features Steve Wilson on alto and flute, Steve Davis on trombone, Luther Allison on piano, Sarah Hanahan on alto, Austin Ford on trumpet, and Jared Beckstead Craan on bass. The whole album bristles with richly creative energy – and titles include "Border Patrol", "It Always Rains In Michigan", "A New Day", "Song For Wedgewood", "All Around Us", and "In Between Places". CD

A great entry in the Light Mellow series from P-Vine – one that signals its contents with the "Brand New Sprouts" in the title! While other Light Mellow releases have focused on mellow soul and AOR gems from the past, this set brings together a huge amount of mix from contemporary artists who are really flying the flag of styles from back in the day – smooth grooves that still have a great sense of personality and charm – often lightly done, and with a vibe that's very different than when this sort of music was being handled by major labels! Most of these tracks have only been out as digital releases, and the 2CD package has a whopping 34 titles in all – with cuts that include "Sexually Overrated" by Tobb, "Endless Summer" by Quint Starkie, "My Shaped Hole" by TJ George, "City Nights" by Emm Gryner, "Emily" by State Cows, "Work For Love" by Joel Sarakula, "Diamonds" by Tristan, "Borderline" by Brunky Music, "Unlucky Day" by Camera Soul, "Riding The Waves" by Miles, "Can't We Get Along"by Mandoo, "Can't Stop Thinking About You" by Jamie Hosmer, "The World We Live In" by Tangarine, and "Fisher King" by Lo Garp Van Gorp. CD

A wonderful collection of obscure sounds from the New Mexico scene – work that's often got the same unusual blend of elements that's made music from Austin so popular over the decades, but with a slightly different approach! There's definitely a fair bit of country in the mix – probably the dominant genre in the set – but there's inflections from other acoustic modes, and even some slight border-crossing elements too – all brought together here in a set that's dug from deep in the vaults of Blue Canyon Records, and which even features some unissued tracks from Steve Young and Junior Brown too! The package was supervised by the label's producer Jim Terr, and tracks include "Chile & Beans" by Buddy, "Rockin Music" by Supernatural Family Band, "Phantom 309" by Junior Brown, "Another Sweetie Has My Heart" by Chantel Mullen, "Plains Of San Augustine" by Elliott's Ramblers, "Objects In Mirror" by Jim Terr, "Big Brown Pony" by Don & Victoria Armstrong, "Always Loving You" by Steve Young, and "Nothin's Any Better For Me" by Busy McCarroll. CD

The first album in a brilliant run of work that Barney Kessel did for Contemporary Records in the 1950s – material that forever went onto shape the sound of jazz guitar, and which stands right up there with some of the best of his generation! In a way, the Kessel heard here is even fresher than in later years – as he's playing in a small group mode that breaks down new territory for his instrument – often with reeds from Bud Shank or Buddy Collette – in styles that have some of the slight spaciousness of the Chico Hamilton group, but a bit more straight swing overall. Other players include Arnold Ross or Claude Williamson on piano, Harry Babasin or Red Mitchell on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums – and the full length album compiles material from earlier 10" LP releases on Contemporary, plus a few more tracks – to make a full set of 12 songs that include "Easy Like", "Bernardo", "Vicky's Dream", "Salute To Charlie Christian", and "North Of The Border". CD features 2 bonus tracks. CD

Khruangbin get a great new sound here – thanks to the vocals and acoustic guitar of Leon Bridges, who bring a whole new dimension to their music! The title and cover of the record are very well-put – as there's this open space to the record that's a bit different than previous outings by Khruangbin – still that aesthetic that lingers somewhere south, down near the border – but maybe more relaxed and letting itself flow down the road to some territory that's all its own – the marvelous vocals of Leon Bridges at the wheel, with the rest of the group well-tuned to make the journey with a warm dose of mellow soul. Titles include "Midnight", "C-Side", "Conversation", and "Texas Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

New record by the ex-singer from the Mutantes. It's got a modern rock feel to it, with a sound that's part modern rock, part European pop, and with the expected Portuguese lyrics. Since our Portuguese isn't too hot, we don't really know the twist of this one. But if it's any help, the cover has her looking like Louise Brooks, and the album's an obvious comeback effort with a "classic artist exploring mature dimensions of their late career" – a bit like Leonard Cohen's last LP, if that makes any sense. (We may be way off, though, and our apologies to any Portuguese speakers out there who may know the difference.) CD

11 tracks including "Satellite Of Love", "Wild Child", "I Love You", "How Do You Think It Feels", "New York Telephone Conversation", "Walk On The Wild Side", "Sweet Jane", "White Light/White Heat", "Sally Can't Dance", "Nowhere At All" and "Coney Island Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning early album from one of Motown's first great groups – served up here in a cover that's as graphically intense as the music within! The record's got a great mix of older sad-tinged vocal styles with some of the new pride and power the Marvelettes helped unlock at Motown – a great mix of modes that really gives the album a rock-solid quality all the way through – thanks also to a whole host of great compositions by Berry Gordy and the Holland/Dozier/Holland team! Titles include "Playboy", "Someday, Someday", "Goddess Of Love", "You Should Know", and "I'm Hooked". CD

2 lost sides of soul jazz – both of them rare gems on vinyl, and back-to-back here in one nicely priced CD package! Doin The Thang is an excellent bit of lost soul jazz piano work – featuring the highly underrated Ronnie Mathews, with a quartet that includes Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and Charles Davis on baritone. The sound is very groovy, and very funky, with a feel that's more like some of the classic Blue Notes from the time than it is like the other Prestige recordings. Mathews' piano playing is perfect, and he grooves with a soulful firey edge, and lays down solos that blow away Hubbard and Davis. Tracks include "The Thang", "Ichi Ban", and "The Orient". Pleasure Bent is one of the few albums ever cut by the incredible tenor player Roland Alexander – an artist who appeared briefly on the scene during the early 60s, and the few recording's he's left us with are the consummate picture of hip soulful playing. This 1961 session features Alexander leading a group that includes Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Ronnie Matthews on piano, Gene Taylor on bass, and Clarence Stroman on drums – and it's a laidback batch of lyrical tunes, nearly all penned by Alexander. Titles include "I'll Be Around", "Dorman Road", "Lil's Blues", and "Orders To Take Out". CD

With selections by CSN&Y, Neil Young, Thunderclap Newman, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Red Mountain Jug Band, and themes by Ian Freebairn-Smith and the MGM Studio Orchestra. LP, Vinyl record album

Mark De Clive-Lowe is back, and more brilliant than ever – working here on a set that's overflowing with superstar talent, and which cooks even more than some of his previous albums! All the grooves we've always loved from Mark are firmly in place – the wicked beats, cosmic rhythms, and spacious keyboards – but there's also a nice new focus too, one that brings in a lot deeper soul to most tunes – thanks in part to vocals from an array of guests who include Omar, Nia Andrews, Tawiah, Ovasoul7, Bembe Segue, Sheila E, and Sandra Nkake! The album's stuffed with tuneful numbers – more great singles than most other artists would hope for in a single album – and Mark still keeps things a bit cosmic at points too, with some great space jazz keyboards. Titles include "Get Started", "Under Orders", "The Why", "Everything", "Emergency", "Alabi", "Push", and "Hooligan". CD

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A fantastic album from this groundbreaking Latin combo from Chicago – one who've got an inclusive spirit that grabs together so many different elements of music and unifies them as one! The style isn't quite salsa, isn't Latin rock or jazz – but instead has so many strands of sounds coming together at once – not colliding, but really merging and making something beautiful and new in the process – always with a sound that's proud, righteous, and very aware of its power to change! In a time of borders and boundaries, the approach is especially welcome – and it's our guess that we'll be hearing plenty from Dos Santos in years to come. The album features some guest work from the Antibalas horns, arranged by Nick Mazzarella – plus cornet from Ben LaMar Gay – on titles that include "Cordva", "Purisma", "Manos Ajenas", "How Far Are We From Here", "You Are My Revolution", "Caminante", "Logos", "Return Y Regreso", and "Acabame". LP, Vinyl record album

This album is early Fall at their best – raw, edgey, and also surprisingly witty at times too – an amazing showcase for the young talents of Mark E Smith, and a key bridge between punk energy and the more creative styles of the post-punk generation. The sounds are incredible – especially considering the relatively standard instrumentation – and the record's really one that has The Fall working with the same sonic force as The Swell Maps – using noise as much as their guitars, and creating an amazing soundscape for the always-biting lyrics! Titles include "Mother Sister", "No Xmas For John Quays", "Rebellious Jukebox", "Frightened", "Live At The Witch Trials", "Music Scene", and "Futures & Pasts". Then, the set moves on to include a whopping 30 bonus tracks – the first of which are great early singles like "Bingo Master's Break Out", "Psycho Mafia", "Stepping Out", "Various Times", "Repetition", "New Thing", and "Last Orders". Then, there's BBC sessions that include "Like To Blow", "Mess Of My", "Futures & Pasts", "Mother Sister", and "Industrial Estate" – and more live material from Liverpool in 1978! CD

The complete document of the amazing Syrinx – a very trippy Canadian group whose use of electronics was years ahead of its time! These guys are neither proggy nor noisy – and instead use a range of keyboards and analogue sythesizers in these wonderfully varied styles – sometimes almost sonic poetry, sometimes a bit more in the spatial modes of the Pierre Henry generation – but never with as much darkness or obtuse qualities to their work. Instead, these guys are more "everyman" in their sound – yet without some of the more self-indulgent or overdone sounds of some of their contemporaries on their instruments – almost hinting at the more reflective space of new age electronics to come, but never with the same sort of sleepy or meditative elements. And while these guys labored alone in Canada in the early 70s, hardly ever getting any recognition on this side of the border, this lavish package should finally have many waking up to their genius – as it presents both of their full albums, Syrinx and Long Lost Relatives, plus detailed notes, and a full disc of rare unreleased material too. Titles include "Better Deaf & Dumb From The First", "December Angel", "Tumblers To The Vault", "Field Hymn", "Chant For Your Dragon King", "Appaloosa Pegasus", "Father Of Light", "Hollywood Dream Trip", "Stringspace Live", and "Melina's Torch (solo)". LP, Vinyl record album

Arranger/producer Greg Tate and his titanic Burnt Sugar collective continues to ascend into its own intergalactic space station of heavy cosmic jamming, instrumental funky jazz, and wildly spacious trippiness with this double disc – by far the most unique and individualistic indie funk album we've heard in a long, long time! As on their previous sets, Burnt Sugar takes the past three or more decades worth of avant funk and jazz, from the celestial influence of Sun Ra projects, to the bass thumping righteousness of Blacksploitation soundtracks, to the dancefloor oriented 70s fusion funk of Larry Mizell's productions – but the loose collective looks as much inward and forward with their approach, giving the recordings as much of a profound newness as anything in the latter day avant garde. Organ, bass, guitars, strings, often quite ambient vocals and turntable effects are the order of the day – and the brew is truly unlike like anything else out there right now. They're not afraid of mixing the low with the high, either – the sweet soul jazz of the track "Fear" rolls from an echoey vocal showpiece for Lisala Beatty into a post-Bad Brains hardcore number, before transforming several more times within the 10+ minutes running time! It's that progressive spirit that highlights both discs. The band is relying on pre-written material much more here than on the more improvisational previous releases, but they were wise enough to keep the spacious groove that carried them so well in recent years. This double album represents Burnt Sugar's sixth release in four years. Keep 'em coming, kids! Disc one: "Funky Rich Medina", "Fear", "Mtume" (in two parts), "Drive Man/Freedom Day" and more. Disc two: "Moonchile", "Gibberish & Bushwack", "Ventris", "No Direction Home" (a suite of tracks) and more. It may take a bit of warming up to, but once you get it on Burnt Sugar is some pretty sweet stuff – and it gets more rewarding with every listen! CD

A beautiful album that perfectly mixes both sides of Aretha Franklin's talents – the hard-edged soul singer who first flourished at Atlantic records in the late 60s, and the artist who was growing even more as a vocalist – really reaching out her wings to more sophisticated material! There's a balance here that makes the record one of the deepest that Franklin ever recorded for Atlantic – lots of larger Arif Mardin touches, but also some raw moments that really round things out – on titles that include Aretha's classic take on the Weldon Irvine/Nina Simone tune "Young Gifted & Black", the funky classic "Rock Steady", the wonderful mellow groover "Day Dreaming", the hit "Brand New Me", and the strangely compelling "First Snow In Kokomo" – plus other titles that include "All The King's Horses", "Oh Me Oh My", "Border Song", "Didn't I Blow Your Mind", "April Fools", "I've Been Loving You Too Long", and "The Long & Winding Road". LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking-hot batch of 80s soul from Nona Hendryx – and a record that really helped reinvent her sound for a whole new generation! Nona's wisely teamed here with Bill Laswell and Material – with whom she'd worked on previous projects under their name – and Laswell's street-sensitive presence really helps give the record an edge that underscores Nona's credibility in just the right way! A few years later, and most of these touches might sound cloying – yet here, they're handled perfectly – a great way of creating lean grooves with plenty of New York influences – with more than enough energy to catapult Hendryx out to a global mainstream. Material bring in a surprising amount of great help for the set – a range of artists from Kashif to Laurie Anderson to Bernie Worrell, Valerie Simpson, Nile Rodgers, Sly Dunbar, and Tina Weymouth! Titles include "B Boys", "Design For Living", "Transformation", "Keep It Confidential", "Living On The Border", "Run For Cover", "Dummy UP", and "Steady Action". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal moment for The Temptations – a set that has the group hitting even more of a deep soul sound than before – at a level that really sets them apart from some of the other groups on Motown at the time! There's a richer, fuller sound going on here – as the group work with producer Norman Whitfield in a style that's not entirely psychedelic soul, but instead places a strong focus on the emotional power of their harmonies! Tracks are shorter than some of the funky Temps jams, but they pack a hell of a lot in a very small space – as the lyrics bristle with open, honest emotion throughout. Titles include the perennial classic "I Wish It Would Rain" – a song that opens up a whole new level of emotional depth – plus "I Truly Truly Believe", "Why Did You Leave Me Darling", "No Man Can Love Her Like I Do", "Fan The Flame", and "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)". CD