One of those few classic cases where a compilation of tracks was maybe even more influential than the original music itself – as this early 70s collection of 60s material turned out to shape and influence generations for decades to come! Guitar genius Lenny Kaye put the set together famously for Elektra Records in 1972 – as a reminder that, just a few years before, there were some amazing sounds that were not only brewing up in local indie scenes around the country, but also on the radio as well – even though most of those groups had been pushed into relative obscurity by the rise of soft rock, hard rock, and classic rock of the early 70s! The package is a return to the pre-prog years, with an especially strong ear for garage-tuned tracks that would go on to shape later punk, 80s indie, and lots more underground sounds in the future. Titles include "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)" by Electric Prunes, "Dirty Water" by the Standells, "Respect" by Vagrants, "No Time Like The Right Time" by Blues Project, "Invitation To Cry" by Magicians, "You're Gonna Miss Me" by Thirteenth Floor Elevators, "Psychotic Reaction" by Count Five, "Baby Please Don't Go" by Amboy Dukes, "My World Fell Down" by Sagittarius, "Open My Eyes" by Nazz, "It's A Happening" by The Magic Mushrooms, "Lies" by The Knickerbockers, "Oh Yeah" by Shadows Of Knight, "Sit Down I Think I Love You" by The Mojo Men, "Just Like Romeo & Juliet" by Michael & The Messengers, "Hey Joe" by The Leaves, and "Farmer John" by The Premiers. LP, Vinyl record album

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The debut of one of the most forward-thinking, longest living, unique pop music phenomenons of the 80s onward! Although Depeche Mode diehards might bristle at being lumped in with pop music giants, you really can't deny that they're often emotionally raw, even morose songs, married with a range of synth friendly production got over with a huge audience with pretty astounding success. Here where it all started, with Vince Clarke writing all the songs on this one. Titles include "New Life", "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead", "Puppets", "No Disco", "Photographic", "Dreaming Of Me" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic underground set from the UK scene at the end of the 60s – the final record by The Deviants, who'd later go on to form the core of Pink Fairies – but who sound a lot weirder and wilder here! Part of that difference is lead singer Mick Farren, who also handled the production – which really does a lot with a little, and makes any of the group's guitar-heavy, blues-inspired licks sound stranger in the company of some of the odd effects and unusual vocal styles too. Make no mistake, there's plenty of fantastic guitar on the record – thanks to Paul Rudolph, who's completely searing at most moments – but Farren balances things out nicely with his touches too, on strange-titled songs that include "The Junior Narco Rangers", "Black George Does It With His Tongue", "Death Of A Dream Machine", "Metamorphosis Exploration", "Billy The Monster", and "Rumbling Black Transit Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

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Echo & The Bunnymen at the height of their powers – able to deliver music that's as majestic as it is moody, and which nicely avoids all the cliches of the artists the group influenced in years to come! There's subtle use of strings that really give the record a fantastic vibe – one that sets it apart from some of the thinner Britpop stylings of the period, and which also seem to encourage some psychedelic sensibilities – but again, not at a level that's as easy or slavish as some of the rest. Ian McCulloch's vocals are tremendous – heard to famous effect on the classic "The Killing Moon" – but great throughout, on other titles that include "Ocean Rain", "My Kingdom", "Thorn Of Crowns", "Crystal Days", "Silver", and "The Yo Yo Man". LP, Vinyl record album

After big success on the Batman soundtrack, Danny Elfman turns his talents to another comic character – Dick Tracy, as portrayed by Warren Beatty in the 1990 film that's not nearly as good as its music! While the movie was filled with over-the-top characterizations that completely went against the brilliance of the original strip, Elfman's score is a brooding masterpiece of understatement – rejecting all the cartoony elements of the film, and instead furthering Elfman's growing talent for orchestral scoring. Titles include "Slimy DA", "Meet The Blank", "Breathless Comes On", "Crime Spree", "Rooftops", "Blank Gets The Goods", "Showdown/Reunited", and "After The Kid". LP, Vinyl record album

One of best ever albums by The English Beat – one that cemented their status as one of the most creative groups to come out of the ska revival scene! Wha'ppen has lots of fresh instrumentation and experimentation – but that's in service of some tight, insistent songcraft – and they never ever bury their their Caribbean influences. There's a bit more Afro Beat-inspired rhythms and some atmospheric underground pop touches, but it's still get plenty of the Jamaican style we loved about their earlier work, too – on a record that didn't get the acclaim it deserved at the time! Titles include "Monkey Murders", "I Am Your Flag", "Walk Away", "Get A Job", "The Limits We Set", "Dream Home In NZ", and "Drowning". LP, Vinyl record album

A groundbreaking collaboration between Brian Eno & David Byrne – recorded with a spare, stripped down love of electronics and found sound samples – in a mode that would have a huge influence on countless records to come! Part of the set resonates with the quirky grooves found in Byrne's early Talking Heads records – but the overall sound is much more stark than that work, and is characterized by key found vocals and odd ethnic bits that really set the tone for each new tune. Eno's influence is felt strongly in the simplicity of the tracks, and in the darkly resonant production modes – that classic Eno touch used here before it became a bit too trademark, in a way that could still make a record like this sound great, even when coming from major label sources! A key force in shaping countless genres to come in the next 25 years – with great tracks that include "America Is Waiting", 'Regiment", "The Jezebel Spirit", "Qu'ran", "Moonlight In Glory", "A Secret Life", "Come With Us", and "Mountain Of Needles". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from The Flamin Groovies – a group who were already a bit out of time at their start, and who continue that approach here during the late 70s punk years – but at a way that maybe makes them stand out even more than before! The set's got a style that mixes rock roots with some rawer punk-styled production – a mode that really fits the Groovies, and seems to intensify their sound more than before – especially the lead guitar work of Cyril Jordan, who co-produced the set, and makes sure that he's right up front in the mix! The set includes a great version of the Warren Zevon tune "Werewolves Of London", a nice remake of Dylan's "Absolutely Sweet Marie", and the tracks "Jumpin' In The Night", "Next One Crying", "First Plane Home", "In The USA", "Down Down Down", "It Won't Be Wrong", "Ladyfriend", and "Tell Me Again". LP, Vinyl record album

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A classic Dutch jazz/rock outfit – with sweet guitars from Jan Akkerman, and a mix of funky flute and keyboards from Thijs Van Leer! LP, Vinyl record album

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A great solo set from the Krown Rulers – a New Jersey crew, but one who worked often with Philly's Tuff Crew – as evidenced by the album's production help from Dave of that group! The cover art might look a bit gimmicky, but the set's nice and raw – bursting with beats and stark samples, and touched with a bit of those higher ideals that Jersey MCs were starting to bring to their music – a legacy that was perhaps never fully realized in the end, but which made that scene such a key link between New York and Philly, and maybe more underground too. Titles include "Paper Chase", "32nd St Down (The Eastside Story)", "Confetti Emcees", "Call Me The Sire", "Non Stop Hip Hop", "B Boy Document", "That's Not Where It's At", and "Super Dope Remix #2 (Kick The Ball)". CD

A fantastic album from trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire – a set that really kicks his career up to the next level, and which is easily the most powerful record he's ever given us! The music finds Ambrose in many moods, all of them righteous – sometimes blowing hard and fierce in a small combo, sometimes issuing out more personal statements in a more stripped-down setting – working with players that include Harish Raghavan on bass, Justin Brown on drums, and Sam Harris on piano – plus vocalist Genevieve Artadi on one especially beautiful number that features Akinmusire on Fender Rhodes! We've loved the music of Ambrose for many years – and this is one of those faith-rewarding sets that always makes it so wonderful to follow the career of any key jazz musician – as we hope you'll also find on titles that include "Roy", "4623", "Moon", "Tide Of Hyacinth", "Cynical Sideliners", and "Mr Roscoe". CD

A fantastic album from trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire – a set that really kicks his career up to the next level, and which is easily the most powerful record he's ever given us! The music finds Ambrose in many moods, all of them righteous – sometimes blowing hard and fierce in a small combo, sometimes issuing out more personal statements in a more stripped-down setting – working with players that include Harish Raghavan on bass, Justin Brown on drums, and Sam Harris on piano – plus vocalist Genevieve Artadi on one especially beautiful number that features Akinmusire on Fender Rhodes! We've loved the music of Ambrose for many years – and this is one of those faith-rewarding sets that always makes it so wonderful to follow the career of any key jazz musician – as we hope you'll also find on titles that include "Roy", "4623", "Moon", "Tide Of Hyacinth", "Cynical Sideliners", and "Mr Roscoe". CD

High-stepping disco from Arpeggio – an album of longer tracks with a really soaring feel! The groove here is tight, but never schmaltzy – with arrangements and production by Simon Soussan, and an overall feel that's more powerfully driven by the instrumentation in the set than the group's sweet harmonies – although those still sound nice as well! In fact, the vocals offer a nice counterpoint to the instrumentation – giving the album a stronger soul component than the usual outing of this nature from the time. Titles include the "Love & Desire" suite, plus "Let The Music Play" and "Runaway". LP, Vinyl record album

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Henry Kaiser on guitar, Bruce Anderson on guitar and vocals, Hilary Hanes on bass and vocals, John Hanes on drums, Tom Constanten on keyboards and vocals, and Cary Sheldon on vocals. CD

A great early record from Rod McKuen – maybe more of a beat poetry record than some of his later work – with jazzy backings by Paul Gray, and a group that features Tiny Timbrell on guitar and Phil Sobel on flute! LP, Vinyl record album

Yumi Murata has a subtle sense of drama in her vocals here – a nice range that can get pushed strongly with the 80s electronics used on the record – a provocative blend of beats and keyboards that does plenty to provide a universal sense of embellishment on the songs, one that goes way past the boundaries of the Japanese language of the lyrics! Yumi's got a fantastic voice – one that's instantly evocative, and which soars and dips in ways that are very much her own – maybe inspired slightly by some of the better British singers of the generation, but taken into very different territory. Titles include "Summer Time Girl", "Swapping Party", "Face To Face", "Private Lesson", "Life Is Very Short", and "Emptiness & Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

The tenor of Ivo Perelman often sounds best in a more unusual setting – and that's definitely the case here, as he works in a trio with Gordon Grdina on oud and Hamin Honarai on tombak, daf, and percussion! The set definitely has some of the Mid East currents you'd expect from the instruments – but this is less of a "jazz meets world" setting, than it is a record that has Honari and Grdina improvising in free jazz modes on instruments with much different roots! If anything, the angular notes of Perelman might well be some of the most conventional sounds on the record – and if you know Ivo, you know that he's hardly anything but conventional. Titles include "Bridge To The Soul", "Purity Of Desire", "Music Of A Distant Drum", "Love Is A Stranger", and "Light Upon Light". CD

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A beautiful tribute to the Cali soul sound of the 70s – served up here by Robb Scott with a wonderfully groovy sound! The music here recalls that great moment when things could be tight, but never slick or commercial – maybe the productions of Larry Mizell, or the flowing soulful fusion of Patrice Rushen – and Robb handles much of the music himself on a variety of instruments, and also sings vocals – but in the best collaborative Cali spirit, he also opens the door to work with help from The Waters, Sandra St Victor, Juliet Roberts, Gina Foster, and Elisabeth Troy – all artists who lend a great sense of vocal spirit to the album. The set's nice and long – with a great mix of interludes and full songs – and titles include "Neptune Atmosphere", "Rotary Love", "Keep On", "Essaouira Wind", "Siren", "Negative Pleasures", "Hummingbird", "California Suite Revue", and "Venus In Virgo". CD

Sweet sax from the great Tom Scott – two early 80s Columbia albums in a single package! Desire is proof that Scott could still make an electric jazz album sound more soulful than most of his mainstream contemporaries! There's a really great sense of balance here – production that's certainly polished, but instrumentation that's never sleepy at all – those always-sharp reeds we love from Tom, especially on alto and soprano sax – plus some great keyboard work from Victor Feldman, who has a similar sense of space and timing ot match Scott's groove! The set's got a feel that's a bit like some of the few really great albums from Dave Grusin – and some cuts have vocals, although mostly of the backup type. Titles include "Desire", "Sure Enough", "The Only One", "Stride", "Chunk O Funk", and "Meet Somebody". Target features a wide range of styles from saxophonist Tom Scott – some tracks that are in the funkier fusion he scored with in the 70s, but others that have some soul and pop touches as well! Scott's horn is still nice and sharp when he gets to step out in the solo spotlight – more so on the instrumental tracks, but a bit less so on the vocal ones – which feature singers who include Maria Muldaur, Kenny James, and Lee Ving. Other players include Harvey Mason on drums, Ernie Watts on tenor and alto, Victor Feldman on keyboards, and Paul Jackson on guitar – and titles include "Burundi Bump", "The Biggest Part Of Me", "He's Too Young", "Aerobia", "Target", and "Come Back To Me". CD

Images of famous stars at the beach – not the creepy tabloid photos that always seem to catch them at their worst – but lavish full color images that are pulled from film shots, publicity stills, and magazine layouts – all documenting an ever-evolving sense of fashion in the sand on the west coast scene at midcentury! Most of the subjects of the photos are recognizable – Ursula Andress, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, and so on – but there's also some lesser-knowns, early film stars, and others – laid out in beautiful pages that include a bit of text, and some movie poster images too. 218 pages, full color, hardcover. Book

Not the kind of record you'd bring to a yoga class, as you might think from the title – but instead a really joyous celebration of soulful club music – pulled together with a host of disco classics from the late 70s and early 80s! These aren't the big hits of the time, but instead some lesser-known gems that got bigger play in the hipper clubs and the underground – far from the limelight of Studio 54 and the radio charts, where real clubgoers and dancefloor fanatics kept the disco groove going well into the 80s! None of these tracks is super-rare, but they work together beautifully to showcase the hipper side of female club – in a lineup that includes work by a number of talents who never fully got their due. Titles include "Love Rescue" by Project, "Slippery People (club version)" by Staple Singers, "Give Me Your Love" by Sylvia Striplin, "Loveline (extended)" by Shawn Jackson, "Sweet Dynamite (Tom Moulton 12" mix)" by Cladja Barry, "Can't Fake The Feeling (dub)" by Geraldine Hunt, "I Love Your Beat (inst)" by Rena, "Get On Up & Do It Again" by Suzy Q, "Breaking & Entering (12" mix)" by Dee Dee Sharp Gamble, "On Your Knees" by Grace Jones, and "Too Damn Hot" by Duncan Sisters. CD

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One of the leading lights of the ECM Records scene in the early 80s – bassist Marc Johnson, working here with his successful Bass Desires group! The lineup features some wonderful interplay on stringed instruments – Johnson's bass, and guitars from both John Scofield and Bill Frisell, the later of whom also plays a bit of guitar synthesizer, in very ECM-shaped lines. Drums are from Peter Erskine, who's well-heard when the moment allows – and titles include "Samurai Hee Haw", "Mojo Highway", "Thanks Again", "Bass Desires", and "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair". CD

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A fantastic album from trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire – a set that really kicks his career up to the next level, and which is easily the most powerful record he's ever given us! The music finds Ambrose in many moods, all of them righteous – sometimes blowing hard and fierce in a small combo, sometimes issuing out more personal statements in a more stripped-down setting – working with players that include Harish Raghavan on bass, Justin Brown on drums, and Sam Harris on piano – plus vocalist Genevieve Artadi on one especially beautiful number that features Akinmusire on Fender Rhodes! We've loved the music of Ambrose for many years – and this is one of those faith-rewarding sets that always makes it so wonderful to follow the career of any key jazz musician – as we hope you'll also find on titles that include "Roy", "4623", "Moon", "Tide Of Hyacinth", "Cynical Sideliners", and "Mr Roscoe". LP, Vinyl record album