V/A Naked In The Afternoon (Summersteps) cd 12.98
"Naked In The Afternoon" is a collection of Jandek covers and tries to keep true to the Jandek aesthetic with lo-fi recordings, pseudo-improvisational warbles, and a purposeful dysfunctionality. Not to mention the faux-Jandek packaging. Each of the artists reinterprets their tracks within the vast Jandek back catalogue that spans two decades and more than two dozen records. The artists that succeed in translating the Jandek sound are the ones who already have established a well-defined songwriting ability that has been fractured into resembling Jandek. However, for every brilliant track by Low, Retsin, and Kid Icarus, there's some questionable 'avant garde' splutter from Gary Young, Monster Island, and The Storkettes who all smugly believe that they can be the next Mayo Thompson. A noble if flawed effort.

V/A Nanoloop 1.0 (Disco Bruit) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A collection of tracks produced utilizing Nanoloop, a realtime synthesizer and sequencer for the Nintendo Game Boy developed by Oliver Wittchow at HfbK in Hamburg. Given the limited capabilities inherent in a 4-bit sound chip found on portable game modules, the results are quite impressive and undoubtedly fun (some even downright unbearable given the microtonal capabilities). Many artists in the past have used midi-rigged Game Boys as synthesizers in composition, these are among the first to use the newly developed sound editing cartridge. Artists involved include creator Oliver Wittchow himself, Keith Fullerton Whitman as Hrvatski *and* ASCIII, Merzbow, Agf/Dlay (Vladislav Delay & Antye Greie Fuchs), Stock Hausen & Walkman, Blectum From Blechdom, Pita, Felix Kubin, Dat Politics, Scratch Pet Land, Pyrolator (ex Der Plan!), Ostinato and Bruno & Michel Are Smiling! On the wonderfully cool Hamburg-based Disco Bruit label.
RealAudio clip: ASCIII "401K"
RealAudio clip: BLECTUM FROM BLECHDOM "Burbanked"
RealAudio clip: STOCK, HAUSEN & WALKMAN "Pillion Passenger"

V/A Nao Wave (Man Recordings) cd 16.98
If this new compilation of post punk music from Brazil circa 1982 through 1988 is any indication, American and British post-punkers have got nothing on the Brazilian post-punkers in the eccentricities department. Some of the live wire tracks on Nao Wave are downright bizarre, and we love it! A hefty portion of it is pretty incomparable, but if we were to suggest a couple of reference points... the fourth song by Akira S & As Garotas Que Erraram brings to mind Talking Heads, while the ninth by Ira! is sorta Fishbone-y ska. But really, it can't be that easily nor narrowly pinned down. Maybe the current crop of new new wavers, nowavers and electroclashers can start drawing their retro '80s inspirations from these Brazilian sources? That'd be something to hear! Totally twisted and rad! However, if you're seeking some more, uhh, normal (?) post-punk from Brazil, we should let you know that there's another compilation that just came out on Soul Jazz that might tickle your fancy (we haven't had a chance to review it yet). Heck, check 'em both out!
MPEG Stream: AGENTSS "Agentss"
MPEG Stream: AKIRA S & AS GAROTAS QUE ERRARAM "Sobre As Pernas"
MPEG Stream: IRA! "La Fora Pode Ate Morrer"

V/A Nart Nibbles (Kitchen Motors / OMI ) 2cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The Icelandic art / music organization Kitchen Motors presents their third compilation of recordings from their series of monthly events. Apparat Organ Quartet opens the compilation with a faux-'70s horror music score much like the mellower, incidental music of Italian creepsters Goblin. The Big Band Brutal (favorites from the earlier Kitchen Motors compilation Motorlab #2) contradicts the implications of their name with an eerie composition for sonar bleeps and isolationist e-bowed guitar. Hilmar Jensson (a much acclaimed, but little heard multi-instrumentalist) teams up with Petur Halldrumsson for a jazzed-out, wacky take on Silver Apples style psychedelic electronic squiggles and driving drums music.
Disc two opens with "Helvitis Symphony no. 1 for 13 electric guitars" -- kind of like an Icelandic version of a Glenn Branca symphony, based around the basic tonality of the guitar's E chord. Instead of this small army chugging away at a E-chord (like Branca does), this ensemble featuring Jon Por Birgisson (the cello-bowin' guitarist from Sigur Ros), the aforementioned Hilmar Jensson and 11 other Icelandic guitarists, gradually introduces each guitar beginning at first with lilting drones that intensify into simple melodies and dramatic crescendos. As you probably know, we're not big fans of Sigur Ros, BUT if Sigur Ros were an instrumental outfit, then perhaps they would sound like this and we'd probably love 'em. Jensson returns for the compilation's finale, in collaboration with electronica outfits Biogen and Plastik, for a fresh take on the Raster-Noton style of digital click and sine-wave hum, with nicely done Biosphere-like digital ambience.
Another great compilation of adventurous music from the finest that Iceland has to offer!
RealAudio clip: BIRGISSON, JENSSON, HALLGRIMSSON, ETC. "Helvitis Symphony no. 1 for 13 Electric Guitars"
RealAudio clip: PETUR JENSSONHALLGR AND HILMAR JENSSON "Soren Kirkegaard dropateljari"
RealAudio clip: APPARAT ORGAN QUARTET "Nafnlaust uppklapp"

V/A Nashville Sputnik: The Deep South / Outer Space Productions Of Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan 1956-2004 (The Omni Recording Corporation) cd 17.98
Jim Blanchard and Misty Morgan were two of country music strangest creatures. Not only releasing some far-out sides as a duo, they helped produce many of Nashville's more left-field acts. Nashville Sputnik, the latest compilation from the Omni Recording Corporation (who also released Porter Wagoner's The Rubber Room, and Bruce Haack's Electric Lucifer) features many of Blanchard and Morgan's production highlights from the fifties to the present. Like the space-age sounds of Joe Meek meeting the down-home (and often cornball) wit of Hee-Haw, this compilation covers obscure and little heard sides of country-pop gold.
Hailing from Buffalo, but meeting in Hollywood, Florida where they both played lounge piano in neighboring clubs, the duo seemed psychically connected to meet (especially after finding out they were born in the same hospital, and their parents and siblings shared the same names, amongst other strange synchronicities). Releasing a string of 45's under different names and independent labels, Blanchard found his way into Nashville as an independent producer after producing surprise hit "Gemini" which ended up being covered by The Ventures. Influenced by The Tornadoes, "Telstar", Blanchard and Morgan saw a way for country music to be taken out of the "earthly moorings" that had reigned supreme in Nashville. Years before mavericks like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson had wrangled creative control for themselves from the grip of the Nashville machine in the seventies, Blanchard and Morgan, consummate outsiders, managed to shake up the establishment by penning tons of tunes with a novelty flair and studio gimmickry that became increasing popular. Mostly because they weren't about the usual country music themes. Songs about the space age, time travel, dancing skeletons, and living dead chickens along with more common themes about travelin, cowards, and sensitive love songs, gave the duo enough credibility by taking country music out of its more provincial themes and actually relating to current events and style trends emerging in the sixties. Although most of the acts they produced early on like Joel Mathis, Rusty Diamond, Donel Austin, and Brad Wolfe never broke big, they were paving the way to break out themselves, charting a string of hits in the seventies such as "Tennessee Bird Walk" and "Somewhere In Virginia In The Rain" (of which a disco version is included here). Nashville Sputnik contains a rare glimpse into a spacey sound that is so little heard or remembered in country music, but one that should be played as often as possible.
MPEG Stream: JACQUELINE HYDE AND THE MOONFOLK "Strange New World"
MPEG Stream: JOEL MATHIS "Time Machine"
MPEG Stream: RUSTY DIAMOND "Skellykins"
MPEG Stream: JACK BLANCHARD AND MISTY MORGAN "Midnight Greyhound"
MPEG Stream: THE JACK BLANCHARD GROUP "New World"

V/A Naturalism (Nature Tape Limb) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
All you Jewelled Antler / Celebrate Psi Phenomenon / Pseudo Arcana / obscure cd-r nerds get ready. Got a new compilation from a new label, and featuring some new sonic architects (as well as a few familiar ones). The label is called Nature Tape Limb and the compilation is called Naturalism, and will most likely hit the spot for all you folks into found-sound-outsider-folk-noise-ambience or whatever. Rumbles and creaks, drones and shimmers, jangly guitars, off kilter melodies and warbling woodwinds, fuzzy walls of buzz, random snippets of conversations and bits of sonic detritus from the great outdoors. Neil Campbell from Vibracathedral Orchestra contributes a track as well as CJA (featuring AQ pal Antony Milton). The rest of the folks on here are new to us: The Nether Dawn,The Wooden Cupboard, The Skaters, The Candle Magicians, Calf, Gnome Eaters and more. The names alone should give you a clue as to where this dark and twisted path leads. Fans of the above as well as folks into Sunroof!, the Dead C and all that business would do well to throw on the headphones, lay in a pile of leaves and let these weird and wonderful sounds keep you warm there on the forest floor. In VERY handmade /collage sleeves.
MPEG Stream: THE WOODEN CUPBOARD "Cabin In The Sky"
MPEG Stream: NEIL CAMPBELL / ROBERT HAYLER "Live Excerpt Summer 2002"

V/A Necessary Effect: Screamers Songs Interpreted (Xeroid / Extravertigo) 2cd 17.98
A long-in-the-works tribute to this short-lived, greatly deified, synthesizer-driven, no guitars, seminal punk band from Seattle / Los Angeles (whew!). Sad to say this was kind of a disappointment. Considering just how influential this group was/is and how wildly rabid their ever-growing following is, hopes were high, but unlike the fast and fierce originals, these covers are rather unelectrifying. Much as they try, they simply can't do the songs of the intense, volatile Tomata Du Plenty and company justice. Some of them are even downright bad, but you do get 29 tracks to choose from, so.... There are a couple of notable spots too though (for the guest participants): Spooky Pie with the Screamers' Paul Roessler and a thick and sludgey Rubber O Cement with Karla LaVey. There are double versions of certain songs: "The Beat Goes On", "I'm Going Steady With Twiggy", "I Wanna Hurt" and "Eva Braun". Actually, rumors had been buzzing around of a collaboration between I Am Spoonbender and Jello Biafra (unquestionably the Screamers' biggest fan) on a fiery cover of the latter song, but it's not present here. S'pose we'll just have to wait for that one to emerge elsewhere. This compilation was released by the two labels who also gave us the Screamers "In A Better World" double cd which was action-packed with live recordings and demos.
RealAudio clip: RUBBER O CEMENT W/ KARLA LAVEY "I Wanna Hurt"
RealAudio clip: SPOOKY PIE W/ PAUL ROESSLER "Go Guy"
RealAudio clip: TEEN CTHULHU "Violent World "

V/A Need For A Crossing: A New New Zealand Vol.1 (Xeric) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
New Zealand's not a big country, but it sure produces its share of amazing experimental drone and indie rock musics, don't it?! The underground scene there, as documented of late by such prolific cd-r labels as Celebrate Psi Phenomenon and PseudoArcana, has been booming for years. If you've been having trouble keeping up, or never tried but would like to delve a bit now into the murky sounds of NZ, then this compilation is pretty much essential. Not a comprehensive primer (impossible on just one disc, anyway) but one that will definitely interest the uninitiated -- as well as be needed by even those who've already got stacks of NZ cd-rs at home, as all ten tracks here, from the likes of Birchville Cat Motel and Peter Wright and other crucial names in the NZ underground, are exclusives to this disc as far as we can tell! If you're new to the "new New Zealand" then this would be an excellent starting point for exploration of the varieties of home-recorded yearning, droning, gritty and beautiful musics coming from that far off, Middle Earth a-like land... On here, you'll find everything from the heavy, almost-doom grind of Campbell Kneale's Birchville Cat Motel to the 3-guitars-at-once avant-folk of Greg Malcolm (who has two tracks here, one a stately ceremonial drone raga, the other a cover of John Coltrane's "Naima"). Presented with artist info in a nicely appointed, thick cd booklet, illustrated with old photos of empty New Zealand roads, printed in silvery and black ink on glossy white paper, this cd was put together by the Xeric sub-label of Table Of The Elements with the assistance of New Zealand natives Stefan Neville and Antony Milton, both of whom appear here of course. Really well done and recommended. We're looking forward to further volumes!
MPEG Stream: BIRCHVILLE CAT MOTEL "Skies Crimson Tears"
MPEG Stream: GREG MALCOLM "Unknown Rembetika"
MPEG Stream: PUMICE "Stars"

V/A Neonbeats (Klanggalerie) 2cd 25.00
Were there any New Wave and/or Post-Punk bands from Liechtenstein? If there were, there will surely be a comp documenting the scene soon enough, as plenty of choice tracks have been unearthed from throughout Europe and North America care of numerous compilations that have been released in recent years - The Minimal Wave Tapes, So Young But So Cold, BIPPP, Cold Waves + Minimal Electronics, New Deutsch, and pretty much everything through Vinyl-On-Demand. So, here's Klanggalerie's anthology of the Austrian scene throughout the early to mid '80s (plus some current acts who are striking a retrogarde pose), proving that there's plenty of music between the era of Falco and the era of Christian Fennesz.
Admittedly, very few of the artists on this comp have crossed our paths, making this quite an excellent discovery. Of those, we do know, there's the masterful proto-techno artist Monoton making an appearance as does the cold wave outfit Zyx. Perhaps the most surprising find is the first band from Peter Rehberg, who fronted a sludgey, pig-fuck band with the brilliant / terrible name of Peterlicker. Over two discs, Neonbeats touches on anything and everything that tangentially came in contact with new wave and post-punk, making the comp more of an cross-section of the entire underground scene, but the selection is pretty great in spite of the diverse genre hopping of all the bands.
Much of the work here draws inspiration from the NDW sound, with darkened electronics over cheap drum machines topped with heavily theatrical vocals. Zyx's low slung bassline and monotone vocals provide an appropriately sinister mood to their skeletal, stalking electronics, with similar tracks produced in equal aplomb by Molin & Jox and Red.Chamber. Plastix and Squishy Squid add punchy punk backbeats to stripped down 3-chord tunes laced with minimal electronics. A band with a name taken from a Neubauten / Fad Gadget single - Collapsing New People - offer a charmingly spunky Trio / Young Marble Giants inspired number that belies the origins of their name. You'll also find a few No New York / 99 Records references as well, with the muscular funk-punk sax leads from Pas Paravant. And yes, Peterlicker. Rehberg's band existed for less than six months in 1989, and it seems that he's re-started the band, which is pretty fucking brutal with a Swans inspired heavy guitar plod and growling vokills. Admittedly, this sticks out quite a bit from the rest of the comp, but it's a pretty awesome track!
MPEG Stream: ZYX "What Do You Live For"
MPEG Stream: PLASTIX "Konsumier Mich"
MPEG Stream: RED.CHAMBER "Grain"
MPEG Stream: ASSTART "Forced To Dance"
MPEG Stream: MONOTON "E-Song"

V/A Neu Konservativ (God Mountain/DSA) cd 16.98
Tokyo-based label God Mountain put out this compilation a year or two back, and now it's the first release on the more reasonably-priced "God Mountain Europe" imprint. Intense, insane instrumental prowess, strange prog/jazz concepts, beyond "out" rock dementia. A great intro to the God Mountain scene, which takes all that downtown NYC stuff and, like, cubes it. Also available on GMEurope, Ground Zero's self-titled (like a less calculated Naked City, and both Zorn and Eye guest) and Optical*8's "Bug" (comparable only maybe to the first Praxis album) for the same reasonable price.

V/A Neurotic Reactions (Crazy Apple Boutique) cd 21.00
We're always amazed that there's so much great music made in the dim past (well, the '60s and '70s) that remains totally, utterly obscure, and ripe for reissue. The realm of rare pop-psych singles is certainly a good example, and here's yet another great compilation chock full of groovy gems from a international assortment of bands, twenty of 'em, that we've never ever ever ever heard of before (La Quinta Faccia? Carlos Bisso & Conexion 5? Les Problemes? Boneshaker? Procro Magnum? Hamilton Streetcar?). Thanks to the efforts and enthusiasms of today's crate-diggin' DJs (always on the lookout for some unknown tune to get the dancefloor movin') the flow of fab comps like this -- Cherrystone's Rocks, Nightmares at Toby's Shop, The Spanish Trip, Painting The Time, Psychedelic Minds -- is never ceasing, it seems. With bands from Argentina, USA, England, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, and Australia, Neurotic Reactions is a geographically and stylistically diverse collection. There's sunny pop, freakbeat, sitar psych, garage fuzz, hippy funk, all sorts of bright and colorful good time grooves here! Sure, it's true that a lot of crap gets reissued too (cf. ninety percent of the Radioactive roster), but this collection is quality psyke pstuff. The cd booklet includes brief notes on each track/artist and better yet, full-color thumbnail repros of the 45 sleeves, yay!
MPEG Stream: THE DUKES "I'm An Unskilled Worker"
MPEG Stream: PRIMITIVE MAN "Animal Love"
MPEG Stream: SERGE FRANKLIN "Exister"

V/A Neurotic Reactions (Crazy Apple Boutique) lp 27.00
Now On Vinyl!
We're always amazed that there's so much great music made in the dim past (well, the '60s and '70s) that remains totally, utterly obscure, and ripe for reissue. The realm of rare pop-psych singles is certainly a good example, and here's yet another great compilation chock full of groovy gems from a international assortment of bands, twenty of 'em, that we've never ever ever ever heard of before (La Quinta Faccia? Carlos Bisso & Conexion 5? Les Problemes? Boneshaker? Procro Magnum? Hamilton Streetcar?). Thanks to the efforts and enthusiasms of today's crate-diggin' DJs (always on the lookout for some unknown tune to get the dancefloor movin') the flow of fab comps like this -- Cherrystone's Rocks, Nightmares at Toby's Shop, The Spanish Trip, Painting The Time, Psychedelic Minds -- is never ceasing, it seems. With bands from Argentina, USA, England, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, and Australia, Neurotic Reactions is a geographically and stylistically diverse collection. There's sunny pop, freakbeat, sitar psych, garage fuzz, hippy funk, all sorts of bright and colorful good time grooves here! Sure, it's true that a lot of crap gets reissued too (cf. ninety percent of the Radioactive roster), but this collection is quality psyke pstuff. The cd booklet includes brief notes on each track/artist and better yet, full-color thumbnail repros of the 45 sleeves, yay!
MPEG Stream: THE DUKES "I'm An Unskilled Worker"
MPEG Stream: PRIMITIVE MAN "Animal Love"
MPEG Stream: SERGE FRANKLIN "Exister"

V/A Never A Pal Like Mother (Dust-To-Digital) book + 2cd 39.00

V/A Never The Same: Leave-Taking From The British Folk Revival 1970-1977 (Honest Jon's) cd 16.98

V/A New Beats From The Delta (Fat Possum/Epitaph) cd 16.98
A meeting of the generations in Oxford, Mississippi. Young hip hop mcs meet up with a bunch of badass old bluesmen on this comp, something only possible on the Fat Possum label. Featuring (of course) R.L. Burnside, and others.

V/A New Coat of Paint (Manifesto) cd 17.98
Another tribute to Tom Waits! ANd this one proves to be by far the stronger of the two cds that were released almost concurrently this year. The other collection was the less than spectacular 'Step Right up'. Some of the brazen artists contributing tracks to This compilation are the Knoxville Girls, Neko Case, Lydia Lunch and Nels CLine as well as the late Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

V/A New Deutsch (International Gigolo) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Several months back, a copy or two of this compilation of early '80s Germany new wave / post-punk / proto-electronica came in the shop with little or no fanfare. Yet each time I attempted to play this disc, somebody would immediately come up to the counter to ask two questions: "What is this?" followed by "Can I buy it?" Needless to say, the album must have done very well all across the globe, as it has only been recently that we've been able to get a hold of enough of these to list. With the notable exception of DAF, Der Plan, and Pyrolator, we've never come across any of these bands, much less heard of them. For the most part, this catalogue of terminally obscure groups have produced some exceptional tracks of synth-based, noir pop. Occasionally playful, but often seriously sterile, these songs often revolve around the Kraftwerk / Cluster axis of a futuristic synthesis of state of the art technology (well for 1980 with primitive sequencers and drum machines) and sci-fi leaning metaphors. Along with those aforementioned groups, New Deutsch features Weltklang, Neon, Grauzone, Gleitzeit, No More, Stratis, Christof Glowalla, Eiskalte Engel, Za Za, Keine Ahnung, Die Gesunden, Fehlfarfen, Blingaenger, and Die Hornissen.
Certainly for fans of Adult., I Am Spoonbender, Gary Numan, etc.
MPEG Stream: NEON "Neon"
MPEG Stream: GRAUZONE "Film 2"
MPEG Stream: DER PLAN "Commerce Exterieur Mondial Sentimentale"
MPEG Stream: ECHOWEST "Engelstuer"

V/A New Folk Routes (Rev-Ola) cd 17.98
There will probably never be that one good comprehensive collection of British Folk Rock that will please both stalwart fans and those new to the genre, though this one comes close solely by not attempting to be all-encompassing. Mining the vaults of Island Records, who licensed recordings from so many bands that recorded for Joe Boyd's Witchseason Productions, Rev-Ola has been able to put together a genealogy of sorts mainly through Boyd's and Island's biggest folk rock act, Fairport Convention. Through them we see threads to other seminal Boyd acts, Nick Drake, and Incredible String Band (though, the Island holdings of the String Band discography is from their later Scientology years); other Island Records folk-rock successes such as Traffic, John Martyn and Amazing Blondel; as well as many of Fairport's spin-off acts: Fotheringay, Albion Country Band, Richard and Linda Thompson, solo Sandy Denny, and many of Ashley Hutchings' one-off super-group projects. This is a good entry place for beginners as, apart from The Incredible String Band track, you get a good mix of classic and rarely heard tracks such as Sandy Denny's "Man of Iron" which was only previously released on a rare soundtrack, and other little heard tracks from Dr. Strangely Strange, and John Locke, whose early twentieth century recording provides the scene's founding roots . For such a seemingly small cluster of bands, this compilation covers a lot of ground.
MPEG Stream: TRAFFIC "John Barleycorn"
MPEG Stream: JOHN MARTYN "Seven Black Roses"
MPEG Stream: SANDY DENNY "Man of Iron"

V/A New Forms (Raster-Noton) 2cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
"Contemporary Electronic Music in the Context of Art" with Disinformation, Scanner, Thomas Brinkmann, Richie Hawtin, Kim Cascone, Goem, Ryoji Ikeda + Noto, Byetone, Pan Sonic, Signal, Coh, Pomassl, Marc Behrens, Francisco Lopez, General Magic, and a few others. In a cool, but ridiculously cumbersome folding package with the cd nipples attatched perilously to the paper.

V/A New Orleans Funk (Soul Jazz) cd 21.00
Another kick-ass Soul Jazz label compilation, this one spotlighting the funky N.O. sounds circa 1960-75. Features the names you'd expect, and more: The Meters, Professor Longhair, Aaron & Cyril Neville, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, the Wild Magnolias, as well as many others that we weren't so familiar with (The Gaturs, Ernie & The Top Notes, The Explosions, etc.), all ready to party with you. 24 tracks, in a cardboard slipcover with a fat 40-page booklet tucked in next to the jewelbox. The booklet tells makes the case for New Orleans being the place where Funk began, and provides plenty of info about and photos of the various funky folks on the comp.

V/A New Orleans Funk Vol. 2 (Soul Jazz) cd 21.00
Soul Jazz takes their second dip into the deep vaults of funk gems drawn from New Orleans in the late 60's to early 70's. It's a non stop funkified throwdown filled with songs by so many of the city's brightest stars of that era: Eddie Bo, Jimmy Hicks, Allen Toussaint, Lee Dorsey, The Meters, Betty Harris, etc. The collection does a good job of mixing in some of the more well known songs from this era in New Orleans (you will probably recognize a handful of these cuts) with a big chunk of tunes new to our ears (and probably yours) but just as smokin' if not even more so. If you like your soul and funk uptempo and full of punch and fire then this collection is for you. Another reminder of the powerful spirit that helped establish New Orleans as such an important place for music with true soul to flourish.
MPEG Stream: RAY J "Right Place, Wrong Time"
MPEG Stream: BONNIE & SHEILA "You Keep Me Hangin' On"
MPEG Stream: JIMMY HICKS "I'm Mr Big Stuff"

V/A New Orleans Funk Vol. 2 (Soul Jazz) 3lp 27.00
Soul Jazz takes their second dip into the deep vaults of funk gems drawn from New Orleans in the late 60's to early 70's. It's a non stop funkified throwdown filled with songs by so many of the city's brightest stars of that era: Eddie Bo, Jimmy Hicks, Allen Toussaint, Lee Dorsey, The Meters, Betty Harris, etc. The collection does a good job of mixing in some of the more well known songs from this era in New Orleans (you will probably recognize a handful of these cuts) with a big chunk of tunes new to our ears (and probably yours) but just as smokin' if not even more so. If you like your soul and funk uptempo and full of punch and fire then this collection is for you. Another reminder of the powerful spirit that helped establish New Orleans as such an important place for music with true soul to flourish.
MPEG Stream: RAY J "Right Place, Wrong Time"
MPEG Stream: BONNIE & SHEILA "You Keep Me Hangin' On"
MPEG Stream: JIMMY HICKS "I'm Mr Big Stuff"

V/A New Sounds of the Old West Volume 3 (Loose) cd 17.98
Artists such as Grandaddy, The Handsome Family, Sparklehorse, Evan Dando and Mark Eitzel doing some covers of classic country tunes by the likes of Hank Williams and Kris Kristofferson, along with some old 'n dusty sounding originals.

V/A New Thing! (Soul Jazz) 2cd 25.00
In just a few years, Soul Jazz has pretty much cornered the market on gorgeously packaged and imaginatively assembled compilations of forgotten funk, soul that had slipped through the cracks, essential dub and reggae, and even some eighties No Wave! So it was only a matter of time before they tackled sixties free jazz! Soul Jazz places their focus square on the evolving black experience, as it was filtered through musical exploration. Avant garde free jazz indeed, but incorporating all sorts of fuzzy funky soul and groovy bits of R&B into a strangely unique voice of a generation. Most of you probably know a lot of these groups, and most likely many of these tracks, but the impact both socially and artistically becomes much more evident, especially for those new to this stuff, when viewed in the context of the artists they developed alongside, and the voice of a community that resulted from this fertile period and a divine yet unlikely convergence of genius players and mind blowing composers. All it takes is a quick glance at the lineup: Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Sun Ra, Rashied Ali, Frank Lowe, Archie Shepp, Alice Coltrane, Eddie Gale and more. But it wouldn't be a Soul Jazz joint without the introduction of a handful of lesser knowns, who more than stack up to the big names. Paris Smith, Travis Biggs, Amina Claudine Myers, East New York Ensemble and on and on. From the wild block party free for all of Mulawi's "Street Rap" to the brooding shuffling classic jazz workout of Sun Ra's "Angels And Demons At Play" to the haunting vibes of Paris Smith's "Pentatonia" to Amina Claudine Myers' "Have Mercy On Us", a rambunctious percussion free for all that slowly builds into a rollicking Santana-ish jam with warm organs and soulful vocals. Every track on here is amazing. And folks who have been a little wary of "free jazz" might find some of this quite pleasing with some of the free-jazz jagged edges smoothed out with warm grooves and slinky soul, and folks who were never much into funk and soul (like me) might find some of these tracks mighty appealing when that funk and soul is stirred wildly into a broiling cauldron of freaked out avant jazz. Such is the genius of Soul Jazz, and of course all the artists on this compilation. Packaged in a beautiful slip cover with a MASSIVE booklet packed with Soul Jazz's always impressive and informative liner notes!
MPEG Stream: SUN RA "Angels And Demons At Play"
MPEG Stream: PARIS SMITH "Pentatonia"
MPEG Stream: RASHIED ALI AND FRANK LOWE "Duo Exchange Pt. 2"

V/A New Thing! (Soul Jazz) 3lp 27.00
In just a few years, Soul Jazz has pretty much cornered the market on gorgeously packaged and imaginatively assembled compilations of forgotten funk, soul that had slipped through the cracks, essential dub and reggae, and even some eighties No Wave! So it was only a matter of time before they tackled sixties free jazz! Soul Jazz places their focus square on the evolving black experience, as it was filtered through musical exploration. Avant garde free jazz indeed, but incorporating all sorts of fuzzy funky soul and groovy bits of R&B into a strangely unique voice of a generation. Most of you probably know a lot of these groups, and most likely many of these tracks, but the impact both socially and artistically becomes much more evident, especially for those new to this stuff, when viewed in the context of the artists they developed alongside, and the voice of a community that resulted from this fertile period and a divine yet unlikely convergence of genius players and mind blowing composers. All it takes is a quick glance at the lineup: Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Sun Ra, Rashied Ali, Frank Lowe, Archie Shepp, Alice Coltrane, Eddie Gale and more. But it wouldn't be a Soul Jazz joint without the introduction of a handful of lesser knowns, who more than stack up to the big names. Paris Smith, Travis Biggs, Amina Claudine Myers, East New York Ensemble and on and on. From the wild block party free for all of Mulawi's "Street Rap" to the brooding shuffling classic jazz workout of Sun Ra's "Angels And Demons At Play" to the haunting vibes of Paris Smith's "Pentatonia" to Amina Claudine Myers' "Have Mercy On Us", a rambunctious percussion free for all that slowly builds into a rollicking Santana-ish jam with warm organs and soulful vocals. Every track on here is amazing. And folks who have been a little wary of "free jazz" might find some of this quite pleasing with some of the free-jazz jagged edges smoothed out with warm grooves and slinky soul, and folks who were never much into funk and soul (like me) might find some of these tracks mighty appealing when that funk and soul is stirred wildly into a broiling cauldron of freaked out avant jazz. Such is the genius of Soul Jazz, and of course all the artists on this compilation. Packaged in a beautiful slip cover with a MASSIVE booklet packed with Soul Jazz's always impressive and informative liner notes!
MPEG Stream: SUN RA "Angels And Demons At Play"
MPEG Stream: PARIS SMITH "Pentatonia"
MPEG Stream: RASHIED ALI AND FRANK LOWE "Duo Exchange Pt. 2"

V/A New Waves (Family Recordings) 2cd 30.00
Two discs filled with 55 post-punk new wave songs from the original 45's by the likes of The Cure, Billy Bragg, The Creatures, Sham 69, Elvis Costello, The Ruts, Joe Jackson, The Damned, The Tubes and lots more. If you still have all of these singles on vinyl you probably got yourself a nice little eBay cash cow on your hands. But if not this is a nice way to hear lots from the '77-'83 era of underground (at the time) rock which soon found it's way very much into the mainstream. Some of the best moments on this comp come from the artists who never really made their millions but left a legacy that still stands the test of time. Folks like Lene Lovich (Adult and Numbers should be paying her royalties) and we dare you to find any punk anthem more catchy and fist in the air effective then Sham 69's "If The Kids Are United." And of course some of the big names remind us why they became famous in the first place. Sometimes nostalgia can feel oh so good.
MPEG Stream: THE CREATURES "Right Now"
MPEG Stream: LENE LOVICH "Lucky Number"
MPEG Stream: SHAM 69 "If The Kids Are United"

V/A New York City: Global Beat of the Boroughs (Smithsonian Folkways) 2cd 15.98
Compilation celebrating the big apple's cornucopia of ethnic populations and the various musical traditions they uphold amidst mainstream media and culture's hegemonic tendencies. 31 tracks, representing a wide variety of groups are collected here: Puerto Rican, Dominican, Albanian, Chinese, Korean, West African, Afro-Cuban, Trinidadian, Bulgarian-Gypsy, Irish, Greek, Eastern European Jewish, Haitian, Colombian, Lebanese, Ukrainian, Italian and more. Includes Smithsonian-Folkways standard heavy booklet of liner notes -- 40 pages to be exact -- and lots of photos as well.
RealAudio clip: VIENTO DE AGUA "Fiesta De Plena"
RealAudio clip: KOREAN TRADITIONAL PERFORMING ARTS ASSN "Sanjo Kayageum"
RealAudio clip: DIABATE, ABDOULAYE & SUPER MANDEN "Fakoli"

V/A New York Eye And Ear Control (Get Back) lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Several ESP-Disc classics have been re-pressed onto 180-gram vinyl by some nice Italians, whoo-ooo! A great early 70's Sun Ra cosmic keyboard/spacefunk concert, *the* essential Patty Waters avant-jazz-vocal platter (with "Black Is the Color Of My True Loves Hair"), a freaky underground scene sound collage document (with the likes of the VU and Allen Ginsberg), and an all-star free jazz soundtrack from '65 with Albert Ayler, Don Cherry, Roswell Rudd, John Tchicai, Gary Peacock, and Sunny Murray! And, as the now-deleted cd reissues of these are becoming harder and harder to come by, just in time.

V/A New York Latin Hustle (Soul Jazz) 2cd 23.00
The streets of New York in the '60s and '70s were brimming with a melting-pot of musicians.
Puerto-Rican, Latino and African-Americans, all bringing together their musical histories and legacies to create all new sounds like booglaoo, latin jazz, salsa, and a brand of disco that just can't be denied. This Soul Jazz collection brings together some of the biggest names in Latin music (Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Candido, Ray Baretto) along with some more obscure folks (Ismael Quinones Nature Zone, Johnny Zamot) all of whom know lots about creating songs that splash with color and vivacious energy. As always the Soul Jazz packaging is top-notch with informative and well written liner notes and some pretty amazing photos. Every time we need a lift in our spirits we've been blasting this really loud and the next thing we know we're moving just a little bit faster and cracking big ol' smiles! New York Latin Hustle does the trick every single time. Forget about St. Johns Wart this is our sure way to get in a better mood. So great!
MPEG Stream: LOUIE RAMIREZ "Do It Any Way You Wanna"
MPEG Stream: CHARLIE SANTIAGO & EDDIE MONTALVO "El Bollinski en D7"
MPEG Stream: CORTIJO "Sorongo"
MPEG Stream: SEGUIDA "Om Marreo"

V/A New York Latin Hustle Vol 1 (Soul Jazz) 2lp 24.00
The streets of New York in the '60s and '70s were brimming with a melting-pot of musicians.
Puerto-Rican, Latino and African-Americans, all bringing together their musical histories and legacies to create all new sounds like booglaoo, latin jazz, salsa, and a brand of disco that just can't be denied. This Soul Jazz collection brings together some of the biggest names in Latin music (Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Candido, Ray Baretto) along with some more obscure folks (Ismael Quinones Nature Zone, Johnny Zamot) all of whom know lots about creating songs that splash with color and vivacious energy. As always the Soul Jazz packaging is top-notch with informative and well written liner notes and some pretty amazing photos. Every time we need a lift in our spirits we've been blasting this really loud and the next thing we know we're moving just a little bit faster and cracking big ol' smiles! New York Latin Hustle does the trick every single time. Forget about St. Johns Wart this is our sure way to get in a better mood. So great!
MPEG Stream: LOUIE RAMIREZ "Do It Any Way You Wanna"
MPEG Stream: CORTIJO "Sorongo"

V/A New York Latin Hustle Vol 2 (Soul Jazz) 2lp 24.00
The streets of New York in the '60s and '70s were brimming with a melting-pot of musicians.
Puerto-Rican, Latino and African-Americans, all bringing together their musical histories and legacies to create all new sounds like booglaoo, latin jazz, salsa, and a brand of disco that just can't be denied. This Soul Jazz collection brings together some of the biggest names in Latin music (Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Candido, Ray Baretto) along with some more obscure folks (Ismael Quinones Nature Zone, Johnny Zamot) all of whom know lots about creating songs that splash with color and vivacious energy. As always the Soul Jazz packaging is top-notch with informative and well written liner notes and some pretty amazing photos. Every time we need a lift in our spirits we've been blasting this really loud and the next thing we know we're moving just a little bit faster and cracking big ol' smiles! New York Latin Hustle does the trick every single time. Forget about St. Johns Wart this is our sure way to get in a better mood. So great!
MPEG Stream: CHARLIE SANTIAGO & EDDIE MONTALVO "El Bollinski en D7"
MPEG Stream: SEGUIDA "Om Marreo"

V/A New York Noise (Soul Jazz) cd 21.00
The Soul Jazz label just keeps the cool comps comin', this one being another archival '80s collection that just happens to be perfectly in tune with today's trends. The dance music meets punk/new wave genre that all those currently hip NYC (and SF) scenesters are mining. This is the original scene for that kind of stuff, downtown NYC circa 1978-1983. It was a world where slap bass could coexist with machine-gun drumming, angular grooves and angsty vocals. Some are more on the No Wave side of things (Mars, DNA) and others more funk (ESG, Liquid Liquid, Defunkt, Material). This disc's lineup also includes: Konk, The Dance, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Rahmelzee vs K. Rob (produced by Jean Michel Basquiat!), Bush Tetras, Glenn Branca, The Bloods, Arthur Russell's Dinosaur L, Theoretical Girls, and The Contortions. It's a good mix of total obscurities and can't-miss essentials, packaged with a 30 page booklet full of liner notes and photos. Before you buy another "Electroclash" record, why not spin back 20 years with this? Like those (now missing in action, unfortunately) "Disco Not Disco" comps, this will get you diggin' dancefloor stuff that you might not have otherwise, simply because of how these tracks have been contextualized here, with total boogie-down cuts abutting experiments in academic punk minimalism or deconstructed funk.
MPEG Stream: THE BLOODS "Button Up"
MPEG Stream: THEORETICAL GIRLS "You Got Me"
MPEG Stream: ESG "You Make No Sense"

V/A New York Noise (Soul Jazz) 2lp 24.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The Soul Jazz label just keeps the cool comps comin', this one being another archival '80s collection that just happens to be perfectly in tune with today's trends. The dance music meets punk/new wave genre that all those currently hip NYC (and SF) scenesters are mining. This is the original scene for that kind of stuff, downtown NYC circa 1978-1983. It was a world where slap bass could coexist with machine-gun drumming, angular grooves and angsty vocals. Some are more on the No Wave side of things (Mars, DNA) and others more funk (ESG, Liquid Liquid, Defunkt, Material). This disc's lineup also includes: Konk, The Dance, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Rahmelzee vs K. Rob (produced by Jean Michel Basquiat!), Bush Tetras, Glenn Branca, The Bloods, Arthur Russell's Dinosaur l, Theoretical Girls, and The Contortions. It's a good mix of total obscurities and can't-miss essentials, packaged with a 30 page booklet full of liner notes and photos. Before you buy another "Electroclash" record, why not spin back 20 years with this? Like those (now missing in action, unfortunately) "Disco Not Disco" comps, this will get you diggin' dancefloor stuff that you might not have otherwise, simply because of how these tracks have been contextualized here, with total boogie-down cuts abutting experiments in academic punk minimalism or deconstructed funk.

V/A New York Noise 2 (Soul Jazz) cd 21.00
When Soul Jazz released the comp "New York Noise" a few years back it was not only an amazing collection of lost gems from NY circa '78-'82, it was also the perfect document showcasing the blueprints of sounds that were beginning to be echoed again all over the globe. Dance-Punk, electro-clash, no wave, dub infused funk..all sounds that were blossomed in the heyday of the NY Underground music scene, now were being mimicked everywhere you looked. With Volume 2 we weren't sure if they would be able to put together as cohesive and overall exciting package as they did with the first one, but low and behold they have. It starts off with pt.2 of "Ungawa" by the rhythmically chaotic all female outfit Pulsallama. Along the way we got hit so nice and hard by Rhys Chatham, the person who basically channeled his studies of minimalism with LaMonte Young into blissed out and blistering no wave. Y Pants demonstrate their everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach to pre-riot grrrl glory. Red Transistor show off no-wave at its rough and tumbling best. Glorious Strangers provide the best funk/dub leaning track on the record with instrumentation that you could mistake for a new Tussle single. Jill Kroesen melds pop and skronk like they've always meant to be together. Sonic Youth reminds us of their glory days (and makes us feel old). Damn, this is making us wish we were back in NYC during this era...such vibrant and distinct energy!
MPEG Stream: PULSALLAMA "Ungawa Pt.2 (Pulsallama)"
MPEG Stream: RHYS CHATHAM "Drastic Classicism (Rhys Chatham)"
MPEG Stream: Y PANTS "Favorite Sweater (Y Pants)"

V/A New York Noise 2 (Soul Jazz) 2lp 24.00
When Soul Jazz released the comp "New York Noise" a few years back it was not only an amazing collection of lost gems from NY circa '78-'82, it was also the perfect document showcasing the blueprints of sounds that were beginning to be echoed again all over the globe. Dance-Punk, electro-clash, no wave, dub infused funk..all sounds that were blossomed in the heyday of the NY Underground music scene, now were being mimicked everywhere you looked. With Volume 2 we weren't sure if they would be able to put together as cohesive and overall exciting package as they did with the first one, but low and behold they have. It starts off with pt.2 of "Ungawa" by the rhythmically chaotic all female outfit Pulsallama. Along the way we got hit so nice and hard by Rhys Chatham, the person who basically channeled his studies of minimalism with LaMonte Young into blissed out and blistering no wave. Y Pants demonstrate their everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach to pre-riot grrrl glory. Red Transistor show off no-wave at its rough and tumbling best. Glorious Strangers provide the best funk/dub leaning track on the record with instrumentation that you could mistake for a new Tussle single. Jill Kroesen melds pop and skronk like they've always meant to be together. Sonic Youth reminds us of their glory days (and makes us feel old). Damn, this is making us wish we were back in NYC during this era...such vibrant and distinct energy!
MPEG Stream: PULSALLAMA "Ungawa Pt.2 (Pulsallama)"
MPEG Stream: RHYS CHATHAM "Drastic Classicism (Rhys Chatham)"
MPEG Stream: Y PANTS "Favorite Sweater (Y Pants)"

V/A New York Noise Vol.3 (Soul Jazz) cd 21.00
Frankly, we were very surprised that Soul Jazz was releasing a third volume in their New York Noise series. While the first volume was phenomenal and timely amongst the then current wave of new bands revitalizing the no wave disco sound of late seventies New York, the second volume, despite great moments, felt stretched out with lots of filler. So the real surprise is how good this third volume sounds! It's more thematically selected this time around by Stuart Argabright from Ike Yard with fewer bands represented mostly by two tracks each. Even though the focus here is on more electronic acts than previous volumes, there's kind of a Naked City retro-fifties noir feeling to the selection, whether it be from Ike Yard's own paranoid dub, the oppressive groove of Boris Policeband and Martin Rev from Suicide or the no wave rockabilly of James Blood Ulmer and Judy Nylon, whose blase cover of Elvis' "Jailhouse Rock" sounds like an outtake from Lydia Lunch's Queen of Siam.
Killer tracks from UT, Dominatrix, Implog, Dark Day and Snatch round out the collection.
MPEG Stream: IMPLOG "She Creatures"
MPEG Stream: BORIS POLICEBAND "Tow Away"
MPEG Stream: DOMINATRIX "City That Never Sleeps"

V/A New York Noise Vol.3 (Soul Jazz) 2lp 24.00
Frankly, we were very surprised that Soul Jazz was releasing a third volume in their New York Noise series. While the first volume was phenomenal and timely amongst the then current wave of new bands revitalizing the no wave disco sound of late seventies New York, the second volume, despite great moments, felt stretched out with lots of filler. So the real surprise is how good this third volume sounds! It's more thematically selected this time around by Stuart Argabright from Ike Yard with fewer bands represented mostly by two tracks each. Even though the focus here is on more electronic acts than previous volumes, there's kind of a Naked City retro-fifties noir feeling to the selection, whether it be from Ike Yard's own paranoid dub, the oppressive groove of Boris Policeband and Martin Rev from Suicide or the no wave rockabilly of James Blood Ulmer and Judy Nylon, whose blase cover of Elvis' "Jailhouse Rock" sounds like an outtake from Lydia Lunch's Queen of Siam.
Killer tracks from UT, Dominatrix, Implog, Dark Day and Snatch round out the collection.
MPEG Stream: IMPLOG "She Creatures"
MPEG Stream: BORIS POLICEBAND "Tow Away"
MPEG Stream: DOMINATRIX "City That Never Sleeps"

V/A Next Brel (DRG) cd 16.98
Someone (I think it was Andee actually) commented that hearing this compilation just made him wanna listen to Scott Walker. And well, you can see his point because although this is a tribute to Jacques Brel, it was American singer Walker who spread the gospel of this Belgian singing great to the masses (as translated from French to English by Mort Shuman and Eric Blau). Perhaps one of the coolest things about this particular tribute is that unlike most others that just assemble a group of flavor of the day (and usually less than appropriate) artists to cover the songs, this one is compiled from original recordings from different decades gone by, and hence conveys much more of a sense of (both the artists' and the audience's) on-going love for this man's music.
What this compilation also does unfortunately though is bring to light the occasional near-nursery rhyming and awkward translations that befell some of the songs. Really, you've gotta be one helluva ballsy (male or female) performer to pull off some of those lyrics! Lesser artists simply end up sounding foolish! Case in point, The Divine Comedy's flamboyant crooning of the phrase "stupid ass way" on "Jackie" is one of those latter occasions. Ahem, step aside sir, and hear how the pros do it... David Bowie, Dusty Springfield, Jimmie Rodgers, Nina Simone, Marc Almond (who actually did his own Brel tribute album complete with his own translations), the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, French chanteuse Barbara and of course, the aforementioned Walker. Three of these twelve songs are his renditions -- two of them suitably opening and closing the compilation.
MPEG Stream: BARBARA "Les Flamandes"
MPEG Stream: DIVINE COMEDY "Jackie"

V/A Nice Up The Dance (Heart Beat) cd 16.98
Imagine one of those reggae collections where the version track follows the vocal, except that instead of there being a rude break where the song stops and then starts again as a dub, the vocals merely drop out for several minutes, returning only at the close of the song. It's the perfect reconciliation of the vocal and version: just slap the two together. Though not exactly what's going on here, it's quite close. The practice, known as the "Discomix", became popular in the early seventies. Studio 1 was one of the big innovators of the "Discomix", which was a reworking of a song in order to keep a hit playing on the dance floor longer to increase exposure, keep people dancing, as well as a way to allow the dj a chance to toast over the song. The shortest track on here is just under seven minutes (the longest clocking in at eleven minutes). This collection is an excellent compilation of Discomixes, containing two previously unreleased mixes and many tracks appearing for the first time on cd and featuring Alton Ellis, Horace Andy, The Viceroys with Tommy McCook, Delroy Wilson and more. Highly recommended!
RealAudio clip: MCKAY, FREDDIE "Love Is A Treasure"
RealAudio clip: ANDY, HORACE "Mr. Bassie"

V/A Nice Up The Dance (Heart Beat) lp 11.98
Imagine one of those reggae collections where the version track follows the vocal, except that instead of there being a rude break where the song stops and then starts again as a dub, the vocals merely drop out for several minutes, returning only at the close of the song. It's the perfect reconcilliation of the vocal and version: just slap the two together. Though not exactly what's going on here, it's quite close. The practice, known as the "Discomix", became popular in the early seventies. Studio 1 was one of the big innovators of the "Discomix", which was a reworking of a song in order to keep a hit playing on the dance floor longer to increase exposure, keep people dancing, as well as a way to allow the dj a chance to toast over the song. The shortest track on here is just under seven minutes (the longest clocking in at eleven minutes). This collection is an excellent compilation of Discomixes, containing two previously unreleased mixes and many tracks appearing for the first time on cd and featuring Alton Ellis, Horace Andy, The Viceroys with Tommy McCook, Delroy Wilson and more. Highly recommended!

V/A Nice Up The Dance: Two Worlds Clash (Soul Jazz) cd 21.00
Last list one of our 'Records-of-the-Week' was the awesome "Wild Dub" compilation of punk-era dubs. This week, we've got another culture clash -- though, like "Wild Dub", it's less a clash than a perfect match -- with this mix of reggae meets hip hop mixes.
Not to be confused with Heartbeat's venerable compilation of disco-mixes which bears the same title, Soul Jazz's "Nice Up The Dance" is no less of a great collection. While the earlier genres of Jamaican music have drawn inspiration from the States in varying degrees since the 1950's, it's only recently that tables have turned and artists from the U.S. have begun importing ideas from Jamaica -- so much so that rap and dancehall are practically joined at the hip. Dancehall artists are not only cameo-ing on albums by prominent rap artists, but even getting some major label attention of their own. Along comes Soul Jazz to bridge the not-so-wide gap between hip hop and dancehall. On the one hand you have Jamaican artists here like Sean Paul, who has apparently been enjoying some MTV and major label attention right now. His 1996 track "Infiltrate", which has some sick sub-harmonic bass for those of you with subwoofers (the "Playground" riddim), is included here. And on the other you have American artists like J-Live with his track "Satisfied" which pays homage to Jamaican music by using Augustus Pablo's "East of the River Nile" as its foundation, and NY producer Kenny Dope with his trunk rattling dancehall/hip hop crossover classics "Boomin' In Ya Jeep" (featuring Screechy Dan) and "Gunshot" (featuring Shaggy). The best thing about this collection is that it's not some academic attempt to point out the missing links between hip hop and dancehall, but -- like Soul Jazz already has demonstrated time and again -- to collect some of the best tracks into a mix that will stay in your system this summer. This is going to be the album to blast at your next bar-b-q, or in your car on the way to the beach/park/club through the coming hot months (for those of you who are blessed with warm summers). Along with the aforementioned tracks is Cutty Ranks' kick ass come back tune "Who Say Me Done", a fucking wicked Tuva-drone toast from Pompidoo aptly titled "Synthesizer Voice", Steelie and Cleevie's electro-bass remix of Dawn Penn's "No, No, No" (admit it purists, this mix grows on you), another mix of the ever so popular "Ring The Alarm" by Tenor Saw and more. But the absolute bestest, most kick-assessed track on the album is Ward 21's gut pounding, steamroller of a bassline "Petrol" (from 2002 -- no it's not on the Mentally Disturbed album) which features tag team vocals from both the growling baritone and the 200-words-per-minute auctioneer cum toaster. And for those of you that can't live without it, there are some nice liner notes tracing the paths of Jamaican and American music here for you. Highly recommended!!!
MPEG Stream: KENNY DOPE "Boomin' In Ya Jeep"
MPEG Stream: WARD 21 "Petrol"

V/A Nice Up The Dance: Two Worlds Clash (Soul Jazz) 2lp 24.00
Last list one of our 'Records-of-the-Week' was the awesome "Wild Dub" compilation of punk-era dubs. This week, we've got another culture clash -- though, like "Wild Dub", it's less a clash than a perfect match -- with this mix of reggae meets hip hop mixes.
Not to be confused with Heartbeat's venerable compilation of disco-mixes which bears the same title, Soul Jazz's "Nice Up The Dance" is no less of a great collection. While the earlier genres of Jamaican music have drawn inspiration from the States in varying degrees since the 1950's, it's only recently that tables have turned and artists from the U.S. have begun importing ideas from Jamaica -- so much so that rap and dancehall are practically joined at the hip. Dancehall artists are not only cameo-ing on albums by prominent rap artists, but even getting some major label attention of their own. Along comes Soul Jazz to bridge the not-so-wide gap between hip hop and dancehall. On the one hand you have Jamaican artists here like Sean Paul, who has apparently been enjoying some MTV and major label attention right now. His 1996 track "Infiltrate", which has some sick sub-harmonic bass for those of you with subwoofers (the "Playground" riddim), is included here. And on the other you have American artists like J-Live with his track "Satisfied" which pays homage to Jamaican music by using Augustus Pablo's "East of the River Nile" as its foundation, and NY producer Kenny Dope with his trunk rattling dancehall/hip hop crossover classics "Boomin' In Ya Jeep" (featuring Screechy Dan) and "Gunshot" (featuring Shaggy). The best thing about this collection is that it's not some academic attempt to point out the missing links between hip hop and dancehall, but -- like Soul Jazz already has demonstrated time and again -- to collect some of the best tracks into a mix that will stay in your system this summer. This is going to be the album to blast at your next bar-b-q, or in your car on the way to the beach/park/club through the coming hot months (for those of you who are blessed with warm summers). Along with the aforementioned tracks is Cutty Ranks' kick ass come back tune "Who Say Me Done", a fucking wicked Tuva-drone toast from Pompidoo aptly titled "Synthesizer Voice", Steelie and Cleevie's electro-bass remix of Dawn Penn's "No, No, No" (admit it purists, this mix grows on you), another mix of the ever so popular "Ring The Alarm" by Tenor Saw and more. But the absolute bestest, most kick-assessed track on the album is Ward 21's gut pounding, steamroller of a bassline "Petrol" (from 2002 -- no it's not on the Mentally Disturbed album) which features tag team vocals from both the growling baritone and the 200-words-per-minute auctioneer cum toaster. And for those of you that can't live without it, there are some nice liner notes tracing the paths of Jamaican and American music here for you. Highly recommended!!!

V/A Nicky Siano's The Gallery (Soul Jazz) cd 21.00
Legendary '70s New York nightclub, The Gallery, sported equally as legendary DJ Nicky Siano once upon a time. A time when Bianca Jagger greeted all from its front door perched atop a white horse. A time when people partied without shame. You'd be strapped to see SUCH flagrant decadence these more-earnest days in post-9/11 NYC, but the soul and funk hits from Siano's stay at The Gallery transcend the all-out-blow-out-disco-era to remain some of the best ever recorded. Two tracks (one from The Supremes -- giving a glimpse into Diana Ross' future disco direction) are more straightup disco and still a little hard to take even 30 years later... HOWEVER, all the other soul and funk songs kick major flashy ass-shakin sparkling gold hot pants. Highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: UNDISPUTED TRUTH "Big John Is My Name"
MPEG Stream: BAR-KAYS "Sang And Dance"

V/A Nicky Siano's The Gallery (Soul Jazz) 3lp 27.00
Available also on 3lp vinyl!! Legendary '70s New York nightclub, The Gallery, sported equally as legendary DJ Nicky Siano once upon a time. A time when Bianca Jagger greeted all from its front door perched atop a white horse. A time when people partied without shame. You'd be strapped to see SUCH flagrant decadence these more-earnest days in post-9/11 NYC, but the soul and funk hits from Siano's stay at The Gallery transcend the all-out-blow-out-disco-era to remain some of the best ever recorded. Two tracks (one from The Supremes -- giving a glimpse into Diana Ross' future disco direction) are more straightup disco and still a little hard to take even 30 years later... HOWEVER, all the other soul and funk songs kick major flashy ass-shakin sparkling gold hot pants. Highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: UNDISPUTED TRUTH "Big John Is My Name"
MPEG Stream: SUPREMES "Yes We Can Can"

V/A Niger: Hunters Of The Dallol Mawri (Ocora) cd 22.00

MPEG Stream: "Chant Destine Au Maidawa"
MPEG Stream: "Chant Destine Au Dan Galadima"
MPEG Stream: "Chant Destine Au Tous Les Malhaba"

V/A Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump (Strut) cd 16.98
There is absolutely no doubt as to the importance Strut Records' 2001 compilation, Nigeria 70: The Definitive Story of 1970s Funky Lagos, played in bringing about the current flood of interest in afrobeat, highlife, disco, soul and (of course) funk from Nigeria and other West African nations. It was the first compilation to really pay homage not only to the songs of that era but to the entire culture that allowed the music to come into being. By doing so, it laid the blueprint for the kind of lavishly packaged, meticulously researched, insanely detailed reissues coming from labels like Sound Ways, Honest John's and Analog Africa. It's hard, even just 7 years later, to remember how mysterious the world of Nigerian funk seemed at the time; it was a an entire world of sound that outsiders had access to only through bootleg LPs and traded tapes with giant question marks next to everything from song titles to the performers themselves. Now sadly out-of-print, the original triple cd Nigeria 70 comp was a revelation - an unparalleled wealth of sights and sounds that showed how much more there was to Nigerian music than just Fela.
If, like many of us here at aQ, you are still reaching for the original every time you make a mix tape, then you'll be happy to hear that Strut Records has not only risen from the grave but issued Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump, a second installment to the Nigeria 70 series (no doubt spurred on by the massive success of its many imitators). Rather than try to outdo the first volume, Strut have taken a decidedly lower-key approach to this single disc of astoundingly funky cuts from Nigeria's finest. The liner notes are slim but densely packed: John Collins' introductory essay traces the evolution in Nigerian popular music alongside the changes in the country's cultural and political climate, while the liner notes provide brief but informative notes for each cut. Musically, the collection is an immaculately compiled and sequenced mix of everything from the traditional highlife bounce of Ashanti Afrika Jah's "Onyame" and Rex Williams' soulful "You Are My Heart" to the swaggering afro-rock of The Immortals' "Hot Tears" and the afrobeat/ju-ju mashup of the leadoff track, Sir Shina Peters and His International Stars' "Yabis." Furthermore, we'd be remiss if we failed to mention Chief Checker's "Ire Africa," which manages to balance riddims cribbed straight from Studio One with proto-Rick James disco funk (check out the bassline!) and straight up afro sounds. Amazing!
If you've heard the original comp, it's a safe bet that you've already deemed Lagos Jump an essential purchase. If you missed out but have been loving the Nigeria Special comps even half as much as we have, then this disc will freak your beak. If your exposure to Nigerian music of the '60s and '70s subsists solely of the odd Fela Kuti song slipped in between segments on Democracy Now!, then this compilation could be the jump off point for a new musical obsession. This is raw, soulful Nigerian funk compiled by a label with an obvious reverence for the music as well as the culture and people that made it happen.
MPEG Stream: CHIEF CHECKER "Ire Africa"
MPEG Stream: REX WILLIAMS "You Are My Heart"
MPEG Stream: THE FACES "Tug Of War"

V/A Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump (Strut) 2lp 25.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
NOW ON VINYL!
There is absolutely no doubt as to the importance Strut Records' 2001 compilation, Nigeria 70: The Definitive Story of 1970s Funky Lagos, played in bringing about the current flood of interest in afrobeat, highlife, disco, soul and (of course) funk from Nigeria and other West African nations. It was the first compilation to really pay homage not only to the songs of that era but to the entire culture that allowed the music to come into being. By doing so, it laid the blueprint for the kind of lavishly packaged, meticulously researched, insanely detailed reissues coming from labels like Sound Ways, Honest John's and Analog Africa. It's hard, even just 7 years later, to remember how mysterious the world of Nigerian funk seemed at the time; it was a an entire world of sound that outsiders had access to only through bootleg LPs and traded tapes with giant question marks next to everything from song titles to the performers themselves. Now sadly out-of-print, the original triple cd Nigeria 70 comp was a revelation - an unparalleled wealth of sights and sounds that showed how much more there was to Nigerian music than just Fela.
If, like many of us here at aQ, you are still reaching for the original every time you make a mix tape, then you'll be happy to hear that Strut Records has not only risen from the grave but issued Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump, a second installment to the Nigeria 70 series (no doubt spurred on by the massive success of its many imitators). Rather than try to outdo the first volume, Strut have taken a decidedly lower-key approach to this single disc of astoundingly funky cuts from Nigeria's finest. The liner notes are slim but densely packed: John Collins' introductory essay traces the evolution in Nigerian popular music alongside the changes in the country's cultural and political climate, while the liner notes provide brief but informative notes for each cut. Musically, the collection is an immaculately compiled and sequenced mix of everything from the traditional highlife bounce of Ashanti Afrika Jah's "Onyame" and Rex Williams' soulful "You Are My Heart" to the swaggering afro-rock of The Immortals' "Hot Tears" and the afrobeat/ju-ju mashup of the leadoff track, Sir Shina Peters and His International Stars' "Yabis." Furthermore, we'd be remiss if we failed to mention Chief Checker's "Ire Africa," which manages to balance riddims cribbed straight from Studio One with proto-Rick James disco funk (check out the bassline!) and straight up afro sounds. Amazing!
If you've heard the original comp, it's a safe bet that you've already deemed Lagos Jump an essential purchase. If you missed out but have been loving the Nigeria Special comps even half as much as we have, then this disc will freak your beak. If your exposure to Nigerian music of the '60s and '70s subsists solely of the odd Fela Kuti song slipped in between segments on Democracy Now!, then this compilation could be the jump off point for a new musical obsession. This is raw, soulful Nigerian funk compiled by a label with an obvious reverence for the music as well as the culture and people that made it happen.
MPEG Stream: CHIEF CHECKER "Ire Africa"
MPEG Stream: REX WILLIAMS "You Are My Heart"
MPEG Stream: THE FACES "Tug Of War"

V/A Nigeria 70: Sweet Times (Strut) cd 14.98
Yes! Just in time for the bright sunshine and actual summer vibes we've been basking in this last week comes the latest offering from Strut's awesome Nigeria 70 series. A collection of smoking Afro-funk, highlife, and juju from Lagos, Nigeria. Such spirited and body moving tracks drenched in so much soul and infectious energy. It's so awesome to discover lots of new-to us artists, we love when great comps get us searching for more from groups we can't believe we haven't heard from before. Who knows how likely it is to actually find more recordings from some of these folks, which makes thick comp invaluable, as Strut always digs so deep and complete in their curatorial excellence. We're going to be blasting this all summer long and beyond!
MPEG Stream: MONEYMAN & THE SUPER 5 INTERNATIONAL "Life"
MPEG Stream: ALI CHUKWUMAH & HIS PEACEMAKERS "Henrietta"
MPEG Stream: TUNDE MABADU " Viva Disco (Instrumental)"

V/A Nigeria 70: The Definitive Story of 1970s Funky Lagos (Afrostrut) 3cd 23.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
An ambitiously titled new collection from Afrostrut, the premiere label of Afro-Funk reissues. It's a lot to call a cd set the "definitive" story of funk from Lagos, but Strut really went above and beyond the call of duty on this one. Sure you've got all the expected inclusions here, starting with Fela Kuti's high life band Koola Lobitos, plus a couple tracks from Fela from the Africa 70 period. There are also tracks by Tony Allen as well as Orlando Julius and King Sunny Ade. Those who've already invested in a healthy collection of Nigerian music probably have a few of the tracks on here from the above artists, but the cuts that really make Nigeria 70 a crucial purchase are all the nuggets that you've never heard, plus a lot of tracks that are completely atypical of the "Afrobeat" sound. There's the off kilter blues track by Bongos Ikwue "Woman Made the Devil", the fuzzed out single "Allah Wakbarr" by Ofo the Black Company and the psychedelic "Kita Kita" by Gasper Lawal. But the thing that really gives Afrostrut the license to call this collection "definitive" is the inclusion of a third disc (if you buy the digital version that is) consisting of a 65 minute audio documentary -- complete with musical examples -- of the Nigerian music scene leading up to high life and on through the influence of Cuban rhythms and American funk with many interviews from people intimately involved in the scene. The vinyl gets some compensation with a gorgeous gatefold production though, with detailed liner notes covering the inside.
RealAudio clip: OFO THE BLACK COMPANY "Allah Wakbarr"
RealAudio clip: GASPER LAWAL "Kita Kita"
RealAudio clip: BONGOS IKWUE "Woman Made the Devil"

V/A Nigeria 70: The Definitive Story of 1970s Funky Lagos (Afrostrut) 3lp 22.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
An ambitiously titled new collection from Afrostrut, the premiere label of Afro-Funk reissues. It's a lot to call a cd set the "definitive" story of funk from Lagos, but Strut really went above and beyond the call of duty on this one. Sure you've got all the expected inclusions here, starting with Fela Kuti's high life band Koola Lobitos, plus a couple tracks from Fela from the Africa 70 period. There are also tracks by Tony Allen as well as Orlando Julius and King Sunny Ade. Those who've already invested in a healthy collection of Nigerian music probably have a few of the tracks on here from the above artists, but the cuts that really make Nigeria 70 a crucial purchase are all the nuggets that you've never heard, plus a lot of tracks that are completely atypical of the "Afrobeat" sound. There's the off kilter blues track by Bongos Ikwue "Woman Made the Devil", the fuzzed out single "Allah Wakbarr" by Ofo the Black Company and the psychedelic "Kita Kita" by Gasper Lawal. But the thing that really gives Afrostrut the license to call this collection "definitive" is the inclusion of a third disc (if you buy the digital version that is) consisting of a 65 minute audio documentary -- complete with musical examples -- of the Nigerian music scene leading up to high life and on through the influence of Cuban rhythms and American funk with many interviews from people intimately involved in the scene. The vinyl gets some compensation with a gorgeous gatefold production though, with detailed liner notes covering the inside.