[ aquarius records — Country Folk Blues ]

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Showing results 1301 through 1350 of 1618.

Tributors include Lucinda Williams, Bruce Cockburn, Steve Earle, Victoria Williams, John Hiatt, Gillian Welch, Peter Case (who produced this collection), and others...

Another glorious glimpse back at the long lost art of the Funerary Violin. A genre all but forgotten and lost, some say quashed by the Catholic Church, a gorgeous mournful body of work, solo violin pieces to be performed at funerals, sad and sorrowful, minor key and miserable, dense with dark emotions, perfectly transporting the listener back to an nineteenth century funeral, the procession, the mourners clad in black... Very beautiful and evocative. But it's not just the music, it's the tangled history of the players and the personalities, the musicians and the composers and the patrons responsible for much of the music. Oh, and the fact that it's all made up. That's right, these amazing scratchy wax cylinder recordings of simple melancholy violin pieces, and the text accompanying them have all been fabricated. Although sometimes it's tough to tell when hearing the genuinely creepy, crackly and realistically old timey sounding music, and reading the extensive tales of the composers and their tragic lives. Maybe it is all real? Who are we to say? Just because there is only one person in the entire world who knows everything, anything actually, about the mysterious Guild Of Funerary Violinists. And the fact that none of the performers or composers are mentioned anywhere, recorded, written, anecdotal, except within the pages of the book, the liner notes and the website of the genre's discoverer (perhaps creator). But like we mentioned in a past review of another Funerary disc, who cares? The music is dark and mysterious, emotional and creepy, and the text is fascinating, impossibly well researched considering none of it is real, and totally fun to read. This disc (supposedly) collects the work of three of the most important figures in the English School Of Funerary Violin. Babcotte, Sudbury and Eaton. All of these recording recovered from the extensive collection of Funerary relics kept by Gunter II, Prince of Schwatzburg-Sonderhausen, who in addition to the wax cylinders heard here, also counted among his prized possessions, the coffins of Goethe and Heine, as well as the death mask of Beethoven. The first Babcotte track here is thought to be performed by Gunter, himself an accomplished violinist, however the rest, the legendary "Funerary Suite # 4", due to their sound and performance are considered to be the work of Wilhelm Kleinbach (whose disc we reviewed a list or two back). The Eaton piece, a slow mournful, sometimes atonal dirge, is performed by the composer himself, captured on wax cylinder in 1913. And the final piece, "The Erroneous Dirge Of George Babcotte is performed and recorded by Maria Rotaru in 1975, a young Romanian violinist who tried to pass the work off as her own composition. When the truth came out, Rotaru disappeared mysteriously, and it was only after the collapse of the Soviet Union that this piece resurfaced. Or so we're told... Even without the fantastical backstory, the music is worth the price of admission. Each piece is wonderfully crafted and beautifully performed, all solo violin, keening mournfully, minor key melodies drifting dreamily in some, the scrape and sawing of the bow constructing miserablist dirges in others, all except the more recent bathed in a thick cloak of crackle and static, giving it that Jeck / Hecker fuzzy-blurry-dreamy vibe we can never seem to get enough of. The fact that this music is set amidst such a dense and complex, passionate world of intrigue and mystery, love and death, only makes it that much more exciting. And the fact that every single bit of it is made up, well, as far as we're concerned that just seals the deal. Recommended!

MPEG stream: The Erroneous Dirge Of George Babcotte
MPEG stream: Funerary Suite No. 4 - March
MPEG stream: Funerary Suite No. 4 - Introduction And March
MPEG stream: Funerary Suite No. 4 - Dream

It may not be Spring, but love is in the air. Or if it's not in the air, it's most definitely sealed up in these three discs, collecting some of the all time classic love songs, from the golden age of the love song, the '20s and '30s. A collection of blues, country, bluegrass, big band, jazz and old timey numbers, chronicling the eternal quest for love, and sex, and intimacy, as well as the sometimes equally neverending quest of avoiding parties which one perhaps does not wish to share any of those things. Cleverly separated into three volumes, love, lust and contempt. Very few names we recognize, but a selection of song titles might convince you what a great, fun, and funny collection this really is: "It's Shame To Whip Your Wife On Sunday", "Wimmin-Aaah!", "He Went In Like A Lion (But Came Out Like A Lamb)", "I'm Wearin' The Britches Now", "You Gonna Look Like A Monkey When You Get Old", "She Ain't Built That Way", "I'm Gonna Kill Myself", "The Gal That Got Stuck On Everything She Seen", "Minnie The Mermaid (A Love Song In Fish Time)", "Pussy", "Let Me Play With It" and on and on and on. There are horns, banjos, yodeling, scatting, fiddles, barrelhouse piano, ukuleles, all manner of voices, rough and raw, sweet croons, male, female, and the lyrics... from honest and heartfelt, to saucy and bawdy, to downright nasty, another winner from Dust-To-Digital, definitely one of our new favorite old timey reissues, and as with all D2D releases, gorgeous packaging, a full color 8 panel digipak, with tons of photos and paintings, and really funny liner notes by Nick Tosches.

MPEG stream: My Angeline
MPEG stream: I Wants My Lulu
MPEG stream: The Gal That Got Stuck On Everything She Seen
MPEG stream: Pussy
MPEG stream: I'm Gonna Kill Myself
MPEG stream: It's A Shame To Whip Your Wife On Sunday

First it was O Brother Where Art Thou, and now it's Cold Mountain. Everyone's gone nuts for American roots music. Ever on the lookout to educate and titilate (and I'm sure capitilizing on the moment to make a little dough recycling their vast vault of recordings) when some blockbuster movie comes out and gets a hair in everyone's butt, Smithsonian Folkways has done their best to put out this collection of classic Appalachian music by the very folks who are descended from those that fought and died in the Civil War playing the very songs that have been passed down from generation to generation. And there's a few generations of music on here, the individual tracks coming from as far back as 1927 and as recently as 2002. There's a lot of familiar names on here like Roscoe Holcomb, the Sacred Harp Singers, Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers and Doc Watson as well as plenty of lesser known artists. There's a lot here: Hollers, fife & drum tunes, church choirs and gospels, old time tunes, bluegrass, blues and more. Along with five previously unreleased tracks (including a great holler from T.J. Chesser) Smithsonian Folkways has included the requisite fat book of liner notes and biographical information. Nice.

MPEG stream: Look Down That Lonesome Road
MPEG stream: Fox Race
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You may or may not have already been graced by Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska" yet. If not, may we recommend you run out and buy it immediately (from AQ, even!) Tis a truly beautiful collection of songs penned and recorded by Springsteen in 1981, literally in his bedroom with an acoustic guitar and a four track. Replete with stark songs sketching out unforgettable characters filled with despair, loneliness, and an aching to do the right thing. It's fucking amazing, despite whether or not you like, say, all that "Born in the USA" business that came later, you simply cannot remain unmoved by "Nebraska". Utterly classic and essential. Now, if I had never heard Nebraska before, I'da prob'ly regarded this here tribute record as a decent collection of impeccably-written songs performed by folks who obviously have total reverence for the material. But, since I've loved Springsteen's "Nebraska" for years, it's a little hard for any of these versions to live up to the originals. A couple of the renditions are even a bit horrifying, especially Hank Williams III's honky tonkin' take on "Atlantic City", a song Springsteen performed to perfection and which REALLY shouldn't be messed with. Nonetheless, most of the performances on Badlands are purty all right, including those by Ani diFranco, Aimee Mann, Son Volt, Dar Williams, Chrissie Hynde, Johnny Cash, and Damien Jurado.

RealAudio clip: Atlantic City
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Like the freak circus entertainments of a bygone era, so too does this new B-Music compilation mine the fringe of far-flung female folk from the recent past and immediate present. Starting where the Folk Is A Four Letter Word comps left off, Bearded Ladies features many of the same B-music 'vixens' such as Wendy and Bonnie, Turid, Susan Christie, Selda, Heather Jones and Brigitte Fontaine joined by their more contemporary equivalents, Speck Mountain, Misty Dixon (Jane Weaver), Lights, Lispector, Emma Tricca, and Magpahi amongst others. Not as "Old Tymey" as the cover would suggest, Bearded Ladies excavates the rare individual artistry from pigeon-holed genre conventions as the contemporary artists are just as unfettered and original as the older artists, and not merely new retreads of folk motifs made popular in the last few years by Joanna Newsom and Cat Power. Another winner for B-Music. Ladyfolk lives!

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**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** Been Here All My Days, the latest in Mississippi's incredible series of compilations, another blues comp, but in the hands of the curators at Mississippi, this is anything BUT just another blues comp. We sometimes joke, that running a record store, and doing our weekly New Arrivals list is a lot like making mixtapes for a living, digging up cool sounds, and compiling them and then sharing them. We like to think we're pretty dang good at it by now, but the guys at Mississippi, they actually DO make mixtapes for a living, the only difference is that they dig through blues archives and old 78's, and then press their mixtape onto vinyl, much to our delight, and the delight of pretty much everyone we know. Which makes sense considering how great these mixes/compilations are. The perfect mix of long time favorites and total unknowns, of classic tracks and utter obscurities, but beyond that, Mississippi comps flow, one song into the next, whole sides, in some ways, after a few listens, it's hard to imagine these tracks came from other records, they sound so organic and perfect nestled there on that slab of wax. As we mentioned above, Been Here All My Days is a compilation of old timey blues, and features a whole bunch of names you'll no doubt find familiar: Fred McDowell, Robert Johnson, Furry Lewis, Jesse Mae Hemphill, but a bunch you probably don't, Green Paschal, Precious Bryant, John Lee Ziegler... All culled from an incredible collection of field recordings compiled by George Mitchell, a fan and field recordist, who travelled throughout the rural South, just like the Lomax's and a bevy of others, meeting folks, buying records, recording musicians on their porches, in their parlors, and as is stated in the liner notes. for Mitchell, it was all about the love of the music, not an expert in any way, his recordings are rough and raw, made on inferior equipment sure, but infused with warmth and life and vitality, due in no small part to the fact that Mitchell was a regular guy, and ended up befriending folks as much as chronicling their lives and sounds. The basic sound here will no doubt be familiar to blues fans, but as always, it's the nuances and the characters that make the music here special, especially some of the lesser knowns, who totally impress and like with all great mix tapes, whose songs will have you hankering for and hunting down more more more. The one thing we've noticed with the recent spate of Mississippi releases, is that finally they've seemed to abandon their mysterious barebones approach. Older releases had little in the way of liner notes, just a track listing and nothing else, but on Been Here All My Days, there are multiple inserts, a huge essay on George Martin, his life and history, as well as pages of notes on each of the tracks, and the artists, featuring notes from both the compilers and Mitchell himself. Fantastic stuff. And as always, WAY recommended! This actually came out a few months ago, but the majority of the pressing was defective, so we've been waiting for the repressed vinyl to show up, and now it finally has!!

The Tompkins Square Label focuses its spotlight locally on the next generation of Northern California acoustic guitarists -- Sean Smith, Matt Baldwin and Adam Snider. Hailing from Berkeley, where John Fahey's label Takoma was (as well as where Windham Hill first began to blossom), these three young and very talented players have been playing in local clubs and cafes for a few years now. Sean Smith, whose stunning debut on Isota we reviewed a few list back and was also featured on the second Imaginational Anthem compilation, is the "elder" of the group, while Baldwin and Snider have their recording debuts here. Lovely and melancholy with beautiful cover art by John Baizley of Baroness (which looks remarkably Pushead-like), this is a great introduction to the local acoustic guitar scene.

MPEG stream: Die Until Tomorrow, Sleep
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MPEG stream: A Dream Of Distant Summer
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Contemporary bluegrass star mandolinist Ricky Skaggs put together this tribute to Bill Monroe, the universally acknowledged father of bluegrass. While this record shouldn't substitute for a Monroe record in your collection, there are nonetheless several standout tracks worth the price of the disc, including Dolly Parton's verison of Cry, Cry Darlin' and songs sung by the Dixie Chicks (uh huh) and Charlie Daniels. Also appearing: Dwight Yoakam, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Travis Tritt, Patty Loveless, Bruce Hornsby. And Skaggs plays mandolin on every track!

Crackling recordings from the 1920s and '30s of wonderful harmonica-based tunes accompanied by some banjo, fiddle, guitar and creaky, weathered voices from every nook and cranny of the country. Many of the people whose music graces this compilation were

RealAudio clip: Chased Old Satan Through the Door

We sure are glad to have labels like Tompkins Square. They've proven to be masters at putting together amazing compilations that go way beyond simply throwing together a bunch of old songs. With recent favorites like Fire In My Bones and Unheard Ofs & Forgotten Abouts, this label has gone about documenting great, sometimes very obscure music, while also placing a strong emphasis on its social and historical importance. While these songs will not be mistaken for anything in the modern era, it is clear that they remain an essential part of pretty much everyone's story; the themes on display here are inseparable from our reality. Bloody War compiles American folk songs recorded in the wake of World War I - ya know, the "war to end all wars" - stopping on the eve of the even bigger shitstorm we call World War II. The songs themselves are part of a lineage of war themed music that stretches back through the ages of America's conflicts, starting with the Civil War. Some of this material is suitably bleak, but more surprising is how hopeful, even humorous, much of it is. We today can envy these sentiments, since we all know things have gotten so much worse. Thinking how warfare has changed so drastically and become way less... um, "personal", it is easy to imagine the unifying power of songs like Tom Darby and Jimmie Tarlton's "The Rainbow Division" (named after the 42nd Infantry Division of the National Guard that would "stretch over the country like a rainbow"), where thousands of men battled it out together, side by side. Likewise, John Carson's "Dixie Division" draws on the Southern pride remaining from the Civil War (disagreeable as most people buying this comp will find that to be) and uses it as a rallying cry to Southern regiments in Europe. Other numbers tackle the crushing realities of war, like the starkly titled "He Is Coming To Us Dead" by G.B. Grayson and Henry Whitter, a song that is actually quite upbeat sounding in its instrumentation. Other songs of course focus on bringing the troops home - something we can all relate to - like the self-explanatory "Everybody Help The Boys Come Home" by William and Versey Smith. Stylistically, you get plenty of masterfully played guitars, fiddles, and banjos, something we can all get behind. We certainly appreciate the historical context of these songs, but they are also simply a joy to listen to. It would be nice but naive to say that humanity has learned from its past mistakes. But if one thing is certain, war will always give us something to sing about. Too bad people like Toby Keith came to that realization too. That guy sucks. Bloody War does NOT. It should also be mentioned that proceeds from this compilation benefit the organization Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America.

MPEG stream: Bloody War
MPEG stream: The Rainbow Division
MPEG stream: Dixie Division
MPEG stream: Johnnie, Get Your Gun

Second installment in what's now apparently a series. Two years ago (to the day, oddly enough) we wrote about the Dub Tribunl CD on Inflatabl. That disc featured Atom Heart, The Rip Off Artist and Small Rocks (Matt Wand of Stock, Hausen & Walkman) and consisted of fairly off kilter, if not outright irreverent homages to Jamaican dub. This time round The Rip Off Artist is joined by Akufen and Freeform and the genre being dismantled is the Blues. 78 rpm discs meet the modern age head on. You ever chuck a 78 at a laptop? They shatter into pieces. Those silly shellac discs are no match for the durable plastic material they make laptops out of these days. Stupid 78's! Blues sources are mixed, looped, stretched and plundered. It's sure to make the biggest analog and roots music purists cringe, but it's equally likely to put a smile on everyone else's face. A definite must for fans of Atom Heart and Stock, Hausen & Walkman.

MPEG stream: What Kind of Blue
MPEG stream: The World Wanna Know

Rounder Records does their part to continue milking the "O Brother" cash cow with 16 tracks from their back catalog. 16.98 for a label sampler? Can you say rip off? C'mon Rounder, if you want to get people's interest piqued on the bluegrass wares your label

**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** Remember that amazing String Of Pearls compilation, which collected a handful of awesome and obscure 78's from all over the world, compiled by Ian Nagoski? Well, that may be out of print, but Nagoski returns with yet another collection, a sequel of sorts, gathering up various dusty gems from all over the world, Portugal, Spain, India, Iran, Macedonia, Switzerland, Greece, and yeah, even America. Just like the first volume, Brass Pins & Match Heads is overflowing with wonderful and wondrous sounds, almost without exception warm and mysterious, haunting and lovely, from gypsy folk to classical guitar, wild steel string workouts, soaring dramatic operatic vocals, old timey big band jazz, lush choir like harmonies, rickety skeletal strum, sweetly singing strings and more more more, all wreathed in that hazy dusty record crackle... Our favorite track is definitely "Alpufzug", which is the name for the ritual procession of cattle through the Swiss Alps, the wordless musical interpretation is sung by a club in a town called Thun, the lead vocals by a man with an impossibly clear, high, feminine voice, who also yodels, the track itself slips from dreamy ethereal chorale to wild whooping hoedown, replete with yelps and howls and yodeling of course, as well as the bleating of cattle, voices of villages and the gorgeous soft cacophony of tinkling cowbells. So great! Packaged in a super swank old school style tip on cover, with 4 pages of extensive liner notes, photos and more...

Smithsonian Folkways gets their chance to put a final word on the post-O Brother bluegrass sampler mania that has been in effect for over a year now and you might recall the sour review we gave to Rounder's entry into this arena a few lists ago. But S.F., unlike Rounder, has not only put together a collection of classics, but has priced their disc quite a bit more competitively. Then again, if any label was going to put together a collection of classic bluegrass, S.F. would be it. Having released the first full length LP of bluegrass music way back in 1956, Folkways has a mighty powerful back catalog of both well known and obscure bluegrass tracks. 'Classic Bluegrass' not only contains some of the more well known artists within the genre, including founder Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers, Doc Watson, Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard, but also many important lesser known (outside of bluegrass circles) artists like The Johnson Mountain Boys, Red Allen, Snuffy Jenkins, The Country Gentlemen and a lot more. More significantly, S.F. has steered away from making this a collection of the most popular bluegrass tunes ever recorded, so you needn't worry about having yet another version of "Man of Constant Sorrow" in your juke box. Like all S.F. reissues, this collection is done right in the documentation department as well with 31 pages of notes on the individual tracks, a history of Folkways records, and suggested further reading / listening. The only thing I could find wrong with this collection was a typo concerning Bill Monroe's passing, which is incorrectly listed as 1993 instead of 1996.

RealAudio clip: Live And Let Live
RealAudio clip: The Train That Carried My Girl From Town
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Another killer calendar of classic blues artwork from original early twentieth century blues records. It's a series of calendars that as we mentioned in a review of a past year's calendar, some of us at aQ have hung on our kitchen walls for years now, and once you check one of these out, you'll understand why. Like the years before, 2013's installment is another doozy with some crazy, over the top artwork and loads of blues nerd trivia. Just check out the calendar's cover, "The Devil & God Meet At Church"!! And inside, "Pig Meat Blues", "Snatch It Back Blues", "Police Dog Blues" and more! Each month has lots of info about each release, as well as significant blues birthdays and other relevant dates, not to mention biographies, rare photos and death dates. And to top it all off, as always, there's also a cd, with the songs featured each month, as well as NINE bonus tracks, from folks like Charley Patton, Blind Blake, Memphis Minnie, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Buddie Boy Hawkins, Ardelle Bragg and more!

People might not use old fashioned calendars so much anymore (or cameras, or watches either), since most of us have a newfangled electronic one in our phone anyway, but the Classic Blues Artwork calendar is definitely worth having, jam packed with amazing original artwork from classic/rare/obscure blues records from the 1920's, not to mention tons of rare photos as well. C'mon, June features "Rattle Snake Groan", July reminds you "Your Enemies Can Not Harm You (But Watch Your Close Friend)", September is "She's A Long Tall Disconnected Mama" and March is all about the "Mean Black Cat Blues". Each month celebrating a different record, from Mother McCollum, "Papa" Charlie Jackson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, E.W. Clayborn The "Guitar Evangelist", Lueela Miller, the Mississippi Sheiks, Charlie Patton and more! And like most calendars that mark the various holidays, this one does too, but also includes all the important moments in blues history, birthdays, deaths, record releases, etc. And along with the calendar, there's also a compilation cd featuring classic songs and rarities from Charley Patton, Henry Thomas, Furry Lewis, Blind Blake, Mother McCollum, Tenderfoot Edwards, Blind Percy, Jim Thompkins and lots more!! So cool. We look forward to the new version of this calendar every year.

It's that time again! Almost the end of the year, and time for a new calendar! And yeah, we know, you don't wear a watch or have a camera cuz it's all on your phone, and sure, your phone has a calendar too. However, odds are, that the tiny calendar on your phone, as useful and smart as it may be, is not nearly as bad ass as the Classic Blues Artwork From The 1920's calendar, which has become a sort of institution around here. Like the last however many volumes, this new one is chock full of, as the title makes pretty clear, some killer artwork from rare blues records from the '20s, each month, some rare 78 cover, or vintage photo, whether it's the "Dry Bone Shuffle" by Blind Blake, or "You Got what I Want" by Chocolate Brown, "Shake That Thing" by the Mississippi Sheiks, or "Spoonful Blues" by Charley Patton. Or rare photos of The Famous Blue Jay Singers, Roosevelt Sykes, Cannon's Jug Stompers, Brother Son Bonds and Hammie Nixon, Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe, and more more more! There are also liner noters with each month's artwork/photo, detailing the featured artist or record, along with historical dates of note, births, and deaths, and the like, all related to the blues. And if that weren't enough, and you've probably already guessed it's NOT, there's an accompanying cd compilation, with all 12 of the tracks from the calendar, from all the above mentioned artists and MORE, as well as twelve extra blues rarities, and those come with a booklet and tray card so you can stick them in a proper jewel case as well. Even sans calendar, the cd is a killer vintage blues comp, worth the price of admission alone, but all together, this is pretty much the perfect gift for the music nerd in your life, even if that music nerd is you.

Smithsonian continues their semi-low price sampler series with this collection of blues recordings from the label. Like the others in this series, this is a good introduction to the label's prolific catalog and includes tracks dating back to the forties and fifties and even includes a few more recent recordings. This collection brings together Delta, St. Louis, Southwest, and Chicago blues from such notables as: Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Big Bill Broonzy, Leadbelly, Son House, Reverend Gary Davis, Lightnin' Hopkins, Elizabeth Cotten, Champion Jack Dupree, Etta Baker, Roosevelt Sykes and much more. Includes extensive liner notes with bios on the performers as well as pertinent discographical information to facilitate the urge to delve deeper into the catalog. MPEG Download: BIG BILL BROONZY "Mule-Ridin' Blues" [/audio/broonzymuleridin.mp3] MPEG Stream: BIG BILL BROONZY "Mule-Ridin' Blues" [/audio/broonzymuleridin.m3u]

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This is the fifth such anthology of American roots music we've gotten in from Smithsonian Folkways (the previous being Classic Bluegrass, Mountain Songs, Blues and Old-Time music). Like the others, it is nicely priced, comes well documented and serves as a great introduction to American "folk" music. I know that can be a thorny term, but here it's used to describe the folksong revival here in the States that spanned some twenty years from the 40's through the 60's (and was oh so well parodied in A Mighty Wind). Included on this collection are both the rural artists who influenced the revival and many of the urban ones who were inspired by them. There are tracks here from Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Lead Belly, Paul Robeson, Doc Watson, Burl Ives, Phil Ochs, Elizabeth Cotten, Big Bill Broonzy and more.

MPEG stream: Rock Island Line
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On the heels of their nicely priced sampler of Classic Bluegrass comes this collection of recordings of songs from the mountains of North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Bluegrass and folk musicians can all trace their influences back to the music of the Appalachian mountains and many of these genre's greats came from here. There's a good variety of styles represented here from the rough hewn rendition of "Omie Wise" by fiddle player and singer Doug Walin to the silky virtuosic guitar playing of Doc Watson and his son Merle on "Southbound". There's also the stunningly beautiful hymn singing of the Indian Bottom Association, Defeated Creek Church singing "I Am A Poor Pilgrim of Sorrow". It's that kind of choir singing that will just pierce your soul through the pores of your skin. Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard -- the grand dammes of bluegrass -- sing Coal Miner Blues, and much more. This compilation has it all, from grizzled old retired miners singing creepy archaic modal tunes to jazz and blues influenced slick flat-pickers. All the tracks, like every Smithsonian Folkways release, are dutifully annotated with well written notes and include catalog numbers for the original Folkways releases, should you wish to delve further.

RealAudio clip: I Am A Poor Pilgrim of Sorrow
RealAudio clip: Southbound
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The fourth volume in SF's mid-priced "Classic" series. This time the label takes on the loosely connected genre of "Old Time" music. It's important here to stress the word *genre*, because while the moniker of Old Time can be applied to any number of early American string bands and solo musicians who's myriad styles and repertoires eventually found their way into the more recent genres of country, bluegrass, blues and folk -- as in the folk revival, it also can be applied to modern musicians who play in the old time style, like much of the musicians of the folk revival did in the sixties and still do to this day. Included on this disc are tracks (recorded between 1958 and 1998) both by the original artists who served as inspiration such as Doc Boggs, J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers, Roscoe Holcomb, Maybelle & Sara Carter, Doc Watson, Sam & Kirk McGee, Wade Ward, Etta Baker and Gordon Tanner (a.k.a. Gid Tanner & His Skillet Lickers) and the artists who most directly championed their music like The Iron Mountain String Band, The New Lost City Ramblers, Mike Seeger, The Old Reliable String Band, The Spare Change Boys and more. MPEG Download: LEE SEXTON "Pretty Polly" [/audio/leesextonpretty.mp3] MPEG Stream: LEE SEXTON "Pretty Polly" [/audio/leesextonpretty.m3u]

MPEG stream: Pretty Polly
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Originally released in 1967, this is the pinnacle of guitar soli talent from the Takoma label including John Fahey, Robbie Basho, Max Ochs, Bukka White and Harry Taussig. The original cover had a more hippie folk design, but we're glad 4 Men with Beards went for the cooler space age cover art of the 1968 repress, re-imagining the antiquated notion of acoustic guitar as a modern tool of forward thinking progression. John Fahey and Robbie Basho have the longest tracks with exploratory meditations that capture an array of bucolic moods. But the pair of tracks each by little known but highly influential folk figures Max Ochs (brother of Phil) and Harry Taussig create a beautiful flow with stirring slow build ragas and wistful childlike reverie. Poised between the old world and the new, is delta bluesman Bukka White with an amazing blues dirge that ties both sides together. A definitive collection for all Takoma / solo guitar fans!

Here's the second annual compilation of the selected staff faves over at the UK record shop, Rough Trade. In the liner notes, they make a point of specifying that the songs weren't chosen according to sales figures. No, these are forty-nine tunes that simply captured their fancy this past year, and the selection runs the absolute gamut. From Coil to Cryin' Shames to Cobra Killer to Cocorosie to Cornershop to Candi Staton to Coachwhips, from Wanda Jackson to Whitey to Whirlwind Heat, from Measles Mumps Rubella to Micah P. Hinson And The Gospel Of Progress to Magoo to Mara Carlyle to Mu, from Sunburned Hand Of The Man to Sons And Daughters to The Soviettes to Schwab to Sonic Youth, from Le Tigre to Liars, from Animal Party to Ambrose Tompkins to Alter Ego to Alan Glen, from Bloc Party to Britta Phillips & Dean Wareham to Brakes to Brooks to Beastellabeast, from Throbbing Gristle to Todd to Ten Minutes With My Dad, from Jolie Holland to Jad Fair... and there's plenty more, but you get the picture, doncha? So many familiar and not-so-familiar faces, it's like a cool mix tape made with loving care by your most obsessive music fan buddy.

MPEG stream: Your Baby (Can't Stand The Rain)
MPEG stream: Sex With Sun Ra

Compilation of artists from John Peel's late sixties early seventies record label.

Another excellent compilation from Soul Jazz, even though we were a bit perplexed by it at first. What we thought was going to be a southern rock primer (a la Marshall Tucker Band, Molly Hatchet, etc.) was only part of the story. Sure Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers are represented, but so are Johnny Cash, Joe South, Big Star, Boz Scaggs, and Cher(!?). It turns out the connection between these artists is behind the scenes, as the session players and studios behind much of seventies southern rock (namely Muscle Shoals, but also studios in Memphis and Nashville) had a hand in much of the country and soul production of the fifties and sixties. So this is more of a primer of the development of a regional sound, which comes across sound-wise as the peak of country crossover meets the roots of seventies rock, with the crossover acts edging towards rock, and the rock acts showing there mellower side. But it's all deep cuts here, no "Sweet Home Alabama", thankfully. Though some artists we thought should have been included are only represented through cover versions, which explains the presence of Cher who covers Dr. John's "I Walk On Gilded Splinters". But we were very happy to see Bobbie Gentry getting some love with three songs included. Often relegated to one hit wonder status, she made several great records with some of the finest southern production there is. So those looking for more hell-raising, whisky drinking boogie rock, this might not be the comp for you. But those who dig the brilliance of southern studio production, this has that in spades! Here is a complete artist list: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Barefoot Jerry, Joe South, Bobbie Gentry, Area Code 615, Allman Brothers, Cher, Cowboy, Link Wray, Boz Scaggs, Leon Russell, Tony Joe White, Dan Penn, Linda Ronstadt, Big Star, Travis Wammack, Johnny Cash, and Billy Vera. Comes with a 68 page full color booklet chock full of pictures and history of this prolific musical region.

MPEG stream: Stone Fox Chase
MPEG stream: I Walk On Gilded Splinters
MPEG stream: Be What You want To
MPEG stream: Comin' Home
MPEG stream: Out In The Woods
MPEG stream: Come To Me Tonight
MPEG stream: Morning Dew
MPEG stream: Mississippi Delta

Also here in the vinyl format, spread over two double lps, as per the usual Soul Jazz procedure. Another excellent compilation from Soul Jazz, even though we were a bit perplexed by it at first. What we thought was going to be a southern rock primer (a la Marshall Tucker Band, Molly Hatchet, etc.) was only part of the story. Sure Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers are represented, but so are Johnny Cash, Joe South, Big Star, Boz Scaggs, and Cher(!?). It turns out the connection between these artists is behind the scenes, as the session players and studios behind much of seventies southern rock (namely Muscle Shoals, but also studios in Memphis and Nashville) had a hand in much of the country and soul production of the fifties and sixties. So this is more of a primer of the development of a regional sound, which comes across sound-wise as the peak of country crossover meets the roots of seventies rock, with the crossover acts edging towards rock, and the rock acts showing there mellower side. But it's all deep cuts here, no "Sweet Home Alabama", thankfully. Though some artists we thought should have been included are only represented through cover versions, which explains the presence of Cher who covers Dr. John's "I Walk On Gilded Splinters". But we were very happy to see Bobbie Gentry getting some love with three songs included. Often relegated to one hit wonder status, she made several great records with some of the finest southern production there is. So those looking for more hell-raising, whisky drinking boogie rock, this might not be the comp for you. But those who dig the brilliance of southern studio production, this has that in spades! Here is a complete artist list: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Barefoot Jerry, Joe South, Bobbie Gentry, Area Code 615, Allman Brothers, Cher, Cowboy, Link Wray, Boz Scaggs, Leon Russell, Tony Joe White, Dan Penn, Linda Ronstadt, Big Star, Travis Wammack, Johnny Cash, and Billy Vera. Comes with a 68 page full color booklet chock full of pictures and history of this prolific musical region.

MPEG stream: Stone Fox Chase
MPEG stream: I Walk On Gilded Splinters
MPEG stream: Be What You want To
MPEG stream: Comin' Home

MPEG stream: Out In The Woods
MPEG stream: Come To Me Tonight
MPEG stream: Morning Dew
MPEG stream: Mississippi Delta

The first of two Kris Kristofferson tribute albums to come out in this here year 2002, Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down was put together by local man about town Nick Tangborn. Like a Dwight Yoakum of his day, Kris Kristofferson was equally involved with

RealAudio clip: Me and Bobby McGee
RealAudio clip: Why Me

Train wrecks, war, drought, despair, atomic bombs, sinking ships, and more, are all to be found in the songs compiled by Christopher Wagner for the latest in a string of themed compilations from Trikont. Wagner, in his introductory essay "In The Shadow Of The Apocalypse", takes the position that the modern age brought with it a newfound sense of fear and alienation that isolated individuals from religion, tradition, and community, leaving them with an overarching, unrelenting sense of melancholy that pervaded all aspects of their lives; for him, these recordings are a musical testament to the zeitgeist of that era. Heavy stuff indeed (what else would you expect from a compilation cd that uses a passage from Walter Benjamin as an epigraph�?). But what really stands out in this selection of songs is the depth and breadth of responses to disaster that the musicians are able to present. To be sure, you'd be hard pressed to find more plaintive, harrowing or emotionally evocative recordings than "That Great Ship Went Down" by William and Versey Smith (familiar to anyone who's heard The American Anthology of Folk Music) or "Off To War I'm Going" by The Carolinan Twins, but tracks such as these are starkly contrasted by The Allen Brothers' buoyant, kazoo-driven, "Jake Walk Blues" and the gruesome yet disconcertingly matter-of-fact narrative found in The Dixon Brothers' "School House Fire." Doom & Gloom is a success because the songs themselves are never overshadowed by the academic conceits of the compilation itself -- the thematic thread is always there, but what you hear first and foremost is the humanity, humility and resilience found in the music. Seriously recommended.

MPEG stream: When The Great Ship Went Down
MPEG stream: School House Fire
MPEG stream: Jake Walk Blues

With the diverse amount and massive number of highly vocal supporters of this versatile plant over the ages it's amazing that it's still illegal. And though I don't smoke the reefer anymore (it only gets the best of my onboard paranoia generator), I certainly see no reason why this fragrant plant can't become a productive member of our society. Certainly Trikont's newly released collection of recordings celebrating the wacky weed is no ground breaking concept, as there have been plenty of compilations featuring every possible genre of music devoted to praising the herb. But what probably sets Trikont's double disc "Dope & Glory" apart from the pack is their dedication to compiling a set focusing solely on the early days of American jazz (all culled from the 30's and 40's.) 50 tracks from such heavyweights as Fats Waller, Cab Calloway, Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and much much more perform such classics as "If You're A Viper", "When I Get Low I Get High", "Golden Leaf Strut", "Chant of the Weed" and then some! So pack up a bowl, put this disc on the old aluminum spinning laser device and enjoy. Fold out eco-pak includes booklets of liner notes in both German and English.

RealAudio clip: Reefer Man
RealAudio clip: Dopey Joe

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. We're proud to be carrying the very hard to find German label Trikont, who have amassed an incredibly diverse selection of cds featuring music from all over the world. This WONDRFUL compilation collects the warm soul music of the American south, featuring Percy Mayfield, Betty Lavette, Virgil Griffin, Sam Dees, etc. The liner notes set the stage: "Nowhere will a romance be longed for that desperately, nowhere are the comforting powers of love known that well. And still: Soul can do more. Who ever has dared to go beyond the shallowness of radioformatted sounds and has ventured deeper, will soon have discovered stains, all kinds of interesting dirt and spiritual undertones that connect the gutter with heaven. You can get addicted to Soul painfully. You will realize it when the long forgotten voices of ecstasy, irrationality and despair strike back."

Down From The Mountain is a recording of a live concert held at the Ryman Auditorium (a.k.a. The Grand Ole Opry) that featured many of the artists that appeared on the soundtrack to the Cohen Bros. popular film "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" The concert was documented on film by D.A. Pennebaker (who directed the renowned film on Bob Dylan "Don't Look Back" among many other

RealAudio clip: Wild Bill Jones
RealAudio clip: Sandy Land

Pretty amazing collection of old timey rarities from the collection of Joe Bussard, known as the "King Of Record Collectors" with a collection of 25,000 or so rare 78's, lps and reel to reel tapes, covering pretty much everything from jazz to blue grass to jug bands to wild hillbilly hoedowns. Definitely for fans of the Secret Museum Of Mankind series and all those Yazoo and Folkways collections. The sound is amazing, super clear and crisp, which for some of you loyal AQ-ers may be the only disappointment, 'cause we know how you love your record hiss and grit and crackle and pop. But c'mon, this is no post modern skipping glitchscape, this is just some sweet and timeless, classic music. Comes with a MASSIVE booklet of liner notes and song details, as well as lots of goofy pictures of Bussar himself.

MPEG stream: The Lost Child
MPEG stream: How You Want It Done?

Fuck Off. Fuck Off. Fuck Off... Sorry, we're just singing along with of the songs here. that's the title of one of the songs here. Kind of a novelty number by Slim Gaillard, recorded back in the forties, believe it or not. They never -quite- say "fuck off" in the song, well they do but it sounds like a clucking chicken or something each time. So they could get away with it. Heh heh heh. It's also known as "The Dirty Rooster". So that's one good reason to buy this comp of old time boogie woogie rarities. There's 29 more cuts here, all of 'em lotsa fun and/or bluesy drinkin' music. If you liked the previous Dr. Boogie compilation on Sub Rosa, you'll dig this too. Listening to this, it's not too hard imagining yourself wandering into some roadhouse honky tonk down South, circa '46 or '52, grooving to the rough and ready sound of what wound up as rock n' roll not too long later. The many artists found here include some well known names like electric blues guitarist Albert Collins, blues/jazz guitar great Lonnie Johnson, and pianist Champion Jack Dupree, along with plenty of amazing obscurities (the liner notes give what little information is available about some of these). From Bobo Jenkins to Guitar Slim Green, Ramblin Hi Harris to Papa George Lightfoot... they're all screaming 'n' crying about how life gets hard, it's a low down dirty shame, just can't understand it, she's taking all my money and I'm gonna kill that hen... and suchlike subjects.

MPEG stream: Freeze
MPEG stream: Fuck Off
MPEG stream: I'm Off That Stuff

Search on the keyword "boogie" on our website and you'll get, uh, let's see... 133 hits. This item being the latest, one that would go right to the top if we had the appropriate relevance algorithm at work. And there's actually 19 boogie hits here (well, obscurities actually), rare tracks circa 1941 to 1958. What's this compilation of American oldies music doing on the Belgian avantgarde label Sub Rosa?? And not, say, on Arhoolie or Bear Family? Well we're not sure exactly, but it has something to do with this Dr. Boogie character, he's a DJ from Belgium who has compiled this collection of boogie tracks, all of 'em from awesomely crackly old 78 rpm records that had been amassed over the years by boogie fanatic Bob "The Bear" Hite, better known as the lead singer of Woodstock-era hippie blues rock band Canned Heat (y'know, "Going Up The Country"), who passed away in 1981. Dunno if any of you folks are fans of Canned Heat, but regardless, it makes sense (and is pretty cool) that their vocalist had such a deep record collection devoted to old time rock n' blues boogie woogie. Apparently back in the sixties, he used to host all-night listening parties in his Topanga Canyon pad, and the cuts collected here ought to give you an idea of what those sessions must have sounded like. Wild boogie fun! How couldn't it be, when it starts off with the excellently titled "Death Ray Boogie" by piano player Pete Johnson? And there's no slack on the next track, Googie Rene's "Wiggle Tail". There's a bunch more uptempo, jumpin' numbers like that one (such as rock n' roll pioneer Bill Haley's "Birth Of The Boogie"), while other tracks here are more languidly bluesy (like guitarist Clarence's Brown's smokey "Taking My Chance"). It's all pretty great old time good times. Other names here, some famous, some now more or less forgotten except by hardcore collectors: Earl King, Etta James, Elmore James, Clarence Brown, Johnny Otis, Otis Rush, Chuck Higgins, Eddie Hope, The Hot Shots, and some crazy cat called Mad Mel Sebastian! Recommended... and we're happy to hear that more volumes drawn from Hite's historic collection are forthcoming.

MPEG stream: Wiggle Tail
MPEG stream: Please Find My Baby
MPEG stream: Taking My Chance

Subtitled: "The First Recordings in the Georgian Republic." The Traditional Crossroads label is at its best when digging up and restoring historical recordings from the Middle East and elsewhere, such as those found here, 25 tracks recovered (and digitially

RealAudio clip: Ghmerto Mets Gadmomkhede
RealAudio clip: Tsamokruli

Second compilation of essential British Acid Folk (Gathering In The Mushrooms was the first.) compiled by Bob Stanley of Saint Etienne. Featuring well known figures such as John Renbourn, Steeleye Span, Shirley Collins, Anne Briggs, and Pentangle along more obscurer groups such as Midwinter, Stone Angel, Shide and Acorn, and Mellow Candle.

We know that some of you like it dirty! And so do we when dirty is done with wit, style and old potty mouth class. This is an amazing compilation of old RnB with the kind of NAS-T lyrics that tickles us silly. What's so irresistible about this collection is how musically it still sounds so classic and clean in that sock-hop Mom and Dad on the dance floor kind of way. But when you hear the lyrics, OOF! Songs about poon-tang, sixty minute men, and big ten inch... um records (later covered by Aerosmith!). Greats like Dinah Washington, Lavern Baker, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins getting down and dirty as well as some lesser known but equally great performers. R-rated songs from the likes of The Blenders, The Treniers, Dorothy Ellis and more. Comes with amazing packaging including a thick booklet with tons of photos and all the lyrics so you can sing along to these dirty ditties. For some reason we always think that the 40's and 50's were so squeaky clean, prude and sedate. It's just that all the glorious filth was a big dirty secret. And this comp's got the sass to prove it! P.S. Someone needs to get a copy of this to John Waters as this is bound to be his new favorite record! (although we imagine he might have some of the originals!)

MPEG stream: Rotten Cocksuckers Blues
MPEG stream: LAVERN BAKER & JACKIE WILSON "Think Twice
MPEG stream: Bite It

First proper lp release from aQ pal, 78 collector, and curator of the awesome Excavated Shellac blog, Jonathan Ward, appropriately enough on Parlortone, "The Phonographic Arm And Limited Edition Leg" of longtime favorite reissue label Dust-To-Digital. And it's a doozy, before we get into it, anyone who buys everything on Mississippi is gonna want one of these, if you loved the Black Mirror collection, or the Victrola Favorites, for anyone into world music, into lost gems, old sonic obscurities, this is about as good as it gets, the song selection, the curation, the sound, the detailed liner notes, utterly fantastic, and sonically breathtaking. But of course we would have expected nothing less. For those not familiar with it, Excavated Shellac is a blog dedicated to "78rpm recordings of folkloric and vernacular music from around the world", and besides having an incredible collection, Ward also is a fantastic write, who writes extensively about each record he posts (almost all unavailable anywhere else in any format), detailing the recording, the style of music, the history, a musical lesson in every post, and the music, well needless to say, it's easy to get lost and subsequently obsessed. So Excavated Shellac: Strings, is an analog extension of the ES blog, with all the things we love about the blog intact. Of course there's the music, impeccably chosen, deftly cleaned up, and perfectly sequenced, the writing, informative and funny, educated and informed, about the record, the project, and each track and artist, and of course the object itself, beautifully laid out, pressed on thick vinyl, lots of amazing archival photos, so great. This first volume focuses on string instruments from around the world, Armenia, India, Bolivia, Congo, Vietnam, Georgia, Iran, Turkey, Uganda, Lebanon, Japan, Norway, Croatia and Paraguay. Every song a gem, haunting solos on Middle Eastern lutes, tangled frantic, droney sitar like buzz from India, playful festive dance music from Bolivia played on small guitars fashioned from gourds, gorgeous acoustic guitar music, lush and melodic, with soulful call and response vocals, from Congo, home recorded duets on 2 string fiddle and 'moon guitar' from Vietnam, solo violin from Iran, traditional folk music from Georgia, we could go on and on and on and on. But you know already if you need this, and it seems likely you probably do. We had been hearing rumblings about a Jon Ward / Dust-To-Digital project in the works, and had been anxiously awaiting it ever since. Now that we're playing this to death, we find ourselves already looking forward to future volumes. So incredible, and so totally recommended. Beautifully printed matte finish sleeve, heavy vinyl, with a printed cardstock 4 page insert, with liner notes and photos and more!