[ Windy favorites ]

IMPORTANT (Please read to avoid confusion): Some items below may be tagged with a bold, red, all-caps OUT OF PRINT/UNAVAILABLE notice. This does NOT mean that all other items not so tagged are, in fact, in stock — or for that matter, in print and available, though there's a good chance they are. Some folks get confused on this point, and we can see why, so please read this for further clarification and other important before-you-order information. Unlike some mailorder websites, we don't have an electronic inventory system linked to our site, so you can't be sure of what we actually have or don't have in stock at any given moment without asking us — please email our mailorder department for availability status — or better yet, just go ahead and place your order using our shopping cart function and we'll get back to you with the status of each item. If you have general non-mailorder questions, email the store.

Showing results 351 through 400 of 425.

First album by Amon Tobin after shedding the Cujo moniker. Excellent drum & bass with hand-lifted beats from jazz to old bachelor pad lps to soundtracks. All impeccably reworked, recomposed and produced by Mr Tobin. Everything this guy has released is crucial. Very highly recommended!

Mr. Tobin continues to meticulously develop his sounds beyond his previous releases into this great album. Really sophisticated and an absolute joy to listen to. Here he fuses lounge with his usual jazz-infested drum'n'bass. Everytime we play this album in the store, someone buys it. Highly recommended.

Yes!! The long awaited new Amon Tobin cd ep / 12" is totally killer. Tobin's music, as typified by his two most recent album Supermodified and Permutations, which is deeply beloved by just about everyone who works here at AQ, not to mention many many AQ customers such as yourself, is to take samples of the most wildly diverse material -- no programmed beats for this Brazilian-turned-Briton -- and recombine them into a style utterly his own. That might not sound like much of a feat, and yeah sure everyone's doing it, but like fellow vinyl sampler DJ Shadow, Tobin really does make irrelevant the fact that the source material is sampled, so seamlessly and proficiently does he elicit his own style. In fact, when Kup heard this record, even though the *elements* of "Verbal" -- cartoonish speed rapping courtesy MC Decimal R, flamenco-ish guitar -- weren't typically Tobin fodder, she correctly pointed out that the *sound* of the music made it nonetheless totally recognizable as his own. There's film noir-ish tension, thundering big beats, tumbling tomtoms, itchy chatterings and menacing flutterings amidst the jungly energy. So interesting, never repetitive or predictable. If you're already into him, you know you need to get this now, and if you're new to Amon Tobin, start right here. You won't be disappointed. Note: The 12" has just the "Verbal" track, plus an a capella and an instrumental version. The cdep has 3 other non-album tracks that are very worth picking this up in addition to the upcoming album.

RealAudio clip: Verbal
RealAudio clip: Cougar Merkin
RealAudio clip: El Chimi

San Diego's favorite five-piece melodic instrumental slow-core post-rock ambient drone sleep-core chiming blissful yadda yadda yadda... This is their follow-up to the popular "Spine and Sensory" album from a couple years ago. This record breaks no new ground in the grand scheme of things, but it does find the band experimenting more with subtle electronic flourishes to add more flavor to their sometimes grating dueling harpsichord-sounding guitar tones. The repetition becomes a novelty after a while, but fans of early 4AD and less dynamic Mogwai will probably really like this.

The German drone ensemble Troum and its predecessor Maeror Tri have been long-time favorites of Aquarius, never failing to deliver powerful recordings of bleak atmospheres densely folded upon fragile melodies. We are pleased to announce that Troum's collaboration with the American dark ambient duo Yen Pox is no exception. Both Troum and Yen Pox rely upon the metaphoric characteristics of the drone to evoke dream like states. Within their prediliction for gossamer melodies from guitars, lutes, accordion, and flutes all buried under many layers of reverb, delay, and other blurring effects, Troum's work fixates upon the language of dreams and hypnogogic states (even their name is an archaic German translation for dream), as something of a semiotic / transcendental escape route from the confines of earthbound reality. On the otherhand, Yen Pox relies upon the hauntings of nightmares to shape the contexts of their drones, often referencing the sci-fi paranoia of black holes or the Gothic invocations of unknown horrors found in the best Lustmord recordings. On "Mnemonic Induction," the two outfits seemlessly merge their respective sounds into a sublime droning hybrid that thrives on billowing oxygenated washes and delicate melodies floating up from a continuously thundering low-end rumble. Consequently, this album is far darker than anything that Troum / MT has ever done, but provides a greater focus beyond the scope of death-obsessed imagery common within the Yen Pox dark ambience. This album should not be missed.

RealAudio clip: Mnemonic Induction 1
RealAudio clip: Mnemonic Induction 3

Vocals? Who needs 'em? Not Turing Machine. This exceptional instrumental mathrock band with members of Pitchblende and Vineland gives nods to Shellac, Phil Manley (Trans Am, Golden) and Unwound. A big store favorite. Don't miss it.

Windy's other new favorite record this week is this EP from TV On The Radio, who online searches reveal as being the new band from onetime AQ-regular Kip -- one of the nicest guys around, plus you could see his afro coming from way down Valencia, like at 19th. Seems he's been keeping himself plenty busy since departing SF for the east coast (you can also find him starring in Jon Moritsugu's latest film Scum Rock). Simply put, TV on the Radio sound like an indie version of Peter Gabriel. At least that's what Andee thinks (as do all the intrigued folks who're coming up to the counter to ask which Gabriel album we're playing). However, not being super familiar with Gabriel beyond that Sledgehammer song, I'd have to liken the Brooklyn band's sound to the early pop albums from Brian Eno -- think Taking Tiger Mountain and you have some idea of the brilliance of this dark pop, intelligent arrangements, impassioned treated vocals, insidious clackety percussion. It's a fantastic combination that I'm having trouble describing. A very satisfying listen from a band that sounds so directed and mature. Guests on the record include Brian Chase of Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Four songs, plus a hidden fifth track -- an a capella rendering of the Pixies' "Mr. Grieves" complete with oohs, aahs and sunshine harmonies.

MPEG stream: Staring at the Sun
MPEG stream: Young Liars

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

SORRY. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with the output of Italian '60s/'70s groovedelica reissue label Easy Tempo. Fortunately this release didn't escape our notice, 'cause it's super great. Italian composer Piero Umiliani has been the subject of numerous reissues and compilations as his "space age bachelor pad" music is finding a newer audience 30 years after it was created. And while the sticker on the cd reminds you that Umiliani's experimental synthesizer (moog, mostly) pop material can favorably be compared to the exotica of Martin Denny, the '60s rock of Jefferson Airplane, and jazz a la Ellington, we're here to tell you that at times the music sounds utterly contemporary, as modern and fresh and full of original ideas as any new "electronica" artist out there. In fact, the electronic material is so clean and avant sounding that we are instantly reminded of Krautrock pioneers Cluster and Neu. You heard me--Cluster. Yeah, it's that good! Not that it's all super serious or anything -- there's a great version of "Caravan" on here worthy of Perrey & Kingsley. Highly recommended!

RealAudio clip: Motore a loni

The late great Uncle Tupelo's fourth album is my (Windy, and Andee's too!) favorite. It's SO AMAZING, the perfect marriage between country and rock. Dare I say that even Gram Parsons would agree! Despite the fact that Anodyne, originally released in 1993, was Tupelo's major label debut and everyone was nervous that it would suck, somehow everything came together and they recorded their most mature and perfect album (and that's sayin' a lot since their first three records are also stellar). Artistic differences eventually broke up the band, with Jeff Tweedy going on to form WILCO and Jay Farrar forming SON VOLT. But listen, if you're a fan of either of those two groups but *haven't* heard Uncle Tupelo yet, do yourself a favor. Ditto if you're a fan of "no depression" style Americana -- most of today's bands will point to Uncle Tupelo as main inspirations. This record is absolutely classic in flavor, staying power, talent and songwriting. Farrar's downtrodden and minor key heartstring-tuggers alternate with Tweedy's lighter ditties; upbeat fiddle-led numbers are nestled amongst slower tunes. And everywhere is the undeniable tug of the bittersweet to give it incredible depth. I have been listening to this album probably every week for the last ten years and have never gotten tired of it. Lyrics! Five extra tracks: a Farrar tune, a Tweedy song from 2003(?), and a Waylon Jennings cover; plus live renditions of "Truck Drivin' Man" and "Suzy Q." MPEG Download: "Slate" [/audio/tupeloslate.mp3] MPEG Stream: "Slate" [/audio/tupeloslate.m3u]

MPEG stream: Slate
MPEG stream: Acuff-Rose

Fat Cat Records has so far released 10 of their acclaimed split 12"s featuring a medley of engaging tracks from electronica technicians, dronologists, noise makers, and pranksters. This cd collects 11 of the tracks which had been featured on the series, with contributions from Third Eye Foundation, Gescom vs. Ad Vanz, Chasm (aka Robert Hampson of Main), James Plotkin, Merzbow, Foehn (who has contributed some of the finest dronework that few have heard!), Team Doyobi, V/VM, Speedranch & Janski Noise, and Req. Sadly the brilliant darkness from Anthony Child / Andrew Read didn't made it on the compilation, as was the same fate for a track claimed to be done by Pole (which turned out to be a fabrication of Pole's electronica dub and forced Fat Cat to order the destruction of the pressing, thus making the James Plotkin track pretty much exclusive to this cd).

This disc is so great! It's an uninterrupted one hour mix, and it's one of the best I have ever heard. Stephen and David Dewaele, the two Belgian brothers who play in the band Soulwax plumbed their record collections for everything from totally obscure forgotten tracks to universally popular ones. One of the best pieces overlays Salt 'n Pepa singing "Push It" over The Stooges' "No Fun", which you may also have heard on the (now out-of-print) Best Bootlegs in the World comp. I find 2 Many DJs better than the best Bootlegs comp, actually, because [1] it's a perfectly sequenced smooth mix, all the tracks flow into the next, lots of overlap, and [2] it's not just popular hits being mashed up, it's gems from 2 very smart music fanatics' collections. I mean, who knew that Destiny's Child's theme to Charlie's Angels would work so well over Dolly Parton's "9 to 5", or that a Peaches chord progression's secret twin is a Velvet Underground song? The endearingly simple 2 Many DJs website lists all the tracks used, along with juicy gossip about how hard or easy it was to get clearance for each one and tracks whose owners *refused* clearance. (If you're crafty you'll be able to find these tracks on the net as mp3s anyway -- I'm downloading the Skee-Lo/"Eye of the Tiger" mix right now.) This is SO MUCH FUN. Look for it to go out of print sooner rather than later -- don't hesitate. Highly recommended.

RealAudio clip: tracks 1-2 part 1
RealAudio clip: tracks 1-2 part 2
RealAudio clip: tracks 17-18
RealAudio clip: tracks 3-4
RealAudio clip: track 21
RealAudio clip: track 8

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

SORRY. I don't know if I have ever heard a bad Trojan compilation. Classic ska, rocksteady, and reggae versions of the theme from "Shaft", "Moon River," "The Magnificent Seven," "Summertime," "From Russia with Love," and more.

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 EXCELLENT compilation is not at all campy; it's a seriously good collection of everyone from the Carter Family to Tampa Red, Roy Rogers, Bob Wills, Patsy Montana, Sons of the Pioneers, Bill Monroe, and Jimmie Rodgers.

Subtitled "Rare Music from the Early 80ies New York Underground", this is a really good collection of no wave / stark electro funk material from a variety of notable sources. There's an early Jim Jarmusch (the filmmaker) track, and one from Gray, the band Contributing selected remixes are Psychonauts, Funkstorung, and Syrup (people from Poets of Rhythm and Beanfield) etc, but they're forgettable for the most part (the Funkstorung is good); the original tracks are the prime attraction here.

RealAudio clip: If I Gave You a Party
RealAudio clip: Love Attack

It's crass and laughably simple; but when done well, it's damn good. This is, of course, the current 'bootleg' phenomenon of plunderphonics which drops a hip-hop / top-40 club a capella track on top of a vastly different (but instantly recognizable) instrumental track, all the while perfectly matching both tracks' rhythms and sometimes harmonies. The origin of these culture jamming pisstakes can be traced back to the Evolutionary Control Committee's infamous "Whipped Cream Mixes" in which the a capella tracks from Public Enemy merge perfectly with the swingin' horn-y grooves of Herb Albert. The success of the ECC (aka Mark Gunderson) was principally based upon the lack of hi-tech gear, just two turntables and a mixer. This import compilation - released on the anonymous No Label - features the current onslaught from likeminded DJs and MP3 wranglers lacing the vocals of one track with the instrumentals of another. While not all of the tracks on "The Best Bootlegs In The World Ever" live up to the compilation's name, about half of them do. The tracks that work best are the ones that manage to not only have the same rhythm, but also match chord progressions. The aforementioned ECC "Whipped Cream Mix" that spots PE's "Rebel Without A Pause" with the Tijuana Brass Band is simply perfect and is prominently featured on "The Best Bootlegs." Other gems include the Christina Aguilera / Strokes mix by Freelance Hellraiser, the Dead Kennedys / Destiny's Child mix by DJ French Bloke, the Girls On Top mix of TLC and Human League, the amazing fusion between The Cure's "Lovecats" and Missy Elliott's "One Minute Man" by Kurtis Rush, and the Sigur Ros / Celine Dion mix that justifies Aquarius' belief that Sigur Ros is nothing but Muzak fodder. Aside from a few duds and a couple more "Funk Soul Brothers" than were ever needed to sampled, this record is brilliant. These have been really hard for us to track down, due to its odd popularity and its willfully underground distribution. So, when we run out of this... please don't be mad, we'll try to get more.

RealAudio clip: One Minute Lovecat
RealAudio clip: we don't give a damn about our friends
RealAudio clip: Smells Like Booty

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

Completely charming compilation of soundtracks to imaginary video games! Yes it is as good as it sounds, very intense yet harmless and fun at the same time. Besides the music, the best part of the package is the descriptions of the games, truly stuff worthy of Kool Keith's crazy brain, for example: "FAMILY TREE POLO: Bounce through time in your ambulance. Save your injury prone ancestors so you may eventually be born." For full game descriptions, see www.luckykitchen.com [http://www.luckykitchen.com/]. Features contributions from: Nick Birmingham & Daniel Beattie (UK, Hot Air/Spymania), V/VM (Manchester UK), Soundcard (UK, Spymania), Colongib, Egghatcher, Jake Mandell (Worm Interface), Personal Electronics, Tim Kotch, Marumari, Blitter vs. Hrvatski (Reckankreuzungsklankewerkzeuge), Flexible Products, Aerospace, Flatline Racing System, Stupid Lepton, Wheaton Research, Suetsu & Underwood, Underwood. Crucial underground electronic scenarios, charmingly packaged in a perversely non-video-game-aesthetic hand-sewn felt envelope. Limited to 746 numbered copies. A contender for "album of the week".

Indian film music is some of the craziest, catchiest, downright smile-inducing stuff you're ever going to hear. In recent years we've stocked a number of compilations, some better than others: the not-so-great "Bombay the Hard Way", the pretty great two volumes of "Doob Doob O'Rama", and our all-time favorite "Dance Raja Dance". And now there's this one, another instant fave a la "Dance" and "Doob". Compiled by the same label which released the acclaimed "Untouchable Outcaste Beats" East-meets-West electronica compilation, "Bollywood Funk" is an excellent collection of Bollywood tracks which received no additional production or remixes. While the similar "Dance Raja Dance" album (again: highly recommended, we always carry it) perfectly encapsulates the late '70s / early '80s film music of India, this compilation goes back to the '60s and early '70s for a more psychedelic and groovier sound. Perfectly weird, often kick ass Indian film music. Highly recommended.

RealAudio clip:

BACK IN STOCK! We thought these were gone for good a month ago, but we've just managed to get a few more! Here's the soundtrack to your wildest blaxploitation-fueled fantasies, baadasssss R&B with an acid rock edge. You'll never need to ask, "Mommy, what's a funkadelic?" after this. "Chains & Black Exhaust" is a compilation of late sixties/early seventies raw, fuzzed-out funk put together by some young, devotedly-crate-diggin' Memphis DJs, who apparently don't think we need to know what exactly we're listening too, 'cause there's no artist info, no track listing, nothing -- heck, the title of the comp appears nowhere on it, even! They give us a tantalizing but unhelpful glimpse of some original 45 labels in a photo in the cd booklet, which is otherwise illustrated with snapshots of black motorcycle club insignia. We can't imagine this lack of info is for copyright reasons, perhaps they just don't want their finds being identified & scooped by other DJs...? And unfortunately, none of us here, despite our enthusiasm for this stuff and general musical expertise, can tell you what's on here, nor did we locate a tracklist on the internet. Oh well, whoever these mystery artists are, what's important is that they kick out the jams big time here: hard, heavy stuff full of wailing acid-psych wah wah leads, driving organ, killer grooves, and soulful vocals. It's funk verging on rock, with Black Power meets garagey rock n' roll attitude. Of course, these old singles tracks are served up with lots of lovely ol' vinyl crackle, just scratchy enough to lend that extra level of authenticity and atmosphere to the party. Highly recommended -- if you're into *early* Parliament-Funkadelic you'll dig these 16 cuts. This is one of those albums that just sells itself the second we put it on over the stereo -- even our pal DJ Z-Trip bought one instantly. Enjoyed that Peanut Butter Wolf-produced collection of unearthed funk singles? Then you'll love this one too. Right on. We're told that *perhaps* someday this will get reissued with proper liner notes (the kind that actually tell you who is on the record at least) but that's at least a year or a year and a half off, if ever. So, we'd recommend grabbing these copies now, while you can, before they're gone, again...

RealAudio clip: track 2
RealAudio clip: track 3
RealAudio clip: track 12 (Get High?)

This *excellent* hip hop comp was put together by Joseph Patel, one of the co-founders of the Solesides label, and also one of the guys responsible for the groundbreaking first volume of the Deep Concentration series released in 1997 that had Cut Chemist on it, plus Latyrx, Prince Paul etc. Patel is well aware of what's happening in our currently wank-heavy world where anyone and everyone claims to be a DJ; the press release reads: "The once spectacular potential of turntablists seems to have devolved into a theater of the mundane: turntable masturbation, scratching for scratching's sake. While DJs on the competitive circuit certainly flash their talents, song trumps sport any day." What he said! So what we have here is eleven quality tracks, most of them certainly qualifying as high points for their makers, as well as being exclusives. El-P (Def Jux / Cannibal Ox) opens the album with a crazily catchy instrumental featuring an ebullient booty-shakin' chord progression plus lots of warm 'n scratchy vinyl crackle. This track is going to make me buy his album. Further on, Anti-Pop Consortium's typically manic case of attention deficit disorder never sounded this great. Peanut Butter Wolf likewise contributes one of the best pieces I've ever heard from the guy, and Freestyle Fellowship's track is hilarious. Other participants include This Kid Named Miles (Breakestra), Omid, Recloose, Chief Xcel of Blackalicious, Z-Trip, legendary "Lessons"-creator Steinski, and more. There's a coupla duds, in my opinion, but all in all I'd say this is one of the best hip hop comps to come out of the underground in a long while.

RealAudio clip: Day After the Day After
RealAudio clip: Crab Lice
RealAudio clip: Vox Apostolica
RealAudio clip: Crazy

VERY LIMITED. And we think the blurb on the back of the cd says it best, so we'll just quote it: Before the appropriately named Alkaholiks DJ/producer E-Swift hooked up with King Tee and DJ Pooh to work on a series of 60-second St. Ides TV and radio commercial spots that they had been commissioned to do: complete with a budget that allowed them to bring in some of the best emcees of the day. These rap commercials were really really good (they sound better than most commercial rap crap today!) and were so immensely popular at the time (early 90's when commercial radio didn't play nearly as much rap as today, esp. West Coast artists) that they resulted in listeners jamming radio station request lines at stations like Wild 107, San Francisco just to hear Cube or the Geto Boys rap about their favorite high-octane malt liquor. Not surprisingly with lyrics like Cube's "Get your girl in the mood quicker, get your jimmy thicker, with St. Ides malt liquor," it wasn't long before controversy soon overshadowed the advertising campaign. Outraged protests followed particularly in African-American and Hispanic communities where malt-liquor billboards and posters were defaced. Additionally the St. Ides commercials were publicly criticized by the U.S. Surgeon General and the New York State Consumer Protection Commission and drew fines from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, as well as the New York State Attorney General's Office. Additionally Korean grocers boycotted St. Ides, but for a different reason, for their use of Ice Cube as their spokesperson. Their protest was based on Cube's derogatory lyrical comments about Koreans in his album "Death Certificate." (Note: McKenzie River, the San Francisco-based maker of St. Ides, consequently temporarily discontinued using Ice Cube.) But the biggest criticism of the St. Ides commercials was that it used hip hop/rap music, a genre most popular with teenagers at the time, to sell malt liquor directly to underage drinkers. This was further enforced when St. Ides blatantly marketed a nonalcoholic drink for kids, boldly using the St. Ides name/logo (check out the lyrics to Ice Cube's "Crooked I For All Ages" track #30). Overall the reaction to the St. Ides ads was so intense that G. Heileman Co., the national brewer that had created the St. Ides label, disavowed any connection with St. Ides. And eventually the commercials were banned altogether and never heard/seen again. With Ice Cube, Yo-Yo, Geto Boys and Scarface, Snoop Dogg, Wu Tang Clan, Eric B & Rakim, EPMD, and many more. 30 tracks in all. VERY LIMITED.

RealAudio clip: Wish They'd Come Up with a 12-Pak
RealAudio clip: You Need a Six-Pack

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

SORRY. Wow! As if the Tony Allen reissues and the stellar Club Africa compilations weren't enough, the excellent UK label Strut has undertaken to compile a look back at the early days of *underground* disco when disco was an outgrowth of both New York punk and "No New York" proto new wave. This record is fantastic. It is ass kicking stripped down disco with no affectations and no stupid fashion victim Saturday Night Fever synth action to muck up the groove. Wailing JB's-style horns, chiming guitars and staccato bass, all backboned by totally organic percussion that makes you think "fucking kick ass live drummer" instead of "hmmm, good drum machine programming". Sure, this music has been sitting around for years and most of you have probably heard a track or two contained here, but Strut's stroke of genius has been to compile these tracks *together*, coming as they do from seemingly totally disparate groups who don't (to our ears today) share much in common -- from Yoko Ono (a track she began remixing on the day John Lennon was killed) to Liquid Liquid (the classic "Cavern", whose bassline was stolen, er, appropriated by Grandmaster Flash for "White Lines")... to Bill Laswell, Ian Dury, Steve Miller(!) and Don Cherry(!). The pages and pages of liner notes do a lot to bring these artists together in a musically logical sense, and I have to say that the Loose Joints track "Tell You (Today)" is hands down my fave single of the year -- thank god for "Disco No Disco" or I never would've heard it (we put almost the whole seven minute track up on the website so you can hear it in all its glory -- it starts in one place and ends up in quite another and you're not quite sure how you got there but you're glad). If the word "disco" makes you cringe, get ready for your world to change. And if you thought that band !!!'s record funkified your indierock life, they ain't NOTHING compared to "Disco Not Disco". P.S. Someone really needs to tell Neil Hamburger he sounds exactly like Steve Miller on "Macho City".

RealAudio clip: Cavern
RealAudio clip: Tell You (Today)
RealAudio clip: Walking on Thin Ice
RealAudio clip: Macho City
RealAudio clip: Spasticus Autisticus

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."

Long overdue reissue of this wonderful soundtrack to the film Downtown 81, which starred the now-deceased artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, and was written by Glenn O'Brien. Here we've got 20 tracks representing the breadth and range of the hip downtown NY This is not only a cool document of a scene that was breathtaking in its diversity, but this is also a very handy sampler to the music of this time, much of which is now recognized as seminal. It's rare that a soundtrack documents a scene well (as opposed to just featuring throwaway tracks by bands who saved their best stuff for their own albums), but this album does it! The booklet's got a bunch of film stills and lots of information on the bands. Listen to *all* the soundclips to get an idea of the range of styles represented on this great record.

RealAudio clip: K Pasa-Pop I
RealAudio clip: Contort Yourself
RealAudio clip: Desire
RealAudio clip: Bob the Bob
RealAudio clip: Cheree

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

SORRY. Here's Forced Exposure's apt description: Debut release on a new CA-based IDM label, focusing on that sparkling electronic machine crinkle that can sound just right. OST's track, "August" is a legitimate classic, that could easily fit somewhere within the Warp "Artificial Intelligence" series. Many other tracks are of similar vintage & emotional quality. The CD features obscure US artists such as: Solenoide (aka Office Products, aka Mr. Pharmacist; currently been doing work with Mark Hosler of Negativland, while having escaped an earlier life of hacking, sits behind the door and thinks about asthetic pranks'), Lillianthal (Arrow Kleeman, NYC, has performed with the Silver Apples, before becoming Lillienthal, "hoping that his search for sound found and personal mood will set him aside from the even flow of contemporary electronic dance music, this is his debut'), If.Then.Else. ('playing bass, playing jazz, discovers the synthesizer all hell break loose; not to be seen until now, he hides with the machine in attempts to beat it at it's own games'), Sybarite (aka Xian Hawkins, who has also performed and recorded with Simeon of the reformed Silver Apples), O.S.T. (aka Rook Vallade, has recorded on Switch Records, Plug Research, Worm Interface, remixed Spacetime Continuum, etc.). [/cat/compilationsplit40.html]

Finally, another installment in the fabulous Ethiopiques series! This time from the time span of 1969-1974, and focusing closely on the R&B and soul influenced musical output from Ethiopia's bustling capitol, Addis Ababa. More than just R&B and soul though, the tracks here are striking in their resemblance to early rock & roll and the twist -- there's even a track that sounds like a twisted spin on Chubby Checker. Despite the close relationship to popular music genres in the U.S. there is no mistaking the music's Ethiopian origin for anyone familiar with this series. And yet, despite even having tracks by such now familiar names as Mahmoud Ahmed and Alemayehu Eshete, this compilation distances itself from the previous seven in this series with a sound all its own. It just goes to show you how amazingly diverse and fertile Ethiopia's music scene was/is. Hooray!

RealAudio clip: Hasabe
RealAudio clip: Tchero Adari Negn
RealAudio clip: Astawesalehu

From those same sonic jokers who brought us "Deconstructing Beck" comes this latest copyright infringement: manipulated snippets of movies (including "Titanic", "Wizard of Oz", "Gone with the Wind", and lots more). The concept is hilarious, but what makes the record really successful is the carefully constructed experimental music, some of it melodic, some intense, some way out there. It's simply LOVELY to listen to, especially the first track: an almost unrecognizable version of the Celine Dion "Titanic" tune that REALLY sounds like someone drowning. Worth the price of the disc for this piece alone!

Unauthorized remixes of Missy Elliot's "Get Ur Freak On" by Kid 606, Kevin Blechdom, Max Tundra, Posterboys of the Apocalypse, Mortal & Chemist and Kid 666 (uh, Kid 606 again). Sure to go out of print quickly, if not destroyed by Miss E and Elektra's lawyers first. The Kid's "Take The Piss On" humorously plunders in the melody of A-Ha's "Take On Me".

We can not tell you how psyched we are to have this back in stock. We've been listening to this like crazy. We had almost forgotten how totally far out and mind blowing this collection was. Since we first carried this years ago, there have been tons of diverse and eclectic collections of musics from all over the world, psych rock compilations (Love, Peace & Poetry, Thai Beat A Go Go, etc.), the Sublime Frequencies series, and loads more, but as good as those are, they can't hold a candle to Ho!: Roady Music From Vietnam! So completely fascinating and fun, wild and so so weird! Everytime this gets played in the store, customers and employees alike have to check to see what the heck it is we're listening to! Ho! is an amazing collection of pieces from Vietnamese street musicians. The folks that travelled to Vietnam and recorded these pieces gave themselves the tongue-in-cheek name Nuoc Mam Dirndl'n, evidence of their humor in the light of collecting the sort of music they suspect the Vietnamese government would perhaps NOT appreciate as a representation of Vietnam. Ho! ranges from raucous, percussion-heavy funeral songs played at midnight by 'young people provided with drugs' to traditional material played on the one-stringed dan bau to melodramatic love songs favored by the son of the owner of the hotel the folks stayed at. There's even a 'tasteful schmaltzy song' which is what the Vietnamese record-store saleswoman played for them when they asked for some traditional Vietnamese music! Check out the following excerpt from the fascinating liner notes, and, like us, marvel at the freshness inherent in the refusal to adopt the omniscient voice-of-authority tone taken by so many ethno-compilers: "We are stunned by the Vietnamese 'Lebensgefuhl' actually corresponding to our western idea of 'subculture': lively, anarchic, loud, dense, hearty; the people are living working, eating, sleeping, and holding their funeral ceremonies between house and street. We don't know yet if there is any subculture in Vietnam; if there is e.g. (organized) political counterforces to the one-party regime -- nobody talks about politics (with us) -- maybe there is no need for it, because everybody can do whatever he/she wants: though street trading is prohibited everybody does it -- under the hardly vigilant eyes of the law -- raids are very rare, then the stands are carried away quickly and when the mischief is gone it goes on... What matters is that people LOVE TO SING which, like in our part of the world, hide in gloomy basements and play till the ears/souls are ringing: every band in Vietnam needs a license for its existence, for every gig, every song. And because there is no basements in Vietnam, people like to use the karaoke machines in their homes, bars and special karaoke houses. Saigon's street musicians are rather despised by the yuppies of Vietnam: 'shit music.' The yuppies prefer Sting and western style in general." Highly highly highly recommended!

MPEG stream: Rider In The Sky
MPEG stream: Totencombo
MPEG stream: VC Love Song
MPEG stream: Hoa Cau Vuon Trau

Wow. The London based Soul Jazz label does it again. They've already documented the global history of funk and soul in several astonishingly well-executed collections including the universally loved "100-500% Dynamite" series of Jamaican soul, rocksteady, and reggae; the Philadelphia Roots collection; the Nu Yorica albums; that ESG reissue, and even an Art Ensemble of Chicago album. Yet none of these albums has been as highly anticipated or so spot-on timely as this new one from Soul Jazz, "In The Beginning There Was Rhythm." This compilation succeeds in encapsulating that heady time between the years 1978 and 1982, when the "second wave" of British punk bands found inspiration in both the musical and political power of reggae. As the situationist propaganda of Malcolm McLaren and the Sex Pistols spawned a global theater of anarchist shock tactics, even such right-wing idiots as the skinhead, white power, and neo-Nazi parties dared to embrace punk's celebration of chaos. Thus, those (mostly white) musicians within the punk movement who were *opposed* to such unsavory politics stood in solidarity both politically and aesthetically with their black brothers in Jamaica. Incited by the offbeat attack of The Clash and the huge dub bass production from Public Image Limited, the late '70s punk movement began a vast exploration into possibilities of bridging dance music with the revolutionary anthems of punk. While neither The Clash nor PIL are included in this compilation, "In The Beginning There Was Rhythm" does collect some of the best tracks from the huge vaults of post-punk, many of which might have gone forgotten had it not been for this album! Even 20 years after their initial releases, the bands here -- including Gang of Four, Cabaret Voltaire, 23 Skidoo, The Pop Group, A Certain Ratio, The Slits, This Heat, Human League and Throbbing Gristle -- still sound fresh, often melding choppy rhythms with angular slash-and-burn guitar, spit out vocals, rubbery bass, and nascent forms of electronica. We'll say it again -- the music here is simply perfect -- the punk holds back dance music's tendency to get too mechanical 'n boring, while the dance elements impart melody and groove to the punk. Highlighting the compilation are A Certain Ratio's urgent amphetamine funk on "Shack Up" and "Knife Slits Water", melding the unlikely combination of Joy Division's grim urgency with a George Clinton funk arrrangement. Gang Of Four's "To Hell With Poverty" marks their transition from the agitated punk grooves found on their classic (but impossible to find) debut "Entertainment" into a smooth dancefloor-friendly attack punctuated by Marxist rhetoric. The Human League -- who are unfortunately best known for their chart topping new wave singles -- had incredibly adventurous beginnings on the often forgotten punk label Fast (also early home for The Mekons and Gang of Four). Their early offering "Being Boiled" is a primitive piece of spartan electronics loaded with theatrical tension and dark arpeggiations more expected from people like Coil and Throbbing Gristle (who contribute their perverse fascination with ABBA in the subversive aesthetics of "20 Jazz Funk Greats"). But, why is this compilation so short? Judging from how few people today remember or even have heard Section 25, Tunnelvision, DAF, or Fad Gadget, there's plenty more work for Soul Jazz to do in compiling more compilations of this sort! Not just recommended, this is *required* listening. Strongly recommended to any and all!

RealAudio clip: She Is Beyond Good And Evil
RealAudio clip: Being Boiled
RealAudio clip: To Hell With Poverty
RealAudio clip: Knive Slits Water

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

SORRY. Of the many many rocksteady albums that I (Windy) own, this is my absolute favorite. Every song is an absolute gem, and will lead you to wanting to acquire whole albums by groups such as Phyllis Dillon, Tommy McCook, Justin Hinds, etc. Super highly recommended.

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

SORRY. Another new and truly amazing compilation (the first in a series of ten!) from our current favorite German label, Trikont. On this you'll hear musicians from vastly varied genres and times covering the same song: "La Paloma". From Charlie Parker, to Carla Bley, to Jelly Roll Morton, to Amon Duul, to slack key wizard Ray Kane, to Tex-Mex guru Flaco Jimenez, to... Ahh, there's a bunch here that you and I have never heard of, but that will kick your butt. Must be heard to be believed... No, just plain must be heard.

We're not sure why this record is titled as such, since it's straight up 1963-64 era early ska from genius producer Duke Reid (who often held his artists at gunpoint in the studio until they cut the tracks to his satisfaction). Most of the comp features the BRILLIANT, sunny day sax stylings of Tommy McCook and the Skatalites. Think easy tempo ska infused with American r&b/soul... Yes it is that good! Highly recommended. From Jet Set, the French reggae reissue label whose releases we plan to carry a lot more of.

It could be said that the concept behind 'Lily Of The Valley' is the interpretation of love located deep within the sound cards of a handful of ProTools-driving laptops. Translation: guys who don't know how to talk to girls. Anyway, the concept is pretty much an immaterial aside to this compilation presented by the acclaimed label Schematic who are known for some exquisite replications of the Autechre-style IDM electronica skitter, and this compilation is no exception to the Schematic rule. The featured engineers/Romeos are Richie Devine, Phoenicia, Delarosa & Asora, Jake Mandell, Takeshi Muto, Jeswa, 09, and Gliese.

The Love, Peace & Poetry series compiles the obscurest of the obscure lost psychedelic music of the sixties, records that collectors spend vast sums of money on. Following the American and Latin American volumes, this long-awaited third volume brings together gems from Japan, Korea, India, Cambodia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Turkey, spanning the years 1967 to 1977. Authoritative liner notes from OR Records' Stan Denski round out the package. Get this and soon you too will be a fan of such artists as The Mops, Erkin Koray, Jung Hyun & the Men, Mogollar, and the unknown Cambodian combo that provides this disc's very rockin' track five. Recommended!

Ignore the cheesy pinup girl cover art and instead give thanks that someone finally compiled someof the best tracks from Latin American psych pop groups of the '60s, most of whose original LPs now change hands for hundreds of dollars, and whose cd reissues even seem overpriced. We're talking bands like Traffic Sound, Laghonia, Kissing Spell, and Kaleidoscope, etc. A great intro to this scene, provided you have a very strong stomach for Beatles ripoffs; it sounds very much Of Its Time.

Lovely music from Northeast Brazil in the 1930s and '40s. Slightly familiar, slightly 'exotic' at the same time. Played on guitar, viola, accoridan, triangle, and zabumba (a Brazilian drum) with a charming 'old-timey' sound. From the label that brought us the "Ethiopiques" series! We also have vol. 1, but you should start with #2 first.

Let's face it, most tribute albums suck. I can count on one hand the number of tribute albums I have *loved*. (Well, actually on one finger, namely the Roky Erickson trib.) Now along comes this FANTASTIC collection of songs performed by a perfectly-chosen array of alt country musicmakers, all paying their respects to Kris Kristofferson with achingly gorgeous renditions of his songs. I'm hard pressed to even name highlight tracks, because *all* of them are lovely. The mood is consistently downer, the performances retain the flavor of the individual contributing bands, but let the brilliance of Kristofferson's songwriting show thru. And who doesn't love "Me and Bobby McGee", "Help Me Make it Thru the Night", and my personal fave "Sunday Mornin' Coming Down"? If you're not a Kristofferson fan (yet), get this anyway -- it serves as a wonderful intro to the perpetual outsider with the progressive politics who mopped floors at a Columbia's Nashville studios just so he could slip Johnny Cash tapes of his songs! (The liner notes go into his life story a bit -- quite fascinating -- he was involved in the Central American conflicts, visited the Sandanistas, is working to free Leonard Peltier, etc.) Participants include Souled American, Calexico, Radar Brothers, Zmrzlina, Virgil Shaw (Dieselhed), Richard Buckner, Howe Gelb (Giant Sand), Grandaddy, Deanna Varagone (Lambchop), Court and Spark, Califone, Handsome Family -- all artists already established as wonderful. Hear them pay tribute. Take it from me, the picky tribute listener -- this one is GREAT. It will make you love Kristofferson while also providing a stunning snapshot of the current alt.country scene. Highly recommended!

RealAudio clip: Casey's Last Ride
RealAudio clip: Me & Bobby McGee
RealAudio clip: Jesus Was a Capricorn
RealAudio clip: Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down

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

SORRY. A budget collection of Leaf's upcoming releases of mostly fourth world electronica with Hindi and Japanese percussive elements filtering into abstract beatz and straight up UK techno. With Richard Thomas, 310, Eardrum, Four Tet (1/3 of Fridge), Beige, A Small Good Thing (aka O Yuki Conjugate), Gripper, Sons of Silence, Gorodisch, and Susumo Yakata, whose hypercheesed send up of Fat Boy Slim (making his claim as the 'funk soul brother' sound even more Caucasian) was long over due.

'Ouelele' is a wonderful collection of early 70s Afrobeat rarities (with the earliest track being from 1967) with with tracks by Letta M'Bulu, Philip Cohran & The Artistic Heritage Ensemble, J.M. Time & Foty, Manu Dibango, Smahila & the S.B.s, Marius Cultier, Ginger Johnson & His African Messengers, and more!

Great! In 1998, local hip hop music maker, record collector, and impresario Peanut Butter Wolf started a series of vinyl 7"s meant for one-off releases that didn't fit with his straight up hip hop label Stones Throw. (Hey, if you didn't know already, PB Wolf is da guy dat came up with the idea of the all-45s sets that brought Cut Chemist and DJ Shadow together for their now famous shows.) Featuring folks like Madlib, Breakestra, A-Trak (his sublime "Enter Ralph Wiggum" track), Lootpack, etc, and then later expanding to reissue funk/soul classics from the late '60s/early '70s, the 7"s were meant to be collectible, with exclusive tracks. (In fact, even though this disc compiles the 7"s, it takes only one track from each single so the 7"s are *still* collectible.) I didn't pay them enough attention when they were still singles, so this comp is welcome, and as a collected entity it only serves to show how rad PB Wolf's taste is. Man, some of the old funk tracks appearing here are *unbelievably weird*, and the contemporary tracks are sufficiently soul and funk-influenced that sometimes it's hard to tell if they're old or new. That's awesome! Hands down one of the very best soul / funk / hip hop comps we've heard in forever, and the fact that it covers old and modern stuff just puts it over the top. A great, exciting listen thru and thru. Highly recommended.

RealAudio clip: Rocket Ship
RealAudio clip: The Ox
RealAudio clip: Take Me

Remixes of Steve Reich's compositions from across his career. DJ Takemura (soon to release a full length on Thrill Jockey, and also known as Child's View), Andrea Parker, Coldcut and DJ Spooky absolutely rise to the occasion by preserving a bit of what gave Reich his edge, but adding their own voices to the mix creating tracks that are unique in their own right. Also included (rather straight-up remixes where adding beats is the approach) are Howie B, Mantronik, Tranquility Bass, Ken Ishii and others. LP has an extra track.

At last, the compact disc version of this amazing all-DJ, all-scratching compilation. Truly a worthy sequel to the insane turntable antics of 1995's volume one. AMAZING collection of scratching and other turntablist skills sounds so ALIVE and refreshing and immediate, it brings smiles to all who hear it. We are the first store anywhere to carry this groundbreaking collection of turntable strategists kicking lesser DJ ass far and wide. Contributors hail from the likes of Paris, Finland, Cincinnati, and New York City. For fans of more well-known DJs like QBert, ShortKut, Disk & Mixmaster Mike of the Skratch Picklz, LA's Beat Junkies and Manhattan's X-Men (here represented by Roc Raida). You MUST hear this.

Back in print! With a new color cover, akin to that of vol. 2. If'n you don't know, this is the crazy acrobatic hiphop turntablist state of the art, a real must-have for anyone interested in exploits on the wheels of steel. Live sound collage mayhem to kick your ass, courtesy of such luminaries (better known now) as Rob Swift, Z-Trip, Peanut Butter Wolf and of course the Invisible Scratch Pickles.

Nine exclusive tracks licensed by Thrill Jockey from Mouse on Mars� Sonig label -- with f.x. randomiz, Microstoria, Vert, Wang Inc., Lithops, etc. Nice, layered, melodic electronica. Mellow and lulling. Recommended!

RealAudio clip: metix v.1.0b7

Soul Jazz does it again. This time the label tackles the classic DJ cuts produced by Coxsone Dodd at Studio One from the beginning of the 60's through the early 80's. Unlike the common DJ of repute who was content to merely play records, Jamaican DJ's have always been of a mind to persistently interject their own thoughts, off the cuff remarks, vocal sound effects over what they played. Such was the heavy competition between Sound Systems in Jamaica, that merely having the freshest cuts would win an audience. A charismatic master of ceremonies was crucial drawing crowds. Out of this developed the Jamaican DJ: U Roy, I Roy, Big Youth, Dennis Alcapone, Count Machuki, Prince Jazzbo et al. Coxsone Dodd, having already been the owner of one of the biggest sound systems in Jamaica by the end of the 50's, continued in the capacity of producer to become the institution he is today with vaults of the most popularly versioned rhythms in Jamaica. 'Studio One DJ's' takes a look at not only some of the most successful DJ's to work with Coxsone, but also some great obscure one's that you may never have heard. You won't find either U or I Roy on this collection, but that shouldn't dissuade you (we can set you up with great discs of either) as their's no shortage of awesome tracks on here from the sparse interjections of Count Machuki to the non-stop-almost-out-of-breath toasting and cocka-doodle-dooing of Dennis Alcapone, to the ever so gruff and foreboding chanting of Prince Far I, there's an impressive variety of artistry represented here. Wow! And we also just discovered that there's a short video on Studio One included on the CD that you can watch on your computer. Brief interviews with Coxsone and Norma, plus footage of notable DJ's Lone Ranger and a pissed off looking King Stitt. Looks like it's a sneak peak of a full length documentary that Sould Jazz will be releasing on DVD and video in the near future. We're all waiting on the pins and the needles for its release!

RealAudio clip: Rock Fort Shock
RealAudio clip: Seen Him

From Soul Jazz, the label that brought us the 100% through 400% Dynamite comps and the Jackie Mittoo "Keyboard King At Studio One" comes this collection of tracks culled from the Studio One archives. Started by Coxsone Dodd in the mid 1950's, Studio One is the single most important record label in Jamaica. From the Skatalites to Bob Marley to Burning Spear -- just about anyone who's anyone in the Jamaican music biz in the day worked with Coxsone Dodd and Studio One. The tracks on this compilation, like Soul Jazz's successful "Dynamite" series, are an excellent mix of classic and obscure cuts from the archives -- ska, rocksteady, reggae and dancehall are all represented here. Most notably exceptional track is Dawn Penn's haunting and devastatingly sad "No, No, No".

RealAudio clip: No, No, No
RealAudio clip: Village Soul
RealAudio clip: Eye Of Danger

On the heels of their unsuccessful "500% Dynamite" compilation, comes the third installment of Soul Jazz's "Studio One" series of themed anthologies culled from Coxsone Dodd's highly influential studio. As a collection "Studio One Roots" is perhaps the best

RealAudio clip: Meditation
RealAudio clip: Africa Here I Come
RealAudio clip: More Creation
RealAudio clip: African Challenge

It's finally here! You've seen the teasers on the previous two Soul Jazz Studio One releases, now's your chance to have the whole kit n' kaboodle for relative little pocket change. 4 hours, yes four friggin' hours of video for your pleasure. The meat of the footage is an extended interview (over two and a half hours) with Coxsone Dodd in his Kingston studio and hanging out in Kingston at some of the old dancehall locations surrounded by adoring fans and Studio One stable staples. Interspersed throughout are additional brief interviews with King Stitt, Alton Ellis, Ken Booth, Studio One engineer Sylvan Morris, Sister Ignacious of the Alpha Boys School (who produced some of the island's greatest musicians) and many other old timers from Studio One's glory days recounting the label's illustrious history. As bonus features to this documentary are some interviews with Alton Ellis, Norma & Courtney Dodd, Ken Boothe, King Stitt, Dennis Alcapone and more. But wait, there's more! And it's not a collection of steak knives. Soul Jazz has also thrown in a best of Studio One collection (LP or CD, your choice) that seriously kicks ass and a 100 page book filled with archival pictures and bios. Considering the huge role Studio One / Coxsone Dodd had in shaping Jamaican music through the sixties and seventies (not to mention the lasting effect the treasure of Studio One rhythms continue to have on the island's music) this document is an excellent source of historical info. I can't close this up without expressing one bone to pick with the creators of this film. You'll notice when you pop this puppy on your DVD player (by the way, the discs we've got are region free NTSC) is a horrible video title generated frame that surrounds the picture -- kind of like the trademark frame that surrounds all the Soul Jazz Studio One releases. No, this doesn't go away ever during the film and no, you can't get rid of it if you want to. It really sucks and I can only suspect the most nefarious of reasons that Soul Jazz would include it throughout the entire film. Shame on them for that. Chances are, like us, you'll mentally crop that frame out soon enough. This thing is just too damned good to let a stupid frame ruin it! Can I also say that it makes an excellent stocking stuffer? (the CD version anyway, the LP you might have to have a big ass sock to fit it.)

RealAudio clip: Baby
RealAudio clip: Banana Walk
RealAudio clip: Love Bump

Heartwarmingly well done compilation of John Denver songs. Consistently low-key and slow, the comp features lesser known Denver songs, and that's a very good thing, as a cover of "Rocky Mountain High" would've been too jarringly recognizable in this context. In other words, it works stunningly as a compilation of slowcore material, whether or not you're a John Denver fan. Highlights include tracks from Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy), Low, Sunshine Club, Tarnation with Joe Gore, Granfaloon Bus, Rachel Haden of That Dog, the Innocence Mission, etc. And the Red House Painters' instrumental offering "Fly Away" is just breathtaking, full of soaring My Bloody Valentine-style guitars. This comp is so good that every time we play it in store, we sell a copy.