Sept. 22 street date. To coincide with the growing event that is Halloween, 100 Hits celebrates the season of the witch with its latest release '100 Hits - Halloween'. Features scary chart sounds including ‘Ghostbusters’ (Ray Parker Jr.), ‘Feed My Frankenstein’ (Alice Cooper), ‘Hunting For Witches’ (Bloc Party), ‘Amityville (The House On The Hill)’ (Lovebug Starski), ‘I Put A Spell On You’ (Screamin’ Jay Hawkins), ‘Monster Mash’ (Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers) and many more, including contributions from Chet Baker, Japan, Blue Oyster Cult, Run-DMC, The Cult, Robert Johnson, Andy Williams, Edgar Winter Group, Thelonious Monk - an interesting mix, to say the least! Also features a Karaoke DVD featuring 20 Halloween classics such as ‘Thriller’, ‘Highway To Hell’, ‘Bad Moon Rising’, and a 20 track movie theme disc featuring tracks from classic horror films such as ‘Halloween’, ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’, ‘The Exorcist’ and ‘The Omen’.
January 21 street date. Four exceptional hours of music that defines British pop at the end of a tumultuous decade! If 1977 was the year that punk broke, and 1978 saw the UK turn Day-Glo, then 1979 was all about the aftershock of punk, with the redrawn British musical landscape divided between various youth sub-cultures and factions. The release of the film "Quadrophenia" gave a focal point to the growing mod revival, power pop bands like The Jags similarly sought inspiration from the mid-1960s, while 2-Tone recalibrated the ska sound of Prince Buster for a new generation of pork pie hat-wearing rude boys. Running parallel to those developments, a plethora of bands - prominent among whom were Public Image Ltd, Siouxsie And The Banshees, The Fall, and Joy Division - were demanding the future now with an uncompromising sound and nonconformist approach that would subsequently be labelled post-punk. They were joined by the likes of The Human League and Tubeway Army, who brought avant-garde electronic influences and dystopian lyrical themes into the pop charts. Naturally enough, all of the aforementioned bands are represented on ‘Revolt Into Style’ alongside more obscure 7" gems and a smattering of key album tracks from some of the most important long-players of the year.
Available now. "90s Dance Anthems" is a brand new multi-artist compilation which features 26 iconic classics of the 90s from the biggest DJs, Bands, and Producers. Housed in a gatefold sleeve with original artwork and pressed on 2 LP's with printed inner sleeves. Artists include Fatboy Slim, Basement Jaxx, Faithless, Baby D, Real McCoy, Robert Miles, Rozalla, William Orbit, Dr. Alban, Corona, David Morales, Gala, Ultra Nate and many more.
Sept. 22 street date. An era defining collection of records from artists that have become the backbone of what we now know as dance music and club culture. CD1 travels from the Balearic optimism of Bocca Juniors, Jah Wobble and Paradiso, to the Boys Own remixes of Indie/Dance anthems from Primal Scream, James, The Farm and the Happy Mondays. CD2 is adventure into the early era of UK house and Acid house, focusing on the label's highlights: Fire Island, Chemical Brothers, Pete Heller and the anthems of all anthems ‘Born Slippy’ by Underworld. From Junior Boys Own; a label that not only defined what British dance music actually sounded like but also what it should sound like. These are not just great records, or even great house records, but they evoke something that is embedded in British culture.
November 18 street date. Dualtone is proud to present a wonderful holiday music compilation featuring present and past artists from the label's roster performing unique takes on classic and original Christmas songs. Hear The Lumineers' take on "Blue Christmas," Delta Spirit's "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," and a wry and relatable original song "It's Christmastime (Let's Just Survive)" by Kathleen Edwards, among many others. Also includes songs by Mt. Joy, Amos Lee, The Lone Bellow, Drew & Ellie Holcomb, Wild Child, Langhorne Slim, and Ivan & Alyosha.
May 18 street date. Ten years after 2008's African Scream Contest, crate-digger Samy Ben Redjeb unveils a new treasure trove of Vodoun-inspired Afrobeat heavy funk crossover greatness on African Scream Contest 2. Gut-busting yelps, lethally well-drilled horn sections and irresistibly insistent rhythms. Features Stanislas Tohon, Elias Akadiri & Sunny Black´s Band, Picoby Band D´Abomey, Antoine Dougbé, Orch. Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou, Black Santiago, Lokonon André et Les Volcans, Sebastien Pynasco and L´Orchestre Black Santiago, Super Borgou de Parakou, Cornaire Salifou Michel et L´Orchestre El Rego & ses Commandos, Gnonnas Pedro and His Dadjes Band, and Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou. African Scream Contest 2 includes meticulously researched text and effortlessly fashion-forward photography, supplied by the artists themselves. CD version comes with a 44-page booklet. Double LP version comes on 140 gram vinyl; gatefold sleeve; includes 24-page, LP-size booklet.
September 16 street date. The formula was simple: marry bubblegum and soul to the absolute sincerity of an enthusiastic child, cross your fingers and pray for airplay. But while the youthful sums of that formula may have grown up and walked away from their illusions of stardom, their permanent records remain. By 1973, Michael, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Jackie were as hip as kids could get—household names, with lunchboxes, coloring books, a Saturday morning cartoon, and an Alpha-Bits cereal commercial pushing the J5 brand onto any kid with television reception. Their impressive run of four consecutive #1 singles playing on both pop and R&B stations cemented their appeal to both whites and blacks, prompting MGM to launch the Osmonds as the safer (read: white) alternative. And parents? Well Michael had that wrapped up with his impossible-not-to-love mini-James Brown thing. Even their song selection straddled both sides, with “Zip A Dee Do Dah” and “ABC” for kids, and contemporary standards “Standing In The Shadows Of Love” and “My Cherie Amour” for the older crowd. This extreme marketing and merchandising juggernaut created the kid soul explosion. A decade removed from our acclaimed Home Schooled compilation comes a fresh batch of talent show titans. With enterprising parents, neighbors, and teachers turning play dates into recording dates, groups like Magical Connection, Little Man and the Inquires, and Five Ounces of Soul emulated the Jacksons, who’d made grade-school stardom appear easy as ABC. Afterschool Special: The 123s Of Kid Soul contains 19 tiny tunes ranging from bilingual D.A.R.E. anthem, to James Brown bio, to young love and life beyond the playground.
August 6 street date (CD)/September 17 street date (LP). "Amerikinda: 20 Years of Dualtone" is truly a one-of-a-kind compilation album celebrating the life, legacy, and future of the label's musical family. As a testament to the community of artists they've been honoured to work with, and the mutual admiration between them, this album features Dualtone artists past and present covering fellow Dualtone artists. Includes tracks by The Lumineers, Shakey Graves, Shovels & Rope, Gregory Alan Isakov, Mt. Joy, Hayes Carll, Radney Foster, and more.
Reissue from 1994 combines concrete loops Hip-Hop beats mid-East & African instruments w/snatches Irish & other musics + samples of preachers etc. Sounds reminiscent of early out-there On U Sound releases like African Headcharge. Brilliant!
November 6 street date. Kent’s first 3CD anthology of Southern Soul- the award-winning "Take Me To The River" - was critically and publicly acclaimed in equal measure. It has gone on to become one of the best-selling items in the Ace catalogue and continues to sell well more than half a decade after its release. Southern Soul has so many stories to tell that a second collection was always inevitable. "Back To The River" has taken the premise of its predecessor and expanded its brief to bring you Southern soul not only from the south, but also southern-styled music from the north, east and west of the United States. As before, our 75 tracks run the gamut from well-known classics to little-known and highly valuable obscurities, topped off with a generous helping of previously unissued titles by familiar names. The booklet abounds with scans of highly desirable 45s and rare photos, and once again each of the 75 tracks gets its own individual annotation. The packaging is different from the first volume - A sturdy slipcase houses a 3CD digipak with a separate 64-page booklet.
Sept. 29 street date. An attractively priced 3 CD set of the hippest Gallic grooves from the largest country in the European Union. CD1, entitled ‘Paris Café Chanson’, delivers 15 café classics from the 1930s-50s, a time when the boulevards of metropolitan France grooved to chanson and gypsy jazz from legends such as Charles Trénet, Edith Piaf, Georges Brassens, Charles Aznavour and Henri Salvador. CD2, entitled ‘Ye-Ye Girls & Guys’, features the swinging pop sound of 60s France with a collection of classics from artists such as Brigitte Fontaine, Jacqueline Pérez, Jacqueline Taieb, and Liz Brady, who helped define Gallic cool during ‘Le Swinging’ 60s. CD3, entitled ‘France Now!’, brings things up to date with an assortment of cuts from the movers and shakers on the French roots music scene such as Lo’Jo, Lo Còr De La Plana, Carte de Sejour, Titi Robin and Moussu T e Lei Jovent - bands who with their roots in music from across the Mediterranean and beyond really reflect the diverse ethnic make-up of France in the 21st century. 3 CDs de musique contemporaine Française à un prix très attrayant. Le premier CD “Paris Café Chanson” nous offre 15 classiques des années 1930s jusqu’au 1950s. Dans le temps, les boulevardsde la France bougeaient au rythme de Charles Trenet, Edith Piaf, Georges Brassens, Charles Aznavour et Henri Salvador. CD 2 intitulé “Ye-Ye Gils & Guys” met en vedette le son des années 60 avec une collectionde musique d’artistes tel que Brigitte Fontaine, Jacqueline Pérez, Jacqueline Taieb, et Liz Brady. Le troisieme CD “France Now” nous met à jour avec un assortiment de chansons qui refeltent la diversité ethnique de la France d’aujourd’hui. Des artistes tel que Lo’Jo, Lo Còr De La Plana, Carte de Sejour, Titi Robin and Moussu T e Lei Jovent représentent la France du 21ieme siecle.
Jan. 17 street date. 58 lounge and exotica classics from the vaults of EMI (Capitol Records), featuring Dean Martin, Dinah Washington, Julie London, Sergio Mendes, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Yma Sumac, Ella Mae Morse, Martin Denny, and many others. This set collects together the "greatest hits" from EMI's popular 'Ultra Lounge' series of lounge and exotica compilations with lounge and exotica gems mixing up cool jazz and easy listening with tropical rhythms. Will appeal to fans of easy listening, swing, burlesque and tropical rhythms. 48 tracks.
December 11 street date. Over the last 12 months Africa has dominated world music like no other continent. Beginner’s Guide to Africa collects together 46 tracks from the artists who are making waves in African music today: CD1 'Stars' features gems from the biggest legends in African music old and new such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Alpha Blondy, Amadou & Mariam, Staff Benda Bilili, Kanda Bongo Man & Thomas Mapfumo. CD2 'African Roots' features African-blues, congotronics and desert-blues from Kasai Allstars, JuJu & Daby Touré. CD3 'Dance' features contemporary classics from the hottest acts on the scene now: Dub Colossus, Damon Albarn’s DRC Music, Baloji & Magic System. To many people Africa is ‘the’ continent that springs to mind when thinking of world music and this compilation presents a look at some of the artists making African music so vibrant in 2013. Featuring: Damon Albarn, Amadou & Mariam, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Alpha Blondy, Staff Benda Bilili & many more!
October 30 street date. In uproarious celebration of Black Sabbath's 50th anniversary, Magnetic Eye presents a double album featuring 15 heart-stopping renditions of classic tunes from across the Sabbath discography by some of the riff-heaviest bands in the worldwide stoner doom scene. As a companion piece to "Vol. 4 Redux", "Best Of Black Sabbath" features both faithful takes and almost unrecognizable re-creations, all in devotion and tribute to the godfathers of metal. Includes ripping tracks from Earthless, Rwake, Caustic Casanova, Howling Giant, Elephant Tree and more.
February 22 street date. "Big Gold Dreams" documents the vibrant independent music scene to emerge in Scotland across the late 70s and 80s. Initially ignited by punk, labels sprang up inGlasgow, Edinburgh and elsewhere to give a voice to the explosion of new acts across the country. Named after Fire Engines' memorable single and Grant McPhee's recent TV and DVD documentary, "Big Gold Dreams" includes many of the Scottish music scene's most important names as well as countless obscurities. Includes landmark tracks by The Rezillos, Simple Minds, Skids, The Jesus And Mary Chain, Primal Scream, The Waterboys, Cocteau Twins, Aztec Camera, The Shamen, Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie and many others. Includes recordings from key labels such as Zoom, Postcard, 53rd & 3rd, Rational, Fast Product/Pop:Aural, Supreme International Editions, Creation, Egg, Sarah, etc. Boasts lengthy essays and band histories by Grant McPhee, Neil Cooper and Tim Barr, within a lavishly illustrated 70-page booklet.
July 23 street date. In 2020, 4AD turned 40. Never one to be on time for a party, the label is commemorating that landmark this year with the release of "Bills & Aches & Blues". The compilation features 18 of its current artists covering a song of their choosing from 4AD's past: a creative experiment rooted in the spirit of collaboration and a snapshot of 4AD, 41 years after its inception. "Bills & Aches & Blues" will be released with standard vinyl and CD editions following on 23 July and a deluxe vinyl boxset later this year. The first 12 months' profits from "Bills & Aches & Blues" will be donated to The Harmony Project, a Los Angeles-based after-school programme for children from communities and schools that lack equitable access to studying the arts or music. "Bills & Aches & Blues" is named, arguably (as Elizabeth Fraser never published the lyrics) after the opening line of Cocteau Twins' ‘Cherry-Coloured Funk’.
February 5 street date. Every 21st birthday party needs a worthy soundtrack. We invite you to Paint the Town Bloodshot Red with this 12 pack of songs celebrating the grain and the grape, sung in the key REVELRY! This super limited edition set of six 45rpm 7 inch singles comes to you in a custom six pack carrying case, and features some familiar Bloodshot artists including KELLY HOGAN, BOBBY BARE, JR, NORA O’CONNOR, BANDITOS, plus recent signees THE YAWPERS and AL SCORCH, alongside friends of the label like ROBERT POLLARD of GUIDED BY VOICES, DALE WATSON, DEER TICK, ELIZABETH COOK and more. It’s a collection where punk, country, roots and good times meet. Brewed by the grimy light reflected off the green waters of the Chicago River, there’s a smooth yet spicy ear feel, redolent of feedback, pathos, humor and freshly mown grass. With tasting notes of boysenberry, elderflower, late night diners, shoe leather and an oaky, bitter finish, it’s a sound you’ll savor, listen after listen.
July 14 street date. This superb compilation presents all of the original recordings of the songs performed on the “Blue & Lonesome” album. The exceptions are Little Johnny Taylor’s, “Everybody Knows About My Good Thing” which was a hit for him in 1972. Howlin’ Wolf’s “Commit A Crime” was a rewrite of a song he first recorded in 1958 called “I’m Leaving You” and it’s this earlier version that’s presented here, then finally Magic Sam’s “All of Your Love” which was a variation on his 1957 single, “All Your Love”. As bonus tracks Jasmine has selected a further 19 songs from the likes of Muddy Waters, Barrett Strong, Otis Redding and Chuck Berry all programmed in the chronological order The Rolling Stones released them between 1963 and 1965. Here then are all the original recordings that inspired one of the greatest rock groups then and now.
(12 month calendar with free CD) This unique 12" by 12" 2008 calendar features original classic artwork and rare photographs of legendary Blues performers. This highly enjoyable collector's item carries R. Crumb's endorsement: "Some of the most imaginative commercial graphics ever produced!" Inside are sample song lyrics, brief biographies, and birth and death dates of numerous Blues artists. Includes a free CD of the Blues songs of each month! It is something to collect and enjoy long past 2008. This is Volume 5 in a series of 15, all different Classic Blues Calendars scheduled for the coming years.
June 1 street date. The events of May 1968 are seen as a turning point in France's social history - pictures of the barricades are still potent images. Lines were drawn politically, culturally, socially, and pop music was not exempt. "Paris In The Spring" is a collection of the new music, put together by Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs, that emerged from France between 1968 and the mid-70s, an extraordinary blend of several previously independent strains - French chanson and yé-yé, American jazz and funk, British chamber pop - shot through with the era's underlying mixture of optimism, uncertainty and darkness. This is the first collection of its kind, released on the 50th anniversary of the Paris uprising. Artists include Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Dutronc, Jane Birkin, Jean-Calude Vannier, Michel Polnareff, Francoise Hardy, Triangle, and many more.
February 3 street date. There was plenty of genuine discontent in Britain at the tail end of the 1970s, and it had little to do with bin strikes or dark rumours about overflowing morgues. In the world of popular music, the most liberating after-effect of the Sex Pistols was that anyone with something to say now felt they could make a 7" single. "Winter Of Discontent" is the sound of truly DIY music, made by people who maybe hadn't written a song until a day or two before they went into the studio. It is spontaneous and genuinely free in a way the British music scene has rarely been before or since. The discontent was with society as a whole. No subject matter was taboo: oppressive maleness (Scritti Politti); deluded Britishness (TV Personalities); gender stereotypes (Raincoats, Androids of Mu); nihilistic youth (Fatal Microbes); alcoholism (Thin Yoghurts); self-doubt and pacifism (Zounds). "Winter Of Discontent" is the definitive compilation of the UK DIY scene, and a beacon in grim times.
Oct. 25 street date. From 1958 to 1993, Thomas and Louise Boddie's industrious Boddie Recording Company issued nearly 300 albums and 45s, recorded 10,000 hours of tape, and remained in operation longer than any other studio, pressing plant, or label group in the history of Cleveland. Long forgotten even by the standards of the chronically overlooked northeastern Ohio music scene, Boddie was a fusion of its owner’s engineering genius and his limited economic means; its DIY recording studio housed in a humble barn, churned night and day to capture the sounds emanating from Cleveland's east side neighborhoods. The 58 tracks on these three CDs represent the best of the Boddies' in-house Soul Kitchen, Luau, and Bounty labels, which released an unspoiled treasure trove of kitchen-sink eccentric soul, fuzzbox funk, shoestring doo-wop, and haunted, eerily hook-laden spirituals. Enclosed inside is a mountain of office-styled ephemera: two massive booklets brimming with detail on the Boddies and their artists; extensive notes and scores of unpublished photos; a complete detailed discography folio; reproduced fliers; and a Boddie greeting card - all rendered with the handcrafted charm that was the Boddie hallmark. Call it a self contained record industry crammed into one box.
October 28 street date. Heavy metal? Glam? Hard rock? Make your own call, you poser. We're not gonna do it for you. "Bound For Hell" is early 1980s L.A. rock as it actually was: a California cataclysm of drunk and horny headbangers, dressed in sharp, shiny, leather androgyny and fire, kicking crowds in the teeth to clear the way to that one big shot. This 2LP set delivers 21 tracks by 21 artists in an ephemera-stuffed gatefold, plus 144-page hardbound book detailing the Sunset Strip's most razor-sharp heathens. Drumsticks burned. Hands were severed. Faces bled. Heavy was HELL for a half decade and it was a long, long way down. Includes tracks by Bitch, Odin, Lizzy Borden, Steeler, Rough Cutt, Hellion, and many more.
October 28 street date. Heavy metal? Glam? Hard rock? Make your own call, you poser. We're not gonna do it for you. "Bound For Hell" is early 1980s L.A. rock as it actually was: a California cataclysm of drunk and horny headbangers, dressed in sharp, shiny, leather androgyny and fire, kicking crowds in the teeth to clear the way to that one big shot. This 2LP set delivers 21 tracks by 21 artists in an ephemera-stuffed gatefold, plus 144-page hardbound book detailing the Sunset Strip's most razor-sharp heathens. Drumsticks burned. Hands were severed. Faces bled. Heavy was HELL for a half decade and it was a long, long way down. Includes tracks by Bitch, Odin, Lizzy Borden, Steeler, Rough Cutt, Hellion, and many more.
October 28 street date. Heavy metal? Glam? Hard rock? Make your own call, you poser. We're not gonna do it for you. "Bound For Hell" is early 1980s L.A. rock as it actually was: a California cataclysm of drunk and horny headbangers, dressed in sharp, shiny, leather androgyny and fire, kicking crowds in the teeth to clear the way to that one big shot. This 2LP set delivers 21 tracks by 21 artists in an ephemera-stuffed gatefold, plus 144-page hardbound book detailing the Sunset Strip's most razor-sharp heathens. Drumsticks burned. Hands were severed. Faces bled. Heavy was HELL for a half decade and it was a long, long way down. Includes tracks by Bitch, Odin, Lizzy Borden, Steeler, Rough Cutt, Hellion, and many more.
November 4 street date. Black America has been singing Sam Cooke for more than half a century. The volume of great songs that Sam wrote in a secular career spanning barely seven years is matched by the quality of those songs - many of which are fundamental to the evolution of soul music in the early-mid 60s. It’s therefore logical and right that Sam should appear in Ace’s occasional 'Black America Sings' series, as he does this month in a package issued close to the 50th anniversary of his death in December 1964. 'Bring It On Home' features some of Sam’s best-known songs (as well as - this being Ace - some of his least-known), many performed by artists whose careers Sam helped to get underway, including Johnnie Taylor, the Simms Twins, Mel Carter, and Bobby Womack. Also featured are a number of singers who owe a vocal debt to Sam, including Brenton Wood, R.B. Greaves, Johnny Nash, Otis Redding and Louis Williams of the Ovations. 21 of the 23 featured recordings have never appeared on an Ace or Kent CD before. A suitably fitting tribute to a true giant of popular music and one whose influence pervades to this day.
Oct. 26 street date. Comprising 24 tracks by 20 acts (Françoise Hardy, France Gall, Jacqueline Taïeb and France's top girl group Les Gam's are each represented by two titles), 'C’est Chic!' features many of the premier female stars of Gallic pop, plus a few French-singing non-nationals for good measure. The majority of the songs here are French compositions, but astute listeners will recognise some others in their English language originals, each given a distinctive French twist. The compilers are currently immersed in the recordings of the yé-yé girls of Italy and Spain with a view to future Ace International releases. Also in the works is a collection of compositions by fabled songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, from whose vast catalogue "Roller Girl" by Anna Karina, "Laisser Tomber Les Filles" by France Gall and "Non, A Tous Les Garçons" by Michèle Torr are among this set's highlights.
June 3 street date. Back in May/June 1986, the New Musical Express released one of their regular mail-order cassettes. Reflecting the latest trends in Indie music, C86 was a 22-track cassette which was inspired by the NME’s C81 tape from half a decade earlier. Aside from a few name bands (The Pastels, Primal Scream, the Wedding Present, the Mighty Lemon Drops), most acts were relatively unknown beyond the back pages and gig listings of the weekly music press. A few hadn’t even issued a record! C86 slowly but surely became the NME’s best-selling ever compilation, selling an estimated 40,000 copies and eventually being reissued on LP and cassette by Rough Trade the following year. C86 prompted a week of shows at the ICA and would come to embody a whole musical style and era. This deluxe expanded edition of the original C86 cassette adds some 50 bonus tracks. The box set is curated by original compiler Neil Taylor and has the endorsement of the NME. Neil has chosen tracks which could conceivably have been on the original C86 package: all the recordings were made between mid-1985 and mid-1986. Neil wrote about many of the bands at the time. The C86 3-CD has been assembled by the same team behind last year’s Award-winning 5-CD box set Scared To Get Happy (AIM Best Catalogue Release Of 2013). Many tracks have never been on CD before. A few are even previously unreleased. Key names include The June Brides, The Jesus & Mary Chain, The Primitives, That Petrol Emotion, Jesse Garon & The Desperadoes, Happy Mondays, The Nightingales, The Railway Children, Pop Will Eat Itself, BMX Bandits, the Blue Aeroplanes and Treebound Story (featuring Richard Hawley).
January 21 street date. ‘C91’ is a snapshot of that time and place, bringing together the cream of the 1991 independent landscape and offering a rollercoaster of hits, near-misses and curiosities along the way. With thoughtful sleevenotes from Lois Wilson (Record Collector and MOJO) and fantastic mood-capturing artwork we've come to associate with the ‘C’ series, this 59 track set - the sixth in the series - continues a journey begun with ‘C86’, charting an essential, alternative view of the British music scene as it moved towards the inevitability of the 21st century. 1991 saw countless indie artists score hit singles and albums as the scene continued to mutate and adapt regionally, politically and aesthetically - from Manic Street Preachers' urgent, punk-infused anthems and the outer edges of shoegaze and psychedelic songcraft offered by Chapterhouse and Levitation, through to the dancefloor friendly adventures of Flowered Up and St Etienne, the art-school informed Kingmaker and established baggy favourites The Charlatans, 1991 offered up the broadest and richest smorgasbord of accessible, street-level artists the UK's youth had known in a decade.
July 21 street date. 2009 is the 15th anniversary of the legendary Ibiza beach bar, Café Mambo. An institution on the White Isle, Mambo is the destination for anyone seeking that perfect Sunset experience. As well as idyllic views, Mambo provides the perfect soundtrack to pre night-time Ibiza insanity. This year Mambo are honoured to have the legendary JOSE PADILLA compile disc 1 of their anniversary release. Since moving to Ibiza in 1975, Jose became the resident DJ at the equally famous Café Del Mar beach location and has single handedly become responsible for popularising the chill out genre. So it is with great pleasure that Jose has agreed to work with his friends at Mambo, providing a mix of the finest in downtempo electronica and ambient sounds. A bonus mix is also included by Mambo resident Jason Bye - perfectly encapsulating the vibe of the bar once the sun has set and the night people have come out to play.
Aug. 31 street date. The latest addition to Ace Records' high-profile Songwriter series. Comprising fan favourites and obscure collectables in equal measure, the set spans Sanford Clark's Top 10 hit of 1956 "The Fool" to 1970's German language interpretation of "And I Loved You Then" by transcontinental pop princess Peggy March (a song from Hazlewood's "13" LP). One of pop's genuine originals, Hazlewood was a brilliant and endlessly versatile songwriter, equally at home with twangin’ rock’n’roll, country, psychedelia, R&B, folk, easy listening, burlesque or blues. His songs are truly beyond categorisation. He was also a pioneer in the mysterious art of record production and taught a thing or two to the young Phil Spector, who hung around paying close attention while Hazlewood crafted magnificent guitar instrumentals for Duane Eddy. Of the 25 tracks on 'Califia', Hazlewood wrote each one and produced all but four. He sings on four cuts on this collection, including the Shacklefords’ recording of "The City Never Sleeps At Night", a song written for Nancy Sinatra - Lee Hazlewood’s perfect muse. The lushly orchestrated opening duet "Lady Bird" - one of the dozens of pop masterpieces that resulted from their partnership - was personally selected for this compilation by the lady herself. Also includes tracks by B.B. King, Dusty Springfield, Ann-Margret, and many more. This should prove to be one of the best (and best-selling!) collections of this very popular series.
April 1 street date. This CD kicks off a brand new BGP series which looks at the obscure and wonderful from different areas of American black music. The first collection digs into the West Coast studio scenes that produced so much great street funk and ghetto soul in the late 60s and early 70s. Focusing mainly on Los Angeles and San Francisco, the music ranges from the sweet harmonies of the Ballads’ ‘Butterfly’ to the relentless groove of ZZ Hill’s ‘Think People’. As well as previously unreleased masters by Eleanor Rigby, Chucky Thurmon and Choice Of Colors, “California Soul” includes the super-rare ‘Strike’ by Union and Little Johnny Hamilton’s ‘The Git Down’ from the rare Watts USA label. There are floor-fillers by Warm Excursion, Brenda George and Little Denise. Housed in a glorious sleeve featuring a Bill Ray shot of sharply dressed youths at the Watts Tower, it includes a detailed note housed in a fully illustrated booklet.
Oct. 6 street date. '100 Hits' celebrates the most wonderful time of the year with '100 Hits - Christmas'. Features festive favourites from Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Nat 'King' Cole, Johnny Cash, Dean Martin, Macy Gray, Frank Sinatra, and many more, including the perennial favourite "Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy" by David Bowie & Bing Crosby. The package also includes a 20 track Party disc featuring classic floor fillers from The Jacksons, Rick Astley, Andy Williams, Elvis Presley, KC & The Sunshine Band, Adam Ant, and many more. As well, it features a Karaoke DVD featuring 20 Christmas classics such as "Do They Know It's Christmas", "Fairytale Of New York", and many more.
100 "indie" tracks from the 1980's, 1990's and 2000's - at a great price! The packaging isn't anything exciting, but this is loaded with great tracks from artists like BLOC PARTY, THE GOSSIP, ELLIOT SMITH, BRIGHT EYES, NOUVELLE VAGUE, THE RACONTEURS, THE LIBERTINES, THE PIXIES, SPIRITUALIZED, THE HIVES, FRANZ FERDINAND, SUEDE, TEENAGE FANCLUB, PRIMAL SCREAM, BETH ORTON, ELASTICA - and the list goes on!
June 28 street date. Punk's Year Zero was 1976. But very few Punk records were actually released that year. The most significant musical developments happened in 1977, with a burgeoning, self-supporting network of clubs, performers, fanzines, indie labels and distributors creating an unstoppable groundswell that would revolutionise UK music and have an enduring impact on pop culture. "1977: The Year Punk Broke" reflects how a thrilling, controversial scene developed over those tumultuous twelve months. Many of the year's major breakthrough acts and cult favourites are included, including The Jam, The Damned, The Boomtown Rats, Buzzcocks, The Stranglers, Generation X, Sham 69, The Only Ones, The Rezillos, Ultravox!, 999, X-Ray Spex, ATV, The Boys and The Vibrators. The older guard - variously labelled Pub Rock, New Wave or Art Rock - are represented by Doctors Of Madness, Eddie & The Hot Rods, Deaf School, The Tyla Gang, Graham Parker & The Rumour, The Gorillas, The Count Bishops, Radio Stars, Spider and Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias. Other key names include Motorhead and The Heartbreakers, Johnny Thunders' band who recorded in London. Also present are a host of obscure indie Punk 45s and other rarities.
October 2009 heralds the release of "5" a double CD marking Hyperdub's five years of life as a record label. Honouring pas, present and future in equal measure, "5" is comprised of one disc of prior highlights, and one of freshly composed material contributed by Hyperdub artists and close friends.. Including an eclusive track by Burial especially for this compilation
March 25 street date. Smithsonian On Demand ! Custom made! (All Custom Made, On-Demand CDs are non-returnable and made to order. No exchanges or returns permitted.) 2 discs, 26 tracks, 105-pages of extensive notes, photos, and lyrics. Jack Hardy (1947–2011) founded Fast Folk in New York City in 1982. Appearing on its stages was a folksinger’s near-imperative. Today, a generation of singer/songwriters remember him with gratitude and fondness, and 24 of them lent their voices to this musical homage, each covering one of Hardy’s songs. Hardy himself appears on two tracks, interpreting his songs “Gossamer Thread” and “Ponderosa.” Produced by longtime Fast Folk recordist Mark Dann and balladeer David Massengill, the notes include Hardy’s Songwriter’s Manifesto, along with many photos, personal recollections, anecdotes, and essays by fellow singer/song-writers who knew and cherished the Fast Folk founder.
The latest in our popular songwriter series spotlights Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, the duo best known for the two-dozen Beatles-ish folk-rock numbers they wrote for the Monkees. Friends since the late 1950s, Boyce and Hart began writing together in earnest in 1963. They made their breakthrough the following year with 'Lazy Elsie Molly' (a Top 40 hit for Chubby Checker) and 'Come A Little Bit Closer' ( a #3 hit for Jay & the Americans). The twosome reached the apex of their success and creativity in 1966, writing for and producing the Monkees; three of their best recordings are here. A further six songs popularised by the group are featured in less frequently heard but equally good mostly pre-Monkees versions, including 'I'm Not Your Stepping Stone' by UK fuzz-beat combo the Flies) and 'She' (an almost hit for Del Shannon). The set kicks off with one of Boyce & Hart's own recordings, 'I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight', a power-pop precursor from 1967 and the pairs biggest hit as performers. Compilation and sleeve note by Mick Patrick.
Excl. - PARENTAL ADVISORY: Contains explicit language. Performers include Russell Hunting, Cal Stewart, James White, and two unknown performers doing material that landed one of them (Hunting) in jail. Recordings locked up in a vault for 110 years, along with bawdy home recordings, all gathered here in a critical edition, with deluxe-package slipcase design with elongated 60-page book. Rough stuff (sometimes funny, depending on your taste), but undoubtedly of massive historical importance.
July 16 street date. CD version. "Italians Do It Better is probably the best modern disco label out there, so we’re glad all our worshipping at our at-home altar - um, we mean just feverishly checking Google news alerts - has paid off in the form of a triple LP compilation (on glittery gold vinyl!) they’re releasing soon. The follow-up to 2007's 'legendary' After Dark comp album, After Dark II will get you new, exclusive tracks from Glass Candy, Chromatics, Desire, Symmetry and others, so stay tuned.." - prettymuchamazing.com
July 16 street date. "Italians Do It Better is probably the best modern disco label out there, so we’re glad all our worshipping at our at-home altar - um, we mean just feverishly checking Google news alerts - has paid off in the form of a triple LP compilation (on glittery gold vinyl!) they’re releasing soon. The follow-up to 2007's 'legendary' After Dark comp album, After Dark II will get you new, exclusive tracks from Glass Candy, Chromatics, Desire, Symmetry and others, so stay tuned.." - prettymuchamazing.com
September 4 street date. The world is full of train songs- it seems all songwriters find the diddly-dee diddley-da rhythm irresistible and compose away as they clickety-clack on down the track. This compilation was created by the compiler who brought you 2008’s"Feline Groovy": a different take on trains with a witty, stylish set of illustrations, notes, info and photographs. Many important artists are featured among thes 25 tracks including Little Walter, Dusty Springfield, James Carr, Chuck Berry and the Shangri-las. The obvious tracks have been avoided; great care has been taken to offer a wide variety of musical genres and you find reggae next to rockabilly, skiffle next to pop but all are vital recordings and it makes for a superb listening experience. "All Aboard!".
August 6 street date (CD)/September 17 street date (LP). "Amerikinda: 20 Years of Dualtone" is truly a one-of-a-kind compilation album celebrating the life, legacy, and future of the label's musical family. As a testament to the community of artists they've been honoured to work with, and the mutual admiration between them, this album features Dualtone artists past and present covering fellow Dualtone artists. Includes tracks by The Lumineers, Shakey Graves, Shovels & Rope, Gregory Alan Isakov, Mt. Joy, Hayes Carll, Radney Foster, and more.
October 25 street date. Blues and barbecue make perfect companions, both brimming with down-home flavor. Barbecue Any Old Time is an anthology of vintage blues that celebrates the joys of eating meat, with plenty of sly nods to other worldly pleasures. In the early twentieth century, millions of Southerners moved from hardluck farms to the big cities of the North and West. As the Great Migration carried Southern barbecue to new locales, it did the same for Southern music. Jazz, blues, and barbecue would eventually sweep the nation. This CD presents the hokum jive of Frankie “Half Pint” Jaxon, the gritty washboard rhythms of Charlie Campbell, 12-string bottleneck blues by Barbecue Bob, the big-city vocals of Georgia White, Piedmont blues by Blind Boy Fuller, the red hot jazz of “Tiny” Parham, the double entendres of Bessie Jackson, and much more - 24 tracks in all, originally recorded between 1927-1942. The music of Barbecue Any Old Time has been expertly remastered for digital clarity, and the CD comes with a handsome 20-page, full-color booklet that chronicles the spread of blues and barbecue across America. Opening with an essay by noted Southern historian Tom Hanchett, the booklet also features rare photographs, detailed song descriptions, and a complete discography.
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