This week we have a ton of new South American arrivals, BUT I didn't get the quantities I wanted, most are just one or two, which is kind of huge bummer. The best plan I could think of was to activate the inventory in the shopping cart so that if it’s sold out you will know and not have to deal with refunds and/or a broken heart. So shop faster than you’ve ever shopped if you want any of these babies.

STILL having the SAALE on Off The Hip, (no code necessary) everybody’s fave garage psych label. Super lo prices on all of their titles. Lucky for you guys I needed some room on our CD shelves, so you are getting a GREAT deal! The mood may pass at any moment, so don't be all waiting around.The prices will go back up soon.

Check DIONYSUStoo, we have some fantastic $1 deals there.

It’s a holiday here Monday, and we don't work Friday, so we’re outta here until Tuesday. Don't be sad or feel ignored if we don't answer you, ok??

Yours,
Suzy Shaw

LABEL NEWS AND BUZZ

PAUL COLLINS gets a rave in POP MATTERS “A record that seems destined to go down as one of Collins’ best. – Jedd Beaudoin / POPMATTERS”

And they debut the single KILLER INSIDE. Listen to it here.

Only a few of the autographed hand mixed vinylLP, be sure to pick one up. (Also available on CD and black vinyl).

Nice interview with BEECHWOOD on Radio Free Brooklyn as they talk about their new album. They debuted at #93 on the NAAC charts and have climbed to #66 for their second week. GO BEECHWOOD!!! CHECK IT OUT HERE

NEW ARRIVALS – VERY LIMITED, one each of a lot of these

ANACRUSA-El Sacrificio/Fuerza (Early 70s S American RARITY)Label:RAYHUELA Born in the beginning of the 70's, this Latin fusion folk formation has delivered impressively original items in a rather discreet commercial success. The albums feature enchanting, warm female vocals, some prog arrangements and acoustic, classical guitar. I cannot exactly say when Anacrusa moved to France, but a new album on Phillips, a long gap between the third and fourth album and an entirely revamped line-up with many French musicians point to the band's immigration sometime around 1976/77.Actually the only stable members appearing on the album ''El Sacrificio'' (1978) were Anacrusa's founders Susana Lago and José Luis Castiñeira de Dios along with oboist Bruno Pizzamiglio, but these recordings include a huge core of 10 more musicians, mostly of French and Argentinian descent and a few of them were pretty experiened, keyboardist Phillip Pages had worked with Richard Vimal, violinist Patrice Mondon with Laurent Petitgerard and guitarist Daniel Alberto Sbarra was a member of Miguel Abuelo & Nada.On new lands Anacrusa still played a delicate Prog Folk, which has transformed into something different via the strong symphonic elements and the elegant orchestrations, while the use of electric guitar is definitely more pronounced.Again some Premiata Forneria Marconi inspirations are present, especially during the piano and violin parts, while the overall mood has moved away from the Andean Folk traditions and comes as a Symphonic/Folk Rock collage with soft interplays and instrumental depth.The music was conducted by de Dios, while Lagos provides the ultra-dramatic vocal lines, the smooth flute parts and some keyboard themes.The strong string section offers the Classical-spiced movements throughout and what actually this album reminds me is a bit of French band Wurtemberg.A change of scenery, which led to a change of sound with more progressive vibes and a pretty amazing, electroacoustic instrumental arsenal. CD $15 SKU:20266


ARCO IRIS- Cronologias 1969-1971 (Argentine rock)-Label:AROMA Rock group from the late 1960s until the late 1970s in Argentina, influential in Argentine rock history. While tagged as an 'acoustic' Argentine rock band in the beginning, Arco Iris were pioneers (with Chilean band Los Jaivas), infusing rock with regional folk music, as well as one of the first bands that projected their beliefs through their music and lifestyle (in their case around the art of yoga). The band's origins are traced to the late 1960s, when Gustavo Santaolalla, Ara Tokatlián, and Guillermo Bodarampé recorded a three-song demo tape, and met producer Ricardo Kleinman; Kleinman agreed to sign the group with the condition that they sing in Spanish. Arco Iris" first released two singles: "Lo veo en tus ojos" and "Canción para una mujer" (no relation with the Vox Dei song with the same name). Months later, they released a second disappointing single and met former model Danais Wynnycka (a.k.a. Dana), who became their "spiritual guide", and began to live communally with her. Their next single, "Blues de Dana" (obviously dedicated to Wynnicka), reflected changes in the music as well. The single won the Mar del Plata Beat Music Festival. On the back of this major exposure coup for the band, Arco Iris released what basically amounted to two full-length albums in a short time: their self-titled debut album (Arco Iris; 1969), and Blues de Dana in 1970, a compilation of all pre-1969 singles and both for RCA. Both albums' sound owed mostly to pop sensibilities inherited from "música beat", the prevalent subgenre of Argentine rock at the time. Horacio Gianello replaced Alberto Cascino at the drums, and in 1971 Arco Iris began releasing a series of singles. Eventually the band began working on their second album, which would be released in 1972 but now under the Music Hall Label. However, RCA also came out with a compilation of B-sides from the band, including some in the English language, creating some confusion even to this day about the order of the various releases. CD $16 SKU:20267


BIGLIETTO PER L INFERNO - IL TEMPO DELLA SEMINA (ITALIAN PROG 1975) ONE ONLY! Label:REMASTER SERIES Considered by many as being one of the best expressions of Italian progressive music. After have been known at the Festival Be-In of Naples (June 1973), they recorded one single album with the same band name, released by Trident, revealing great musical passages mainly using synthesizers.
They attended several Italian music festivals with fair results thanks mainly to singer, Claudio Canali, who moved through the stage, with great scenic approach. After disbanded a second effort was only released in 1992, titled "Il tempo della semina", containing material recorded in 1974 CD $20 SKU:20282


CRUCIS-En Vivo Enero 1977 (Blistering live material) -Label:RETRO REMASTERS A total of fifty-nine minutes of blistering live material from perhaps the most popular and vital progressive rock band to emerge from South America during the 1970's. We know this because we've sold literally hundreds of copies of their sole album on CD over the years. Not only does this disc feature a live show from Bueno Aires from 14 January 1977, it also has as bonus tracks two unreleased live cuts, one from 1976 and the other from 1974. CD $17 SKU:20268


DIAZ, KUBERO-Y La Pesada 1973 ARGENTINE RARITY ONE ONLY! Label:DISCOS ES CULTURA The only album (Music Hall, 1973) by superb guitarist Diaz and the rest of the members of La Cofradia de la Flor Solar; really psychotic stuff—heavy grunge riffs and emotional approach to all the songs; extremely rare album features Argentine legends Billy Bond on vocals, Claudio Gabis on guitar, Alejandro Medina on bass, and Jorge Pinchevsky on violin; has three bonus tracks from La Cofradia—two are from their album, but the last one, ‘La Palida Ciudad’, from 1972, is previously unavailable on compact disc. CD $17 SKU:20280


EL RELOJ-La Esencia es la misma (pioneers of Argentine Heavy Metal!)-Label:HRC In 1983, founding member Willy Gardi decided to revive the name El Reloj for a new album, the optimistically titled "La Esencia es la misma" ("The essence is the same"). This incarnation of El Reloj had a new lineup: Gardi on guitar was the only original member; Daniel Telis on guitar, (current Daniel Telis Project, Adrián Barilari soloist); Cristian Hubert on keyboards; Daniel Carli on bass; Norberto di Bella on drums; and Petty Guelache on vocals. The album did not have the expected impact, and the band separated. As a result of the quick disappearing act, the album is quite rare. CD $14 SKU:20271


IT HAPPENED But Nobody Noticed VA (1982 punk, power-pop, new wave )DOUBLE CD Label:GUSTAV In 1982, New Haven, Connecticut indie label Gustav Records (formed by Craig Bell, former Cleveland resident, former bassist in both Rocket From The Tombs and Mirrors, leader of CT-based Saucers at the time) released It Happened...But Nobody Noticed, a 13-track LP documenting the local scene, so close-knit that punk, power-pop, new wave and art rock could peacefully coexist on a single record. Twenty-five-or-so years later a digital version is planned, and by the time the original material is cleared for copyright, another thirteen tracks by thirteen more bands are unearthed, and hence, our second disc Temps Supplémentaire. 16-page booklet features band pics and member credits for all 26 tracks. Artists include Poodle Boys, Subdueds, Scout House, Hot Bodies, The Furors, Saucers, The Snotz, TV Neats, International Q, Troupe Di Coupe, No Music, October Days, The Bats, Stratford Survivors, Disturbance, The Excerpts, Epitome, Valley Of Kings, The Not Quite, The Sabres, Dada Banks, Radio Reptiles, The Cadavers, The Plan, Happy Ending and The Reducers COMP CD $10 SKU:20285


KOTTKE, LEO - 1971-76 (Guitar master) ONE ONLY Label:BGO Leo Kottke was rightly regarded as a master of the acoustic six and twelve-string guitar, with a distinctive finger-picking style that effortlessly synthesized the folk, jazz and blues traditions. CD $12 SKU:20283


LA BIBLIA -Opera Rock (Argentine version from 1974 + Brazilian version from 1977-Label:HRC This strange set of recordings gathered together as "Opera Rock" were made in Argentina in 1974 with the best musicians from that era: Billy Bond + Kubero Díaz + Manal + Sui Generis + Espíritu + David Lebón and many others from "La pesada del Rock & Roll", together with "The Ensamble Musical Buenos Aires Orchestra". The Brazilian version was recorded in 1977 in São Paulo, produced by Billy Bond together with many rockers from the top line bands of that era (O Terço + Som Nosso + Humahuaca). Incredibly deep music, probably the best symphonic work of that time to be recorded in South America, neither of which have ever been released before on CD before now. On this disc, you get both the Argentinian and Brazilian versions. A 16-page booklet includes the lyrics in Spanish, original art, and info about the production (in Spanish). Hard rock symphonic with amazing orchestra—recommended to all South American rock collectors. A must. CD $18 SKU:20272


MOCKERS, LOS-1965-1967 (sung in English Stones style)- Label:La Vida Lenta If Los Shakers were (according to the official history of rock) The Beatles of the River Plate region, then Los Mockers were the Stones. Sung in English by Polo Pereira, who (with a slight accent) emulates Mick Jagger's early snarl more accurately than anyone else from the time Some say that Los Mockers were the best group that South America produced during the time.CD $10 SKU:20277


MONTESANO, GUSTAVO -Homenaje (1977 ARGENTINE RARITY) -Label:RECORD RUNNER Going for big bucks elsewhere! Montesano was the bassist and primary composer of Crucis, and his debut solo album "Homenaje" (1977) was made in the slipstream of Crucis' second album "Los Delirios del Mariscal." The rest of Crucis contribute, as do many other notable Argentinean rock musicians of the time. The opening instrumental 'Sinfonia Lunatica' and the subsequent vocal number 'Cuando la duda se hace grande alrededor' are the album's highlights, full of lively melodies, sunny Mellotron and synthesizer layers and excellent guitar work from Pino Marrone which highlights the melodic side of his playing. The vocal parts on the poppy 'La última barrera' and the piano ballad 'Desde que te pude ver' are a bit marshmallowy, even if the instrumental parts on the latter (including a real string section) are inspired. The rest of the album divides itself between two majestically droning instrumentals and the up-tempo rocker 'Primer triunfo,', which has Genesis-like penchant for driving yet choppy rhythms, leaping synthesizers and solid chords. The end result is a very accessible and immediate symphonic album, not very complex in structures yet rich in arrangements and melodies. Argentina has produced stronger progressive rock (e.g. Bubu's "Anabelas", Pablo el Enterrador's first album), but unless complexity and intensity are what you are primarily looking for, you shouldn't ignore this satisfying little album. Two short, previously unreleased Crucis tracks have been added as a bonus on the CD version. These are close to the second album in sound, but lighter and simpler in style. Nice and jazzy and they push the CD past the 40-minute mark, so no complaints there. CD $20 SKU:20273


MOXY- Best of - Self Destruction (70s hard rock) - Label:PACEMAKER Moxy is a Canadian hard rock and heavy metal band, formed in Toronto, Ontario, in 1974.Many of the guitar solos on the band's debut album were performed by guest session musician Tommy Bolin CD $12 SKU:20288

RESTOCKS

FLAVIOLA AND THE FLOCK OF THE SUN - ST (1974 Brazilian psych)Label:WORLD PSYCHEDELIA Another great example of Brasilian “psicodelia” from the collective of underground musicians in Recife, featuring Flávio Lira in the lead role, along with Lula Côrtes, Pablo Raphael, Robertinho of Recife, and Zé of the Flute. Of the crazy albums from this period, the Flaviola record FLAVIOLA E O BANDO DO SOL (Flaviola and the Flock of the Sun) is one of the rarest jewels. Although it was recorded the same year (1974) as Lula Côrtes and Zé Ramalho’s “Paêbiru” album, and with most of the same musicians, this is mainly an acoustic album, rife with poetic language and regional instruments, but also demonstrating the abundant energy of people involved in making something fresh and new. The cauldron of influence in Recife resulted in some very intriguing music, and the Flaviola album is no exception—it’s more intimate a trip than “Paêbirú”, and more accessible an experience than “Satwa”; this is a brilliant album, full of strange moments (cellophane crinkled into the microphone as percussion), some deft acoustic guitar, and some of the prettiest songs this side of Vashti Bunyan. Notes are more or less in English, and hefty booklet includes lyrics too. CD $15 SKU:20221

GERARDO MANUEL & EL HUMO-Apocalypsis (70s Peruvian psych covers of Hendrix )-Label:RE-PSYCHLED The album includes five original songs, plus versions of tracks by Grand Funk, Liquid Smoke, Jimi Hendrix, and Question Mark and the Mysterians. ..includes a booklet with some terrific photos and memorabilia + liner notes and lyrics. CD $15 SKU:13816

HILLARY BLAZE- Exposure (1977 metallic sci-fi hard rock private press )Label:ROCKADROME Official reissue of sought after 1977 metallic sci-fi hard rock private press record, featuring ex-members of the psychedelic 60s group Paper Garden. Available again for the first time in over 30 years! Recorded and mastered during the summer of '76, “Exposure” was originally released in 1977 on their own 30th Century Fox label. Music fans re-discovered this gem sometime in the 90s and the original pressing has since become a record collector prize. The spacey punk vibe, sizzling guitar and snotty vocals give the album a unique and ear-catching sound for its time. Re-mastered for compact disc from the original tapes, the resulting sound is nothing short of killer! Play this one loud! CD $16 SKU:20195

JARDINE- Look in the Window( lost jewel of late-1960's UK psych)Label:LION Jardine’s album was recorded in three glorious weeks in June 1969, at Sounds Aquarian Studios, a stone’s throw from that justifiably famous fashion hub, Carnaby Street. The sessions were fun. Polydor was supposed to release the album. Musicians dropped in to say "hello" and ended up on the record (uncredited)—among them Peter Frampton, Andrew "Andy" Bown (Herd and Status Quo), and Brian Appleyard (drummer from East of Eden). Singer Mickey Cox had been in Robert Plant’s pre-Led Zeppelin group The Band of Joy—it was Cox, in fact, who became their singer when Plant left the band. But suddenly, thanks to band management problems, the LP was shelved. Keith Law, who had written all of the songs, joined Velvett Fogg for their only album, and Jardine was forgotten. Now, forty years later, you can be among the first to discover the brooding excellence of these tracks, music both strange and sinister, with moments of fragile beauty. There are some very pretty songs here (haunting melodies abound), but there is no escaping the dark side of life (‘Masochists of Strangulation,’ ‘Execution of the Child,’ and monumental dirge ‘Blackbirds of Jardine’, which tells of self-same birds, and the fact that they will “destroy you, and leave you pain, pain, pain”), songs perhaps more akin to the band Comus than to anything else we have encountered from the psychedelic era. There are also heavy guitar solos, churning organ, flute, and flowing sitar, for good measure. A 16-page booklet includes a band history lyrics, and comments on the songs by Keith Law. A lost jewel of late-1960's UK psychedelia, from a short-lived but charismatic band! CD $10 SKU:10134

KILLERS -Good-Bye (1967 Uruguyan rock Label:RECORD RUNNER First reissue of one of the main albums from the Uruguyan music scene of the 1960’s/1970’s; within the rock movement in Uruguay in the late sixties, the Killers (Los Killers) were proudly the most professional band in the rock music scene; they started out in 1967, playing cover songs of bands like Bloodrock (or “Bloody Rock” as it says here) on their ultra hi-tech gear; they recorded the Jesus Christ Superstar theme as a single, as well as ‘Woodstock’ for the Discodromo TV show, both included here among the five excellent bonus tracks; then came “Good-Bye”, the band’s one and only LP (Sondor, 1972), on which the Killers sung in English their own compositions, aside from Stephen Stills’ ‘Love the One You’re With’ and ‘Born to Wonder’ by Rare Earth; the Killers were headed for exile in Spain—thus the album’s title—pushed out of Uruguay by the repressive military regime that would take full control of the tiny nation in 1973 and end the careers of most of the bands which stayed behind. CD $15 SKU:20222

MATEO, EDUARDO- Mateo y Trasante (1972 Uruguay)Label:LION comes with a 32-page booklet which contains abundant information on the making of the album, as told by Jorge Trasante, lyrics in English and in the original Spanish, historical background on the Uruguayan scene, a score of incredible photos, and a brief overview of the legendary Sondor label. CD $12 SKU:20092

PLASTICLAND- Mink Dress and Other Cats (post punk psych) Label:TIMOTHY'S BRAIN Record Collector magazine in England rightly calls this "a superb compilation of one of the true pioneers of post-punk psychedlia:—and it's true; an amazing collection of ultra-rare early singles from a truly under-rated band CD $10 SKU:5966

PRENTICE & TUTTLE - Every Lovin Day (70s Boston folk psych w booklet) LAST COPIES Label:Underground Masters Steve Prentice & Stephen Tuttle, two young Americans based in Boston, recorded their second and rare album in 1972. This collectable record is a fragile psych folk record with strong rural Americana feeling. All twelve tracks are originals and really deserve this CD treatment. Remastered sound & 8-page booklet CD $12 SKU:11767

SPRIGUNS -Revel, Weird and Wild (1976 Brit folkrock)Label:ESOTERIC "So, you love English folk/rock, but you’ve never heard of Spriguns? Don’t feel bad... Many people outside of England don’t know this group, or their singer, Mandy Morton, even though in her homeland she is considered on a par with such well-known English female folk singers as Sandy Denny (Fairport Convention), and Maddy Prior (Steeleye Span). Formed in 1972, the band was originally known as Spriguns of Tolgus and were formed by Mike and Mandy Morton. The band’s debut album was produced by Tim Hart of Steeleye Span and brought them to the attention of Decca Records for whom the album "Revel Weird and Wild” was recorded in 1976. By this time the band were known as Spriguns and had become more rock influenced. The album "Time Will Pass” followed in 1977 and was perhaps the band’s finest hour, with orchestral arrangements by Robert Kirby, famed for his work with Nick Drake. Perhaps not quite as rare as Mellow Candle’s sole Decca LP; even so, both Spriguns albums are in the same league musically as that of their Irish label-mates. Both of these Esoteric Recordings reissues have been newly remastered from the original Decca master tapes and include a booklet that fully restores all original album artwork. Two superb and often overlooked major label folk rock classics, now available at an affordable price. Morton’s voice is lovely and captivating, the songs lilting and Celtic-ish—if this is a sound you like, these albums are for you!" CD $10 SKU:19079

TAJ MAHAL TRAVELLERS- Live Stockholm July, 1971 (psych) DOUBLE - Label:DRONE SYNDICATE (SWEDEN) Tokyo's Taj Mahal Travellers were one of the prime examples of a band more heard-of than actually heard. Their vinyl legacy (the 1972 LP July 15, 1972 released on CBS/Sony Japan; the 1974 2LP August 1974 released on Columbia Japan and recently reissued by P-Vine as a 2CD; one side of the mythical Oz Days Live 2LP compilation released on Oz in 1973 and recently bootlegged as a single LP) could dig a hole in your wallet deeper than the Grand Canyon. However, the recent reissues have spread the gospel and so here is the chance to hear the young Taj Mahal Travellers live in Stockholm during their 'tour' through Europe in 1971. It's one 2-hour long improvised track. Enough free-floating higher key bliss to keep every grown-up space cadet happy for a lot longer. This 2CD set is limited to 1000 copies." From Julian Cope's Japrocksampler: "This album is a discorporated, cerebral dance whose rhythm sounds like six weather Gods emulating the cover of Deep Purple's Fireball by zooming around Silverstone circuit just inches above the track, each urging himself on by making engine noises: 'Eee-oww-urghh-ow!!!!!!!' CD $14 SKU:19043

TELEGRAPH AVENUE - ST (Peruvian 70s psych rock) -Label:RE-PSYCHLED Telegraph Avenue’s debut album appeared on the market in Peru, and became the best selling rock record of the year. The time was right for Latin rock with psychedelic touches (a fact evident all over the Americas), and Telegraph Avenue delivered: guitars saturate the amplifiers, using natural distortion and feedbacks, with Latin bass lines, powerful drums and Latin flavored percussions filling all songs with the uniqueness of their sound. Their songs sometimes sound like Grand Funk’s early records, but others have vocal melodies more akin to a West Coast psych style. Now, 35-years later, Repsychled Records has the pleasure to present the definitive reissue of this album; this reissue is the first done using the original master tapes, and was remastered with tube amplifiers; it includes the original artwork in a gatefold mini-LP format, a booklet with unseen photos and souvenirs from the band’s concerts, an extra insert with band biography, and an unreleased song. Limited mini cardboard sleeve edition CD $15 SKU:20201

YEZDA URFA -Sacred Baboon (80s zany prog psych) -Label:SYN-PHONIC (USA): this on-line review says it all: “What would you get if you combined the sounds of Yes and Gentle Giant with a large dose of psychedelic chemicals? You'd probably get something that sounds a lot like Yezda Urfa. Yezda Urfa is the craziest, zaniest, most incredible progressive rock band that you have never heard. Most of the tracks on “Sacred Baboon” are two speeds: fast and really fast, although they do make room for some lighter moments. Those of you who like guitar dominated progressive rock will have loads to feast on here. Mark Tippins' guitar work always runs full throttle throughout the album with incredibly fast melodic parts, and there's plenty of other virtuosity to be found on the album as well. An ocarina and recorder chorus fill out the beginning of ‘Cancer of the Band.’ Vibes, harpsichords, synths, organs, and voices play in tandem with the guitar. Yezda Urfa pull out all the stops however on ‘3, Almost 4, 6 Yea,’ a high energy track featuring multiple time signatures, cross-cutting sections, and a heartrendingly beautiful classical guitar solo. The album stands up well against similar efforts by other contemporary American acts such as Happy the Man. If you can make it past the juvenile titles such as ‘My Doctor Said I had a Doggie Head’ and ‘Give 'Em Some Rawhide Chewies,’ you'll discover a long-lost classic of prog's darker days. CD $14 SKU:20198

ROCK EN AREQUIPA- ST (Rare singles from 60s Peru )Label:RE-PSYCHLED Twenty-one tracks (72 minutes), the best of the rare singles recorded by bands like Free Love System, Los Texao, Los Incógnitos, Madera Fresca, and Opus who thrived in Arequipa, Peru during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Arequipa? yes, Arequipa, the second most populous city in Peru, up in the Andes mountains at an altitude of 2,380 meters (7,800 feet) above sea level; Arequipa, nicknamed La Ciudad Blanca (The White City), nestled beneath the snow-capped volcano El Misti. Arequipa. Get your Peruvian beat fix with groovy tracks from Los Incógnitos and Los Texao. Want some face-melting psychedelia instead? check out Los Texao’s ‘Stone’ or their fuzz-guitar laced instrumental ‘Swarlb’—both a musical style called "Niebla" (Fog), because of the effect produced by the band’s rotor amps and reverb and echo effects. (Los Texao were the first group in the province to record using FuzzTone effects, using powerful Dynacord amps imported from Germany). Prefer a more laid-back style? then you’ll love Free Love System. Looking for some heavy grooves? ‘La pelea del gobernador’ (Los Texao) or ‘Un paseo por el recuerdo’ (Free Love System) might do it for you. Sixteen-page booklet has mini-biographies of all five bands in Spanish and English; all tracks are from the master tapes, with the exception of Madera Fresca’s freak out ‘Any Time’—a classic at parties—and their acoustic version of ‘La lenta que apura,’ both rescued from the obscurity of a rare cassette. The first regional rock compilation from Peru's rich and mostly undiscovered musical history, but certainly not the last! COMP CD $15 SKU:20202

AYAHUASCA - Psychedelic Cumbias, Vol. 1LP + insert Label:LION Starting in the late 1960's, there was a boom of tropical music in Peru, both in Lima and the provinces. Cumbia Peruana merged this tropical sound with that of psychedelic rock. Aspects of cumbia were mixed with electric (often fuzz) guitar, played over Andean and jungle rhythms—this combination provoked an explosion of original music. An instrument to lead the way, usually from the introduction of the song; over this, hypnotic layers of keyboards and guitar with fuzz and wah wah; add simple bass-lines; and to top it off, syncopated rhythms from bongos, congas, huiros, cymbals, timbales, often played at breakneck speed. In the end, it's like a sonic cousin to Nigerian music: these musicians liked guitar, they had a fondness for echo, and they loved a murky high-octane jam. Fierce, funky and full of flavor!•Snazzy bi-lingual insert w/photos + info on the development of the Cumbias Psicodélicas sound •All tracks newly remastered for this vinyl release COMP LP $21 SKU:20212

A BOLHA -Um Passo a Frente (60s Brazilian Psych GATEFOLD COVER)Label:GROOVIE HAND NUMBERED Brazilian band the Bubbles became the toast of the underground Rio de Janeiro scene, backing Tropicalist singer Gal Costas residence at the Sucata night club in 1970. They won the "Best Band of the Festival" award at the VII FIC of 1971 (International Festival of Songs), the same year they appeared on Lenos "Vida y obra de Johnny McCartney" album. After venturing to England to attend the Isle of Wight Festival, they decided to experiment with a heavier sound, more akin to UK bands of that era (Deep Purple, Cream, King Crimson, Humble Pie, with a little Beatles "White Album" in for good measure) than that of their Brazilian cohorts. A name change to A Bolha later, still loaded with verve and swagger, fueled by drugs, they recorded their first album, which has secured a permanent place as one of the best hard psych rock albums to ever emerge from South America. The LP, "Um Passo a frente" (A step forward), was released in 1973 by the Continental label, in a gatefold cover which was quite luxurious for the era. This masterpiece, now impossibly hard to find as an original, certainly made a name for A Bolha in the pantheon of 1970s Brazilian rock. But success in the early 1970s was not like it had once been in the old Jovem Guarda or Tropicalist days, when bands had weekly TV shows to help them become well- known nationwide-and eventually, worldwide. In other words, the meager abilities of Continental to promote the album made it a collectors item, not the fate a band would actively seek for their recordings. The lp is a replica in a gatefold cover, and includes the infamous hard- rocking 1971 single as bonus tracks. LP $22 SKU:12031

AURA- Sativa (1974 SF psych funk masterpiece) - Label:LION Official replica vinyl edition of this oft-sampled slab of Bay Area history, a psych funk masterpiece that cannot be denied. Aura formed in 1974 and played extensively throughout Northern California. By 1976, the band recorded their first and only album at Pacific Recording Studio in San Mateo. The original title of the album was meant to be "Sativa", but out of fear that promoting the joys of marijuana would be too controversial, the band omitted the title and just left it as "Aura". Over the ensuing decades, the Aura album has grown in stature to become a major soul/funk collector's item. It features a number of major funk tracks plus funky ballads with female vocals. Standouts include 'Sativa' (replete with water-pipe sound effects and blistering guitar), and the manic fuzz-guitar jam 'Skyrocket.' Old style tip-on jacket and quality limited edition vinyl pressing, mastered from the original tapes. LP $10 SKU:19263