Just when I think I’ve gotten them all, a new batch turns up! This week we have some fantastic crate digger specials and one only vinyl items, plus more of those box sets you love so much. Check the pretty pink box to see everything from Swiss 70s prog to Turkish psych, on both vinyl and CD.

ALERT - PLEASE READ! About the damned post office! They are making the holidays extra special fun this year! You may have noticed that we have a note that we send out with your tracking numbers saying that that the tracking MAY OR MAY NOT WORK. This is because the post office tends to scan only about 50-60 percent of the parcels. You can make that “Your tracking number WILL NOT WORK! No packages are scanning at this point. I'm told they have a new computer program that is causing problems, virtually everything we send out is not tracking. You will get a message saying “a label has been created” with no additional info. The good news is that the packages are arriving just fine, so dont worry, it’s just stressful not to be able to see where it is. Really sorry, it’s not us, it’s them.

Thanks for all guys, have a great holiday!
Suzy Shaw


LABEL NEWS & BUZZ

Everybody’s favorite glam kids BEECHWOOD kill it again....

SHINDIG MAGAZINE SAYS: Not content with producing an outstanding debut LP, in 2018 Beechwood have managed to release two of the most interesting albums of the year (Songs From The Land Of Nod and Inside The Flesh Hotel). And not content with that either, they proved that they can take The Kinks out for a walk down the Bowery and leave us waiting for more and more and more. Get their two ALIVE albums here on gorgeous hand mixed starburst vinyl.

PLUS a nice interview with Gordon in FRONTRUNNER MAGAZINE: Musically speaking, they’re on a roll, and they show no signs of slowing down. In 2018, Gordon, Sid, and former member Isa Tineo gave us Songs from the Land of Nod, which the Village Voice called “a darkly shimmering rock ‘n’ roll record of bruising timelessness,” and more recently, Inside the Flesh Hotel, a follow-up album that is as beautiful as it is intense. It’s a triumph of skillful playing, well-oiled melodicism, come-hither vocals, and infectious appetence.READ MORE HERE

GOSPELBEACHracks up another good review...

PASADENA WEEKLY SAYS: GOSPELBEACH, Another Winter Alive (Alive Naturalsound): ★★★ A sweet addition to the LA pop collective’s first two albums, this kicks off promisingly with band buddy/co-founder Neal Casal’s “Freeway to the Canyon,” whose feel-good melody and chiming guitars set the Dead-backing-Petty tone. It’s the first of five tracks recorded during sessions for last year’s “Another Summer of Love”; “Dreamin’,” by frontman Brent Rademaker and Trevor Beld-Jimenez, is also warmly addictive, and both songs are among GospelbeacH’s strongest.

Another one for HANDSOME JACK...

THAT DEVIL MUSIC SAYS: Buffalo NY area “boogie soul” power trio Handsome Jack have one foot in the blustery hard rock sound of the ‘70s and the other in the guitar-driven British blues explosion of the ‘60s; the band’s raw, immediate garage-rock worldview builds on the past while looking defiantly towards the future. Everything’s Gonna Be Alright is the band’s sophomore effort and it’s a real fine barn-burner. The title track is a buzzy, fuzz-drenched blues stomper with gritty Howlin’ Wolf vox and slashing guitar licks while “Why Do I Love You the Way I Do” offers throwback soul that wouldn’t have sounded out-of-place in Detroit circa 1978. “City Girls” is a sleazy, Stones-ish vamp and “Bad Blood” is an epic rocker with BIG guitars and whiskey-soaked vocals. Handsome Jack is the real thing, a switchblade-toting gang of ‘Rust Belt’ blues-rock thugs demanding your time, money, and attention. RIYL Leafhound, Foghat, or Savoy Brown.

NEW ARRIVALS

CANDIDO-Dancin' and Prancin': Expanded Edition (1979) Label:BIG BREAK Ooriginally released in 1979 on Salsoul Records at the dizzying peak of the Disco craze. There were four songs on the original album, aimed squarely at the Discos and their glittering lights. “Dancin’ and Prancin’” delivers four dance classics, all of which found a home in discos and clubs across the world, particularly in New York and Philadelphia. 'Jingo' and 'Thousand Finger Man' remain dj favorites and receive club play to this day. The album has a sunny over all feel with some Latin flavor thrown in, as was standard with many Salsoul released in the late 1970’s. This edition has six bonus tracks, which include instrumental versions, 12" extended versions, etc CD $10 SKU:20666

ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN-Crystal Days 1979-1999 BOX 4 CD PROMO Label:RHINO Shrink wrapped and new, promo copies have a small slit in the bar code. CD $40 SKU:20663

HIGSONS -Curse of the Higsons: (British Punk-Funk 1984) Deluxe Edition TRIPLE CDLabel:CHERRY RED Founded "some time in 1980" at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, the Higsons first recording was on the "Norwich - A Fine City" compilation album. Legend has it that John Peel was so amazed that anyone in the Norwich area was making music he invited the band in for a session. The first single, 'I Don't Want To Live With Monkeys' was released in 1981. According to Charlie Higson, "We were often accused of trying to be the English Talking Heads, which we always strenuously denied, but let's face it, that's what we were trying to be." The band's blend of high energy funk and groove brought them some chart success. Digitally remastered and expanded three CD edition of the British Punk-Funk band's 1984 album. This expanded version adds all the versions/tracks which graced their two collectable singles for 2-Tone ('Tear the Whole Thing Down' and 'Run Me Down'), plus other singles 'Push Out the Boat', their charming cover of Andy Williams' 'Music to Watch Girls By' and a demo of their swansong, 'Take It', from 1985. As a bonus third disc, the hitherto cassette-only album Live at the Jacquard Club, Norwich makes it's digital debut. Issued on Chaos Tapes, it is now swelled by five tracks from a Lyceum show in 1984, three of which are previously unissued. CD $12 SKU:20668

JENSEN, DICK - ST (soul pop) Label:BIG BREAK A must have for all Soul, Pop & Easy Listening fans out there. Immersing himself on native Hawaiian sounds and the Pop, Soul, Country and Rock music he heard on radio, it wasn’t long before Blue-Eyed Soul vocalist Dick Jensen began to catch people's attention across the music world; he was arguably the greatest music entertainer to hail from the Pacific paradise islands of Hawaii. After spending the ‘60’s and early ‘70’s wowing crowds from Las Vegas to Mexico City and his native Hawaii, where he supported The Rolling Stones on their 1966 US tour (his exuberant dance moves were likened to James Brown and Jackie Wilson), and releasing a number of well received records on various labels Jensen found himself signed to the legendary Philadelphia International Records in 1972. The following year, backed by the unstoppable PIR house band MFSB, Jensen released this debut with the label to an initially muted response. The breezy 'Penny For Your Thoughts' opens the album and immediately informs the listener that this isn’t going to be a completely typical PIR platter. The classic PIR sound makes its first appearance on 'I Don’t Want To Cry,' originally a hit for Chuck Jackson in 1961. Jensen’s version swoops and soars thanks to his passionate delivery. The real gem on this self-titled album however is 'New York City’s A Lonely Town,' a wonderfully soulful ballad that Jensen really sinks his teeth into. '32nd Street' found an audience in the UK where it was released as a single. With a musical setting that would have made The Stylistics cry with glee, Jensen wraps his booming voice around the heart-breaking melody, turning the sweat of his performance into tears of loneliness. BBR is very proud to bring you DICK JENSEN, completely re-mastered and repackaged complete with extensive liner notes. CD $8 SKU:20667

PAUL, BILLY -Feelin' Good at the Cadillac Club (1967)TWO ONLY Label:BIG BREAK As a young man in the mid-1940s, Paul was already known on the Philadelphia airwaves, and he parlayed his success into live gigs with artists as renowned as jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker. He opened for artists including Nina Simone, Miles Davis and Dinah Washington, and won an amateur night at the Apollo. Naturally, record labels pursued Paul, and he had been recording since 1959. Paul was performing at Philadelphia’s Cadillac Club in 1967 when Kenny Gamble spotted him. He ushered him into the studio for "Feelin’ Good at the Cadillac Club," his long-playing album debut for Gamble Records. Typical of the era, it was a studio effort despite the live title. "Feelin’ Good..." was primarily composed of theatrical standards ('On a Clear Day You Can See Forever,' 'Just in Time,' 'Feelin’ Good,' 'Somewhere') with some more recent pop songs also in the mix ('That’s Life,' 'Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright.') CD $10 SKU:20664

MONKEES - SEASON 2 DVD BOX SET 5 DISCS -PROMO-Label:RHINO Shrink wrapped and new, promo copies have a small slit in the bar code.
Second season (Sept. 11, 1967 - Sept. 9, 1968) of The Monkees television series: DVD $100 SKU:20661

MONKEES - SEASON ONE DVD BOX SET 6 DISCS -PROMO Label:RHINO Shrink wrapped and new, promo copies have a small slit in the bar code.
Complete first season (Sept. 12, 1966 - Sept. 4, 1967) of The Monkees television series: DVD $100 SKU:20662

EL TURRONERO -New Hondo (Cosmic Disco, Funk, Boogie)-Label:PHARAWAY SOUNDS An otherworldly mix of Cosmic Disco, Funk, Boogie and traditional Flamenco styles by Spanish “cantaor” El Turronero!! Featuring the legendary Josep Llobell (Oliver’s Planet, Enterprise…) at the controls. “New Hondo” was originally released in 1980 on the Spanish Belter label and in a similar way to Camarón’s “La leyenda del tiempo”, it was an adventurous project where the producers tried to modernize traditional flamenco music. Featuring an amazing studio production (analogue keyboards, synths, disco drums & orchestrations, electric sitar…), it includes the cosmic disco classic “Las Penas”, the psychedelic funk of “Si yo volviera a nacer” and more. Remastered sound from the master tapes, insert with photos and liner notes by Txarly Brown (Achilifunk). “A flamenco singer with pedigree like El Turronero lost in Studio 54 on a hangover day” – Txarly Brown (AchilifunkLP $19 SKU:20628

ELEKTRO HAFIZ - ST (Turkish psych) ONE ONLY Label:PHARAWAY SOUNDS : "We’re proud to present the first solo album by Elektro Hafiz, an incredible blend of Turkish psychedelia, funk and grooves. Elektro Hafiz is a musician, born and raised in Istanbul, who has recently moved to Cologne, Germany. Already well known in Turkey, he can look back on 20 years as a professional musician. With his former band ‘Fairuz Derin Bulut’ he created and released three albums, which represent a milestone in the Anatolian psychedelic rock music of the 2nd generation in Turkey. Elektro Hafiz has shown and proven openness to various and sometimes contradicting music styles by mixing eastern instruments like the electric saz, darbuka and finger cymbals with different genres. He loves to play with contrasts and create new compositions from there. “Elektro Hafiz", his first solo album, showcases a more open and progressive format to his main base influence - the anatolian psychedelic music. On this album he played a lot of different instruments by himself and also invited artists from different countries such as Kenya, France, Turkey, Switzerland, Austria and Germany to contribute for this production.There are nine songs on this album. Except for one cover song, all lyrics and the music are written by Elektro Hafiz. All songs will be additionally released as dub / remix versions done by different producers and DJs on a separate album, which is released at the same time, separatelyLP $20 SKU:20627

ERSEN -ONE ONLY Dunden Bugune(1977 Turkish psych) -Label:PHARAWAY SOUNDS Debut album, released in 1977, by one by one of Anatolian Rock's most sheerly talented vocalists. Turkish psych-rock with some amazing funk drums and fuzzed out guitars. Ersen spent time in Mogollar, 3 Hür-El, and Cem Karaca's Kardaslar before cementing his reputation as the frontman of Dadaslar. His voice can range from one that has a soft edge (where he swallows his notes a bit, like a muezzin would), to growling belt-outs that could have fronted any 80s metal act. Ersen and his ever-changing backup band wore Slade haircuts and loud jackets with rainbow pants or silver platform shoes, and they grew their moustaches just as long as the Beatle bangs of their Western counterparts. Get the synth-wizz, funk breaks and fuzzed-out prog riffage behind one of Anatolian Rock's best vocalists! Original gatefold artwork, insert with liner notes by Angela Sawyer (Weirdo Records), remastered sound. LP $22 SKU:20630

ERSEN -ONE ONLY! Ersen 2 - Omur Biter Yollar Bitmez (Turkish psych)-Label:PHARAWAY SOUNDS Turkish psych-rock with some amazing funk drums and fuzzed out guitars. Ersen spent time in Mogollar, 3 Hur-El, and Cem Karaca's Kardaslar before cementing his reputation as the frontman of Dadaslar. His voice can range from one that has a soft edge (where he swallows his notes a bit, like a muezzin would), to growling belt-outs that could have fronted any 80s metal act. Ersen and his ever-changing backup band wore Slade haircuts and loud jackets with rainbow pants or silver platform shoes, and they grew their moustaches just as long as the Beatle bangs of their Western counterparts. Get the synth-wizz, funk breaks and fuzzed-out prog riffage behind one of Anatolian Rock's best vocalists! Original gatefold artwork, insert with liner notes by Angela Sawyer (Weirdo Records), remastered sound. LP $22 SKU:20660

ERTLIF -Plus (1972 Swizz Prog) DOUBLE LP-Label:SOMMER "Debut album from 1972 by Ertlif, one of the leading Swiss progressive / psychedelic bands from the 70s. Double set, including a whole extra album of previously unreleased homemade recordings from 1971 plus a rare compilation only track from 1973. UK sounding doomy & atmospheric psychedelic hard–rock and proto–prog sounds with lot of Hammond organ, hard guitar, occasional Mellotron and English vocals. RIYL: Deep Purple, Procol Harum, , Atomic Rooster, Black Sabbath, Ainigma, Necronomicon. Ertlif was formed in 1970 by two ex–members of Egg & Bacon, lead guitarist Dany Andrey and bass player Teddy Riedo. They were inspired by Pink Floyd, Yes, Procol Harum, Van der Graaf Generator and Genesis amongst others. A strong rhythm section and twin lead guitars blended with the Hammond organ created the characteristic Ertlif sound. Riedo and Beni Hauri (the band’s roadie) had been experimenting with oscillators, noise generators, ring modulators and other devices since 1969. In early 1972 they introduced these electronic sounds into the band’s closing number 'Classical Woman' so becoming pioneers of electronic music in Switzerland. They also became the first Swiss band to use a Mellotron. This double LP contains: The first Ertlif album from 1972, featuring the original tracklist and sound taken from the original master tapes + a bonus LP consisting of previously unreleased 1971 demo recordings, done at the band’s rehearsal studio without overdubs. With these demos, Ertlif were offered a recording contract with Tell Records. Also included as bonus 'Plastic Queen' from 1973, taken from the album "Heavenly and Heavy – Mixed Swiss Rock Candies". *Remastered from the original master tapes by Eroc *Lacquer cut by SST Brüggeman *Insert with liner notes by band member Teddy Riedo plus rare photos and memorabilia. LP $29 SKU:20629

HAVENSTREET - The end of the line/ Perspectives ONE ONLY DOUBLE LP Label:SOMMOR he genesis of Havenstreet goes back to 1969, when Phil Ridgway and Jeff Vinter played in The Gas, an experimental psychedelic band heavily influenced by Barrett-era Pink Floyd. The two friends started to write songs their own songs, ending up as a folk duo. With the offer to record some of their material at a friend’s studio, they recruited more musical friends… and Havenstreet was born. The influences had expanded now to bands and artists such as Peter Hammill, Strawbs, Traffic, Procol Harum, Stackridge, Keith Tippett, Bert Jansch. In the early-mid 70s they recorded a couple of albums which circulated as private cassettes among friends and relatives. In 1977, Havenstreet privately released “The End Of The Line”, in an edition of 250 copies. It was collection of very English songs with evocative, literate lyrics and a stunning progressive folk-rock sound. It featured one of the earliest known tributes to Syd Barrett on the song 'When the madcap meets the world'. This expanded double set reissue of Havenstreet’s sought after album includes: *The original “The End of the Line” album from 1977. *A new album called “Perspectives” which presents the best tracks from the privately pressed cassettes The Autumn Wind (1974) and Transition (1976) plus rehearsal recordings for The End of the Line (1975/1976) and previously unreleased recordings for the group’s projected fourth album (1979), which was never completed. These amazing tracks range from electric acid-folk to Barrett-esque psych-pop, pastoral folk and Caravan styled prog-rock. *16-page LP-sized booklet with photos and detailed liner notes. Remastered from the original master tapes. “…Combining the back-to-basics acoustic feel of the nu-folk generation with a swirly, psychedelic vibe, ”The End of the Line” could actually be an album that was made in 2014. But this album was privately released in 1977. Now finally remastered and brought into the present, the retrospective feeling is amplified and should appeal greatly to fans of 70s folk and progressive music. This reissue is a must have even for the lucky few who own an original copy of the album as it comes with a bonus disc, ”Perspectives”, that compiles non-LP tracks from 1974-79. The quality of the extra material shines through…” – Michael Bjorn (Strange Days Magazine)" LP $30 SKU:20632
IN TIME -Inside Your Mind (Homespun psych-punk-garage-pop from 1985)Label:MENTAL EXPERIENCE Homespun psych-punk-garage-pop from 1985!! Over a decade ago, Steve Krakow aka Plastic Crimewave found a cassette by a mysterious 80s band called In Time at a Chicago thrift shop. When he returned home and listened to it, he was amazed: “I had flashes of the TV Personalities (one of my fave "DIY" bands), early "paisley underground" like Three O'Clock (maybe when they were the Salvation Army), wobbly but illuminated 60s folk-garage like Faine Jade, and even first wave UK punk like Subway Sect or yes, thee Pistols. There were even jagged post-punk moves ala the Swell Maps or Scrotum Poles, outrageous phasing, trumpet, and something lacking so deeply in bands today—PERSONALITY”. Obsessed with it, Steve tracked down one of the band members in Pennsylvania and found out that there was more unreleased stuff. So here’s the first ever IN TIME vinyl LP. Including most of the songs from their ultra-rare cassette plus previously unreleased tracks. Like Steve says: “self-depreciating jangle-pop, furious power-chorded decrees, full-tilt psychedelia, experimental texture pieces--and actual tunes that will burrow into one's skull for weeks.” *Insert with liner notes by Steve Krakow (Plastic Crimewave / Galactic Archive)
*Includes free digital download card LP $18 SKU:20633

RESTOCKS

AEROBLUS - ST (ONE ONLY 1977 Brazil heavy rock/proto metal) Label:HRC By rights, the band should be called Aeroblues, but the band's name was deliberately misspelled, to give it a 'Rioplatense' touch, by this heavy rock/proto metal band formed in 1977 by Argentine guitarist Norberto "Pappo" Napolitano in Brazil with excellent Brazilian drummer, Júnior; and bassist Alejandro Medina (ex-member of Billy Bond y La Pesada and Manal. Stylistically, dare one say 'samey'—Heavy Blues and/or Proto Metal with not too much variation. But still, it is truly great, and the band has a power that unavoidably moves you, if you can tell a good from a mediocre band in this genre. In case you are wondering, Aeroblus belongs on the list of the good ones. The Aeroblus album shows-off groove and sophistication at the same time; note the strength in the Alejandro Medina's voice, which is quite spectacular. Pappo's voice lacks the same grit and stamina, yet on the other hand he was a fine composer and a fantastic guitarist; his lyrics are obscure and semi-philosophical at times, which suits the apocalyptic sound CD $16 SKU:20213

CLEARING- S/T (70s hippie acid )Label:RIVERMAN MUSIC (KOREA) DIGIPACK This is the first-ever CD reissue of the second, better-known 1973 album from this pastoral Boston-area hippie trio, now remastered in a 24-bit remaster. Intimate, low-key hippie tunes with several things going for it. Warm male and female vocals create an appealing blend supported by acoustic guitar, piano, tablas and flute. Far from being trad, a playful and occasionally improvised feel dominates with nocturnal Eastern flourishes for that special late-night acid feel. When Clearing stick to the femme-vox hippie picnic sounds, the sound is quite appealing. Comes in a handsome paper sleeve that precisely reproduces the original LP sleeve in miniature form. Includes detailed liner notes written by one of the original band members. CD $14 SKU:11099

COLOURS- S/T (60s psych Pop )Label:World Psychedelia A reissue of the 1968 self-titled album from this psychedelic pop combo, whose liner notes claim the band "have the crystalline sharpness of the Beatles before they turned acid." Orchestrations, disturbing time and key changes, and sitar drone are all added to the mix. Includes the standouts "Bad Day At Black Rock Baby," the commune-song "Brother Lou's Love Colony"--later covered by Moon--and the eerie "Cataleptic." CD $10 SKU:3258

EUBANK,JEFF - A Street Called Straight(1983 Private press gem)-Label:RIVERMAN (Korea) Originally released in 1983, this is Jeff Eubank's sole Kansas City private-press gem, originally produced only in an edition of 500 copies. Jeff Eubank is not a boner. A cursory read of the lyrics, printed in full in the space surrounding Mr. Eubank on the back cover artwork, more or less confirms this. They are literate and poetic without giving the reader anything to laugh at. At this point, any smart record digger will pull this particular title. A cursory needle drop may or may not reveal the album's potential. Depending on where the needle lands, it may sound like Crosby, Stills and Nash, or it may sound like the music we have come to know as "yacht rock," the smooth-sailing sounds of Christopher Cross, Hall & Oates, The Doobie Brothers, or Kenny Loggins. There's even a bit of the old, mellow, West Coast A.M.-rock canyon sound in there as well, with complex harmonies and a general hazy, lazy vibe. The truth behind this music's distinct sound is somewhere in between all this. There is an undeniably dated aspect to this music, an over-emphasis or over-reliance on being easy-going, but at the same time, it's wonderfully next to impossible to exactly pinpoint when or where this music was made. Like an '80s Tim Buckley on downers, Eubank's voice is smooth as silk, and there is no attack in his delivery; instead, his voice coasts along in a gentle, affable flow. But don't be so easily assuaged, when you get this album home and listen more closely, the conflict and rough edges of this music begins to reveal itself. Regarding the title, the artist himself explains it this way" "('rise and go to a street called straight' from Acts 9:10-19) finds Ananias being directed to risk harm and perhaps his life to help a man he knows to be dangerous. The implication of the fact that the name of the street was (and is) Straight (like straight and narrow) shouldn't be lost on someone who is reading carefully. As this relates to the lyrics of the song, we all have had to, at some time (or many times), move on in courage and leave the past behind (good or bad). In the case of these lyrics, there is hope: 'there is an end to this endless night... after all.'" Astral, unplaceable music that will fill your head-space, highly recommended for fans of Bobb Trimble, Robert Lester Folsom, and other purveyors of lost late '70s/early '80s music CD $14 SKU:20454

EYES THE - ARRIVAL OF THE EYES Complete (60s garage) 24 page booklet SALE -Label:Lion (canada ) Contains all the bands output-released and unreleased-including demo versions, alternates, and the entire Pupils Tribute To The Rolling Stones exploitation album from 1966 as a bonus. Fat 24-page booklet is packed with zippy notes on the band, photos, and pages from the bands own fan-club pamphlet. IMPORT CD $10 SKU:4941

GREEN - Eau de Vie-(Power pop 2001) Label:GANG GREEN RECORDS Album number six by Green (from 2001), this collection of songs was recorded in France with Iain Burgess (of Big Black, Naked Raygun, Mega City Four fame) at his Black Box studio. It continues the layered tradition of earlier releases and builds on the Green legacy of intelligent songwriting and pathetic promotion. "Like Big Star's Alex Chilton, singer-guitarist Jeff Lescher makes sophisticated power-pop with more than a dollop of blue-eyed soul. Green's latest album in a criminally underappreciated 15-year career conjures the plaintiveness of "Village Green Preservation Society." —Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune CD $12 SKU:20528

GROWING CONCERN, THE- ST (6os West Coast psych pop) - Label:WORLD PSYCHEDELIA "Although virtually nothing is known of Growing Concern, their only album (Mainstream, 1969) is an enjoyable piece of West Coast psychedelic pop. The opening track 'Hard, Hard Year' sets the tone for the album: it opens with melodic guitar work, which is joined first by bass, then by excellent keyboards; it also features beautiful female vocal harmonies from group members Bonnie MacDonald and Mary Garstki. 'Edge Of Time' features excellent lead guitar work, as does 'Tomorrow Has Been Cancelled'; 'A Boy I Once Knew Well' is a folky lament, which again features fine vocal harmonies, keyboards, and guitar work. Overall, quite a good blend of folk rock, pop, and psychedelia. The album is brilliantly recorded, and is of a consistently high musical quality. The band surely deserved a better fate than the obscurity to which they were consigned by the bizarre business practices of the Mainstream label." CD $10 SKU:7381

HERNANDEZ, LUIS ''VIVI''-Napoleon (Great offbeat garage rock from 1960s Mexico)Label:DIMSA Great offbeat garage rock from 1960s Mexico. Luis "Vivi" Hernandez was the vocalist for Los Crazy Boys and, fittingly, the album begins with "Napoleon XIV," where he plays the role of a frantic lunatic who thinks he's Napoleon and is being carried off to the asylum! The album also features great Spanish-language covers of classics like "Tobacco Road" and The Strangeloves' "Night Time." If you enjoy '60s garage rock, you'll like this record! Other songs include "Huaraches con Tacón," "La Bruja," Baila La Pulga," "Estoy Loco," and "Flamenco." CD $10 SKU:19755

NEWS -Hot Off The Press(unique '70s pop obscurity-Label:RIVERMAN (Korea) A unique '70s pop obscurity. The lead instrument is a pedal steel guitar, played with more imagination than anywhere other than the Misunderstood's studio recordings, often with some nice, fuzzy distortion. It rarely sounds "country." The songs are strong pop/rock, with Beach Boys-style harmony vocals on the softer songs, and tougher (but still melodic) singing on the rockers. Other than the opening "song" (three minutes of a guy fiddling with a radio dial), everything here is memorable, and no two songs sound alike. Highlights include the powerful "Loser," with a stunning steel guitar solo, and the long album-closer "New York City," but this is consistent enough that any given listener could feel equally strong about any two others. This is exactly the kind of band a daring major label executive would have struck gold with in the '60s, but nobody would dare to touch in the '70s. The endless streams of slide on these songs makes you almost woozy, but in that pleasant, A.M. radio, hot car/hot summer day, off-kilter '70s way. Surprisingly groovy. Includes two previously unreleased bonus tracks. CD $14 SKU:20455

NIHILIST SPASM BAND -No Record (1968 counterculture weirdness) -Label:LION One of very few indie label releases on Spin Magazine's list of 100 top counter-cultural music, ahead of legends like Mulatu Astatke, Brigitte Fontaine, Pärson Sound, Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra, Harry Partch, and Os Mutantes. Zowie!"In 1965, eight guys from London, Ontario, decided to start a free-improv group — 'free' to the point of building their own instruments, which they decided couldn't be set up to produce specific pitches... Their vocalist, schoolteacher Bill Exley, banged on a cooking pot and bellowed hilariously about stupidity and destruction and Canada. They didn't treat what they were doing as an advanced, visionary form of experimental music, but as a big, stupid, fun, ecstatic noise. By the '90s, noise artists finally recognized NSB as their ancestors — and, almost 50 years after they started, the surviving members of the Nihilist Spasm Band still play every Monday night while their children haunt loft spaces the world over." —Spin"The record you’re holding is one of the masterworks of that big gray area of noise/weirdo/freak-out music. It’ still hard to believe that No Record was released in 1968. This was a time when popular music was still growing up, and these outsider guys from Canada came out of nowhere and made this mindfuck of record that was years ahead of itself. And as with albums like Trout Mask Replica, and The Faust Tapes, it still sounds fresh today. No Record is mandatory listening. —Lasse Marhaug•One of very few indie label releases on Spin Magazine's list of 100 top counter-cultural music
•Comes with massive booklet with the band’s story and rare photo and more!
•From the master tapes.•Limited edition of 500 copies. CD $10 SKU:20093

PETER COOK + DUDLEY MOORE -Bedazzled Soundtrack 1967-Label:ACME Dudley Moore's score to the 1968 cult classic Bedazzled is a delightful jazz romp. Moore composed, arranged, and produced the music for his trio: Moore on piano, Pete McGurk on bass, and Chris Karan on drums. Moore keeps things light and airy, and also consistently cool, as he and his jazz cronies jam with precision. His fingers twinkle across the piano, portraying the comedy, tension, and emotion of the onscreen action to a tee. Saxophones, flutes, violins, and assorted horns chime in to express sadness or to take the music down truly whimsical side avenues. The three vocal songs are glorious, and it helps that they underscore the film's highlights. The pleasant choir musings of "The Leaping Nuns' Chorus" immediately brings to mind those religious figures on trampolines. Moore's pitch-perfect vocals on "Love Me" add a witty sneer to the song's bombastic undercurrent. It's impossible not to smile when he sings, "I'm on my knees/Won't you please come and love me." Peter Cook's droll, stoic voice on "Bedazzled" would be the score's standout feature if his longtime partner, Moore, wasn't such an accomplished pianist and such an intelligent jazz arranger. Who can resist Cook's dismissals of, "I don't love you, leave me alone/I'm self-contained/You fill me with inertia," as Moore implores backing vocalists to drown him in adoration? The "Main Title"'s melody makes appearances throughout the soundtrack, and Moore repeatedly twists and turns it into something new and fascinating. Filled with energy, sparklingly beautiful jazz passages, and an expert balance of classical motifs and hilarious vocals, Bedazzled is a timeless reminder of Dudley Moore's genius. CD $10 SKU:20452

SEARCH PARTY- "The News Is You: The Sacred & Secular Music of Nick Freund (featuring the Search Party “Montgomery Chapel” (1968) and St. Pius X Seminary Choir - DOUBLE CD Label:LION Recorded at the San Francisco Theological Seminary’s own Montgomery Chapel, acid-folk-rock psychedelic gem Search Party “Montgomery Chapel” was the brainchild of (then Reverend) Nicholas Freund. Having left Wisconsin in the late 1960s to join a burgeoning West Coast religious scene, Freund spent considerable time in Sacramento before making their way to San Francisco in 1968 to lay down this one-off with some students of his. The result is a spooky, metaphysical trip that’s equal parts God and acid-dripped mind expansion. Laced with haunting vocals and dreamlike passages, Montgomery Chapel is psychedelic music at its most evocative, and most spiritual. Original copies (only 600 were pressed on the custom Century label) carry substantial price tags. The recordings released by the St. Pius X Seminary Choir were made in the year or two which led up to the recording of the Search Party album. Not only did the three St. Pius X Seminary Choir records showcase the first work by Nick Freund, but they also were the first recordings of Search Party guitarist and vocalist Peter Apps. As one of the press clips regarding the Choir stated, “The choral treatment was electrified by a few phrases sung solo by Peter Apps, who is also the lead guitar. If Apps has not already formed a folk-rock group around that voice, he should. It is rich, deep, and ringing.” Luckily, Freund and Apps heeded their advice, and the Search Party was the result. But nothing could have prepared listeners for the bizarre avant-garde (in the truest sense) electronic soundscapes backed by rock instruments which open “Each One Heard In His Own Language About the Marvels of God” (1968). The album settles down into a less out-there groove after the opening, but this is still adventurous stuff. During my conversations with Nick Freund, he told me that the electric sounds on the album were the work of composer Dary John Mizelle. Mizelle studied composition and participated in the New Music Ensemble at the University of California, Davis (the first free group improvisation ensemble); there he participated in a course led by Karlheinz Stockhausen. Mizelle is also a founding member of SOURCE Music of the Avant Garde magazine. Our two-disc set includes both albums, plus bonus tracks taken from ultra-rare early albums by the St. Pius X Seminary Choir. The 28-page booklet is packed with information, thanks to Freund, who was gracious enough to delve into his memory, scrapbook, and photo albums to help us flesh out the portrait of one of the most potent—and perhaps one of the most unlikely—psychedelic groups to ever record an album. CD $12 SKU:20046

TRAFFIC SOUND - A Bailar Go-Go (70s S American psych) digipack - Label:Repsychled This deluxe mini-LP sleeve, limited-edition CD reissue of the mini-album “A Bailar GoGo” is taken from the master tapes, as originally released. As bonus tracks, we’ve added seven remixes from the original four-channel tapes: instrumentals, acoustic versions, and remix/edits; these remixes were approved by Willy Thorne. Comes with a 20-page booklet with unseen pictures and detailed history of the beginning of the band in Spanish and English; also has a silk-screen printed replica of an original Traffic Sound concert poster. Hand-numbered limited edition of 300 copies CD $15 SKU:19982

GREAT LOST BREW WAVE VA Milwaukee Punk & New Wave Bands 1979-83Label:BLACK HOLE RARE ompilation of recordings from Milwaukee new wave, punk, alternative and psychedelic rock groups of the 1970s and early 1980s. COMP CD $15 SKU:19382

MODERN ACOUSTIC - VA (Indie pop 70s and 80s) Label:CHERRY RED A timeless album that combines an air of sunshine and optimism with songwriting of the highest class! "This El Records/Cherry Red mix encapsulates the very essence of the sound that put both labels at the forefront of independent pop in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. The light and melodic mood displayed here distinguished Cherry Red from all others in the post-punk period, and would later be a central theme running through Mike Always’ widely respected El Records. TThe mood is exemplified by the contributions of Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn, Marine Girls, Momus, Jessica Griffin of the Would Be Goods, Louis Philippe, and Simon Turner in his guise as the King Of Luxembourg and in his composition of the soundtrack for the Derek Jarman film "Caravaggio". The finishing ingredient to "Modern Acoustic" is provided by the Harmony Grass and Tony Rivers And The Castaways selections from the RPM catal COMP CD $8 SKU:20526

SWITCHED ON BOB-A Tribute to Boob Moog-Label:BELLA CASA Bob Moog and his glorious, poetic instruments are the historic foundation of electronic music. "Switched on Bob" is a tribute to the late Bob Moog. The concept started with the enthusiasm of Maurizio Er Man Mansueti (Transistors), Luca Luke Cirillo (Transistors), and Paolo Bruno Margoni (Margoo) in September 2005 at the Transistors’ Lab. The idea was to collect materials for a multimedia-CD with the participation of a selected group of artists who were each to contribute a piece inspired by Moog’s huge influences on music, design, graphic illustration, or simply inspired by the beautiful sounds of Moog’s own instruments. Since Bob Moog was neither composer nor recording artist, this tribute relies on artists performing relatively short synthesizer pieces Sometimes the results are clever and touching: the Transistors’ track, 'Switched on Bob,' which has neat sound effects and chant-like unison singing supporting a soft lead, is pretty terrific. And Funki Porcini’s take on Henry Mancini’s 'Moon River' (called 'Moog River') is a natural for synth. Timeless Sonic Factory’s rockin’ 'The Day the Moog Stood Still' samples dialogue from the great 1950s sci-fi film The Day the Earth Stood Still. This is not a conventional compilation, but instead an authentic project dedicated to the father of modern synthesizers. COMP CD $8 SKU:19078

HOT KNIVES - ST SPANISH IMPORT (70s pop/power pop, glam, psych)Label:GOT KINDA LOST Hot Knives were a late period folk-rock / power pop combo from the latter ‘70s San Francisco—and held two ex-Flamin’ Groovies members in their ranks (guitarist Tim Lynch, and drummer Danny Mihm). Led by the hair-rising boy-girl sound from the Houpt siblings (Michael and Debra), and bolstered by the ringing, jangly guitars of Lynch/Houpt, and driving rhythm section of Mihm and bassist Ed Wilson, sparks flew when they united as a whole. This set collects the tracks from their late ‘70s singles, and a further batch of dynamite tracks pressed into wax (seeing vinyl release for the first time).As music journalist Jud Cost (Sundazed Music / Magnet Magazine) says in the extensive liner notes, “…Hot Knives were a little too late for the '60s hippie trip and a little too hippie for the crash'n'burn punk rock brushfire of the mid-'70s,” but their consistent songwriting and way with a hook should appeal to all with a ‘pop heart’ beating in their chest, fans of ’60s SF sounds, and folk-rock LP $18 SKU:18116

SEA-DERS - ANTHOLOGY (60s Lebanese Rock) Booklet contains liner notes by Mike Stax -Label:GROOVIE Contains all known grooving and infectious Middle Eastern inflected rock/beat tracks from the Sea-ders (or Cedars, depending on which 45 label you look at), Lebanon's top musical export to the world. Eight dynamic tracks, with driving rhythms, blazing electric bouzouki (or oud?), recorded between 1966-1968. Fantastic! Many groups have used elements of Eastern music to add mystery and exotica to their sound; the Sea-ders didn't flirt with foreign culture—they tapped right into the source. Decca Records contacted the group and offered them a record deal in the UK. Well, that didn't pan out, making the band's EP a very rare item indeed, despite being one of the most exciting releases of the era. Faced with studio bills from Decca, they sold their instruments and equipment and moved back to Beirut, leaving this perfect microcosm of exotic '60s pop in their wake. Liner notes by Mike Stax (Ugly Things Magazine). Limited pressing of only 500 copies. This time around, vinyl is mastered at 45 RPM, for maximum fidelity. The Sea-ders would only record eight tracks, but what amazing tracks they are!“As Record Collector magazine once noted, the Sea-Ders took a decidedly different tack when approaching this thing that is rock & roll. Instead of spiraling into over the top eastern-flavored otherness (like so many of their peers at the time) the Sea-Ders, having landed in London and signed to Decca in 1967, embraced a more primal, early Kinks-esque, approach to their songwriting. Coming from Beirut their take on the genre was already unique with succinct flourishes of psych and freakbeat coupled with their inherent cultural influences. Like so many non-western takes on the genre, the end result is a curious and unexpected gem.” —Aquarium Drinkard“They effortlessly combine hookah-smoked Middle-Eastern guitar lines & hand drum beats with flawless London pop-psych production, and the effect is decidedly heady.” —Weirdo Records LP $13 SKU:8849