Members of The Chats, EU pressing of their second LP in anticipation of their debut Euro Tour. FFO: Cosmic Psychos, The Saints, Stiff Richards, The Chats. Australia never misses.

European release of The Unknowns second LP, released on Bargain Bin Records in Australia. "There have already been some monster LPs released in 2023, and the sophomore album from The Unknowns just might be the best of the lot. The Brisbane-based then-trio released one of the greatest punk albums of the roaring twenties (so far) with Nothing Will Ever Stop back in late 2020. Now a foursome following the addition of The Chats' Eamon Sandwich on guitar, The Unknowns have returned with an even better follow-up. East Coast Low manages to take most of the musical genres I hold dear and mash them together in the most delightful way. Basically the sound is classic punk rock with a ton of energy and catchy tunes (what else would you expect from Australia?). Yet at the same time, this album aligns beautifully with modern-day garage punk, power pop, and straight-up rock n' roll. East Coast Low packs ten tracks of punchy sing-along punk rock into 23 and a half minutes of pure fun. Songs like "Dianne," "Rid of You," "Thinking About You," and "I Don't Know" prove once again that there's a certain kind of itch that only old school punk rock n' roll can scratch. These guys are doing nothing new. But man, they do it so freaking well! If we're talking about the cream of the contemporary Aussie punk crop, The Unknowns have earned a place in the conversation." - Josh / Faster and Louder blog.

TRACK LISTING

1. Shot Down
2. Dianne
3. Rid Of You
4. Crying
5. Beat Me
6. Thinking About You
7. Know It All
8. I Don’t Know
9. Deleted
10. Supersonic Love

Hot Hot two-sider AA side William Stuckey action on this killer 12.

Some house business from Athens of the North studio band East Coast Love Affair sampling William Stuckey's 'Love of Mine' and taking it on a deep tip, people asking about this one at all our gigs so we decided to cut it to a fat 12" and release.

On the AA flip Athens of the North good friends Flying Mojito Bros insane flip of Williams Stuckey's 'Country People takes' the track to a whole new place. The boys remix has been proving a big party record for those with digi promos, their banger of a mix takes all the elements of the OG track and adds some super extra 70s bump to the OG. Legit!!

TRACK LISTING

1. Love Of Mind
2. Country People (Flying Mojito Bros Refito)

Amazing floaty modern soul / disco goodness out of late 70s Queens, NY. 'Love Is The Same' two brilliant and different versions, both dancefloor fire…

Mark Beiner met Ben Iverson in 1976 when I was 17 years old, at the time he was a junior at Newtown High School in Elmhurst, Queens. Mark had taken a part time job as a Produce Clerk at Walbaum's Supermarket on Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights, Queens, where I met Ben Iverson, the "Frozen Food Manager."

Back then Mark remembers, 'I was going to work early just to talk to him about his musical background and his time spent in the 50's and 60's with the Ohio Doo Wop Group, "The Hornets", or better known as, "Ben Iverson and The Hornets."'

In 1978 after Ben and I discussed getting together and composing music, I started writing poetry and expressing in writing my break-up with my college girlfriend, Paula. Ben and Mark went on to writing two albums worth of material, which in turn gave us a lot of time and presence on stage at our live gigs.

The regular Coast to Coast Band members consisted of Ben Iverson on Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitarist and Co-Executive Producer, Joe Crowley, who is known today as "New York Congressman Joe Crowley." Carl (Woody Wood) Morton on Bass Guitar, Jimmy Johnson on Keyboards. Lead Guitarist, Lou Jimenez, currently owns his own recording studio, Music Labs in Elmont, Long Island. On Drums, Eddie Byam, on Alto Sax, Jay Cohen, who in the 70's used to record for "Gary U.S. Bonds." Gary Pevols on Trumpet. On Bone, Scott Burrows, Trumpet player, Steve Becker, along side Neil Levine, Stan Stockley, Tom Russo.

TRACK LISTING

1. Love Is The Same
2. Love Is The Same (Instrumental)

We love to just try things at Athens of the North and when Clara and Theo (our lovely PR friends) were chilling with us at Pikes one evening it came up in conversation that Theo has a lovely singing voice and fancied having a spin in the studio.

Roll on a month later, and they were home in Edinburgh, and we threw ourselves into a couple of days of experimenting, this is a little electro floater we were all super pleased with that came out of the session. 'Tonight' is a super late night mashy CR78 drum work out with Theo's floaty falsetto smashing out the park, we flipped the OG with a brilliant dubbed out mix that's not to be slept on either.

TRACK LISTING

1. Tonight (feat. Theo)
2. Tonight (Dub) [feat. Theo]

In the late 1980s, disco was taking a backseat to the burgeoning psychedelic scene in San Francisco, marking a pivotal shift in musical culture. A dynamic transformation was underway as the younger generation sought a fresh auditory adventure, all while the devastating AIDS epidemic cast a somber pall over the city's nightlife. Amidst this evolving backdrop, a subtle yet distinct sonic movement quietly emerged within the confines of San Francisco’s vibrant club scene, often referred to as The Beat. Although hip-hop, new wave, gothic, punk, and the burgeoning modern rock genre held considerable sway, the pre-rave clubs in SF witnessed the fusion of these genres into a unique amalgam of sound that insiders dubbed The Beat. This musical tapestry encompassed everything from hip-hop and freestyle to industrial, new wave, boogie, Miami bass, and techno - the unifying thread being the distinctive vibe that characterised this eclectic mix.

As house, techno, and taving gradually gained prominence along the West Coast, a distinctive interpretation of these evolving sounds took root. Drawing inspiration from influential hubs like New York, Chicago, Detroit, Europe, and notably the UK, which saw a wave of talented young DJs migrate to California, San Francisco became the backdrop for its own version of the second Summer of Love. While the exact chronology might spark debate - some recalling '92, while others leaning towards '93 - what remains indisputable is the era spanning from 1990 to 1994, an unparalleled epoch of exuberant dancefloor revelry on the western shores.

In the face of limited backing from major labels or established independent dance music entities of the time, a grassroots movement of labels and producers emerged organically, ardently championing this distinct sound and catapulting it onto the global stage. This sonic identity was deeply influenced by the Beat, acting as a creative wellspring that informed the musical landscape. While the tracks compiled in these volumes might not encompass the entirety of this transformative musical epoch, they offer a vivid snapshot of the melodious tapestry that coloured San Francisco and the broader West Coast during that era. Each track featured stands as a 100% Sure Shot that was played heavily by DJ Spun back in those very heady days.

Finally, but by no means least, we unveil the third and concluding volume of this extensive, impeccably curated chronicle of San Francisco's underground rave scene and its unique soundscape. Mirroring the same fervour and meticulous track selection as the first two volumes, "The Beat By Spun" is nothing less than indispensable for any dedicated music enthusiast, DJ, or dancer. Once again, this collection showcases an outstanding array of tracks, featuring music from talents like Mattski, Bass Kittens, Hawke, and Deep2, all maintaining the high standards set by the previous volumes. It's a blend of rarities, classics, and obscurities, combining to deliver an exhilarating, almost transcendental experience to those who dare to immerse themselves in the sonics!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Tasti Box - San Francisco 
A2. Mattski - Live At The Brotherhood 
B1. Bass Kittens - Get A Grip (Mission St. Mix) 
B2. Housebound - Electro Rhythms 
C1. Hawke - 3 Moods In A Purple Garden (Robbie Hardkiss Mix) 
C2. Trailmix - Tequilla Sunset 
D1. Studio X - Los Kings Del Mambo 
D2. Deep2 - Sphere

In the late 1980s, disco was taking a backseat to the burgeoning psychedelic scene in San Francisco, marking a pivotal shift in musical culture. A dynamic transformation was underway as the younger generation sought a fresh auditory adventure, all while the devastating AIDS epidemic cast a somber pall over the city's nightlife. Amidst this evolving backdrop, a subtle yet distinct sonic movement quietly emerged within the confines of San Francisco’s vibrant club scene, often referred to as The Beat. Although hip-hop, new wave, gothic, punk, and the burgeoning modern rock genre held considerable sway, the pre-rave clubs in SF witnessed the fusion of these genres into a unique amalgam of sound that insiders dubbed The Beat. This musical tapestry encompassed everything from hip-hop and freestyle to industrial, new wave, boogie, Miami bass, and techno - the unifying thread being the distinctive vibe that characterised this eclectic mix.

As house, techno, and taving gradually gained prominence along the West Coast, a distinctive interpretation of these evolving sounds took root. Drawing inspiration from influential hubs like New York, Chicago, Detroit, Europe, and notably the UK, which saw a wave of talented young DJs migrate to California, San Francisco became the backdrop for its own version of the second Summer of Love. While the exact chronology might spark debate - some recalling '92, while others leaning towards '93 - what remains indisputable is the era spanning from 1990 to 1994, an unparalleled epoch of exuberant dancefloor revelry on the western shores.

In the face of limited backing from major labels or established independent dance music entities of the time, a grassroots movement of labels and producers emerged organically, ardently championing this distinct sound and catapulting it onto the global stage. This sonic identity was deeply influenced by the Beat, acting as a creative wellspring that informed the musical landscape. While the tracks compiled in these volumes might not encompass the entirety of this transformative musical epoch, they offer a vivid snapshot of the melodious tapestry that coloured San Francisco and the broader West Coast during that era. Each track featured stands as a 100% Sure Shot that was played heavily by DJ Spun back in those very heady days.

The second installment of this remarkable journey into the underground scene maintains the same profound level of depth and significance as its precursor. Showcasing tracks from Electroliners, High Lonesome Soundsystem, Single Cell Orchestra, DJ Emma, and Spun's own Central Fire project, all harmoniously enclosed within the captivating and arresting artwork by Villain Standard, this release stands shoulder to shoulder with its forerunner. Beyond a mere compilation, it's an indispensable extension of the narrative that has indelibly shaped the culture of underground American dance music within the region, embodying the era and the individuals involved. This is the authentic underground sound that reverberated across San Francisco and its surrounding environs, a truly distinctive and exceptional moment in time and space.

TRACK LISTING

A1. DJ EFX (Beta Test) - Star Trax
A2. Wechselspannung - 220V (Extract)
A3. Jupiter 6 - A8
B1. The Ultraviolet Catastrophe - The Trip (Trip Harder)
B2. Electroliners - Loose Caboose
C1. High Lonesome Soundsystem - Champion Sound
C2. Single Cell Orchestra - I Hear The DJ’s Here
C3. Jim Hopkins - C’mon Now
D1. Central Fire - Kamba (The Lost Mix)
D2. DJ Emma - The Duster (Fuck Off And Dance Mix) 

In the late 1980s, disco was taking a backseat to the burgeoning psychedelic scene in San Francisco, marking a pivotal shift in musical culture. A dynamic transformation was underway as the younger generation sought a fresh auditory adventure, all while the devastating AIDS epidemic cast a somber pall over the city's nightlife. Amidst this evolving backdrop, a subtle yet distinct sonic movement quietly emerged within the confines of San Francisco’s vibrant club scene, often referred to as The Beat. Although hip-hop, new wave, gothic, punk, and the burgeoning modern rock genre held considerable sway, the pre-rave clubs in SF witnessed the fusion of these genres into a unique amalgam of sound that insiders dubbed The Beat. This musical tapestry encompassed everything from hip-hop and freestyle to industrial, new wave, boogie, Miami bass, and techno - the unifying thread being the distinctive vibe that characterised this eclectic mix.

As house, techno, and raving gradually gained prominence along the West Coast, a distinctive interpretation of these evolving sounds took root. Drawing inspiration from influential hubs like New York, Chicago, Detroit, Europe, and notably the UK, which saw a wave of talented young DJs migrate to California, San Francisco became the backdrop for its own version of the second Summer of Love. While the exact chronology might spark debate - some recalling '92, while others leaning towards '93 - what remains indisputable is the era spanning from 1990 to 1994, an unparalleled epoch of exuberant dancefloor revelry on the western shores.

In the face of limited backing from major labels or established independent dance music entities of the time, a grassroots movement of labels and producers emerged organically, ardently championing this distinct sound and catapulting it onto the global stage. This sonic identity was deeply influenced by the Beat, acting as a creative wellspring that informed the musical landscape. While the tracks compiled in these volumes might not encompass the entirety of this transformative musical epoch, they offer a vivid snapshot of the melodious tapestry that coloured San Francisco and the broader West Coast during that era. Each track featured stands as a 100% sure shot that was played heavily by DJ Spun back in those very heady days.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Above Board shine a spotlight on this lesser celebrated but pivotal moment in the development of San Fran's underground dance culture.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Single Cell Orchestra - Transmit Liberation 
A2. D.J. Prince Ice - Freestyle 
B1. Trip Ta Funk - Ruby’s Flute (Fresh Mex Mix) 
B2. Triple M - Prisoner Of Passion (Funky Dub Mix) 
B3. MC 900 Ft. Jesus - Killer Inside Me (Meat Beat Manifestation #2) 
C1. Unkown Artist - B1 
C2. DJ Emma - Based (Not So Free Mix) 
D1. Seven - Ease (Seven.1 Mix) 
D2. E.T.I. & Graeme - Blue Dreamers (Edit) 
D3. Spins Inc. - The New Frontier (Club Mix) 

2023 Starts with a doubler sided disco action from East Coast Love Affair - Taking the vocal from obscure Minneapolis lo-fi band 'Quiet Storm' master tape (Big up Numero Group) and building a whole new deep disco 45. 'Get Down' is deep dance floor chugger using the O.G studio gear that would have been used at the time, strictly analog business. On the flip, 'Can You Deal' is a more uptempo boogie joint. Both killers as always. Lots more from ECLA this year!!

TRACK LISTING

1. Get Down (feat. Quiet Storm)
2. Can You Deal (feat. Quiet Storm)

Lag & X-Coast drop collaborative project XL Traxx.

Lag is a DJ / producer who has previously released on MORD, THEM, Elements, and Don’t since his first 12” in 2013. X-Coast has released on Steel City Dance Discs, Unknown To The Unknown and his own Riviera Records following his smash debut with the 90s-tinged "Mango Bay" in 2016. Teaming up for the first time, the Serbian duo unleash their new project XL Traxx with a fierce three-track EP on Radio Slave’s Rekids.

Leading the release is the energetic "M-Bomb", bringing heaving kicks, rave stabs, and a classic house vocal snippet together for a rowdy affair. On the flip, "E-Dancer" sees clever sampling and atmospheric pads meet over pounding drums before the propulsive "D-Edge" rounds out the vinyl with slick synthesis and shuffling percussion. All tracks possess that clearly defined air and sophistication of Proper Techno. Harking back to the tribal era, they playing with energy and dynamics in the way that only the best moments of the genre have always done. Like I said - Proper. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Devastating main room techno from Serbia. Rocking that classic high octane vibe (a la DJ Rush / Sims / early Hawtin) perfectly. Guaranteed to make you feel feral for at least 15 minutes.

TRACK LISTING

A1. M-Bomb
B1. E-Dancer
B2. D-Edge

Sourced From The Master Tapes. Original Mono Mixes. Initially Released 1967. Includes printed inner sleeve with rare master reel photos. “The Weirdest, most original man-made sensation I’ve ever experienced.” - Career Magazine (1967). Formed in Los Angeles in 1965, The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band were considered by many to be the West Coast’s answer to the Velvet Underground. The group created California psych/rock music that was both fragile and dreamy. Part One was originally released in 1967 on Frank Sinatra’s Reprise Records. Though they didn’t achieve the fame or notoriety of other bands from the area, they have nonetheless achieved a cult status among collectors and people curious about a rich, albeit short-lived musical genre known as West-Coast Psychedelia. First time reissued in mono, from the original master tapes.

TRACK LISTING

1. Shifting Sands
2. I Won’t Hurt You
3. 1906 4. Help, I’m A Rock
5 Will You Walk With Me
6 Transparent Day
7 Leiyla
8 Here’s Where You Belong
9 If You Want This Love
10 ‘Scuse Me, Miss Rose
11 High Coin

Produced by Matt Ross-Spang, and featuring eleven new, original songs, The Alien Coast is the first SPATBB album tracked in the band’s hometown of Birmingham, AL. The arrangement allowed the octet to spend more time and tap a broader creative community than ever before, resulting in their most ambitious work to date.

Led by singer and lyricist Paul Janeway - a former bank teller and preacher-in-training who learned to sing in his church choir - the octet explore thrilling new territory on The Alien Coast, a fever dream convergence of soul and psychedelia, stoner metal and funk, animated by the very “fire and brimstone” which Janeway invokes in the album’s opening line. Unlimited studio-time allowed individual members of the band to experiment with synths and samples on The Alien Coast, and even collaborate with Birmingham beatmaker and hip-hop artist Randall Turner.

Janeway cites a similarly disparate range of influences that wove their way into the writing for The Alien Coast, from Greek mythology and dystopian sci-fi, to works of art like Bartolomé Bermejo’s Saint Michael Triumphs over the Devil and 17th century Italian sculpture, to colonial-period history books. “The title actually came from reading about the history of the Gulf of Mexico, which is home for us,” he recalls. “When the settlers—or invaders, really—first came to the Gulf Coast they couldn’t figure out what it was, and started referring to it as the Alien Coast. That term really stuck with me, partly because it feels almost apocalyptic.”

TRACK LISTING

3000AD Mass
Bermejo And The Devil
Minotaur
Atlas
The Last Dance
Ghost In Smoke
Alien Coast
Hunter And His Hounds
Tin Man Love
Popcorn Ceiling
Love Letter From A Red Roof Inn

Steadily working their way through my teenage mixtapes, West Coast Classics pair 2 Pac's most emotive moment (I'm happy to have that arguement with anyone - ed) with a slice of low slung gangsta shit from King Tee (and Ice Cube and Breeze). 
2 Pac's heritage, lineage and prominence within the civil rights continuum is second to none, and never did he express his opinion with more power and poetry than on 1993 single "Keep Your Head Up". Musing on the struggle of his community, misogyny, absent fathers and abortion rights, as well as black excellence, Tupac treats us to some of his most famous and pointed lyrics - seriously, it's shockingly relative to 2021! Musically, the Zapp-sampling beat is sweet and soulful, perfectly complimented by Dave Hollister's vocal interpolation of "Ooh Child". 
The B-side brings the lowest slung West Coast shit 1991 had to offer, King Tee's "Played Like A Piano". DJ Pooh slices up a Grover Washington Jr. sample into the kind of shit that makes your Alpine shake, while King T, Ice Cube and Breeze give us that cypher style delivery with maximum attitude. 

TRACK LISTING

A. 2 Pac - Keep Ya Head Up
B. King Tee - Played Like A Piano (feat. Ice Cube & Breeze)

Named after the geographic formations of the seismically volatile Cascadian coastal mountains, the coast/range/arc// reissue features new artwork and an additional track.
Remastered by James Plotkin and available on vinyl for the first time. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Black Tusk
2. Fromme
3. Stave Peak
4. Névé
5. Brohms Ridge
6. Goat Mountain
7. Black Tusk (descent) 

California’s Best Coast - comprised of Bethany Cosentino (guitar, vocals) and Bobb Bruno (guitar) - will release their fourth studio album, Always Tomorrow, produced by Carlos de la Garza with additional production by Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Paramore, M83). Always Tomorrow band’s first album of new studio material since their acclaimed 2015 record California Nights. The band previewed a new song from Always Tomorrow, entitled “For The First Time,” to an incredible response this past fall and have also shared “Everything Has Changed,” whose video, directed by Ryan Baxley, features a number of people from one of Bethany’s favorite shows, Vanderpump Rules.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Best coast have always encompassed the spirit of californian pop-punk but with a knowing nod to stadium rock, with huge guitar riffs and trebly distortion ringing out beneath Consentino's confident and perfectly suited vox.

Beautiful record from Aron Mcfaul on Sweden's West Coast. His second EP to date for the label sees four tracks that loosely skirt between the celestial and cosmic realms of house music. An exception to the other three tracks, "Family Party" on side B bumps and grinds in the basement, stripping back any superfluous energies for a direct and sexy number that'll turn house parties into orgies in the blink of an eye. Throughout the rest of the EP expect fluttering arps, emotive piano, motorik percussive repetition and intergalactic melodies for universal loving. RIYL: Major Problems / Compassion Crew, Firecracker, Leleka, Gil'b / Versatile, Waterpark etc etc.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Anemone
A2. Blue Bells
B1. Family Party
B2. Animal Garden School

Since 2008, Lab Coast has been delivering hazy bursts of hook-laden guitar pop via a string of critically acclaimed, award-winning albums, EPs, and singles. From their basement studio in Calgary, Alberta, the song writing team of singer David Laing & multi-instrumentalist Chris Dadge (Chad VanGaalen, Bug Incision, Samantha Savage Smith) carve out detailed analogue productions; these recordings draw from the wealth of instruments that friends leave at the Lab Coast practice space, and the ever-evolving recording techniques that they've been honing since day one. Their home-brewed recordings sit in the tradition of DIY-recorders such as Strapping Fieldhands, early Guided By Voices, and R. Stevie Moore, while the songs themselves recall the likes of Teenage Fanclub, Tom Petty, and The La's.

Onstage, these richly textured pieces are ably brought to life by Sammie Smith (aka Samantha Savage Smith), Henry Hsieh (Cold Water, Crack Cloud), and Darrell Hartsook (Prenup, Sissys).

Lab Coast is a collection of songs cherry-picked from the band’s extensive back catalogue by Faux Discx overseer Dan Reeves and the band themselves, compiled in to one succinct album. It acts as an introduction to a highly prolific band and as a showcase for their refined ability to consistently knock clever, catchy pop songs out of the park.

TRACK LISTING

1.For Now
2.Really Realize
3.Bored Again
4.As Usual
5.Away From Here
6.Helen Bach
7.Better Than Me
8.Recognize I’m Wrong
9.Remember The Moon Jr
10.The Pointe Of It All
11.Guessing Anyhow
12.Dislocated
13.Walking On Ayr
14.Winter Balls

Revitalising the Ska and 2Tone classics of The Specials, Madness, The Selecter, The Beat and Bad Manners plus many others from the late 70s and early 80s, Blackpool 10-piece band Ska Face sparked a 2Tone revival across the north of England. Not content with just playing the songs of their contemporaries, the boys have been writing songs of their own as well as adapting a select number of recordings for the purists.

Fronted by the enigmatic Tony Montana and featuring a phenomenal four-piece brass section, Ska Face pack a punch from the first note. With a rhythm section as tight as Alberto’s wallet and lead licks that compliment the music perfectly.

Four-track EP 'Instant Karma' features 3 tracks penned by the band as well as featuring a re-work of a Desmond Dekker classic 'This Woman'.

'Soul City Los Angeles' presents recordings which served to establish the musical direction of LA and neighbouring West Coast conurbations in the late 1950s and early 1960s when R&B was evolving into the style that became known as soul. Compiled and annotated by soul music authority Clive Richardson, 'Soul City Los Angeles' is the latest in a series that has previously explored the nascent soul scenes in Detroit, New York and Chicago.

This instalment presents a selection from key independent labels of the area, including Sam Cooke’s SAR and Richard Vaughn’s Arvee, as well as choice items from Aladdin, Liberty, Imperial and Ebb, and collectable releases from more obscure imprints. Famous names on CD1 of this 60-track 2CD set include the Olympics, the Valentinos (aka the Womack Brothers) with ‘Lookin’ For A Love’, the Rivingtons with ‘Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow’, and Johnnie Morisette with ‘Meet Me At The Twistin’ Place’, while CD2 features ‘Ko Ko Mo’ hitmakers Gene & Eunice, both sides of a 1962 single on Rush by Don & Dewey, early recordings by future stars Johnnie Taylor and Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson, and a young Sly Stone as a member of the Viscaynes.

Soul fans of the early 1960s could often figure out the geographic origins of new singles as much by the ‘sound’ as by any knowledge of sometimes obscure artists and labels, with the output of West Coast studios tending to have a ‘harder’ sound in comparison with some more sophisticated (for the era) productions from the opposite coast or the regions of the Great Lakes. Here we have music from the formative period of the soul era in Los Angeles.

Also available as 2LP vinyl collectors edition, featuring 28 of the most sought-after tracks and colour insert.

TRACK LISTING

CD Tracklisting:
CD One

1. Soothe Me (The Simms Twins)
2. Right To Love (The Simms Twins)
3. The Smile (The Simms Twins)
4. You’re Pickin’ In The Right Cotton Patch (The Simms Twins)
5. Stay Where You Are (The Olympics)
6. Baby, It’s Hot (The Olympics)
7. Come On (Earl Nelson)
8. No Time To Cry (Earl Nelson)
9. Lookin’ For A Love (The Valentinos)
10. Somewhere There’s A Girl (The Valentinos)
11. Damper (Johnnie Morisette)
12. Meet Me At The Twistin’ Place (Johnnie Morisette)
13. Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere (Johnnie Morisette)
14. Here Comes The Night (Part 1) (Jimmy Norman)
15. Here Comes The Night (Part 2) (Willie Moon Man Echols_
16. The Heebee Jeebees (Wally Cox)
17. I Can’t Help It (Wally Cox)
18. Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow (The Rivingtons)
19. Deep Water (The Rivingtons)
20. My Reward (The Rivingtons)
21. Waiting (The Rivingtons)
22. The Love I Just Lost (Beamon Young)
23. Some Day (Beamon Young)
24. That Much Of Your Love (Donald Woods)
25. Memories Of An Angel (Donald Woods)
26. All By Myself (Zeke Strong And His Queen Tones)
27. Your Heart Must Be Made Of Stone (Zeke Strong And His Queen Tones)
28. This Is The Nite (The Valiants)
29. Love Game (The Valiants)
30. Frieda Frieda (The Valiants)

CD Two

1. Soul Motion (Don And Dewey)
2. Stretchin’ Out (Don And Dewey)
3. A Whole Lotta Woman (Johnnie Taylor)
4. Why, Why, Why (Johnnie Taylor)
5. Never, Never (Johnnie Taylor)
6. Rome (Wasn’t Built In A Day) (Johnnie Taylor)
7. Looking Back (Johnny Guitar Watson)
8. The Eagle Is Back (Johnny Guitar Watson)
9. Johnny Guitar (Johnny Guitar Watson)
10. Cuttin’ In (Johnny Guitar Watson)
11. Sweet Lovin’ Mama (Johnny Guitar Watson)
12. The Angels Gave You To Me (Gene And Eunice)
13. I Mean Love (Gene And Eunice)
14. I Ain’t Guilty (The Crawford Brothers)
15. It Feels Good (The Crawford Brothers)
16. Just Like That (The Robins)
17. Oh No (The Robins)
18. Glory Of Love (The Velvetones)
19. I Love Her So (The Velvetones)
20. I Pity You Fool (Jennell Hawkins)
21. Don’t Worry Bout Me (Jennell Hawkins)
22. Heavenly Angel (The Viscaynes)
23. Yellow Moon (The Viscaynes)
24. Uncle Sam Needs You (The Viscaynes)
25. That’s All I Ask (Tommy Knight)
26. There’s No Pain (Tommy Knight)
27. Lucy Lee (Lloyd George)
28. Sing Real Loud (Lloyd George)
29. She’s All Right (Troy Walker)
30. I’m Gettin’ Hip (Troy Walker)

LP Tracklisting:
SIDE ONE
1. Meet Me At The Twistin’ Place (Johnnie Morisette)
2. Right To Love (The Simms Twins)
3. Soul Motion (Don And Dewey)
4. No Time To Cry (Earl Nelson)
5. The Heebee Jeebees (Wally Cox)
6. That Much Of Your Love (Donald Woods)
7. Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow (The Rivingtons)

SIDE TWO
1. Soothe Me (The Simms Twins)
2. Stay Where You Are (The Olympics)
3. Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere (Johnnie Morisette)
4. Somewhere There’s A Girl (The Valentinos)
5. Here Comes The Night (Part 1) (Jimmy Norman)
6. Deep Water (The Rivingtons)
7. Some Day (Beamon Young)

SIDE THREE
1. Lookin’ For A Love (The Valentinos)
2. Your Heart Must Be Made Of Stone (Zeke Strong And His Queen Tones)
3. Rome (Wasn’t Built In A Day) (Johnnie Taylor)
4. Looking Back (Johnny Guitar Watson)
5. That’s All I Ask (Tommy Knight)
6. She’s All Right (Troy Walker)
7. Frieda Frieda (The Valiants)

SIDE FOUR
1. Cuttin’ In (Johnny Guitar Watson)
2. Never, Never (Johnnie Taylor)
3. This Is The Nite (The Valiants)
4. There’s No Pain (Tommy Knight)
5. Yellow Moon (The Viscaynes)
6. The Smile (The Simms Twins)
7. Waiting (The Rivingtons)

Fade Away, the first release on Bethany Cosentino's Jewel City label, in partnership with Kobalt Label Services, sets Best Coast off on a new burst of independence and creativity, which includes another album they'll start recording in November for release this Spring.

And it reflects the increased confidence that Cosentino and her bandmate, multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno, gained in the three surreal years since their breakthrough album Crazy For You. Celebrated as darlings of the lo-fi, it lead to defiantly hi-fi events like performing with childhood idols Green Day and No Doubt, dueting with Kendrick Lamar and Iggy Pop, having Drew Barrymore direct their Chloe Moretz-starring video, creating a new collection for Urban Outfitters, and working with the widescreen producer Jon Brion, who's overseen masterpieces by Kanye West and Fiona Apple, on an album that made Rolling Stone and Spin Magazine's Top Albums of 2012. Producing and mixing this time alongside Bethany and Bobb was Wally Gagel, who's recorded over twenty iTunes Originals sessions, including one with Best Coast back in 2011.

This new freedom led Cosentino to a faster-paced, energetic set of songs inspired by Mazzy Star, Patsy Cline, My Bloody Valentine and Ambien. "Everything in this band has worked out so organically that sometimes it scares me that something bad is going to happen. I don't even understand why this is happening. I made some songs, I put them up on the internet, and here I am now. I feel like the luckiest person in the world. If I wasn't doing this, I don't know what I would be doing." - Bethany Cosentino.

Field recordings of the Mijikenda tribes, made in different spots in and around Mukunguni village, coastal Kenya, throughout September 2011: mostly healing music (especially for mental problems), but also love-songs, and spiritual contributions to weddings and burials; mostly in the Sengenya style which evolved in the early twentieth century, adding pace, new Tsikitsi rhythms and extra drums to the traditional Dumbwi forms of the Duruma tribe.

Besides the Sengenya drums - bumbumbu, dahdahe, chapuro, vumi, ngoma - there are lungo and dena (metal rings), kayamba (raft rattle), njunga (bells), ukaya (metal tray), bamba (metal guiro) and bottle-tops. Our album opener is solo dena, played to sound like a bat and heal the village sick, with the ear for frequency and timbre of a stringent minimalist. There are the piercing, reeded nzumari oboe and bung'o horn, sounding like fierce free-jazz improvisation; and two gently stunning marimba solos, with complex, overlaid melodies and rhythms, played in polyphonic accents, almost like talking drums.

Most of the recordings here are songs, with strong tunes, robustly delivered, different solo voices leading the group - to heal; to chase away Pepo Mlume, the devil who poisons the imagination; to get you on your feet, dancing; to celebrate dowry payments and weddings; to bring the Mijikenda cultural inheritance to life. Matatizo - 'Worries' - was recorded spontaneously at a bus-stop, waiting for a ride: it's a Swahili love-song, with a plaintive female vocal performed to the accompaniment of five or so people rubbing their palms together in tight rhythmic patterns. 'The lord conferred this love on us, my sister. Is it human, or from the angels? Flowing out of binoculars... or computers? I can't figure it out, but my heart aches so badly.'

The vinyl set is two ten-inch records, plus the CD, in a gatefold sleeve. Besides photos, both formats contain the musicians' own introductory notes, snatches of translation, and brief track-by-track commentary.

TRACK LISTING

Disc: 1
1. Ndema
2. Dena
3. Mambodze
Disc: 2
1. Matatizo
2. Pepo Mlume
3. Chela
Disc: 3
1. Bung’o
2. Ngoma Wira
3. Bamba
4. Mwanzele
5. Tungwa
Disc: 4
1. Gaserego
2. Kiringongo
3. Puredi

Killer double 7" reissue of the Best Coast debut...

4 tracks, two 7" records...you want this one right?

Limited to 2000... get the buzz. Nicely repackaged as a double 7", gatefold sleeve, makes it really nice...yes sir. The CLASSIC debut.

Slaughter Mob present their next slew of dubbed-out beats here, a bold release featuring the debuts of Lohan and Pop'n'Twinbee. Lohan (one half of Search & Destroy) brings us "Mosquito Coast", a techy, dubby half-step roller that shows a different side to the classic S+D sound. Sci-fi pads build up into a dark, subby drop rife with Timbaland style percussion and a chest rattling bottom-end. Pop'n'Twinbee, new-found producers also making their debut on this release provide some serious dubbed-out business on this one. "Vapour Trail" is a spacious but hard roller, chilling-pads lead up into a cavernous drop, tinged with eerie percussion and some serious bottom-end. A hypnotic journey through the darker side of dubstep. Definitely two to watch out for in the coming year.

With a passing listen, this album sounds like sweet innocent orchestrated pop, but a closer inspection reveals much more. Songwriter Andy Gonzales takes his cue from sophisticated composers spanning several genres - Eric Satie, Thelonious Monk, Burt Bacharach and Os Mutantes to name but a few. The resulting songs are far more complex than your average indie-pop anthems.