BILL FOX - 'SHELTER FROM THE SMOKE'

Formats

• SCAT77 - 2xLPs

  753417007710

• SCAT77CD - 2xCDs

  753417007727

Details

Scat Records offers up a definitive edition of Bill Fox's debut solo disc, Shelter from the Smoke, back in print after more than half a decade. Originally self-released in 1997 and reissued the following year by SpinArt, both previous versions featured different tracklists. This edition includes all songs from both versions, as well as the two tracks from a scarce 1996 Scat 7-inch. This reissue also marks the first time the album has been pressed on vinyl. Fox began his musical journey in early 1980s Cleveland with The Mice, who fused punk energy with British-Invasion-style songwriting and harmonies. He infamously dissolved the group on the eve of a European tour, then dropped out of the scene altogether, with an unfinished Mice LP in the can. In the early '90s, he began a series of home recordings which revealed a growing preference for acoustically based music, and formed the basis for Shelter from the Smoke as well as the follow-up Transit Byzantium (scheduled for a similar reissue treatment next year). Shelter also includes four electric tracks recorded with Fox's short-lived band The Radio Flyers. After a 1998 tour, Fox once again dropped out of music. Now he is performing again. For how long, nobody knows. Fox is one of those rare musicians who really does not enjoy the limelight, even declining an interview with Joe Hagan of The Believer, who went so far as to fly to Cleveland in hopes of meeting him. That and his refusal to "be on the internet" has probably only helped the growing cadre of music fans who sees his solo albums as mysterious, lost classics. Or perhaps they just delight in the ringing sound of Fox's perfectly pitched voice or his deft lyricism. Either way, Fox's two solo albums are jewels not to be missed by anyone who enjoys traditional songcraft or iconic vocalists.

Tracks

1. Over and Away She Goes
2. Appalachian Death Sigh
3. Sara Page 4. Lonesome Pine
5. Get Your Workingman?s Things
6. Let in the Sun 7. Way Way Down
8. Singin? a Melody
9. I?m Not Over Loving You
10. Junked Lot Serenade
11. Jordan Is a Hard Road to Travel
12. You Can Tell Me All Night Long
13. Let?s Be Buried Together
14. Love Ain?t No Feeling
15. Brittany Goes Right Down
16. A Little More 17. Since I?ve Been Gone
18. Baystorm 19. Bird of the World
20. I May Never Know 21. Andnowagain
22. Grand-ville Blues
23. Don?t Lean on My Door, Fever

Press

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Audio & Video

GOD'S CHILDREN - 'MUSIC IS THE ANSWER: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION'

Formats

• MK4 - LP

  824247025417

Details

"Music Is The Answer: The Complete Collection is the first full length release of long lost 1971 sessions from the East L.A. supergroup God’s Children, featuring eight never-before-issued tracks as well as six from long out of print 45s. “With God’s Children, we thought we could speak to the people out there who were hurting, experiencing life and its battles” states the outfit’s co-founder “Little Willie G.” Garcia. For young Latinos Willie Garcia, Ray Jimenez, and Lydia Amescua—the main voices in the group—the door was abierto, and the time was ahora for a mixed-gender, multi-racial Southern Californian combo to stake their claim in rock ’n’ soul redemption. God’s Children was conceived of by Garcia and “Lil’ Ray” Jimenez who had already experienced great regional success with Thee Midniters, crowned princes of the Eastside Los Angeles music scene, who cast the mold for brown-eyed soul and helped define West Coast low rider music in the early ‘60s. Thee Midniters eventually ran its course but Lil’ Ray and Willie both agreed to work together on a new project, adding a teenage girl with a big voice, Lydia Amescua—to be known as Amesqua in the group—to the mix. Inspired by the work of artists diverse as Johnny Rivers and Stevie Wonder, God’s Children began to blend doo wop, funk, and choreography into their new brand of soulful sound. Studio time was booked and arranged for a 40-piece orchestra. Soon, the band was signed to the UNi label and sent into the studio for more recording, this time with Phil Spector’s famed Wrecking Crew. At the time, two singles came out on UNi, but soon, dealing with label hierarchy disillusioned the band members who went their separate ways. These holy relics of Latino Rock conjure the circumstances and conditions under which they were made, and also the sounds of right now: elation and heartbreak, pride of celebration and the ceremonies of Spanish-speaking Californians, living their lives out loud, contributing to the evolution of Chicano rock from Santana and El Chicano, to the Zeros and Ozomatli. "

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Audio & Video

VARIOUS - 'LAND OF 1000 DANCES - THE RAMPART RECORDS COMPLETE SINGLES COLLECTION'

Formats

• MR1001 - BOOK & 4CD

  824247025325

Details

• Complete discography of all Rampart Record singles from 1961- 1977 • 4 CDs with 79 Tracks • 102-page photo loaded hardback book • Essays by Don Waller and Los Angeles Poet Laureate Luis J. Rodriguez • Dozens of exclusive, never-before-published, early photos of Rampart artists with The Beatles (1965 Tour), The Rolling Stones, King Curtis, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Brenda Holloway • Music from The Blendells, Cannibal & The Headhunters, The Soul-Jers, The Four Tempos, Barry White, Phil & Harv, The Village Callers, Eastside Connection, Lava & The Hot Rocks, Ron Holden, Skylite, Topazz, Didi Scorzo, Graciela Palafox, The Switchmen, Pvt Randy Thomas, Sammy Lee & The Summits, Phil & Del, David & Ruben, The Invincibles, and more • Includes “Hector Part 1 & 2” as featured in the film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood  Something musically vital was happening in East Los Angeles when all-around entertainment guru Eddie Davis’ Rampart Records documented the fusion that became the West Coast Eastside Sound. Founded in 1961, Rampart Records is now celebrating its 58th anniversary with this box set collection. Rampart produced music unlike any other—rock & roll and rhythm and blues, but with a Mexican twist. The singles on this collection are from Rampart’s first 17 years, as the sounds changed from doo wop to R&B to garage to funk to disco. Hear East LA’s greatest hits from the West Coast’s longest running independent record company. Discover the amazing history and super-fine music from the classic Rampart Records catalogue, still going strong after 58 years! Among the gems heard on Land Of 1000 Dances is “Hector Parts 1 & 2,” a double-barreled, organ-driven instrumental by The Village Callers, which was heard on the soundtrack to Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino’s hit summer film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. Other top-flight Rampart acts surveyed include the storming, horn-driven garage soul unit The Blendells, whose cover of Stevie Wonder’s single “La La La La La” is a crate digger classic; R&B foursome The Atlantics, whose lineup included future ’70s love man Barry White; soul balladeer Ron Holden; The Soul-jers, the military-garbed duo of former Mixtures vocalists Philip Tucker and Delbert Franklin; Motown-styled vocal quartet The Four Tempos; Latin songstresses Didi Scorzo and Graciela Palafox; and funk / disco pioneers Eastside Connection. Hector Gonzalez, bassist of Eastside Connection, has overseen Rampart’s assets since Eddie Davis’ death in 1994 and co-produced Land Of 1000 Dances with Michael Minky.

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Billboard 10 Best Box Sets of 2019

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FALSE HEADS - 'IT'S ALL THERE BUT YOU'RE DREAMING'

Formats

• LOV002V - LP

  194660944214

• RIFCD002 - CD

  5060446129814

Details

*LIMITED SIGNED CD'S ARE NOW AVAILABLE* Following the rapturous reception of False Heads debut album – Joe Cross (The Courteeners) has reworked ‘Twenty Nothing’ into a hook laden modern classic. Think QOTSA & The Pixies with a bit of The Ramones thrown in. With over 1 million streams on Spotify and over 500K on Apple Music and plaudits a plenty right in the middle of a global pandemic False Heads re-release their debut album with a limited edition ‘Vinyl Effect CD’ containing 2 additional tracks. Plus, the limited-edition Silver vinyl LP. London’s False Heads are about to release their debut album. ‘It’s All There But You’re Dreaming’ is a culmination of 4+ years of hard work from the post-punk trio, who have been going in at full pelt since 2015. The 12 tracks delve deep into the world of gnarly, outspoken real-talk, riff-heavy rock music delivered with maximum authenticity and passion, and they land on Friday 13th March 2020. On the 24th January, False Heads with launch their album campaign by announcing the official release date, as well as releasing pre-order and pre-save links, tour details and ticket links, and finally they’ll be kicking it off with one of their heaviest single’s to date, ‘Rabbit Hole.’ The closing track of the record ‘Rabbit Hole’ will join 2019’s ‘Fall Around’ as the opening two singles of the album. Perfectly demonstrating the versatility in False Heads’ sound, ‘Rabbit Hole’ holds no punches with its devastating guitar work, explosive drops and overall monstrous impact. ‘Fall Around’ is undeniably catchy, with delicate vocal harmonies and an addictive sing-along chorus that will be rattling around venues in no time. Previously released tracks ‘Twenty Nothing,’ ‘Slew,’ ‘Help Yourself,’ ‘Wrap Up’ and ‘Slease’ get a production overhaul, adding a whole new dimension to their original releases. They will join new songs; ‘Whatever You Please,’ ‘Ink,’ ‘Comfort Consumption,’ ‘Come At The King’ and ‘Steady On Your Knees’ to complete the line-up – 5 tracks of brutal awareness, dark, grooving basslines, solid-as-a-rock drumming, snarling vocals and overflowing riffs from the get-go. Without a doubt one of the most followed up and coming UK bands from the last few years, False Heads have delivered a journey of social subject matters, cultural talking points, political opinions and everything in between. ‘It’s All There, But You’re Dreaming’ tackles topics that Luke Griffiths, Jake Elliott and Barney Nash have openly talked about in their lyrics since starting out, making this album their own musical timeline.

Tracks

1. Whatever You Please
2. Fall Around
3. Ink
4. Twenty Nothing
5. Slew
6. Comfort Consumption
7. Come at the King
8. Help Yourself
9. Slease
10. Steady On Your Knees
11. Wrap Up
12. Rabbit Hole

Press

Iggy Pop said 'they are young and talented and going places, if they came to my town I'd show up for that, if they come to your town you might wanna show up.'

ex-Ramones manager Danny Fields has deemed them ?one of the best live bands in the world,?

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KELLEY STOLTZ - 'AH! (ETC)'

Formats

• AGIT057 - LP

  5060446124796

• AGIT057CD - CD

  5060446124802

Details

“I was guzzling wine at my favorite bar in San Francisco, the Rite Spot, and the entertainment that night was some local opera singers singing along with a big video screen showing a collage of various operatic moments with subtitles. One particular subtitle, ‘Ah!-(etc)’ made me laugh, I thought it was a perfect description of life - the joy of existence against the etcetera of it all, the struggle. With a heavy head of rose’ it seemed like ecstatic poetry! I scribbled it on a napkin and thought it might make a good title for something” And so the mystery behind the title of Kelley Stoltz new record is solved. Less of a mystery is the quality contained therein… after 12 self-titled releases and a several more under pseudonyms, Stoltz is the word for “one-man-band-home-recording-pop-songs of idiosyncratic character.” A quick follow up to his more power pop and pub rock LP only “Hard Feelings” offering in the summer, “Ah-(etc)” finds Stoltz returning to his sweet spot, writing songs that never were, but should have been in the 60’s and 80’s. As with other LPs Stoltz makes virtually every noise on the album which was written and recorded in 2019 at his Electric Duck Studio in. San Francisco. A few friends popped in to play along… Stoltz former bandmate, Echo & the Bunnymen’s Will Sergeant adds electric guitar to “The Quiet Ones” a sort of Scott Walker lyrical take on strangers and neighbors. Karina Denike formerly of Dance Hall Crashers adds gorgeous vocals on the bossanova groover “Moon Shy”, where Sergeant pops up again in a spoken word role on the outro. Allyson Baker of SF’s Dirty Ghosts sings on “She Like Noise”, a song Stoltz wrote for her in celebration of her love of seeing live bands. The album was mastered by Mikey Young in Australia. Tour dates scheduled for summer 2021. 

Tracks

01. Team Earth
02. The Quiet Ones
03. Never Change Enough
04. Dodged A Bullet
05. Cold
06. She Likes Noise
07. Some Other Time
08. Moon Shy
09. Darkness Too
10. Chasing The Light
11. Tomorrow
12. Having Fun

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Audio & Video

VARIOUS - 'DENGUE FEVER PRESENTS - ELECTRIC CAMBODIA'

Formats

• MKY1CD - CD

  824247018228

• MKY1 - LP

  824247018327

Details

***BACK IN STOCK!!! This music was recorded in the 1960s and early '70s soon after Cambodia became an independent nation. It was a period of rapid modernization that not only influenced music, but also architecture, sculpture, painting, dance and cinema. For many, it was Cambodia's own artistic renaissance, a time pointing to a hopeful future. This golden era came to a sudden end when the Khmer Rouge took control of the country in 1975 and brutally attempted to destroy any trace of modern society. Sadly, while many of the recordings of modern Cambodian rock and roll survived, most of the artists who created it did not. Over the last decade DENGUE FEVER has culled this compilation of their favorite Cambodian rock and roll from many different cassette tapes. The great music you'll find here is a testament to the spirit of a modern Cambodia that existed not so long ago, and should be remembered today. Was featured on PRI’s The World on 3/11/2010. 

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ESSO TRINIDAD STEEL BAND - 'VAN DYKE PARK PRESENTS'

Formats

• MKYBNR102CD - CD/DVD

  824247024526

Details

***The legendary 1972 Warner Brothers album, produced by VAN DYKE PARKS, now with the original art. This package includes vintage promotional newsletters and photos, plus the classic Calypso recording of the Jackson 5 tune “I Want You Back.” Bonus DVD features the 30-minute 1971 self-titled documentary, a film by Van Dyke Parks and BUD SMITH. The film follows the ESSO TRINIDAD STEEL DRUM BAND from Carnival Trinidad through their historic 1971 tour of America. 

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Audio & Video

THE MIXTURES - 'STOMPIN' AT THE RAINBOW'

Formats

• MKY2 - LP

  824247018426

• MKY2CD - CD

  824247020726

Details

***It all happened at the Rainbow Gardens in Pomona, California, 1960, as THE MIXTURES, mighty kings of the West Coast's Eastside dance hall scene, rocked and ruled the house. As the movement for integration that began in Mississippi and Alabama was taking shape nationwide, it was not only the South that was segregated. In the Southern California of the Fifties, non-white races were more allied, though it was rare you'd find them mixed in a band. As the dawn broke on rock'n'roll, "The Mixtures," a six man party band-- was at different times comprised of African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Caucasians and a Native American, made history. Stepping onstage to the tune of a warm up, the band would move through instrumental superjams like "Turkey Time" and "One Degree North," and crowd-pleasing pop hits like "So Fine" and "Peter Gunn" till the house and all its inhabitants dripped in a cold sweat. By the time they got to Ike and Tina's "It's Gonna Work Out Fine," into which they'd injected their own brand of soul-styled horns and guitar at all the right stops, they'd have the roof tore off. 

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TOM McDERMOTT - 'BAMBOULA'

Formats

• MK3CD - CD

  824247024427

Details

Tom McDermott, a pianist and composer from St. Louis who settled in New Orleans more than 20 years ago, steeped himself in the local lore from the classical compositions of Louis Moreau Gottschalk to the Mardi Gras mambos of Professor Longhair. He also delved further into Latin America — to Argentine tango and to Brazilian choro, a cousin of ragtime — and elsewhere. “Bamboula” (Minky) is a compilation drawn largely from Mr. McDermott’s previous albums. The album is named after a Gottschalk melody that gets a tambourine-tapping choro-meets-traditional-jazz treatment; Mr. McDermott also thoroughly revamps two Scott Joplin pieces. But the other 13 ingenious miniatures, played by small groups that often include Evan Christopher on clarinet, are Mr. McDermott’s own: compositions that can simultaneously invoke Chopin and habanera or New Orleans slow drag and Parisian bal-musette, complete with accordion. The pianist and songwriter Van Dyke Parks chose the tracks, and they reflect his fondness for nostalgia gone surreal — seemingly antiquarian settings where strange twists and turns occur — and for chromatic rambles that end up making sense. Mr. McDermott’s time-warped parlor music turns out to be as wily as it is elegant.

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Audio & Video

BILL FOX - 'TRANSIT BYZANTIUM'

Formats

• SCAT78 - 2xLPs

  753417007819

• SCAT78CD - CD

  753417007826

Details

These newly remastered editions of Bill Fox’s second album are the first since its 1998 release, including the first-ever vinyl pressing. Listeners will hear a wider soundstage, more detail, and improved listenability. Recorded on 4-track cassette, the fidelity belies the sophistication and nuance of the songwriting, This adept remaster by John Golden Sr helps bring definition to the intimate, at-home feel of the album. It sparkles.Very similar in feel and quality to Fox’s debut album, much of Transit Byzantium draws from the same group of recordings. It has the same feel of musical inevitability, that the songs exist beyond time itself, their eventual manifestation guaranteed by Apollo. He could’ve given them to the Everly Brothers, or the Byrds, or the Who, but instead they were channeled through an everyman from Cleveland with an aversion to the limelight. And while a traditional folk influence colors several songs, even those possess the indelible stamp of Fox’s charismatic voice and personality. Although nearly entirely acoustic and with minimal percussion, these eighteen songs cycle through a remarkable variety of textures and moods.While much has quite rightly been written about the god-tier songwriting here (“Song of a Drunken Nightingale,” “My Baby Crying,” “I’ll Give It Away” for starters), it should also be noted that this is a guitar player’s record, though more in terms of conception than flash. Lines of harmony and counterpoint wander between parts, sublime in their invention though sometimes crudely documented.

Tracks

TRACK LISTING
1. From A Dark Night
2. Down To Babylon
3. I?ll Give It Away
4. Thinking Of You
5. Lay You Down
6. Song Of A Drunken Nightingale
7. Quartermaster?s Wintertime
8. Sycamore
9. Mary Of The Wild Moor
10. All Dried Up
11. Dixie Darling
12. My Baby Crying
13. Burning Down A Snowflake
14. Bonded To You
15. Saga Of Bus Station Joe And Rag Luck Addie
16. Portland Town
17. When I Blow

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KINGS OF THE VALLEY - 'KINGS OF THE VALLEY'

Formats

• WSR-021 - LP

  0195081119502

• WSR-021CD - CD

Details

On September 18th Kings of the Valley are finally ready with their selftitled debut album! Three long years have passed since the band released their first EP. Norway’s friendliest band serves critically acclaimed retro prog and catchy stoner rock. Kings of the Valley plays music characterized by intense guitar riffs, melodic bass, pulsating drums and vocal harmonies. The band’s expression has strong common features with seventies rock, psychedelic rock, good old prog rock and stylish stoner rock. Like the EP from 2017, the album was mainly recorded in Brygga Studio in Trondheim by super technician and wonder producer Pål Brekkås and keyboardist and guitar hero Øystein Megård. The gorgeous album cover is designed by art legend Robert Høyem. In 2017, The Wilhelmsen said “Holy cow, these guys can play!”. Ida Jenshus recently stated that Kings of the Valley is “by far the most pleasant rock band in Norway!”, while the drummer’s mother says: “Nice music, but I think it’s a bit noisy.” The debut Kings of the Valley is comprised of a handful of shorter and several lengthy tracks which move thematically and genre-wise within 60s and 70s prog-rock, psychedelic rock and 90s stoner rock in the same vein as King Crimson, Sleep and Motorpsycho. Kings of the Valley is out September 18th on Wonderful & Strange Records and available in Europe from Stickman Records. The album comes on 180gr. vinyl including a fold-out poster.

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The debut full-length by Trondheim-based Kings of the Valley is a
blissful, lush psychedelic rock trip that is bound to delight fans of
Motorpsycho, King Crimson and Yawning Man.

Audio & Video

GROTTO - 'CIRCLE OF MAGI'

Formats

• PSYCHOBABBLE114 - LP

  4046661693317

• PSYCHOBABBLE114CD - CD

Details

*CLEAR TRANSPARENT VINYL*Grotto’s second record from 2018 is available again as a new 180gr. vinyl pressing on Stickman Records. Heavy, progressive, psychedelic instrumental rock for fans of labelmates Elder, Weedpecker and King Buffalo. Grotto is an instrumental three-piece band hailing from Flanders, Belgium, describing themselves as “high-energy pill psychedelia”. Whatever that means exactly is in the ears of the beholder, but one thing is clear - Grotto is a unique beast in the world of heavy underground rock. The foundation of the band is the same leaden groove that propels the stoner rock genre, but Grotto paints with an entirely different pallet of colors. Highly melodic chords and soaring melodies fill the space between thundering drums and mammoth basslines; winding, unconventional song structures lead the listener out of their mind and into the depths of space. Grotto’s second LP Circle Of Magi, originally released in a limited pressing in 2018, is a magnificent piece of heavy psychedelic rock. This new edition on Stickman Records has been made from newly cut lacquers and pressed to transparent 180gr vinyl, looking and sounding better than ever before. Includes download card.

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NEEDLEPOINT - 'WALKING UP THAT VALLEY'

Formats

• BJKCD108LP - LP

  7041881000355

• BJKCD108CD - CD

  704 1881000362

Details

*TRANSPARENT ORANGE VINYL* Needlepoint is a Norwegian group that straddles the border between jazz and prog, carrying the torch of legends such as Soft Machine, ELP, and Camel with a unique Nordic voice. Their upcoming album Walking Up That Valley evokes nostalgia while exploring avenues all its own, feeling both new and familiar at once. Needlepoint was formed by guitarist/ vocalist Bjørn Klakegg around 2010, with the band’s debut being released that same year on Klakegg’s own label. A renowned guitarist and figure within the Norwegian jazz scene, Klakegg found his old British rock heroes from the 70’s step out of the fog of the past when he first met bassist Nikolai Hængsle (Elephant9, Møster!), and thus the Needlepoint sound was born. By 2015, the current lineup was solidified with Olaf Olsen and David Wallumrød, making the band a formidable collection of talent some might deem a Norwegian supergroup. Walking Up That Valley continues the line of development from the band’s past two releases, Aimless Mary (2015) and The Diary Of Robert Reverie (2018), which dug more deeply into the Canterbury prog only hinted at by the band’s first outings. With the group’s maturity has come continued exploration, evinced in a plethora of instruments heard across the album: harpsichord, violin, flute, a choir and more add layers of sonic beauty to an album already bursting with ideas. Between dreamy vintage keyboards, busy drums and percussion, mindbending, jazz-tinged guitar work and deft bass lines, Klakegg’s soft and melodious voice finds room in the mix, tying the album together with tales from the road between reality and fantasy. Walking Up That Valley is sure to please fans of prog, 70’s rock, jazz and even folk rock.

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Audio & Video

CUB SCOUT BOWLING PINS - 'HEAVEN BEATS IOWA'

Formats

• GBVI102CD - CD

  767870664922

Details

Cub Scout Bowling Pins is a new secret identity of indie rock super-heroes GUIDED BY VOICES, turning up the craziness knob by 10%. On January 6, Rolling Stone will be announcing and premiering the track “Heaven Beats Iowa”, an insanely catchy power-pop song, distinctly different from GBV with a farfisa organ chug, by jingo! Real killer popwer pop from the GBV camp!!! Get involved!

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