Herman Düne - Giant 2006

Their first release through the Source Etc. label, Giant is the 2006 album from French trio Herman Düne. Produced by the siblings themselves, the follow-up to Not on Top includes the single "I Wish That I Could See You Soon," the instrumental closing track "Mrs. Bigger," and 14 other alt-pop tracks influenced by the likes of Sonic Youth, Pavement, and Belle & Sebastian. Produced by Richard Formby, it's also the last release featuring drummer André before he left the band for his Stanley Brinks solo career. AMG.

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Dan Hicks - Early Muses 1998

Unissued until 1998, these tracks were recorded in 1967 and 1968, and serve as the missing link between Hicks' days in the Charlatans and his solo career. Thirteen of the 20 songs were recorded by Hicks in October 1967 (when he was still in the Charlatans) as a publishing demo and produced by Nick Reynolds of the Kingston Trio; it was intended both to shop Hicks' compositions to other artists, and to serve as an example of what he could be capable of as a solo artist. The sound on this disc (aside from a snatch of Hicks doing "Home on the Range" in 1953) is very good and clear, usually utilizing accompaniment from other musicians; David LaFlamme, soon to form It's a Beautiful Day, plays violin on the Reynolds-produced numbers. Historical details out of the way, this is a fine disc on its own terms, not as psychedelically inclined as the Charlatans, and not as Western swing-oriented as his work with the Hot Licks. Like the Holy Modal Rounders and Norman Greenbaum (of Dr. West's Medicine Show & Junk Band), Hicksupdated old-timey folk music with contemporary attitude and rock/psychedelic influences. He wasn't as weird as the Rounders or Greenbaum, but he had a similar off-kilter sense of humor and affinity for ticklish wordplay; he was also more melodic and accessible than either of those acts. Early Muses has a few songs that went on to become some of the more popular items in his Hot Licks repertoire ("How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away?," "The Innocent Bystander," "Canned Music"), but most of the rest, which include some songs totally unavailable elsewhere, is well up to that standard. "Shall I Ask an Elf?" and "I've Got a Capo on My Brain" are good examples of his engaging screwball humor with its bemused view of life as a gentle cosmic joke. Cuts like "The Gypsy's Secret," "He Don't Care" (with its unusual autoharp), and "The Innocent Bystander" illustrate his deft way with unconventional and attractive minor-key melodies that fork off in unexpected directions. Heartily recommended to those looking for '60s music combining folk, psychedelia, and witty songwriting. AMG.

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Camper Van Beethoven - Telephone Free Landslide Victory 1985

They say "never say never," but it's still extremely unlikely something so goofily low-key, inventive, and fun will ever achieve cult status so quickly again, especially in terms of musical range on display. Not simply a rock group but not anything else, Camper Van Beethoven pulled off a series of entertaining fusions throughout its debut record, as the opening song "Border Ska" indicates by name alone. Eastern European folk, tropical grooves, post-punk atmospherics, country laid-back good times, psych/garage band aesthetics, lyrics about Mao, Greece, and more -- a lot of stuff went into the Santa Cruz band's brew, and most of it came up trumps on Telephone. Lowery's lead vocals aren't much like what his more famous work in Cracker would indicate, being more speak-singing through shaggy dog stories (even one about Lassie) of all stripes. Hearing his tale of woe on "Wasted" -- "I was a punker, and I had a Mohawk/I was so gnarly and I drove my dad's car" -- delivered in a "yeah dude" tone of voice is pretty darn funny.Segel's keyboards and violins color the arrangements with a fun touch, while rhythm team Krummenacher and then recently departed drummer Anthony Guess try out nearly everything at least once. The production is eminently suited for the proceedings, sounding a bit like the thick, fuzzy flow of many Shimmy-Disc releases but with just enough of a crisp edge. When it comes to humor, it's everywhere -- for instance, the plaintively sung chorus of "Where the Hell Is Bill?," not to mention the various speculative answers ("Maybe he went to get a Vespa scooter"). Or, of course, the song that kick-started the band's reputation, "Take the Skinheads Bowling," two and a half minutes of chiming, goofy nonsense with references to Jah and incomplete rhymes. AMG.

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Lawrence David - Valeu 2013

Lawrence is a Brazilian musician, composer and accomplished guitarist, from Portalegre, Rio Grande do Sul, which left its mark in several rock bands since the late '60s, we now have a unique opportunity to follow his versatile musicianship with a compilation launched by an obscure publisher Mashoes Records. Don't miss it.

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Roy Rogers - Rhythm & Groove 1996

A northern California-based blues guitarist, Roy Rogers works firmly out of a Delta blues acoustic style and is particularly good with a slide. A member ofJohn Lee Hooker's '80s Coast to Coast Band, Rogers produced and played on Hooker's Grammy-winning comeback album, The Healer, and its follow-up, Mr. Lucky. During the early '70s, Rogers played with a variety of Bay Area bar bands. In 1976, he and harpist David Burgin recorded A Foot in the Door, which was released on Waterhouse Records. For the next few years, he played in various bands before he formed his own, the Delta Rhythm Kings, in 1980. Two years later, John Lee Hooker asked Rogers to join his Coast to Coast Band and the guitarist accepted. Rogers stayed with Hooker for four years, leaving in 1986. That same year, he released his debut album, Chops Not Chaps, on Blind Pig Records. The record was successful with blues audiences and was nominated for a W.C. Handy Award.

In 1987, he released his second solo album, Slidewinder, which was followed two years later by Blues on the Range. In 1990, Rogers producedHooker's The Healer, and the following year he produced the iconic bluesman's Mr. Lucky, which also won a Grammy. In 1991, Rogers recorded a duet album, R&B, with harmonica player Norton Buffalo. The following year, the duo released another record, Travellin' Tracks. Rogers' output lagged in the mid-'90s, but he worked steadily at the end of the decade, performing concerts across America and recording albums like 1997's Rhythm & Groove and 1998's Pleasure + Pain. He recorded an album in 2001 withShana Morrison (Van Morrison's daughter) and released an instrumental album entitled Slideways in 2002. A duet album with Norton Buffaloappeared later that year called Roots of Our Nature. Split Decision was issued by Blind Pig Records in 2009. AMG.

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Rip Rig & Panic - I Am Cold 1982

Named after a terrific '60s jazz album by Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Rip, Rig & Panic answered the question: What happens when avant-garde post-punks collide headlong with a pop/soul singer and play a mutated form of jazz? A loosely knit collection of ex-Pop Group members (Gareth Sanger and Bruce Smith) and young stars-to-be (Neneh Cherry), Rip, Rig & Panic formed in 1980 as quintessential avant-garde bohemians. They eschewed pop for a more primal, percussive foundation (slightly reggae, slightly Afro-pop), upon which was layered free jazz blowing and honking, soulful singing, and Cecil Taylor-inspired piano mania. But, as intense as this music was, it wasn't done with a dry academic seriousness; quite the contrary, Rip, Rig & Panic were all about fun and playfulness. Even the song titles ("Constant Drudgery Is Harmful to Soul, Spirit & Health" and "Those Eskimo Women Speak Frankly") sounded more like surreal announcements than they did traditional, catchy song titles. Arguably the most likable bunch of avant-garde types ever to record music, Rip, Rig & Panic called it a day after three mostly wonderful, if somewhat inconsistent records. If your taste in music, even fringe music, is such that a strong melodic focus is necessary, than perhaps this won't be your cup of tea. However, if you don't mind a little chaos with your funk, then give this heady mix a chance; it will work its way into your heart, head, and feet. As for the members, Bruce Smith joined Public Image Ltd. for a spell, and Neneh Cherry became a huge pop star (deservedly so) with her first solo record. 
With additional help from ex-Slits singer Ari Upp and Cherry's stepfather, noted jazz trumpeter Don Cherry, I Am Coldis a slightly more mature work, but the exuberance and all-out craziness that marked their debut is here in full force. A little rambling, but an approach to music unlike one you've heard before. AMG.

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Sheila E. - In Romance 1600 1985

In 1985, a 25-year-old Sheila Escovedo, aka Sheila E., followed up her debut solo album, The Glamorous Life, with the equally Prince-influenced Romance 1600. The album cover found Escovedo and her band members sporting the attire of 17th century Europe, and the musicians were given such names as Dame Kelly, Benentino the Wizard, the Earl of Grey, and Sir Stephan. But once you get past the aristocratic imagery, Romance 1600 isn't much different from The Glamorous Life. Although Escovedo did most of the writing and producing herself, Prince's influence is strong throughout the album -- "Bedtime Story," "Sister Fate," and other selections all have that distinctive Minneapolis vibe. The only track that Prince co-wrote and co-produced with Escovedo is the funk gem "A Love Bizarre," which became a major hit and finds the two of them performing a vocal duet. As a vocalist, Escovedo never had Prince's range, but likeMadonna and Janet Jackson, she demonstrates that singing can be meaningful even if the artist doesn't have the world's biggest voice. Although The Glamorous Life remains Escovedo's most essential album of the 1980s,Romance 1600 is a respectable follow-up and is also highly recommended to fans of Minneapolis funk-rock. AMG.

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Peter Green - The Clown 2001

Peter Green is regarded by some fans as the greatest white blues guitarist ever, Eric Clapton notwithstanding. BornPeter Greenbaum but calling himself Peter Green by age 15, he grew up in London's working-class East End. Green's early musical influences were Hank Marvin of the Shadows, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Freddie King, and traditional Jewish music. He originally played bass before being invited in 1966 by keyboardist Peter Bardens to play lead in the Peter B's, whose drummer was a lanky chap named Mick Fleetwood. The 19-year-old Green was with Bardens just three months before joining John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, whose rapidly shifting personnel included bassist John McVie and drummer Aynsley Dunbar. A keen fan of Clapton, Green badgered Mayall to give him a chance when theBluesbreakers guitarist split for an indefinite vacation in Greece. Green sounded great and, as Mayall recalls, was not amused when Clapton returned after a handful of gigs, and Green was out.

Green emerged in the late '70s and early '80s with albums In the Skies,Little Dreamer, White Sky, and Kolors, featuring at times Bardens, Robin Trower drummer Reg Isidore, and Fairport Convention drummer Dave Mattacks. He reprised the Then Play On Mac standard "Rattlesnake Shake" on Fleetwood's solo 1981 album, The Visitor. British author Martin Celmins wrote Green's biography in 1995. Psychologically troubled, on medication, and hardly playing the guitar for most of the '90s, the reclusive Greenresumed sporadic recording in the second half of the decade. He surfaces unexpectedly from time to time, most prominently January 12, 1998, whenFleetwood Mac was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In a rare, perfect moment, Green jammed with fellow inductee Santana on "Black Magic Woman."When Green left Mayall in 1967, he took McVie and Fleetwood to foundPeter Green's Fleetwood Mac. Jeremy Spencer and Danny Kirwan shortly afterward gave Fleetwood Mac an unusual three-guitar front line. Green was at his peak for the albums Mr. Wonderful, English Rose, Then Play On, and a live Boston Tea Party recording. His instrumental "Albatross" was the band's first British number one single and "Black Magic Woman" was later a huge hit for Carlos Santana. But Green had been experimenting with acid and his behavior became increasingly irrational, especially after he disappeared for three days of rampant drug use in Munich. He became very religious, appearing on-stage wearing crucifixes and flowing robes. His bandmates resisted Green's suggestion to donate most of their money to charity, and he left in mid-1970 after writing a harrowing biographical tune called "The Green Manalishi."After a bitter, rambling solo album called The End of the Game, Greensaddened fans when he hung up his guitar, except for helping the Maccomplete a tour when Spencer suddenly joined the Children of God in Los Angeles and quit the band. Green's chaotic odyssey of almost a decade included rumors that he was a gravedigger, a bartender in Cornwall, a hospital orderly, and a member of an Israeli commune. When an accountant sent him an unwanted royalty check, Green confronted his tormentor with a gun, although it was unloaded. Green went to jail briefly before being transferred to an asylum.When Clapton left the band for good six months later to form Cream, Mayallcajoled Green back. Fans were openly hostile because Green was not God, although they appreciated Clapton's replacement in time. Producer Mike Vernon was aghast when the Bluesbreakers showed up without Clapton to record the album A Hard Road in late 1966, but was won over by Green's playing. On many tracks you'd be hard-pressed to tell it wasn't Claptonplaying. With an eerie Green instrumental called "The Supernatural," he demonstrated the beginning of his trademark fluid, haunting style so reminiscent of B.B. King. AMG.

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