whose stellar songcraft sadly flew under the radar The Seeds, The Electric Prunes, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy, The Everpresent Fullness, The Bobby Fuller Four.  (less)

Future Artists Such as the Beach Boys and the Mama’s and the Papa’s. With the Hi-lo’s You Can’t Go Wrong. This is Without a Doubt One of the Most Unique Vocal Groups of their Time and with a Vocal Range Like No Other Especially in the Higher Register.  (less)

tracks from the eclectic/outrageous jazz consciousness originator - Sun Ra Arkestra, 60's psychedelic blues quintet Outlaw Blues Band, legendary reggae drummer (Burning Spear) Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Jamaican record label head/DJ Producer Prince Jazzbo, and Madlib's own tunes- as Beat Konducta (solo) & with collaborator Jaydee (Jaylib) and an exlusive track "Infinity". Hailing from the unlikely beach town of Oxnard, 40 miles north of Los Angeles, the multi-dimensional Madlib quickly rose to prominence as one of the most interesting figures in late-'90s hip-hop. His expansive style and deft touch for composition made him one of hip-hop's most sought-after producers. An enthusiastic crate digger, with a deep reverence for jazz ...  (less)

yet heard in this new millennium." - ALL MUSIC GUIDE "While being from Argentina certainly keeps Los Natas from getting the attention they deserve, it has certainly helped them to craft a sound that is all their own ... hopefully with this disc, the guys will get the attention they really deserve and turn more of us gringos on to what we've been missing for the past three albums." - BULLY "Once again, there is nothing evil about a band whose name is Satan spelled backwards: just heavy psychedelia the way it should be." - DIGITAL METAL "Along with a little change in their name, the Argentinean masters of trippy heaviness decided to experiment with their sound as well. While the successful recipe of writing brilliant sonic journe...  (less)

Fijacion Oral, Volumen 1 is the first of two new discs; an English counterpart is due in November. Shakira's bleating, biting voice is in fine form, and it gives the material an electric urgency. She's girlish and innocent during the glittering "Dia de Enero" and sensual and seductive amid the thundering beats of "Lo Imprescindible." A talented stable of producers, including former Soda Stereo vocalist Gustavo Cerati, has swathed Shakira in rhythm-based arrangements. But the album's best moments come when Shakira channels her inner--and innate--rock goddess. "La Tortura" is a hurts-so-good break-up duet with Alejandro Sanz, and "Escondite Ingles" rides a beach-party guitar groove. --Joey Guerra  (less)

(side-by-side references to cell phones and Shirley Temples, for instance, in "Sorry, Sorry"). "Daisy Duke" mirrors a night-before/morning-after scenario with its Rivers Cuomo-esque structure of vulnerable verse/mock-tough chorus, while "I’m Shakin'" almost matches the Dandy Warhols' obsession with the Cars as a next-big-source of retro sound. But singer-guitarist Robert Carmine protests readymade Britney and Justin types too much on the overdramatic change of pace "Popstars." After all, can there really "killers of rock & roll" as long as unassuming bands like Rooney are around? -- Rickey Wright  (less)

career. Yet White Sport Coat contains forays in all these directions. It features some of his most enduring songs, such as the sweet, sentimental "He Went to Paris," "I Have Found Me a Home," and the outrageous "Why Don't We Get Drunk (and Screw)." There's a pleasant island breeze blowing on "Cuban Crime of Passion," while "The Great Filling Station Holdup" and "Peanut Butter Conspiracy" offer early evidence of Buffett's humorous storytelling abilities. It's a compelling, unpretentious disc and one of Buffett's best. --Daniel Durchholz  (less)

disc of this four-CD, 89-track anthology, from the living room demos and indie singles that pushed them to a Hollywood Bowl battle of the bands victory while still teens to their first triumphs for A&M Records, just across town in Hollywood. Assembled, burnished, and annotated with loving care by Richard Carpenter, it's a collection that chronicles an expansive musical vision rooted in prerock pop, yet fueled by the ambitious, neo-baroque arrangement consciousness of the '60s L.A. music scene. Karen Carpenter's warm, inviting alto may have been the band's trademark, but it's Richard's perfect studio frameworks--and a far-ranging taste for material that spans standards, Bacharach's "Close to You," Leon Russell's "Superstar," "A Song...  (less)

season with their collective voice. The entire Broadway and New York community have come together with all parties donating their services on an expedited basis to make this album a reality. These donations include the producing services of two-time Grammy nominee Tony Moran; the donation of studio time at recording studios around New York and Los Angeles to record the vocals and music for the 20 artists appearing on this album; the donation of artist time to record these songs from Broadway legends including Liza Minnelli, Alan Cumming, Audra McDonald, Jane Krakowski, Christine Ebersole, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Sam Harris, Lea DeLaria, Gary Beach, Roger Bart, Liz Callaway, Ann Hampton Callaway, Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Patrick Wilson, Billy Porter, Li...  (less)

the rock-pop body of work initiated by The Beatles and The Beach Boys and propagated by subsequent groups such as Queen, E.L.O., Cheap Trick, The Cars, Jellyfish and Weezer. Lead singer Robert Schwartzman wrote all of the songs on "Calling the World" after searching for a sound that would at once rock and "also make people dance." The first single from "Calling the World" is "When Did Your Heart Go Missing?" - an effervescent head-bobber with an infectious chorus. The colorful video was shot in various locations in Los Angeles by noted director Benny Boom (50 Cent, Missy Elliot) and depicts a day in the California life of Rooney, complete with afternoon wake-up, beach bar-b-q house party, classic car Hollywood cruise an...  (less)

artists who have obviously influenced his own writing, but he extends the selection to include some surprise choices, such as Jackson Browne, the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia, and the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson. As revelatory as the songs he selects is what Alvin does with them, turning Browne's "Redneck Friend" into a shuffle worthy of Big Joe Turner and giving an equally bluesy twist to Fogerty's "Don't Look Now," while removing the blues that had characterized Los Lobos' original version of "Down on the Riverbed" in favor of a banjo-driven folk arrangement. The opening rendition of John Stewart's "California Bloodlines" establishes the album's theme; the closing "Surfer Girl" is a stunner, Alvin's most te...  (less)

Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Kanye West, Jill Scott, Los Lonely Boys, Jackson Browne, BeBe Winans, Lionel Richie, Adam Levine, Keb' Mo' and John Legend. The project features current and classic material as well as new music heard here for the first time including speech excerpts from President elect Barack Obama intertwined throughout the project. In collaboration with the Barack Obama presidential campaign, this first ever-political soundtrack has been produced by Hidden Beach Recordings. In this unprecedented approach to using music as an integral character within a political campaign to raise the awareness and importance of voting by utilizing the power and influence of music and its recording artists in support of various...  (less)