What You Shall Reap

Rejoice Jah people, for once more the sublime folks over at Pressure Sounds have managed to dig up some hitherto unreleased material from the Lee Perry vaults. Roaring Lion, subtitled 16 Untamed Black Art Masters & Dub Plates, is yet another wonderful showcase of the genius they call Scratch. Rarities galore, featuring Junior Byles, Augustus Pablo, Jah Lion, and the Fantels, an ensemble I had never even heard of before. Their Stand And Look shimmers just right.
The Fantels - Stand And Look

Listen Listen

"Je suis le voyageur du temps, je vous connais depuis longtemps..." As she did earlier with the Fairports  - remember how Dylan's If You Gotta Go, Go Now became Si Tu Dois Partir? - my fave British female vocalist of all time goes French on us. And that's très bon.
Sandy Denny - Ecoute, Ecoute

Back For A Taste

"The craving will nearly drive you insane..." Got two amazing anti-smack soul scorchers from the early seventies for ya today. Steal, borrow, beg!
Sam Dees - Signed, Miss Heroin
James Brown - King Heroin

Free And Clean

I never minded the mariachi elements on Pancho & Lefty, but to hear that immortal epic without any bells and whistles sure is a treat. Which goes for the majority of tracks on Sunshine Boy actually. One of the reissues of the year for sure.
Townes Van Zandt - Pancho & Lefty (alt. mix)

Sharp As A Razor

Just got the sad sad news that reggae singer Junior Murvin, of Police And Thieves fame, has passed away. Miss him, my brethren. I take it you're familiar with both that masterpiece and the punky reggae party cover by the Clash. So instead here are two interesting takes on the same riddim featuring Mr. Murvin's trademark falsetto, which never ceases to amaze.
Junior Murvin - Philistines On The Land
Junior Murvin - Bad Weed

Sweet Creature

Lush dreampop from Church foreman Steve Kilbey. "I'm as empty as a shell can ever be..." That's a whole lot of zen, my good people.
Steve Kilbey - Shell

Whole Of The Law

Prince Buster's goofiest, you ask? Just might be this little old gem... It's ska time, folks!
Prince Buster - It's Burke's Law

It Pours

An exquisite moodpiece from 1966. Save it for a rainy day, and visit the esteemed Aquarium Drunkard to see what mr. Walker (76 years of age as we speak) is up to now.
Peter Walker - Rainy Day Raga

Above Us Now

"On top of a column, above the sand, out in the desert sun..." The Fairports having a go at Neil's Cinnamon Girl in Fugazi's basement? Nope, it's only Arbouretum. Their driving Renouncer riffs on Saint Simeon Stylites, a cool and rather unusual subject for a rock song. Simeon traveled into the Syrian desert long ago to live on a small platform on top of a column for 36 years, attempting to become closer to god. "I drink the wind around me..."
Arbouretum - Renouncer

Not Of This Earth

In the mood for some more flamenco puro? That's muy bien, chicos. Genuine Spanish six pack for your listening pleasure coming up pronto. Got tickets to see Pansequito next February by the way, with Diego Amaya on guitar. ¡Vamonos!
Enrique Morente con Sabicas - No Soy De Esta Tierra
Pepe De Utrera - Carcelero Si Me Muero
El Chaquetón - Si Sientes Sonar Campanas
Terremoto De Jerez - En La Puerta Con Tu Madre
Pansequito - Ciudad Dos Veces Bendita
Manolo Sanlúcar - Maletilla

826 Skills

You Be My Heart? Why not. Because what we're talking about here is a benefit album for 826, a cool non profit organisation dedicated to fostering writing skills in under-resourced children. Big plus: you can't go wrong with a roster of indie greats including Mark Kozelek, Horse Feathers, Fruit Bats, and Bowerbirds... Out early December; you know what to do. And here are the Bats, sounding rather Dylanesque this time.

Fruit Bats - Christen My Ship (deleted by request of clueless people, sorry...)