Say what you want about the Cult, a band who will certainly go down as one of the most schizophrenic in rock history, but singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy could sure write a great tune. Just glance at a few titles included on the greatest-hits collection Pure Cult: The Singles 1984-1995: "Edie (Ciao Baby)," "Love Removal Machine," "She Sells Sanctuary," "Wild Flower," "Fire Woman," "Rain," "Lil' Devil" – you get the picture. Spread haphazardly across the disc (rather than in chronological order), each track's uniqueness is even more evident, further showcasing the Cult's fearless creativity. Early songs such as "Spiritwalker" and "Resurrection Joe" will surprise most fans with their class and maturity, while later cuts like "Wild Hearted Son," "Heart of Soul," and "Coming Down" (from their disappointing latter-day albums) are given new life when viewed on their own merits.

Throughout the distinct phases of their recording career, from straight rhythmic gospel to Civil Rights protest anthems, to what might be called soul folk to the funky grit of their Stax years, the Staple Singers always delivered songs that said something, and even when the grooves of songs like 1971's "Respect Yourself" or 1972's reggae-tinged "I'll Take You There" were sending people to the dancefloors, the lyrics were hopeful, message-driven missives of support for a better self, a better community, and a better world. Stax Profiles is a fine anthology which collects tracks recorded between 1968 and 1975 during the Staple Singers productive stay at Stax Records, and includes both "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There," as well as the powerful "City in the Sky," "Touch a Hand, Make a Friend," "Are You Sure," with its brilliantly staggered vocals, and the Steve Cropper produced "Long Walk to D.C." There isn't a single lame track here, and while there are lengthier collections of the Staple Singers' Stax years on the market, this one has a wonderful flow.

Founded in 1950 King subsidiary Federal mainly devoted it's release schedule to Rhythm and Blues, but also branched out into hillbilly and rockabilly recordings. The label was responsible for James Brown's million selling Please, Please, Please as well as classics Have Mercy Baby by the Dominoes and Only You by the Platters.

With their 27th studio album, the GRAMMY® Award-winning, jazz-pioneering Yellowjackets return to redefine jazz fusion once again. Known for their genre-blending sound and impeccable musicianship, Russell Ferrante, Bob Mintzer, Dane Alderson, and Will Kennedy deliver a fresh yet timeless listening experience that’s as adventurous as ever. Fasten Up bursts with the Yellowjackets’ signature energy, featuring 11 tracks, including 10 originals and a lively cover of Ben Tucker's "Comin' Home Baby," with the standout original "The Lion" showcasing the talents of Raul Midón.

This is the first official release by The Ducks - a short lived group that Neil played with in 1977. The Ducks featured Neil (guitar, harmonica and vocals), Bob Mosley (bass and vocals), Jeff Blackburn (guitar and vocals) and Johnny Craviotto (drums). Mosley was an original member of Bay Area band Moby Grape; Blackburn had previously fronted his own band and co-wrote with Neil the classic track “My My Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)”.

EXTRAORDINARY 1984 BROADCAST RECORDING FROM NEIL & THE HORSE in 1984, Young toured with both the International Harvesters during the annum s second leg, while earlier, in February, he stepped out, briefly, with Crazy Horse. The 1984 California Club Tour was a 2-date, 4-show residency at Santa Cruz s Catalyst Club, across the 6th & 7th of the month, with two shows played on each day. The late show on the 7th was recorded for FM Radio Broadcast, and is released here, in its entirety, for the first time on CD. A quite extraordinary show for a number of reasons, not least the dynamic performance the band gave, but even more enticing, is that the audience and those listening in on the wireless, were treated to no less than five previously unreleased cuts. Kicking off with a pair of such in Rock, Rock, Rock and So Tired , the group pepper the rest of the gig with three further gems absent from any NY albums, both then and now: I Got A Problem , Stand By Me and Touch The Night .

Legendary guitarist and composer Kurt Rosenwinkel put together visionary jazz musicians Aaron Parks (Piano & Keys), Eric Revis (Acoustic Bass), and Greg Hutchinson (Drums) for his new album. The exhilarating recording Undercover: Live At The Village Vanguard is a selection of seven of Rosenwinkel’s original compositions, captured over three nights of their week-long run at the historic Village Vanguard, the legendary New York jazz club that has been host to the defining artists in jazz, including Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, and countless others. Undercover: Live At The Village Vanguard captures the joyous, visceral energy of Rosenwinkel’s masterful quartet, and easily finds its place in the continuum of historic recordings made there.

Joy In Repetition is the first ever anthology of some of the best of Hot Chip. It covers the band’s work, from their landmark EMI/DFA debut, The Warning, and traces their artistic evolution up to the present day. Packed with stone-cold bangers from across their career: "Ready For The Floor,” “I Feel Better,” and “Flutes,” to name a few. Alongside, new track, "Devotion", which sees the band in full voice, merging pop hooks with their unique dancefloor mentality.

Ella Fitzgerald virtually invented the live album. The reason is simple: her performances were so consistently great that almost any live show was special enough to release as a record. In a sense, for Ella Fitzgerald, every night was The Moment of Truth. But this previously unknown concert stands out from the pack. In the summer of 1967 Ella Fitzgerald was in a particularly interesting place. She was in the middle of an especially rewarding three-year touring and recording collaboration with Duke Ellington and was incorporating hit pop songs of the late-60s into her concert repertoire—two of which are presented here for the first time on record.

Here you have three absolutely breathtaking jazz performers locked into a studio for a day or so. From this combination of guitar, standup bass, and acoustic drum kit, you've got nine tracks of sheer jazz joy – three guys just blowing for the hell of it, recorded on the fly. There's a strong sense here that engineer Rob Eaton probably tried to get everybody properly set up and balanced before the session started and just gave up when everybody started playing. It's a delight to hear, because everything has gone into the performance, which is spontaneous and graceful – no going back for the next take here. Pat Metheny's playing is definitely modernistic, highly fluid, almost liquid lightning – no effects boxes here, though (he does play Synclavier on the last track, "Three Flights Up," but it's great anyway). Roy Haynes, likewise, should be heard by anybody wanting to get behind the traps: this man has a sense of humor, and he's a blur of motion. Dave Holland, on bass, is no slouch either, keeping pace with Metheny's guitar lines, and balancing up against Haynes' drums. Together, these guys are incredible.