Posts Tagged ‘private press’

Stanton Davis “Brighter Days” and Cultures of Soul Records!

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011

Massachusetts’ Stanton Davis originally released Brighter Days, a seminal jazz funk masterpiece, back in 1977. For the first time in decades it’s available again thanks to the fine folks at Cultures of Soul Records. Davis was mentored by the great jazz legend George Russell and later formed the Ghetto Mysticism Band in Boston, MA. Last week we sat down with Cultures of Soul’s Deano Sounds to talk about the label and Brighter Days.

Tell us about Cultures of Soul. You got the label, the store, blog…lots going on!

Cultures of Soul first started as a radio show on Viva Radio, showcasing the best and rarest soul all over the world in the broadest sense. By this I mean not just American soul but Brazilian soul, Afro funk, latin soul, soul jazz, jazz funk, etc. Since then I’ve started a label releasing rare soul on 7 inch and now our first full length by Stanton Davis. I also value the whole experience and culture of this music so our website also includes interviews with interesting record collectors, DJs, and musicians.

How did you discover Brighter Days and what made you want to release it?

I discovered the Brighter Days album through looking for rare local records. I have an affinity with rare local Boston records and when I heard Stanton’s music it blew me away.

What’s Stanton Davis’ story? From reading his brief Wikipedia entry he’s done a lot of teaching and side man work but only put out a few releases.

Stanton has done everything. He’s a composer, a brilliant trumpet player, an educator, and a very intelligent man. He’s also played with everyone and he’s full of amazing stories.

Private press / regional records have been getting a lot of attention the last few years. How does Brighter Days’ fit in this tradition of privately released albums.

Originally it was released on a small label out of Somerville, MA called Outrageous Records owned by jazz educator, Phil Wilson. I believe his label only put out two records. Anyways it was pressed in limited quantity and was only released regionally with no promotion behind so it never made it out of the area.

What’s up next on the label?​

Next up on the label we are releasing an LP version of Brighter Days in June and we continuing our 7 inch releases with a compilation of our 7 inch releases coming out in the summer. ​

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For audio samples and to order Stanton Davis Brighter Days click HERE!

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Posted in Distro, The Distribution Tango, This Just In!, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Just In! David Sinclair “Take My Hand” – Canadian private press magic!

Wednesday, July 6th, 2011

Take My Hand is an essential Canadian private press LP from 1973! Mixing West Coast psych-folk-rock stylings with mellow dreamy acoustics and occasional female backing vocals, this album wears its damaged heart on its sleeve. For you suicidal types, the album also has a couple of great downer tracks with sparse arrangements. Hurts so good! Highlights include: “A Tale Of Raven”, “To Know You”, “Three Hour Ride” and “This Time Around”. Fans of David Wiffen, Kauffman/Caboor Songs From Suicide Bridge and Vernon Wray will dig this.

This CD features fully remastered audio–from the original tapes–and includes 7 previously unreleased bonus tracks! Big thanks to the folks at Regeneration Records for making this rare and collectible album available again.

For audio samples and to order David Sinclair Take My Hand (Regeneration Records) CLICK AWAY!

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Posted in Distro, New Releases, news, This Just In! | 1 Comment »

A jazz-funk odyssey with Melton Brothers Band – “Livin’ In The City”!

Thursday, July 7th, 2011

We have our friends over at Favorite Recordings to thank unearthing this jazz-funk gem. The Melton Brothers Band is comprised of identical twin brothers Dale (Piano/Vocals) and Dennis (Bass/Vocals) Melton, Alfie Moss (Lead Vocals/Percussion), Tyrone Wilson (Drums/Vocals) and Bill Allman (washboard/percussion). Their one and only, self-produced album Living in the City was recorded live over the course of three different performances in Delaware and Pennsylvania during the summer of 1978. Alfie and Melton Brother’s Band had been playing together since 1972, which is the era that most of their influence is inherited from. The title track “Living in the City”, is hard to pinpoint, freely utilizing elements of jazz, funk, blues, and soul. But vague genre adjectives don’t really do the track justice.

Alfie’s soaring vocals dance above and below the melody with an astonishing range and self-assured grace that is distinctly reminiscent of the legendary jazz vocalists of her early years. Dale’s keyboard workout instantly sets the warm mood, as Dennis keeps the rhythm and Tyrone supplies the addicting boom-bap that simply makes you want to move. But the message of “Living in the City” is what really hits hard – the lyrics of the chorus meaningfully explain an infinitely complicated mindset in a very humble and inspirational manner.

Unfortunately this album was a promo piece for the studio that The Melton Brothers never got off the ground so the amount produced and distributed was extremely limited. This is the first time forgotten gem has been reissued and the packaging is done right with an old-school “tip-on” sleeve and full color insert. Bam!

For audio samples and to order The Melton Brothers Band with Ms. Alfie Moss – Livin’ In The City, click yr clicker HERE!

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Posted in Distro, New Releases, news, This Just In! | 1 Comment »

Indonesian private press rock God Benny Soebardja! Strawberry Rain reissues out this week!

Monday, May 21st, 2012

Strawberry Rain continue to dig deep into the 60s / 70s Indonesian rock scene with these four releases covering Benny Soebardja’s 70s private press records.  Benny Soebardja, the self-proclaimed founder of the private press scene and by all accounts one of the most important figures from the Indonesian music industry finally gets his due with these reissues.  Having been a member of bands such as The Peels, Shark Move and the infamous Giant Step, Benny left his mark across many memorable albums throughout the years, including his contributions to the recent Those Shocking, Shaking Days compilation (which was curated by Strawberry Rain’s MoSS) on Now Again.  During the mid 70′s, Benny also recorded solo efforts, which many regard as some of the best music to ever surface from the region.  With the help of British poet Bob Dook, Benny recorded numerous English based songs filled with incredible musicianship and melodies that have an underlying progressive nature.  Backed by the almost unknown Lizard (which contained members of both Giant Step and Harry Roesli’s Philosophy Gang), his solo efforts are in line with the sound of his other bands, yet stand on their own as a unique progressive offering.

Having almost been signed to Virgin Records UK in the 70′s as a part of Giant Step, his talents were apparent and would be world renown by this time if not for his music being lost within Indonesia all these years.  Here, for the first time we present to you his first three private press solo efforts, Lizard, Gut Rock and Night Train.  Unlike many bands within the Indonesian scene, Benny had no label influence while recording these offerings, making them true private press recordings without any filler.  All three albums are included as a 2 x CD set with a 36 page booklet full of concert photo’s, album covers and information about Benny’s musical history. In addition, you can pick up each as a true-to-original vinyl reissue. Choices abound!

Benny Soebardja The Lizard Years (SR002) | 2x CD with 36 page book | For more info, audio samples and to pre-order click here.

Benny Soebardja Lizard (SR002A) | LP – only 125 copies available WORLDWIDE | For more info, audio samples and to pre-order click here.

Benny Soebardja Gut Rock (SR002B) | LP - 500 copies available WORLDWIDE | For more info, audio samples and to pre-order click here.

Benny Soebardja Night Train (SR002C) | LP - 500 copies available WORLDWIDE | For more info, audio samples and to pre-order click here.

 

 

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Posted in New Releases, Strawberry Rain, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Free Basin’ Fridays – Indonesian private psych rock with Benny Soebardja “The Lizard Years”

Thursday, May 24th, 2012

OK so we’re a bit on the early side for Free Basin’ Fridays, but we have a top secret reissue mission tomorrow so won’t be at the ole computer tapping away. Anyway, earlier this week we featured the four great releases by Benny Soebardja on the always amazing Strawberry Rain label. Pure slabs of raw Indonesian psych rock, these three full album LP reissues (super limited quantities) and the essential collection The Lizard Years (2x CD) are out now and you can pick them up here. For this week’s Free Basin’ Fridays (yeah, we know we’re a bit early!), we’re giving away a copy of the 2x CD anthology The Lizard Years, which collects the three albums Lizard, Gut Rock, and Night Train and is fleshed out with a nice 36-page book full of vintage concert photos, album covers, and information about Benny’s musical history.

For your chance to win, leave a comment below and include your name and email address (kept private). Tell us about your favorite Indonesian rock band or favorite private press rock album… Winner will be announced next Friday, June 1 and 12PM.

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Posted in Free Basin' Fridays | 25 Comments »

Donnie & Joe Emerson “Dreamin’ Wild” | CD / LP (limited colored vinyl) / Digital PRE-ORDER

Tuesday, June 5th, 2012

“‘Baby’ has been a staple on just about every playlist/mixtape I’ve assembled in the past 3 years. It is nothing short of sublime.” – Ariel Pink

Pacific Northwest isolation mixed with wide-eyed ambition, a strong sense of family and the gift of music proved to be quite the combination for teenage brothers Donnie and Joe Emerson. Originally released in 1979, Dreamin’ Wild is the sonic vision of the talented Emerson boys, recorded in a family-built home studio in rural Washington State. Situated in the unlikely blink-and-you-missed-it town of Fruitland and far removed from the late 1970s punk movement and the larger disco boom, Donnie and Joe tilled their own musical soil, channeling bedroom pop jams, raw funk, and yacht rock.

Spurred on their high school’s music program, Donnie and Joe received a further push from their lifelong farmer father, who drew up a contract stating that he’d support his sons lofty ambitions with their very own recording studio as long as they focused on original material, sage advice for a man with zero experience in the music business. After taking out a second mortgage to help cover costs, Don Sr. also built his children a 300-capacity concert hall (dubbed Camp Jammin’) replete with ticket booth, stage, and fully functioning snack bar. The only problem was that the projected audience never quite materialized, despite a prime time TV profile entitled “The Rock And Roll Farmers” from nearby Spokane, Washington. Even the Emerson brother’s school pals were nonplussed at their privately pressed long player; hand distributed to local music stores, but not as far as Seattle, five hours away from their rural home. Somewhat rejected by the muted response, but never surrendering, both Donnie and Joe continued down a musical path and are still active as performers today.

This rare slice of bedroom-funk gets the usual Light In The Attic treatment with newly remastered audio, detailed liner notes interviewing the Emersons, and expanded original album art with loads of photos from the Emerson’s collection. Be sure to also check out the short documentary Rock and Roll Farmers (directed by Matt Sullivan and Michelle M. Witten), premiering below. Stay tuned for more Donnie and Joe goodies in the coming weeks!

Pre-order Donnie & Joe Emerson Dreamin’ Wild (LITA 082 – CD/LP/Digital) here now. Available at fine record stores world wide June 26, 2012.

* First ever CD & LP reissue
* SOLD OUT – Limited edition (100 copies) on “Baby” Blue (wink-wink) 180-gram wax, only available to the first 100 pre-orders on LightInTheAttic.net SOLD OUT
* CD and LP include detailed liner notes by Dave Segal, interviewing the Emersons plus unseen photos
* 180-gram LP housed in gatefold “tip-on” jacket and includes download card for full album plus audio interview between Ariel Pink and Donnie Emerson!
* 25 random copies of LP include an original copy of Donnie & Joe’s 1977 debut 45 single

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Posted in Donnie and Joe Emerson, New Releases | 3 Comments »