Death Disco

various artists
label:: EMI

For the most part (with a lot of essentials left off the list), EMI picked a lot of the right bands for 'Death Disco'.

While it suffers in many of the track selections, the compilation works nicely as a primer and does well to unearth a few gems from one of the most adventurous eras in rock or pop music.

Fantastic Plastic Machine

title:: Why Not?
label:: Avex

'Why Not?' is a twenty-one minute 4 song EP featuring a song that appears on the 'Too' full length, which (sadly) remains a Japanese-only release a year after it came out.

Why Not? is a upbeat pop song with vocals by Yamamoto Ryohei. Philosophy is an instrumental with a Steely Dan feel. Never Ever is a disco instrumental with fiddles that remind me of Dexy's Midnight Runner.

Kid Creole and the Coconuts

title:: Too Cool to Conga!
label:: Rainman

'Too Cool To Conga!' was originally released in 2001 as a comeback album. Rainman Records has re-issued the record with three bonus tracks.

The record sounds real fine after you see The Triplets of Belleville. The whole disc is filled with swing styled music. The record was dedicated to Cab Calloway by Kid Creole.

Miss Kittin & The Hacker

title:: The Beach
label:: Mental Groove

Miss Kittin & The Hacker got together again in 2002 to follow-up 2001's First Album with the one-sided limited edition vinyl 12 inch The Beach on Mental Groove Records - with a b-side that is an etching done by Miss Kittin herself.

The end result is not only a collector's item for Miss Kittin fans but also a crucial piece in the Miss Kittin story

Zigzag

various artists
label:: RPM

ZigZag - 20 Junkshop Soft Rock Singles is another in the line of compilations the RPM label from the UK has been producing called the Lipsmackin' 70s. ZigZag the cd is named after the magazine which spotlighted this very music in the 1970s, even music which didn't go onto great fame - and the fine folks at RPM have done it again by compiling a compelling listen consisting of first rate music of a the highest caliber - the lot of which you've probably never even heard before even if you may have heard of them.

It turns out the 1970s was the stomping grounds for a lot of great musicians and singer songwriters, most of whom ended up being a blip on the map as they went unnoticed in the history of music. RPM have done it again with another fine compilation to help open our ears to some lost, great music.