Back catalogue: All genres

Review: We're yet to get our ears around a compilation from US label Numero Group that isn't absolutely brilliant. This latest one isn't going to change that, either. Eccentric Soul: The Linco Label dives deep into Civil Rights-era Greensboro, where Black excellence and raw musical talent converged at North Carolina A&T. Local label head Walter Grady tapped a vibrant cast of "townies, homecoming queens, and big men on campus" to craft a revolutionary soul sound rooted in community and resistance. This collection captures the pivotal moment with hometown pride and boundary-pushing grooves coming thick and fast. From basement studios to protest marches, these tracks reflect a powerful cultural awakening and make for a great document of soul's grassroots history.

Review: Eccentric Soul: The Cobra Label unearths a fascinating collection of soul and r&b from the obscure Cobra label, offering a unique blend of raw energy and heartfelt emotion. Opening with the infectious 'Wooleh Booleh' by Sonny Ace & The Twisters, the compilation quickly sets a vibrant, foot-tapping tone. Tracks like 'Buscando (Searchin')' by Mike & The Belairs showcase smooth, silky vocals and catchy grooves, while 'Funny Funny Funny' by Henry & The Kasuals introduces a more playful, upbeat rhythm. The diversity of sounds is clear, with everything from the introspective 'Someone Who Cares' by Royal Five to the funky 'Summer Rain' by Freddie Martinez. The compilation's eclecticism is a testament to the variety and depth of Cobra's catalog, making it an essential listen for soul enthusiasts.

Review: Numero Group is a buy-on-sight label for us and it should be for you too. Whether collating soul, gospel, indie or something more niche, it does so with real authority. This time we get treated to gospel-soul treasures that originally came on the Boddie Recording Company and BOS Records now brought to light by The Numero Group. This first volume highlights some of Cleveland's rarest and most powerful gospel recordings. Filled with soulful, funky gospel grooves, these tracks embody the city's rich musical legacy and are all carefully curated so as to offer an authentic glimpse into a vibrant era-saving you years of searching in the process.

Review: Unearthed after 63 years in the Lou-Mood Pictures vault, this long-lost soundtrack captures the lush elegance of pop's post-war heyday. Call Me Old Fashioned blends sugar-voiced divas with bold big bands, and a playful "zoo be zoo be zoo" flair, and is then topped with a Latin jazz twist. With its cocktail of vintage sophistication and cinematic intrigue, this 40-minute stereo escapade is tailor-made for fans of spy-fi glamour and is yet another sonic treasure from Numero that invites you to sip and savour the golden age of sound.

Review: We have long been big fans of the work done by The Numero Group and now they are back to present a guide to private-issue new-age music that is as essential as you would expect. Featuring trailblazers like Laraaji, Iasos, Joanna Brouk, Don Slepian, Peter Davison, Master Wilburn Burchette, Jordan De La Sierra, David Casper, Robert Slap and others from the Perrier underground, this double LP compilation is adorned with Marcus Uzilevsky's Linear Landscapes and includes a 32-page booklet. Showcasing the essence of a transformative era, the collection invites you to explore the ethereal soundscapes and boundless creativity of the fourth world, and a fine place it is to be.

Review: The early Cold War years had quite a lot to be envious of. Clearly defined lines of partisanship and international allegiances, rather than this 'each-country-for-itself' end game we seem to be setting up to play right now. Then there was the sexy, swoon-y, seductive and thoroughly intoxicating pop sounds emanating from teenage bedrooms, shopping malls, concert halls and anywhere else you can think of. Call Me Old Fashioned hits the nail on the latter's head. Squarely. The soundtrack to the first part of Louis Wayne Moody's spy trilogy, this is all about those tunes that make you want to sip Manhattans while gazing at some red-lipped diva cast in the low-lit spots of a late night cabaret restaurant. Or lose yourself in the rhythm of a live Latin jazz ensemble, or the bombast of big band. Picture painted, it's a transportive release, even if you've never seen or heard of the movies.

Review: Heavyweight champions of the compilation world, Numero Group, defend their undisputed title once more with this collection of greats from San Antonio mogul Abe Epstein's Dynamic label. In its heyday, it became a hub for soulful music with its flagship band the Commands scoring a hit in 1966 with 'No Time For You.' Their success led to 20 more singles over 30 months and Epstein's inclusive studio welcomed a diverse racial mix of Texas talent which in turn created a melting pot of sound. This collection reflects that across 28 gems from groups like the Tonettes, Little Jr. Jesse & the Tear Drops and Bobby Blackmon & His Soul Express all exploring different soul niches.

Review: Our favourite compilers Numero Group have been at it again. This time they have put together Barnyard Beehive, which in their words "lassos 16 Opry hopefuls from across the Numeroverse." These are ones that dig deep into evergreen subjects and themes such as heartbreak, trouble and booze. They are raw, expressive folk and Americana sounds that will have you forgetting you are in the drab UK winter and not on some prairie somewhere, chewing on if not smoking some grass.

Review: A typically powerful collection of gospel-soul treasures from the Boddie Recording Company and BOS Records now brought to light by The Numero Group, which once again stakes its claims as the greatest ever complier of vital and unusual comps. This first volume showcases Cleveland's finest and rarest gospel recordings so is packed with heart rending sounds and raw, real, spiritual uplift. Overflowing with funky gospel grooves, these tracks capture the heart and soul of the city's rich musical heritage and will make your own collection 87% better without having to do all the years of leg work the label must have put in. So electrifying it could inspire a congregation of its own.

Review: Numero Group double up as lassoing ranchers on this cattle-prodding long player of Nashville Americana. Raiding the airwaves of grand 'ole opry - the term "opry" began as a reference to a regular live country music radio broadcast originating on Tennessee's own WSM Radio station, then eventuating more broadly to mean any establishment serving folk and country music in Tennessee - the head honchi at Numero do a fine job of introducing us to the lesser-known, achy yet heart-mending (if you'll hear it out) tones of Connie Caddell, Joyce Street, Mona Lunsford and Country Girl Kay, all pan-American starlets from the 60s and 70s.

Review: Notoriously elusive, sophisti-thereal pop/post-punk collective Vazz answer to almost no-one. Emerging from the same late 70s/early 80s mutant formaldehyde mists that spawned This Mortal Coil and Crepuscule, yet bringing the dream pop sound to Glasgow, Hugh Small and Anna Howson are still going strong as a boutique bringing-together of mindful, magnetic musicians, pedigreed for the seemly discotheque. First released on Cathexis Records, we are indeed much cathected to both EPs in this collection. In sloshing but somehow still self-contained fashion, 'Your Final Word' swims in reverb nearly to the point of drowning its own harmonies, yet breathability is somehow still retained. 'Bleached White Skin' is the perfect storm of wavy wash, operatic doublings and ditzy drum machine, and 'Breath' brings spring-verb coldwave stylings to a languorous, pitchy closer. Then 'Feverpitch' and 'For A Reason' hear the compilation sprawl further into arpeggiating tumult, as we move on to material from the 1987 'Feverpitch' EP. This 40th anniversary edition collates both EPs and adds a handful of unissued minimal wave pearls.

Review: Returning to vinyl for a 40th-anniversary edition, the Glasgow duo's singular approach to post-punk and coldwave is sure find a larger fan base with its fantastic vintage sound. Originally released in 1986 and formed by Hugh Small and Anna Howson, Vazz carved out a distinctive space in the mid-80s. Their soundia fusion of skeletal electronics, atmospheric guitar and hushed yet striking vocalsimelds the austerity of coldwave with the melodic sensibility of synth-pop. Drum machines pulse beneath shimmering textures, while Howson's spectral delivery drifts through the mix, lending an eerie, romantic detachment. Key moments highlight their range: 'Your Final Word' bathes in cavernous reverb, 'Bleached White Skin' sways with layered vocals and murky waves and 'Breath' lingers in icy, stretched-out melancholia. More rhythmically urgent, 'Feverpitch' and 'For A Reason' build on cascading arpeggios and taut structures. Vazz's work has grown in stature over time, finding a home in the post-punk imagination for its ghostly charm and understated allure.