John Jacob Niles was an American composer, singer, and collector of traditional ballads who has been called the "Dean of American Balladeers." He was an important influence on the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s, inspiring the likes of Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and Joan Baez, but he was also a true paradox of a figure. While he collected and popularized now-standard songs such as "(Little) Matty Grooves, " "The Cherry Tree," "Barb'ry Allen,&q ... [Read More]

A motherlode of under-discovered dancefloor tracks from the early 80s -- mostly tracks recorded up in Montreal as part of that city's Philly-inspired club scene -- and only ever issued as 12" singles on the Street Level and Musicworks labels! The 2CD set is overflowing with gems we'd never heard before -- tracks that move between classic club, 80s groove, and straighter boogie styles -- some of which are by familiar names, but most recorded by lesser-known artists who never cracked the club ... [Read More]