A real smorgasbord of treats on offer from Atomicat and their latest addition to their annual Christmas albums and this time we’re going to be celebrating ‘Christmas Around The World’. With responsibility for track selection left to DeeJay Mark Armstrong and the album presented in the usual three-way digipak meaning less impact on the environment and with no loss in terms of quality when it comes to presentation, there’s only one thing left to do and that’s investigate the contents inside. What the listener can expect are twenty-eight tracks of Christmas-themed songs in direct relation to the album’s title where songs are pulled from around the world, and with a handful of the tracks presented in the mother tongue of the nation performing the Christmas ditty. Beginning in 1949 and next setting up camp between the years 1955 to 1962, there’s plenty of snap, crackle, and pop coming from the wax grooves of these records. The collection starts with something less seasonal in terms of its sound with the country ‘Christmas Time Is Near’ by Stanley Brothers. More traditional feelings soon arrive however, and stem from the excellent rendition of ‘Santa Claus Is Coming To Town’ from vocal group Shantons. From there the Christmas goodness continues through The Marcels and their lively ‘Merry Twist-Mas’, Allan And The Flames’ instrumental ‘Winter Wonderland’, thoughtful turn by The Blackwells and ‘The Christmas Holiday’, to early 60’s pop rendition of ‘Frosty (The Snow Man)’ from Jan And Dean. With a few more tracks offering a slightly different interpretation due to the country roots of the artists involved and including Ernest Tubb (‘I’ll Be Walkin’ The Floor This Christmas’), Red Foley (‘Here Comes Santa Claus’), and Wayne Brock with very appealing ‘Santa Claus Has A Secret’, it remains that these different influences prove to be the real winner here. That said, the overall feel of ‘Christmas Around The World’ will appeal to those looking for a bit of variety in terms of their Christmas playlist this year.

Updating the series “Spotlight On…” Koko Mojo focuses on the working partnership of Leiber and Stoller and, specifically for this album release, their rhythm and blues recordings. As song writers Leiber and Stoller worked with many who either went on to become major artists or were already established during the golden age of music of the 50s and continuing into the early half of the 60s. With both periods reflected here, the chosen records date back as far as 1952 with King, and then continuing in 1953 with labels Federal, and RCA Victor, before getting underway with their own imprint (along with Still) in 1954 with Spark Records. A glance at the track list reveals much talent and a few lesser knowns, which often provides much intrigue when it comes to these collections housed together by Koko Mojo and, in this instance, Mark Armstrong. Beginning in ’52 at King with Moose Jackson and ‘Nosey Joe’, which is a very sophisticated slice of work, and then followed by recordings down the years at RCA Victor, Atlantic, Spark, Modern, MGM, Mercury and so on. To select from a very fine crop of records indeed, then work from Leiber and Stoller with the likes of LaVern Baker and track ‘Saved’ with added influence of gospel, vocal harmony ‘Ten Days In Jail’ from The Robins, a classic from The Drifters with ‘Fools Fall In Love’, big band approach of ‘Squeeze Me’ by Milt Trenier, who’s later given the honour of title song ‘Flip Our Wigs’, to full of confidence Garland The Great (‘Tree Stump Jump’), and further attractively named titles with Scooby Doo All Stars and ‘Ernie’s Journey’. From the excellent ‘I Smell A Rat’ with Young Jessie at the helm, there’s certainly no suggestion of any such thing when it comes to ‘Spotlight On Leiber And Stoller: The R&B Recordings – Flip Our Whigs’ because it is an impressive body of work.

Music from the past and with a remastered sound comes from the ever-reliable Atomicat and their latest album ‘R&B Goes R&R 4: Smack Dab In The Middle’. Compiling a list of artists from not only the US but also Australia, New Zealand, and interestingly this time around Argentina, the current album in this series continues its exploration of white artists performing traditional rhythm and blues songs from the years 1955 through to 1963. With the songs chosen being covers, it is not always a direct copy as there are noticeable interpretations that bring something else to the table or, in this instance, dancefloor because there’s plenty of material here to keep any DeeJay operating within these genres busy! To the tracks, and what a selection! Mixing the established with the less established names is part of the appeal with Atomicat’s compilations. “Smack Dab In The Middle” you will experience the likes of Ronnie Hawkins (‘Dizzy Miss Lizzy’), Boyd Bennett (‘Poison Ivy’), Tommy Sands (‘Hey Miss Fannie’), and cover star Ricky Nelson with ‘I’m In Love Again’. Those artists less frequented when it comes to compiling such collections can be experienced by the following Ray Davis (‘Money Honey’), Los Pick Ups and something different for this album with South American version ‘Josefina’, to The Spades and song ‘Jim Dandy’, and bookending this album two songs from The Keil Isles and, first, ‘Country Boy’, to later ‘Don’t Come Knockin’’. With much on offer and including convincing, not to mention brave choices from the country boy himself Marty Robbins with Chuck Berry’s ‘Maybelline’, and different interpretation of ‘Bo Diddley’ from Jimmy Elledge. ‘R&B Goes R&R 4: Smack Dab In The Middle’ certainly maintains the high-quality set by its predecessors.

Fresh out on Atomicat Records is latest collection ‘Hillbilly: Devils & Demons’. In order to bring this new album of songs to life, DeeJay Mark Armstrong raided the vinyl wax vaults to source a respectable number of “rural ditties” from 1949 and ending here in 1963. What the listener can expect therefore, are plenty of songs featuring failures in life because of love turned sour and the next manoeuvre turning to the bad influences for comfort of alcohol and/or drugs. With the “demons” being the metaphors for these additional supports, then do not expect too many cheerful numbers here, but it is often in these melancholic moments, greatness can be heard. That is not to say this latest album does not come without humour because it most certainly does where examples can be detected in song titles or through the very words mentioned in songs. Given this album is coming from the rural hills, there are familiar artists presenting their goods from Red Foley, Sonny Burns, Wade Ray, The Louvin’ Brothers, Roy Acuff, and Pee Wee King. As with the majority of Atomicat releases, there are also plenty of lesser-known names and tracks, and can be heard from go-to-name Buckaroo Billy and ‘Shake Hands With The Devil’, the indie-sounding moniker Ben Colder with excellent ‘Shudders And Screams’, to packing the essentials for a week’s holiday away ‘Satan’s Suitcase’ performed by Robert Zehm. There is just so much irresistible charm to the songs making up this collection and heard by the likes of Red Foley and country gold that is ‘Tennessee Hill-Billy Ghost’, country swing of Cecil Campbell’s ‘Spookie Boogie’, bouts of red-hot harmonica ride of ‘The Devil’s Train’ by Roy Acuff, to guitar twang and galloping rhythm of ‘Satan’s Chauffeur’ from Jimmy Minor, who bears a close resemblance to Johnny Cash. With sleeve notes provided and presented in a threefold digipak for further information, and artwork designed by Alf Button’s Revenge, latest ‘Hillbilly: Devil’s & Demons’ makes for a must-have collection of songs housed in an album package that is equally deserving of praise.

It is that time of year once more when things go bump in the night and the floorboards tend to creak more than usual. However, to aid a far smoother transition through the spookiest night of the year, Atomicat issues its seasonal album ‘Hallowscream! 2: Horrors Of The Black Museum’. With Mark Armstrong at the helm and assisted by Doctor Frankenbop and his sidekick Psychoshake in selecting another twenty-eight choice cuts, then this Halloween fest is set for one of the best! Volume 2 features tracks ranging from 1954 to 1963, and includes varying styles of rhythm and blues, rock ‘n’ roll, and rockin’ instrumentals. Beginning with a bout of rhythm and blues fermenting with rock ‘n’ roll and coming up trumps with ‘Hokus Pokus’ is Ronny Goode. From such wild beginnings, the Halloween celebrations continue in similar fashion with blasts of saxophone and joint vocals from Nightmares and song providing this compilation with its added title, ‘(Oooh I’m Scared) Of The Horrors Of The Black Museum’. Given it’s Halloween, then there’s often quirks hidden between the tracks where numerous oddities come to the surface and can be heard during the excellent guitar work out from The Gigolos’ ‘Night Creature’, touch of twang to the rock ‘n’ roll and charismatically told tale of ‘Devil’s Den’ from Duane Turley, to rockin’ rhythm and dual vocals of Jack and Jim during ‘Midnight Monsters Hop’. Award for most eccentric and thoroughly convincing, not to mention creative performance is bestowed to Chuck-A-Lucks’ ‘The Devil’s Train’. Add to the spooky festivities two more recent bands in the form of Marc and The Wild Ones and their darkened rock ‘n’ roll ‘Voodoo Woman’, to setting the screamfest on fire is The Rip Em Ups with ‘Killswitch!’. With so much glorious music to cram into the spookiest night of the year, ‘Hallowscream! 2: Horrors Of The Black Museum’ certainly achieves this with a wealth of material crammed into a playlist of twenty-eight tracks that are good enough to grace any Halloween fest no matter the musical preferences of those present.

After two very interesting albums already issued to the public at large, Volume 3 of ‘Rhythm & Western’ arrives with another series of songs from African American artists who turned their attentions to country & western music whether in direct style or represented here with loose associations of themes or song titles. Such associations of country music formulate instantly via first song ‘Chew Tobacco Rag’ with its expressive sound effects bringing humour and style via its rhythm and blues presented by Lucky Millender. Jimmy Ricks follows with ‘Do You Promise’ that is more in line with the “Rhythm and Western” of this album series both musically and from its lyrics. From such a strong start, Volume 3 continues to impress with more great choices from Dinah Washington who provides her own interpretation of classic Hank Williams’ ‘Cold Cold Heart’, to Andre Williams upping the tempo slightly with well-known ‘You Are My Sunshine’. The inclusion of the likes of The G-Clefs’ ‘The Big Rain’ reflects gospel influences of the time, whereas the sophisticated and reflective ‘Funny How Time Slips Away’ really captures the essence of similar plaintive country songs also of the same era. There is much diversity on offer as with the previous two albums and with Fats Domino bringing ‘Don’t Come Knockin’, Little Junior offering ‘My Dolly Bee’, and charismatic turn from Cab Calloway and ‘Gamblers Guitar’ all represent such examples and also highlight the quality on offer. However, most notably, the imagination expressed by this album series is its biggest asset so far.