2016 is drawing to a conclusion, which means it’s time to reflect on all the sounds that have flooded our ears, filtering the musically nutritious records like plankton through baleen. As usual, ShellacHead searches the nooks and crannies of the 78 rpm realm in search of those special moments of musical epiphany that exist outside the safe confines of popular mainstream pablum. While it was a particularly depressing year, watching humanity blindly rush hell-bent toward self-destruction, I hope these recordings will provide some solace as reminders that music is perhaps the one true thing of beauty that we’ve created during our time on this planet.
Enjoy!

Get it Here.

So, yeah, I was getting ready to work on this year’s ShellacHead Annual when I realized I hadn’t posted a damn thing since last year’s Annual! Wow, I guess 2015 went by pretty quick. I’ve mostly been working on recording an album with my rock band, SKUNK, but I’ve still been collecting old records and fantasizing about various reissue projects. I promise to try to make 2016 a bit more exciting here at ShellacHead.

This year’s Annual is worth the wait though – 15 super rare tracks from Sudan’s Munsphone label. Go ahead and look on Ebay for a Sudanese 45, there’s one there right now for $500. Take a look on the collecting site Discogs. Yep, there’s one there too and the asking price is $1000. Suffice it to say, these are much sought-after records! The records are difficult to find and so is information about the Munsphone label or the artists, but I’ve included what I know in a downloadable pdf.

Well, another year, another trip around the sun and all that jazz. It’s been a gray and wet couple of months here in Oakland, and yes, California needs the rain, but it’s left me pining for some sun and fun. The ShellacHead Annual is usually a sample of records I’ve collected over the year, but this year I decided to take a musical sojourn to the Caribbean. Here’s a selection of 78s and 45s from my collection that showcase the great diversity and musical connections of one of the world’s most vibrant musical zones. 26 tracks from Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Colombia, Honduras, Martinique, Curacao, and elsewhere. The first 200 downloads are free, or until the end of January, whichever comes first.

I hope it gives you a bit of warmth and musical sunshine during the depths of winter. Enjoy!