Artists starting with V

Various Artists, “Doo-Wop Uptempo” (Rhino, 1987; original release 1954-59)
The music is exactly what the title indicates — fast vocal-group rock-and-roll – as curated with the tight focus of collector/archivist types who know their stuff cold. The selection casts into relief how propulsive and kinetic the more rockin’ doowop stuff was, as much as Holly or Berry, yet with a lightness and grace rock lost as it gained first orchestration, then raw volume, and the voice itself became one element of the sound, rather than the driver, as it is here.
Try 1/ 2, 1/ 4, 2/1, 2/4, 2/7
4/7/19

Various Artists, “Fanzie Favorites” (Ahed, 1976)
A fine selection of Golden Era Rock ‘n’ Roll classics the Fonz would’ve dug had he actually existed and not been a fictional character. The material is nearly all top-tier vocal group and rockabilly stuff, and the goofy quickie-cash-in vibe of the package actually accentuates the spontaneity and fun this material had in the first place more than reverent treatment does.
Try 1/ 2, 2/4, 2/5, 2/7, 2/8, 2/9
4/7/19

Various Artists, “Funny Bone Favorites” (Ronco, 1978; original release 1954-65)
From Ronco, your trademark of quality (“As Seen On TV!”) comes a set of vintage wacky novelty rock ‘n’ roll tunes just in time for the punk rock explosion they helped inspire. This stuff has a wild, heedless, unhinged quality in sound as well as subject matter that perfectly evokes an absurd quality to the modern world we’ve almost become numb to, so it’s always good to be reminded.
Try 1/ 2, 1/ 3, 1/ 4, 1/, 2/3, 2/9
4/7/19

Various Artists, “Groove Club Vol.2: Cambodia Rock Spectacular!” (Lion Productions, 2010; original recording late ‘60s, early ‘70s)
Late ‘60s/early ‘70s pop from Cambodia. This mixes Britbeat/girl-group/surf influences with local musical strains in ways that may seem familiar in the wake of all the reissued “A-Go-Go” era Southeast Asian pop, but still very distinctively. There’s a giddy, spiraling unpredictability to the fast ones; a thick, gorgeously tangled melancholy to the slow stuff, that really isn’t like anything else.
Try A/4, B/2, B/4, C/3, C/4
5/12/11

Various Artists, “High Road to Obscurity Vol. 1: Dredging Up the Dregs” (Grand Theft Audio, 2000; original recoding late 70s-‘90s)
Mr. Grand Theft Audio is like the Howard Hughes or Dr. Doom of record collectors. It seems like he’s got everything by every cool-sounding band you half-remember from a fanzine review years ago. And not just the “legit” releases, but demos, live tapes, you name it. Melodic yet hard-edged post-punk/new wave and really high grade HC are his specialties, and he came up with a mind-blowing selection on this comp.
Here’s a rundown: 2, 3, 7, 18, 19, 22, 26, 29, 39, 40 are the best of the HC;
11, 12, 28, 37, 41 are the best of the post-punk.5/1/11