Artists starting with Various Artists

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

Various Artists, “In Their Eyes” (Rhino, 1998)
As advertised, late-‘90s indie-rock bands take a crack at ‘80s new-wave movie-soundtrack hits. The killer is the Rondelles’ wall-flattening bubble-punk blast on 9, but 1, 3, 14 and 15 are fun as well.
10/13/11

Various Artists, “La Confiserie Magique: Groove Club Vol. 1” (Lion Productions/Martyrs of Pop, 2010; original release late ‘60s/early ‘70s)
Genuinely enchanting collection of counterculturally-tinged French pop, the familiar yé-yé/cabaret strains intermingled with acoustic singer-songwriter-isms, White Album-like piano-driven pop-rock, electronic whirring, and more.
Try 6, 8, 11, 16, 19
7/2912

Various Artists, “Live At The Masque: Forming” (Year One, 1996; originally recorded 1978)
Early L.A. punk live recordings are crucial in a way even the best ’77-’78 UK or NY live stuff generally isn’t. What translated into fast, streamlined blasts in the studio played out live as dark, screaming, gleeful chaos, taking Dead Man’s curve at 90 miles an hour and somehow remaining intact, total rock and roll that still feels like free jazz.
Try 1, 5, 7, 8, 13, 16, 19, 24
7/26/12

Various Artists, “Alternative Funk: Folie Distinguée” (Vox Man, 1985)
This is billed as “alternative funk,” a term the original early ‘80s compilers refused to define (see back cover), but which would seem to encompass Rick-James-on-Valium bass workouts, morbidly cold walls of synthesizer hiss, and found-sound spoken interludes in a variety of languages. Being at least somewhat batshit-insane apparently helped in producing this music, as well.
Picks; A/3 (exotica), B/2 (cut-up), B/5 (Francoise Hardy on Mars).