Blind Date (1987)

Kreator (pronounced "creator") is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mille Petrozza, drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, and bassist Frédéric Leclercq. The band's lineup has changed multiple times over its 38-year career, most noticeably with their bassists and lead guitarists. Petrozza and Reil are the only two original members left in Kreator, though the latter had one hiatus from the band, from 1994 to 1996…

There have been a number of Boy George/Culture Club greatest hits collections, but none of them manages to offer a truly complete picture of the band that produced so many likable, hummable songs. In no particular order, "Storytellers/Greatest Moments" rounds up the usual suspects ("Do You Really Want to Hurt Me," "Karma Chameleon"), throws in a few surprises ("That's the Way," "Love is Love") and adds a few unreleased tracks ("Strange Voodoo," "I Just Want to Be Loved").

Few new wave groups were as popular as Culture Club. During the early '80s, the group racked up seven straight Top Ten hits in the U.K. and six Top Ten singles in the U.S. with their light, infectious pop-soul. Though their music was radio-ready, what brought the band stardom was Boy George, the group's charismatic, cross-dressing lead singer. George dressed in flamboyant dresses and wore heavy makeup, creating a disarmingly androgynous appearance that created a sensation on early MTV.

Decades before Corey Harris, Guy Davis, and Keb' Mo' wed the Delta blues to various folk forms, there was Taj Mahal. Almost from the very beginning, Mahal provided audiences with connections to a plethora of blues styles. Further, he offered hard evidence connecting American blues to folk styles from other nations, particularly, but not limited to, those from the West Indies and various African countries, bridging gaps, highlighting similarities, and establishing links between many experiences of the African diaspora…

Forming in Minneapolis in 1979, the Phones released their first single "I'm so neat" b/w "She said Goodbye in February of 1980 on their own label, Phone-O-Graph Records. A second single, "Suspended Animation" b/w "Kids Today" was released a year later.

With West Coast jump blues and boogie-woogie piano. Featuring Charlie Musselwhite, The Roomful of Blues Horns, Ronnie Earl. Dubbing his swinging approach "rock-a-boogie," pianist Mitch Woods and His Rocket 88s have revived the jump blues approach of the '40s and '50s. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Mitch Woods moved to San Francisco in 1970. While he was growing up in Brooklyn, he studied both jazz and classical music, but when he relocated to the Bay Area, he primarily played jump blues and R&B. San Franciscan guitarist HiTide Harris introduced Woods to the joyous jive of Louis Jordan, and the pianist's musical tastes were transformed. Between 1970 and 1980, Woods performed as a solo artist, gigging at a number of local clubs. In 1980, he formed the Rocket 88s, featuring Harris on guitar, and four years later, the band released their debut album, Steady Date, on Blind Pig.

Singer, songwriter, and guitar virtuoso Jimmy Thackery has carved an enviable niche for himself in the world of electric blues. Known for his gritty, blue-collar approach and marathon live shows, Thackery was for many years part of the Nighthawks, one of the hardest-working blues bar bands in North America. Included here are tracks from 1992 through 2000 and special guests Duke Robillard, Lonnie Brooks, and Reba Russell.