East OF West 40

Merge continues its 20th anniversary festivities with a comp of non-label artists– Bright Eyes, Shins, New Pornos– covering songs from its catalog.
Merge Records doesn't look its age. Originally formed as an outlet for Superchunk material, the Durham, N.C.-based label has grown into an indie institution, but only gradually– year by year, release by release. It never allied itself with a scene or a sound, so the mind doesn't automatically tether it to a specific place or time, the way Sub Pop, despite its strong roster this decade, will be most closely associated with Seattle in the late 1980s and early 90s. So it's hard to believe Merge is already 20 years old, an occasion the label is marking with a big birthday bash– the five-day XX Merge fest in July– and a subscription-only series of commemorative retrospectives and remixes. Perhaps the most intriguing party favor is Score! Twenty Years of Merge Records: The Covers, a choppy but oddly endearing compilation that enlists 20 non-Merge acts to cover Merge songs.

Tangerine Tree was a project from 2002 through 2006 that was dedicated to the collection, preservation and distribution of unreleased concerts and other audio material by the band Tangerine Dream. The creators of the Tangerine Tree project received permission from Tangerine Dream to release the collection on a strict non-profit basis. Several of the Tangerine Tree volumes have been used as the basis for official Tangerine Dream releases. The project collected just under 300 hours of material (291:39:26).

FSM presents the Miklós Rózsa Treasury (1949-1968), a 15CD set celebrating one of the giants of film music. In this single package FSM makes available virtually every surviving, as-yet-unreleased note from the composer’s fertile and productive association with M-G-M.

Goliath combines many of EastWest's best sampled instruments in one library, with the express purpose of giving you unlimited creative flexibility without switching libraries. This is an excellent fit for media composers, songwriters, and producers who need a quick grab-bag of quality instruments all in one place. You get access to instruments from a variety of other EastWest libraries, but even where there is overlap with your existing collection, it becomes even easier to use some of your favorite instruments (and layer in many new ones).

The "Complete Sarah Vaughan Masters 1944-1952" album is a comprehensive collection that showcases the early career of legendary jazz vocalist Sarah Vaughan. Released in 2024, this extensive compilation includes 121 tracks, highlighting Vaughan's work from her debut recordings in the mid-1940s through to the early 1950s.The album features many of her classic tracks, such as "East of the Sun (And West of the Moon)," "Lover Man," "Summertime," and "Black Coffee." These tracks illustrate Vaughan's versatile vocal style and her ability to convey deep emotion through her music. The compilation not only captures her solo performances but also includes collaborations with other notable jazz musicians of the era​.