Strange Folk

On their eponymous second album, Out of Focus further develop their progressive jazz-rock sound, at the same time pushing in other directions as well. The rhythm section is still as upbeat and funky as ever, with those repetitive but odd rhythm patterns. There is now more sax in the mix, as well as the flute riffing, guitar wails, and chunky organ chords, with each instrument allowed ample soloing and no instrument over-dominant.

Over the course of the albums, Mark Lanegan advances as a lone wolf, always leaving to experiment or change violently of Brack. Since Blues Funeral in 2012, the former Screaming Trees singer has resumed his solo career, not content with his piges at Queens Of The Stone Age or his (sublime) duets with Isobel Campbell.

Esoteric Recordings continue with releases on their new Reactive imprint, (dedicated to reissues of classic German rock), with a journey into the catalogue of Eckart Rahn’s legendary KUCKUCK label. KUCKUCKwas responsible for releasing many great albums in Germany in the early 1970s, including those by the wonderful Out Of Focus. Featuring Moran Neumuller (vocals, sax, flute), Remigus Dreschler (guitar), Hennes Hering (keyboards), Stephan Wisheu (bass) and Klaus Spori (drums), this legendary Munich based band were contemporaries of acts such as Amon Duul II and recorded three classic and highly collectable albums for the label.

At one point in the mid-'70s, Horslips seemed poised to become Ireland's answer to Steeleye Span. But they also had a shot at being the next Jethro Tull (only a better hard rock outfit), or maybe Genesis, or even Yes in their folkier moments. Those events never quite happened, but Horslips released half-a-dozen superb albums along the way, becoming Ireland's most acclaimed folk-rock and progressive band. Collection includes: Happy to Meet, Sorry to Part (1972); The Táin (1973); Drive The Cold Winter Away (1975); The Book of Invasions: A Celtic Symphony (1976).

R.E.M. mark the point when post-punk turned into alternative rock. When their first single, "Radio Free Europe", was released in 1981, it sparked a back-to-the-garage movement in the American underground. While there were a number of hardcore and punk bands in the U.S. during the early '80s, R.E.M. brought guitar pop back into the underground lexicon. Combining ringing guitar hooks with mumbled, cryptic lyrics and a D.I.Y. aesthetic borrowed from post-punk, the band simultaneously sounded traditional and modern. Throughout the '80s, they worked relentlessly, releasing records every year and touring constantly, playing both theaters and backwoods dives. Along the way, they inspired countless bands, from the legions of jangle pop groups in the mid-'80s to scores of alternative pop groups in the '90s, who admired their slow climb to stardom.

Ann Wilson and her younger sister, Nancy Wilson, first showed the world that women can rock when their band Heart stormed the charts in the '70s with hits like "Crazy on You", "Magic Man", "Barracuda", "Straight On", "Even It Up", "Kick It Out" and many more. Not only did the Wilson sisters lead the band, they wrote the songs and played the instruments, making them the first women in rock to do so. Heart continued topping the charts through the '80s and into the '90s with huge hits and a string of other hits that showcased the sisters' enormous talents as both musicians and singers. Along the way, Heart sold more than 35 million records, had 21 top 40 hits, sold out arenas worldwide, and profoundly influenced the sound and direction of American rock music while inspiring women (and guys too!) around the world to rock out in bands of their own.