Wall of Voodoo's second full-length album, Call of the West, was a noticeably more approachable work than their debut, Dark Continent, and it even scored a fluke hit single, "Mexican Radio," a loopy little number about puzzled American tourists that's easily the catchiest thing on the album. But while Wall of Voodoo's textures had gotten a bit less abrasive with time, the band's oddball minor-key approach was still a long way from synth pop, and frontman Stan Ridgway's songs were Ameri...   [ read more ]

CD $9.45

People will say otherwise, but music didn't suck in the '80s -- it just went underground. As the well-financed end of the art form turned to synthetic sounds, the punk and new wave of the late '70s evolved and mutated in the capable hands of scores of independent-minded musicians. This four-disc boxed set (82 tracks!) celebrates the stuff that dwelt just beneath the topsoil -- everything from R.E.M., The Smiths, and The Cure to Black Flag, Ministry, and The Cramps. The spiritual progeny of a boxed set anc...   [ read more ]

4xCD $61.99

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This "two-fer" from cultish Los Angeles post-rock/new wave outfit Wall of Voodoo features 1981's Dark Continent and 1982's Call of the West in their entireties. Dark Continent, the band's debut, introduced the public to the group's signature blend of new wave, spaghetti Western-influenced guitar and vocalist Stan Ridgway's singular voice, while Call of the West, the band's second full-length album, provided them with their biggest hit, the '80s compilation staple {&"Mexican Ra...   [ read more ]

CD $20.88