.home..artists..labels..new..restocks..best..faq.
.soon.
previous record label:
 tomlab 		there are 14 titles on tompkins square in stock.
they are listed below.		next record label:
 tone filth 
click the image above to
add this item to your
shopping cart
$6.33

new to stock as of
april 3rd, 2009

threads:
folk
guitar-themed

tompkins square (usa) #tsq 5317 ep

max ochs “imaginational anthem b/w oncones” seven inch single record

  • imaginational anthem

  • oncones
... just a simple, plain white sleeved single w/ max ochs’ classic late-60s solo guitar piece on the a & an otherwise un-issued piece on the b ...
tompkins square press release...
two solo acoustic tracks recorded by this fahey contemporary and cousin of phil, in 1969 for joe bussard's fonotone label, 'imaginational anthem' and 'oncones.'

the former track appears on the acclaimed solo acoustic compilation of the same name. the latter only appears here. nice replica fonotone label.

click the image above to
add this item to your
shopping cart
$14.21

back in stock as of
april 3rd, 2009

first in stock on
august 22nd, 2008

threads:
guitar-themed
folk

tompkins square (usa) #tsq 5252 cd

sean smith / adam snider / matt baldwin “berkeley guitar” compact disc

  • sean smith - the augur of deviation
  • sean smith - what once was will be.
  • sean smith - die until tomorrow, sleep.
  • adam snider - lonely tuesday ramble
  • adam snider - swamp angel
  • adam snider - the little death
  • adam snider - the anger of god
  • matt baldwin - waltz
  • matt baldwin - split part 2
  • matt baldwin - anji
  • matt baldwin - she was a girl, she was in love
tompkins square press release...
berkeley guitar

berkeley guitar is a collection of new recordings by three of the bay area’s finest young acoustic guitarists: sean smith, adam snider, and matt baldwin.

the city of berkeley and the acoustic guitar share a rich, decades-long history — most notably as the sixties home base of takoma records, which released landmark recordings by john fahey, robbie basho, leo kottke and many others. this history inspired three young guitarists from the bay area to create a document of the present-day guitar scene.

produced by sean smith and recorded and mastered at fantasy studios in berkeley, ca, the package includes liner notes by larry kelp of berkeley public radio station kpfa and ed denson, co-founder of takoma records.

the album is available on cd and gorgeous limited edition deluxe gatefold vinyl. 

click the image above to
add this item to your
shopping cart
$13.83

back in stock as of
april 3rd, 2009

first in stock on
august 22nd, 2008

threads:
guitar-themed
self-released

tompkins square (usa) #tsq 2035 lp

richard crandell “in the flower of our youth” long playing record

  • in the flower of our youth (2:36)
  • diagonal (3:31)
  • shamrock (3:52)
  • rebecca (2:47)
  • delta triad (2:50)
  • minuet for leo (2:14)
  • owing so much to so many (2:15)

  • gn6 nose (3:28)
  • assembly line (1:47)
  • little deschutes (1:57)
  • alias jane doe (5:16)
  • mckinney stomp (0:56)
  • mt. shasta (2:41)
  • goin' to taiwan (3:24)
2008 release ; tompkins square’s reproduction of richard crandell’s 1980 debut lp of solo guitar pieces ...
tompkins square press release...
richard crandell - in the flower of our youth

in the flower of our youth, originally released on the private press label cutthroat records in 1980, was richard crandell's first lp. his tune 'rebecca' was famously covered by admirer leo kottke on his chewing pine album. crandell has gone on to record several other guitar albums, as well as two mbira recordings for john zorn's tzadik label. crandell's music has recently been featured on tompkins square's imaginational anthem vol. 3, as well as the guitar compilation wayfaring strangers: guitar soli.

click the image above to
add this item to your
shopping cart
$13.83

back in stock as of
april 3rd, 2009

first in stock on
august 22nd, 2008

threads:
free-improvisation

tompkins square (usa) #tsq 1965 cd

ran blake “all that is tied” compact disc

  • all that is tied
  • breakthru
  • birmingham
  • thursday
  • how 'bout that
  • impresario of death
  • sontagism
  • epilogue
  • church of latter rain christian fellowship
  • field cry
  • wende
  • breakthru
... something of an odd duck in the tompkins square catalogue / roster ; a new disc of solo piano from third stream composer / improviser ran blake ...
tompkins square press release...
ran blake - all that is tied

ran blake recorded all that is tied, his 35th album, exactly 40 years since cutting his very first solo piano lp for the esp label in 1965. marking that anniversary, and his 70th birthday, the master pianist and composer revisits selections from his entire career, bringing new life to an extraordinary and unique body of work.

a cult figure surrounded by the same mysterious aura that permeates the classic film noir scenes which so inspire him, pianist/composer/educator ran blake has been one of improvised music's most respected and incomparable voices for more than 40 years. his noteworthy collaborators on record have included anthony braxton, clifford jordan, steve lacy, jeanne lee, and houston person among others, but his seminal solo recordings have always defined his discography and his career.

click the image above to
add this item to your
shopping cart
$14.21

back in stock as of
april 3rd, 2009

first in stock on
august 22nd, 2008

threads:
folk

tompkins square (usa) #tsq 1950 cd

spencer moore “spencer moore” compact disc

  • don't let your deal go down
  • renfro valley home
  • may i sleep in your barn tonight
  • mister
  • our baby boy is gone
  • in the year of '41
  • three little babes
  • cumberland gap
  • great speckled bird
  • wildwood flower
  • burglar man
  • the lawson family murders
  • little betty waltz
  • little rosewood casket
  • jimmy sutton
tompkins square press release...
spencer moore

88 year old country singer spencer moore played a tent show with the carter family in the 30's, and was recorded in 1959 by alan lomax, who called him "as genuine as a rail fence." this is his debut album.

in our headlong rush into the age of ipods and laptops, it is reassuring to know that there are still people around like spencer moore.  in a rustic mountain home perched on a green hillside of the blue ridge mountains of southwest virginia, spencer moore remains almost untouched by modernity.  he provides his own entertainment on an acoustic guitar now a half century old. knowing between 500-600 songs by heart, he can sing you most any old-time song known in this part of the blue ridge.  

born into a family of 11 children on february 7, 1919 in the northwestern corner of north carolina, spencer was introduced to old-time music early on.  after the family moved across the mountains to laurel bloomery the moore family was exposed to more old-time music via their neighbor, the blind fiddler and singer, g.b. grayson.  spencer's father acquired a wind-up phonograph and records.  hearing records by the likes of charlie poole, jimmie rodgers , riley puckett and their neighbor, g.b. grayson, stoked the fires of spencer's love of old-time music that much more.  a few dollars bought him a guitar from sears and roebuck via the mail.  in 1933, at age 14, spencer attended the famous whitetop mountain folk festival. there he heard mrs. eleanor roosevelt sing "three little babes," an old british ballad also known as "the wife of usher's well."

by the late 1930's, spencer and his brother joe were performing publicly themselves as the moore brothers in the delmore brothers style. it was during this period that the moores performed in a tent-show with the carter family.  

in 1959, famed folklorist alan lomax along with shirley collins came into the hills of southwest virginia to collect blue ridge mountain music. lomax recorded a number of pieces by spencer including jimmy sutton and the girl i left behind. the performances were released on atlantic and prestige records. 

spencer moore is a living link to our musical past. he knew and played with the carter family, g. b. grayson and henry whittier. such links are becoming increasing rare. he is a treasure we should cherish.   

click the image above to
add this item to your
shopping cart
$12.74

back in stock as of
april 3rd, 2009

first in stock on
august 22nd, 2008

threads:
folk

tompkins square (usa) #tsq 1912 cd

charlie louvin “live at shake it records” compact disc

  • wabash cannonball
  • you're running wild
  • the christian life
  • will you visit me on sundays
  • cash on the barrelhead
  • long journey home
  • my baby's gone
  • mama's angels
  • praying
  • waiting for a train
  • the hand that rocks the cradle
  • see the big man cry
  • charlie's wish
contemporary live set ; i prefer this to the s/t louvin set on tompkins ...
tompkins square press release...
charlie louvin | live at shake it records

country music hall of fame legend charlie louvin co-wrote and recorded some of the most enduring country songs of all time with his brother ira. charlie recorded this live album in may 2007 during a non-stop tour in support of his acclaimed new album on tompkins square. in fact, this past year has seen the 80 year old tour with lucinda williams, play major festivals like bonnaroo, share bills with ryan adams and neko case, and release a video for the song "ira".

the louvin brothers songs featured on charlie louvin, and on this live cd, have been handed down by gram parsons, johnny cash, the byrds, emmylou harris and uncle tupelo, and recently made it into live sets by the likes of beck and jack white. charlie's influence on a new generation is clear.

this live set captures charlie at one of his many "in store" appearances. it's a stripped down field recording from a true living legend. 

click the image above to
add this item to your
shopping cart
$13.83

back in stock as of
april 3rd, 2009

first in stock on
august 22nd, 2008

threads:
guitar-themed
folk
modern-psych

tompkins square (usa) #tsq 1851 cd

james blackshaw “lost prayers and motionless dances” compact disc

  • lost prayers & motionless dances (34:31)
tompkins square press release...
james blackshaw | lost prayers and motionless dances

originally released as a cd-r in an edition of 200 copies by digitalis industries (digi08) in 2004.

click the image above to
add this item to your
shopping cart
$13.83

back in stock as of
april 3rd, 2009

first in stock on
august 22nd, 2008

threads:
guitar-themed
modern-psych

tompkins square (usa) #tsq 1844 cd

james blackshaw “sunshrine” compact disc

  • sunshrine (26:29)
  • skylark herald’s dawn (3:16)
tompkins square press release...
james blackshaw | sunshrine

originally released on cd in an edition of 1000 by digitalis industries (digi017) and as one half of the "sunshrine/celeste" lp in an edition of 525 on bo'weavil recordings (weavil08) in 2005.

click the image above to
add this item to your
shopping cart
$13.83

back in stock as of
april 3rd, 2009

first in stock on
august 22nd, 2008

threads:
guitar-themed
modern-psych

tompkins square (usa) #tsq 1837 cd

james blackshaw “celeste” compact disc

  • celeste (part 1) (14:44)
  • celeste (part 2) (13:45)
tompkins square press release...
james blackshaw | celeste

originally released as a cd-r in an edition of 80 copies on celebrate psi phenomenon in 2004 and reissued as a cd-r in an edition of 100 copies by barl fire records (bf001) and as one half of the "sunshrine/celeste" lp in an edition of 525 on bo'weavil recordings (weavil08) in 2005.

click the image above to
add this item to your
shopping cart
$13.83

back in stock as of
april 3rd, 2009

first in stock on
august 22nd, 2008

threads:
guitar-themed

tompkins square (usa) #tsq 1752 cd

peter walker “echo of my soul” compact disc

  • cante gitano (gypsy song)
  • flor de noche (night flower)
  • caminar en la tarde (afternoon walk)
  • manitas juntos (hands together)
  • sacromonte (sacred mountain)
  • cueva de pepe (pepe’s cave)
  • eco de mi alma (echo of my soul)
  • poema de amar (love poem)
  • jaleador (spirit caller)
  • soleo (alone)
  • cante en medio (song in a major)
  • por rosa  (song in e major)
  • grandita (song from granada)
  • bailarcito (little dance)
contemporary flamenco-tinged guitar pieces from peter walker ; a nice adjunct to the “a raga for peter walker” set ...
tompkins square press release...
peter walker - echo of my soul

maverick guitarist peter walker's first album in 40 years !

peter walker came up in the cambridge ma and greenwich village folk scenes of the sixties. he recorded two albums for the vanguard label in the late sixties in a style best described as american folk-raga. he studied with ravi shankar and ali akbar khan, and was dr. timothy leary's musical director, organizing music for the lsd advocate’s “celebrations.”

“peter walker was actually a bigger influence on my acoustic playing than john fahey or robbie basho.”  – ben chasny, six organs of admittance

a raga for peter walker was released by tompkins square in 2006, featuring four new tracks from peter along with original, previously unreleased compositions by revered contemporary guitarists steffen basho-junghans, james blackshaw, greg davis, shawn david mcmillen, thurston moore, and jack rose. 

in recent years, walker has developed an intense interest in flamenco guitar and, through regular trips to spain, has been accepted into flamenco’s exclusive musical elite. peter states, "the music on this cd was reviewed and acclaimed in andalucia by some of the "old guard" who have encouraged its release.  with its roots in ancient east indian music, "flamenco" has influenced much of the world's music.  these spanish-inspired pieces reflect my passion for this musical rubric".

click the image above to
add this item to your
shopping cart
$14.93

back in stock as of
april 3rd, 2009

first in stock on
august 22nd, 2008

threads:
folk
guitar-themed

tompkins square (usa) #tsq 1424 cd

“imaginational anthem • volume 2” compact disc

  • james blackshaw - “river of heaven”
  • peter lang - “future shot at the rainbow”
  • jose gonzalez - “suggestions”
  • jesse sparhawk - “light cycle/tetrahedra”
  • michael chapman - “leaving the apple”
  • sean smith - “what blooms in summer dies in winter”
  • fred gerlach - “devil's brew”
  • christina carter - “ascend mem”
  • jack rose - “cross the north fork ii”
  • billy faier - “new world coming”
  • sharron kraus - “looking for the hermit’s cave”
  • robbie basho - “kowaka d'amour”
second volume ; standout pieces from basho, jack rose, christina carter, james blackshaw, etc ...
tompkins square press release...
imaginational anthem volume two

here are some highlights among the twelve tracks comprising imaginational anthem volume 2—all previously unreleased on cd in the us:

• “kowaka d'amour” by robbie basho (1940-1986), the first live recording ever issued by this legendary artist
• “devil's brew” by fred gerlach, a 1975 home recording by this masterful 12-string guitarist— cited as an influence by jimmy page
• new performances recorded expressly for ia2 by such emerging major talents as berkeley’s sean smith and (from the uk) james blackshaw and sharron kraus.
• new recordings of compositions by original takoma recording artists peter lang (“future shot at the rainbow”) and billy faier (“new world coming”).

click the image above to
add this item to your
shopping cart
$13.83

back in stock as of
april 3rd, 2009

first in stock on
august 22nd, 2008

threads:
folk
modern-psych

tompkins square (usa) #tsq 1142 cd

christian kiefer / sharron kraus “the black dove” compact disc

  • prelude (1:59)
  • missing (3:04)
  • cold blue room (5:43)
  • on the chase (3:56)
  • glimmer (0:55)
  • the blackest crow (4:32)
  • white shroud (2:49)
  • dearest (2:53)
  • letting go
  • holding on (2:39)
  • a snake & a lion (2:41)
  • sinking (1:46)
  • mourning (4:13)
  • the rocks (1:33)
  • the black dove (4:01)
  • heaven & hell (2:05)
tompkins square press release...
the black dove
christian kiefer & sharron kraus

the black dove is a collaborative project between two like-minded artists, christian kiefer and sharron kraus. kiefer is a sacramento-based singer/songwriter with several acclaimed concept records exploring the history of the american west, who has collaborated with members of low, wilco and the band. kraus is an english folksinger in the tradition of sandy denny, linda thompson and anne briggs, a dark folk troubadour who's debut album beautiful twisted made rolling stone's top critics' albums for 2002. her most recent album on australian label camera obscura, songs of love & loss, further strengthened her profile as one of today's most innovative contemporary folk artists.

in creating the black dove, the two worked on songs and instrumentals based on the idea of love letters between two people, one the pursuer and one the pursued, one flesh and blood, the other a ghost. kiefer's forest-bound northern california studio was awash with mandolins, guitars, pump organ, tongue drums, and banjos. blue jays squawked through the trees, the flies swarmed and buzzed, the wind whistled through the pine needles. the album is meant to be experienced as a sonic novel with each song or chapter referencing the text.

click the image above to
add this item to your
shopping cart
$14.93

back in stock as of
april 3rd, 2009

first in stock on
august 22nd, 2008

tompkins square (usa) #tsq 1042 cd

charlie louvin “charlie louvin” compact disc

  • must you throw dirt in my face
  • great atomic power
  • blues stay away from me
  • the christian life
  • when i stop dreaming
  • waiting for a train
  • kneeling drunkard's plea
  • worried man blues
  • grave on the green hillside
  • knoxville girl
  • ira
  • my long journey home
... mainly as i came across an o.g. copy of “satan is real” (w/ arguably one of the all-time best album covers ::


... ) by the louvin brothers a few years back & simply couldn’t get it off my stereo for a few months ...

this is charlie’s 80th birthday celebration / comeback album, tons of celebrity guests, etc ...
tompkins square press release...
charlie louvin

on february 20th, 2007, country music giant charlie louvin will release his first new studio album in over ten years on the tompkins square label.

the self-titled disc, produced by mark nevers (lambchop, calexico, candi staton) and charlie louvin, was recorded in spring/summer 2006 in nashville. it features guest performances by elvis costello, jeff tweedy, will oldham, tom t. hall, george jones, bobby bare sr., tift merritt, marty stuart, david kilgour, and members of bright eyes, lambchop, superchunk, blanche and clem snide, among others.

the album features several louvin brothers classics as well as country favorites first popularized by jimmie rodgers, the delmore brothers, the carter family, and the monroe brothers. charlie also has included a moving tribute to his late brother ira, with whom he formed the louvin brothers in 1940. (ira louvin died in a car accident in 1965, at age 41.)

charlie louvin's influence on country, alt-country, and their many sub-genres, is incalculable. the unique harmonies and lyrical folk poetry of the louvin brothers ("among the top duos in country music history") have inspired countless covers of their songs by such artists as johnny cash, gram parsons, the byrds, emmylou harris, uncle tupelo and the raconteurs (with jack white).

"must you throw dirt in my face," a new version of the louvin brothers' 1962 hit featuring charlie with george jones, is the first track to be released from charlie louvin. in support of his new album, charlie louvin and his band will tour the us extensively in 2007, including special summer appearances celebrating the artist's 80th birthday (july 7, 2007).

click the image above to
add this item to your
shopping cart
$6.33

back in stock as of
april 3rd, 2009

first in stock on
august 22nd, 2008

threads:
folk
guitar-themed

tompkins square (usa) #tsq 0531 ep

suni mcgrath “seven stars b/w fantasia” seven inch single record

  • seven stars

  • fantasia
contemporary recordings from obscure 60s private-press folk-guitar prodigy suni mcgrath ...
tompkins square press release...
suni mcgrath

legendary 12-string guitarist suni mcgrath's first new recordings in 33 years. mcgrath's three highly sought after out-of-print recordings for the adelphi label in the 60's are sublime. another new track, "train z", appears on the essential 'imaginational anthem' comp; these two new tracks are unreleased.

limited 7" pressing on tompkins square.

previous record label:
 tomlab 		...and that's everything on tompkins square in stock.
(why not take a look at the previous and next labels?)		next record label:
 tone filth 
.home..artists..labels..new..restocks..best..faq.
.soon.
... this page was last updated on saturday, february 11th, 2012 @ 5:10 pm