Humble Pie:
Classics (A&M)

Oh, glorious cock rock cliches! Actually…in the very early '70s, when ex-Face Steve Marriott and future pinup Peter Frampton locked themselves in a room with a thunderous rhythm section, even they probably didn’t know they were inventing the heavy British boogie style that, in the ensuing decades, everyone from Spinal Tap to Lenny Kravitz would appropriate for good and for very, very bad. A friend of mine said he had trouble finding a suitable track for a mix tape for his bar. Seems he failed to put the volume to 11 when he was skipping about, at which point new solar systems of heavyosity make themselves known. A holy grail of sorts. - Adam Budofsky

Bleachmobile:
Detonator (Scribble, www.supervoid.com)

Oh, my goodness, what are they breathing in Okinawa? Kanna, Suke, and Sayuri are three young women from Japan who so f**king rock...quite disarming the first time you hear it, really. It’s punk, but it’s art too, and it’s loud, and it’s fast, and it’s angry, and…oh…my, I think I'm falling..... After the second spin you realize these three can really, really play well, and there’s even a moment or two of sonic subtlety and prettiness to break it all up. Good gracious, they even understand dynamics. Thank you, God. - Adam Budofsky

Faust:
The Wumme Years, 1970-73 (RER)

This is a five-CD box set encompassing the German avant-rockers’ early proper albums plus at least two discs worth of previously unavailable material. Even by original Krautrock standards, this stuff is unique. Simply, anything could—and usually would—happen on a Faust album, and it usually happened very well indeed. No room here for specifics. (Frankly, I’m feeling unequipped to verbally give proper weight to how cool this stuff is.) Better to check Mojo magazine’s lengthy review in their December 2000 issue, or search for it on allmusic.com. Let’s just say that if you’re at all into experimental music, this is an extremely important chapter in the user’s manual. Prepare your mind to be blown. - Adam Budofsky