In its scant six years, March Records has managed to assemble a most impressive roster of music, diverse and consistently good. This collection of rarities and tracks from previous releases seems to confirm the fact that the tastes of March Records chief Skippy McFadden and myself are very similar – not only do I like most of the bands March has released, but many of my favorite tracks seem to be here: Ciao Bella’s “How Low,” the Super Friendz’ “Karate Man” and Takako Minekawa’s “Fantastic Cat” are notable, as they occur one after another, leaving me wheezing and breathless by the time they’re done. Appearances by the sadly-departed Holiday, French lounge chanteuse Valerie Lemercier and Glasgow’s Delgados also boost the record’s musical value considerably.
March has had its finger on the pop pulse for some time now, and this compilation proves the fact conclusively, though the label has not received the recognition it deserves. For the fan of song and melody, about the only thing better than owning this compilation would be to own all the individual records these tracks came from. March Records, 121 Varick Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10013; http://www.marchrecords.com
