Buyers' bets

Bay Area music store mavens pick their favorite fall releases

Amoeba Music, SF

John Garcia, head buyer, also jazz and world music buyer

The Band box set, which is going to have even more rarities, unreleased material, and live stuff, and includes a DVD of rare and previously unseen performances.

Thelonius Monk and John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall – it's a very important historical discovery but also musically brilliant. It's not just an artifact but a remarkable performance that's very well recorded.

I'm also looking forward to the new Ray Barretto, the great percussionist and Latin jazz master. His albums have been infrequent in recent years, and this is the first new one in a while. I imagine it to be really extraordinary. He doesn't stay in the same rhythmic and harmonic areas that other bandleaders seem to pillage.

Virgin Megastore, SF

Alan Williams, product manager

The one I'm hearing the most buzz about is Damian Marley. From what I've heard, it's a classic dancehall record, like late '80s-style dancehall – anyone who's been following the reggae scene for the past five years hasn't heard a lot of that in a long time, and anything with the Marley name is going to have a lot of interest attached to it.

Rasputin, SF

Saeed Crumpler, hip-hop buyer

Kanye West's Late Registration. Heard a couple tracks – for me, he comes at a perfect time. I think he'll be able to come in and actually talk about stuff that regular people can relate to.

Also, an artist out of the Bay Area: Balance, The Young and the Restless. Working on it for a while and hasn't released an album, just a whole bunch of mix tapes.

Aquarius, SF

Allan Horrocks, co-owner

In September the new Earth record comes out. I've heard it, and it's really good. They haven't done an actual studio record in many years

Open Mind Music, SF

Henry Wimmer, owner

The upcoming Oranger record is going to be exciting – a great local band. They're playing with the Posies Sept. 7 at Slim's. It's the day after my 40th birthday, so I'm going to celebrate.

BPM Music Factory, SF

Sammy D, buyer and DJ at Rx Gallery's Control

Dirty Bird's Claude Von Stroke, an SF DJ, has a 12-inch coming out on Get Physical. "Chimp": incredible. Justin Martin, also from SF, has an album coming out on Ben Watt's Buzz and Fly label in the late fall. The single is called "Legend of Papa Chango," and it's with Justin Martin and Sammy D. I'm also really looking forward to the new Postal Service.

Record Collector, SF

Mike Green, buyer and Burmese bassist

The Dead C/Konono No. 1 split 12-inch (FatCat). I'm impressed by the locked grooves at the beginning. Virgin Insanity – it's Michael Yonkers's first band, supposedly, from Minneapolis. Another very limited release. The name of the album is Illusions of the Maintenance Man. It's just the kind of totally obscure lost psych record from the late '60s that always draws some attention.

I'm disenchanted with newer music.

Mod Lang Records, Berkeley

Naomi Diamond, owner

Baby Shambles

Blood Arm

Devendra Banhart

Field Music

Clor

Goldfrapp

The Rakes