Various, Onelinedrawing, Cex, Challenger: Location Is Everything, Volume 2

Summary: Jade Tree is a label in Delaware, USA, a particularly unglamourous part of a country more famous for its scenes in DC, New York, yadda yadda yadda. There is no scene in Delaware, which is why Jade Tree bring it there instead. A while ago they released a compilation called 'Location Is Everything'. This is the second volume. It rocks.

You don't really need to read on now - as far as label rosters go, Jade Tree's is amongst the best in the world. In fact, I can't think of even one other label, anywhere, that has such a diverse and exciting current roster. No one track on this 21-track compilation is anything like the one before it - atmospheric post-hardcore titans (there really is no other word for a band of this magnitude) These Arms Are Snakes rub shoulders in the opening brace with indie-folk-hip-hopper Cex, whose 'Kill Me' is electrifying. "When you find I've finally done it, forget my name, and set my fucking corpse on fire." Brutal isn't the word. From Ashes Rise turn in a devastating 'Reaction', the opening track from their phenomenal 'Nightmares' album (reviewed elsewhere on this very site), and Milemarker's 'Banner To The Sick' is just plain odd. Two members of Milemarker pop up again in Challenger, a more straight-up punk band who recall the likes of Hot Snakes and Drive Like Jehu; their 'Input The Output' is stupidly good.

Rare or previously unreleased tracks make up the last six of these 21, and are valuable additions to anyone's collection. Statistics' 'Another Space Song' is a wonderful, ambient chill-out number, whilst onelinedrawing's cover of label mate Pedro The Lion's 'Rapture', from the latter's conceptually-brilliant album 'Control', has to be heard to be believed, such is its aching emotion.

Buy this. Really, you won't find a better single label compilation this year.