Since 2002, the Rough Trade Shops COUNTER CULTURE series has been among the first to champion many artists that have since gone on to wider and well deserved success. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Kills, The Earlies, Devendra Banhart, Sufjan Stevens, Dizzee Rascal, The Fiery Furnaces, Franz Ferdinand, Futureheads, CocoRosie, The Go! Team, Bloc Party, Brakes and Death From Above 1979 to name but a few.

A listen to the latest CD will bring you the first chance for many of you to check out tomorrow’s heroes today, from artists such as The Spinto Band, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Modlang, Good Shoes and Milburn. Add a selection from a few Rough Trade faves like Boards Of Canada, Low, Ana da Silva, Daniel Johnston, Nurse With Wound, Franz Ferdinand, The Fall, Lightning Bolt and Sleater-Kinney alongside some humdingers that came out of nowhere by Katzenjammers, Albert Kuvezin and Yat-Kha, No Bra, 10lec6, Death Sentence: PANDA!, Jack Too Jack, Attack Formation and Snow White, and what you have in your hands is another ramma-jammered 49 track race through some of the highlights of the Rough Trade year.

Also coming soon from the Rough Trade Shop folks will be a special release to mark their 30th birthday celebrations and released to coincide with events and other activities later in the year (keep an eye on the Rough Trade Shops website for information). There will also be an Album Club related release and a further genre comp later in the year, as well as a brand spanking new Counter Culture 06.