Parasol's Sweet Sixteen was a compilation album series release by American record label and distributor Parasol Records, compiling new and previously released songs by artists on their subsidiary and distributed labels Action Musik, Bird Song Recordings, Galaxy Gramophone, Hidden Agenda Records, Mud Records, Reaction Recordings, and Spur Records. The series has received several positive reviews from critics.
Volume 1 (2000) Starlet – "Diary & Herself" (Starlet) – 3:13 (also released on Find Me (Odyssey to Anyoona), Parasol) June & The Exit Wounds – "I Can See You" (Todd Fletcher) – 4:30 (also released on a bonus 7" with the LP edition of A Little More Haven Hamilton, Please, Parasol) White Town – "I'm Alone" (Jyoti Mishra) – 2:16 (also released on All My Love / Rise, Parasol) Quickspace – "Coca Lola" (Tom Cullinan) – 5:48 (also released on Precious Falling, Hidden Agenda) Elk City – "Dreams of Steam" (Ray Ketchem, Peter Langland-Hassan, and Renee LoBue) – 2:49 (also released on Status, Hidden Agenda) Very Secretary – "Sister Psyche" (Very Secretary) – 3:30 (also released on Standing in the Shade, Mud) blueberry, very blue – "The Mongolian Air Blue" – 3:32 (subsequently released on Step Right This Way, Parasol) St. Christopher – "Chemical King" (Glenn Melia) – 3:23 (also released on Golden Blue, Parasol) George Usher Group – Days of Plenty" (Usher) – 3:55 (also released on Days of Plenty, Parasol) Matt Bruno – "Dancing" (Bruno) – 3:22 (also released on Punch & Beauty, Parasol) Autoliner – "Ambulance" (Tom Curless, Brian Leach, and John Ross) – 3:10 (also released on Life on Mars, Parasol) Nick Rudd – "One Track Mind" (Rudd) – 2:28 (also released on One Track Mind, Parasol) Steve Pride and His Blood Kin – "Emmanuel" – 4:34 (also released on Pride on Pride, Spur) Bikeride – "Jennifer" (Tony Carbone) – 2:50 (also released on Thirty-Seven Secrets I Only Told America and the 10" Dogs EP, Hidden Agenda) Busytoby – "Hey Hali" (Amanda Lyons and Joe Ziemba) – 2:12 (also released on It's Good to Be Alive, Parasol) Doleful Lions – "Driller Killer" (Jonathan Scott) – 3:35 (also released on The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here!, Parasol) Vitesse – "Losing Track of Time" (Hewson Chen and Joshua Klein) – 3:48 (previously unreleased, Hidden Agenda) Honcho Overload – "Miserable" (Honcho Overload) – 3:52 (also released on Smiles Everyone, Mud)
Editors at AllMusic Guide rated this release three out of five stars, with critic Stanton Swihart calling it a collection that "serves as proof enough that this is ground well worth treading" and a sampler that "is packed to the gills with sensational music from across the pop spectrum". David Fufkin of PopMatters wrote that Parasol is a great label due to its strong roster of artists and quality songs and recommends that readers buy the compilation for its high quality and low price.
Volume 2 (2000) Bettie Serveert – "Unsound" (lyrics: Carol van Dijk, music: Bette Serveert) – 3:59 (an edited single version unavailable in the United States) Angie Heaton and Bob Kimbell – "Ever Fallen In Love? (Pete Shelley) – 2:51 (previously unreleased) Sarge – "Detroit Star-Lite" (Elizabeth Elmore) – 3:29 (also released on Distant) Diamond Star Halo – "The Sky Is Falling" (Bob Kimbell, Brian Leach, and Adam Schmitt) – 4:33 (previously unreleased) Mike Levy – "Away from My Head" (Levy) – 2:48 (also released on Fireflies) National Skyline – "Eurorak" (National Skyline) – 3:45 (previously unreleased) Elk City – "Love's Like a Bomb" (Ray Ketchem, Peter Langland-Hassan, and Renee LoBue) – 4:38 (also released on Status) Vitesse – "When Nothing's Changed" (Hewson Chen and Joshua Klein) – 3:29 (also released on Chelsea 27099) Doleful Lions – "Breather Bulls" (Jonathan Scott) – 4:46 (also released on Song Cyclops Volume One) Friends of Sound – "Manhattan" (Leslie Lochamy and Reed Lochamy) – 4:35 (also released on Think It's a Game) Bikeride – "Look Out, Here Comes Tomorrow" (Neil Diamond) – 2:48 (previously unreleased) Autoliner – "Outdoor Miner" (Graham Lewis and Colin Newman) – 2:25 (previously unreleased) Shalini – "Pandora at Sea" (Shalini Chatterjee) – 2:45 (also released on We Want Jelly Donuts) Busytoby – "The Loneliest Life" (Amanda Lyons and Joe Ziemba) – 3:35 (also released on the sampler included with the Spring 2000 issue of Innocence + Peppermints) The Beauty Shop – "Death March" (John Hoffleur) – 4:05 (also released on Yr Money or Yr Life) Philo – "Last Dart Leaving (Down)" (Jeff Cohen, Johnny Nickels, and Chris Russell) – 2:46 (also released on The Trouble with Girls) Toothpaste 2000 – "Delicious" (Frank Bednash and Donna Esposito) – 4:32 (previously unreleased remix)