[share_ebook] Tech in Style August 2011

A passionate soprano and a dynamic continuo are the irresistible elements of Capriola Di Gioia, the Belgian ensemble around Amaryllis Dieltiens and Bart Naessens. AEOLUS listeners already know them from their collaboration with the Flanders Recorder Quartet. The young musicians are already firmly established in the Belgian and Dutch music scene.

When some of Chris Duarte's admirers exalted him as "the new Stevie Ray Vaughan" back in the '90s, it was unfair to Duarte as well as to Vaughan's memory. Vaughan was irreplaceable, and expecting Duarte to somehow fill the void that Vaughan left when he died in 1990 is unrealistic. That said, Duarte has made some exciting contributions to blues-rock – specifically, blues-rock of the Texas variety, and that Lone Star spirit is alive and well on Blues in the Afterburner. Texas, of course, has been a leader in different areas of the blues. Lightnin' Hopkins, Texas Alexander, and Blind Lemon Jefferson are among the icons of pre-rock Texas blues, while the recordings of Vaughan and Johnny Winter are the essence of loud-and-proud Texas blues-rock.

With a title that sums up their admirable refusal to pander to English-speaking audiences, Made in Germany: 1995-2011 celebrates the 16-year career of Neue Deutsche Härte outfit Rammstein, one of the few European rock bands to make any impression in both the U.K. and U.S. Spanning their six studio albums, from the synth-heavy theatrics of "Du Riechst So Gut" (from 1995 debut Herzeleid) to the glam-tinged vaudeville of "Haifisch" (from 2009's Liebe ist für alle da), alongside a brand new recording ("Mein Land"), the 16-track collection certainly justifies their rather provocative reputation. "Links 2-3-4" is an aggressive statement of defiance against the allegations of fascism and Nazism that had followed them around ever since they burst onto the scene, the brooding symphonics of "Mutter" soundtracks a dark tale of a neglected son murdering his mother…

Perhaps it’s all down to Stevie Nicks being at peace with her legacy, perhaps she was coaxed back toward the ‘70s by producer David A. Stewart, perhaps it’s the presence of Lindsey Buckingham on “Soldier’s Angel,” or perhaps it’s the fact that she excavated a 1976 song called “Secret Love” for this album, but In Your Dreams is Stevie’s first solo album to embrace the sound of Fleetwood Mac at their prime. Nicks never exactly ran away from the Mac, but her ‘80s solo hits were tempered by a steely demeanor and her subsequent solo albums strove too hard to recapture the magic that In Your Dreams conjures so easily.

The London Sinfonietta combine two works from Thomas Adès, one of the most distinctive and popular voices in modern composition. Both works feature accompanying films (by Tal Rosner and Sophie Clements) that are included in this CD/DVD set. 'In Seven Days' is a musical interpretation for piano and orchestra of the biblical ‘creation’ by Thomas Adès, composed in collaboration with a film-piece by the artist and filmmaker Tal Rosner. B

With Joan Jett witnessing something of a revival thanks to the recent Runaways biopic, the original leather-jumpsuit-wearing rock icon Suzi Quatro returns to prove that nearly 40 years on from her self-titled debut, she can still pack a few punches herself. Co-written with previous collaborator Mike Chapman (Blondie, Mud), In the Spotlight, her first album since 2006's Back to the Drive, shows that unlike many of her counterparts, the contemporary pop scene hasn't completely passed her by.