39 Minutes of Bliss

Occasionally out of the blue skies comes an album that can truly be anointed as a progression , beyond the valleys of symphonic, through the dense forests of experimental and over the mighty Italian RPI peaks. Celebrated multi-instrumentalist and prolific maestro bassist Fabio Zuffanti (having a glorious recent past with the legendary Finisterre , the heady La Maschera di Cera, the pastoral Histsonaten, folky Aries, experimental Zaal and La Zona, to name just a few) has outdone himself with this supremely evocative and original offering. Firstly beyond the vivid green artwork that glorifies the music even more, the amalgamation of keyboardists Agostino Macor (the next Wakeman/Emerson in my opinion) and Boris Valle has only managed to make us prog fans fantasize even further over ivory pleasures, with colossal use of piano and mellotron throughout the wheezing, highly cinematographic arrangements. ..

The Sensual Mood Music label's Coffee Bar Lounge series of collections invariably and effortlessly creates a cozy atmosphere for relaxation. It is recommended both for minutes of a coffee break or a summer picnic, and as background music for creative personalities in their good undertakings.

Ben Curtis' desertion of Secret Machines and the breakup of On!Air!Library! was justified by this group's first single, a sky-gliding confection that modernized the sighing, swirling, private dancefloor sides of Medicine, Seefeel, and My Bloody Valentine. Included as the finale on Alpinisms, the debut album from Curtis and O!A!L!'s singing Deheza twins, "My Cabal" has the feel of a bonus track; the later recordings that precede it, despite remaining squarely within the domain of late-'80s/early-'90s dream pop in terms of inspiration, are relatively individualist, going well beyond the lucid psychedelia and discreet flickers of Afro-beat and contemporary pop. What pushes these songs past mere worship involves cunning collisions of robust rhythm, caressing noise, and heavenly melody, with each element equally crucial. Good shoegaze/dream pop bands mastered one of them; the most exceptional of the heap, like this group, had all three down. The most striking example here is "Wired for Light," seemingly spawned by Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Peek-A-Boo" and M/A/R/R/S' "Anitina," full of clacking percussion that rattles the ribs, Middle Eastern accents, gale-force atmospherics, and layered vocals that could be casting a spell.

On 21st and 22nd April, 1983, Brian May was joined at Record Plant Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. by his friends Eddie Van Halen (guitar), Alan Gratzer (drums), Phil Chen (bass), and Fred Mandel (keyboards). The output of the two days’ sessions was captured on a 3-track mini album and released on October 31st, 1983, titled Brian May + Friends: Star Fleet Project. Now celebrating its 40th anniversary, Star Fleet Project will be given the full reissue treatment as part of Brian’s ongoing Gold Series. Brian and his studio team, Justin Shirley-Smith and Kris Fredriksson, have created a completely new 2023 mix of the sessions from the original multi-track master tapes, and the artwork has been completely digitally recreated from the original 1983 source material, to give fans the very best experience at the highest possible quality.

Michael Nyman is an extremely accomplished composer, crafting compelling music whether he's been commissioned to score a film or to provide material for symphonies or various bands. Time Will Pronounce collects his chamber commissions from 1992: "Self-Laudatory Hymn of Inanna and Her Omnipotence" for James Bowman and Fretwork, "Time Will Pronounce" for Trio of London, "The Convertibility of Lute Strings" for Virginia Black, and "For John Cage" for London Brass.

Foreigner - Foreigner (1977). Blissful feelings arise at the mere mention of 70s arena rock. It gives listeners the permission to have fun, sing along to aircraft-hangar-size choruses, play air guitar solos, forget about any troubles, recall the experience of a first kiss, and quite simply, rock out. Few albums better instill these pleasures than Foreigner’s 1977 self-titled debut album, a five-times platinum blockbuster chock full of salacious riffs, soaring vocals, edgy beats, and lyrics that practically demand to be shouted.
Spearheaded by guitar hero Mick Jones, fresh off success with Spooky Tooth, Foreigner rallied around a talented collective pulled from the U.S. and U.K…

The Flamin' Groovies - Groovies' Greatest Grooves (1989) {Sire Records 925948-2 rec 1971-1979}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 514 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 179 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 59 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1971-79, 1989 Sire Records / Warner | 9 25948-2
Rock / Power Pop / Proto-Punk / Rock & Roll / Roots Rock

During their early period with Roy Loney as lead singer, the Flamin' Groovies made one great album (Teenage Head), one very good one (Flamingo), and one that was flawed but enjoyable (Supersnazz). When Cyril Jordan took over as the band's unquestioned leader following Loney' s departure, the Groovies shifted gears from supercharged roots rock to neo-British Invasion pop, and while every record they released had more than a few brilliant moments, they seemed incapable of making an album that was solid from front to back. Thankfully, some bright penny at Sire Records got the idea of putting together a Flamin' Groovies compilation CD, and the result, Groovies' Greatest Grooves, makes a superb case for the inconsistent but undeniable brilliance of their post-Loney repertoire.

The long-awaited new album by Jamie xx In Waves is the next chapter in the career of one of the most in demand producers of his generation. With In Waves, Jamie replicates the emotional crescendos and thrilling volatility of an almost mystical night out– one where you return home in the cigarette ash dawn, the specifics of the last eight hours already blurring, but aware that these feelings will remain a crystalline memory.