Bleak Night (2011)

Though Les Rallizes Denudes, also known as Hadaka no Rallizes, were one of the earliest and most revolutionary Japanese psychedelic rock bands, and have existed off and on through four decades, they are also one of the most obscure, barely known even in their native country. This cult of noise terrorists shrouded themselves in mystery, seldom touring and releasing very few records, usually with no discernible label. Their sound presages the later psychedelic experimental noise of Fushitsusha, High Rise, and others in the current crop more than any other Japanese psychedelic group from the late '60s…

Les Marquises is Jean-Sébastien Nouveau’s grand ensemble project, featuring artists like Matt Elliott of The Third Eye Foundation and Agathe Max among many others. A Night Full Of Collapses makes great use of this line-up, sprinkling rich and varied instrumentation throughout its noirish chamber pop. Released by Ici d’ailleurs.

Building on her well-represented holiday catalog, Christmas with Judy Collins is essentially a reissue of the folk artist's 2000 release All on a Wintry Night, padded with two additional songs. All 14 tracks from Wintry Night are featured here in their original sequence with the addition of a new single, the western-tinged "Angels in the Snow" leading off the album, and a stirring, largely a cappella version of "Amazing Grace" closing it out. Fans of Collins' rich, warm voice will enjoy some of the more stripped-down arrangements, which feature her singing to a simple piano accompaniment on lesser-known carols like "In the Bleak Midwinter" and "Cherry Tree Carol." On the other hand, the dated synthesizer sounds on tracks like "Come Rejoice" and "Good King Wenceslas" sound rather homogenous and the spoken intro over the faux-strings of "Away in a Manger" is far too heavy-handed to take seriously. Fortunately, the bulk of the album's 16 tracks favor the more minimalist arrangements keeping Collins' lovely voice at the forefront without much distraction.

After Neil Young left the California folk-rock band Buffalo Springfield in 1968, he slowly established himself as one of the most influential and idiosyncratic singer/songwriters of his generation. Young's body of work ranks second only to Bob Dylan in terms of depth, and he was able to sustain his critical reputation, as well as record sales, for a longer period of time than Dylan, partially because of his willfully perverse work ethic…

After Neil Young left the California folk-rock band Buffalo Springfield in 1968, he slowly established himself as one of the most influential and idiosyncratic singer/songwriters of his generation. Young's body of work ranks second only to Bob Dylan in terms of depth, and he was able to sustain his critical reputation, as well as record sales, for a longer period of time than Dylan, partially because of his willfully perverse work ethic…

With Christmas (and other assorted holidays) just around the corner, it’s expected that holiday-themed recordings begin to make their way to the marketplace. The cool thing about holiday albums is that any one can become a lifetime classic.
Mary Fahl has made a great solo career, post-October Project. With her phenomenal solo set, The Other Side of Time (2003), and her unique approach to the Pink Floyd classic, The Dark Side of the Moon with her own From The Dark Side of the Moon (2011), she has mesmerized many fans with her extraordinary voice. Her last album, Love & Gravity (2014) achieved many things, as well as include a stunning version of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now”. Now, Mary Fahl provides a new album for the holiday season with Winter Songs and Carols

After Neil Young left the California folk-rock band Buffalo Springfield in 1968, he slowly established himself as one of the most influential and idiosyncratic singer/songwriters of his generation. Young's body of work ranks second only to Bob Dylan in terms of depth, and he was able to sustain his critical reputation, as well as record sales, for a longer period of time than Dylan, partially because of his willfully perverse work ethic…

Moya Brennan (born Máire Ní Bhraonáin; also known as Máire Brennan), is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist. She began performing professionally in 1970 when her family formed the band Clannad, and is considered as the "First Lady of Celtic Music". Moya released her first solo album in 1992 called Máire, a successful venture. She has been nominated for two Grammys and has won an Emmy Award. She has recorded music for several soundtracks, including Titanic, To End All Wars and King Arthur.