Grandma.2015

It's Almost Christmas is the first Christmas album by the husband and wife duo, Jon & Valerie Guerra. Descendant Records (Sony) released the album on November 13, 2015.

Rhythm & Blues was not recognised as a distinct musical genre until the late 1940s and these CDs from the middle of that decade reflect the musical taste of the black population of the United States as it moved away from country blues towards a commercial, dance-oriented fusion of jazz and blues that came to be known as jump blues.

Craig Charles is one of the UK’s best-loved Funk & Soul DJs. Broadcasting for over 10 years Craig Charles is spearheading the Funk & Soul revolution with his shows on BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 2. Funk & Soul Classics is his roots and heritage. This three-disc Set displays the rich routes and sultry rhythms of a genre that has touched and influenced many. The sixty tracks collectively represent some of the finest pieces of genre-defining music spanning across six decades, Craig Charles added “Having the chance to put together a collection featuring my personal favourites from the golden age of American soul & funk music, alongside some absolute funky nuggets from the contemporary bands keeping that raw soul sound alive in the 21st Century is a dream come true!” This definitive collection includes some of the heavy weight classics alongside some outstanding modern hidden gems. Funk & Soul Classics features some of the most celebrated vocalists and musicians, collectively earning multiple Grammy and Soul Train Awards.

Solveig Slettahjell was one such artist welcomed back into ACT label's fold. The ACT label released her early albums, establishing her international reputation as one of Europe’s leading jazz vocalists. Here she was partnered up with In The Country, the piano trio involving her close friend Morton Qvenild, pianist, sonic explorer and also a member of Solveig Slettahjell‘s Slow Motion ensembles. The real surprise that evening, however, came from adding the blues guitarist Knut Reiersrud. He had been on Siggi Loch's radar for quite some time, and on this occasion was having his first ever meeting with Slettahjell and her crew. It turned out to be an ideal combination. The evening was a celebration of everything that had made the Nordic sound so attractive and successful for many decades. On the one hand there was the elegiac, bluesy side, inspired by the spirit of indigenous folk music; on the other the electronic, the rhythmically daring and the experimental.

Let's Eat Grandma, one of the most vital bands of our time, follow on the cult success of their debut album I, Gemini with the game-changing I'm All Ears. The British duo, comprised of teenage vocalists, multi-instrumentalists and songwriters Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth, have pole-vaulted expectations and preconceptions delivering something fresh, fun and meaningful. I'm All Ears is alive with furious pop, unapologetic grandeur and intimate ballads. Featuring loops, Logic, outrageous 80s drum solos, as well as production from David Wrench (The xx, Frank Ocean, Caribou), SOPHIE (famed for her own material and work with Madonna, Charli XCX and Vince Staples) and Faris Badwan (The Horrors). I'm All Ears is the most startling, infectious, innovative and thrilling record you'll hear this year.

With more than 11 albums behind him already, Martin Nathan ventures since 15 years into many artistic and stylistic experiments, under the name of Brain Damage. Alternately dark, atmospheric, aggressive or poetic, his universe seems to be constantly evolving, what may be the key to his project longevity.