Mecna, Coco Zombie

With his second album Ya Think I'd Know Better, Coco Montoya ditches the guest stars and opts for a menu of pure, unadulterated Montoya. The results are quite impressive, to say the least. For the moment, overlook his somewhat pedestrian vocals and just concentrate on his scintillating guitar work. It's no secret that Montoya cultivated a reputation as one of the finest guitarists of the '80s and '90s through his session work, but even those familiar with his gutsy, electrifying style will be taken aback by the stylistic variety and musical depth on Ya Think I'd Know Better.

Coco Montoya's second album for Alligator records finds the guitarist moving away from the sound of his mentor, Albert Collins – although there certainly are licks throughout the album clearly inspired by "the Iceman," particularly when the tempo slows down – and toward big rock productions. This album sounds huge: The rhythm section provides a gigantic foundation, sprawling from speaker to speaker, then the keyboards and backing vocals are added, with guitars pushed to the forefront. On top of that, Montoya is demonstrating a greater inclination to soul and R&B than ever before, choosing to cover Holland-Dozier-Holland (a terrific take on "Something About You"), along with other tuneful soul tunes, and writing it that vein as well.

Released via T-Boy Records, Spookshow International Live is the first collection of live music from the horror music/film icon since 2007's Zombie Live. Recorded during Zombie and company's 2013 Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor tour, the 19-track set list, none of which has been tampered with (no overdubs, exaggerated crowd noise, etc.), includes fan favorites like "Living Dead Girl," "House of 1000 Corpses," "Dragula," and "Superbeast," as well as covers of The Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop" and Grand Funk Railroad's "We're an American Band".

Following the success of her "head-turning debut" with Orchid Classics in 2022, dynamic young violinist Coco Tomita returns with her new album "Echoes", reuniting with pianist Simon Callaghan in a reflective and intimate exploration of late 19th and 20th century repertoire. Coco first gained widespread recognition as winner of the 2020 BBC Young Musician Strings Category, an event which led to the recording of her debut album, "Origins", which garnered huge critical acclaim and was selected as one of Apple Music's Albums of the Month. She was named as 'One to watch' by Gramophone Magazine and 'Young Classical Star' by Classic FM, while elsewhere her rendition of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" rapidly amassed over 2 million streams as part of Apple Music's Classical Christmas campaign in December 2022.

Premiere blues rock guitarist Montoya is the only one of his peers with the soulful vocals to match his six-string prowess. Coming In Hot is jam-packed with stellar, unpredictable, spiraling solos played with Coco's signature full-bodied tone, and singing that carries fury and passion equal to his powerhouse fretwork.

In the summer of 2016 I lived in Ibiza. I played 50 sunsets on the Spanish island and across the Mediterranean in Italy. When the season was over, reflecting on this busy time, I decided that my favourite place wasn’t so much one physical place, it was more a feeling that occurred at a certain time of day. My favourite place was anywhere, just before sunset, especially if there was a clear view of the sun setting into the sea.

The seventh edition of the Coco Beach Ibiza compilation series provides the perfect musical soundtrack for a “Summer Of Love” with laid-back days and balmy summer nights of Ibiza. The Volume 7 was again created in cooperation with DJ Danielle Diaz & Kontor Records and comes as a 3 CD set in their noble digipack: CD1 - Good Morning Ibiza, CD2 - Life Is Better At The Beach, CD3 - Ibiza Night. All of them framed in a must-have luxurious package, surprising and attractive hiding a little booklet of photos inside reflecting the best tendencies of Coco Beach Ibiza, located on one of the most beautiful beaches in Playa d’en Bossa…

Santa Monica-born guitarist Coco Montoya has been a member of Albert Collins' Icebreakers (as a drummer), and was the first lead guitarist in John Mayall's re-formed Bluesbreakers in 1985. He is, of course, best known as a solo artist with six recordings cut between 1995 and 2007. The reason for the long breaks between albums is simple: endless touring; it's the way a bluesman really makes his money. Blind Pig Records was the first label Montoya recorded on as a solo artist, and he cut three albums for the imprint – Gotta Mind to Travel, Ya Think I'd Know Better, and the incredible Just Let Go. As such, The Essential Coco Montoya, compiles the essential tracks from his Blind Pig stint.