Mahsa Vahdat A Cappella, The Sun Will Rise (2015)

“Different Game”, is the long-awaited follow-up to their critically-acclaimed 2015 release “Still Got That Hunger”, which charted in Billboard’s Top 100 and SoundScanned over 12k units in America alone.

The combination of Damian Wilson and Adam Wakeman has never disappointed and this eloquent album continues that trend. Key to their artistic success is an understanding of songwriting and a defiant resistance against overplaying…

The combination of Damian Wilson and Adam Wakeman has never disappointed and this eloquent album continues that trend. Key to their artistic success is an understanding of songwriting and a defiant resistance against overplaying. Instead, the songs collected here are raw and direct, with the arrangements deliberately restrained and infused with a simple beauty. Laugh In Time is a seductive ballad that’s reminiscent of Cat Stevens at his finest, and the darkly amusing Blackpool Clip Joint Racket possesses the grandeur of early Billy Joel. Indeed, throughout The Sun Will Dance In Its Twilight Hour, there’s a rare consistency to the music, which mixes a contemporary approach with early-70s concise inspiration. Opener The Last American Hero, with an impossibly catchy chorus, is an upbeat tale of an airman and astronaut, and On This Battlefield is similarly direct. The inclusion of Travis guitarist Andy Dunlop alongside seductive strings only enhances the appeal. Impeccably pitched and performed, it’s an album with the potential – given the right exposure – to cross over to mass public appeal.

The Persuasions - Frankly A cappella: The Persuasions Sing Zappa (2000) {EarthBeat!-Rhino R279832} (Zappa-related)
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (image)+CUE+LOG -> 246 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 104 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 57 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2000 EarthBeat! Records / Rhino Records | R279832
A cappella / Soul / Doo-Wop / R&B

Frank Zappa gave the vocal group the Persuasions their first chance by signing them to his record label, Straight, in 1969. In 2000, the six-piece a cappella formation recorded a heartfelt tribute to the composer by recording doo wop renditions of a cross section of his songs. Some choices were inevitable, like "The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing," which the group had already performed on the project Zappa's Universe, and the already doo woppy "Any Way the Wind Blows" and "Love of My Life." But by adding obscure numbers like "Electric Aunt Jemima" and "Harder Than Your Husband," the Persuasions clearly intended to surprise the fans – and it works.