Natasha Oakley & Devin Brugman Bikinis in Bondi Beach March, 2016

Felix Mendelssohn did visit the city of Birmingham several times, but the Chandos label's Mendelssohn in Birmingham series refers for the most part to these contemporary performances by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Edward Gardner. If you've been interested in trying out an item from the series, this one can be recommended strongly. The low-key, lyrical approach of conductor Gardner works beautifully in these two pieces. Especially effective is the Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64, in the hands of violinist Jennifer Pike: she catches the novel role of the soloist in this concerto in a way that bigger performances do not.

Their music incorporates elements of classical Indian music, Krautrock, Traditional Folk, and 70s Rock. Most importantly their music is about freedom of the mind and body and building a bridge between the supernatural and the present. Improvisation is a key element to their sound.

ANOTHER SPLASH OF COLOUR is the first compilation to document the Psychedelic Revival which hit the British music scene in the first half of the Eighties. This 3-CD set expands upon an original V/A LP, A Splash Of Colour, issued by WEA at the start of 1982 and including many of the Nu Psych scene’s major players: Mood Six, High Tide, Miles Over Matter, The Barracudas and The Times. All the musical tracks from this landmark album now appear on CD for the very first time!

Italian pop star Gianluca Grignani was born in Milan in 1972. Raised by his mother and with the help of his uncle in learning to play the guitar, Grignani began writing songs in his room. He moved to London at the age of 17 and made contacts with several musicians, but returned to Italy several years later. His musical career took off after meeting guitarist and producer Massimo Luca. After Grignani performed in the 1994 Festival de San Remo, PolyGram persuaded him to release the acoustic ballad "La mia storia tra le dita". In 1995, Grignani managed a breakthrough with the album Destinazione Paradiso, which sold two million copies within a year, and for which he was awarded the Telegatto. "La mia storia tra le dita" became a number-one hit all over Iberoamerica and other countries in Europe.