The Tenth Parallel: Dispatches From The Fault Line Between Christianity And Islam (audiobook)

Conventional wisdom has it that all the B-52's' subsequent releases are highly inferior to their debut. While Wild Planet is not the rarefied wonder their first platter is, it's still darn good. The songs here are generally faster, tighter, and punchier than previously, though production values are not as wonderfully quirky and detailed; fewer songs here are as over-the-top crazy as the first album's "Rock Lobster" or "52 Girls." These formless selections continue to exhibit a cunning mix of girl group, garage band, surf, and television theme song influences, all propelled along by an itchy dance beat. "Give Me Back My Man" allows Cindy Wilson a unique opportunity to croon a broad, expressive melodic line. Fred Schneider parades his inimitably nervous vocals on chucklesome ditties like "Quiche Lorraine" and "Strobe Light." The best songs here are "Private Idaho," a wonderfully jittery number that employs a variant on the famous melodic snippet from the Twilight Zone theme music, and "Devil in My Car," a delightfully loopy hoot that lays the craziness on very thickly. Performances and sound quality are fine. This album is well worth hearing and recommended.

The Black Tornado is the supporting band of Thorbjørn Risager, a Danish blues musician who first came onto the scene early in the 2000s. A fan of Southern soul and Chicago blues, he fused the two sounds, something that was evident his 2004 debut, Live 2004. This record also showcased the skills of Black Tornado, a group he assembled in 2003 to articulate his artistic vision. Risager and Black Tornado signed to Cope Records, an imprint run by the band's trumpet player, in the mid-2000s and from that point on, he's worked regularly – albums have appeared every other year, and he's toured often – and he started to get international attention in 2014 after the release of Too Many Roads. This was their first record to appear on Ruf Records but it wasn't the last – Songs from the Road followed in 2016 and Change My Game appeared in early 2017.

The Black Tornado is the supporting band of Thorbjørn Risager, a Danish blues musician who first came onto the scene early in the 2000s. A fan of Southern soul and Chicago blues, he fused the two sounds, something that was evident his 2004 debut, Live 2004. This record also showcased the skills of Black Tornado, a group he assembled in 2003 to articulate his artistic vision. Risager and Black Tornado signed to Cope Records, an imprint run by the band's trumpet player, in the mid-2000s and from that point on, he's worked regularly – albums have appeared every other year, and he's toured often – and he started to get international attention in 2014 after the release of Too Many Roads. This was their first record to appear on Ruf Records but it wasn't the last – Songs from the Road followed in 2016 and Change My Game appeared in early 2017.