The.thing.2011

The Most Incredible Thing is the Pet Shop Boys' first foray into the world of ballet scoring, and it’s as slick and smart as expected. Composed for London’s Sadlers Wells Theater adaptation of a late-period Hans Christian Andersen story, this must be a welcome souvenir for audience members, but those not in attendance will find the two-disc set a bit much, and with so many story-driven twists and audio cues, it’s too demanding for background listening. That said, any fans who found the duo’s Battleship Potemkin soundtrack compelling will find this a welcome, lighter alternative, seeing as how the sound is another mashing of Russian classical music and synth pop, with Tchaikovsky being the composer of influence here…

There have been countless UFO live recordings issued over the years, with the best undoubtedly being 1979's classic Strangers in the Night. But certainly one of the more intriguing live UFO releases came in 2008 with the arrival of the four-disc set Live Throughout the Years. And what makes this set stand out from the oodles of other live UFO items is that it includes standout live performances from three different decades – 1976 (London), 1982 (London), and 1998 (Vienna)…

Connecticut-born / New York-based Mike LeDonne, who divides his time these days between piano and organ, has begun to record more frequently on the Hammond B3, especially with his suitably named Groover Quartet which, according to Owen Cordle's liner notes to Keep the Faith, has been together now for more than a decade. And that's a good thing, as these gentlemen certainly know how to groove, and do so with abandon on an album recorded roughly a year after the quartet's well-received The Groover.

Susanna Hoffs and sisters Vicki and Debbie Peterson have teamed up for their first album of new material in nearly eight years, SWEETHEART OF THE SUN. The album features the groups inventive incorporation of 60s folk rock, sunny SoCal harmonies and Beatles / Byrds / Beach Boys / Big Star godhead.