Big Mountain's pop-inflected reggae sound is so bouncy and cheerful that parts of WAKE UP might remind listeners of a Jah-flavored Beach Boys. On "Reggae Inna Summertime," Big Mount evokes images of ocean waves and sparkling sands, with "Spanglish" lyrics and dancing mallet instruments to suggest a light-hearted romantic ambience. With its gospel-flavored choruses and slippery backbeat, "Peaceful Revolution" suggests the positive spiritual imagery of Bob Marley and Arrested Development, even as songs like "Back In The Hills" depict the righteous indignation of traditional reggae with a lyrical guitar break reminiscent of vintage Santana. It is preceisely these pancultural elements that set WAKE UP apart from much of mainstream reggae and give Big Mountain a truly international appeal.
Big Mountain is an American reggae/pop band, most famous for its cover version of Peter Frampton's "Baby, I Love Your Way," which became a Top 10 hit single in the U.S. in early 1994 reaching number 6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, number-one on Mainstream Top 40, and number 2 in the UK shortly afterwards.
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You is a sprawling double-LP exploring the deepest elements and possibilities of Big Thief. To truly dig into all that the music of Adrianne Lenker, Max Oleartchik, Buck Meek, and James Krivchenia desired in 2020, the band decided to write and record a rambling account of growth as individuals, musicians, and chosen family over 4 distinct recording sessions. In Upstate New York, Topanga Canyon, The Rocky Mountains, and Tucson, Arizona, Big Thief spent 5 months in creation and came out with 45 completed songs. The most resonant of this material was edited down into the 20 tracks that make up DNWMIBIY, a fluid and adventurous listen. The album was produced by drummer James Krivchenia who initially pitched the recording concept for DNWMIBIY back in late 2019 with the goal of encapsulating the many different aspects of Adrianne’s songwriting and the band onto a single record.
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You is a sprawling double-LP exploring the deepest elements and possibilities of Big Thief. To truly dig into all that the music of Adrianne Lenker, Max Oleartchik, Buck Meek, and James Krivchenia desired in 2020, the band decided to write and record a rambling account of growth as individuals, musicians, and chosen family over 4 distinct recording sessions. In Upstate New York, Topanga Canyon, The Rocky Mountains, and Tucson, Arizona, Big Thief spent 5 months in creation and came out with 45 completed songs. The most resonant of this material was edited down into the 20 tracks that make up DNWMIBIY, a fluid and adventurous listen. The album was produced by drummer James Krivchenia who initially pitched the recording concept for DNWMIBIY back in late 2019 with the goal of encapsulating the many different aspects of Adrianne’s songwriting and the band onto a single record.
Big Bill Broonzy was viewed as a beloved country blues player when he died in 1958, a master of raw and authentic-sounding folk-blues. But this public image, although Broonzy worked hard to maintain it in his later years, does him a bit of a disservice. He was much more than a rustic relic, however well he played the part. Broonzy was an excellent and even sophisticated guitarist, starting out in the '30s as a rag and hokum player but he was versatile enough to work with jazz and R&B combos, and his guitar approach was instrumental in the early formation of the Chicago blues sound. He was also a crafty songwriter, who managed to write blues pieces that bridged the line between traditional blues themes and modern structure. This 21-track collection focuses mostly on his early solo acoustic material, although there are some band pieces included as well toward the end of the sequence.
‘Christmas with Paul Carrack’ (ft. The SWR Big Band and Strings) is a selection of festive songs which have been recorded over the years, the most recent being at The London Playhouse in 2018. This new release features original orchestrations by some of Europe's finest musicians and includes many Christmas favourites.
Cab Calloway was a legendary fireball of talent, whose infectious 'hi-de-hi's', 'ho-de-ho's', scattin' and jivin' became the spirited cry of people wanting to be happy. A truly larger than life figure in American pop culture, immortalized in cartoons and caricatures, Calloway also led one of the greatest bands of the Swing Era. 100 Years later the coolest Swing band around, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, are celebrating the birthday of Calloway with this fantastic album. 11 tracks including 'Minnie The Moocher'…