Et si le folk rock était né à l'Est…. Une enfance passée en Roumanie et en Bulgarie, mêlée à une écoute acharnée des vieux Stones, Patti Smith, puis plus tard Jeff Buckley, et Lola invente Leva en 1999. Les chansons naissent dans sa chambre, puis Lola Lafon & Leva grandissent dans les cafés, les petites salles, les concerts de soutien, un peu partout…
"Ensemble 415 is a chamber ensemble devoted largely to the performance of Baroque music on period instruments. The numerical reference in the group's name derives from the pitch used for tuning instruments in the Baroque era. In performing chamber music, Ensemble 415 consists of just a few players, but for larger compositions, the number expands to a minimum of 13 and can reach up to as high as 40 performers. The ensemble's repertory has been broad over the years, taking in many Baroque standards by J.S. Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel, as well as lesser known fare by Muffat and others…"
Though it's six volumes in and counting, Compost's Future Sounds of Jazz series just keeps on shining. Recruiting a cast of varied standout producers - Ian O'Brien, Fauna Flash, Tosca, Victor Simonelli, United Future Organization, Beatless - helps immensely, as does the sheer variety of productions. All are nominally jazz-based, but vary from downtempo to trip-hop to drum'n'bass with no lack of flow.
Diana King's sophomore outing Think Like a Girl is a well-crafted, diverse set of soul/pop/reggae that merited much more attention it received. The album contains several ultra catchy songs that have hit written all over them, namely the infectious title track and "Wicked." King is also an extremely earnest and sincere singer, and nowhere is that more evident than on the album's 30-second a cappella interlude "Mi Coffee." On some tunes, such as "Love Yourself" and the single "L-L-Lies," King sings in her trademark, powerful reggae style.
Finnish star trumpeter Verneri Pohjola guest stars on world-class saxophonist Sylvain Rifflet's new album Cake Walk from a Spaceship. The album brings together Rifflet's unique tenor timbre and Pohjola's distinctive, expressive sound into a seamlessly elegant production that captivates listeners with the sheer mastery of both performers.
Blank & Jones present the fifth installment of this ambitious and exceptional musical journey. Beside some wonderful own new compositions the curators introduce us to artists like Troels Hammer, Marc-George (Ex-Bliss), Antonymes or I Will, I Swear. Blank & Jones also managed to include a super rare mix of the Visage classic Fade To Grey which is truly astonishing and was crafted by original member Rusty Egan. Another exclusive premiere on CD is the Drumless Version of Lady by The Chromatics, who are well known for their amazing Soundtrack contribution of Drive. This album should be enjoyed as a complete work in one go, like a classical composition.
On a Storyteller's Night, Magnum's sixth album originally released in the U.K. in May 1985, wasn't the band's best-selling LP; it peaked at number 24 in seven weeks, not as good a showing as the third album, 1982's Chase the Dragon (number 17), much less the Top Ten hits Wings of Heaven (1988, number five) or Goodnight L.A. (1990, number nine). Whether it is Magnum's best album is a matter of opinion, though, according to Dave Ling of Classic Rock magazine, whose 2004 interview with guitarist Tony Clarkin is reprinted as part of this 25th anniversary deluxe-edition reissue, "fans still rate Storyteller as Magnum's masterwork."