Gucci Mane Breath of Fresh Air

Klaus Schulze's old apprentice, Robert Schroeder was a victim of bad timing when he launches this all-time classic in EM; Harmonic Ascendant. Whereas EM knew its first difficulties in Europe and while the breath of digital instruments gave a colder tonus to this wonderful musical art, Robert Schroeder released with a naive freshness a superb album which combined the moods of a sort of psychedelic electronic music tinted of a moving romanticism.
Produced by Klaus Schulze on his Innovative Communication label, Harmonic Ascendant was like a breath of fresh air on the scene of EM at that time. Even if not as much sequenced or rhythmic as the major works of that era, it amazed a lot of people by its fascinating minimalist approach. It’s a superb album with 2 different sides of EM. The romantic mood of the title-track remains a masterpiece which has travelled through the ages.

'Daa Dee’ is the new 13-song studio album from Ethiopian siren Minyeshu Kifle Tedla, aka Minyeshu; a hypnotic and modern hybrid of Ethiopian grooves and melodies, delicately mixed with western instruments and styles. Minyeshu’s talent for composing exciting music and vocal arrangements while respecting traditional rhythms has resulted in this refreshing new album of Ethiopian world music.'

Power metal, sci-fi themes, sexy-ass riffs, fantastic laser beams and intergalactic heroes charging at the sight of injustice and evil; what more could a nerdy metalhead want? Iron Savior has been at the space sentinel business for more than 20 years now, and like that go-to old shoe or jeans, always delivers the goods quality-wise. ‘Kill Or Get Killed’, yet another studio album by Piet Sielck (vocals, guitars) and his fellow space marines Jan-Sören Eckert (bass), Joachim “Piesel” Küstner (guitars) and newcomer Patrick Klose (drums), comes as a statement that it’s really, really hard to destroy the most resilient, enduring and stubborn metal of them all: the Teutonic…

Next to Ian Williams of Don Caballero (and now Battles), Victor Villareal is one of the most of the most inventive guitarists in indie rock. Villareal’s astonishing guitar work was first on display in the legendary emo outfit, Cap’n Jazz. He next appeared on the Owls’ full-length, which was essentially Cap’n Jazz minus Promise Ring member Davey von Bohlen. On the side, he played in Ghosts & Vodka, an instrumental rock band that also had a Cap’n Jazz/Owls connection, with Sam Zurick taking second guitar duties. It would turn out that Ghosts & Vodka would be more prolific than Owls, releasing a full length and seven-inch before disbanding. Drunks & Addicts is a discography of this overlooked band, collecting their entire recorded output, as well as a bonus unreleased track.

Released after the studied, meticulous Flowers in the Dirt, the live acoustic concert album Unplugged was a breath of fresh air, and it remains one of the most enjoyable records in McCartney's catalog. Running through a selection of oldies – not only his own, but Beatles and rock & roll chestnuts – McCartney is carefree and charming, making songs like "Be-Bop-a-Lula" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky" (which finds Paul melding Bill Monroe with Elvis) sound fresh. But the real revelations of the record are the songs McCartney hauls out from his debut – "That Would Be Something," "Every Night," and "Junk" – which sound lovely and timeless, restoring them to their proper place in his canon. They help make Unplugged into a thoroughly enjoyable minor gem.