Headcharger Against The Storm

Formed in 1985, new-wave progressive British trio ABBFINOOSTY started playing live in 1986, showing an interesting blend of prog and rock and earning a reputation as a mystical pagan rock music band. Curiously, they didn't release any albums until the mid-90s, but that hardly explains how their sound and style manage to combine influences from the 70's, 80's and 90's.

The debut album from Swedish dance-pop band Moonlight Cove is packed with energetic, electronic pop songs that are instant anthems. Emotional vocal performances make these boys a stand-out in the independent music scene, with a promising future ahead. This limited edition CD has only 300 copies worldwide.

Dianne Reeves, who has always had a beautiful voice and the potential for greatness in jazz, has conducted a rather directionless career, performing many concerts filled with spontaneity while at the same time recording erratic albums that usually feature both veteran jazz ballads and newer material that is closer to pop and folk music. There are some strong jazz moments on this CD. "Comes Love" has an inventive arrangement that uses a riff from the Miles Davis version of "'Round Midnight" and a familiar rhythmic phrase from "Star Eyes" in surprising ways. "Detour Ahead" is fine and "The Benediction" ("Country Preacher" with Reeves's lyrics) is a sincere tribute to Cannonball Adderley (who makes a brief appearance on soprano via sampling) but on some of the other pieces Reeves wanders far away from jazz.

Though there are still some traces of the confessionals that underpinned Beautiful Loser through Stranger in Town, Against the Wind finds Bob Seger turning toward craft. Perhaps he had to, since Against the Wind arrived after three blockbuster albums and never-ending tours…

Allan Holdsworth's guitar prowess is well known in music circles, but he remains something less than a household name. His large and sometimes uneven discography has floated in and out of print, making it difficult for curious listeners to know where to start. Against the Clock is a double-disc collection taken from nine different albums, dating back to 1984…