Pink Runaway

Robert Jan Meyer also started his own compilation series: "Science Fiction Jazz 1-12 (Vol. 1 at the same time, was the beginning of the "Mole Listening Pearls"- Label) and "Batucada 1-3". He compiled the double CD "Blue Note Weekend" for the renowned jazz label "Blue Note" and two more samplers on the Japanese market.

Memphis-based artist Amy LaVere is releasing her new album Painting Blue and The Big Takeover is excited to be hosting the U.S. premiere in full today. Painting Blue comes out August 16th via Nine Mile Records (Glorietta, David Wax Museum, Carson McHone, Patrick Sweany).

Formed at the dawn of the progressive rock era in 1969, Gentle Giant seemed poised for a time in the mid-'70s to break out of its cult-band status, but somehow never made the jump. Somewhat closer in spirit to Yes and King Crimson than to Emerson, Lake & Palmer or the Nice, their unique sound melded hard rock and classical music, with an almost medieval approach to singing…

Almost anything could be called "driving music" if one drives to it, so this four-disc set of songs to drive to takes that theme pretty loosely for the most part, but it does include some classic odes to the joys and hazards of motion and movement like Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone," Ram Jam's "Black Betty," Soul Asylum's "Runaway Train," Blue Öyster Cult's "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," the Edgar Winter Group's "Free Ride," and, of course, Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again," among dozens of other would-be road anthems.

This rather humdrum effort from Pink Floyd's keyboard player does have touches of his former band's haunting ambience, but the tracks on Broken China lazily skim along on shallow waves of new age-like synthesizer passages and lilting rhythms rather than engulf its concept of a man who is experiencing the repercussions of clinical depression, which is in itself Pink Floyd-like…