Stick Season

For their sophomore release, Mona Lisa handled their nuclear sound straying apart from the predominance of gloomy moods that had marked the framework of the debut album "L'Escapade": as a result, "Grimaces" exhibits a more extroverted colorfulness, even aiming at the build-up of merry-go- round atmospheres in many places…

Finnish heavy metal monsters LORDI will release their ninth studio album, "Sexorcism", on May 25 via AFM. The disc is described in a press release as "a full-on and uncensored shot of LORDI brand hard rock and roll" and "possibly [the band's] most controversial record to date."

It's not a surprise that professional athletes occasionally make records: back in the late '70s, Denver Broncos running back Jon Keyworth made a terrible soft rock album called Keys during the team's brief pre-John Elway heyday, and during their 2004 World Series season both pitcher Bronson Arroyo and general manager Theo Epstein of the Boston Red Sox were gigging around town with their own bands. However, there are two big surprises about the debut album from Ian Allen, a minor journeyman player for the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and Arizona Cardinals: rather than the usual lame jock-rock, this is mellow, loungey downtempo electronica. Also, it's really quite good! Allen's tastes run toward skittering drum machines and house beats, but there's also a languid, jazzy quality to most of Nova's Lounge, and that tension keeps the record from drifting too far into shapeless ambience. Allen is a canny synthesist who doesn't stick with one set of influences for very long, preferring to layer a variety of sounds and beats into an enjoyable whole.

Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra - Evanescence (1994) {Enja ENJ-8048 2}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 416 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 174 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 11 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1994 Enja Records ‎| ENJ-8048 2
Jazz / Experimental Big Band / Post-Bop / Modern Big Band / Progressive Jazz

Maria Schneider's debut as a leader is quite impressive. Her complex arrangements of her nine originals are most influenced by Gil Evans and Bob Brookmeyer, although her own musical personality shines through. There are strong solos from tenors Rick Margitza and Rich Perry, trumpeter Tim Hagan, altoist Tim Ries, and particularly pianist Kenny Werner, but it is the moody ensembles that most stick in one's mind. Schneider's arrangements are often dense, a bit esoteric, and thought-provoking; this music may need several listens for one to grasp all that is going on.