A musical journey, James W. Iman’s latest album, IMAN II, is a stunning blend of classical and contemporary piano compositions that will leave you spellbound. Four years in the making, this album is the culmination of Iman’s passion for Debussy and Donald Martino, as well as his premiere of work from composer and sound designer, Jenny Beck.
Le frère de la saxophoniste Sophie Alour est un des trompettistes qui comptent désormais dans la jazzosphère, excellent lecteur, excellent soliste, il est de toutes les aventures orchestrées. Son premier album était donc très attendu et les plus impatients ne seront pas déçus. Pour ce W.I.L.L.I.W.A.W de facture classique, Julien Alour a réuni pour ce disque un quintet traditionnel : lui à la trompette et au bugle, François Theberge au saxophone ténor, Adrien Chicot au piano, Sylvain Romano à la contrebasse et Jean-Pierre Arnaud à la batterie. Toutes les compositions et les arrangements sont du leader. Tant qu'au titre, W.I.L.L.I.W.A.W, c'est le nom d'un vent turbulent et imprévisible qui descend par rafales des sommets glacés dans les régions extrêmes des Amériques. La musique est mélodique sans renier pour autant le swing et la niaque de ses ainés.
This late-’60s Venezuelan band is another fine discovery from Shadoks, who seem to be unearthing an endless stream of worthy, neglected psychedelic albums. The liner notes leave many questions unanswered, but the story appears to begin with Venezuelan-born American Steve Scott. A bassist and singer, he found two Venezuelan brothers, Mario and Jaime Seijas, and they then completed a foursome with Adib Casta. Inspired by the times, they recorded one album and became quite popular, playing regularly to large crowds. There’s no information, though, about where the strange name came from, or what happened to the group…
Obliterating the concept of guilty musical pleasures, I Get Wet turns hair metal hedonism, punk energy, and pop melodies into an instant, insistent blast of fun with all the power of a beer commercial. From the opening anthem, "It's Time to Party," to the excellently named finale, "Don't Stop Living in the Red," the album is all climax – the blasting guitars, blaring keyboards, and Andrew W.K. himself are all turned up to 11 throughout. W.K. is a one-man manifesto, dedicated to spreading the way of the party with songs like "Party Hard" ("We do what we like and we like what we do!" could be "Dirty deeds done dirt cheap" several generations down the road), "Party Til You Puke," and "I Get Wet," and the fact that he looks like the stoner bully from high school only adds to his cred. Guessing whether or not Andrew W.K. is a big joke or not is almost beside the point; he comes on so strong that he either really means it, maaan, or he's got his tongue stuck firmly in his bloodied cheek.
Much to the delight of melodic rock fans around the globe, W.E.T. has announced the release of their fourth album, “Retransmission”. Core members Jeff Scott Soto, Erik Mårtensson, and Robert Såll deliver another astounding album that will surely be a contender for Melodic Rock Album of the Year 2021. W.E.T truly epitomizes what melodic rock has become in the new decade. The key element at the foundation of W.E.T has always been to create a modern melodic hard rock sound that will drive the genre into the future. Combining powerhouse rhythms and top notch production, the music is equally classic and contemporary. “Retransmission” is nothing else than an absolute milestone, which is well in keeping with the tradition established by the three amazing records that have preceded this one.