TRIUMPH

TRIUMPH
LIVE AT THE US FESTIVAL (2003)
320 KBPS

Although Triumph's studio albums could be uneven and inconsistent, the Canadian hard rock/arena rock trio had a reputation for being explosive on-stage (where they tended to avoid their lesser material and put a lot of energy into their more memorable songs). When you think about it, Triumph had the opposite problem of many of today's high-tech, urban contemporary, electronica, and dance-pop artists: in contrast to all the people who are so reliant on studio technology that they fall apart on-stage, Triumph tended to sound more confident and assured on-stage than they did in the studio. Live at the US Festival, in fact, paints a more consistently attractive picture of Triumph than many of its studio albums. This 54-minute CD was recorded at a massive, three-day outdoor rock festival that took place in Southern California from May 28-30, 1983. Triumph appeared on May 29, which was billed as "Heavy Metal Sunday" and included the headbanging likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, the Scorpions, Mötley Crüe, Quiet Riot, and Van Halen (whose set ended up on a two-CD bootleg entitled US Festival '83). The number of attendees varied during the three days; the crowd was estimated to be about 500,000 strong on "Heavy Metal Sunday," and Triumph went over well. It isn't hard to understand why. From "Rock and Roll Machine" to "Magic Power" to "Lay It on the Line," the Canadians picked their better songs and provided an inspired, focused set.

1. Allied Forces
2. Lay It on the Line
3. Never Surrender
4. Magic Power
5. World of Fantasy
6. Rock & Roll Machine
7. When the Lights Go Down
8. Fight the Good Fight
Bonus Track
9. Follow Your Heart

BASSEKOU KOUYATE & NGONI BA

BASSEKOU KOUYATE & NGONI BA
I SPEAK FULA (2009)
320 KBPS

After his award winning album' 'Segu Blue' the ngoni wizard from Mali is back with a new offering: 'I Speak Fula'. The album captures the incredible live energy of Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba and is the next step in the career of one of Mali's most exciting and innovative musicians coming out of Africa.
Bassekou has transformed the traditional music of the ngoni into the modern world. With his band Ngoni ba he has created a new lineup as a quartet with a rock band's style of playing. Bassekou opened up the magic of an age-old music, to people all over the world.
For Bassekou Kouyate it has been a long journey that started out in Garana, a small village on the Niger river where he grew up, then took him to the town of Segu, capital of his region, and on to Mali's capital Bamako. And now it is taking him and his music around the world. Welcome to a new chapter of this exciting story.

1. I Speak Fula
2. Jamana Be Diya (feat. Toumani Diabate, Kasse Mady Diabate)
3. Musow - For Our Women
4. Torin Torin (feat. Harouna Samake)
5. Bambugu Blues (feat. Vieux Farka Toure, Andra Kouyate)
6. Amy (feat. Zoumana Tereta)
7. Saro (feat. Vieux Farka Toure)
8. Ladon
9. Tineni (feat. Toumani Diabate)
10. Falani
11. Moustapha

YANN DESTAL

YANN DESTAL
THE GREAT BLUE SCAR (2004)
320 KBPS

In order to try to explain what we're dealing with here, let me say Yann DeStal music diplays elements of pop, a light Pink Floyd influence, a little something of Queen the whole thing served with sophisticated arrangements. But the strongest point here is Yann's voice which could be compared to Jeff Buckley though possessing a personality of its own. What's even more amazing with "The Great Blue Scar" is how DeStal, with all those elements, manages something personal and attractive. A rich and captivating album those who love modern pop won't want to miss.

1. Great Blue Sky
2. I Stand
3. Down (On The Ground)
4. It's War
5. Make The Call
6. Feel Else
7. I Was Right
8. Was Or Wasn't Here
9. Outta My Life
10. Gone Forever
11. Only You
12. You're There

THE CROWNHATE RUIN

THE CROWNHATE RUIN
UNTIL THE EAGLE GRINS (1996)
320 KBPS

The Crownhate Ruin were formed immediately after the demise of Hoover in 95. With Fred Erskine on Bass and Joseph P. McRedmond on guitar and vocals and Vin Novara from 1.6 band on drums. The sound is pretty much the same as Hoover, with the record starting off with one of those fat funky Erskine basslines. Some of the passages are more drawn out, giving the band room to explores some of the terrain that Hoover savagely broke through.
Probably the most crucial, as well as earliest, of the post-Hoover full length albums, 1996's Until The Eagle Grins is a pure beast of a post-hardcore record.

1. Ride Your Ride
2. Late Arriving Rock Dudes
3. Stretched Too Thin
4. In The Four Years To Come
5. Every Minutes Sucker
6. Tornado Season Finale
7. Better Still If They Don't Know
8. Piss Alley
9. You Will Wish Me Dead
10. Blood Relative

GREEN DAY

GREEN DAY
21ST CENTURY BREAKDOWN (2009)
320 KBPS

American Idiot was a big album with big ideas, a political rock opera in an era devoid of both protest rock and wild ambition, so its success was a surprise. It also ratcheted up high expectations for its successor, and Green Day consciously plays toward those expectations on 2009's 21st Century Breakdown, another political rock opera that isn't an explicit sequel but could easily be mistaken for one, especially as its narrative follows a young couple through the wilderness of modern urban America. Heady stuff, but like the best rock operas, the concept doesn't get in the way of the music, which is a bit of an accomplishment because 21st Century Breakdown leaves behind the punchy '60s Who fascination for Queen and '70s Who, giving this more than its share of pomp and circumstance. Then again, puffed-up protest is kind of the point of 21st Century Breakdown: it's meant to be taken seriously, so it's not entirely surprising that Green Day fall into many of the same pompous tarpits as their heroes, ratcheting up the stately pianos, vocal harmonies, repeated musical motifs, doubled and tripled guitars, and synthesized effects that substitute for strings, then adding some orchestras for good measure. It would all sound cluttered, even turgid, if it weren't for Green Day's unerring knack for writing muscular pop and natural inclination to run clean and lean, letting only one song run over five minutes and never letting the arrangements overshadow the song. Although Green Day's other natural gift, that for impish irreverent humor, is missed — they left it all behind on their 2008 garage rock side project Foxboro Hot Tubs — the band manages to have 21st Century Breakdown work on a grand scale without losing either their punk or pop roots, which makes the album not only a sequel to American Idiot, but its equal.

1. Song of the Century
2. 21st Century Breakdown
3. Know Your Enemy
4. ¡Viva La Gloria!
5. Before the Lobotomy
6. Christian's Inferno
7. Last Night on Earth
8. East Jesus Nowhere
9. Peacemaker
10. Last of the American Girls
11. Murder City
12. ¿Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl)
13. Restless Heart Syndrome
14. Horseshoes and Handgrenades
15. The Static Age
16. 21 Guns
17. American Eulogy:
A-Mass Hysteria
B-Modern World
18. See the Light

JOHN COLTRANE

JOHN COLTRANE
STELLAR REGIONS (1995)
320 KBPS

This set is drawn from a February 15, 1967, recording session--one of John Coltrane's last days in the studio. The tapes had been in Alice Coltrane's care since the recording, and she gave titles to the pieces, overseeing their release on CD in 1995. All are previously unreleased with the exception of "Offering" which appeared on Expression. As on that release, there's evidence here that Coltrane's relentless musical search was drawing him ever further out. The performances are shorter, focused, with a magisterial lyricism seamlessly integrated with exclamatory shrieks and cries. There is an aching, though rough-hewn, beauty to Coltrane's playing on these tracks. With the exception of "Tranesonic" where he is on alto, he plays tenor sax throughout. His command of the instrument from the very bottom of the low register to the stratospheric heights of the altissimo is staggering--note in particular his "duet" with himself on "Sun Star" where he questions and answers with himself on the extreme ranges of the horn. There's a depth and wisdom to these recordings that only further extends the Coltrane legacy.

1. Seraphic Light
2. Sun Star
3. Stellar Regions
4. Iris
5. Offering
6. Configuration
7. Jimmy's Mode
8. Tranesonic
9. Stellar Regions (Alternate Take)
10. Sun Star (Alternate Take)
11. Tranesonic (Alternate Take)

CIRCULUS

CIRCULUS
THOUGHT BECOMES REALITY (2009)
320 KBPS

British band Circulus have almost single handedly reinvented English Psychedelic Folk Rock for the 21st Century. This, their long awaited third album, brings you more of the bands Twisted Mushroom Pixie Rock. Circulus first made their mark on British music in 2005 with the release of The Lick on the Tip of an Envelope yet to be Sent which appeared in the top fifty albums of the year in Mojo, The Observer and NME. Circulus have heralded the recent acid folk craze - alongside other protagonists of the genre such as Espers and Tunng - yet their sound is totally unique coming across like a mixture of medieval English Folk, Fairport Convention and Ozric Tentacles! This new album takes the band into melodic pop territory with some beautiful multi part harmonies alongside the usual bucolic mayhem!

1. Transmuting Power
2. Fortunate Ones
3. Guide Our Way
4. Michael's Garden
5. Trotto
6. Packington's Pound
7. Sumer Is Icumen In
8. Tristan's Lament
9. Kaleyenda Maya
10. Within You Is The Sun

BAREFOOT SERVANTS

BAREFOOT SERVANTS
BAREFOOT SERVANTS (1994)
320 KBPS

I bought this album when it came out because I wanted something that had both rock and blues and this had good reviews and fell in love with the gritty bluesy sound of the 'Barefoot Servants' immediately. From Jon Butcher's gravely vocals that clearly reflect the fire in his soul, to the electric artistry of Ben Schultz' guitar accompanyment, this debut CD works out to be a clear treat for any blues enthusiast even though the most purists of those might raise a suspicious eyebrow now and then. Anyway, From the sardonic humor of 'Foolish Behavior', to the barroom brallish excitement of 'Muscle Car', you'll agree that this album is an excellent addition to your personal collection and a scandalously overlooked opus.

1. Jealous Man
2. Box of Miracles
3. Love's Made a Fool
4. It Hurts Me Too
5. Foolish Behavior
6. Drinking Again
7. Whiskey Man
8. Red Handed
9. Fire and Gasoline
10. Better off Dead
11. Blackbird
12. Muscle Car
13. Bound for Glory
14. Railroad Line Revisited

SQUEEZE

SQUEEZE
COOL FOR CATS (1979)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

Rebounding after a difficult debut, Squeeze hunkered down with producer John Wood — the engineer of U.K. Squeeze — and cut Cool for Cats, which for all intents and purposes is their true debut album. More than U.K. Squeeze, Cool for Cats captures the popcraft of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, while also sketching out a unique musical territory for the band, something that draws deeply on '60s pop, the stripped-down propulsive energy of pop/rock, and the nervy style of new wave. Although this is considerably less chaotic and aggressive than U.K. Squeeze, Cool for Cats feels like it belongs to its time more than its predecessor, partially due to the heavy emphasis on Jools Holland's keyboards and partially due to the dry British wit of Difford, whose best work here reveals him as a rival to Elvis Costello and Ian Dury. Chief among those is "Up the Junction," a marvelous short story chronicling a doomed relationship, but there's also the sly kinky jokes married to deft characterizations on "Slap and Tickle," the heartbroken tale of "Goodbye Girl," and the daft surrealism of "Cool for Cats." These are subtle, sophisticated songs that are balanced by a lot of direct, unsophisticated songs, as Difford picks up on the sexually charged vibe of John Cale and gets even kinkier, throwing out songs about masturbation and cross-dressing, occasionally dipping into how he's feeling slightly drunk. Tilbrook pairs these ribald tales to frenzied rock & roll, equal parts big hooks and rollicking rhythms, including a couple of showcases for Holland's boogie-woogie piano. It's all a bit scattered but in a purposeful way, as the impish wit lends the pub rockers a kinky kick while Tilbrook's tunefulness gives it all an identity. Cool for Cats winds up being wild and weird, angular and odd in a way only a new wave album from 1979 could possibly be, but this is a high watermark for its era with the best moments effortless transcending its time.

1. Slap and Tickle
2. Revue
3. Touching Me Touching You
4. It's Not Cricket
5. It's So Dirty
6. The Knack
7. Hop Skip and Jump
8. Up the Junction
9. Hard to Find
10. Slightly Drunk
11. Goodbye Girl
12. Cool for Cats
Bonus Tracks
13. I Must Go
14. Ain't It Sad

UFO

UFO
FORCE IT (1975)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

Michael Schenker and Phil Mogg really started to find their groove as a songwriting team with their second album together (and fourth UFO release overall), Force It. In fact, the last remaining folk and space rock tendencies that had stolen much of Phenomenon's thunder are summarily abandoned here, as the group launches itself wholeheartedly toward the hard rock direction that would make them stars. The first step is taken by Schenker, of course, who confidently establishes the aggressive, biting guitar tone that would define all the releases of the band's glory years. "Let It Roll" and "Shoot Shoot" kick off the album in rousing fashion, and while holding them under a microscope might reveal them as rather disposable slabs of hard rock, they would remain concert favorites for the band nonetheless. The punchy single "Love Lost Love" sounds tailor-made for the American market and acoustic ballad "High Flyer" is quite good, despite taking a dip in energy. But things only really start to gell on the album's second half. Schenker and Mogg wheel out their most mature composition yet with the piano-led "Out in the Street," whose softer sections truly highlight Mogg's highly disciplined, understated vocal style and make the guitar player's more restrained soloing all the more memorable. Schenker is soon back in charge, however, on the stuttering riffs and blistering fretboard work of "Mother Mary" and the downright vicious stop-start strut of "This Kids" — both UFO anthems. One of the band's best albums, Force It will not disappoint lovers of '70s English hard rock.

1. Let It Roll
2. Shoot Shoot
3. High Flyer
4. Love Lost Love
5. Out In The Street
6. Mother Mary
7. Too Much Of Nothing
8. Dance Your Life Away
9. This Kid's/Between the Walls
Bonus Tracks
10. A Million Miles
11. Mother Mary (Radio 1 Live Version)
12. Out In The Street (Radio 1 Live Version)
13. Shoot Shoot (Radio 1 Live Version)
14. Let It Roll (Live At The Roundhouse)
15. This Kid's (Live At The Roundhouse)