TRACK OF THE DAY - The Doors

Tete Montoliu (1995) -Brasil Clásicos

Artist: Tete Montoliu
Albums: Tete Montoliu Interpreta A Tom Jobim - Brasil Clásicos
Released: 1995 (recorded and originally released in 1974 as “Temas Brasileños”)
Quality: FLAC (tracks)
Size: 299 MB

An outstanding veteran pianist from Spain, Tete Montoliu was born blind. He learned to read music in Braille when he was seven and developed impressive technique on piano. He recorded with Lionel Hampton in 1956, had his first session as a leader in 1958, and played with the touring Roland Kirk in 1963. Through the years, he also worked with such visiting Americans as Kenny Dorham, Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster, Lucky Thompson, and even Anthony Braxton. Tete Montoliu's visits to the U.S. were very infrequent, but his SteepleChase albums (starting in 1971) are generally available; he also cut one date for Contemporary (1979) and recorded for Enja and Soul Note. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi

TRACK OF THE DAY - Fatboy

Astor Piazzolla (1996) -57 Minutos Con La Realidad

Artist: Astor Piazzolla
Albums: 57 Minutos con la Realidad
Released: 1996
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 118 MB

A final release from Astor Piazzolla, recorded shortly before his death and edited for release following notes that he left behind. The work stems largely from a session in the BBC studios, and also from a recording session in Germany. The playing is wonderful here -- all of the pieces fit well together. The piano is especially brash, courtesy of Gerardo Gandini. One other notable item here: the inclusion of a second bandoneon to work with Piazzolla's own in the sextet. For fans of Piazzolla, this is a wonderful album. For those that aren't full fledged devotees, it may also serve as a decently good introduction to the deep world of nuevo tango headed by Piazzolla. ~ Adam Greenberg, allmusic.com

Susie Arioli (2010) -Christmas Dreaming

Artist: Susie Arioli
Albums: Christmas Dreaming
Released: 2010
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 92 MB

Susie Arioli is back with Christmas Dreaming, a brand new album to be released on November 2. True to her inimitable style, and still accompanied by Jordan Officer on guitar, Susie invents a very personal way of celebrating the Holidays with a Christmas album of bewitching charm. With over 200 000 copies sold worldwide between her five previous albums, Susie Arioli demonstrates once again her exceptional flair for selecting songs. The singer offers a choice of some great classics and some superb lesser known titles that she unveils with obvious pleasure. These infinitely alluring performances give off an irresistible warmth, heightened by the jazz and bluesy colours so characteristic of the Arioli sound. With its flowing rhythms, its hushed atmospheres and its carefully crafted arrangements, Christmas Dreaming evokes the holiday spirit with a formidable authenticity. READ MORE

Various Artists (2009) -Destroy That Boy! More Girls With Guitars

Artist: various
Albums: Destroy That Boy! More Girls with Guitars
Released: 2009
Quality: mp3 CBR 160
Size: 71 MB

So you thought the Shangri-Las were a piece of work?! 'Destroy That Boy!' - a riot of bodacious all-girl bands, femme frat-rock, axe-backed babes and other similar females of the species from the 1963-1970 timescale - is the eagerly awaited follow-up to Ace's big-selling 'Girls With Guitars' set of 2004. Like its predecessor, the focus is on female bands that played their own instruments: say hello to the Debutantes, What Four, Pivots, Feminine Complex, She Trinity from Canada and Merseyside's very own female Beatles, the Liverbirds. The punky Toni McCann from Australia, Coventry's Beverley Jones and leather-lunged Sharon Tandy from South Africa add to the international flavour. Also included are nuggets produced by Lee Hazlewood (who else would have dared reinvent Hollywood glamourpuss Ann-Margret as a metal mama?), Jack Nitzsche (Karen Verros - imagine Lesley Gore highjacked by the Yardbirds), Steve Cropper (mysterious Stax duo Cheryll & Pam, one of whom was his squeeze at the time) and Sly Stone (the Girls, some passing ingénues backed by the Beau Brummels, no less). Compilation and notes by Mick Patrick.

Nina Simone (1964) -Broadway Blues Ballads

Artist: Nina Simone
Albums: Broadway Blues Ballads
Released: 1964
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 82 MB

There's a lot more Broadway and a lot more ballads than blues on this, which ranks as one of her weaker mid-'60s albums. Almost half the record features Broadway tunes on the order of Cole Porter and Rodgers & Hammerstein; most of the rest was composed by Bennie Benjamin, author of her first-rate "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," which the Animals covered for a hit shortly afterwards (and which leads off this record). The other Benjamin tunes are modified uptown soul with string arrangements and backup vocals in the vein of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," but aren't in the same league, although "How Can I?" is an engaging cha cha. Besides "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," the album is most notable for the great "SeeLine Woman," a percolating call-and-response number that ranks as one of her best tracks. The CD reissue includes the strange bonus cut "The Monster," an odd attempt at a soul novelty tune. ~ Richie Unterberger

R. L. Burnside (1997) -Acoustic Stories

Artist: R. L. Burnside
Albums: Acoustic Stories
Released: 1997 (originally released in 1988)
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 81 MB

R. L. Burnside is notorious for his gritty, greasy Delta blues, as each of his records since his 1991 discovery have been blistering electric recordings. That's what makes Acoustic Stories so refreshing. Recorded at New York City in 1988 with harp player John Neremberg, the album balances originals with a handful of well-selected covers, including three John Lee Hooker tunes: "When My First Wife Left Me," "Hobo Blues" and "Meet Me in the Bottom." Burnside is more exciting when he's electric, but these are unexpectedly haunting recordings that prove he's not just about rocking the joint. ~ Thom Owens, allmusic

BASta! (2009) -Cycles

Artist: BASta!
Albums: Cycles
Released: 2009
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 101 MB

April 2009 was a busy month for Antwerp double bassist Joris Vanvinckenroye. Not only did he spearhead the recording of Songs from Mirage, the third full-length CD by his principal creative outlet, the neoclassical chamber rock outfit Aranis, but he also kept his fingers busy under his solo moniker BASta! (exclamation point included and fully warranted), recording this occasionally astounding 45-minute album of multi-tracked bass. Cycles is 100 percent Vanvinckenroye and his double bass — there are no other instruments present (or at least that is the claim, as hard as that might be to believe at times) — although this is not the sound of unaccompanied bass solos. Rather, Vanvinckenroye plays what would appear to be a handful of bass parts at the very least, and oftentimes what sounds like a bass-filled ensemble of nearly orchestral proportions, in multi-layered compositions that surely encompass both the highest and lowest notes the instrument is capable of producing. …Vanvinckenroye takes things a step further here — with their woody textures and grain, his basses are engaged in a deeply organic dance as they lay down a strong foundation of repeated, loop-like phrases while also answering one another in counterpoint, chugging through the middle ground with relentless drive, and singing wildly in the high registers. ~ Read more

Charlie Haden & Hank Jones (1995) -Steal Away: Spirituals, Hymns & Folk Songs

Artist: Charlie Haden & Hank Jones
Albums: Steal Away
Released: 1995
Quality: lossless (FLAC tracks)
Size: 238 MB

Charlie Haden has always had a penchant for roots music, including folk songs from varied traditions in the repertoire of his Liberation Music Orchestra. It's more than affectation; the bassist's musical roots are in Oklahoma, and his career began in early childhood with his family's country-music group. Those sources loom large in this inspired meeting with pianist Hank Jones over a program devoted largely to spirituals, with a few secular folk songs added in. The feelings communicated here arise from no simple reading of traditional material. It's Jones's unmatched harmonic sensitivity that often works the transformation, his close-voiced chords adding new resonance to summon the depths at which this material communicates. Haden, for his part, is as effective a soloist as he is an accompanist, spare and exacting and making full use of his huge, dark sound and powerful lower register. This is music by two masters, immersing themselves in a profound stream of American music. ~ Stuart Broomer

Bettye LaVette (2010) -Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook

Artist: Bettye LaVette
Albums: Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook
Released: 2010
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 184 MB

At first glance, Bettye LaVette’s new album Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook, would appear to be just another collection of song covers. But “interpretations” is the key word here, because LaVette, a Detroit soul veteran and a contemporary of more famous peers like Aretha Franklin and Smokey Robinson, is no run-of-the-mill singer, and she takes these classic British Invasion tracks and gives them new dimension, making them in every sense and nuance her own. That’s not an easy task, since every one of these tracks is a well-known song, seemingly immutable in the original version, but amazingly, LaVette steals each and every one of them. John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s “The Word,” which leads things off, for instance, becomes the gospel stomper the Beatles always intended it to be, while Ringo Starr’s “It Don’t Come Easy” becomes a swampy, haunting, and profoundly wise blues song in LaVette’s capable hands. And she’s not afraid to make changes to these classics, either, updating the Rolling Stones’ “Salt of the Earth” to include references to the HIV epidemic. She rearranges things in song after song here, moving choruses, swapping out verses, all in the name of claiming the song and placing it in new emotional territory. The idea for this album came after she performed the Who’s “Love Reign O’Er Me” in 2008 at the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony for the band, and her version that night (it is included here as an extended bonus track) is nothing less than stunning, pulling a depth of emotion from the song that the Who could only dream of, as fine as the band’s original version was. Now in her mid-sixties, LaVette is singing better than ever, and if she isn’t a household name, she ought to be. This is a remarkable album because this lady is a remarkable singer -- that’s the bottom line. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide.

Various Artists (2007) -Erik Satie Et Autres Messieurs - Airs De Jeux [3 CD]

Artist: various
Albums: Erik Satie Et Autres Messieurs - Airs De Jeux [3 CD]
Released: 2007
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 108 + 137 + 156 MB

A wonderful compilation of 3 CDs, including interpretations of great Satie's works.
CD 1 consistso of works of different artists, CD 2 is Ulrich Gumbert's way of playing Satie while CD 3 is Tony Hymas exploring mysterious friendship of Erik Satie and Claude Debussy.

Knut Rössler, Johannes Vogt, Miroslav Vitous (2007) -Between The Times

Artist: Knut Rössler, Johannes Vogt, Miroslav Vitous
Albums: Between The Times
Released: 2007
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 131 MB

Fortune's ways are often unpredictable. Two musicians with seemingly completely different focus. One of them a German jazz saxophonist, blue note saturated by countless gigs in subterranean joints since the 1960’s.The other a lute player from a completely different scene, specialist for ancient music from the middle ages on. Brought together by the visual arts – both of them often performed at gallery openings for a number of Heidelberg artists. One day they were asked to play together, as the relevant exhibition connected the old and the new. An unexpected and consequential prod: It resulted in a lasting collaboration. Now saxophonist Knut Rössler and lutenist Johannes Vogt are releasing their ACT-debut: Between the Times is the name of the CD and the ensemble itself, which is manoeuvred through time and style by the two masterminds and their collaborators percussionist Mani Neumeier and stellar bass player Miroslav Vitous.

Between the Times is an effervescent name that resonates on a number of levels. Here it also means
between two musical epochs, meaning not quite renaissance anymore but not baroque yet. The compositions that have inspired this recording stem from the period around 1650. Johannes Vogt finds the music from such transitional periods especially fascinating, the pieces from this time display an unusual pleasure in experimentation, their vocabulary is not yet standardised, like that of later compositions: a daring, un-clichéd and often surprising language. Rössler and Vogt venture into almost uncharted territory (outside of esoteric circles, that is!), with music by composers like Ennemond Gaultier, Pierre Dubut or Jacques Gallot. This allows for discoveries on a number of different levels. ~ ©

Various Artists (2009) -Pomegranates: Persian Pop, Funk, Folk, And Psych Of The 60s & 70s

Artist: various
Albums: Pomegranates: Persian Pop, Funk, Folk, And Psych Of The 60s & 70s
Released: 2009
Quality: mp3 CBR 192
Size: 95 MB

Finders Keepers are simply unstoppable! Delving deep into the crates once more, the relentless folks at Finders Keepers have uncovered these mindblowing funky idiosyncratic musical gems from 60's & 70's Persia!
Collected together on this ace 16 track album are some of the finest Persian Pop songs ever recorded. Many are acknowledged classics within "Iran and throughout the Iranian diaspora. Some are super obscure. They date back to a period of intense modernization and tumult in Iran. The songs are by and large, concerned with love and longing, rich in metaphor and emotion, often melacholy, wistful and ecstatic. - ©

Various Artists (1996) -Banzai Freakbeat: Raw 60’s Group Sound From Japan

Artist: various
Albums: Banzai Freakbeat: Raw 60’s Group Sound From Japan
Released: 1996
Quality: mp3 CBR 256
Size: 103 MB

The Al Cohn – Zoot Sims Quintet (1960) -You’n’Me

Artist: Al Cohn & Zoot Sims Quintet
Album: You'n'Me
Released: 2002
Recorded: 1960
Quality: lossless (FLAC)
Size: 289 MB

Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, John Coltrane, Zoot Sims (1956) -Tenor Conclave

Artist: Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, John Coltrane, Zoot Sims

Albums: Tenor Conclave
Recorded: 1956
Released: 1990
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 109 MB

These four sides should not be hard to locate, as the primary participants in this November 30, 1956, session have all issued them within their individual catalogs. However Tenor Conclave was first released as credited to the "leaderless" Prestige All-Stars -- consisting of tenor saxophonists John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, and Zoot Sims. Providing support are pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Art Taylor. The Mobley-penned title track commences the effort with the quartet of tenors showing off their stuff in high-flying style. It takes a couple of passes and somewhat of a trained ear to be able to link the players with their contributions, but as is often the case, the whole tends to be greater than the sum of the parts. After a brief introduction with all four rapidly reeling off short riffs, Mobley charges ahead into truly inspired territory. The midtempo take of "Just You, Just Me" keeps things lively with a light swinging pace that is custom-made for bringing the combo's jocular side to the surface, particularly toward the end as they "trade fours," with each tenor blowing four bars before passing the melody on. The other Mobley composition is "Bob's Boys," and by all accounts it is the most compelling piece on the outing. The blues-based tune rollicks as Coltrane, Mobley, Cohn, and Sims find themselves configured in a seeming myriad of sonic face-offs. Wrapping up Tenor Conclave is an ultra-cool and sophisticated "How Deep Is the Ocean?" Cohn commences the long and luscious reading with a subtle strength, suggesting the powerful undercurrent flowing throughout the number. Also, listeners are treated to what is possibly Garland's finest interaction, leading right into Sims, Chambers, and finally a sublime Coltrane caboose. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide.

The Machine (2010) -Drie

Artist: The Machine
Albums: Drie
Released: 2010
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 185 MB

The Ronettes (1997) -The Ultimate Collection

Artist: The Ronettes
Albums: The Ultimate Collection
Released: 1997
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 185 MB


The Ronettes weren't the most commercially successful girl group, but their music was some of the most groundbreaking in the field, thanks to their association with the legendary Wall of Sound producer Phil Spector. Their biggest hit, "Be My Baby," is widely regarded as one of the crowning achievements of Spector's oeuvre, and of girl-group pop in general. In fact, many critics have deemed it one of the most supremely romantic records of the rock & roll era; Spector's production frames the song's yearning lyrics and Ronnie Bennett's sweetly sultry vocals in a sweeping, near-symphonic level of emotion. Even though the Ronettes never managed another hit as big as "Be My Baby," many of their subsequent singles boasted the same kind of creative synergy between Spector and Bennett. MORE INFO

Kan Mikami (2008) -Juw

Artist: Kan Mikami
Albums: Juw
Released: 2008
Quality: mp3 CBR 192
Size: 52 MB

Kan Mikami (2008) -Barking Practice///White Lines

Artist: Kan Mikami
Albums: Barking Practice///White Lines
Released: 2007
Quality: mp3 VBR 224
Size: 46 MB

Kan Mikami (2004) -Bachi

Artist: Kan Mikami
Albums: Bachi
Released: 2004
Quality: mp3 CBR 128
Size: 41 MB

Kan Mikami (1994) -ベスト・アルバム

Artist: Kan Mikami
Albums: ベスト・アルバム
Released: 1994
Quality: mp3 CBR 128
Size: 69 MB

Kan Mikami (1992) -Ju-You

Artist: Kan Mikami
Albums: Ju-You
Released: 1992
Quality: mp3 VBR 192
Size: 41 MB

Kan Mikami (1978) -Makeru Toki Mo Aru Darou

Artist: Kan Mikami
Albums: Makeru Toki Mo Aru Darou
Released: 1978
Quality: mp3 CBR 128
Size: 33 MB

Kan Mikami (1974) -Bang!

Artist: Kan Mikami
Albums: Bang!
Released: 1974
Quality: mp3 CBR 256
Size: 89 MB

Kan Mikami (1972) -Hiraku Yume Nado Arujanashi

Artist: Kan Mikami
Albums: Hiraku Yume Nado Arujanashi
Released: 1972
Quality: mp3 CBR 192
Size: 71 MB

Robert Johnson (1999) -Steady Rollin' Man

Artist:Robert Johnson
Albums:Steady Rollin’ Man
Released:1999
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 248 MB

“One of the greatest blues artist of all time, the legendary Robert Johnson recorded only enough music to fit onto two CDs. After his death at the age of 27 in 1938, Johnson had only 12 known 78rpm records (42 tracks in total if you include alternate takes) under his belt. But those records would go on to influence the world of blues and rock & roll like no other recordings and become an essential influence to Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, and Keith Richards (to name just three). When you think of the blues -- despair-filled, acoustic, yet often sly and humorous -- you think of recordings such as these. Though myths about the blues icon selling his soul to the devil abound, all that really matters is the wonderfully timeless, and frustratingly small, body of music he left us.” - ©

Roma Trio (2009) -The Four Seasons

Artist: Roma Trio
Albums: The Four Seasons
Released: 2009
Quality: FLAC / mp3 CBR 320
Size: 441 / 163 MB

Roma Trio is splendid piano trio from Italy that debuted on Venus Records. The youngish trio consists of pianist Luca Mannutza, bassist Gianluca Renzi and drummer Nicola Angelucci. They are all up-and-coming artists who have played with Paolo Fresu, Steve Grossman, Fabrizio Bosso, Marc Johnson and Giovanni Mirabassi.

Charlie Haden Quartet West (2010) -Sophisticated Ladies

Artist: Charlie Haden
Albums: Sophisticated Ladies
Released: 2010
Quality: FLAC
Size: 373 MB

One of the finest double bassists in jazz Charlie Haden says more with a few finely chosen notes than many lesser musicians try and say with a hundred. His warm bass tone is the core element of his stunning Quartet West whose smoky, atmospheric approach to jazz has won them critical acclaim for over twenty years with pianist Alan Broadbent casting a harmonic spell from which phenomenal saxophonist Ernie Watts can take flight, while Laurence Marable’s subtle drumming is perfectly in synch with Haden’s hypnotic bass work.

Returning with a new album Sophisticated Ladies, that’s inspired by and dedicated to their mutual love of the some of jazz’s most celebrated female singers, French jazz expert Jean-Phillipe Allard writes about this spellbinding new project from one of jazz’s most consistent and compelling artists:

“I had the occasion to meet up with Charlie Haden in New York in July 2009. As I’ve been working in publishing, I hadn’t worked with him in almost ten years and had rarely seen or spoken to him during all that time. After hugs and small talk, he asked me if I’d like to work with him again on the production of two projects: a duet with Hank Jones and a new Quartet West recording. Those ten years just dissolved and it felt as though yesterday was the last time we’d spoken. Feeling honoured and very excited at the thought of working once again with Charlie and the Quartet. I heard myself say: “yes”!

After a couple of long-distance brain-storming phone sessions we decided to do a sequel to the Quartet West album “The Art of the Song” which had featured the late Shirley Horn and the unique Bill Henderson. In this case we wanted to feature our favourite contemporary jazz singers (I myself am passionate about jazz singers!) and the concept of “Sophisticated Ladies” was born. The dream became reality when all the singers enthusiastically agreed to appear on the album.” - Jean-Philippe Allard

Various Artists (2004) -The Rubble Collection Vol. 11-20

Artist: various
Albums: The Rubble Collection Vol. 11-20
Released: 2004
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 210 + 212 + 209 + 220 + 202 MB

The second box in as many years of a truckload of obscure British psychedelia. Here are ten more CDs' worth of serious rarities by some bands that barely scratched the surface of the British freakbeat scene during rock's golden era, and a few who went on to other things. In all, there are 128 cuts here, all compiled and annotated by Phil Smee -- of Perfumed Garden fame (also issued by Past And Present). While some of these acts, such as the Poets, the Human Instinct, Outer Limits, and Denny Laine left marks on the scene, as did mod bands such as les Fleur De Lys and the Buzz; many others came from the swamp and returned with only these few minutes of glory for all of their efforts. As one would imagine, this is a mixed bag, with some of this material being absolutely sublime, while some never should have been recorded at all, with the vast majority falling in between the two poles somewhere. Nonetheless, for those who have been bitten by the Nuggets bug, and procured the highly sought after Perfumed Garden volumes, this second set of Rubble will no doubt feed the jones in you like nothing else. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

Various Artists (2003) -The Rubble Collection Vol. 1-10

Artist: various
Albums: The Rubble Collection Vol. 1-10
Released: 2003
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 222 + 233 + 218 + 238 + 230 MB

Originally appearing on LP from the Bam Caruso label in the 1980s, and then on CD on the Past & Present imprint in 2003, these first ten volumes (boxed) in the Rubble Collection were conceived and collected by Phil Smee. For fans of the Nuggets series, both the two American volumes and the British Nuggets, you won't find a lot of overlap. The Nuggets comps were and are for people who want what was at least the stuff of legend, if not readily available. The collection here digs deep and are, for the most part, flawless in what they present. This set, and its companion volumes 11-20 (a separate box), are very different creatures. For starters, they dig a lot deeper into the hopelessly obscure 45s and tapes of Brit psychedelia, freakbeat, Mod, and pop. This is for the listener who wants to dig down and get virtually everything. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

Fairfield Parlour (1970) -From Home To Home

Artist: Fairfield Parlour
Album: From Home To Home
Released: 1970
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 148 MB

Fairfield Parlour were an English progressive rock band that recorded in the late 1960s into the early 1970s. After the psychedelic rock group Kaleidoscope moved further into progressive rock, and also to avoid confusion with the American group Kaleidoscope, they renamed themselves Fairfield Parlour. The members were Peter Daltrey (vocals, keyboards), Eddy Pumer (guitars), Steve Clark (bass, flute) and Dan Bridgman (drums) ©

Kaleidoscope (1971) -White Faced Lady

Artist: Kaleidoscope
Album: White Faced Lady
Released: 1971
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 162 MB

It is a concept album that tells the story of a pale-skinned girl named Angel, from her troubled youth to her sudden rise to fame as a movie star to her tragic decline and untimely death. Reportedly, it was inspired by the life of Marilyn Monroe, and indeed the final track name-checks Marilyn and Arthur Miller. As a rock opera, it follows the example of The Pretty Things' S. F. Sorrow rather than The Who's Tommy, with the liner notes telling the complete story and the songs expounding on key events. Many of the songs are tied together by brief musical segues.

The band worked on the album privately from 1970 to 1971. They had a deal in place to deliver the finished album to a record label for distribution, but the deal suddenly dissolved. The album went unreleased until 1991.©

Kaleidoscope (1969) -Faintly Blowing

Artist: Kaleidoscope
Album: Faintly Blowing
Released: 1969
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 156 MB

Faintly Blowing (Fontana) came out in 1969. While it may lack some of the key album cuts that made Tangerine Dream so special, Faintly Blowing is consistently strong and features influences as diverse as folk and hard rock. Some of the highlights include “Poem,” a soft folk track similar to “Please Excuse My Face,” the phased out hard rocker “Music” and the edgy psychedelic title cut. Abrasive numbers “Snapdragon” and “Love Song From Annie” represent Kaleidoscope’s new hard rock approach while still retaining the group’s clever edge – these cuts are both gems. Some songs’ lyrics, like that on the tuneful folk-rocker “A Story From Tom Blitz,” deal with morals and important life lessons to be learned.

The music on Faintly Blowing is a bit more professional sounding, lacking the reckless energy and psychedelic feel of the debut. But make no mistake, this is a very good album full of sharp ideas, fairytale lyrics, fine songcraft and pretty vocals. If you’re intrigued by psychedelic, progressive or folk sounds, this disc is not to be missed. ©

Kaleidoscope (1967) -Tangerine Dream

Artist: Kaleidoscope
Album: Tangerine Dream
Released: 1967
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 121 MB

Though not as popular as the U.S. Kaleidoscope, this British band was also a band from the psychedelic movement with moderate domestic success, and just enough international exposure to have this album recognized in the genre's catalogue and regarded as one of the best in the same.

Now sought by collectors and highly acclaimed by critics and fans this album has been musically compared to Nirvana's "Story of Simon Simopath" and Pink Floyd's "Piper at the Gates of Dawn".

Peter Daltrey, lead singer of the band was asked about the lyrics and the music of the album, and he wrote the following statement in the album's sleeve notes:

"The collective subject of our songs is simple, life and people. We have written our songs about you. Happy people, sad people, lovely people and a few confused people. We have written of the children, of the king and his queen, and we have also included a few words about ourselves, about our lives, about our loves and about our dreams".” ©

E. Power Biggs (1973) -Scott Joplin on the Pedal Harpsichord

Artist: E. Power Biggs
Album: Scott Joplin on the Pedal Harpsichord
Released: 1973
Label: Columbia
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 78 MB

“This LP should come as a surprise not only to those familiar with E. Power Biggs as an organist, but also to ragtime aficionados who associate this repertoire exclusively with the piano. For Biggs is performing a set of Scott Joplin compositions on a pedal harpsichord, specially made for him and incorporating three sets of bass strings which are played with the feet—just as they are on the organ. This enables the performer to sustain bass notes, while the left hand plays the off-beat chords, in a way which is impossible on the conventional harpsichord. It scarcely needs saying that Biggs demonstrates remarkable technical facility. What is more arguable is whether his approach always fits the material. Certainly he gives Joplin's melodic lines a suitably light and dancing quality in Elite Syncopations, Sunflower Slow Drag (actually a collaboration between Joplin and Scott Hayden) and Pine Apple Rag, but Maple Leaf Rag comes across as heavy and melodramatic, with the rhythms much too laboured. Similarly, Peacherine Rag, another early but attractive composition, sounds a little as though it were being played on a calliope. And the second strain of The Easy Winners is made to resemble The Ham) Lime Theme (or is it the Cafe, Mozart Waltz?) even more than usual. Most of the time, though, these are fascinating and agreeable interpretations with Biggs changing the textures cunningly in the repeats of various strains, using, in fact, the kind of discretion that seems called for. And it is pleasant to find a selection that does not consist entirely of the best-known Joplin compositions. I was especially delighted to discover Cleopha, a march and two-step which was a firm favourite with the Sousa Band, and The Strenuous Life. My only quibble concerns the inclusion of Binks' Waltz, not syncopated at all (unlike the delightful Bethena, which was published the same year—in 1905) but just a straightforward and really rather commonplace waltz.” C.F.

Amanaz (1975) -Africa

Artist: Amanaz
Album: Africa
Released: 1975
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 141 MB

“…on record, they sound like a band that wanted to ply their trade in heavy rock, folk-pop, and funk all at once-- but there's a rawness on this album that gives it a familiar garage-band appeal. Rhythms shift from minimalist plod-stomps one track to supple grooves the next; lead singer Keith Kabwe's voice sometimes stretches past his melodic range into an off-key flatness that would be more off-putting if it didn't sound so spontaneous, and it's all recorded with a muddy fidelity that, if reminiscent of bedroom tape culture, doesn't do the music any favors by turning what could've been a wall of guitar squall into a flimsy chain-link fence.

Not like much of that can be helped or even really matters, since Africa is one of those albums we should at least consider ourselves lucky to even get a chance to hear. Kabwe had retired to a life of farming by the time this album was proposed for reissue, and out of the other four band members, only guitarist Isaac Mpofu still survives. So hearing Kabwe wail, "Lemme tell you something new/ About the history of the man/ He's got nothing to lose," in "History of Man" resonates a bit more knowing just how little was saved from the Zam-rock scene for future posterity and how close to impermanence Amanaz's music actually came." - Nate Patrin, March 30, 2010

Microwave Dave & The Nukes (1996) -Nothing But The Blues

Artist: Microwave Dave and The
Nukes
Album: Nothing But The Blues
Released: 1996 (originally released in 1995 at BluesWorks Records as Goodnight, Dear)
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 141 MB

Twenty years of performances in the U.S and Europe and six albums-with more on the way-have helped Microwave Dave & The Nukes establish a wide multinational audience. Venues vary from French soccer stadiums to Bike Week in Daytona Beach, from blues cruises on the Big Red Boat to neighborhood saloons, but the thousands of shows delivered by the band all reflect one core element: the heritage blues music enjoys as a lifter of spirits. As Microwave Dave puts it: "Blues is America's first-and still best-self-help program." ©

Bornand Music Box Collection -Old Music Box Waltz Melodies

Bornand Music Box Collection
Album: Old Music Box Waltz Melodies
Quality: mp3 CBR 320 (vinyl rip)
Size: 103 MB

This record celebrates the 10th anniversary of "OLD MUSIC BOX MELODIES" with 26 familiar, always popular, old and new world waltzes. It is recorded from two large fine Swiss cylinder music boxes and four of the various size disc music boxes, among them the "King of Music Boxes" the 27" disc Regina.

As time cures many ills, it began to right this injustice; one after another, music boxes came back - museums became interested - collections were started, and the services of Joseph Bornand, one of the last surviving factory trained experts in this field, were again in demand. It was a great joy for Mr. Bornand to open his music box shop again and he in turn taught his son Adrian V. all the secrets of this long lost art, a Bornand family business in Switzerland since 1825.

The Bornand music box collection containing many rare one of a kind instruments from all parts of the world, has long been recognized as one of the foremost in existence. To share this beauty and give the world this music which will probably never be produced in its original form again, the Bornands have recorded it for the modern record players. Thus the phonograph, which ended the music box business so long ago, is now the means of bringing this music into thousands of homes, which would otherwise not know of its existence or enjoy its nostalgic beauty. (from the liner notes)

Various Artists (1997) -Prison Songs: Historical Recordings 1947-48 (vol. 1 & 2)

Artist: various
Album: Prison Songs: Historical Recordings From Parchman Farm 1947-48 Vol. 1 & 2
Released: 1997
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 105 + 109 MB

"These songs belong to the musical tradition which Africans brought to the New World, but they are also as American as the Mississippi River. They were born out of the very rock and earth of this country, as black hands broke the soil, moved, reformed it, and rivers of stinging sweat poured upon the land under the blazing heat of Southern skies, and are mounted upon the passion that this struggle with nature brought forth. They tell us the story of the slave gang, the sharecropper system, the lawless work camp, the chain gang, the pen." - Alan Lomax

Los Kabanos (2010) -Темне Весiлля

Artist: Los Kabanos
Album: Темнее Весiлля
Released: 2010
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 50 MB

Koshi Yamada (2010) -Theatre Solo

Artist: Koshi Yamada
Album: Theatre Solo
Released: 2010
Quality: lossless (Flac)
Size: 186 MB

Naoki Suzuki & Eddie Higgins (2007) -Melodious Time

Artist: Eddie Higgins & Naoki Suzuki
Album: Melodious Time
Released: 2007
Label: ONKEN
Quality: lossless (Flac+cue)
Size: 345 MB

Os Mugstones (1967) -Os Mugstones

Artist: Os Mugstones
Album: Os Mugstones
Released: 1967
Quality: mp3 CBR 192
Size: 48 MB

Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators (2006) -Keep Reachin' Up

Artist: Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators
Album: Keep Reachin’ Up
Released: 2006
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 93 MB

" After a pair of essentially modern-styled R&B outings, the Brooklyn-born, Europe-based vocalist Nicole Willis struck out in a new direction on her third full-length, teaming up with Finnish funk combo the Soul Investigators in 2005 for a hearty take on '60s and '70s stylings which, by accident or design, fit right in with the vintage soul resurgence that was then getting underway. Relative to other diva-led throwback acts such as Sharon Jones and Amy Winehouse, Willis and her cohorts come off as especially convincing revivalists (or especially deceptive simulators), despite seeming comparably laid-back about taking an authentically "retro" approach, or at least about sticking to one particular type of soul. Stylistically, they trend toward the more polished, pop-oriented Northern Soul end of things, occasionally using strings in place of horns and generally keeping things up and peppy, on stomping highlights like "If This Ain't Love," "Invisible Man" (which features girl group-styled falsetto backups sung by noted dance producers Maurice Fulton and Jimi Tenor, who's also Willis' husband) and "My Four Leaf Clover," which nods specifically and delightfully to early Motown and to Martha & the Vandellas in particular. Opener "Feeling Free," which boasts the album's most uplifting and irresistible chorus hook, sports a similarly chunky early-'60s backbeat wrapped in a lavish arrangement of strings, bongos, and palm-muted guitar that suggests more of an early-'70s, Philly International vibe, whereas the slightly groovier "A Perfect Kind of Love" lays on the Stax-style horn parts and chicken shack organ. The detours into harder-headed funk ("Holdin' On" and the title track) and smoky balladry ("Blues Downtown" and "No One's Gonna Love You") are somewhat less effective: despite some compelling and atmospheric playing from the Investigators, Willis' voice isn't quite richly textured enough to be as effortlessly authoritative here as it is on the more melodic, poppier material. Still, these tracks are far from serious missteps, and they do add some well-intentioned variety to an album that, on the whole, stands as one of the finer soul full-lengths of the decade." by K. Ross Hoffman, AMG

Brian Finnegan (2010) -The Ravishing Genius Of Bones

Artist: Brian Finnegan
Album: The Ravishing Genius Of Bones
Released: 2010
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 158 MB

"Brian Finnegan from Armagh, in the North of Ireland, is widely regarded as one of the true pioneers in Irish music. Front man with the legendary Flook for over 13 years, this maverick flute and tin whistle player has toured the world and recorded three highly acclaimed studio albums, Flatfish, Rubai and Haven, with the band. Collecting awards and a huge fan base wherever they toured, Flook were crowned BBC Band Of The Year 2006. Brian's music is forged from both his native tradition and from his love of a wider musical tapestry. His traveling and touring in India and Eastern Europe had a deep and profound affect on his talent as a composer, hinted at early on with the release of his first cd,'When The Party's Over' in 1993. In 2008 he was commissioned by The Sage Centre in Newcastle Upon Tyne to compose a piece for the opening of 'The Eighth Bridge', a major art installation across the river Tyne. He has toured and recorded with many artistes including Cara Dillon and Kate Rusby, and at Celtic Connections 2008 premiered his northern big band, The Singing Tree; thirteen performers, musicians,singers, poets and dancers, all from the northern counties of Ireland. Brian's new album, 'The Ravishing Genius Of Bones' was released in March 2010 and coincided with the formation of his new quartet KAN" ©

Various Artists (1997) -The Music of Prohibition

Artist: various
Album: The Music of Prohibition
Released: 1997
Quality: mp3 CBR 256
Size: 128 MB

Five Horse Johnson - discography

Artist: Five Horse Johnson
Albums: Blues for Henry / Double Down / Fat Black Pussy Cat / The No. 6 Dance / The Las Men On Earth / The Mystery Spot
Released: 1995 / 1997 / 1998 / 2000 / 2003 / 2006
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 105 + 130 + 122 + 132 + 107 + 93 MB

When Five Horse Johnson formed back in the year of 1995, and announced themselves as a Blues Band, their friends may have thought they had cause to worry. After all, it is a well-worn banality that white boys can only ever hope to mimic the blues, isn’t it? The band has always understood that the Blues isn’t a formula, but a way of looking at the world; their blues is a dirty, sensual thing (it ain’t for nothin’ that their new catalog number is 69, people!), and while retaining a more than healthy dose of humor, they are completely and 100% free of the goofy hardy-har-har trappings of some of the other wannabes out there trying to be “bluesy” (hear that, J. Spencer?).

Over the past decade, Five Horse Johnson has happily and thankfully proven the doubters wrong. Never apers, over the course of 6 albums, Five Horse Johnson has honed out a niche all their own, combining their love and respect for the Blues, Classic Rock and other, less dog-eared influences of their youth to become one of the most loved and respected bands in the Stoner Rock community. Always a right freight train live, the band has spent a lot of time on the road with the likes of Clutch, Halfway To Gone, etc., gathering fans, friends, and drinking partners all over the world. ©

Various Artists (2010) -Halloween Instrumentals

Artist: various
Album: Halloween Instrumentals
Net release: 2010
Quality: mp3 CBR 160
Size: 182 MB

All thanks for this great compilation of 50-60s horror-inspired instrumentals and radio spots go to an independent visual artist J.R. Williams. I highly recommend everyone to visit HIS BLOG while enjoying these amazing tracks.