LISTEN!! Digital Music News: Who is Yona?, Hurdy-Gurdy!, Burning Down the World, Celtic Folklore, Cameroon Tunes


YOU can access almost 1,000 digital music albums directly through our AADL.org catalog. Stream or download as much as you like, DRM free, on any device you choose. No waiting for a copy. No due dates. Hooray!

POP / ROCK
Chiwawa: He Who Sings Thinks No Evil
Chiwawa's debut album, "The Sick World Of Yona", was released in 1998. It was produced by Steve Whitfield (The Cure, The Mission among others). The record quickly became a hit with the critics, securing the band a strong and loyal to this day fan base. The first single "Below Zero" still resonates on the airwaves, after 13 years. "The Sick World of Yona" consists of 13 tracks which shift in mood, tempo, atmosphere and flavour.

CLASSICAL / WORLD
Viva La Pepa: Spanish, Sephardic and French Traditions Served On A Bed Of Drones
¡Viva la Pepa! draws on musical traditions from Spain, France, and the Sephardic diaspora, covering a musical timeline from the Middle Ages to the present. The group's signature sound from reflective to rousing can be attributed to the haunting and unique combination of the vocals and the hurdy-gurdy. The multi-instrumentalists delight and entertain with a musical sleight of hand that includes guitar, accordion, hurdy-gurdy, Spanish lute, bagpipes, psaltery, tromba marina, recorders, cajon, darabuka, davul and more.

METAL / PUNK / ROCK
Jackalopes: High Energy Horror-Punk Rock and Roll
The Jackalopes are a Hi-Energy, Horror, Occult and B-Movie inspired, Punk Rock and Roll band from Dayton, Ohio. With influences ranging from 50's Rock and Roll, 60's Garage and Psychedelia, 70's Country, Southern Stoner, Acid Rock and Punk to 80's Deathrock, Goth, Industrial, Metal and New Wave to the 90's Noise and Alternative bands, and of course the Cult movies from all of the above eras, The Jackalopes blend it all into an invigorating stew of something old, something new.

ALT ROCK / FOLK
Jasmine Brunch: A Secret Garden of Lucid Musical Dreams
Here you will find mountain dulcimers, ukuleles, guitars, accordions, mandolins, pianos and others doing some of the things they do best. The Mews album is a modern tribute to the space between Celtic folklore and Bluegrass music. The music pays tribute to the traditional sounds of Jigs and Reels, as well as fusing different styles and taking the musical ingredients of Celtic-American folklore one step (sometimes two steps) further.

WORLD
Kaissa: Modern African Music With Elements of R&B, Pop, and Jazz
"Looking There" showcases various rhythms from Cameroonian Makossa to reggae, Afro-beat and R&B. Kaïssa has drawn from Cameroon's cultural vibrancy and her family's musical tradition. The themes are love, loss, sociopolitical issues, women's rights, hope, optimism, poverty, war, unrest, honoring ancestors and immigration. Holding it all together is the focus on her hauntingly beautiful voice, powerful yet silky.

LISTEN!! Digital Music News: Funk, Love from Sweden, World Fusion, Punk, Bach on Violin

YOU can access almost 1,000 digital music albums directly through our AADL.org catalog. Stream or download as much as you like, DRM free, on any device you choose. No waiting for a copy. No due dates. Hooray!

JAZZ / DOWNTEMPO
Jive Ass Sleepers: Chilled Out Grooves & Uptempo Funkathons
The album "Scratch", from California-based Jive Ass Sleepers, offers adventures into jazz and funk, elements of reggae, latin and even some turntable scratching. The grooves are mostly laid back but still funky enough to make you want to dance. Electric guitar is predominantly featured, weaving jazzy, melodic lines over some solid drums, bass, keyboards and horns.

ROCK
Lizzi: Groovy Downtempo Swedish Rock
There are plenty of sensual voices out there in the music world, but few that have the darkness and subtle chill that makes Lizzi's so bewitching. Her album "Love and you and I" is absolutely perfect for a rainy day, Notable tracks include "Remedy," "Only You" and "My Destination". "To be in love is a kind of isolation," says Lizzi. "It's not all happiness and joy: there's a lot of pain and emptiness too. But longing is also an incredible feeling, much under-valued today."

WORLD
Simone Angele and Amir Kalhor: Classical Styles of India and Persia
On their album "India meets Persia" Simone Angele and Amir Kalhor take the listener on an intricate musical journey. The artists explore the classical styles of India and Iran, using the traditional instruments of the respective countries: the Indian Sitar and the Persian Tar. The pieces "Kirvan", "Isfahan", "Solitidi", and "Joys of Spring", represent original Indian and Persian classical styles. "Sunny Days", a pop piece with vocals and sitar, ends the musical journey and takes the listeners back to the west on a light note. Babua Pahari is the percussive force on Tabla and accompanies Simone Angele in the Indian pieces.

PUNK / HARD ROCK
The Strap Ons: Snot-Voiced Thrashing Punk 'n' Roll
The Strap-Ons cut straight to the chase on their release "Geeking Crime", delivering an album that is edgy, messy, and sexy. High octane guitars, bad attitude, and a healthy dose of humor are all here. Keep this one on hand for those days when you feel like telling everyone where to go. (Check out "This Place Sucks" for details.) A fantastically unsubtle album that hits the bullseye, straight-on.

CLASSICAL / BAROQUE
Lara St John: Bach Violin Concertos
Lara St. John's recording of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo is awe-inducing. When most classical artists record technically challenging works like this one, they typically have to repeat certain phrases over and over during the recording process. When Lara St. John recorded this album at Skywalker Ranch, she played only complete versions of each movement, so the resulting music sounds incredibly fresh and alive. Her approach is especially appropriate for Bach's Six Sonatas because they're known for their musical freedom of movement. "Breathtakingly beautiful," says Allmusic.com.

LISTEN!! Digital Music News: Left-Handed Piano, Poppy Punk, Ethereal Folksongs, Jazzy Imaginary Crime, Tranquil Compositions

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CLASSICAL / PIANO
Ivan Ilić: Dazzling Classical Piano
American pianist Ivan Ilić has recorded his 7th album for Magnatune, entitled Godowsky and Ecstasy, 22 Chopin Studies. Godowsky was a celebrity in his day. Artur Rubinstein said that "it would take him 500 years" to acquire Godowsky's technique. Rachmaninoff wrote that "Godowsky is the only musician of this age who has given a real, lasting contribution to the development of the piano". Following Godowsky's death in 1938, his compositions were largely ignored until the year 2000, when super-virtuoso pianists such as Marc-André Hamelin and Boris Berezovsky began to record and perform his works in concert. Ivan Ilić is the latest pianist to rise to the formidable challenge. His album focuses on the 22 Studies for the left hand alone, considered among the most difficult pieces ever written for the instrument. This album is a tour de force of virtuosity and musicianship.

ALT ROCK / PUNK
Midway Still: Sensitive and Loud, Punk with a Pop Center
Noise and melody working together to make a pop-punk gem. Midway Still packed this album full of songs that equal or surpass the band's earlier efforts, with plenty of Hüsker Dü-like pathos and flashes of Byrdsian vocal harmony adding a joyous innocence to proceedings. As in their earlier work, there's the gruff vocals, aggressive yet melodic guitar, Keith Moon-style power drumming and the catchiest hooks since, well, the last Midway Still album. After releasing their second album, "Life's Too Long", into the post-grunge world of 1993, Midway Still returned to the studio after a mere 17 year gap to record "Note To Self".

WORLD
Kitka: Eastern European Women's Vocal Music
Mysterious, yet joyful and celebratory as well, the close harmonies of the Eastern European women's vocal music ensemble, Kitka, provide a moving and deeply satisfying listening experience. The album, Nectar, features eighteen earthy and ethereal Balkan and Slavic folksongs including Kitka fan favorites such as "Shto Mi E Milo," "Dumai Zlato," "Tsintsharo," and "Hopp Ide Tiszt-n."

JAZZ / EXPERIMENTAL
Maurice and the Beejays: Music for Imaginary Films and Television Shows
Music of Maurice and the Beejays features jazz harmony, shifting time signatures, real and programmed instruments and found sounds. Influences range from Charles Mingus to Brian Eno and 60's and 70's British television shows such as "Randall and Hopkirk deceased".
The original idea for this album, Last of the Species, was to write songs about aspects of criminality:
Part 1 (Tracks 1-7) - Based on Shaft and set in the 23rd Century. Mr. Sex Millions controls the multi planet "prawnography" trade. Our hero doesn't make it.
Part 2 (Tracks 8 - 14) - Relaxed and jazzy with some vocal harmonies. Soundtrack for a day in the life of Alain Delon who is visiting the south coast of England to see his friend Hercule Poirot. A bright winters day in Bexhill on sea when something happens. Only the events have been changed to protect the guilty.

AMBIENT / ELECTRONIC
Sampson-Carroll: Lush and Minimal; Melodic and Drone-Like; Pastoral and Edgy
Mind-bending, relaxing, soothing, inner-peace inducing, meditative, endorphins for one's imagination -- they all apply to this collection of thoughtful and mature compositions. Your journey over the hill and far, far away from life's rough segments is only a listen away. Following gracefully in the sonic footprints left by their previous three albums, Sampson - Carroll's Ease brings the listener to a pinnacle point of ethereal loveliness.
DJ SquirrelDJ Squirrel

LISTEN!! Digital Music News: Jazz Guitar, Bach with Flutes, Laid Back Electronica, Upbeat Folkgrass, Maudlin Pop

YOU can access almost 1,000 digital music albums directly through our AADL.org catalog. Stream or download as much as you like, DRM free, on any device you choose. No waiting for a copy. No due dates. Hooray!

JAZZ
Andy Gabrys: Classic Jazz Guitar
Modern compositions, classic jazz guitar, an oak-tree thick acoustic bass courtesy of Dan Loomis, and the swinging colorful drumming of Brian Adler, make Constant a great album for any occasion. The album comes from a 5 year period during which Andy lived in New York city and played at various venues with up and coming jazz artists. Andy's original music on this album is both forward-thinking and respecting of the jazz tradition, and while his guitar sound might be compared to Kenny Burrell or George Benson, his playing and composing approach shows the subtle shading and rich harmonies of Romantic era composers.

CLASSICAL
Spark: Flautists with Finesse, Intelligence and Grooves
Spark began in 1992 as a small ensemble group in the Tokyo University Flute Circle. The members, all graduates from Tokyo University, now live in various cities throughout Japan, from Kyoto to Hakodate. J. S. Bach Laboratory, an all-Bach album, features original arrangements that seek to capture the spirit of Bach's original ideas. It was recorded in Hakodate City Art Hall and was first released in 2000 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Bach's death.

ELECTRONIC
Joey Fehrenbach: Gorgeously Sculpted, Uber-Melodic Downtempo
The album Mellowdrama captures what it sounds like to fall in love, to remember old friends, to feel lonely, and to feel at peace and safe indoors on a rainy day. Electronic dance music artist Joey Fehrenbach uses intricate melody and atmosphere to create sonic backgrounds that capture the essence of the human soul. This is the one thought-provoking laid back electronic album not to miss.

FOLK / WORLD
Steve Eulberg: Mountain and Hammered Dulcimer
Inspired by a Jean Ritchie poem of the same title, I Celebrate Life! is the title track of this collection of original songs and tunes written for Mountain and Hammered Dulcimer by award-winning singer-songwriter and musician, Steve Eulberg. Known nationwide as the host of the annual Colorado Dulcimer Festival, Steve Eulberg weaves old-timey with blues and contemporary tunes adding original songs into a tapestry of "smile-inducing, toe-tapping folkgrass" that captivates and energizes audiences of all ages.

POP / ROCK
Tiny Little Blackouts: Dreamy, Slightly Mournful Indie Pop
Jangly relaxed alt rock, perfect for the grey days where you don't *want* to feel up and happy, but instead settle into self-indulgent melancholia. This San Francisco based band has been described as "Elliott Smith meets the Cocteau Twins". On this debut album, Idea of Alice, expect a shoegazer meets dream pop sound -- female vocals, lazy, bluesy fuzzed out guitars, a warm deep bass line. Bands like Belly, Curve, The Gathering and The Cardigans come to mind.

LISTEN!! Digital Music News: Grungy French Guys, Ukrainian Muses, Naughty Pop-Rock, New York City Jazz, Inspirational R&B

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PUNK / HARD ROCK
Delko: French Stoner Rock
Meet Delko, a French rock band from Haute-Loire. Influenced by Nirvana, Foo Fighters and Johnny Cash, their powerful and dark melodies will drag you into an artistic world that sounds like a post-teen delirium. Delko 321, released in 2011, is their first LP. All tracks are orchestrated by a classic squad -- bass, drums, and two guitars. This album brings together their first 3 EPs, standing as a documentary about four years in the life of the band.

NEW AGE / WORLD
Olexa Kabanov: Strings Slowly Plucked From the Soul
Ukrainian artist Olexa Kabanov is influenced by a wide range of musical interests, including the European Middle Ages, Eastern tradition, and Slavic ethnic, from jazz to folk-rock and world music. Describing the album Dale of the Muses is not easy. The sounds organically meld together -- the lyre, the deep Ukrainian violin, the Indian percussion, the mandolin with the drymba. Listen to the album to find many unexpected combinations and hidden gems.

ROCK
Arthur Yoria: Catchy, Whip Smart Alt-Rock
Ten playfully wicked songs make up Arthur Yoria's full length debut, I'll Be Here Awake. Yoria says it's a straight-forward rock album that was written from the point of view of a "nasty, egotistical fictional character" that he vicariously lives through from time to time. However, Yoria's natural warmth makes this character charming, in the way that cads can be when they're also talented, funny, and smart. "Call Me" gives insight into the mind of the chronically unavailable male, while "P.S.A." may be the most beguiling little ditty about onanism ever written. "Sevilla" describes a seething jealousy in the most lilting possible tones. "Here To Stay", the highlight of the entire album, is a patiently delivered, doggedly inspiring pop shanty.

JAZZ / PIANO
Antonio Ciacca Quartet: Jazz Played with Earthiness, Fire and Intellect
Driemoty is the first album of Antonio Ciacca, released in 1996, early in his brilliant career in the world of jazz. Antonia Ciacca plays with elements of Thelonious Monk, Wynton Kelly, Red Garland, and Bobby Timmons, recalling the most creatively vital and yet oddly neglected schools of jazz. Nowadays the New York based pianist and composer Ciacca enjoys his work as Director of Programming at Jazz at Lincoln Center. If you enjoy his music, be sure to visit his website http://www.antoniociacca.org/

R&B / SOUL
Ty Gibson: The Spirit and Soul of A Woman
R&B/Soul singer Ty Gibson hopes to make a difference with her debut album, Goin' My Way. Finding inspiration in the works of legendary singers such as Nina Simone, Denise Williams, Whitney Houston and Minnie Riperton, Ty offers her listeners a taste of what's on the inside of all of us -- a passion to live, love, and just be taken seriously. One of the notable tracks on this album, "I'll Be Home Soon", was written with the men and women of the military in mind. Ty is actually singing a letter that a soldier wrote to his loved one back home.

LISTEN!! Digital Music News: Jamaican BBQ from Sweden, Grown-Up Stories, Electronic Toys

YOU can access almost 1,000 digital music albums directly through our AADL.org catalog. Stream or download as much as you like, DRM free, on any device you choose. No waiting for a copy. No due dates. Hooray!

JAZZ / BLUES
Eternal Jazz Project: Gentle Jazz from Sweden
Handmade is the third Eternal Jazz Project album, mainly recorded in one of Sweden's most famous jazz studio recording facilities - the Swedish Broadcast radio. The feel is relaxed and down to earth, with a Scandinavian touch. EJP is still a fairly traditional jazz band with its roots in '50s and '60s jazz (the piano player and composer, Lars Lundell, is a big fan of Bill Evans). Compositions on this album range from the soft and beautiful "Hey June" to the swinging "Jamaican BBQ". No matter how Scandinavian, there's always room for surprises and groovy improvisation.

ALT ROCK / POP
Amycanbe: Alternative, Pop, Electronic, Rock, Trip-Hop from Italy
Being A Grown-Up Sure is Complicated is beautifully elegant. These songs are stunning journeys of indie folk pop with little twinges of minimalistic electronica. Each song tells a story, and this album is like a book with lots of little chapters waiting to unfold. From the folky bounciness of "Down Under" to the delightful beat of "The Song Of Matthew and Mark", the album sketches a picture of inner peace and happiness.

AMBIENT / ORCHESTRAL / ELECTRONIC
Emmalee Crane: Ambient, Orchestral Drone Music
Crux is the debut album from Canadian-turned-Californian musician Emmalee Crane. It is a soft yet majestic wash of instruments ranging from woodwinds and cellos to analog synthesizers and circuit-bent electronic toys. While Emmalee herself describes it as "drone", that hardly does justice to the orchestral swell and intricate melody that weaves throughout the album. This critically acclaimed work has been described as "an absolute success...built upon passion and love and emotion," and "as beautiful as it is inventive."

LISTEN!! Digital Music News: Seattle Beats, Exiled Composers, Ambient Aspergers, Punk Anniversaries, World Music Geeks

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POP / ELECTRO ROCK
Emma's Mini: Glamorously Femme Electropop
Emma's Mini is a duo based in Seattle, WA. In April of 2003 they self-released this album, "Beat Generation Mad Trick". Taking their cue from bands such as Lamb, Massive Attack and Moloko, Emma's Mini seamlessly blends Suzanne McClean's rich, lush vocals with Demian Shoemaker's innovative beats and soundscapes.

CLASSICAL / CHAMBER MUSIC
Colin Booth: Solo Harpsichord Music
Peter Philips, one of the great musical geniuses of the age of Queen Elizabeth I, was forced into exile in Europe because of religious intolerance in England, following the failed Spanish Armada. Not only did he become a famous composer throughout the continent, but his music, unlike his person, was celebrated in his home country. This album, "Peter Philips - The English Exile", has received enthusiastic praise from reviewers. Listen to Colin Booth play the music of Philips on a large and unusual harpsichord -- a copy of an Italian 17th Century instrument with two keyboards.

AMBIENT / ELECTRONIC
Dr. Sounds: Spacey Ambient/Dark New Age
Dr. Sounds is Alexander Forselius, a Romanian-born artist, creating spacey, ambient/dark, new age tracks using mostly free software packages. Alex has Aspergers Syndrome and feels he is a little different in thinking about and experiencing the world. "I think my brain values mathematics and logic before feelings...I mostly feel integrated with the computer, and feel a deep relationship with it...my experience in childhood, and autistic experience of the unorganized social world, is transmuted to unique, illustrative, ambient soundtracks that don't follow a given musical genre."

PUNK / ROCK
Rocket City Riot: High Energy Rock and Roll
Snotty punk rock reminiscent of the Sex Pistols. This 10th-anniversary redux of "We Name the Guilty Men" is raw and vital rock and roll that shakes your teeth. You will hear songs about love, death, and drinking, the holy trinity of punk rock. This is not the kind of music that RCR makes anymore, so get it while the getting is good.

WORLD / FOLK
Kara Nomadica: A Fresh New Sound Driven by Traditional Arabic and Turkish Rhythms
Kara Nomadica is a fusion of ancient and exotic instruments from the Middle-East, North Africa, and Australia. This album is driven by traditional iqaat (rhythms) and maqamat (micro-tonal scales) of Turkey and the Arab world. The band explores original compositions and breathes new life into a select repertoire of traditional Middle-Eastern classics. Denver music reviewer John Zwick says, "Kara Nomadica is what happens when you bring together a mess of overqualified music geeks with Middle Eastern instruments you've never heard of...it's a damn captivating sound."

LISTEN!! Digital Music News: I've Got the Blues, Persephone Revisited, Georgia Hip Hop, Appalachian Tunes with a Twist, At the Circus

YOU can access almost 1,000 digital music albums directly through our AADL.org catalog. Stream or download as much as you like, DRM free, on any device you choose. No waiting for a copy. No due dates. Hooray!

BLUES / JAZZ
Bluesboy Jag: Authentic 1920's Solo Blues Guitar
Pared down to the down-home marrow of their bluesy bones, the twenty-six acoustic tracks of "Four Strings" are like an ultra-pleasant visit to guitarist Jag's front porch, where he plays for you on his hand made cigar box guitars. Intimate, unvarnished, authentic. Iced tea or lemonade with that?

CLASSICAL / OPERA
Philharmonia Baroque: Historically-Informed Classical Orchestra
Celebrated Dead Man Walking composer, Jake Heggie, has a fascinating take on the Persephone myth. In this recording, Philharmonia Baroque brings the tale to life with the help of Broadway superstar Patti Lupone and soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian. "To Hell and Back" traverses an impressive amount of musical territory in just five scenes—a turbulent overture, a dulcet duet, a potent cabaret number, and a penetrating aria among other things. Heggie uses these stylistic choices to develop his disturbing, deeply affecting portrait of spousal abuse and the familial denial that perpetuates it.

HIP HOP
Jay Love Baby: Booty Shakin' Baby Makin' Music
Atlanta-based B-Boy/breakdancer/deejay/producer/artist, Jay Love, delivers his new release, Ego Centric, a great party starter album packed with dance floor classics. It's highly energized with the feel of the Black Eyed Peas, beats like Timbaland and a vocal flow similar to T Pain and Flo-Rida. Booty shakin' is guaranteed.

FOLK / NEW AGE
Lydia McCauley: Intriguing Piano Compositions with Dynamic Accompaniment
ForeignLander is a collection of innovatively arranged pieces from 17-20th Century British Isles and Appalachia, beautifully performed by Linda McCauley and her Ensemble, along with special guests. A well known artist in the Celtic and New Age worlds, she slightly detours on this album by taking traditional Appalachian melodies and working her magic on them. While careful to preserve Appalachian traditions, Lydia creates a fresh sound that pleases both traditional and progressive music audiences.

ALT ROCK / EXPERIMENTAL
Kavanah: Eclectic Intense, Industrial Ethnic, Classical Phrasing, Soundtrack, Cirque
This soundtrack to the hit traveling circus show, Cirque Montage, is an eclectic mix of World Music, Electronica, Jazz and Cirque. Composer Martin St-Pierre and vocalist Kate St-Pierre are both Cirque du Soleil and Dragone (Le Reve) alumni.

LISTEN!! Digital Music News: Poetic Englishmen, What is a Kora?, Italian Cello & Bassoon, Noise Evolution, Music for Monks

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FOLK-ROCK
Robin Grey: Gently Experimental Nu-Folk
Robin Grey writes beautifully ironic, poetic-based tracks for the story-lover in all of us. His voice and attitude harkens back to Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, with masterful lyrics and deadpan delivery. Strangers With Shoes is colored with acoustic guitar, banjo, ukulele, mandolin, piano, double bass, organ, percussion toys and any other instruments he can fit into his little London studio. As one reviewer stated, "Grey is one of those wonderful talents that could recite the phone directory on record and you'd still be enthralled".

WORLD
Daniel Berkman: 21st Century Ambient African Kora
A wonderfully laid-back album, Calabashmoon blends Daniel Berkman's gorgeous kora playing with subtle beats and other little touches of vocals from regional performers for an overall feeling of sunny, world-influenced goodness. Berkman is known for his innovations to this 21-stringed instrument. In this collection of crafty and poignant pieces, he expertly weaves together a tapestry of sounds that gives the listener a sort of relaxed acoustic portrait of modern West Africa, from whence it comes. Be sure to check out the excellent title track, "Mystery Box House."

CLASSICAL
Sergio Azzolini & Vito Paternoster play Mozart and Haydn
Can a cello and bassoon form a duo? Three different composers thought so. W.A. Mozart composed a beautiful sonata for cello and bassoon, F. Danzi transcribed some of the most beautiful Mozart melodies, and F.J. Haydn composed two duets for cello/bassoon. Italian bassoonist Sergio Azzolini and Italian cellist Vito Paternoster demonstrate how these pieces continue to enchant, delight and amuse listeners today.

METAL / INDUSTRIAL / HARD ROCK
The Wretch: Painful Ambient Industrial Noise
Fantastically dark and elegantly industrial, Cyst by The Wretch is a surprisingly nuanced album that favors dynamic variation over mindlessly repeated loops. It's a hybrid of noisecore and drum 'n' bass, but with really smart rhythms and a noise-ambient wash that lends a huge amount of atmosphere and depth. The juxtaposition of totally glitched out, ever-changing beats with the eerie ghost calls and dystopian waveforms in the background works really well. The opening track "Turned" and "Do You" are great. "This is Terror" is beautifully brutal, and don't miss "Feel The Burning."

AMBIENT / NEW AGE
Tilopa: Healing Magic of the Japanese Zenflute
Pared down and austere, Tilopa's album, By The Way, sounds like serenity itself. The Japanese zen flute (kyotaku) is occasionally accompanied by monastic sounding vocals, and the overall effect is very subdued and meditative. "Red Fullmoon" is a particular standout on this album, a track that makes evident why this type of music was once favored by sects of wandering Buddhist monks. Most of the pieces on this album have that same type of traditional Zen sound, but there are a few more modern pieces here too, such as "Amigos De Viaje," which features acoustic guitar as accompaniment to the kyotaku.

LISTEN!! Digital Music News: Jazz Grooves, Church Chants, 80s Pop, Mediterranean Soul Food, Greek Goth Rock

YOU can access almost 1,000 digital music albums directly through our AADL.org catalog. Stream or download as much as you like, DRM free, on any device you choose. No waiting for a copy. No due dates. Hooray!

JAZZ / DOWNTEMPO
Drop Trio: Groove-Oriented Organ-Based Funk Jazz
Deliciously mathy structures overlaid with highly original, funk-tinged instrumental grooves are what you'll get on Big Dipper by the award-winning Drop Trio. Influenced by avant-garde jazz, this group thrives on improvisation. The overall vibe here is loose, but the chops are tight and the structure is never neglected. This is a great album to put on in the afternoon while you're working, or in the evening when you're ready for happy hour.

CLASSICAL
Three Holies Church Choristers: Ancient Eastern Church Music
Gorgeously solemn and reverent, Hymns of the Ancient Church features a number of very rare chants representing the three main canonical singing traditions of the Eastern Church: Byzantine, Georgia and Old Rus. These ancient, holy songs served as the foundation not only of later religious singing, but also classical choral music. All the chants are performed by choristers of the Three Holies Church (Kharkov, Ukraine) conducted by Igor Sakhno—one of the great experts in this form.

POP
Spoons: Retro 80's Music
Formed in 1980, this band made Spoons a different kind of household word. Their unique brand of upbeat, danceable music quickly became anthems to legions of fans. Now, more than two decades later, who could have predicted the phenomenon known as "retro 80s", when old and new fans alike would rediscover these classics? Unexpected Guest At A Cancelled Party is packed with previously unreleased recordings and concert favorites, from the vintage 1982 - 1985 years. Listen to Spoons again, or for the first time, and enjoy.

WORLD / FOLK
Sherefe: Balkan and Middle Eastern Music
Sala Sala is a full 78 minutes of eastern Mediterranean soul food with gorgeous songs from Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon and Bulgaria. Sung in native tongues and using traditional instruments, these songs are elegant and danceable. Well honed from hundreds of performances at concerts, festivals, weddings and private parties, Sherefe's rich sound is a melding of cello, bouzouki, oud, gadulka, saz, double bass, Middle Eastern percussion and evocative vocals.

ROCK / DARKWAVE
Opened Paradise: Intense Goth Rock From An Ancient City
The incredible, hollowed out grandeur of the songs on Occult bring you straight into the darkly glorious and melodic world of Opened Paradise. Frontman Periklis E's voice is so evocative and intense that it gives Peter Murphy a run for his money. Babis on guitars and Constantinos on drums lend a dire, driving sound to the album that is the perfect counterpoint to the cavernous vocals. So strong and excellent is the overall mood of this album that we strongly recommend turning off the shuffle play for an hour in order to listen to it all the way through, the first track to the last. Dark, dramatic feelings guaranteed.

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