the most distinctive and innovative players of his era, and his foil, vocalist/lyricist Zack De La Rocha, is as unrelenting and inspiring as ever on The Battle of Los Angeles . Rage, whose past antics include performing naked with duct tape over their mouths to protest censorship, released Battle on Election Day, but the politics of the group can be separated from the sounds. Indeed, the 45 minutes of mayhem heard here can be enjoyed solely as rousing aggro hip-hop rock. There's more variety found on Battle than on its predecessors, however. "Sleep Now in the Fire" is one of their most straight-ahead rock tunes. The trippy guitar on "Calm Like a Bomb" is out there even for the adventurous Morello. And "Born a Broken Man" serves up lovely musical...  (less)

Arruti on trombone. 'Lo' has a lovely voice and tackles a wide range of songs including - Boogie Blues, Skylark, Basin Street Blues, When You're Smiling, La Vie En Rose, Let's Call The Whole Thing Off, Come By Me, I Want A Grown Up Man, Thou Swell, And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine and Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans ?  (less)

travelled to live above a jewellery shop in Lancaster in the North West of England, where they formed their new band The Lovely Eggs! The Lovely Eggs played their first ever gig in New York in 2006 and since then they have attracted quite a following! BBC DJs Huw Stephens, Marc Riley, Rob Da Bank, Tom Robinson and Steve Lamacq as well as legendary music journalist Everett True are all fans of The Lovely Eggs' quirky lo-fi, DIY sound. Last year the band were invited by Huw Stephens to perform at Swn Festival in Cardiff and recorded a Radio One session at BBC Maida Vale for Huw's 'Introducing' show. The pair have also performed a live session on Marc Riley's BBC 6 Music show, as well as for XFM as part of Manchester's international music convention 'In T...  (less)

independence and worldwide success. Yo Canto is a long-brewing project dear to Pausini's heart: a collection of Italian pop covers spanning her lifetime. As with most of Pausini's releases, the disc is available in Italian and in Spanish. Yo Canto veers from dramatic balladry to fiery rock moments, anchored by Pausini's swooping, powerful vocal work. Several songs will be unfamiliar to fans outside of Italy, but it hardly matters. Pausini makes every moment her own, from the triumphant title track to the bittersweet "Escribeme." She's joined by international rock star Juanes during the lovely, lilting "Mi Libre Cancion." And fellow Italian pop idol Tiziano Ferro joins in for a new take on his brooding 2003 hit, "No Me Lo Puedo Explicar." There ar...  (less)

cultures have developed a variety of lovely and highly individual holiday traditions. But musicians from Central and South America and the Caribbean also draw upon our shared European and post-colonial heritage, thus gracing familiar carols and seasonal pop songs with an enchanting tropical spin. Cha-chas, rumbas, and steel bands rock the house from Advent to El Dio de los Reyes (Festival of the Three Wise Men, or Epiphany) in countries where religious devotion often includes a cooking rhythm section and dancing goes to church. The set list includes a quartet of charming North American tracks, but the mood is predominantly south-of-the-border: festive, serene, exalted, danceable, and very beautiful. --Christina Roden  (less)

the shoestring intimacy of her debut with more traditional song arrangements and (gasp!) professional-sounding production. Though it lacks anything as memorable (and quotable) as Guyville 's "Fuck and Run," the record has some notable high points, including the acerbic "Chopsticks," the lovely ballad "Nashville," and the perfect pop single "Supernova." In short, Whip-smart isn't the tremendous artistic statement Guyville was, but it's far more accessible--and quite enjoyable on its own terms. -- Dan Epstein  (less)

This Vain Hour produced by Bella Union's Simon Raymonde) they have already garnered attention from the likes of MTV, CMJ, and KROQ amongst others. All the while still refining their sound to create their eponymous album. Fake Noise From a Box of Toys, is a radical departure from the entirety of their earlier work. The songs slice and dice with a frenzied precision, their pummeling pace interrupted only sparingly by the placid fare of Autumns past. And yet the latter emerge all the more lovely from the record s generally rough relief.  (less)

a select few (mostly Los Angeles) bands such as the Long Ryders, Green on Red, Jason & the Scorchers, Lone Justice, and of course, X and the Blasters. In 1984 the Blasters' Dave Alvin joined forces with X's John Doe, Exene Cervenka, and D.J. Bonebrake to form the Knitters, a band who shed its rock skin completely and opted for pared-down, low-key arrangements that stayed true to the classic country sound. This one-time-only record, a blend of covers, new songs, and X remakes, has charisma and charm thanks to its relaxed feel, warm setting, and absence of any pretension. That Alvin's guitar work is tasteful may not be a surprise, but Doe and Cervenka also offer lovely vocals throughout. --Marc Greilsamer  (less)

almost fly off the stage!" - TALKINBROADWAY.COM "I could listen to Russ sing and sing and sing and sing...such a lovely instrument and he does such great things with it!" - TERESE GENECCO Russ Lorenson’s sound and approach place him at the intersection of Broadway, jazz and pop – the very essence of the Great American Songbook. Equally at home singing Broadway or jazz standards, Russ Lorenson sparkles in every song on his debut CD. Inspiring comparisons to Mel Tormé, Tony Bennett, Chet Baker and Johnny Hartman, Lorenson has a voice that one savors and remembers. A Little Travelin’ Music is a cleverly conceived and beautifully balanced collection of jazz classics and Broadway gems th...  (less)

playing with passion. Working alongside Mike are the brilliant young bassist Brian Bromberg and the celebrated drummer John Guerin who, with the leader, make up the most dazzling of Los Angeles piano trios. Oh Baby shows how this exceptional trio can handle both up-tempo tunes as well as beautiful ballads with equal élan. In addition, Mike has composed five original tunes: The Melody Is You , Sandy (named for his lovely wife), North Star , Fifth Power , and Oh Baby . The well-known alto and soprano saxophonist Tom Scott is also featured on two tracks.  (less)

éxitos, pero acompañado cada uno de un hermoso poema recitado por el famoso locutor Juan Corazón que precisamente da pie a cada canción. Álbum incluye 20 temas de gran éxito tal y como "Te Vas Con El", "Vete Ya", "Lo Nuestro Termino, "Y Todo Acabo" entre otros mas. "The group that sings to love", today honors that motto. Bryndis, the potosino group releases an album just for collectors, titled "20 Poemas, Canciones, y Romances", which include 20 of their biggest hits, but this time together with a lovely poem at the beginning of each song, recite by famous radio Dj Juan Corazón. Album includes 20 hit tracks such as "Te Vas Con El", "Vete Ya", "Lo Nuestro Termino", "Y Todo Acabo" among others  (less)

The Verve Pipe, J.S. Bach, and Type O Negative. Recorded and mixed by Mike entirely in his living room on his computer, Scales is a self-produced lo-fi masterpiece. As a bonus, included after 11 original tracks is Mike's rendition of the lovely Verve Pipe song, Veneer.  (less)