Paul Weller once said "I never understood why the Psychedelic Furs didn't sell more records." Richard Butler broke up the band in 1991, leaving the Psychedelic Furs' synth-tinged, horn-revered sound to fade away in the surge of '90s grunge rock, and their chances of becoming a global success were never fully developed.

Interestingly, while always priding themselves on being a kick-ass live band, ZZ Top never got around to issuing a full-length live album during their 1970s/1980s peak. But as they say, it's better late than never, and 2011 finally saw the arrival of an archival live ZZ Top recording, Live in Germany 1980. Featuring half of the audio portion of their 2009 Double Down Live DVD, Live in Germany 1980 does a fantastic…

On Love Spit Love's eponymous debut, Richard Butler tried too hard to break from the legacy of the Psychedelic Furs, and the result was a stiff, awkward record that only occasionally hit its target. For Love Spit Love's second album, Trysome Eatone, Butler decided to rely on the darkly seductive blend of arty post-punk and glam-rock that was the Furs' trademark.

Noel Mewton-Wood’s (1922-53) journey from underestimated virtuoso to present-day icon is cause for both celebration and irony. Glowing testimonials to his ‘genius’ (Sir Malcolm Sargent) from Myra Hess, Beecham, Schnabel, Bliss, Hindemith and Britten were countered by indifference from the major record labels and concert managements, a situation that doubtless contributed to his suicide at the age of 31. Behind an ebullient surface, Mewton-Wood was a romantic idealist, susceptible to depression and mood-swings. So it is hardly surprising to find the dichotomy reflected in performances which alternate a luminous poetic delicacy with a rare energy and bravura. [[i]Bryce Morrison, Gramophone, November 2003]

Metallica Live in Milan, during the BIG 4 of 6 July 2011. Good Audio Quality

This four-CD set brings together all the recordings made during the period of the Hot Five and Hot Sevens along with all the attendant recordings that Armstrong was involved in during this breakthrough period. Although this material has been around the block several times before – and continues to be available in packages greatly varying in transfer quality – this is truly the way to go, and certainly the most deluxe packaging this material has ever received with the greatest sound retrieval yet employed. ~ AllMusic

Aside from a three-song session for V-Disc during the late 1940s, this CD contains Clark Terry's first recordings as a leader. Already an alumni of both Charlie Barnet's and Count Basie's bands, and a then-current member of Duke Ellington's orchestra, Terry is more focused on bop in these dates, with a terrific band including trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne, pianist Horace Silver, cellist/bassist Oscar Pettiford, bassist Wendell Marshall, and drummer Art Blakey, with charts by Quincy Jones. ~ AllMusic

Markus and Angelika, the duo making up Mirabai Ceiba, are known for making some of the sweetest devotional yoga music available. They combine the writings of devotional poets throughout the ages, their own poetry, and Kundalini yoga mantras with guitar, harp, and numerous other instruments to create albums with wonderful depth and layering. Their new album Awakened Earth, produced by Jamshied Sharifi, is a work of art and a welcome addition to anyone's yoga music collection. Recorded with a stellar cast of instrumentalists, Mirabai Ceiba has created an engaging and beautiful album.

From the first achingly beautiful note, this album is an expression of unabashed passion for that experience of the infinite. Jai-Jagdeesh's debut album, I Am Thine, is vulnerable yet powerful, poignant yet soulful, robust yet sweetly simple. Jai-Jagdeesh`s voice is timeless, rich and voluptuous and is tastefully supplemented by exquisite piano, harmonium, bass, gentle percussion and the sweet strings of the cello, sitara, sarangi and nickelharpa. Jai's compositions present a voluptuous and bluesy take on this collection of mantras and kirtan that is truly unique and yet somehow so comfortingly familiar at a very core level. This is an album sure to go on repeat in your playlist from your fist listen. Expertly produced by Krishan at Open Mind Creations, this album is sure to be an instant classic.