On their album X-Mas Death Jazz Panzerballett this time utilize universally known Christmas songs from all over the world such as White Christmas, German classic Leise rieselt der Schnee as well as Last Christmas. However, the jazz-metal impresarios show no mercy so that, except for the basic tone progression, no stone is left unturned – none whatsoever. Once again Panzerballett utilize their self-perfected concept of “Verkrassung” (“extremization”) and thus create jazz-metal monsters that fuse technical force with the warmth of ease. The virtuoso skills of Jan Zehrfeld (guitar), Joe Doblhofer (guitar), Alexander von Hagke (saxophone), Heiko Jung (bass) and Sebastian Lanser (drums) add to a record that does not only have something to say but is also an enormous amount of fun…

More than ever Schizofrantik do not take prisoners on their latest offering. After thirty years on the stage Martin Mayrhofer’s compositions have reached a degree of precision that is as fascinating as it is uncompromising. Even in the field of progressive avantgarde rock it is a rare event to see such universal transcendence. In Henning Lübben (keyboards), Christian Schichtl (drums) and the latest addition Marco Osmajic (bass) the founder has gathered a virtuoso troupe that plays its own part in breathing life into the mastermind’s enormously ambitious approach. That is why, in spite of all technical and compositional complexity, emotions are always a vital and present part of the song through which the pieces are provided with the warmth of accessibility. Ripping Heartaches’ exuberant energy makes it a real treat for every lover of ambitious rock music…

Louis XVI was the last king of France (1774-92) in the line of Bourbon monarchs preceding the French Revolution of 1789. Louis and his queen consort, Marie-Antoinette, were guillotined in 1793 on charges of counter-revolution.
Following the abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1814, the Bourbons returned to power in France and restored the system of monarchy under Louis XVIII. During this process, they also introduced a number of highly symbolic cultural acts as a public representation of the Bourbon dynasty. In 1815, the new king Louis XVIII had the mortal remains of Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette removed from the Cimetière de la Madeleine in a solemn ceremony, taken to Saint Denis and placed in separate graves in the crypt.

Concertgoers and critics alike rave about Silke Aichhorn's entertainingly moderated concerts, and her goal is nothing less than the redefinition of the image of the harp! Active as a soloist and chamber musician, Aichhorn is one of the most sought-after and versatile harpists of her generation. Following her release featuring Eichner's harp concertos, she now interprets for cpo three harp concertos by Johann Wilhelm Hertel, a composer regarded as one of the most important representatives of the empfindsamer Stil during the German preclassical period. His concerto oeuvre comprises some fifty solo concertos, and seventeen harpsichord concertos by him are known today.

This compilation spanning a period of 37 years features Burnt Friedman's releases and edits thereof from vinyl-only labels (Latency (FR), Marionette (CA), Dekmantel (NL) amongst others) plus 4 hitherto unreleased tracks, making them available on digital formats.

Shovels & Rope’s Busted Jukebox Volume 2 is the second installment of the collaborative effort between critically acclaimed duo Shovels & Rope and some of their favorite musicians and friends. The ten-song collection again finds the band covering well known songs or tracks they have either performed or arranged with other artists in the past. The album features collaborations with Brandi Carlile, John Moreland, Hayes Carll, Nicole Atkins, Rhett Miller and more.

Arriving with plenty of laid-back swagger and street-smart lyricism, indie rock outfit QTY offer up their Bernard Butler-produced debut via the Dirty Hit label. Formed in 2014, QTY grew out of the partnership of singers/guitarists Dan Lardner and Alex Niemetz, two New York natives who had already cut their teeth together in another band, Grand Rapids. After recording some demos with a friend in San Francisco, they were quickly signed to U.K. indie Dirty Hit Records (Wolf Alice, the 1975) which urged the duo to take their time and continue honing their already stripped-down tunes.

Firma Melodiya presents a rarity of Russian chamber music, string quartets by Sergei Taneyev performed by Lubotsky Trio. In the early 20th century, they called Taneyev “musical conscience of Moscow.” Tchaikovsky’s best student and friend, the first recipient of the Big Gold Medal of the Moscow Conservatory, and a teacher of Rachmaninoff, Scriabin and other famous composers, Taneyev proved to be an outstanding pianist, composer, educator and music theorist. A true master of polyphonic composition and a fine ensemble performer, Taneyev devoted special attention to thematic development, vibrant voiceleading, subtle palette of strokes, and sought to find an ideal balance between emotional and rational in music. The chamber and instrumental genres were perhaps the ones that answered his artistic demands to the greatest extent. Two string trios – E flat major, Op. 31, and B minor (no opus) – on this album belong to the 1910’s, the last period of Taneyev’s life. The latter one remained unfinished and was published many years after the composer’s death. The recording was made in Germany in 2015, the year of the 100th anniversary of the prominent Russian composer’s death.

To celebrate the great success of the album a special "inFinite (Gold Edition)" is about to be released. The album will feature all of the great masterpieces from "inFinite", while also including a brand new live recording from Hellfest 2017, the biggest metal festival in France…

Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All time No. 420, plus Buddy in his solo album debut! Two albums on one Hybrid Mono SACD! Country, rockabillly and R&B fused into epochal rock 'n' roll. Remastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio from the original analog master tapes!

The English, historical-instrument, Baroque ensemble La Serenissima (the term was a nickname for the city of Venice) has specialized in somewhat scholarly recordings that nevertheless retain considerable general appeal, and the group does it again with this release. The program offers some lesser-known composers, and some lesser-known pieces by famous composers like the tiny and fascinating Concerto alla rustica for two oboes, bassoon, strings, and continuo, RV 151. What ties the program together formally is that it covers a range of Italian cities that were becoming cultural centers as they declined in political power: not only Venice (Vivaldi, Albinoni, Caldara), but also Padua (Tartini), Bologna (Torelli), and Rome (Corelli). There are several works by composers known only for one or two big hits, and these are especially rewarding. Sample the opening movement of Tartini's Violin Concerto E major, DS 51, with its unusual phrase construction and daringly chromatic cadenza passage: it has the exotic quality for which Tartini became famous, but it does not rely on sheer virtuosity. That work is played by leader Adrian Chandler himself, but he also chooses pieces for a large variety of other solo instruments: the Italian Baroque was about more than the violin. Each work on the album has something to recommend it, and collectively the performances may make up the best album of 2017 whose booklet includes footnotes.

Allar Kaasik has enjoyed a long and fruitful career, in his native Estonia as well as abroad. Reflecting on it in the liner notes to this very personal disc, he singles out one particular aspect: the ambition to embrace the very latest compositions by Estonian composers. Performing in churches as he often does, Kaasik finds music resounding in a church a part of the Holy Service. This is reflected in many of the works which have been written for him, with composers such as Galina Grigorjeva and Kuldar Sink enriching the tradition of Estonian church music. Among Allar Kaasik’s many partners in performing these works, several appear on the present disc, including two eminent choirs – the State Choir Latvija and Estonian National Male Choir – as well as the Latvian organist Kristīne Adamaite. A focal point of the programme is the cello concerto Pro et contra by the most celebrated of all Estonian composers, Arvo Pärt. Kaasik is supported by the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Peeter Lilje and the recording has a particular significance – originally released by Melodiya in 1989, it was the first recording of Pärt’s music published on disc in the Soviet Union following the lifting of the unofficial ban on his music. The remaining works on Timeless Light were all recorded between 2014 and 2016.

Honesty, confidence, and respect permeate Eilen Jewell’s music, dating back to her self-released Boundary County album in 2006. After releasing five albums of critically acclaimed original songs, the reigning "Queen of the Minor Key" is taking a moment to shake hands with the blues. Eilen Jewell’s new collection of twelve rare, bold blues and R&B covers adds to her potent mix of classic country, folk, and early rock ’n roll inspired original music. From the barrelhouse power of 1920’s Bessie Smith to the electrified sounds of 1960’s Betty James, blues music has always been a strong influence on the Boise, Idaho native. On Down Hearted Blues, Eilen and her long-time road band (Jerry Miller, Shawn Supra, Jason Beek) rip through greasy versions of dark blues like Charles Sheffield’s “It’s Your Voodoo Working”, Willie Dixon’s “You Know My Love”, and Albert Washington’s “One of These Days”. The band also strips down the sound, trading in drums and electric instruments for washboards, mandolins, and banjos to cover songs like Memphis Minnie’s “Nothing in Rambling”, Bessie Smith’s “Down Hearted Blues”, and Moonshine Kate’s “Poor Girl’s Story”.

Connie Converse was a remarkable composer who worked in the 1950s and 1960s. By 1974, depressed over her lack of recognition and success, she packed up her belongings and drove off never to be heard of again. Little known in her lifetime, she is now viewed as a pioneer of the modern singer/songwriter genre. This exciting compilation collects fifteen of her most unique and soulful songs performed by an all-star group of contemporary singer/songwriters. Featuring an informative essay by musician and Converse scholar David Garland, Vanity of Vanities is a heartfelt tribute to one of the unsung heroes of contemporary songwriting.

The style of the Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů was enriched by numerous influences which are reflected in The Greek Passion; magnificent choirs contrast vividly with intimate chamber music, and folkloristic elements are placed next to complex, classically worked-out orchestral movements. A highly emotional mixture of oratorio and dramatic opera takes the listener into a world in which catastrophes abound. Lorenzo Fioroni, who has directed operas in Nuremberg, Augsburg and Heidelberg, has produced this dramatic contest against fear in Graz.