Watermark is the second studio album from the Irish musician Enya, released in September 1988 on WEA Records. Following her first album, Enya (1987), produced for the BBC documentary The Celts, Enya signed with WEA, giving her complete artistic freedom on a follow up with no interference from the label. Watermark displays Enya's distinct sound of layered vocals, keyboard sounds, and elements of Celtic music. The album is seen by some as a seminal example of new-age music, though Enya does not consider her music to be of the genre.

Cafe Del Mar is a beachfront bar located in Ibiza, Spain. It is known for its chillout music compilations that are played throughout the bar and have become a popular genre of music. The bar opened in 1980 and quickly became a popular spot for tourists and locals alike. The owners of the bar, Ramón Guiral and José Les, began releasing compilation albums of the music played at the bar, which helped spread the popularity of the chillout genre. The Cafe Del Mar albums have since become an iconic representation of Ibiza and the chillout music scene. The bar continues to be a popular destination for those visiting the island and has even expanded to other locations around the world.

Было бы странно, если бы славный швейцарский дуэт электронщиков на 41-м году существования вдруг занялся новациями - не этого от них ждали многочисленные поклонники во всем мире (а их немало). И бодрые старички, Дитер Майер и Борис Бланк, не разочаровали. Четырнадцатый номерной альбом «Point», вышедший 28 августа, в полной мере демонстрирует все характерные для группы черты, делающие их такими узнаваемыми: чувство стиля, невозмутимая юмористическая эксцентричность и главное - нестандартное музыкальное мышление, фирменные саунд-коллажи, пазл, мастерски склеенный из крошечных кусочков-звуков. В этом смысле название альбома «Point» («Точка») можно отнести ко всему творчеству группы. Хоть термин «пуантилизм» появился в искусстве достаточно давно и имеет чёткое словарное определение, к «Yello» его можно применить с полным основанием.

Yello is a Swiss electronic duo consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank. Their sound is usually characterised by unusual music samples and a heavy reliance on rhythm, with Meier as vocalist and lyricist and Blank providing the music. Among their best known singles are "Oh Yeah" (1985), which has appeared in many films and television shows including Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Secret of My Success, Uncle Buck and The Simpsons, and "The Race" (1988), which peaked at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. The band has released 14 studio albums since 1980.

I freely admit that Worriers was one of those bands I should have known much more about prior to attending the Fest last year. Missing out on their appearance in Gainesville is quickly becoming my biggest regret. Luckily, it looks like I’ll be able to rectify that in short order as they are embarking on a tour with Brian Fallon in support of this, their latest album, You or Someone You Know.

In 1988, at the pinnacle of the “Hollywood Hair Metal” craze, WILDSIDE, then called YOUNG GUNNS, was formed by guitarist Benny Rhynedance and singer Drew Hannah. Both were 1986 hair metal transplants from the pre-grunge Seattle music scene, which in 1986, did not exist yet.
By 1988 in Los Angeles, after slugging it out for two years in the LA club scene as glam rockers Rogue and enduring the Hollywood “Pay to Play” club promoter rip-off, Benny and Drew disbanded their original Seattle band. They then formed THE BOYZ, which became YOUNG GUNNS, and recruited second guitarist Brent Woods from the Sunset Strip band ALRISHA, and bassist Marc Simon from local heroes ST. VALENTINE. The lineup was soon completed with the addition of drummer Johnny Dean, but he soon left the band.
The guys searched for a permanent drummer and dominated the Sunset Strip and the Whisky-A-Go-Go on the weekly Monday night “No Bozo Jam” shows. After a year and a half of “false starts and flakes,” they found ex-NRG and KANE ROBERTS drummer Jimmy D. from San Bernardino, CA to finally complete the classic lineup.
This is when the hard work truly began. With a solid lineup, the band began an all-out assault on Hollywood. Sold out shows followed at the Roxy, Whisky, Troubadour, Gazzarri’s, and X-Poseur 54. Front page covers on all of the LA rock press magazines arose, and record labels began to take notice.
Diligently writing and rehearsing in their shared Hollywood gigs, the boys played endlessly throughout 1988-1989. When they weren’t ripping through impassioned sets, they were putting up flyers on every telephone pole in town. Their self-determination turned self-promotion into an art form and soon the band’s name was on everyone’s lips.
However, the band needed to eventually change their name. Originally known as YOUNG GUNNS between ’88 to ‘90, the producers of a western film using a similar title (released incidentally after the band was already well on its way) from Lionsgate Studios and Artisan Entertainment issued a series of cease and desist warnings and wanted $350,000 for the rights to the name.
After another late night Sunset Strip gig, while the guys were afterwards at the Rainbow bar, the name WILDSIDE was thrown around and seemed to fit their lifestyle perfectly, while being inspired by the Lou Reed song of the same name.
With their new name, a new phase of the band history was about to begin. But, that’s another story…

The Purple Album is the twelfth studio album by British hard rock band Whitesnake. It contains remakes of songs from Deep Purple band lineups Mark III and Mark IV, when Whitesnake lead singer David Coverdale was a member of that band. It was released on 29 April in Japan, 15 May in Europe, 18 May in the UK and 19 May 2015 in the US through Frontiers Records. The album debuted at number 87 on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of around 6,900 units in its first week of release. It is also the first album since the band's 1989 studio album, Slip of the Tongue, to feature 'classic' Whitesnake drummer Tommy Aldridge.

Guitarist U-Nam is commonly known for his skillful reinterpretation of the style of George Benson and Nile Rodgers, which runs through many of his albums. His recourse to the funky music of the 70s and 80s is also popular. But with his new album U-Nam Goes Big Band (2020) he now falls back on the traditional big band music as known from Duke Ellington or Glen Miller. The album is based on a collaboration between U-Nam and the Lutz Krajenski Big Band. The band leader Lutz Krajenski has already performed with Tom Jones, Ulrich Tukur, Roachford, Inga Rumpf, Udo Jürgens, Randy Crawford, Jasmin Tabatabai, Mousse T and more. One can therefore speak of a pronounced tendency towards popular music, which has been translated into the language of jazz. The album opens with the swinging positive-minded Something Right. A jazzy improvisation develops from the well structured guitar playing, as we are familiar by U-Nam. In the Blink of an Eye is an Estonian evergreen by Arne Oit (music) and Harold Payne (lyrics), that reminds us of the transience of life. So it's a thoroughly contemporary piece. Various soloists rise from the Big Band to support U-Nam and the melody. The One is a further evergreen by Arne Oit (music) and Philip Cody (lyrics), an ode to the Chosen One who brings sunshine to the day.

Fabulously funky. Hypnotically rhythmic. Soulfully Sophisticated. Those six powerful words alone could be the entire overview of this album. But that would be an injustice to the newest project from the genius guitarist, composer and producer U-Nam. Soaring from the success of his previous Billboard Top 25 Smooth Jazz album Future Love, U-Nam picks up where he left off and continues the unfinished work of this album s predecessor. The Love Vault, due to be released October 11 on this own Skytown Records label, was born out of U-Nam s vast collection of previously unpolished, unrecorded or archived songs in the musician s extensive arsenal of music. Amid his infectious guitar licks lies a hip and rich sound that is heavy on throwback funk influences. Sexy Fresh, the albums premiere release, emits a romance drenched vibe that is funky and alluring. Love Potion is an intoxicating concoction of guitar, unrelenting rhythm, and one of U-Nam s signature arrangement sounds, synthesized string accompaniment, yet another trademark of the retro dance groove. Applying the innovative technology of talk box and vocoder, U-Nam implements vocals on a couple of tracks, including Back Seat Lover ( previously recorded by Mayer Hawthorne). Uptempo, happy and addictively appealing, this particular track rates among my favourite on The Love Vault, and the backing vocals of Gennine Francis-Jackson infuse some soulful dynamics and depth. In what is an glaring tribute to the sound of soul music s legendary love walrus, Barry White, Hear, My Dear draws from the title of Marvin Gaye s late 70s hit Here My Dear. The amazingly talented saxophonist Magdalena Chovaancova fo the Euro jazz trio Threestyle lends her talent on this swagger filled groove accompanied by lush string arrangement and additional horn backing. Into The Night delivers an afterhours, fast moving cool drive down the strip on a summer night. Among the many admirable techniques of U-Nam s music is the meticulous arrangement and production expertise, and if my memory is correct, he ranks as the only artist I know that consistently employs strings and horn backing that delivers a multi layered and dimensional sound to his natural artistic brilliance.

While we seldom, if ever, offer reviews of best of collections, guitarist U-Nam s latest release The Essential Collection bears repeating a quick analysis of some of the grooves offered here and does also offer two completely new and hot tracks. Drawn from numerous previous projects, the majority of tracks here should be familiar to U-Nam fans and should certainly capture new fans, as well. Included are tracks from his albums Back From the 80s, Surface Level, C est Le Funk, Unanimity, and Weekend in L.A. (A Tribute to George Benson). If you missed picking up any of these gems, tracks like the romping lead track, a cover of The Crusaders classic Street Life, the supercharged, party-hearty Going for Miles, Something s Up, Throwback Kid (definitely one of my faves), Groove Paradise (another of my faves), the hot and steamy groove Shine On, and the powerful Back In Style (yep, another fave of mine but then, so many are!) should convince you to grab this album to catch up (at least, to some decent extent). Then, there are the newbies: A bouncy and lively cover of Barry The Maestro White s Let the Music Play and the guitarist s own slick, movin jam Soul Breeze. Man, can this cat throw a party. In my review of his Surface Level release, I referred to him as a jazz superhero. Hearing these jams again and adding in the two new tracks, I have to say that he s wearing that label well. A busy man these days having started his own label and signing some real quality talent, you may have assumed that, at some point, he d have to release a best of collection in the interest of time and to remind us of the top-tier material he s released under his own name. Well, here it is, all dressed and ready to party with you.

Feb. 9, 2019 One of the busiest producers and among the most prolific c-jazz artists around, guitarist U-Nam is again presenting a colorful collection of original pearls worthy of inclusion in any jazz lover s library. Future Love is abundant with a solidly generous feel-good jazz vibe that surely stays with you. Here with many of the artists signed to his Skytown record label (saxman Andrew Chmut, keyboardists Valeriy Stepanov and Mattias Roos, and others) and bassist Alex Al, drummer Michael White, and a host of other contributors, the guitarist comes loaded for bear to deliver that unmistakable U-Nam groove. U-Nam s Bensonesque style and dazzling skill, speed, and fluidity on guitar has always been much more than noteworthy. Here is no different as he soars through such catchy tracks as Changes, the title track, Good Old Days, Artbeat, Before You Leave, Luther Vandross Get It Right (one of my faves here), and many more finger-snappin , head-boppin goodies. He comes up for air on the one chilled-out track, the cool & slow R&Bish My Joy. The slick funkiness and cadence of the album is typical U-Nam flavor & texture. The cat definitely knows his way around a fretboard (and keyboard) and a melody. It s no wonder heavyweight guitarist George Benson likes this guy! He always brings the soul of the music with him wherever he goes. To state the obvious, good is good, but exceptional is another thing altogether. I fully expect select tracks here to find their way to the top of the charts. If you re looking for a shot of c-jazz adrenaline, Future Love has your name on a copy.

During my time at ProgPower Europe 2019, I heard a lot of chat about a band called Thoughts Factory. I’d never heard of them before but when there’s a buzz about a band at this great festival, I tend to sit up and take notice because the punters know their music. Regrettably my inability to get to bed at a reasonable hour on any night in Baarlo meant that I missed the impromptu listening session that was set up to hear this record. Nevertheless, I made it my mission to ensure that I checked out Thoughts Factory when time allowed.

"Kon-Tiki" is an instrumental tune by the Shadows. It became a No. 1 hit in the UK Singles Chart in October 1961. It was the fifth Shadows hit and their second to reach the top of the UK chart. The name refers to Thor Heyerdahl's ship Kon-Tiki.

Die Puppini Sisters sind ein im Jahr 2004 gegründetes Gesangstrio. Die Gruppe wurde von Marcella Puppini gegründet, die sich von dem französisch-belgisch-kanadischen Animationsfilm Das große Rennen von Belleville dazu inspirieren ließ.