Orph is a three-song demo that was released by the band Dredg in 1997. Drummer Dino Campanella says, "Our first two recordings were written to be rhythmically aggressive. We did the third one, Orph, because we wanted to grow up the right way, from our roots with harmony and melody." Singer Gavin Hayes explains the heavier sound of Orph compared to later releases: "Heavy music back then to me was a little more rebellious. It wasn't so mainstream at the time. You used to have to wait for MTV's Headbanger's Ball to see anything of the sort. It's just different now, and that's kind of why we steered away from it. This was just a natural progression."

From the very start, blues guitarists forged an irresistible partnership with the slide, the sound of which epitomizes the very essence of the genre. This Rough Guide highlights the revolutionary players who pioneered this most captivating of styles during the early recorded heyday of the blues.

On February 17, 2008, When announced the forthcoming release of their twelfth album, You Are Silent, for April 28, 2008. The announcement suggests that the sound is darker and closer to Prefab Wreckage than to recent releases.

As with all of the releases in the Extended Versions series, the 2006 Jethro Tull edition is a set of latter-day live renditions of some of the group's best-known classics – which have all been previously released. And as with most Tull releases after, say, 1980, the performances and production here are exceedingly clean-sounding – in other words, the bite of their classic early-'70s period is nowhere to be found. What you get instead are pretty blah versions of such classics as "Aqualung," "Locomotive Breath," and "Living in the Past." But it's always a gas to hear such lesser-known Tull tunes as "Fat Man" and "Nothing Is Easy," both of which are included here, while a truncated version of "Thick as a Brick" (which still clocks in at over nine minutes) is a rare point where the group truly sounds inspired.

From pioneering guitar legends Blind Lemon Jefferson & Blind Willie Johnson to pre-blues songsters and field holler-inspired singers, the state of Texas has long played a key role in the evolution of the blues. This Rough Guide charts the many different facets to this incredibly rich and diverse of early blues genres.

Distinguished bluegrass artist and instrumentalist Michael Cleveland is unequivocally nothing short of extraordinary. LOVIN' OF THE GAME, is the new release from the 12-time IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year and GRAMMY Award-winner, and is built upon a rock-solid foundation of bluegrass prowess. Produced by Jeff White, Cleveland and Sean Sullivan, LOVIN' OF THE GAME showcases the power of fusion, bringing truth to the phrase "greater than the sum of it's parts." Marking Cleveland's sixth studio album, LOVIN' OF THE GAME positively hums with energy across the 12 tracks finding appearances from the likes of Béla Fleck, Billy Strings, Charlie Starr, Jeff White, The Travelin' McCourys and Vince Gill, among other notable talents. With LOVIN' OF THE GAME, Michael Cleveland seizes his opportunity at this one wonderful life and swings for the rafters. The album positively hums with energy.

Buju Banton's new album, Born For Greatness, features the singles “HIGH LIFE (with Snoop Dogg),” BODY TOUCHING BODY (with Victoria Monet),” and more roots/dancehall reggae songs to experience.

Although it is a little too extensive for casual fans, the double-disc, 50-track Anyway the Wind Blows: The Anthology is a definitive retrospective of J.J. Cale's career, featuring all the highlights over the years. Cale's albums often sound similar, but they are remarkably uneven in terms of quality, which is what makes Anyway the Wind Blows essential for both neophytes and collectors. Not only is it a perfect introduction, containing of such essentials as "Cocaine," "Call Me the Breeze," and "After Midnight," but it is one of his most consistently listenable and enjoyable discs.

These recordings, made during Sir Colin Davis’ ‘Indian summer’ with the orchestra, are acknowledged to be amongst the finest recordings ever made of this repertoire, receiving numerous awards. The symphonies were originally released between 2011 and 2013 and will now be made available together for the first time as a beautifully packaged 3 SACD box set, including one Pure Audio Blu-ray disc.

It's been ten years since Paul Young released a solo album and it's been about twice that since he's delivered something approximating the blue-eyed soul that made his reputation back in the '80s. Those hits were steeped in the sound of their time – synthesizers ruled the roost from the sequenced foundations to the accents piled on top – but Good Thing is an attempt to get back to basics, back to the sweet, supple groove of Memphis. Because Good Thing was recorded not at American Sound Studios in 1968 but cut by a distinguished Englishman on a modern digital rig some 50 years later, this album hums with rosy nostalgia and immaculate taste.

In our successful Emilie Mayer edition, we now begin on Vol. 1 with three of her string quartets. While still a student of Carl Loewe, the composer turned to the most aesthetically demanding and respected genre of chamber music, the string quartet. In 1848, a critic of the Berliner Vossische Zeitung praised the "lovely cantilenas," the "deft arrangement," and "especially the noble and dignified style" of her string quartets. The quartets in G major, A major, and E minor were written by 1858 and were always favorably reviewed by the critics. However, borrowing from classical patterns, the strict motivic-thematic interpenetration of formal sections are only some aspects of Mayer's quartet style.

Beyond their brilliant virtuosity and craftsmanship, Camille Saint-Saëns’s epic Piano Concerto No. 2 and irresistibly exotic No.5 (‘Egyptian’) invite listeners on a riveting and richly imaginative journey. Hailed ‘the new French prince of the piano’ (Diapason), Bertrand Chamayou also reveals a more intimate side to the great composer-pianist, exploring the hidden charm and secret sensuality of his rarely-heard etudes and solo piano miniatures.

Building from the jazz fusion foundation of Pretzel Logic, Steely Dan created an alluringly sophisticated album of jazzy pop with Katy Lied. With this record, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen began relying solely on studio musicians, which is evident from the immaculate sound of the album. Usually, such a studied recording method would drain the life out of each song, but that's not the case with Katy Lied, which actually benefits from the duo's perfectionist tendencies. Each song is given a glossy sheen, one that accentuates not only the stronger pop hooks, but also the precise technical skill of the professional musicians drafted to play the solos.

LIGHTHOUSE now marks the first full length collection born in McKagan’s private studio with 11 songs ranging in tenor and scope, and broadening the trajectory set on 2019’s TENDERNESS album. “I’ve sort of found my place of comfort on how I like my own music to sound,” McKagan says. “These really are just simple punk songs, laid bare without me screaming. The topics run the gamut, but you shall see and hear that. The idea of starting this record off with an ode to my wife, and ending with an ode to life, codify the two things I love most. I hope you guys dig what you are about to hear… - Duff”

Bass-baritone Christian Immler, accompanied by the pianist Andreas Frese, juxtaposes the contemporary composer Jörg Widmann with the Romantic Schumann in three cycles of lieder written between 1849 and 2013. ‘For us, Jörg Widmanns song cycle Das heiße Herz (‘The Burning Heart’) is to be numbered among the very greatest song cycles, and not just among those of this century. During our intensive rehearsals with Jörg Widmann, the many questions we had (and what a joy to be able to ask them!) often had surprisingly simple answers. The combination with Schumann’s late Harper and Lenau song cycles seems absolutely perfect, for similar situations permeate these cycles as well". Das heiße Herz is recorded here for the first time.