Recorded to benefit the Special Olympics, this has some of the biggest names in contemporary music, most covering seasonal favorites with mixed success. Outstanding tracks include The Pretenders "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," with Chrissie Hynde giving a touching performance. Run-D.M.C.'s topical "Christmas in Hollis" relies heavily on sampling "Back Door Santa," and may head you toward the dance floor. Alison Moyet's stately version of "The Coventry Carol" is beautifully haunting. Only the Material Girl, Madonna, embarrasses herself with an overly campy "Santa Baby".

Linkin Park - Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Phoenix, Joe Hahn, alongside new members Emily Armstrong (of critically acclaimed band Dead Sara) as co-vocalist and Colin Brittain (songwriter/producer for G Flip, Illenium, One OK Rock) as drummer - share their first album in seven Years!
Perfect comeback for the band. The tracks explore sounds from the bands whole discography, and manages to have a little bit for everyone. This is not to say it doesn't try anything different though. Tracks like Overflow and the stunning finale Good Things Go demonstrate the band still has modern sensibilities. Emily is an incredible talent and puts her range on full display.

Recorded between the band’s numerous live dates, Islands continues King Crimson’s penchant for mixing contrasting styles and dynamics; from the gothic melodrama of The Letters, the warm laid-back musings of Formentera Lady, the stately chamber orchestra setting of Song Of The Gulls, through to the raucously skewed blues of Ladies Of The Road and the yearning, poignant title track. The stand-out however, is Sailor’s Tale which breaks with the symphonic and jazz-inspired leanings of their previous albums. Propelled by Ian Wallace’s insistent cymbal and Mel Collins’ acerbic sax break, it also introduces a spikier, fractious metal-edged guitar sound that ultimately points the way towards Larks’ Tongues In Aspic. Originally released at the end of 1971, Islands also marks the end of lyricist Peter Sinfield’s tenure in the group…

The global phenomenon of Secret Garden has been so far reaching that it's hard to believe the duo of Norwegian keyboardist/composer Rolf Lovland and Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry have only recorded three previous studio albums in addition to their 2001 compilation, Dreamcatcher. Once in a Red Moon continues Secret Garden's tradition of organic storytelling melodies and straight-from-the-heart performances with a wink back to the innocence and raw simplicity of their debut. Lovland and Sherry felt that their second and third recordings, White Stones (1997) and Dawn of a New Century (1999), were conceived as larger-scale projects which would help build the scope of their live performance presentation…

Once a towering inspirational figure in the musical life of Berlin, later a crucial influence on musicians as diverse as Sibelius, Varèse, Schoenberg and Weill, Ferruccio Busoni is now being rediscovered by a new generation of performers and listeners.

Alessandro Scarlatti composed many oratorios to celebrate special events. Colpa, Pentimento e Grazia, subtitled Oratorio per la Passione (Oratorio for the Passion) and created for Easter 1708, evokes the Passion of Christ through a text written by a great roman patron of the time, Cardinal Ottoboni. This is the first recording of the Baroque Orchestra of Seville, conducted by Eduardo López Banzo.

The first disc on the renewed Hungaroton label is the return of the five times “Disc of the Year” award winner ensemble Capella Savaria. The ensemble play period instruments to perform The Four Seasons, one of the most popular pieces of not only Vivaldi but of the Classical genre. It is a master piece, rich and multi-layered and offers something new regardless of how many times one has listened to the work. A stand alone, closed cycle, complimented on this disc by two of Vivaldi’s remarkable violin concertos.