B-Side of Life

  Energetic and kick-ass punk from Belgium that is reminiscent of the Sex Pistols and Ramones. The Kids deliver an album filled with politically conscious and with a left-wing approach,catchy riffs and incredible hooks make up for a treat of an album.  This is a repress of the original album released in 1978. The Kids formed in 1976 and supported concerts by Iggy Pop and Patti Smith. 

  Like a jazzy fever dream, Angelo Badalamenti's soundtrack for Twin Peaks is eternal, haunting and mesmerizing. If we have watched the tv series, it is normal that the songs in this album have  been imprinted in our minds and they can project inside us the most memorable scenes from the show. An unforgettable experience and one of the most beautiful scores ever written for television. 

  Cosmic visions and mellow mood make up for the tenth studio album of scottish musician, Donovan. Released in 1973 with production by Mickie Most and a return to Epic Records, Donovan creates a world that is akin to some of T-rex's efforts in a mix of hippie vibes, a muscular glam-rock approach and mystical undertones. Extremely recommended if you are in the mood for some mellow yet energetic mood. 

  Captivating and electrifying album by William Parker that defies  conventions and brings a new game to the table. Over his long and prolific career as a bassist and composer, William Parker has collaborated with a vast array of musicians, poets, singers, painters and other artists and in this album he collaborates with drummer Gerald Cleaver and guitarist Ava Mendoza, creating an energic power-trio.  Mayan Space Station dares to explore and unleash new boundaries while still mainting melody and familiarity within jazz. 

 Delicate and a bit transgressive synth-pop from Japan. Kazuhiko Kato was born in Japan in 1947 and was a record producer, songwriter and singer. He was a member of the Folk Crusaders and established himself in the music world during the 60's. He also gained worlwide recognition with Sadistic Mika Band, a project he started with his first wife Mika Fukui. Afterwards, Kazuhiko started to collaborate with a stellar array of musicians, most from YMO (yellow magic orchestra) such as Akiko Yano, Kenji Omura and Hideki Matsutake. Belle excentrique was originally released in 1981 and is an enchanting hybrid of synth-pop, bossnova and jazz. 

  An interesting although short-lived partnership between Eric Burdon and War. Eric Burdon continued to explore the psychedelic side of rock has he had been doing with The Animals during the 60's. As for War they perfected their own brand of soul and the combination of forces offers an enjoyable album of well-balanced rock and soul. 

  Fun and lively soundtrack for the movie Son of Dracula (1973) starring Harry Nilsson and Ringo Starr that became quite the cult classic, despite never been released on video and poor prospects of being released in dvd. The movie is indeed somewhat of an acquired taste and Ringo Starr has stated that the movie is terrible, however there is a campy charm to it that can't be denied.  The soundtrack is made up of some Nilsson's songs and the addition of sound excerpts from the film. A cool addition if you like Nilsson's work and need some camp in your life. 

  A neat and illustrative soundtrack for John Boorman's film "Deliverance" (1972). The music in it is bluegrass to the extreme with well picked and played banjos, so it serves as a lovely introduction to instrumental bluegrass.  These tracks were originally recorded in 1963 and were subsequently re-released as a soundtrack for the film. Eric Weissberg and Marshall Brickman duel their banjos and create some vivid imagery that takes us back to the movie, at least the beginning of it with the appalachian landscapes and the beautiful river. The songs are rather short, never reaching the 3 minute mark and make up for wonderful vignettes of passionate and pure bluegrass. Definitely, a must-have for people who enjoyed "Deliverance".