Formed Seattle in 1982, Metal Church consisted of vocalist David Wayne, guitarists Kurdt Vanderhoof and Craig Wells, bassist Duke Erickson, and drummer Kirk Arrington. Their 1985 self-titled debut album, recorded when the thrash/speed metal genre was still evolving, made a huge splash on the scene, as did its similar follow-up, The Dark…

Like a modern day rock star, Holiday's troubles with drugs, the law, and abusive men were almost considered part of what made her art work so well. It's an insulting idea, of course - and one that puts the audience in the position of voyeurs, or worse. The inclusion of Holiday's own tunes like "Don't Explain" and signature pieces like "Ain't Nobody's Business," combined with readings from her recent autobiography during the course of this concert, play to the more maudlin aspects of the singer's life. Holiday is painted as a woman who put up with hard times and abuse for sake of the shreds of love her men would hand her. Yet her exuberance on the uptempo, swinging material is full of attitude and charm. The life and vitality she brings to those tunes is just as real as her much remarked-upon gloomy side. Ultimately, it's up to the listener to decide what to hear as journalism and what to take as artistic interpretation.

Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield. The band consists of Alex Turner (lead vocals, rhythm/lead guitar), Matt Helders (drums, vocals), Jamie Cook (lead/rhythm guitar) and Nick O'Malley (bass, backing vocals). They have released five studio albums: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006), Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007), Humbug (2009), Suck It and See (2011) and AM (2013). Their debut album is the fastest-selling debut album by a band in British chart history, and in 2013, Rolling Stone ranked it the 30th-greatest debut album of all time. The band has won six Brit Awards – winning both Best British Group and Best British Album three times, and have been nominated for three Grammy Awards.

Lady’s Bridge by lauded singer-songwriter Richard Hawley is an ode to his native Sheffield. Made up of 11 charming songs that switch between the romantic strains of opener "Valentine" and "Roll River Roll" to more uppity numbers such as the rhythm & blues infused "Serious" and the countrified twang of tracks like "Tonight the Streets Are Ours" and "Dark Road".

The intensely practical choral music of the young Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds is steadily gaining appreciation across the world. The works on this new album owe their genesis to commissions from the United States, England and northern Europe and encompass ethereal expressions of uniquely arctic phenomena (listen for wine glasses turned—and tuned—to wondrously simple but devastating effect within the choral texture), American ballads and several works in the ‘Anglican tradition’, the fruits of the composer’s recent residency at Trinity College Cambridge. Trinity College Choir Cambridge here returns the compliment, as it were, with superlative performances of these varied and engaging works, all recorded under the watchful eye of the composer and conductor Stephen Layton.

Secos & Molhados' debut album is an eccentric mashup of Brazilian folk, art pop and prog sensibilities, with frontman Ney Matogrosso and the gang blending together an invigorating mixture of influences into a product which was simultaneously undeniably Brazilian in character but at the same time celebrated a vision of Brazilian culture far from the dour conservativism of the military junta of the time. Matogrosso's startling singing voice is applied to various poems, whilst the musical backing reminds me at points of Audience on a Brazilian vacation. Add an injection of glam androgyny and you get a feast just as rich as the one on the cover.

At the beginning of their career, Level 42 was squarely a jazz-funk fusion band, contemporaries of fellow Brit funk groups like Atmosfear, Light of the World, Incognito, and Beggar & Co. By the end of the '80s, however, the band – whose music was instantly recognizable from Mark King's thumb-slap bass technique and associate member Wally Badarou's synthesizer flourishes – had crossed over to the point where they were often classified as sophisti-pop and dance-rock, equally likely to be placed in the context of Sade and the Style Council as was any group that made polished, upbeat, danceable pop/rock.

Ministry of Sound are proud to present RB Mixtape, released on the 27th January. With over two decades dominating the globe with expertly mixed multi-million selling compilations, there is no brand better to curate a 3CD essential album of the smoothest RB tracks that have taken over charts worldwide. Over the years, Ministry of Sound have defined the mixtape, and here they are once again to provide a flawless blend of legendary masterpieces mixed with todays hottest jamz. Rewinding back to all of the biggest artists and super groups including Destinys Child, R. Kelly, TLC and Whitney Houston, right up to this years massive mix of unforgettable tracks from Chris Brown, John Legend, Usher Alicia Keys.

At the beginning of their career, Level 42 was squarely a jazz-funk fusion band, contemporaries of fellow Brit funk groups like Atmosfear, Light of the World, Incognito, and Beggar & Co. By the end of the '80s, however, the band – whose music was instantly recognizable from Mark King's thumb-slap bass technique and associate member Wally Badarou's synthesizer flourishes – had crossed over to the point where they were often classified as sophisti-pop and dance-rock, equally likely to be placed in the context of Sade and the Style Council as was any group that made polished, upbeat, danceable pop/rock.

The 32 tracks on this collection all made the US charts yet very few charted in the UK. This was an era when radio presenters had a huge amount of freedom to program exactly what they thought or knew their audience wanted. The tracks on this collection cover out and out jockers, Country flavours and plenty of R&B and Blues. Including "Jivin' Around (parts 1 & 2)", "Bulldog", "Nut Rocker", "Rinky Dink" and more! This set is a must for fans of instrumental music.

Bob Dylan's first album is a lot like the debut albums by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones – a sterling effort, outclassing most, if not all, of what came before it in the genre, but similarly eclipsed by the artist's own subsequent efforts…

Argent was formed in 1969 by Rod Argent and Chris White, who had been the keyboard player and the bassist, and principal songwriters, in 60s hitmakers The Zombies. Chris White now assumed a writing and producing role, so Jim Rodford (Argent's cousin and formerly with the Mike Cotton Sound) was recruited on bass. The line-up was completed by drummer Bob Henrit and guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Russ Ballard (both previously with The Roulettes and Unit 4 + 2). The first two albums – “Argent” (1970) and “Ring Of Hands” (1971) – performed well but it was the third album “All Together Now” (1972) that catapulted the band to stardom. Written by Argent and White, first single “Hold Your Head Up” reached number 5 in both the UK and the US, where it sold over a million copies, and second single “Tragedy”also sold well.

Fashion Nugget Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Sounding like a suburban, melodic white-funk-injected version of King Missile's performance art/standup comedy, "The Distance" became a novelty hit in the fall of 1996, sending Cake's second album, Fashion Nugget, to platinum status. Certainly, "The Distance" was the only reason Fashion Nugget went platinum, because the remainder of the album is too collegiate and arcane for mainstream music tastes. It isn't because it's obscure or intellectual – it's because the band is smirking. An "ironic" cover of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" is the key to the album, sending the signal that Cake consider themselves above everyone else, and nothing is too insignificant to make fun of. And that wouldn't necessarily have been a problem if they had the wit or musical skills that would make their music either funny or listenable. Instead, they wallow in sophomoric jokes that rely on self-consciously elaborate wordplay. Occasionally, their blend of collegiate musical styles – funk, hip-hop, alternative rock – makes the music easy to digest in small doses, such as "The Distance," but it isn't varied enough to prevent the album from becoming tedious when played straight through.

Michel Piquemal directs a wonderfully dramatic cast with style and passion in the smaller-scale original version of Honegger's symphonic psalm. Recommended.

At 71, blues pianist/singer Moore is only up to his second CD, but it's a very good one. He's definitely reminiscent of his main influence, Roosevelt Sykes, just not as bawdy. Traces of Jay McShann also creep in here and there. Moore wrote all 17 of these tracks, but you've heard them all under the guise of more familiar blues standards. The backup band is solid: guitarist James Wheeler is an expert at economical, sweet, tasty solos and fills, Bob Stroger knows the right basslines to lay down, and drummer Wilie "Big Eyes" Smith is a legend. When Moore gets on a roll, he stays there, as the majority of his tunes are easy shuffles with New Orleans flourishes…