The Fairy Tale Trio plays a kind of hybrid music combining elements of Bulgarian folk music and jazz. Kaval player Theodosii Spassov has developed a style that allows him more chromatic and timbral possibilities than previously associated with that instrument, while soprano saxist Anatoly Vapirov can go from tricky folk melodies to Coltrane-like wailing in the space of a few notes. The trio is rounded out by percussionist Stoyan Yankoulov, who uses mostly the traditional tupan (a double-headed drum, played with sticks) with a few modern additions. The music, composed by the trio, makes full use of their resources.

Ten time GRAMMY-Award winning rock icon and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Carlos Santana and his band SANTANA will be releasing a special concert event package entitled "Corazon, Live From Mexico: Live It To Believe It (2014)". Combined with 40 years of hits, Santana performed many of the songs from his double-platinum US Latin-certified and critically-acclaimed album CORAZON at a once in a lifetime concert event in December 2013, accompanied by many of his album special guests, all celebrating their Latin music heritage in Guadalajara, Mexico (in his native state of Jalisco) at Arena VFG in Guadalajara in conjunction with the Mexico Tourism Board. Superstar performances at this concert event include Elan Atias, Chocquibtown, Lila Downs, Gloria Estefan, Juanes, Miguel, Fher Olvera (of Mana), Nina Pastori, Samuel Rosa (of Skank), Cindy Blackman Santana, Salvador Santana, Romeo Santos, Soledad, and Diego Torres.

Vulgar Unicorn’s guitarist Bruce Soord’s other group produces its first CD. Although it is very much in the Vulgar Unicorn/ Porcupine Tree vein it is a little more guitar orientated, the result is a far less esoteric sound than Vulgar Unicorn and in many ways more progressive. Some great guitar riffing and lead work, especially on the 23 minute epic “Parted Forever” with its inexorable build up to a great final part, exemplifies this fine work. Over an hour of inventive prog, mixing 70’s and 90’s styles this album is for anyone who likes Vulgar Unicorn, Porcupine Tree and Radiohead. For those waiting for the next Vulgar Unicorn album - this is a must.

Majestic, proud and filled with nostalgia, "Castellum" is indeed a remarkable work of medieval black metal

Indianapolis based progressive metallers The Contortionist show with the third record, Language that when modern prog metal works, it’s great, but when it starts to falter, it can be cringe inducing. The band does a lot right on this album, but they fall into traps that many bands in their genre find themselves stuck in. Language has some incredible moments where melodies mix into beautiful arrangements but also has moments where the band sounds like they’re trying way too hard.

One of the most hotly awaited second albums in history – right up there with those by the Beatles and the Band – Déjà Vu lived up to its expectations and rose to number one on the charts. Those achievements are all the more astonishing given the fact that the group barely held together through the estimated 800 hours it took to record Déjà Vu and scarcely functioned as a group for most of that time…