Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030 [2008]

Artist

Deltron 3030

Album

Deltron 3030

Year

2008

Genre

Hip-Hop, Rap, Electronic

Deltron 3030 is a supergroup of hip-hop artists, composed primarily of producer Dan the Automator, rapper Del tha Funkee Homosapien and DJ Kid Koala, though their work features many other artists as well, all taking on various futuristic pseudonyms. Their debut CD Deltron 3030 is a concept album set in the year 3030 that tells of Del’s alter ego Deltron Zero’s fight against huge corporations that rule the universe. The lyrics are characterized by extravagant allusions to futuristic outer-space cliches and astronomy. (Last.fm)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Mastermind

EarFodder Rating: 4.25 of 5

Buy it on Amazon, Last.fm

Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030 Instrumentals [2008]

Artist

Deltron 3030

Album

Deltron 3030 Instrumentals

Year

2008

Genre

Hip-Hop, Rap, Electronic

This album is great, deeps melotic samples, and dirty heavy beats. This album rivals the best triphop out there.

EarFodder Recommended Track: Positive Contact

EarFodder Rating: 4 of 5

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Otros Aires - Otros Aires [2005]

Artist

Otros Aires

Album

Otros Aires

Year

2005

Genre

Tango, Electronic

It is similar in some ways to the Gotan Project -- or even better. The beats and synthesis of old tango music with modern techno and are unique and to be cherished. Like most albums, a few songs are stronger than others like Milonga, Sin Rumbo, and De Puro (a very haunting, deep song in both English and Spanish). In short this album both uplifting, reflective, and truly a modern day classic. (Amazon.com)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Otro Puente Alsina

EarFodder Rating: 4.25 of 5

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Kid Koala - Some of My Best Friends Are DJs [2003]

Artist

Kid Koala

Album

Some of My Best Friends Are DJs

Year

2003

Genre

Turntabalism, Electronic

As his alter-ego, "Kid Koala," might suggest, Eric San applies a joyous childlike vision to his music on Some of My Best Friends Are DJs. Three years after his debut album,  Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Kid Koala returns with a more youthful verve. Some of My Best Friends Are DJs offers less in the way of music, with the 35-minute running time meaning the restless sonic snippets wisely end before his humor has a chance to grate. Mixing sleazy whisky-bar vibes with adolescent antics, his second album never allows the listener to settle. Moments of playful mixing magic are at times followed by baffling inanity as "Skanky Panky" - with its wonderfully shattered Ska rhythm and frantic scratches - runs into "Flu Season", ostensibly a series of beat-accompanied coughs, sneezes, and sniffs. Blending blues, jazz, and funk with a myriad of bizarre samples, moments of pure eccentric genius such as "Robochacha" and "More Dance Music" make this a flawed yet fascinating slice of beat-driven bravura. (Amazon.com)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Vacation Island

EarFodder Rating: 3.75 of 5

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James Brown - Gettin' Down To It [1969]

Artist

James Brown

Album

Gettin' Down To It

Year

1969

Genre

Jazz, Soul

The first thing that draws your attention into the music is how comfortable Brown seems to be in an environment that, anyway is not that strange to him. Used to repetitive rhythms, he moves softly but also firmly along the swinging scales and notes of jazz. Anyway, he can't help rowing to his port, so that some jazz standards become funky exhibitions, especially those supported by the big band. Then, Mr Dynamite's throat, playful in the slow tempos, climb higher and higher, in a desperate need for generating faster frequencies. That shouldn't be the goal. Mr Brown is capable of doing better. He's got the technique, a gifted voice and an enormous musical talent that allows him to explore softer registers. Shouting is not expressing.

However, on the other hand, the experience of dragging a jazz trio into funky grooves is a kind of illumination. James Brown shows able to keep the powerful performances of his funky combos with just a piano, a bass and the drums. Just an experience to take into account. (Amazon.com)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Sunny

EarFodder Rating: 4.25 of 5

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Caravan Palace - Caravan Palace [2009]

Artist

Caravan Palace

Album

Caravan Palace

Year

2009

Genre

Swing, Electronic

Wacky, retro, and energetic, Caravan Palace is an eccentric amalgamation of the old and the new that's really not like any other music you've heard. Part 30's swing, part modern electronic dance, the music has a steampunk charm to it that makes you want to dance. The quirkiness takes a while to adjust to, but once you've acclimated you'll love it forever. (Amazon.com)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Lazy Place

EarFodder Rating: 3.5 of 5

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Gotan Project - La Revancha del Tango [2003]

Artist

Gotan Project

Album

La Revancha del Tango

Year

2003

Genre

Tango, Electronic

The name says it all - "Gotan" is a twist on "tango", the dance that's famed as "the vertical expression of a horizontal desire. Gotan takes the distinctive sound of the Buenos Aires squeezebox or bandoneon, plus violin plus the basic "slooow, sloooow, quick-quick sloooow" pulse and the sultry attitude of the tango, overlays loping bass'n'drums'n'dub and filters the whole mix through a witty Parisian post-modern sensibility.

The opening track "Queremos paz" (We want peace) samples Che Guevara's 1964 address to the UN General Assembly and "El Capitalismo Foraneo" (Foreign Capitalism) echoes with the ghostly presence of Evita Peron. There are cool reworks of Zappa's piece "Chunga's Revenge" and Gato Barbieri's theme for the movie "Last Tango in Paris".

It's lounge, it's mellow, it's sexy and it has just the right edge of sweet Argentinean sadness. (Amazon.com)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Queremos Paz

EarFodder Rating: 4.25 of 5

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Gotan Project - Inspiracion-Espiracion [2004]

Artist

Gotan Project

Album

Inspiracion-Espiracion

Year

2004

Genre

Tango, Electronic

"La Revancha Del Tango" is the blueprint to some of these tracks however, to truly appreciate this CD and the Gotan Project you must have both albums!

This album is absolutely out of this world; the mix of trip hop, jazz (the Chet Baker cover is beautiful), hip hop and, the main character, tango is just amazing. Imagine Astor, Anibal, the voices of the outskirts of Manhattan (were I've told the hip-hop was born) and Peter Kruder having a joyfull, solid, ethereal, fruitful conversation.

You have to give it a try.. (Amazon.com)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Confianzas

EarFodder Rating: 4 of 5

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Gotan Project - Live [2008]

Artist

Gotan Project

Album

Live

Year

2008

Genre

Tango, Electronic

The title speaks for itself. Gotan Project - Live. All your favourite Gotan tracks performed live for you wherever and whenever. Do not miss out on this album! Simply a must-have!

EarFodder Recommended Track: Vuelvo Al Sur

EarFodder Rating: 5 of 5

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Pink Martini - Hey Eugene [2007]

Artist

Pink Martini

Album

Hey Eugene!

Year

2007

Genre

Jazz, Latin, Lounge

After a seven-year gap between their first and second albums, Pink Martini have brought forth their third long-player just over two and a half years later. Based in Portland, Oregon, this dazzling 12-piece ensemble are led by pianist Thomas Lauderdale and fronted by vocalist China Forbes. Their rich musical journeys carry listeners everywhere from a ballroom in Havana to a cabaret in Paris. This set even includes a number in Japanese and another in Arabic. With their strings, horns, and sultry rhythms, Pink Martini find the common denominators in these musics from around the globe. Hey Eugene! is perfectly bookended with a pair of decidedly American numbers: their original "Everywhere" evokes musicals from Hollywood's golden era, while "Tea for Two" finds guest duet partner Jimmy Scott adding his emotionally riveting singing. While Lauderdale and his cohorts draw from past times and styles, they never come off as museum curators; rather, they celebrate the vibrancy that makes music timeless. (Amazon.com)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Taya Tan

EarFodder Rating: 4 of 5

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Pink Martini - Hang On Little Tomato [2004]

Artist

Pink Martini

Album

Hang On Little Tomato

Year

2004

Genre

Jazz, Latin, Lounge

Pink Martini should be known as the little orchestra that walks a fine line in its music. The Portland, Oregon, outfit is deeply influenced by Latin music, jazz, cabaret, cinema scores, and a smattering of other styles. But rather than simply aping legendary artists in their prime--and fooling only a few dim bulbs in the process--band shakes things up by writing its own material, or at least creating tasteful new arrangements that fit within the band’s unique post-lounge framework. 

The band keeps the playful musical vibe on Hang On Little Tomato, but jettisons what kitsch factor it had, choosing to focus wholly on original material or stuff that isn’t recognizable to the average music fan. It’s been a seven-year wait for fans since the band’s fun debut, Symphatique, and while the blush is now off the rose, the band’s creative ambitions and talent are never better displayed than here on their second effort. (Amazon.com).

If you liked the first album, don't miss out on this album!

EarFodder Recommended Track: Hang On Little Tomato

EarFodder Rating: 3.5 of 5

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Pink Martini - Symphatique [1997]

Artist

Pink Martini

Album

Symphatique

Year

1997

Genre

Jazz, Latin, Lounge

Pink Martini are a 14-piece band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1994 by Thomas M. Lauderdale. The group incorporates a number of different styles into their music including lounge, classical and jazz.

The debut album Sympathique, released in 1997, is a mix of original works and covers of classics, such as "Que Sera Sera". The album has gone on to sell over three quarters of a million copies.(Amazon.com)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Sympathique

EarFodder Rating: 4 of 5

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Lavern Baker - Rock n Roll

Artist

Lavern Baker

Album

Rock n Roll

Year

1954

Genre

Rock and Roll

LaVern Baker (November 11, 1929 – March 10, 1997) was an American Rhythm & Blues singer, originally billed as “Little Miss Sharecropper”, then “Bea Baker”. She had taken the first name “LaVern” by 1952, when she began recording with Todd Rhodes and his band.

Born Delores Baker (she is occasionally known as Delores Williams because of an early marriage to a Eugene Williams) in Chicago, Illinois; by 1953 Baker had signed with Atlantic Records, and immediately began releasing hits, such as “Soul on Fire” and “Tweedlee Dee”. Georgia Gibbs scored the bigger hit with her version of “Tweedlee Dee”, for which Baker unsuccessfully attempted to sue her. 

In 1991, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her song “Jim Dandy” was named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. (Last fm)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Tweedlee-Dee

EarFodder Rating: 4.25 of 5

Last.fm, Buy it on Last.fm

Benny Benassi - Hypnotica

Artist

Benny Benassi

Album

Hypnotica

Year

2003

Genre

Electro, Dance

Marco (Benny) Benassi is an Italian disc jockey and producer of eurodance/electronic music born in 1967.

He started to DJ in the 1980s and by the 1990s he was helping to create music for other artists, including Whigfield, in the Off Limits production studio. His first solo project success under the name KMC came with "I Feel So Fine" which featured Dhany on vocals and was a hit in Europe in 2001. He followed this in 2002 with "Satisfaction" which was a great success helped, no doubt, by the accompanying video featuring models using power tools.
In 2003 he released his debut album Hypnotica which proved to sell the most copies of an Italian album outside Italy. After this solo success he formed a group with his brother Alle Benassi called Benassi Bros. and together they produced Pumphonia (2004) and Phobia (2005). Also during 2005 he founded a record label called Pump-Kin Music whose primary purpose was to nurture the talents of unsigned DJs and producers. (Amazon.com)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Time

EarFodder Rating: 4 of 5

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Billy Taylor - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free

Artist

Billy Taylor

Album

I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free

Year

Unknown

Genre

Jazz

Taylor is famous for bringing jazz to a wider audience and retaining a recognisable musical personality with his wide ranging piano wizadry. 'I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free' is the theme from the BBC TV Series 'Film 80'. It is arranged for piano, vocals and guitar. (Music Room)

EarFodder Recommended Track: I Wish I Knew..

EarFodder Rating: 4.25 of 5

Buy it on cduniverse

Mirwais - Production

Artist

Mirwais

Album

Production

Year

2001

Genre

Electronic, Trip-Hop

Mirwais Ahmadzaï, more commonly known simply as Mirwais, is a Paris-based record producer and songwriter. He was born in Switzerland with the Afghan lastname ‘Ahmad-zai’

Mirwais is a leader in the French style of progressive electronic dance music / Progressive electronica. A former member of the defunct 1980s group Taxi Girl, he was re-discovered by Madonna in the late 1990s when he submitted a demo to her then record label Maverick Records.

He signed to Sony for his US album release Production which spawned two club hits, “Disco Science” and “Naïve Song”. “Disco Science” appeared in the Guy Ritchie film Snatch. (Last fm)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Naive Song

EarFodder Rating: 3.5 of 5

 Last fm, Buy it on Amazon

Digitalism - Idealism

Artist

Digitalism

Album

Idealism

Year

2007

Genre

Electro

Digitalism is a German dance duo, founded in 2004 in Hamburg, Germany, consisting of Jens “Jence” Moelle and İsmail “Isi” Tüfekçi. They are signed to French label Kitsuné Music and have released four singles to date: “Idealistic”, “Zdarlight”, “Jupiter Room”, and “Pogo”. Jens likens Digitalism’s songs to simple chapters in a complex novel about social interaction and attraction, with distorted bass lines and thumping rhythms comprising the punctuation. (Last fm)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Idealistic

EarFodder Rating: 3 of 5

Last.fm, Buy it on Amazon

First Class Jazz - Louis Armstrong

Artist

Louis Armstrong

Album

First Class Jazz

Year

1998

Genre

Jazz

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) was a trumpet player, singer, and bandleader, and is widely regarded as one of the most influential artists in the history of jazz.

Armstrong was born and brought up in New Orleans, a culturally diverse town with a unique musical mix of creole, ragtime, marching bands, and blues. Although from an early age he was able to play music professionally, he didn’t travel far from New Orleans until 1922, when he went to Chicago to join his mentor, King Oliver. Oliver’s band played primitive jazz, a hotter style of ragtime, with looser rhythms and more improvisation, and Armstrong’s role was mostly backing. Slow to promote himself, he was eventually persuaded by his wife Lil Hardin to leave Oliver, and In 1924 he went to New York to join the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra. At the time, there were a few other artists using the rhythmic innovations of the New Orleans style, but none did it with the energy and brilliance of Armstrong, and he quickly became a sensation among New York musicians. Back in Chicago in 1925, he made his first recordings with his own group, Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five, and these became not only popular hits but also models for the first generation of jazz musicians, trumpeters or otherwise. (Last fm)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Intro+Basin St Blues

EarFodder Rating: 4.5 of 5

Last.fm

Infected Mushroom - Vicious Delicious

Artist

Infected Mushroom

Album

Vicious Delicious

Year

2007

Genre

Psychedelic

An impressively varied collection from the Israeli duo Infected Mushroom, Vicous Delicious [2007] adds a more vocals and instruments than is their usual wont and massages ...    Full Descriptionthe tempos more than some of their earlier albums, but is otherwise entirely of a piece. Erez Aizen and Amit Duvdevani are masters at subsuming listeners inside great throbbing walls of beats, with snatches of melody weaving through the arrangements merely for decoration. Yet there's not the bludgeoning quality of many trance records (even some of Infected Mushroom's early works); this is music that envelops -- rather than overwhelms -- the listener. Psychedelic in a way that dance music rarely has been since the heyday of the Madchester scene. (cd universe)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Becoming Insane

EarFodder Rating: 4.25 of 5

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Massive Attack - Mezzanine

Artist

Massive Attack

Album

Mezzanine

Year

2002

Genre

Trip-Hop

The pioneering force behind the rise of trip-hop, Massive Attack were among the most innovative and influential groups of their generation; their hypnotic sound — a darkly sensual and cinematic fusion of hip-hop rhythms, soulful melodies, dub grooves, and choice samples — set the pace for much of the dance music to emerge throughout the 1990s. (Last fm)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Teardrop

EarFodder Rating: 3.75 of 5

Last.fm, Buy it on Amazon

Indigo Swing - Indigo Swing

Artist

Indigo Swing

Album

Indigo Swing

Year

1998

Genre

Swing

This self-titled Indigo Swing masterpiece catapulted the band to fame in the late 1990's. On it, the boys swoop and dive through fourteen standard and original tracks, combining their signature driving, piano-based rhythms with Johnny Boyd's bright and earnest vocals. Think authentic postwar, pre-rock n' roll. The album captures all the energy and fun of a raucous Indigo Swing live show, full of jumpin' blues, countrified swing and infectious boogie-woogie wonder.After seven years, 1,100 shows worldwide and 100,000+ albums sold, Indigo Swing disbanded in 2000. (cd Universe)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Swing Lover

EarFodder Rating: 3.75 of 5

Last.fm, Buy it on Amazon

Nat King Cole - Cole Espanol & More [Vol.2]

Artist

Nat King Cole

Album

Cole Espanol & More Vol.1

Year

1991

Genre

Pop, Jazz

Nat King Cole was a popular American singer and jazz musician. As a piano player, he formed a jazz trio in 1938 that played Los Angeles nightclubs, one of the first jazz trios featuring guitar and piano. Prior to this he had played music since he was a child and had worked with bands since he was 16. He was raised in Chicago and exposed to the abundant jazz scene there. (Last.fm)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Perfidia

EarFodder Rating: 4 of 5

Last fm, Buy it on Amazon

Nat King Cole - Cole Espanol & More [Vol.1]

Artist

Nat King Cole

Album

Cole Espanol & More Vol.1

Year

1991

Genre

Pop, Jazz

Nat King Cole was a popular American singer and jazz musician. As a piano player, he formed a jazz trio in 1938 that played Los Angeles nightclubs, one of the first jazz trios featuring guitar and piano. Prior to this he had played music since he was a child and had worked with bands since he was 16. He was raised in Chicago and exposed to the abundant jazz scene there. (Last.fm)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Aquellos Ojos Verdes

EarFodder Rating: 4 of 5

Last fm, Buy it on Amazon

Anita O'Day - Verve Clef Sessions [4CD]

Artist

Anita O'Day

Album

Verve Clef Sessions

Year

2008

Genre

Vocal Jazz

Anita O’Day was an American jazz singer admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appearances shattered the traditional image of the “girl singer”. Refusing to pander to any female stereotype, O’Day presented herself as a ‘hip’ jazz musician, wearing a band jacket and skirt as opposed to an evening gown. She cites Martha Raye as the primary influence on her vocal style, although she has also expressed admiration for Mildred Bailey, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday.

During the late Forties, she recorded two dozen sides, mostly for small labels. The quality of these singles varies: O’Day was trying to achieve popular success without sacrificing her identity as a jazz singer. Among the more notable recordings from this period are “Hi Ho Trailus Boot Whip”, “Key Largo”, “How High the Moon”, and “Malaguena”. (Last.fm)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Sweet Georgia Brown

EarFodder Rating: 4.25 of 5
Last fm, Buy it on Amazon

The Jazz Plays.. Nina Simone

Artist

Nina Simone

Album

The Jazz Plays..

Year

2008

Genre

Jazz

Nina Simone can be considered an acquired taste--like black coffee, fine brandy, or good cigars. With a voice that's less than perfect, she's nevertheless full of passion and pain, joy and raunchiness in her music. This album covers all those emotions set against the background her of well-arranged orchestration and her exceptional skill as a pianist.

Nina is a genre all her own. Her style varies broadly--from blues to jazz to gospel to folk and political music. This album is not a showcase that variety, merely one facet of it. This album has more of a fun feel to it than some of her other recordings--with songs like 'Marriage is for Old Folks' and 'Gimme Some' as well as the child-like 'Beautiful Land.' Nina is certainly no idealist, though, showing her passion and her pain in songs like 'Ne Me Quitte Pas' and 'You've Got to Learn.'

For Nina fans, this album is a nice break away from some of her moodier, darker work. For those just discovering Nina, this album would be an excellent way to ease into acquiring the taste for her music--splashing a little cream into one's black coffee, as it were.

As a dedicated fan of Nina's musical uniqueness, I've found this to be a very pleasant album that's just right for lifting the stresses of day away and losing myself in a little bit of fun. (Amazon.com)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Feeling Good

EarFodder Rating: 4.5 of 5

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The Best of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong

Artist

Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong

Album

The Best Of Ella Fitzgerald And Louis Armstrong On Verve

Year

1997

Genre

Jazz

Who would have thought that it could have worked? The pitch-perfect, articulate, and yes, angelic voice of Ella Fitzgerald combined with the gravelly grunts and growls of Louis Armstrong...Two very different singers with very different styles getting together to record? But it does work, and the result is absolute perfection.

The way Louis and Ella blend, harmonize, and play off each other is simply astounding to hear. And I think that's the secret of why these two superstars were such stellar musicians: They loved making music. Just listen to the fun they're having on "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" and "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Been Good to You." It's not only delightful, it's heavenly. Listen and lose yourself in the slow, unhurried harmonies of "Stars Fell on Alabama." And from the opening, emotion-packed trumpet statement of "Summertime," you know you're in for a powerful listening experience. 

It's rare that you find a musician who really, I mean REALLY loves performing. To find two such artists on the same disc? Indescribable. These two greats were put on this earth to make music and they made music with all their might. And we're fortunate enough to have it with us. This disc is heaven. Buy it. Treasure it forever. (Amazon.com)

EarFodder Recommended Track: Summertime

EarFodder Rating: 4.25 of 5

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Mills Brothers Chronological [Vol.1-Vol.5]

Artist

Mills Brothers

Album

Chronological

Genre

Oldies, Jazz, Vocal

The Mills Brothers were a major African-American jazz and pop vocal group of the 20th century producing more than 2,000 recordings that sold more than 50 million copies and garnered at least three dozen gold records. The Mills Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.

The group was originally composed of four brothers all born in Piqua, Ohio, just 25 miles north of Dayton: John Jr. (1911-1936) basso and guitarist, Herbert (1912-1989) tenor, Harry (1913-1982) baritone, and Donald (1915-1999) lead tenor. (Last.fm)

The Mills Brothers Chronological Collection consist of recorded tracks from 1931-1968 spanning across 5 volumes. This collection could be considered the Bible of Mills Brothers. For loyal enthusiast, this is certainly a must-have! If you have not yet heard of Mills Brothers, you are missing out on one of the most original talents so hesitate no further and Buy this albums!

EarFodder Recommended Track: Tiger Rag, Smoke Rings 

EarFodder Rating: 4.25 of 5

Last fm, Buy it on cduniverse