Well the first quarter of the year is almost over so how is your musical year shaping up?

I have bought a lot of new music so far from the likes of Mark Knopfler, Thunder, Scorpions, The Answer, Toto, Soto and many more (47 new albums in all).

A few of the stand outs are -

The Diary by The Gentle Storm - a tremendous concept album from the Anneke van Giersbergen/Arjen Lucassen led project.

Rise Above the Noise by Trucker Diablo - great to see the boys back from hiatus, albeit with a line up change. Their music has taken a different direction too as the album is much more 'mature' than the previous two.

Before the Fog Covers the Mount by 1886 - I hadn't heard of this band before January until this album popped into my Bandcamp feed. They are a Spanish outfit and their music is an ode to the heavy psyche blues based rock from the 70s.

Spirit on a Mission by Michael Schenker's Temple of Rock - He has still got it with the face melting solos, riffs and great song writing. A must for the biggest hard rock/metal fans this year.

Inside the Vertigo by Soto - Few have as varied a rock back catalog as Jeff Scott Soto, he has done it all. This is album is a proper hard rock album and is actually quite heavy in places. Well worth several listens.

Wonder Days by Thunder - Superb melodic hard rock album that has gained many listenings since it's release and I foresee many more if I am honest.

47 Beats my 1

BABYMETAL - Live at Budokan - Red Night

Nothing particularly special so far, however new albums to come from

I'm From Barcelona (released yesterday but not had a chance to listen to it yet)
Wolf Alice (debut album)
Slaves (debut album)
Eels (live album)
Frank Turner (due summer 2015)

so should improve

I was surprised at the number too.

Bandcamp is a wonderful thing

I'm mostly just really looking forward to Sun Kil Moon's new album in the summer.

Prodigy, Cancer Bats and Therapy so far-all good, but nothing else yet which is probably a bit below par

Belle & Sebastian - Enter Sylvia Plath
Mini Mansions - Any Emotions (ft. Brian Wilson)
Mini Mansions - Vertigo (feat. Alex Turner)
Waxahatchee - Air
Oscar - Daffodil Days
Kuroma - Love is on the Way
Marika Hackman - Animal Fear
Lower Dens - To Die in LA
All We Are - Honey
Summer Heart - Beat of Your Heart
Father John Misty - I Love You Honeybear
Toro y Moi - Empty Nesters
Best Coast - Heaven Sent
Kingsley Chapman - Olympians
Jupiter - Do It
Django Django - Reflections
Jaakko Eino Kalevi - Double Talk

Those are the highlights so far for me. All of the Belle & Sebastian album was good, the Mini Mansions album was good, and I'm hoping the rest of the Toro y Moi album is as good as the first three tracks I've heard are. I'll have one day of listening to it before I see him live at Oval Space.

Anything Jaakko Eino Kalevi releases in any year will probably end up in my top list.

Just Madonna and Kelly Clarkson

My music buying decreases each year, as my tastes are changing

I normally buy more past albums then I do current

Sadly I am still waiting on what it is that I am wanting to get my hands on.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

Here's another wee gem from a band with just the best name

Mandatory Minimums by Swampy the Note Troll

Bluesy rock n roll with a southern, swampy groove.