After alienating certain fans on 2005's hard-rocking Stop Doing Bad Things (despite plenty of critical praise), Spitalfield find a happy medium between über-melodic emo and sucker-punch rock for their follow-up, Better Than Knowing Where You Are. The album has all the harmony-laden melodious rock fans first fell in love with, but the crunch of Bad Things is still lingering around to give the record a tougher feel than 2003's Remember Right Now. And as loved as that latter album is, this is indeed a good thing, since the eternally polished band combines the best moments of both records into one very strong album. The Only Thing That Matters shines with a confidence that suggests Spitalfield knows the ensuing songs are some of their best yet, and the subsequent On the Floor delivers on that knowledge with a bold urgency that manages to capitalize on their grasp of stirring vocal harmonies, while embracing shredding rhythms full-force. Helping the cause is the fact that Spitalfield's songwriting has sharpened dramatically, and the guys deserve credit for knowing exactly where to go big and when to hold back for maximum effect. Brazen guitars propel tracks like Curtain Call, while the band restrains itself to just gentle picking in the lovely, piano-sprinkled Novocaine to come across loud and clear. By skillfully combining muscular vigor with soothing melody, Better Than Knowing Where You Are stands out as Spitalfield's most consistent and accomplished record yet. They've hit their stride so well that it'd be unfortunate for this record to be lost in the vast ocean of Chicago pop-punk as their last album was. ~ Corey Apar, Rovi

Diana Jones combines traditional mountain and old-time sounds with a literate, character-driven brand of storytelling on her new album, Better Times Will Come. If the reaction of her fellow songwriters is any indication, she's produced something of a masterpiece. Two of the songs from her new record have been covered by some of the nation's most recognizable folk artists; Joan Baez covered 'Henry Russell's Last Words' on her Grammy-nominated album Day After Tomorrow, while Gretchen Peters has recorded If I Had a Gun. Notable names lending a hand on Better Times Will Come include Mary Gauthier, Nanci Griffith and Betty Elders, The Old Crow Medicine Show's Ketch Secor, and more. Better Times Will Come uses deceptively simple lyrics which tell their stories with the hypnotic repetition and plain speech of old mountain song. Pay closer attention, though, and you ll hear a modern literary voice working with irony and implication. Listen, for example, to how skillfully Diana uses the subjunctive mood on her version of 'If I Had a Gun,' the conditional threat of a mistreated woman. Listen to how subtly Diana marks the passage of time in 'Henry Russell s Last Words,' based on a real letter written by a dying miner. Hear how true love and undeniable defects can coexist on 'Cracked and Broken.' The lyrics are not strictly autobiographical, but they echo Diana s own experiences. 'There are only so many songs I can write from my own particular story,' she concedes. 'I m constantly interested in other people's stories anyway. Anyone who wants to be my friend all they have to do is tell me a story. It s an interesting thing for me to approach my own internal landscape through other people's stories I ask myself, How would I write about that and be truly honest? It gives me a way to express my emotions in a bigger way, a more interesting way.' At the beginning of 2007, more than 10 years after her first album, she was nominated as Best Emerging Artist at the Folk Alliance Awards. The nomination was entirely appropriate, for she had, without warning, emerged as a new kind of artist with a new kind of song. That recognition led to the tours with Richard Thompson and Mary Gauthier, to appearances at folk festivals on both sides of the Atlantic and to her powerful new album, Better Times Will Come. This is what makes Diana Jones such an important new songwriting voice. She is able to take the facts of other people s lives or of her own and distill them into the fine whiskey of feeling. The facts are still there they provide the vivid details that allow us to imagine ourselves inside a collapsed mine shaft next to Henry Russell or in the dorm of an American Indian boarding school or in the Appalachian bus depot where a 'Soldier Girl,' with a green duffel bag over her shoulder, prepares to leave for boot camp. But the focus is always on the characters immense longing of Henry for his wife, of the young Indian student for her father, of the new soldier for the lover left behind the kind of longing we listeners can recognize, even if we ve never been in a mine, an Indian school or a boot camp. That feeling is there in Diana s economical words, her hymn-like melodies, so simple and so sturdy, and in the keening sound of her drawling alto. Two years of hard touring since her last album have honed those skills. On this album, which includes her own version of 'Henry Russell's Last Words,' plus 'Soldier Girl,' 'Cracked and Broken' (an inspiring tribute to damaged survivors), and 'If I Had a Gun' (the chilling promise of an abused wife s vengeance), the distillation process is more thorough than ever and the liquor of emotion that much more potent. Geoffrey Himes

It almost feels mean-spirited to call P.O.S. rap-rock, so sullied is that name from millennial mook-rock, but as he proudly interpolates Fugazi and Notorious B.I.G. on Never Better, it becomes obvious that this term is one he's determined to redefine. Track titles like Drumroll (We're All Thirsty) and Terrorish don't disappoint, all churlish guitar thuds, chest-thumping choruses and rapid-fire rhymes; it feels like the Linkin Park aesthetic done right, which is, really, a strange artistic achievement, but one handily accomplished. These hot flashes of intensity are nicely contrasted by neighbors like the darkly soothing Optimist (We Are Not for Them) and the satisfying boom-bap of Savion Glover, giving the album some assured ebbs in intensity. Better still is the bombastically chintzy Goodbye, which sounds like the type of beat Just Blaze would save for his very favorite client. But this is staunchly P.O.S.' show, and as an MC he's eager to dazzle. While his big emphatic Midwestern enunciation recalls Eminem, his emo-rap fixations are more in line with El-P or Cadence Weapon. He's fixated, obsessed even, with his friends, particularly those who've abused his trust, and constructs his record from the pensive moments of solitude between vainglorious barnburners. Between this brutal bleating and the general anger of the production, the record is dank and punishing on the ears -- probably just as P.O.S. intended, but still a step or two shy of the sonic maturity he so yearns to lend the subgenre. ~ Clayton Purdom, Rovi

Once upon a time, a spell went awry and Make Believe characters were cast into the ordinary world. And the results aren't always happily ever after...Everyone thinks fairy godmothers can do no wrong. But if not for a certain spell mis-cast by Lavender Seelie, Cinderella's former fairy godmother, the Tales would not be stuck in the Here and Now. Fortunately for Lavender, she's about to get a second chance at a happy ending...The Refuge, a sanctuary for wayward Tales, seems like the perfect place for Lavender to start a new life-especially when she discovers an unexpected ally in Seth, the brooding werewolf who's been typecast as a villain ever since his run in with Little Red Riding Hood. But when humans from nearby towns start turning up dead, their bodies mutilated with archaic Tale symbols, Lavender wonders if Seth's deep sensuality has blinded her to the truth. And that distraction could put innocent lives in danger. Including her own...It's not often that something totally new and entertaining comes along, but Kate SeRine doesn't disappoint with Red. I definitely recommend this to readers who want humor, drama, suspense, and a truly entertaining, 'feel good' romance.-Kate Douglas on Red

By Joy Williams. For solo voice (High/Medium/Low Voice). Modern Christian. Adult Contemporary and Sacred. CD Trax - Performance/Accompaniment CD. Published by Mastertrax

Better Out Than In is a collection of gross, disgusting, hilarious rhymes for children of all ages....

Tom Frager broke through to mainstream success in autumn 2009 with Lady Melody, a melodic ballad that topped the French singles chart for four weeks straight. Prior to the breakthrough success of Lady Melody, Frager was better known as a professional surfer than as a singer/songwriter. He made his full-length debut in 2006 with Bloom Inside, an independently released album billed to his band, Gwayav', rather than himself that went little heard. Better Days, his second album, also went little heard upon its initial release in 2008. Originally released as a ten-track album, Better Days is a mix of French- and English-language songs penned by Frager that are reggae-inflected to varying degrees. While the ear-pleasing melodies of Lady Melody glide along a lilting reggae rhythm and are accentuated by easy listening touches of piano and saxophone, other songs -- such as the title track -- are straight-up reggae from both a vocal and musical standpoint. In some ways, the success of Frager is similar to that of Christophe Maé, another French celebrity turned singer/songwriter who broke through to chart-topping success with a reggae-inflected style. Both are white Frenchmen inspired by Africa and its music (indeed, Frager is African-born), and both play acoustic guitar with the backing of a full band, backup vocalists and all. There's clearly a market for this style of reggae-inflected singer/songwriter music in France, and Universal Music was keen to pick up Better Days for major-label re-release in 2009, adding five bonus tracks and pushing Lady Melody as a breakout single. The 15-track major-label edition of Better Days improves upon the ten-track original edition. For one, it adds the album-opening song Give Me That Love, the English-language follow-up single to Lady Melody, and it also adds duets with Tom Curren, Lovy Jam, Ben Mazué, and Lee Ann Curren. Interspersed throughout the album sequencing, these duets in particular help diversify Better Days, which in its original edition plays a bit too repetitively, with English-language songs following the French ones and the melodic ballads offset by rootsy reggae numbers. While fans of Lady Melody should find plenty to enjoy elsewhere on Better Days, the album would have been better if Frager had sung entirely in French rather than English. For whatever reason, the majority of Better Days is sung in English, and while Frager has a fairly firm grasp of the language, there's no question that his songs are better sung in French (Lady Melody, for instance). ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi

Toni Lyons has her hands full raising her autistic five year old daughter, Twyla, by herself. When the opportunity comes along to make some extra money by being a tester for her friend Eileen’s new erotic matchmaking website, Orchid Soul, Toni is not prepared for how her life will change. Nick Benson moved back into his old home after returning from the war, which has been converted into a duplex – the same one which Toni lives in. No longer the player he used to be, Nick instead fills his days renovating the old home, while grieving for his fiancé that was killed in the war. Being a former computer programmer, Eileen also involves Nick into the Orchid Soul testing.  Due to a glitch in the programming, Nick and Toni are matched as a fantasy pair, and their deepest sexual desires are shared over the internet. Though she is stubborn and distant, Nick is determined to discover who she is inside, and to find the part of her that wrote some of the most erotic fantasies he’s ever heard. When the wall separating their apartments comes tumbling down, a hot night of sexual reprieve becomes the start of something so much more.

Sergeant Pelicano exposes the most common problems he sees in his bombproofing clinics--lack of rider control, rider fear or anxiety, and herd-bound horses, to name a few. He provides the techniques that have successfully countered these situations groundwork such as longeing and long-lining around and past scary obstacles, for example. He also arms you with the seven magic  under-saddle skills he feels every horse should know--some movements from the dressage ring and others from the world of Western riding. These are the tools you need when faced with the possibility of your horse rearing, shying, running for the hills,or otherwise reacting in a dangerous or uncontrolled manner. Sergeant Pelicano also tackles complex compound bombproofing  situations, such as opening and closing gates, carrying flags, and discharging firearms from the saddle. And, a bombproof horse is the perfect mount to ride in parades, drill teams, and musical demonstrations. Better than Bombproof is chock full of information on how to prepare an equestrian group for a parade, ride in formation, and perform with a drill team including 11 specialized movements, a complete sample ride, and details on how to time your ride to music. With additional chapters on easy-to-use trailer-loading techniques as well as some of the unique games on horseback that Sergeant Pelicano plays  with his police unit to enforce horse and rider skills, you're sure to find an exciting new array of exercises to help further desensitize your horse to potentially frightening situations. Plus, a special section on defensive riding techniques shows you how to avoid a suspicious individual or counter an attacker when out on the trail.

The first thing that grabs the listener about John Mellencamp's No Better Than This is its sound: mono -- recorded live to an Ampex 601 tape recorder circa 1955, with a single microphone without mixing or overdubs. It's warmth and presence are immediate and engulfing. Mellencamp and T-Bone Burnett cut the album while on tour supporting, Life Death Love and Freedom, Mellencamp's celebrated precursor. This album was cut in some very famous locales: First African Baptist Church in Savannah, GA (the first African American Christian church in North America), Sun Studios in Memphis, and in Room 414 of the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, TX, where Robert Johnson recorded Stones in My Passway in 1936. While Mellencamp's last album was celebrated for its wonderfully crafted songs, it nonetheless reflected Burnett's dictatorially heavy-handed production style. This set feels far more like the artist. The songs are rooted in country, rockabilly, folk, country-gospel, and an even rawer Midwestern rock--Mellencamp's brand. The band is equal parts his standard road group and Burnett's studio crew, but the latter plays more of a supporting role than a guiding one; this set, with its brilliantly pruned songwriting, is Mellencamp at his focused best. The album's opener, Save Some Time to Dream, is from the older, wiser songwriter who gave us We Are the People, Jackie Brown, Human Wheels, and is a skeletal part two of Your Life Is Now. These historic locales reflect the tunes somewhat -- especially the driving title track, Coming Down the Road, and Each Day of Sorrow that come from, respectively, the rockabilly of Carl Perkins, early Elvis, and Johnny Burnette. No One Cares About Me is a pure Mellencamp lyric, but its sound is reminiscent of the Sun-era Johnny Cash. The spooky banjo of the minor-key blues that makes up The West End touches on the folk-blues Bob Dylan utilized on The Ballad of Hollis Brown. A Graceful Fall is electric hillbilly blues. Love at First Sight, with Mellencamp accompanied only by an acoustic guitar, is among the finest love songs he's ever written. Don't Forget About Me is a country ballad that acts as its mirror image and resonates deeply. He may be looking back at some earlier styles of music that influenced him, but these songs feel invigorated, unfettered; melodically and lyrically astute. He possesses an independent streak in abundance; he is making music only for himself now; as a result, he's in a league of his own. No Better Than This proves that good songs need very little to communicate instructive narratives and complex emotions, and that primitive recording methods are still sometimes the best ones. [The album is also available on vinyl.] ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi

2010 album from the American singer/songwriter. No Better Than This is an album of all new original songs that was recorded at a variety of historically significant locations around the south. The album was produced by T-Bone Burnett who earlier collaborated with Mellencamp on the much-lauded Life Death Love and Freedom. No Better Than This was recorded over the course of a few break days afforded Mellencamp when he was on tour of minor league ball parks last year, sharing the bill with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. The album was recorded on vintage equipment - a 55 year old Ampex tape recorder with just one microphone - in Savannah at the First African Baptist Church, in Memphis at Sun Studios and in San Antonio in room 411 of the Gunter Hotel. Mellencamp wrote the 13 songs included on the album during a 13 day span last spring.

Before Ireland, before the castle, before the wedding that would reunite childhood sweethearts Jo and Tam, there was Delta Brooks and the man who came crashing into her life a week before Thanksgiving. Born into a wealthy Atlanta family, cold and smart and discriminating, Delta hasn’t ever expected anything more than cool civility from her romantic relationships. Determined to please her parents, she’s spent years dating the sort of men she’s supposed to desire…but none whom she truly wants. Then a clumsy, obnoxious customer asks her to dinner, and Delta realizes what she wants is something she never expected. Michael Walker may have elevated himself above the middle class standards of his family, but nothing has prepared him for the princess of a woman he finds in Delta. He loves her and knows she deserves better than him, and nothing proves that like the ornate wedding he finds himself a part of in an Irish castle. Hampered by his family and best friend, Mike has nothing to lose but her. Emotional and literary, experience the prequel to the Walker Family Series and the love that started it all.