Spring has a sound and comes back every year with the CD "Spring Lounge". Sounds like sunshine warm your ears for the most colorful time of the year. Enjoy beautiful chill sounds to dream and relax. Selected by DJ Michael Maretimo.

Opened up by the delirious alchemy of contemporary pop music, Sean O’Hagan leaps back into life with High Llamas, with a set of killer tunes reflecting on dimensional levels how definitions change over time. Arranged by Sean and produced with mix collaborator Fryars to engage the eardrums in non-stop new possibilities, Hey Panda radiates optimism inspired by the joys and sorrows felt in former lifetimes and the diverse conundrums of today alike.

The annual "MILCHBAR" selection presents the finest chill-out vibes as a soundtrack for the perfect sunset by the sea. This year, Blank & Jones have invited artists from all over the world to contribute to this magical journey: Ibiza residents George Solar (La Torre) and Ken Fan (Café Del Mar), Brit JIM from Crazy P., long-term Danish friends The Swan and The Lake as well as Jacob Gurevitsch and from France Jpye and Alma Este, who contribute a stunning adaptation of Daft Punk's "Something About You".

After making her professional debut as the cool, breathy voice behind the historic 1964 crossover smash “The Girl from Ipanema”, Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto became a major force in popularizing the bossa nova sound. Her understated yet magnetic delivery is spotlighted on this collection, showcasing her instantly-recognizable approach to songs drawn from a variety of sources—Brazil, pop hits and standards.

"Beautiful Music" used to be a genre in the realm of popular music. It's also been called "easy listening" and then morphed into "adult contemporary". But today's adult contemporary is really just soft rock (albeit today's soft rock is harder than a lot of Top 40 was in the late 70s and early 80s). There used to be stations that played "beautiful music" exclusively: Stanley Black, Ray Conniff, Percy Faith, Frank Chacksfield, etc. Most of the playlist would be recent contemporary hits covered by choral groups, pianists, and orchestras. During that time, London Records sold a lot of their patented Phase 4 Stereo LP records and reel-to-reel tapes. The series was renowned for it's technical brilliance, using state of the art recording, mixing and mastering techniques. Ronnie Aldrich was among London's best selling artists and Tony D'Amato produced many albums using Aldrich's twin pianos backed by The London Festival Orchestra. These albums were not only known for their technical brilliance (which is still quite impressive even in the 21st century) but also for their glossy, gatefold covers featuring colorful artwork and graphics and maybe a sexy model or two. The two LPs featured on this CD were originally released in 1973 and 1972, respectively.

On Emperor Tomato Ketchup, Stereolab moved in two directions simultaneously – it explored funkier dance rhythms while increasing the complexity of its arrangements and compositions. For its follow-up, Dots and Loops, the group scaled back its rhythmic experiments and concentrated on layered compositions. Heavily influenced by bossa nova and swinging '60s pop, Dots and Loops is a deceptively light, breezy album that floats by with effortless grace. Even the segmented, 20-minute "Refractions in the Plastic Pulse" has a sunny, appealing surface – it's only upon later listens that the interlocking melodies and rhythms reveal their intricate interplay. In many ways, Dots and Loops is Stereolab's greatest musical accomplishment to date, demonstrating remarkable skill – their interaction is closer to jazz than rock, exploring all of the possibilities of any melodic phrase. Their affection for '60s pop keeps Dots and Loops accessible, even though that doesn't mean it is as immediate as Emperor Tomato Ketchup. In fact, the laid-back stylings of Dots and Loops makes it a little difficult to assimilate upon first listen, but after a few repeated plays, its charms unfold as gracefully as any other Stereolab record.

Trumpeter Chris Botti drops the synthesizers and drum loops of his previous effort, Thousand Kisses Deep, for a more elegant and traditional sound on When I Fall in Love. While Thousand Kisses Deep maximized Botti's penchant for mixing perfect pop songs with his Miles Davis-influenced jazz style, it nonetheless featured many of the electronic and processed sounds predictable on modern smooth jazz releases. By eschewing such "go to" pop-jazz production techniques as drum machines and synthesized strings in favor of the real instruments here, Botti ironically sounds utterly groundbreaking on what is ultimately a straight-ahead orchestral jazz album. While nowhere near as improvisationally adventurous as its predecessors, When I Fall in Love is still a revelation in the tradition of Sketches of Spain, Clifford Brown With Strings, and Wynton Marsalis' Hot House Flowers. Mixing standards and contemporary pop tunes all in a straight-ahead style, Botti gives his minimalist Miles-ian horn sound a chance to breath and be enjoyed on its own.

For more than twenty years I have been thinking about projects to celebrate women and our contribution to the history of song - This, at last, is it: these are my ten singers, my essential lodestars. If your favourite is missing, I apologise, but with these stories I tell my own, acknowledge my musical tutelage and identify the women who mean so much to me. This album is dedicated to all my musical sisters, to those who went before and to those still making music. Thank you for blazing the trail, for fighting for us all with your irresistible talent and your passionate resolve.

This fictitious studio group was masterminded by Richard A. Hewson (b. 17 November 1943, Stockton-on-Tees, Teesside, England). In the late 60s arranger, conductor and multi-instrumentalist Hewson worked with James Taylor and Herbie Hancock and arranged hits such as the Beatles ‘The Long And Winding Road’ and Mary Hopkin’s ‘Those Were The Days’. His fame as an arranger spread and in the next decade he worked with artists including Supertramp, Diana Ross, Carly Simon, Art Garfunkel, Leo Sayer, Al Stewart, Chris DeBurgh, Fleetwood Mac and Chris Rea. In 1976 he decided to produce, write and play on his own records under the name RAH Band. In 1977 the instrumental ‘The Crunch’ on Good Earth climbed into the UK Top 10. Three years later ‘Falcon’ hit the Top 40 and started a long string of dance hits for the band. In 1985 ‘Clouds Across The Moon’, with vocals by his wife Liz, gave him a second Top 10 single. Over the years the band have chalked up seven UK hits and have had records on a myriad of labels including DJM, KR, TMT, Sound, RCA, Supreme and Creole.