Bee vs. Moth—Acronyms (Aggraveire Music)
Richly thematic, Acronyms is a rebellious, contemporary symphony; a quirky, fearless blend of art jazz, surf rock, salsa, Americana, and 70s funk. Like a collaboration between Bill Frisell and Juan Garcia Esquivel, or John Scofield meets the Tijuana Brass Band, Acronym is engaging, eclectic and strictly instrumental.

Meet the Artist
Bee vs. Moth on MySpace

Plotz!—The Kid (SNP Records)
Engaging folk-fusion jazz, blending progressive Balkan folk, big band, and heavy metal—rather like Maynard Ferguson directing a swarm of bees, backed by Slayer. Dynamic, demented, with one foot in a puddle of tradition, the other in an ocean of modern-industrial. Lots of high-energy fun.

Plotz!

Carmen Tosca—Wind (Independent)
Atmospheric and elemental, Wind settles frayed spirits with hypnotic, layered melodies. Tosca balances found sounds with synth and acoustic instruments into melodic, New Age electronica. This album is 90% gold, suitable for banishing inner demons and framing artwork.

Carmen Tosca

Clash of the Titans—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (WaterTower Music)
Better by far than the movie, the soundtrack, composed and produced by Ramin Djawadi, delivers soul-gratifying martial splendor, suspense, and thematic consistency. It's a good soundtrack for a long run.

Ramin Djawadi

Knox Bronson—The Seasons (Tangerine Sky Interactive)
This four-track, full length CD is a polished, serene meditation on summer, autumn, winter and spring. Bronson expertly weaves a theme throughout the whole album without becoming repetitive. Balanced and soothing, The Seasons is also notable for its promotional posters, which mysteriously disappeared as soon as they were hung on the walls of record stores.

Knox Bronson

Naim Amor—Soundtracks, Vol. III (Independent)
Third in Amor's series of instrumental albums, Volume III offers 10 well-crafted jazz-pop tracks that work more like 10 short stories. In them, I hear the influences of composers Ennio Morricone and Henry Mancini, along with the stylings of Gary Burton and Kenny Burrell. Soundtracks will work as lounge music, or as a background when for watching Hitchcock's Charade.

Naim Amor on MySpace

Time for Three—3 Fervent Travelers (E1 Entertainment)
An exceptional, live showcase of covers and originals from this bluegrass-jazz trio, tracks from 3 Fervent Travelers are nuanced and layered-sometimes playful, sometimes wrenchingly mournful. Their covers include Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek," Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," and Irving Rouse's "Orange Blossom Special," which has been immortalized by Johnny Cash and Charlie Daniels, among others. The quality of their original material is just as high. Time for Three reminds me of David Grisman and Kronos Quartet, and their virtuosity is clearly meant for a wider audience.

Time for Three on MySpace