Everything Else - The Second Disc

Review: Frank Zappa, “Zappa ’66, Vol. 1: Live at TTG Studios”

June 9, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 3 Comments

Freak Out! Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention’s 1966 debut record on the venerable Verve label introduced an artist for whom no cow was sacred; Zappa spent his entire career successfully pushing the boundaries of popular music and, some might add, of taste. He always had his finger on the pulse of pop culture, unafraid to poke fun at its excesses. Now, with Zappa ’66, Vol. 1: Live at TTG Studios – No. 134 in the Official Release Series – Zappa Records’ recently-relaunched Vaulternative imprint has given fans a real treat:…

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Reviews

Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Everything Else, Rock

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Frank Zappa

The Singles 1980-1987

June 6, 2026 by Joe Marchese

Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Cherry Pop’s Sheena Easton series has a new crown jewel: a 25CD box set chronicling her singles from the EMI years in the ’80s – and yes, this set has unreleased material as well. The Singles 1980-1987 follows two recent boxes following Easton’s EMI recordings in full (not strictly the original albums, but plenty of unreleased and alternate material in the mix). While this box has some similarities – the A and B-sides were present there, and many period remixes and even alternate or live versions of the same songs are repeated as…

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Formats:

Box Sets, CD

Genres:

Disco/Dance, Pop

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The Weekend Stream: June 6, 2026

June 6, 2026 by The Second Disc | 6 Comments

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. A Tom Petty classic gets a new mix, Taylor Swift emerges from the toybox and John Williams returns to the film scoring stage in our latest round-up – plus rarities from Foreigner, Jim Reeves, Reba Rambo and a reissue we think you’ll love more than donuts from the good donut shop, eh? Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, “American Girl (2026…

Categories:

The Weekend Stream

Formats:

Digital Download, Digital Streaming

Genres:

Classic Rock, Comedy, Country, Folk, Gospel, Latin, Pop, Rock, Soundtracks

Tags:

Andy Partridge, Foreigner, George Michael, Jim Reeves, John Williams, Madonna, Reba Rambo, Taylor Swift, The Who, Tom Petty, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, XTC

Release Round-Up: Week of June 5

June 5, 2026 by The Second Disc | No Comments

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Barry Manilow, What a Time (Stiletto) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / ShopManilow.com LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / ShopManilow.com Arriving today as Manilow prepares to embark on his first tour after recovering from lung cancer treatment, Barry Manilow’s What a Time is the singer-songwriter’s first album of primarily original music since 2011’s 15 Minutes. The album takes on a reflective tone characterized by its first single, a cover of Peter Allen and Dean Pitchford’s “Once…

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Release Round-Up

Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Classical/Opera, Folk, Jazz, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, Rock

Tags:

Barry Manilow, Harpo Marx, Jackie DeShannon, Jeff Goldblum, Pink Floyd, The Beau Brummels

ZAPPAtite (Frank Zappa’s Tastiest Tracks)

June 2, 2026 by Joe Marchese

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Zappa.com UMe and Zappa Records are dipping into the recent past for the vinyl debut of the 2016 compilation ZAPPAtite (Frank Zappa’s Tastiest Tracks). The 18-track collection is sequenced in the manner of a meal, with tracks representing Appetizers (“Dancin’ Fool,” “Peaches En Regalia”), Entrees (“Valley Girl,” “Tell Me You Love Me”), a Second Course (“Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow,” “Titties and Beer”) and Dessert (“Zoot Allures,” “Strictly Genteel”) – one course per side of vinyl. Collectively, these tracks encompass some of the late composer-guitarist-sonic…

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Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Everything Else, Jazz, Rock

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Harpo Speaks! The Riverside Symphony Concert Featuring “Peter and the Wolf”

June 2, 2026 by Joe Marchese

Indeed…Harpo Speaks! The legendarily silent Marx Brother is heard on this surprising new release from Ramseur Records. On March 20, 1964, the semi-retired Harpo joined Southern California’s Riverside Symphony for a benefit performance. But this time, Harpo wasn’t mute. Instead, he narrated Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. The enchanting performance took place just six months before his death at the age of 75. The evening was recorded but the tapes disappeared…until now. Marx Brothers archivist John Tefteller and biographer Robert Bader have spearheaded this restored release. Bader explains, “The fact that we have a…

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Formats:

CD, Vinyl

Genres:

Classical/Opera, Comedy

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Release Round-Up: Week of May 29

May 29, 2026 by The Second Disc | 1 Comment

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles out today. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Paul McCartney, The Boys of Dungeon Lane (MPL/Capitol) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Paul McCartney Store LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Paul McCartney Store Paul McCartney releases his first new studio album since 2020’s McCartney III. The Boys of Dungeon Lane, like McCartney III and its two predecessors, was recorded almost entirely by the artist. Andrew Watt, whose credits include the most recent albums from Elton John and The Rolling Stones, is in the producer’s…

Categories:

Release Round-Up

Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Classical/Opera, Country, Folk, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock

Tags:

Allen Toussaint, Billy Joel, Boublil and Schonberg, Bruce Springsteen, Béla Fleck, Kathleen Brennan, Neil Young, Paul McCartney, Renee Fleming, The Monkees, The Who, Tom Waits, Willie Nelson

The Weekend Stream: May 24, 2026

May 24, 2026 by The Second Disc | No Comments

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. Rare George Michael remixes, late period a-ha and more Andy Partridge demos are kicking off another great week of streaming tunes – including three new soundtracks from theme park attractions! George Michael, “Monkey” (Columbia/Legacy) (Apple / Amazon) The latest of the Faith-era digital EPs is here, and it’s a corker: these 1988 remixes of “Monkey” by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis helped…

Categories:

The Weekend Stream

Formats:

Digital Download, Digital Streaming

Genres:

Country, Disco/Dance, Folk, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, Rock, Soundtracks

Tags:

Andy Partridge, Billy Stritch, Billy Walker, Bruce Broughton, Clodagh Rodgers, George Michael, Jerry Goldsmith, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, John Powell, Nina Simone, Randy Newman, Reba McEntire, Smashing Pumpkins, XTC, a-ha

True Faith: New Order’s ’90s Compilations Get Expanded

May 22, 2026 by Mike Duquette | 3 Comments

New Order will visit their mid-’90s compilation years – with a whole host of mostly trance remixes – on a new 4CD reissue. True to its name, (the best & the rest of) New Order will include both the 1994 hits set (the best of) New Order and its 1995 follow-up (the rest of) New Order. The former featured their biggest hits up to 1993’s Republic and new mixes of songs like “Bizarre Love Triangle,” “True Faith” and ‘Round & Round,” while the latter collected 10 mostly recent remixes, including a handful of exclusive tracks….

Categories:

News

Formats:

Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming

Genres:

Disco/Dance, Electronic, Pop, Rock

Tags:

New Order

Release Round-Up: Week of May 22

May 22, 2026 by The Second Disc | No Comments

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles out today! As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The Cranberries, Everybody Else Is Doing It So Why Can’t We? [Deluxe Edition] (Island/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) This 2CD Deluxe Edition of The Cranberries’ 1993 album boasts remastered audio overseen by the original producer Stephen Street, plus a new mix of the album made at Abbey Road. The bonus disc then adds outtakes, previously unreleased live tracks from the group’s London Astoria II…

Categories:

Release Round-Up

Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Country, Disco/Dance, Folk, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, Rock

Tags:

Edie Brickell, Michael Ball, Mungo Jerry, Scissor Sisters, Steep Canyon Rangers, Steve Martin, The Cranberries, Tom Fletcher

Cupid & Psyche 85 (Deluxe Edition)

May 19, 2026 by Mike Duquette

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The sophomore album from U.K.-formed post-punk/pop group Scritti Politti offered a new direction in British music: indebted to the organic sound of R&B with sleek electronic flourishes and a sheen of lyrical intellectualism. It also featured U.S. hit “Perfect Way,” which Miles Davis went bananas over. Remastered by Rough Trade in 2022 after they acquired the rights from bandleader Green Gartside, this expanded CD or double vinyl offers the four bonus tracks from the original CD release as well as two rare mixes of…

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Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Disco/Dance, Pop, Rock

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A More Perfect Way: Remastered Breakthrough Album by Scritti Politti Gets Expansion with Rare Remixes

May 19, 2026 by Mike Duquette | 4 Comments

After remastering and reissuing newly-acquired classic albums from ’80s pop duo Scritti Politti in 2021, Rough Trade will go back and revisit their signature album with bonus tracks – and have also recently given a third of the group’s albums a re-release. Scritti’s sophomore album Cupid & Psyche 85 will be reissued on July 10 in a new CD or double LP deluxe edition, featuring the classic original album (featuring the U.K. hits “Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)” and “The Word Girl” as well as the U.S. stunner “Perfect Way”) alongside seven…

Categories:

News

Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Disco/Dance, Pop, Rock

Tags:

Scritti Politti

The Weekend Stream: May 16, 2026

May 16, 2026 by The Second Disc | 1 Comment

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. This week has a collection of outtakes from one of the greatest albums ever made, a breezy theme song to a popular web series, fantastic new film scores, an unheard recording from Peggy Lee and a frankly stunning amount of songs about horses. Plus our tributes to those we lost recently, and a cool arts-related documentary project worthy of your…

Categories:

The Weekend Stream

Formats:

Digital Download, Digital Streaming

Genres:

Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Country, Disco/Dance, Folk, Jazz, Latin, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul, Rock, Soundtracks

Tags:

Bananarama, Brian May, Clodagh Rodgers, Daryl Hall, Ludwig Göransson, Missing Persons, Peggy Lee, The Beach Boys

What’cha Taking Me For: Sheena Easton Singles Box Set Includes More Unreleased Tracks

May 13, 2026 by Mike Duquette | 4 Comments

“But The Second Disc,” you may have thought, “what more is there to discover after Cherry Red’s thorough re-eleases of Sheena Easton’s beloved discography?” The label, in partnership with her RT Industries, has a new answer for you: a 25CD box set chronicling her singles from the EMI years in the ’80s – and yes, this set has unreleased material as well. The Singles 1980-1987 follows two recent boxes following Easton’s EMI recordings in full (not strictly the original albums, but plenty of unreleased and alternate material in the mix). While this…

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Formats:

Genres:

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The Weekend Stream: May 9, 2026

May 9, 2026 by The Second Disc | 3 Comments

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. It may not get more eclectic than this one, folks! We’ve got catalogue classics from jazz immortals, country icons and ’80s hitmakers; new songs from legends of classic rock, R&B, adult contemporary and hip-hop; new sounds from MUNA, The Waterboys, and Crack the Sky’s John Palumbo; and a sampler of international works, from Spanish chorale to Austrian pop that won…

Categories:

The Weekend Stream

Formats:

Digital Download, Digital Streaming

Genres:

Blues, Classic Rock, Everything Else, Jazz, Latin, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul, Rock

Tags:

Andy Partridge, Barry Manilow, Chaka Khan, Clodagh Rodgers, Crack The Sky, Eddy Arnold, Gene Pitney, George Michael, Jim Reeves, John Coltrane, MUNA, Mike Finnigan, Motörhead, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, The Mike Sammes Singers, The Rolling Stones, The Waterboys, Udo Jürgens

The Weekend Stream: May 2, 2026

May 2, 2026 by The Second Disc | 4 Comments

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. You know you’re in for a treat when the most recognizable digital catalogue here is a country-rock record by Jimi Jamison – plus new singles from Madonna and Peter Gabriel, for good measure. Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter, “Bring Your Love” (Warner) (Apple / Amazon) The official lead single from Madonna’s anticipated Confessions II – a sequel to her 2005 blockbuster Confessions on a…

Categories:

The Weekend Stream

Formats:

Digital Download, Digital Streaming

Genres:

Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Country, Disco/Dance, Folk, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, Rock

Tags:

Celia Cruz, Clodagh Rodgers, Jimi Jamison, Madonna, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Basho, Sabrina Carpenter, The Head and the Heart

The Weekend Stream: April 25, 2026

April 25, 2026 by The Second Disc | 1 Comment

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. Some of our favorites lead this pack: an archival Prince single, a new Duran Duran song, a vintage George Michael EP, outtakes from The Beach Boys, demos from Andy Partridge – and plenty more where that came from. Prince, “With This Tear” (NPG/Legacy) (Apple / Amazon) Last Tuesday, the 10th anniversary of Prince’s death, The Artist’s estate released the latest posthumous…

Categories:

The Weekend Stream

Formats:

Digital Download, Digital Streaming

Genres:

Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Disco/Dance, Jazz, Latin, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock, Soundtracks

We’re Havin’ a Freak Out! “Zappa ’66,” Due in May, Relaunches Vaulternative Records

April 22, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 4 Comments

Frank Zappa’s archival label Vaulternative Records was launched in 2002 by the late artist’s family to present a variety of fascinating odds and ends from his voluminous archive. Now, after a near-decade-long hiatus, Vaulternative is returning from Zappa Records and UMe to continue preserving the experimental side of the Zappa oeuvre. The newly-refreshed Vaulternative label launches on May 15 with Zappa ’66: Vol. 1 – Live at TTG Studios on one CD or two 180-gram LPs, or via digital download/streaming (including high-resolution audio) exclusively from Zappa.com, uDiscover Music, and Sound of Vinyl….

Categories:

News

Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Everything Else

Tags:

Frank Zappa

The Weekend Stream: April 18, 2026

April 18, 2026 by The Second Disc | 2 Comments

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. We’ve got a trove of new songs from old (and not-so-old) favorites to kick off your post-Record Store Day festivities, plus a load of rare, out-of-print and expanded titles across genres from country, jazz, prog and beyond. Madonna, “I Feel So Free” (Warner) (Apple / Amazon) Just over two decades after her triumphant Confessions on a Dance Floor – and seven years after…

Categories:

The Weekend Stream

Formats:

Digital Download, Digital Streaming

Genres:

Classic Rock, Disco/Dance, Jazz, Latin, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, Rock, Soundtracks

The Second Disc’s Guide to Record Store Day 2026

April 18, 2026 by The Second Disc | 1 Comment

Tomorrow, Record Store Day is once again upon us! And it wouldn’t be a RSD without The Second Disc chiming in with our annual RSD Guide featuring some of our favorite picks. As always, it wasn’t easy for us to narrow ’em down, so we’d like you to sound off on your hoped-for titles, too! Looking for the nearest shop? Visit RecordStoreDay.com in the U.S., RecordStoreDay.co.uk in the U.K., and RecordStoreDayCanada.ca in Canada for the complete list of participating stores. Without further ado, Mike, Joe, and Randy have a handful of the titles upon which…

Categories:

News

Formats:

Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Country, Disco/Dance, Folk, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, Rock, Soundtracks

Tags:

Ariana Grande, Brian Wilson, Carly Rae Jepsen, Crosby Stills and Nash, Cynthia Erivo, Doctor Who, Jeff Buckley, John Prine, Joni Mitchell, Leon Russell, Sheena Easton, Steely Dan, Stewart Copeland, T Rex, Todd Rundgren, Tony Bennett, Weezer, XTC

Release Round-Up: Week of April 17

April 17, 2026 by The Second Disc | No Comments

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available this week. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. a-ha, Analogue: 20th Anniversary Edition (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) The eighth album by Norwegian trio a-ha – the late-period triumph Analogue – is the band’s latest to be expanded and reissued by Rhino. Released for its 20th anniversary, the new Analogue package includes the newly remastered album alongside a B-side and three single mixes as well as a 17-track bonus disc of mostly previously unreleased demos and alternative…

Categories:

Release Round-Up

Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Jazz, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, Rap/Hip-Hop, Rock

Tags:

Beastie Boys, Jimmy Scott, John Prine, Oscar Peterson, Romeo Void, The Blasters, Todd Rundgren, a-ha

The Weekend Stream: April 11, 2026

April 11, 2026 by The Second Disc | 4 Comments

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. Another George Michael single is redelivered, XTC demos get delivered and a reinvented video game dance classic enters the arena – plus a whole lot of oddities and buried treasure from 1976! George Michael, Faith (Single) (Columbia/Legacy) (Apple / Amazon) The second of George Michael’s Faith singles to be delivered to digital with the original covers and B-sides is the effortlessly classic title…

Categories:

The Weekend Stream

Formats:

Digital Download, Digital Streaming

Genres:

Blues, Cast Recordings, Country, Electronic, Everything Else, Folk, Jazz, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock, Soundtracks

Tags:

Abbey Lincoln, Andre Kostelanetz, Andy Partridge, Aztec Two-Step, Cedar Walton, Chet Atkins, Danny Davis, David Gates, Earl Scruggs, Freddy Weller, Gary Stewart, George Michael, John Lee Hooker, Lea Michele, Lou Courtney, Lynn Anderson, Markolino Dimond, Tim Rice, XTC

The Weekend Stream: April 4, 2026

April 4, 2026 by Mike Duquette | 6 Comments

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. The elder British/Irish rock contingent is alive and well, with new music from U2, Peter Gabriel and Ringo Starr plus new remixes from Sting; there’s also quite a bit of country (from Jim Reeves and Ricky Skaggs to…Disney?) and jazz (Monk, Maynard and more) to go around. U2, Easter Lily EP (Island) (Apple / Amazon) More prolific (and present) than they’ve…

Categories:

The Weekend Stream

Formats:

Digital Download, Digital Streaming

Genres:

Cast Recordings, Classic Rock, Country, Disco/Dance, Gospel, Jazz, Popular Standards/Vocal, Rock

Tags:

Al Jarreau, Bola Sete, Cal Tjader, Claybourne Elder, Jim Reeves, Kristin Chenoweth, Led Zeppelin, Maynard Ferguson, Peter Gabriel, Ricky Skaggs, Ringo Starr, Stephen Schwartz, Sting, Thelonious Monk, U2

Happy Day: Book of Love’s Debut Turns 40, Receives New Vinyl Pressing from Rhino

April 1, 2026 by Joe Marchese | No Comments

Who wrote the Book of Love? On June 26, Rhino will revisit the debut from synth-pop pioneers Book of Love in a new 40th anniversary vinyl edition of their self-titled album which first hit stores on April 1, 1986. (No fooling!) The Philadelphia-formed, New York-based band – lead vocalist Susan Ottaviano and keyboardists/backing vocalists Ted Ottaviano (believe it or not, no relation!), Jade Lee, and Lauren Roselli (later Johnson) – shattered taboos with their frank songs about LGBTQ+ and outsider youths, set to throbbing electronic beats. Their debut LP, produced by Ivan…

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The Weekend Stream: March 28, 2026

March 28, 2026 by The Second Disc | 5 Comments

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. This week is delivering the goods: vintage George Michael mixes, Beach Boys rarities, new tracks from some of our favorite elder statesmen of pop and rock, and so much more in so many genres. George Michael, I Want Your Sex EP (Columbia/Legacy) (Apple / Amazon) There’s things that you guess and things that you know – but we honestly weren’t expecting this!…

Categories:

The Weekend Stream

Formats:

Digital Download, Digital Streaming

Genres:

Classic Rock, Country, Disco/Dance, Electronic, Folk, Holiday, Jazz, Pop, R&B/Soul, Reggae, Rock