Songlist: Uptown Funk, Take Me To Church, Free Fallin' / Free Bird, Human, I Choose You, 25 or 6 To 4, Moves Like Jagger, Dear Future Husband / Run Around Sue

Talisman was founded in 1989 to bring African and African-American music to the Stanford University community. 12 years later they've expanded musically to include traditional songs ranging in origin from India and Ireland to the songs of Apache and Tuscarora tribes. "Passage," their fifth CD, takes them full circle back to the music of Africa, blending urban soul with contemporary African rhythms. There are 16 songs here, from songs sung in native dialects like "Akwaba" and "E Hatta A Beta Apebba," to traditional spirituals like "Beulah," "This Little Light of Mine" and "Eyes On The Prize," this is all great, soulful stuff. A particular favorite is "Going Home," a Hawaiian celebration of eternal strength and love. Some accompaniment by African drums. Beautiful liner notes with words and pictures

Songlist: Akwaba, Human, Beulah, Sixolele Baba, Famine Song, Soon Ah Will Be Done, E Hatta A Beta Apebba, Rafiki, Go, Tell it on the Mountain, Pata Pata!, This Little Light of Mine, Kube, Eyes on the Prize, Woza Mfana, Going Home, Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing

Tonic Sol-fa's Greg, Shaun, Jared and Mark have been blowing us away with their sweet leads and buttery harmonies since 1996, when they released the first of many winners in the PAC catalog. Touring extensively and playing to sold-out audiences, TSF are high on our short list of most exciting Contemporary groups. Twenty one is a rich collection of 11 tunes, most of them beautifully arranged covers, but two of our favorites are originals written by group members Greg and Shaun, "Rest Your Head" and "Southern Guitars." "Other favorites include "99 Problems," "I Need a Dollar," the Killers' "Human," Rollins and Barton's lovely "Wrapped Around You," Dorff & Altman's "Butch Cassidy," Jen Foster's "Secondhand Love" Tom Petty's "Learning to Fly" and Dorff & Kaz' marriage song "Do You." We love Tonic's yummy background harmonies, solid vocal percussion and powerful leads. "Twenty one" is good stuff from first cut to the last by one of our longtime favorite veteran quartets!

Songlist: I Need A Dollar, Do You?, Rest Your Head, 99 Problems, Secondhand Love, Once Before I Go, Human, Southern Guitars, Wrapped Around You, Butch Cassidy, Learning To Fly