Archive for August, 2008
Going His Own Way: Don Byron
Author: Anthony Medici
Don Byron is one of the most innovative and independent musicians on the jazz scene today. I hesitate to even call him a jazz musician because Byron really defies categorization, which is, I’m sure, how he likes it. Is Byron a jazz musican? Yes, sort of. A world music musician; yes, a little of that. A classical music performer; that too. Byron is all of that. A superb clarinetist and bass clarinetist (and a tenor sax player as well, although more on that later), Byron loves nothing more than to pose musical challenges, then going about solving them in his own way. Read the rest of this entry »
read comments (0)Two albums that are Miles ahead
Author: Dan Gephart
Within a few minutes of the On the Corner’s opening song On the Corner/New York Girl/Thinking One Thing and Doing Another, many of Miles Davis’ fans finally had enough. It was the most controversial of a very controversial period for an uncompromising Miles. Read the rest of this entry »
Faithful Friends: A Forgotten Sixties Gem
Author: Bob Bembridge
It was easy to have your album overlooked in 1969.
That was the year of Abbey Road, Let it Bleed, Volunteers, and debut albums by Blind Faith, Santana, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and the Allman Brothers. One overlooked gem that year was the New York Rock and Roll Ensemble’s “Faithful Friends…Flattering Foe.”
Scars On Broadway Leave Marks on System, Serj.
Author: Jeff Boule
Once upon a time there were four Armenian boys who formed one of modern rock’s heaviest bands. I am recalcitrant to say heavy metal, as, especially with Scars On Broadway, all these artists can play soft as well as heavy. But back to our four Armenian friends, they formed a band. One considerably older gentleman (Serj Tankian), and the very unusual bass playing style and sound of Shavo Odajian, and two childhood friends Daron Malakian and John Dolmayan.
Now the childhood buddies had very distinct ideas on how the music should sound. But so too did the older gentleman and the unusual player. Four opinions in one small band is toxic.
At the absolute pinnacle of their career, nothing could go better, they decide now is the time to split up and do solo things. So the older Serj went and did his the fastest. His came out first to modest fan/critical response. Next came the project of the buddies Malakian and Dolmayan.
It is easy to see that Shavo will have a tough act to follow.
The heavy dissonances, speedy beats, time/tempo changes, humorous lyrics, inventive keyboards, all belong to the Malakian/Dolmayan connection.
Because as Scars on Broadway, these guys got it dead to rights!!!
New Arrivals – Late August, 2008
Author: Brett
Greetings from Princeton Record Exchange,
Recently arrived:
Over 3,500 Hip-Hop and Soul 12″ singles and LPs!
Read the rest of this entry »
Spiritualized-Songs in A&E
Author: Steven
Jason Pierce of Spiritualized, even after a close brush with death, released a post-recovery album this year that has quickly become one of my favorites. It is, in fact, my go-to record after a trying day. Songs in A&E is a beautiful collection of poignant songs that, frankly, we are lucky to even have the opportunity to purchase given Pierce’s hospitalization and recovery process. This is one of the albums that one truly appreciates more after realizing the context in which it was written/finished/recorded. Most people will not really buy that last sentence, which is kind of unfortunate. Read the rest of this entry »
Stairway to Heaven at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Author: Anthony Medici
Through forces beyond my control, I found myself spending a WEEK in Cleveland a couple of weeks ago. Such a predicament could hardly be anticipated. You know the old joke, first prize is a week in Philadelphia; second prize is two weeks in Philadelphia. The Grand Prize must be a week in Cleveland. But honestly, it wasn’t all that bad. The weather was perfect (thank God my visit did not happen in mid-winter. I can only imagine the cold and snow blowing in off Lake Erie). I had business that kept me–well– busy, and the time eventually came for me to drive away from the affectionately (?) nicknamed “mistake by the lake.” But while I was in Cleveland, I took some time to visit the much-touted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (hereafter HOF), and this post contains my reflections on that visit, foremost among them: What the heck is the HOF doing in Cleveland!? Read the rest of this entry »
My hunch is that the vast majority of people reading this are not independently (or even dependently) wealthy. That means that most likely, we’re all looking for ways to get some impact out of the money we have in terms of everything, including music. While I didn’t plan it this way, I’ve had a lot of cool little music things happen over the last 12 days – and they’re all cheap. So why not share?
The King Is Dead, Long Live King Crimson – Nokia Theater, NYC, Aug. 16.
Author: Jeff Boule
Faithful readers have heard this from me before, but there is no more appropriate venue to bring forth this tired tidbit, this go-round of King Crimson is to herald the 40th anniversary of the Mighty Crim Beast. Not to promote an album, simply to celebrate the 40th year Robert Fripp has been sitting atop the throne of this massive monster. Read the rest of this entry »
Review of Invaders – Kemado Records
Author: John Linden
Something strange has been happening in a certain subgenre of metal in the past few years. It started, depending on who you ask, either with the release of Wolfmother’s self-titled album or The Sword’s debut Age of Winters. The subgenre was stoner rock, and the strange thing was it was becoming…hip. Yes, hip. Well, about as hip as any sort of metal can get, which is not very. Still, Austin’s The Sword getting signed to indie label Kemado was an eyebrow-raising move, to say the least. And yet it worked. Positive reviews came steamrolling in, and the quest to make stoner rock mainstream began. And that brings us to this compilation, which feels influential already. Read the rest of this entry »
All Points West? More like South…
Author: Jake Hyman
Those of us with festival experience – or should I say real festival experience – were wary about what to expect from the inaugural “All Points West Music and Arts Festival” in Jersey City, NJ. The venue was promising enough: Liberty State Park, the proverbial welcome mat for millions upon millions of immigrants during the late 1800s to the mid 1900s, has iconically timeless views of the Statue of Liberty and New York City skyline, which make up for what the park lacks in natural beauty (there are virtually no trees at all, and the grass runs from plentiful stabbing crabbiness to thin and balding). The “festival,” which did not involve any sort of camping option and had beer drinkers relegated to only five beers at three nonsensically placed tents from which no music could be seen or heard, was plagued by long transportation waits (the only viable options for 30,000 on each of the three days were the ferry from Manhattan or the Light Rail from Hoboken), and even longer entry lines of up to an hour once the more big-name bands started playing in the evening, giving the entire event the vibe of a crowded concert rather than a bustling festival.
Bands were given only one hour to play (plus or minus fifteen minutes), with a half-hour between acts for breaking down and setting up, which was more than enough time for the lower-tier of performers (see examples below). For the better bands (Radiohead aside, whose set ran for over two hours, but was still over in time for the early bird special at 11:00pm, whereas most festivals run until 3:00am), the set times were ludicrously short. Treating The Roots like an opening band by putting them on stage during the waning daylight hours of 7:15pm to 8:15pm is simply inappropriate. The Roots open for no one! They were barely warmed up by the end of the hour and seemed to have at least two more hours of performance left, since that’s what their normal shows entail. They are one of the premier musical performers on today’s scene and are widely accepted as the greatest live hip-hop band EVER. And All Points West relegated them to one hour, which led immediately into the 8:30pm Radiohead set. I was just as excited as anyone there to see Radiohead play, but making them the only band that plays for longer than one hour is just disrespectful to the other worthy acts. A more apt name for the APW would have been “Radiohead featuring the All Points West Music and Art Festival,” and not the other way around. They rightfully received top billing, but at the expense of a longer Roots performance. If acts were overlapping all day, as they are bound to do at festivals, why not give people the option of staying an extra hour with The Roots and cutting down the crowd for Radiohead? I still would’ve gone and paid homage to the musical gods, but many would have opted to stick with the kings of hip-hop.
Despite all of the unfestive logistical nightmares, the arts part of the “music and arts” festival was a smashing success. The tone that organizers were going for (AEG Live of Coachella and Rothbury fame) was one of environmental responsibility, a theme that I didn’t even know about until after the festival was over and Nate Chinen of the New York Times revealed that All Points West was “expressly full” of “environmental selling points.” All bitterness aside, that green goal, while virtually invisible and unpromoted, is what led to the relaxed and entertaining atmosphere inside the festival. There were water games and modern abstract sculptures galore, and before 5:00pm rolled around, when thousands of people started filing in, there was room to play frisbee and walk calmly from stage to stage. And it’s a good thing, because it was impossible not to want to wander.
The music was the most perplexing aspect of the entire affair. Saturday consisted of a few great acts (Radiohead, The Roots, Animal Collective, Sia) interspersed with a majority of mediocre-at-best artists (K’Naan, Nicole Atkins, Chromeo), which were all painfully bogged down by some that were simply unbearable (The Felice Brothers, Exit 105, Your Vegas). The former musicians were all saved for evening slots, which explains the mad rush to get in. The latter two groups, however, were arranged in ascending order by quality (because first is the worst), leaving that calm and pleasantly festivalish part of the day filled with lots of background music, but essentially devoid of any band truly worth sticking around for…hence my gratitude at the plethora of activities (frisbee, photography, art exploration, etc.) at my disposal. In true “festival” form, the pre-evening day was a lovely refuge from the usual hustle and bustle of living in or just outside of Manhattan.
Day and night at All Points West were polar opposites. They were like…well…like night and day. Once the front runners showed up — that is, those who paid $110 to go to a festival and just show up for the headliners — All Points West went South. Not musically, of course, because Radiohead and The Roots were in the line-up, but the calm, happy-go-luckiness of the first five hours vanished in a flash of Prada bags (did I just date myself, or are those still popular?) and Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses. Call me cynical (I am) or just plain bitter (I am NOT, you son of a bitch), but those New Yorkers turned my festival into a jam-packed concert, complete with requisite dirty looks, pushing, rubbing, yelling, and “fuck-off”s.
At other festivals, the crowds exude positivity (see my posts about Rothbury) and consideration for each other. Just by attending a festival together, all those in attendance foster a sense of community and belonging that only music can create. I did not find this at All Points West, and I would argue that any festival held in New York City (even via Jersey City) will be hard pressed to maintain that positivity. Most people who live in the greater New York area will counter that All Points West wasn’t like other festivals because Manhattan isn’t like any other city. I quite agree, but this time it wasn’t for the better.
Discovered Gem: Oregon “Together” with Elvin Jones
Author: Anthony Medici
I have only a glancing acquaintance with the group Oregon, although some of its members, like Ralph Towner are known to me. I suppose I’ve heard enough to be interested if not convinced. I invite Oregon fans to post to this blog entry and voice your thoughts about the group. My own initial impression is that the group had some interesting musical ideas, the overall result was a bit pallid and airless. Nevertheless, when I came across the Oregon LP “Together” (Vanguard, 1976) in a recent used LP foray, I was intrigued by the match up of master jazz drummer, Elvin Jones, with the group. If Oregon seemed pallid, Elvin was anything but, typically offering an explosion of power and drive. This, I thought, was a match up that was either a disaster or something special. Read the rest of this entry »
Conor Oberst making a new name for himself
Author: Dan Gephart
It’s time to drop the emo label, gang. Conor Oberst is no longer the indie wunderkid. He’s dropped the Bright Eye’s moniker, for now that is. And at 28 years old now, he’s one of the best folk-rock singer/songwriters we have. Oberst’s self-titled album is clearly one of the standout releases in this musical year so far — one whose lyrics will keep you coming back for more. Read the rest of this entry »
Classic Vocal Music inspired by Poetry
Author: Andy Sosnowski
This is the script for a 2 hour radio program I did on Sunday Aug 10 on WJFF 90.5 FM called Classics for Voice.
This show is in the archive for a few days if anyone wants to hear the show in full. Here is the link:
http://www.wjffradio.org/parchive/mp3/080810_220002voice.MP3
It’s That Time Of The Year!
Author: Dee
LIZZY BORDEN
Author: Leigh Silbernagel
BLAST from THE PAST: LIZZY BORDEN
Lizzy Borden was a mix of Motley Crue with Alice Cooper and some Iron Maiden riffage whose albums were released between 1984-1990. Albeit a large following on the West Coast, they never broke through commercially. The advent of the 90’s (a.k.a. the worst decade for music… ever) meant that the hard rock musical climate changed drastically and the over-the-top stage shows, and Lizzy Borden, became anachronistic. Read the rest of this entry »
Rock Band: Must Be Played To Be Remotely Understood
Author: Melissa
Hello, everyone! Today, for your reading pleasure, I will give an account of my brief encounter with pop culture. That is, pop culture that is actually still popular at the time of the encounter: participation in the Rock Band video game.
Okay, there’s something I must admit: the reason I don’t usually deal with popular entertainment is because I have seen it get very addicting, especially in technology. First it’s this gidget, then it’s that gadget. As soon as you get your iPod, you have to ditch it to get an iPhone, which you must immediately use to locate the nearest store selling iPhone 3G’s. At least the Harry Potter books always operated properly and never crashed! True, there are some of you out there who have been able to restrain, but unfortunately, I have never met you. Regardless, I’m not hear to scold those with the love of expensive, hi-tech toys. I am hear to tell a tale!!
As, I was saying, my story begins innocently. A friend I hadn’t seen in a while called and asked if we could meet at my house. After a few rounds of pool, she asks, “Melissa, have you ever played Rock Band?”
“No,” I said. “But I’ve heard of it. Why?”
“Oh, because the girl up the street just got it and we need a guitarist. I was wondering, since you play guitar, if you would be interested.” I said I was interested. We then went to the girl’s house and thus began my adventure with relevant culture.
Most wouldn’t argue when I said walking into that basement is like walking into a Best-Buy. Shelves of DVDs and video games sit next to a huge flat-screen television, there is one computer for every family member, and there is not one, not two, but FIVE guitar-shaped controller-thingies, six counting the one for Guitar Hero for Wii.
I must now admit something else…putting the strap of one of those controllers over my head and getting ready to play was one of the more frightening experiences I have had in my short life. I guess it scared because had never even touched a game controller. What if I stunk at this game? What if they found my inexperience uncool? (Please do not ask me why I sweat silly stuff like whether or not I’m “cool”!( It turned out be in vain, anyway. On the first try, I got an 84% accuracy grade and the title of “Energy Grabber”.
Anyone whose played the game has said the controller and actual guitars are very different, and I see what they mean. The controller’s method of using buttons for notes instead of frets and strings makes it definitely easier to play, but the difficulty is not lower by much at all. It was a pleasant surprise to note that a certain amount of familiarity with rhythm was needed, particularly on tracks like Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ”Dani California”. I did very well for a first time, but was only was able to stay on medium level for a small bit of time. Apparently, adding an extra button can throw you off more than I thought.
All in all, it was an interesting glimpse at the world of relevant culture. I enjoyed it very much. However, I do not want to hear “Are You Gonna Be My Girl?” ever again!
See Ya!
Rose Hill Drive – Moon is the New Earth
Author: John Linden
In this Boulder, Colorado trio we have a strange case. They are a band who has radio-ready songs but is on an indie label. They are a band who are steeped in classic rock tradition but not bound by it. They are a band who, unlike most of their peers–if these boys even have true contemporaries–craft original, thoughtful songs and then play them like the bastard children of Cream and Led Zeppelin. Sign me up. Read the rest of this entry »
Thinking About: Oscar Brown Jr.
Author: Anthony Medici
There has always been a relative paucity of male jazz singers. This is one area of jazz where women dominate. The only male jazz singer today who commands my respect, if not always my appreciation, is Kurt Elling. His “Man in the Air” is masterful, and leagues above what any other male jazz singer is doing. Elling’s respect to Mark Murphy is admirable; his infatuations with Jon Hendricks is less well-advised. But Elling is generally adenturesome and often fearless, and for that, he is worthy of respect and attention. Most others are to busy trying to channel Sinatra. In any event, this blog post is about another master jazz vocalist, Oscar Brown Jr. Brown died a few years ago, and I am afraid may already be slipping into relative obscurity. Not for lack of talent; more likely for an abundance of political consciousness. Read the rest of this entry »
On second thought … Marah, Blitzen Trappen, Ian Hunter
Author: Dan Gephart
One of my all-time favorite albums is Los Lobos’ Kiko, a wonderful rootsy-bluesy Tex-Mex blend. Rather than follow their biggest hit La Bamba with something else chart-ready, they went all experimental. And it resulted in their best album.
But at first, I didn’t like it.