The News Review:
- Whole Albums in Concert – Music – Report – New York Times
- Music of the Hemispheres
- Best Music of 2006.
- The Year of the ther
- Artists of all ages dazzle in iPod/YouTube era.
- Kitty Empire on Entrance | Mastodon | m | James Blackshaw | Music |…
- Eyes on entertainers
Whole Albums in Concert – Music – Report – New York Times
New York Times – Dec 31, 2006
Newer albums are aired out as well: Iron Maiden is performing its latest offering “A Matter of Life and Death” on its current world tour. Such shows tend to receive positive critical attention but the current transformation of the music marketplace suggests that albums are being presented onstage because they’re becoming museum-ified relics. As digital downloading changes the way music is consumed could the album be going live because it’s dead?Maybe the album’s dead; but then maybe it isn’t. It’s become a commonplace that albums are losing their authority as artistic entities as an increasing number of people buy music song by song via services like iTunes. So playing an album live helps artists regain a modicum of creative control. The experience is like listening to a playlist but this time (as earlier) it’s the musicians and producers themselves who are devising it. What’s curious is that the same changes in music consumption that are hurting the album are helping to keep it alive… In the tours that followed its 2003 reunion for instance the funk-metal group Primus played “Sailing the Seas of Cheese” (1991) and “Frizzle Fry” (1990) in their entirety. “It was an interesting way of presenting material that for a good portion of our fans held a dear place” said Les Claypool that band’s bassist-singer underlining the allure of LP recreation for both audience and musicians. Many of the younger bands invited by Don’t Look Back a series created in 2005 by the ultra-hip British festival All Tomorrow’s Parties come from punk’s song-oriented rebellion. For them the impetus seems slightly different since they already tend to do well enough on the live circuit and playing an album live does not suddenly vault them into larger venues. In their case what’s at stake is the opportunity for the press and the fans to evaluate (or re-evaluate) a particular album’s place in underground-music history. In other words a Sonic Youth concert is merely a Sonic Youth concert unless say it’s a performance of “Daydream Nation” as part of Don’t Look Back. Then it would be an event prompting reams of ink and quite a few blog entries.
Music of the Hemispheres
New York Times – Dec 31, 2006
“Pop musicians compose with timbre” he said. “Pitch and harmony are becoming less important. ” “Listen to this” Daniel Levitin said. “What is it?” He hit a button on his computer keyboard and out came a half-second clip of music… Ultimately scientists say his work offers a new way to unlock the mysteries of the brain: how memory works how people with autism think why our ancestors first picked up instruments and began to play tens of thousands of years ago. LEVITIN originally became interested in producing in 1981 when his band a punk outfit called the Mortals went into the recording studio. None of the other members were interested in the process so he made all the decisions behind the board. “I actually became a producer because I saw the producers getting all the babes” he said. “They were stealing them from the guitarists. ” He dropped out of college to work with alternative bands.
Best Music of 2006.
Free with registration – Richmond Times-Dispatch – AccessMyLibrary.com – Dec 31, 2006
2 on the Billboard year-end chart). Instead yet another “American Idol” grad the wholesome-turned-somewhat-vampy Carrie Underwood had the top draw with her “Some Hearts” album which actually bowed in November 2005. Here’s a look at some of the best music from. CPYRIGHT 2006 Richmond Times-Dispatch.
The Year of the ther
The Age – Dec 31, 2006
Mirroring the rising popular frustration with right-wingpolitics war mongering and sexual conservatism musical tastes areshifting to the alternatives – towards previously unheard voicesunsung songs and unknown countries. Musically it looks as if 2007 is shaping up to be the Year ofthe ther. Take a look at the annual Cool List in British music ragNME not generally the most reliable source for musicaltrend-spotting but remarkable this year for the fact that for thefirst time ever its top 10 includes as many female performers asit does male. And topping the list above the likes of Jarvis Cocker LilyAllen Karen of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Radiohead’s Thom Yorkeis an overweight lesbian singer from the Deep South named BethDitto. Next year will most likely see a further explosion of Dittomania as her fiery garage soul band the Gossip recently signed arecord deal with Sony (after four albums for US indie label KillRock Stars). The outspoken frontwoman has all the vocal power of a young EttaJames and the explosive personality to match. The title track ofthis year’s album Standing in the Way of Control (releasedlocally on Popfrenzy Records) rails against American politicalattitudes to gay marriage and Ditto recently provoked conservativeoutrage when she blamed high school shootings on a lack of supportfor teenagers’ needs… riginally released on asmall US label the album was recently picked up by hugelyinfluential British label 4AD. Further experiences of the ther can be found in explorations ofhorror or psychedelia which have both been growing musical themesin recent times. For years hugely popular emo bands such as MyChemical Romance and the Used have been appropriating thefright-night aesthetics of B-grade horror and old black-and-whitescience-fiction movies basically ransacking the visual imageryfirst used by Glenn Danzig’s schlock punk band the Misfits in thelate ’70s. The logical extension of this approach can be seen in the formof spindly legged London group the Horrors five waifish teenageboys who slather on the nightmare schtick along with theirpanda-eye make-up but play in a rawer rockier style more akin tothe Strokes or the White Stripes. The Horrors also borrow heavilyfrom Nick Cave dressing like wannabe Bad Seeds members whilereconfiguring the Birthday Party’s Gothic garage for the 21stcentury. Their first single is the ghoulish Ramones’ tributeSheena Is a Parasite and they have a debut album due nextyear with production duties handled by another spiritualgodfather Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The retro psychedelia of our own Wolfmother represents asimilarly calculating leap into the ther placing them at a trendvanguard while clearly taking inspiration from the mystic past.
Artists of all ages dazzle in iPod/YouTube era.
Free with registration – News & bserver – AccessMyLibrary.com – Dec 31, 2006
” The rest of the list was no easier. There was plenty of great music out there mind you maybe more than ever. What follows is a traditional list of top-10 albums plus a top-10 for viral music which spread like flu via the Web. Albums In rank order: 1. Bob Dylan “Modern Times” (Columbia).
Kitty Empire on Entrance | Mastodon | m | James Blackshaw | Music |…
The bserver – Dec 31, 2006
These guys perform an infinitely more important function. perating at the limits of reason and listenability they peek into the void so that we don’t have to. Busking most assiduously between the here and the beyond is LA’s Guy Blakeslee who makes music as Entrance. He’s a left-handed guitarist in some thrall to Jimi Hendrix who wears bells strapped to his ankles and his fourth album Prayer of Death is a feral hippie ode to the end of life. As mischievous as it is transcendent Prayer f Death takes in the blues Indian influences and great big swathes of psychedelia. Perfect for cremations self-immolations and speeding recklessly down highways. Death also stalks Blood Mountain this year’s metal masterpiece by Atlanta’s Mastodon… Death also stalks Blood Mountain this year’s metal masterpiece by Atlanta’s Mastodon. Like another album with ‘blood’ in the title Slayer’s Reign in Blood this is an instant classic transcending the kind of knee-jerk pooh-poohing metal habitually receives from polite society. The casual listener will not care that Mastodon fuse stoner rock hardcore punk speed metal and prog. The salient facts are these: it is loud very exciting frequently awesome and sonically groundbreaking in a genre that prefers its ground intact. m’s Conference of the Birds is what happens when headbanging turns to nodding having contemplated the structure of the universe. The Bay Area duo’s second album consists of two mantric dirges in which bass drums and vocals subtly shift around. No come back! Bluesy intense and involving Conference of the Birds is far more than the sum of its stark parts.
Eyes on entertainers
Malaysia Star – Dec 31, 2006
Who are the people on the home front to watch out for next year? Let’s take a look. Noryn’s immediate attention is on her debut album Alam Maya which is produced by local jazz veteran Michael Veerapen and his son Daniel. Azmyl Yunor 29 THE co-founder of Troubadours Enterprise has helped to build a DIY network of singer-songwriter events including the two-day KL Sing Song Festival. Azmyl is also finalising his much-anticipated debut album due out in the first quarter of 2007. Jerome Kugan 31 JERME made the news with his “mini musical” songs on the Lelaki Komunis Terakhir movie soundtrack but the electro-centric singer-songwriter is planning bigger things with his debut album in 2007… Bittersweet WITH admirable flash and panache Klang Valley quintet Bittersweet has managed to bring sartorial style and rock’n'roll swagger to the local indie scene. With their natty Burberry scarves and obligatory dark shades Herri and the boys certainly look the part of rock saviours. The rip-roaring punk-pop ditties on their debut long player A Perfect Match also show that the band has the musical chops to back up the hype. Couple THESE guys are not exactly new kids on the block in the indie scene but having released a strong contender for local English indie album of 2006 in the glorious Top of the Pop one can only hope that world domination beckons for Malaysia’s premier power poppers. The future looks bright for this Ipoh outfit. Lim Yu Zhong 28 CURRENTLY the hottest new Malaysian singer in Taiwan the chappie is set to release his second album next month which will feature a duet with local diva Sheila Majid.