This week sees the release two seemingly disparate albums influenced by Africa. One by the most hyped indie acts in some time, as Vampire Weekend release their self-titled debut of wholly likable afro-pop. At the other end of the spectrum is the prog-rock assault of The Mars Volta , who's latest is far less agreeable, for both good and bad. Meanwhile, there's other gems in the stream to mine, with new releases from The Helio Sequence , Radar Bros. , Xiu Xiu , Ida , Louis XIV and [...]
This weeks seems to be the first "big one" of the year 2008, with a lot of excellent new releases from both experienced and new comer artists. The clear highlight is " The Bedlam in Goliath " by The Mars Volta , which is already shaping up as a contender for best album of the year. List nerds should bookmark this, so they don't forget it at the end of the year. A pop icon of the '80s Joe Jackson is also releasing a new album this week, his 24th actually, titled " Rain ," while another [...]
The eclectic pianist/songwriter delivers a treat -- ten perfectly crafted pop songs that recall his best work or maybe are his best work.
I didn't really get into Joe Jackson until a few years ago. For the longest time, I just knew him as the guy who came between Janet and Michael Jackson every year when MTV would play its entire video catalog alphabetically by artist. Then I found Jackson's Night & Day , from 1982, in the bargain bin at the used CD store for $2.50, and I became a fan. That record is basically Rufus Wainwright's Poses , released 20 years earlier. I haven't listened to much of Joe's stuff since then, [...]
El gran Joe Jackson vuelve con un nuevo disco cinco años después de publicar su anterior trabajo en estudio. Rain es el nombre del álbum, que saldrá a la venta el próximo 29 de enero. Ha sido grabado en Berlín, ciudad en la que reside actualmente y le acompañan Graham Maby y Dave Hougton, dos de los miembros de la clásica Joe Jackson Band. Invisible Man es una de sus canciones. * Joe Jackson-Invisible Man
Legendary English musician Joe Jackson is set to release Rain on January 29, his first album in almost four years and his latest release featuring the original rhythm section from the Joe Jackson Band. Jackson is generally best known for his hit songs "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" and "Stepping Out". Rain is [...]
Dear friends, I've got a migraine that won't go away and a tiredness like a waterside suicide. I have no energy, all I can do in my off hours is sprawl on the couch and watch endless hours of bad TV*. It was there, watching Idol, that I caught One More Time being used in a car commercial. How fitting! I've been putting this song on car mixes since adolescence, it's all motion and strife.
Who says you can't mingle classical with punk? Furthermore, who says you have to have a guitar if you're going to release music as a band? Joe Jackson takes being original to a new level with his new album, Rain which releases on January 29, 2008. His style and sound have come a long way since 1979 when his debut album, Look Sharp , released on A&M Records. You might recognize his first hit single, "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" I love that song and [...]
I love music, and I love reading. I love a few other things, too, but when music and reading can go hand-in-hand, those other things can take a back seat for awhile. One of the treasures in my literature library is a A Cure for Gravity , by musician Joe Jackson (he of Look Sharp and " Steppin ' Out"). The book is "a musical pilgrimage" about growing up and growing out: from his youth in an English port town [...]
The Bosch : "Back to Reality" [mp3] other Bosch music blog posts: @lhb @hype @elbo.ws Carrie Biell : one track [mp3] other Carrie Biell music blog posts: @lhb @hype @elbo.ws The Heavy Circles : "Henri" [mp3] from The Heavy Circles (out February 12th) other Heavy Circles music blog posts: @lhb @hype [...]
2007 must have felt like the honeymoon to an exceptionally long engagement for Bishop Allen. After poking around for a label to call their own, they released 12 EPs in 2006 before signing to the newly formed label Dead Oceans. Now Bishop Allen and the Broken String is in stores ...
"Hey, can you hear me now, as I fade away," Joe Jackson asks nobody in particular at the outset of Invisible Man , the lead track of Rain (available on Ryko January 29, 2008). The song's somber rumination of the fleeting nature of fame (and life?) is undercut by dignified piano and a catchy refrain, but this is a subject Jackson is uniquely qualified to tackle. Nearly 30 years has passed since he burst onto the scene with the staggering one-two angry pop punch of [...]
Photo by Craig "CraSH" Hattori Toots and the Maytals' songs span and define the evolution of modern Jamaican music. Bob Marley's connection to marijuana culture puts him on all the posters, but it was The Maytals that are actually believed to be the first group to have used the word "reggae" in a song. Not enough to convince you of their worth? The Maytals hold the record for the largest number of number one hits in Jamaica, with 31 to their [...]
Joe Jackson returns with a new album on January 29th called Rain and we couldn't be happier. Recorded in Berlin and mixed in New York, the album features ten new songs and the band consists of just Joe on piano and vocals with the rhythm section of the original Joe Jackson Band: Graham Maby on bass and vocals and Dave Houghton on drums and vocals. And if there was any doubt, it's classic Joe. But
Joe Jackson returns with a new album on January 29th called Rain and SVB couldn't be happier. Recorded in Berlin and mixed in New York, the album features ten new songs and the band consists of just Joe on piano and vocals with the rhythm section of the original Joe Jackson Band: Graham Maby on bass and vocals and Dave Houghton on drums and vocals. And if there was any doubt, it's classic Joe. But as a fan, all of his projects have been classic Joe. Here's a song from the [...]
Leave it to the ageless David Bowie to look stunning in a mug shot. The Smoking Gun dug up a picture of Ziggy taken in March 1976 after a show in Rochester, New York. The crime? Felony possession of herbal jazz (right, pot). Via The Smoking Gun : Bowie, 29 at the time, was nabbed along with Iggy Pop and two other codefendants at a Rochester hotel following a Saturday concert. Bowie was held in the Monroe County jail for a few hours before being released. The Rochester Police Department mug shot was taken three days after Bowie's arrest, [...]
So Radiohead hosted a party yesterday (hosted, get it?). Everybody was invited, but not everybody could get in -- or get online, as it were. But here's some good news for those who found the party crashed due to tech/bandwith issues, here's a replay. Here's Part One: Entanglement, featuring a reworking of "Harrowdown Hill." It's got a beat and Thom can dance to it. After the jump comes Part Two, in which Radiohead becomes the world's best Björk cover band.
This spunky guitar-free jam from Joe Jackson's forthcoming Rain tells the story of the man, King Pleasure -- "show respect, get on your knees, you can't reject his right to please." If that's not hardcore enough, he laughs while dancing on folks' ashes and wants to overthrow the politicos. So, yeah, "King Pleasure Time" is much different than Hammer time. Wonder if anyone's going out with him? Okay, enough bad Joe Jackson puns: Great to hear dude steppin' out again, laying down a tight piano-based ditty with an ultra rhythm section and skinny-tied new-wave-y chorus. [...]
One might think that I spent a ridiculous amount of time in front of my monitor this weekend, but I honestly didn't. I had a pretty productive weekend. I got the majority of my place packed and ready for my move. I took care of all the mail forwarding, UHaul renting, and other bullshit I could at the moment. It felt good to get that stuff out of the way. I've always wanted to put together a mix of the metal covers that are floating around in my head from time to time. There are a million others, [...]
I've been thinking for a few weeks that I needed to post some Joe Jackson. His first two albums, Look Sharp! and I'm the Man , are among my all-time favorites. Both are filled with catchy songs containing just enough sneer to keep them from being too poppy. Several years ago I read Jackson's autobiography, "A Cure for Gravity." I learned Joe had studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. There, he studied composition, orchestration, and piano, while playing pop music in pubs to earn money. I mention this [...]
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