There was never really any question which album Pitchfork would pick as its #1 of the 2000s. However, a predictable conclusion to their countdown shouldn't distract from the merits of the winner, Radiohead's Kid A. As the follow-up to their massively successful OK Computer, Kid A's glitchy electro beats and spacey reverb washes elicited mixed reaction at best. Suffice to say, fans and critics
Woke up this morning and realized I haven't done bupkiss on The Cure yet. So today's feature is The Lovecats , Robert Smith's big wag of a middle finger to his gothic past, making 1983 year zero for The Cure's new pop path. As you can imagine this song makes for easy bedfellows with jazz, so first up is future Jazz/Broken Beat renaissance man Nik Weston and his side project West/Rock/Woods who rewires Lovecats into a Cal TJader-ish number. Won't lie to you, really dig the Paul Anka version as well, [...]
Thankfully there's not a whole lot artists who play Radiohead 's Everything in it's Right Place straight. Perhaps it's the minimal lyric content and the slowly building crescendo that makes it attractive for both jazz musicians, like today's Brad Mehldau and Robert Glasper and classical musicians, like Christopher O'Riley and Vitamin C's The String Quartet Tribute . Downtempo/House/Future Jazz artist Osunlade (with Erro) comes close to giving Tom & Co. a run for their money with his version. What starts out as big drums blazing UNKLE track blossoms [...]
Best. Best. Best. So, not a huge post today because when I'm not working, I'm applying for jobs, but here's some of the ultra-best things I've seen/heard in the past few days. (And, I promise, I'll try not to descend too deeply into OMG I NEED A JOB angst too badly. Because I also have OMG I HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF angst and OMG WE NEED AN APARMENT angst too. I'll be sure to spare you from that as much as possible.) Tonight's event should be fun, a cocktail hour for the Austin Lyric Opera's ARIA [...]
Jesus H! It's taken about 40 hours for me to make this post now that Blogger Beta is making things CRAZY!!! Orchestre National de Jazz "Black Dog" (Led Zeppelin cover) From their all-Zeppelin tribute Close to Heaven . The String Quartet Tribute "A Favor House Atlantic" (Coheed and Cambria cover) Before you die, there will be a String Quartet Tribute to you. Siouxsie and the Banshees [...]
Some of you might know that I have a soft spot for listening to string quartet versions of popular songs but what you don't know is that I also love 90's-era girl power songs. Whether it be Shania Twain singing "Man, I Feel Like A Woman" or Gwen Stefani singing "Just A Girl", you can't really deny the power of a free-thinking female singer-songwriter behind the microphone. Here's four popular 90's songs from the String Quartet Tribute series sung by female artists. Not all are exactly girl power material (I'm looking at you, Mariah) but they all [...]
Cover Me
Versions Galore
The Rich Girls are Weeping
Copy, Right?
Music For Kids Who Can't Read Good
Neutral Milk Hotel- Aeroplane Over the Sea
Bison - Quill
SABRINA JOHNSTON + TIEFSCHWARTZ
American Idol Finalists: where are they now?
