Eddie Allen is a busy man these days. Last month I reviewed the veteran jazz trumpeter's new album as the leader of a large band called the Aggregation . That effort was a solid collection of big-band music, and the band was - well - big, with something like 17 members. Now Eddie is fronting a smaller group and joining the current explosion of seasonal music with Jazzy Brass For The Holidays. Eddie also produced the album, which is now out on the DBCD label. As you might expect from the [...]
MUSIC NEWS - Gibson Guitar's factory in Nashville, TN was raided this week by local police and federal agents over the company's alleged use of rainforest wood used in the manufactuing of its' guitars. The agents seized wood, guitars, computers and boxes from the Gibson facitity. Reports are that the factory was searched under the Lacey Act, which attempts to tackle the trafficking of illegal wildlife, plants and fish. The search, carried out by the Fish and Wildlife Service, was to look for the use of rosewood that has been illegally harvested [...]
It's always cringe-worthy when two brands that are "so last year" find each other. Witness, Jennifer Lopez 's brand-new single "Louboutins." (Stream it below.) I guess J. Lo has decided she's a singer again - just when she was in danger of being best known for her line of department-store fragrances! In a song that will make its live debut Sunday, on the American Music Awards, Lopez channels Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" via Beyonce's pop girl-power anthems. Except, well, she just doesn't have the voice to nail it. The track is a miracle [...]
J. Tillman took the stage at the Middle East Upstairs for a late show on Sunday night. But then again, it was only 8pm in Seattle, the west-coast town that this drummer from Fleet Foxes calls home. The performance was a family affair, with J. Tillman's brother Zach opening as a solo act called Pearly Gates Music . Zach Tillman offered us a stripped-down version of his already sparse style: leaving behind all unnecessary instruments, he came to us as one man and a guitar crooning blues and covering Pavement's "Shoot [...]
Here is the final installment of our unscientific, should-not-be-used-for-news-an d-reporting-purposes survey results. As you probably know by now, the following answers were culled from a variety of people in the arts, music and entertainments communities. The last question we asked them was: How do you think we'll listen to music ten years from now? Our respondents' answers ranged from silly to philosophical to downright Sci-Fi! We hope you enjoy reading them. And thanks so much to everyone who took the time to participate. Douglas Wolk, writer: [...]
Here is the final installment of our unscientific, should-not-be-used-for-news-an d-reporting-purposes survey results. As you probably know by now, the following answers were culled from a variety of people in the arts, music and entertainments communities. The last question we asked them was: How do you think we'll listen to music ten years from now? Our respondents' answers ranged from silly to philosophical to downright Sci-Fi! We hope you enjoy reading them. And thanks so much to everyone who took the time to participate. Douglas Wolk, writer: [...]
The recession still got a grip on your pockets to where Nytol isn't in the budget?, Well, if you tuned into the fraternity of late-night hosts this week as they ran through monologues and musical guests, some of that mindless dribble might have put you to sleep while some of it might have also been the reason why you were rocking bags under your eyes like they were made by Gucci. Here are a few highlights and not-so-highlights from the week that was. 50 Cent - Jimmy Kimmel Live!, November 18 [...]
MP3: Béla Fleck and the Flecktones - Sunset Road , Live at Vicar Street (Dublin) on Nov 4 2009 ( Live Music Archive ) Let me be plain: you have never seen anything like Béla Fleck and the Flecktones . This latest string of US dates is sometimes billed as a reunion of the founding lineup (the first in 18 years), but that's only technically true. The Flecktones have toured extensively over the past two decades, but only now are rejoined by "the Tall, Thin Flecktone," piano and [...]
by joel chaffee (picture by daniel boud) Sherlock's Daughter , with all five musicians playing or otherwise cavorting sound from their instruments, were very loud. The November 19 show at Pianos in Manhattan was intense with volume. Given that these deafening adventures were intermingled with vocals both delicate and dominating, and melodies as catchy as a cold, there were no complaints. [...]
Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9) seem to have no desire to slow down its output of material. Following last year's Peaceblaster and a remix album to boot, the electronic jam band has returned with its latest record, Ad Explorata. The album is due to drop on December 8th through 1320 Records . The five-piece group, famous for combining live instruments with electronic music, has posted an entry on the weirdly, offbeat development of its latest project on its website. Basically, the whole process started when keyboardist David Phipps' [...]
I don't like to toot my own horn too much (this is a lie), but I know a thing or two about biking (this is also a lie). I biked across these United States several years ago, and I learned a valuable lesson: 95% of this country is boring as shit. No, seriously. Do you remember driving across Iowa when you were a kid, finding entertainment only in drawing boundary lines with your brother in the backseat, the threat of war constantly a slight breach of fingertips away? Try biking that shit. My point is, of [...]
On Wed night, I headed down to South Philly's Ava House to see Bomb The Music Industry on their "Bring Your Own Band" tour. On this tour, Jeff reverted back to BTMI olden days, where he would go on tour with just an MP3 player, and anybody who wanted to play along could bring their instruments. Unfortunately I did not have a kazoo or a triangle to play along.Curtis IrieWhen I walked in, Curtis
It's 11:30pm, and Maluca has just finished her set at The Fader's One Step Beyond Party at the Natural History Museum. If you think there would be any signs that the New York native was tired after a dynamic set, you'd be sorely mistaken. Known for her uniquely fast musical delivery, the Bronx cumbia songstress is a ball of energy, talking quickly about everything from jobs cutting limes to where her music is headed. With a nod on the recent URB: 25 NOW! Artists to [...]
Bruce Springsteen. The Boss. The musician who single-handedly put New Jersey on the map in terms of music. He's responsible for some of the most critically acclaimed albums throughout the history of rock. The most famous of these albums arguably is 1975's Born to Run . Yet, despite the fame of this record, I've never any songs from it. Alright, maybe that's a slight exaggeration. I'm pretty sure I've heard all of "Born to Run" and parts of other well-known tracks, like "Thunder Road" and [...]
Canadian hip hop and Spanish indie rock, all in one week?! Yes, we're asking you to open your minds, but we're rewarding you with exquisite treats. Spain's Boat Beam first came to our attention due to a collaboration they did with another great Spanish band called Havalina. The real treat came when we listened to their debut record, Puzzle Shapes. Beautiful female vocals wrapped around a deluge of sounds and instruments that come together to create brilliant quirky, pop songs. This is how pop should sound in our world. Josephine from Boat Beam took [...]
The Gregg Rolie Band Rain Dance (Limited Edition) Review by Nightwatcher Forty years ago, in a muddy pasture, part of a dairy farm in the rural town of Bethel, New York, the original Santana band performed a show stopping set at the legendary Woodstock Music and Arts Festival. Stunning the 500,000 plus in attendance with their unique, visionary blend of heavy blues based guitar rock melded with Latin rhythms, it was one of the highlights of the event, serving to help catapult the young musical collective to instant stardom. Four decades may have passed [...]
" evitative " is the brand new album from one of my favorite collegiate a cappella groups u penn off the beat . off the beat has been praised among the a cappella community for their innovative qualities and always pushing the envelope. each year the group comes out with an album of tracks you'd never thought would be able to be done a cappella. don't be fooled by the production, all sounds on the album originated from human voices. while the vocals have been obviously altered with digital effects, no digital or live instruments were sampled. i've had [...]
Elvis Perkins In Dearland w/ A.A. Bondy Mercy Lounge, Nashville, TN Tuesday, November 17, 2009 If you were at the Mercy Lounge Tuesday night, you never would have guessed that Nashville had been experiencing sunshine and 75 degree temperatures just two days earlier. It seemed like everyone in attendance had spent the indian summer weekend digging their winter clothes out of the back of the closet. Every other person was wearing either a sweater, scarf, knit hat, or some combination of the [...]
Colorado's Monolith Festival is in trouble. Organizers of the three-year-old event, plagued the past two years by fractious Rocky Mountain weather, told fans in an e-mail "the future of the festival is very grim," and that they have "been unable to secure any options" that dig the fest out of its financial hole. Included was a plea for potential buyers/investors. [Full text of the letter after the jump.] Meanwhile, Bonnaroo announced its ninth annual event will be held June 10-13, 2010, near Manchester, Tenn. Tickets go on sale at noon Nov. 27. Meanwhile, only 148 days [...]
Puscifer's " V is for Viagra " tour came to the historic Moore Theater in Seattle on November 12, 2009, an intimate setting with a little over 1,400 seats. SweetHead opened the evening with eight songs, most of them sounding identical. The lead singer has a great gravelly voice a la Kim Carnes, but she shouts through her songs and needs work on her stagecraft. Maynard James Keenan appeared on a large video screen inside a tent, appearing to be confused that he was still in Seattle. [...]
![Jennifer Lopez (Lola) - Louboutins [Download]](http://cache.elbo.ws/youtube/EMhyvVn3aRo_130.jpg)
WKND PLYLST!! This has nothing to do with NEW MOON!
Vampire Weekend - Cousins
HOT CHIP TAKE another crack at IT and I’m IN
The Beach House Theory of 2k10.
Megan Fox New York Times Magazine Outtake Photos
