One of the surprise debuts of last year had to be Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... , a talk show featuring Costello pulling off the rare triple threat: host, performer and bandleader. Equal parts interview and jam session, the Sundance series relies upon Costello putting the artists at ease, getting even the prickliest of artists to open up and speak warmly about their influences. But, as Martin Mull once famously quipped, "talking about music is like dancing about architecture," and so it's the tremendous musical performances sprinkled throughout [...]
At the tour's request, we did not photograph the Swell Season. The photos are of the opening act Doveman. Since seeing the Swell Season 's fantastic performance at Berklee Performance Center, I've told several friends that I haven't seen "Once," the film that launched the duo of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová and their real-life romance. Each time, I get the same reaction: my friend puts a hand to her chest and a hand on my arm, looks me straight in the eye and says, "You must see 'Once.' It's [...]
Photography by Kira Can someone explain to me why a label would release a single & a video for a hot & hyped up band like Vampire Weekend, only to hire the Web Sheriff to make sure nobody can share, hear, or watch the song or video, unless going through, I imagine, some "approved source", wherever the hell that is.... I thought Vampire Weekend & their label are trying to ride last year's hype with some 09 hype to carry and convert into [...]
Filed under: News Singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright has begun making tentative steps to writing and recording her third album andsays she wants to base it around music she wrote for a New York ballet company. Speaking to BBC 6 Music , Wainwright said: "It mostly was inspired by work that I did for an incredible choreographer called Christopher Wheelson and his company Morphosis in New York, with the New York City Ballet that he works with. "He had asked me to write some music for his ballet [...]
This month, while finishing up work on his next full-length album, Rufus Wainwright booked 5 solo U.S. performances. He performed in Scottsdale, Seattle, Fort Worth, and then played the last two nights of the tour at the historic Paramount Theatre here in Austin, Texas. I have seen Rufus play several times over the years, but last night's show (the second of his Austin gigs) was undoubtedly the most intimate. Keeping in line with his upcoming record (revealed during the show to be All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu , coming in March 2010), the show was [...]
This year's most-asked questions, according to Google search terms: 1. Why no AC/DC on iTunes? 2. Whatever happened to Samantha Mumba? 3. Who owns guitar hero? 4. What happened to Rick Waller? 5. Who is Beth Ditto? 6. What genre are Kasabian? 7. Who's gay in hip-hop? 8. Where does Chad Kroeger live? 9. Why the Fugees split? 10. When are the Brit Awards 2010? This were new, and might be worth having a looks at: The Clientelle - Bonfires On The Heath [...]
Children In Need Here's one we didn't see coming, last night Snow Patrol teamed up with Cheryl Cole on ' Set The Fire To The Third Bar '. On the original Cheryl's lines were sung by Martha Wainwright. The highlights of the gig will be shown on BBC Children In Need next Friday, November 20. Click here to view the embedded video.
It's nice to know that while most '80s pop stars are launching pathetic reunions or railing against social media , one perenially awesome new wave star is using her powers for good. A summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Berlin has conferred on Annie Lennox their yearly "Woman of Peace" honor. The former Eurythmics frontwoman has spent the past six years raising over $2 million for Sing , the charitable organization she founded to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, as well as provide treatment and testing, in South Africa. [...]
Filed under: Concerts and Tours , News , UK That Snow Patrol are taking part in the BBC's Children in Need -- the UK's biggest charity event -- is no secret. Who they are performing a duet with on Thursday night's concert, however, has been. Until now. The band's frontman Gary Lightbody (pictured) tells Spinner that apart from playing 'Chasing Cars', backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the band will be performing 'Set the Fire to the Third Bar,' a 2006 track originally recorded with Martha [...]
With its breathtaking setting and it's eclectic choices in artists, the American Songbook at The Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center is one of New York's best annual concert series. This year, the American Songbook series is digging deep into the indie canon once again with shows by the likes of: Nellie Mackay, Dirty Projectors, St. Vincent, Gabriel Kahane and a Hal Willner curated evening featuring Rufus Wainwright (ahem, he's Canadian), Bill Frisell , and Van Dyke Parks . Sure, you can see some of [...]
With its breathtaking setting and it's eclectic choices in artists, the American Songbook at The Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center is one of New York's best annual concert series. This year, the American Songbook series is digging deep into the indie canon once again with shows by the likes of: Nellie Mackay, Dirty Projectors, St. Vincent, Gabriel Kahane and a Hal Willner curated evening featuring Rufus Wainwright (ahem, he's Canadian), Bill Frisell , and Van Dyke Parks . Sure, you can see some of [...]
Thea Gilmore Breaks New Ground This Season with her Holiday Debut Strange Communion A Refreshing Take on 21st Century Christmas The critically-acclaimed UK singer-songwriter Thea Gilmore has just released a holiday collection 'Strange Communion' via Rykodisc. This carefully crafted album is a stirring, poignant journey into the heart of the winter season filled with twists and turns of celebration, introspection and often skepticism. With deep humanist joy at its core, 'Strange Communion' [...]
Seating Tickets Sold Out!!! Wainwright/McGarrigle Family Christmas Concert Royal Albert Hall, December 9, 2009 Limited Number Of Exclusive VIP Packages Released With all seating tickets sold out for the hotly anticipated first Wainwright/McGarrigle Family Christmas concert in London, 'A Not So Silent Night' - a limited number of exclusive charity VIP Packages have been released. These rare packages include excellent seats for the concert, entry to a post-show cocktail with all the performers, and [...]
Who : Doveman from NYC. What : Thomas Bartlett's project in which he is the primary songwriter and singer is Doveman . Known for his collaborations with artists such as The Swell Season (he opened for them last night at Massey Hall), Antony & the Johnsons, David Byrne, and Bebel Gilberto, Doveman 's newest offering ( The Conformist , out on Brassland) is beautifully sombre and subdued, showcasing delicately crafted songs that will whist you into daydreams. The new record features The National members Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner and Bryan Devendorf; Nico [...]
You still have all day today to listen to last week's show - at least until tonight's airs! So in case you missed last week's Halloween covers show, go ahead and: Stream the October 26 edition of Out the Other Here's the playlist, so you can follow along at home - with a few bonus mp3s of some of my favorite tracks I played during the show. 1. Candi Staton - Stand By Your Man (Tammy Wynette cover) ( Stand By Your Man ) 2. Andrew Bird - Think About [...]
Doveman | Mercury Lounge | November 1, 2009 Doveman is about to head out on the road with The Swell Session . He'll be playing those days solo, but last night he was joined by a full band on stage at the Mercury Lounge. The set concluded with special guest Martha Wainwight! It was a beautiful chilled out way to spend a Sunday night with many fans actually sitting on the floor. Check out photos from the show after the jump. www.dovemanmusic.com | www.brassland.org
Here we go again, some months I struggle to put this playlist together and this is one of those months. The problem is I've been listening through all my old playlists and haven't been making much time for new music. It's not necessarily that there's not good new tunes out there it's just I've not had time to hunt them down. However I've got some beauties for you but I have tipped you off about some of them earlier in the month. This playlist is becoming more a round up of this blog over [...]
In two weeks, Martha Wainwright will be releasing an album covering rare Edith Piaf songs. If these video clips are any indication, the album — "Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, A Paris" — will be a good one.
Reworking rare Edith Piaf songs, recording them live in concert and, naturally, in French may automatically violate three cardinal rules of American popular music career advancement, but fortunately for us, the wondrously talented singer and songwriter Martha Wainwright doesn't exactly follow the canons of the "business" of music. At the suggestion of friend and off-center production genius Hal Wilner and perhaps taking a page from brother Rufus' recent foray into iconic female singer ( ie ., his glam Judy Garland tribute), the Montreal-raised Wainwright decided to take on her Francophile [...]
Vampire Weekend - Cousins
WKND PLYLST!! This has nothing to do with NEW MOON!
Bobby B's Top 50 Albums Of The Decade (#25-21)
HOT CHIP TAKE another crack at IT and I’m IN
