By: Brendan Massenet's Méditation from Thaïs is one of the most beautiful pieces ever composed. Even if you don't recognize the title, it's likely you've heard it in a movie or commercial - it recently appeared on the soundtrack to ... Continue reading ’
By: Brendan Browsing Bandcamp, the Billie Holiday cover art to l'Orange's Old Soul caught my attention. The music is not for everybody - some may find it repetitive - but I love it, film clips and all. You will hear ... Continue reading ’
By: Brendan All Those Days to Feel Better is the latest release from busy Chicago-based singer-songwriter Derek Clegg. It's a wonderfully twangy collection of songs. That album as well as several others by Clegg are available for free download at ... Continue reading ’
Guest Post By: Brendan The Grammys broadcast this year was perhaps my favorite of the past decade. The crossover of indie-rock artists to mainstream Top 40 radio is a welcome change. Among my favorite moments of the night was seeing ... Continue reading ’
CHAPPO + Nevada Color + Chupacabra 6119 Penn / 05.06 / 9:00 / $10 Words by Brendan Last time of Montreal came to town, I had to go. They're one of my favorite all-time bands, so I wasn't going to miss that. I met some friends there early on to catch the first opener, when the place still wasn't packed. Not having any expectations, I was kinda blown away by the energy of CHAPPO . [...]
By: Brendan One of my favorite songs this past year has been "Hold On" by Alabama Shakes - it is now available for download as a free, legal mp3 on Amazon as part of the MTV Artists Sampler. Kodaline, Stars, ... Continue reading ’
Speedy Ortiz + Legs Like Tree Trunks + The Gotobeds 222 Ormsby / 04.26 / 7:00 / $5 Words by Brendan The last time Speedy Ortiz came through town, they were rad enough to hook up with DUL and play one of our showcase shows. I was really happy to encounter them in the wide world of music, and haven't let them go since. Their Sports EP that I bought [...]
By: Brendan Listening to my ipod on shuffle, an unfamiliar track came on and I thought to myself: "Is this Norah Jones?" The singer was Marium Bria, a singer/songwriter based in Charleston, West Virginia. Marium Bria's voice is like Norah ... Continue reading ’
By: Brendan Dublin's Wonderland Productions released a new audio recording of James Joyce's Dubliners, just in time for me to purchase a copy at Hodges Figgis during a visit to Ireland last month. It is an immersing audio experience with music and sound effects. You can listen to the audio trailer below and purchase a [...]
Suuns / 6119 Penn / 04.17 8:30 Doors / $10 The last time Suuns hit Pittsburgh, they were opening for The Black Angels . (What a great show that was.) Now, they're back on a headlining tour, and I'm not surprised at all. Their songs beg to be seen live, oozing with dark energy and atmosphere that you need to feel all around you. You'll have the chance to dive deep into their lake of sound on Wednesday evening over at 6119! [...]
Guest Post by Brendan Theo Tarsiguel has released a solo piano album for free download from Noisetrade. The collection includes covers of Bon Iver's "Skinny Love" and One Republic's "Apologize" in addition to Theo's versions of soundtrack pieces from The Intouchables, Amelie and Twilight.
Iceage + Zeitgeist + Gotobeds + Nic Lawless 6119 Penn / 04.12.2013 / Doors 9:00 / $8 Words by Brendan At the ripe old age of ... ahem, 20 ... Iceage are already making some seriously choppy waves in the indie rock world. Four young punks from Copenhagen, Denmark they are, and their latest LP, You're Nothing , came out on Matador Records in February. They're making their second stop in Pittsburgh (having played The [...]
TEEPEE + Low Man + Nox Boys / Mr Roboto Project 04.10.2013 / Doors 7:00 / $6 presented by DUL + Monalloh Foundry Words by Brendan There's no shortage of extremely talented bands out there in the world, and I'm always grateful when they find their way to my ears. I got an email from TEEPEE a while back looking to fit Pittsburgh in their tour schedule. So, I clicked a link, streamed some songs [...]
By: Brendan Another highlight of the upcoming WV Symphony 2013-2014 season is Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2. You can download a version of it below, as performed by the Harlow Symphony Orchestra... Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No. 2 (mp3 download page)
By: Brendan I'm a couple of years late to the party on this one but, my goodness, I love this song. The Shangri-Las have been resurrected (with all due respect to the still rocking Mary Weiss)! Hunx & His Punx describe their music as "Hairdresser Pop." You can download the free mp3 of their song, [...]
By: Brendan Richard Strauss' exhilarating symphonic tone poem, An Alpine Symphony, transports you along on a climb to the top of the Alps. It's an often overlooked masterpiece and you can download it free thanks to Deutsche Welle. It was difficult to find credit, but I believe this recording is by Kent Nagano with the [...]
By Brendan I love Alex Bailey's jazzy/doo-wop/troubadourish blend of a song, "Autumn III - Tempo Pochettino." The rest of the album, The Four Seasons, is a much more melancholy affair, in the vein of early Iron and Wine. I also like Bailey's earlier album, Port Angeles. Very heartfelt and intimate, I think this music would [...]
By Brendan I am very excited to learn that Beethoven's revolutionary Symphony No. 3: Eroica will be tackled by Grant Cooper and the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra next year. This thunderous work is as exciting as any Rock music. It was also the subject of one of my favorite movies - I think it fitting [...]
By Brendan I have loved this music, particularly the adagio, since hearing it in a movie in the mid-90s. Clarinetist Umesh Shankar has generously made Mozart's Clarinet Concerto available in its entirety for free download along with many other works. There are two versions, the second seems to have less background noise... Umesh Shankar - [...]
By: Brendan Having Enjoyed Tristan Allen's I-V and Soothing Images by Bing Satellites, I have been on the hunt for piano music... Alexandre Franke has several albums available for download. My favorites so far are Little Winter Concert and Echoes and Frames. Among many other works, Marcin Brzozwski has made Chopin's Prelude Op. 28 No. [...]
Muruch
Draw Us Lines
Holy Ghost! "Dumb Disco Ideas"
The Weeknd - Kiss Land
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories Unboxed
Kendrick Lamar - Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe (Explicit)
MØ - Waste Of Time (Audio)
Watch Kurt Vile Play Letterman
