Tagged: contemporary

Last night I was lucky enough to see this duo named Beacon out of Brooklyn, NY open up for Tycho in Atlanta. I couldn't find much on these guys except that they have released an EP titled No Body. Beacon has got a pretty contemporary sound that I think is going to get pretty popular over the next 3 or so years. In the middle of their set Beacon played these amazing cover of the R&B classic, "So Anxious," from Ginuwine. I may be bias because during my junior high years I loved R&B and this song was a huge [...]

Una storia semplice , la intitolerebbe Sciascia, con l'essenzialità che lo contraddistingueva. Una storia di cronaca nera immersa nel bianco non più lattiginoso ma asettico della bufera di neve che fece scomparire la vedova Blades, nel 1978. I reigns , duo inglese al quarto album non estraneo a registrazioni in luoghi inquietanti, si sono permessi il lusso di ricostruire questa storia con un documento sonoro di undici canzoni, dalla fedeltà reportistica, che pare abbia richiesto un'immersione all'interno della vicenda tale da far trasferire il gruppo all'interno dell'abitazione della donna scomparsa. Cosa ne abbiano ricavato non sappiamo, che valenza possa [...]

Sometimes in baseball you're in the batter's box, you've been having a pretty good day, one homer, a double and two walks. You begin to believe that this is one of those days, by hook or by crook, there's nothing they can do to stop you, the substitute relief pitcher who threw four outside balls when he first faced you wasn't even a small bump in your road to glory. You check with the batting coach and he signals for you to take the first pitch. Mr. Relief fires one staight down the middle, a fast ball that [...]

Per una volta ritengo sia stato giusto buttare le parole al vento, negare che la loro esistenza sia fondamentale. Perchè comunicare non necessita sempre di parole, e se fosse possibile anche quello che provo ascoltando questo disco lo vorrei trasmettere per emozioni, il primo e fondamentale mezzo di comunicazione che l'uomo abbia mai provato. Ma in mancanza di supporti digitali fantascientifici che rendano ciò possibile, proverò a trasmettere al meglio quanto i Demodè hanno buttato giù in questa manciata di tracce strumentali, impacchettato in una confezione dai toni celesti e intitolato appunto Le Parole al Vento . [...]

A Paris-based, bad sister from Cameroun has done it again. We wrote about her back in June 2009 and she is about to drop a new album, Nothing For Granted , within the next month or so, but late last year she birthed a stunning Gil Scott-Heron tribute and then midwifed 8 remixes. The tribute used Gil's riff on "Inner City Blues" and lyrics from "I Think I'll Call It Morning." Had she stopped there, that would have been aplenty, but being the bad somebody she be, Sandra contacted a slew [...]

Apparent Marketing mogul, producer, director (of RHCP videos), artist, rapper, etc, 20-something Kreayshawn is doing it. Now-a-days, on the internet and radio, you can't really get away from Kreayshawn, and if you can you are trying too hard. Find her on 89.3 the Current and Youtube like cold on ice-cream. I woke up this morning to find her link blown up on my Facebook: http://www.nowness.com/day/201 1/8/29/1607/kreayshawn-designe r-beats. I am all right with any kind of music really, but when I first heard "Gucci, Gucci" in the shower, on 89.3, on my ghetto-blaster of a stereo I was [...]

Matt Elliott ha un nome che fa venire in mente uno dei primi artisti (veramente) indie del ventesimo secolo, tale Elliott Smith , morto suicida dopo una lunga depressione. I due – fortunatamente – hanno poco in comune, eppure il titolo del nuovo album di Matt Elliott, The Broken Man , vogliamo immaginarlo come un celato riferimento a quel mancato omonimo la cui vita aveva improvvisamente smesso di avere un senso. Volendo usare un eufemismo, The Broken Man è quell'uomo che non è riuscito ad avere successo, la cui vita si è rivelata un clamoroso buco nell'acqua, [...]

Due geniali idioti ( 2 Genial Idiots ), così amano definirsi. Simone Caronno e Andrea Casalicchio tanto idioti non sembrano, e questo Lp, cartello fiorentino , l'ultimo di una lunga serie, continua a dimostrarlo. Metodici nella loro de-costruzione di canzoni, frammenti di esse, discorsi, suoni a casaccio, con una rielaborazione che si lega più al ritmico che al melodico. Ogni passaggio dell'evoluzione della musica elettronica moderna viene citato (dalla micromusic ai campionamenti fino a Brian Eno , ormai non più persona ma elettronica stessa per le sue continue giravolte), tutto corrisposto non più alla dance come nei precedenti [...]

Damn near ten years ago in June 2002 an album appeared: Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star . Most hip hop heads whom I know rank it pretty high in the constellation of all time absolutely no contest best of hip hop EVER. Even old heads like me were not only impressed many of us actually liked the album. Anticipation was high for the follow up. We waited. And we waited. And waited. And are still waiting. Even though the pressure to put out a second album [...]

This week The Score has reviews, CD launches, reports on arts as industry, and a few upcoming gigs, and a shot of controversy to boot. If the immense – and humbly appreciated – response to the launch of this column two weeks ago has shown anything, it is that though the contemporary world in Ireland is a small and close-knit one, its fans are both numerous and passionate. Spreading the news of contemporary music is The Score's goal, so join in and help get conversation flowing, and help make people aware of the issues that continue to hold back [...]

Flaunt Magazine's Arty, Modish Video Archive From the swank edges of art, fashion and music comes a cache of lovely video from Flaunt.

I have a lot to say about new music from Betty Wright but only need a little space to say it. Bessie Regina Norris was born December 21, 1953 in Miami, Florida. She was popular R&B artist of the seventies who continues to be a force on the modern music scene in this new millennium. Not only are many of her songs sampled in modern music, she is often employed for behind the scenes vocal work, vocal coaching, and vocal arranging. Appearances on her new album by rappers Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg are based in part on her previous [...]

• Breath of Life - 02 Betty Wright Mixtape 2.mp3

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW VIDEO This is fresh2deth yo. BADBADNOTGOOD, a trio (with a guest saxophonist in this vid) from Toronto who've found internet fame from a series of covers they done, mostly of... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Welcome to the first in State's regular round-up of contemporary and classical music. Every fortnight this column will bring you news, previews and reviews from the classical world, with a slight leaning towards brand new works, exciting new composers and the best in Ireland's classical performances. This first installment is a bumper pack of upcoming gigs, with the next two weeks jammed with innovative new music. Dublin's internationally renowned contemporary music group, The Crash Ensemble's Young Americans takes place on the 25th of November in Liberty Hall. Ever at the forefront of new [...]

A Video Page ArtForum's video page with informative interviews and experimental works.

Regular BoL readers already know that Kalamu is a huge fan of Concha Buika—and if you don't know, you can go here , here , and here to get in the know)—so it is no surprise that I'm featuring her new album. Funny, my first impression was between lukewarm and low-heated; partly because I had already heard a number of the tracks and partly because there is a widely sampling of genres and styles so there is no consistent sound anchoring the 26 tracks. Indeed, I ended up making my own playlist of tracks. [...]

• Breath of Life - 02 Concha Buika Mixtape.mp3

Kronos Quartet with Homayun Sakhi Trio - Live PA, Chan Shun Concert Hall, Vancouver, BC, CA 2011-11-05 by +dB flac 521.04MB t1-10 Kronos Quartet with Homayun Sakhi Trio - Live PA, Chan Shun Concert Hall , Vancouver, BC, CA 2011-11-05 (sbd) Further Listening: Kronos Quartet - Live PA, Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, PA, US 2009-11-07 Members: Kronos Quartet [...]

• +dB - Kronos Quartet with Homayun Sakhi Trio - Live PA, Chan Shun Concert Hall, Vancouver, BC, CA 2011-11-05

Da molti (ma neppure troppi) anni, l'universo immaginifico che può innescare l'ascolto di una canzone si è ampliato con una fetta notevole di nuove potenzialità. In sostituzione alla realtà vera che viviamo ogni giorno e alla realtà ricostruita delle esperienze cinematografiche, da quando gli sviluppi tecnici lo hanno permesso, si è passati anche alla realtà virtuale ricreata dai videogiochi. La musica da quasi vent'anni ha fatto l'ingresso vero e proprio in questo mondo, se escludiamo i surrogati midi che hanno popolato le prime avventure delle console. Ci sono stati e continuano ad esserci degli studi su quale tipo di musica [...]

Kids rejoice, legos are finally taking over the world. Said to be the work of Dutch painter Ego Leonard, the 100-pound fiberglass statue rests in the sand near Siesta Key, FL. Other similar statues are said to have been found in Holland and England. How many of these guys are out there sailling the high seas? One can only guess...

Regardless of tempo or the amount of percussion employed, this music is soothing sounds. Sona Jobarteh's music wraps and enraptures us in an aural swaddling of sounds, enticing and encouraging us to rest, relax, bliss out, drift off, dream and enter into an altered state of consciousness. Deep down we all have had a primordial experience: the female voice is the first voice we heard, the first voice to bless us, lullaby us, comfort us. We never lose the longing to have a female voice in our inner ear, a voice healing our hurts, sharing our joys, reassuring [...]