Joshua Redman returned to the acoustic realm of modern jazz in 2007 with Back East where his playing carried a definite sense of breaking free from preconceptions, self-imposed and otherwise. The saxophonist’s new album Compass extends that sensation of abandon in no uncertain terms.
Subtle sonic beauty is the core of Speck Mountain’s second LP. At times haunting, at times warm and breezy, there is a dream-like ambiance that permeates the collection. Marie-Claire Balabanian’s soulful vocals are strong without ever over-singing (pop divas should take note). Instead, her vocals, like the swelling organ, well-placed tambourine, and fuzzed guitars, are one of many sounds mixed together to comprise a complete auditory picture. While nothing ever stands out, repeated listens reveal an intricacy to the song-craft. The throbbing baseline of “Angela” would be nothing without the harmonized vocals; the guitar arpeggio at the root of “Shame on the Soul” is complimented perfectly by a minimalist percussion, including reverb-drenched tambourine. Because of the emphasis of ambiance over hooks some of the songs have a hard time distinguishing themselves, but if there ever was a good drone, this is the one.
As expected, Depeche Mode will tour North America this summer, beginning July 24 in Toronto. Venues have yet to be announced for the trek, which runs through Sept. 5 in
As Leonard Cohen took to the historic Beacon Theatre stage Thursday in New York for his first stateside performance in fifteen years, AEG Live announced a run of North American
After a successful run of shows celebrating the release of Moodoo last September, Page McConnell will team up once again with funksters PBS for “The Return of Moodoo” at Tipitina’s
Welcome to the final edition of our series titled Coventry To Hampton filling you in on the four members of Phish and what they’ve been up to these past five years. Part one featuring bassist Mike Gordon debuted on Monday, Part two featuring keyboardist Page McConnell was posted on Tuesday, Part three featuring Trey Anastasio was posted Wednesday, Part four featuring drummer Jon Fishman was posted yesterday.
Sure, Phish hasn’t played a live concert since Coventry, but there has been a whole bunch of Phish material performed and archival releases over the past four and a half years. In fact, there have been five official CD releases, four DVD releases and even more online audio and video downloads.
To stream the playlist below, be sure to register/login to IMEEM.
A compilation of SOME of the Phish material played by the members since Coventry.
Click here to launch this playlist in a new window
The realization that a Phish reunion was imminent came when the band joined together publicly for the first time since Coventry. On May 7, 2008, the four members of Phish reunited onstage at the 7th annual Jammy Awards at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden to accept a lifetime achievement award. The band didn’t perform together at the ceremony, although Trey sat-in with the Fab Faux and Page played as part of a jazz supergroup put together by the event’s organizers. Phish also won the Download of the Year award for their release of The Headphones Jam.
READ ON for more on the events leading up to Phish’s return as well as a full list of all archival audio and video releases since Coventry…
If you’re ever in need of a good gift idea, this random assortment of music for this week’s Friday Mix Tape comes from my little brother’s Christmas gift this past
With the square footage at about 1/3 of that of the big brother version in Cleveland and a hefty price tag of around $30 a head ($26.55 in person, $29.55 online), skepticism is taking its toll on the New York City Annex of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
While there has been plenty of publicity and marketing, the place probably opened at the worst possible time: right in the headwinds of a big ass recession. I admit, I was one of these folks who had been dying to check it out since the opening back in December, but kept getting deterred by the price tag. Well, it’s worth the $30. In fact, the price tag helps the experience, because it’s not the least bit crowded. You pretty much get free reign over the place, which really heightens the experience.
In simply looking at pictures and reading reviews of the new digs, you miss two key elements of the Annex. The first is that the technology is jaw-droppingly high quality and really creates more of an experience than simply a memorabilia museum. For starters, the entire tour is guided by a headset provided by high-end audio company, Sennheiser, which automatically senses exactly which exhibit you are near and plays the corresponding music. So, in essence the entire visit is complemented by excellent music selections. You will definitely get goosebumps and very possibly tear up at times.
READ ON for more of Ryan’s review of the R&RHOF Annex…
The Jayhawks – Blue
Tonight’s a big night both for Conan O’Brien and White Stripes fans. Jack and Meg White will perform together this evening for the first time since 2007 as the last
