[MusicRatty] tag: friends

Pastor Maceo Woods to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:50:00 +0000

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Pastor Maceo Woods, founder of Christian Tabernacle Church and a gospel music recording artist for the past 56 years, will be honored with a 2009 CMA Lifetime Achievement Award at the 28th annual Chicago Music Awards (CMA) ceremony.

The event will be held Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 7:00 pm, preceded by a VIP reception at 6:00 pm at the Park West, 322 W. Armitage in Chicago.

Pastor Woods rose to prominence nationally on the wings of his September 1954 Vee Jay Records instrumental, “Amazing Grace.” Woods’ arrangement on the Hammond Organ was originally intended to be the theme song for Vee Jay Records co-owner Vivian Carter Bracken’s radio program, but when the performance was released as a single, it turned the gospel music world upside down. One only wonders how many young men and women took up the organ on the basis of hearing that recording.

Congratulations to Pastor Maceo Woods from his friends at TBGB!

Special Thanks to Elder Mack C. Mason for alerting TBGB about the honor. Pastor Woods photo by Howard M. Henry, Precision Photo/Brent Jones.

New Album News From Bubblegum Lemonade

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:10:00 +0000

Bubblegum Lemonade have released their début album on Matinee Recordings. It's called Doubleplusgood and features 12 tracks. The track listing is:

1. A Billion Heartbeats
2. Beautiful Friends
3. I'll Never Be Yours
4. Tired Of Sleeping
5. Last Time I Saw Andrew
6. Susan's In The Sky
7. Penny Fountain
8. My Dreams Of You
9. Lost Summer Days
10. Here They Come
11. Tyler
12. Last Weekend

Two songs from the album have been available as free downloads.

Bubblegum Lemonade - I'll Never Be Yours
Bubblegum Lemonade - Susan's In The Sky

More on the album can be found here. You can order the album or find local stockists here. Indie mp3's review will be forthcoming!

[My Space link]

The Alaskan Project: Together We Stand (Norris Garner & Friends)

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:48:00 +0000

Norris Garner and Friends
The Alaskan Project: Together We Stand
www.togetherwestand.com

The Alaskan Project: Together We Stand is a live recording of the 2007 Together We Stand Gospel Fest, held in Fairbanks, Alaska, which featured a workshop mass choir and a delegation of gospel guest artists from the lower 48.

Among those who traveled to Alaska to fellowship in song with the dozens of singers in the Together We Stand Gospel Fest Workshop Choir were Minister Norris Garner, John Tillery, Dr. Clarence Eggleston and Isaiah D. Thomas. Together with the choir, the group sang the glory down, and possibly even melted an iceberg or two.

Several uptempo and traditional performances, including the pulse-pounding “Leaning and Depending on Jesus,” featuring Tamara Hornbuckle and Nique Earnest, make this CD a smiling and joyful ball of energy, a “praise party,” to quote Garner’s ministry moniker. Garner himself lends his estimable talents to a number of tracks, most especially on two pieces written in the old-school tradition, “I Want the Lord to Use Me” (with Richard Wiley) and “Holy Spirit” (with John Tillery).

The choir sparkles on a powerful and bone-chilling delivery of “Hold On.” They give the spiritual appropriate gravitas, with dramatic harmonies and solemn intonation.

A snippet of Psalm 113 sung during “Praise the Lord with Me,” asking congregants to praise “from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same,” takes on a whole new meaning when rendered at a latitude where, depending on the time of year, that could be months!

The final track, “Praying,” is a hip-slapping handclapper that benefits from a “choirtet” treatment, complete with quartet-style guitar riffs.

Quick cuts between a number of the tracks, coupled with enthusiastic singing and effervescent responses from the audience, make The Alaskan Project: Together We Stand a fine ambassador of the 2007 session.

Portions from the sale benefit the Fairbanks Rescue Mission.

Four of Four Stars

Video: Jay Reatard - "See/Saw"

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:00:00 +0000

Jay Reatard's new video for "See/Saw" looks like a series of home movies taken during The Best Summer Ever, when you and your friends started a band and it was sunny all the time, and laying down on the train tracks with rocks over your eyes seemed like a perfectly sensible idea. Now, if I could just ignore that imposing Dell Lounge header... what's that? Oh, Dell actually produced Jay Reatard's first music video? I'm not sure I follow, as this clip smacks of 8mm films languishing in my parents' attic, and surely Reatard could have managed to emulate that on his own. Ugh, I guess the video's not quite as charming now, but just uh ... put your fingers over the header/footer and pretend with me, okay? "See/Saw" also appears on the Matador Single '08 series as the first A-side. Redemption!

(via Stereogum)

Slim (Of 112) Good Lovin f/ Ryan Leslie & Fabolous VIDEO PREMIERE

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:06:35 +0000

Slim (Of 112) “Good Lovin’” f/ Ryan Leslie & Fabolous

VIDEO PREMIERE!

Literally runnin’ out the door but before I do… for my Minny friends especially… check out the latest video premiere featuring Slim (Of 112), Ryan Leslie, & Fabolous! The album of the same name is out in stores now and I hear it’s HOT! Enjoy!

~ Sgt. Tibs

The Tanglewood 2009 Season

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:00:00 +0000

Now that midnight hour is struck, I can now safely post the Tanglewood 2009 season listings, which have been embargoed until November 21. Among the dozens of concerts, a number of programs look extremely interesting, among them Herbert Blomstedt's all-Sibelius program, the Christian Tetzlaff/Alexander Lonquich Beethoven cycle over three nights in July, Thomas Hampson's July 22nd concert with Craig Rutenberg, James Galway's July 30 concert with Philip Moll, and the Andre Previn/David Finck evening of jazz favorites for voice and piano on August 16. Here is the entire 2009 Tanglewood season, with apologies for the massive post:

Friday, June 26, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Emerson String Quartet
Paul Neubauer, viola
IVES Quartet No. 1
DVOŘÁK Quartet No. 12 in F, Op. 96, The American
BARBER Adagio, from Quartet, Op. 11
DVOŘÁK String Quintet No. 3 in E-flat, Op. 97, American

Saturday, June 27, 5:45 p.m. Shed
A Prairie Home Companion at Tanglewood
with Garrison Keillor
Live broadcast

Sunday, June 28, 2:30 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Juilliard String Quartet
ALL-HAYDN PROGRAM
Sun Quartets
Quartet No. 27 in D, Op. 20, No. 4
Quartet No. 26 in G minor, Op. 20, No. 3
Quartet No. 23 in F minor, Op. 20, No. 5
Quartet No. 25 in C, Op. 20, No. 2

Monday, June 29, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra
Herbert Blomstedt, conductor
Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Fellows
ALL-SIBELIUS PROGRAM
The Swan of Tuonela
Tapiola
Symphony No. 2

Thursday, July 2 , 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Stephen Kovacevich, piano
J.S. BACH Partita No. 4 in D, BWV 828
SCHUMANN Kinderszenen, Op. 15
BEETHOVEN Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli, Op. 120

Friday, July 3, 6:00 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Prelude Concert
Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Friday, July 3, 7:15 p.m. Shed
This Week at Tanglewood
Panel discussion with moderator and guest artists

Friday, July 3, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Opening Night at Tanglewood
Boston Symphony Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
ALL-TCHAIKOVSKY PROGRAM
Symphony No. 6, Pathétique
Piano Concerto No. 1
Fireworks to follow the concert

Saturday, July 4, 7 p.m. Shed
Diana Krall
Fireworks to follow the concert

Sunday, July 5, 2:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
Christian Tetzlaff, violin
STRAVINSKY The Rite of Spring
BRAHMS Violin Concerto

Sunday, July 5, 8:00 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Christian Tetzlaff, violin
Alexander Lonquich, piano**
BEETHOVEN The Complete Sonatas for Violin and Piano, Program 1
Sonata No. 1 in D, Op. 12, No. 1
Sonata No. 2 in A, Op. 12, No. 2
Sonata No. 3 in E-flat, Op. 12, No. 3
Sonata No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23

Tuesday, July 7, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Ozawa Hall
Christian Tetzlaff, violin
Alexander Lonquich, piano
BEETHOVEN The Complete Sonatas for Violin and Piano, Program 2
Sonata No. 5 in F, Op. 24, Spring
Sonata No. 6 in A, Op. 30, No. 1
Sonata No. 7 in C minor, Op. 30, No. 2

Thursday, July 9 8pm
Ozawa Hall
Christian Tetzlaff, violin
Alexander Lonquich, piano
BEETHOVEN The Complete Sonatas for Violin and Piano, Program 3
Sonata No. 8 in G, Op. 30, No. 3
Sonata No. 9 in A, Op. 47, Kreutzer
Sonata No. 10 in G, Op. 96

Friday, July 10, 6 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Prelude Concert
Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Friday, July 10, 7:15 p.m. Shed
This Week at Tanglewood
Panel discussion with moderator and guest artists

Friday, July 10, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Herbert Blomstedt, conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano
NIELSEN Helios Overture
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4
BRAHMS Symphony No. 4

Saturday, July 11, 9:30 a.m. Shed
Pre-Rehearsal Talk
Saturday, July 11, 10:30 a.m. Shed
Open Rehearsal, Sunday program

Saturday, July 11, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
James Morris, bass-baritone (Hans Sachs)
Johan Botha, tenor (Walter von Stolzing)
Hei-Kyung Hong, soprano (Eva)
Maria Zifchak, mezzo-soprano (Magdalene)**
Matthew Polenzani, tenor (David)
Hans-Joachim Ketelsen, baritone (Sixtus Beckmesser)**
Julien Robbins, bass-baritone (Veit Pogner)
Vocal Fellows of the Tanglewood Music Center (Mastersingers)
Tanglewood Festival Chorus,
John Oliver, conductor
WAGNER Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Act III
Sung in German with English supertitles

Sunday, July 12, 2:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Herbert Blomstedt, conductor
Joshua Bell, violin
BEETHOVEN Egmont Overture
BRUCH Violin Concerto No. 1
DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 8

Tuesday, July 14, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Le Concert des Nations**
Jordi Savall, director
Les Goûts Réunis
LULLY Suite from Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
BIBER Battalia à 10
CORELLI Concerto IV in D
HANDEL Concerto grosso in G minor, Op. 6, No. 6
SCARLATTI/AVISON Concerto IX in Seven Parts
BOCCHERINI La Musica notturna di Madrid

Wednesday, July 15, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Le Concert des Nations
Jordi Savall, director
F. Murray Abraham, actor**
Stage Music in the Plays of William Shakespeare
JOHNSON Jacobean Masque and Stage Music
LOCKE Music for The Tempest
PURCELL The Fairy Queen

Friday, July 17, 6 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Prelude Concert
Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Friday, July 17, 7:15 p.m. Shed
This Week at Tanglewood
Panel discussion with moderator and guest artists

Friday, July 17, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
Leon Fleisher, piano
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 23 in A, K.488
MAHLER Symphony No. 6

Saturday, July 18, 9:30 a.m. Shed
Pre-Rehearsal Talk

Saturday, July 18, 10:30 a.m. Shed
Open Rehearsal, Sunday program

Saturday, July 18, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Film Night at Tanglewood
Boston Pops Concert
John Williams, conductor
John Williams returns to lead the Boston Pops and special guests in his annual celebration of music from the movies. This year’s program is a tribute to the legacy of Warner Bros. Pictures and will include film and musical excerpts from some of the studio’s legendary movies, including selections from Mr. Williams' own scores for Superman and Harry Potter.

Sunday, July 19, 2:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
ALL-MOZART PROGRAM
Symphony No. 39
Symphony No. 40
Symphony No. 41, Jupiter

Monday, July 20, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra
Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Fellows
Works for chamber orchestra

Wednesday, July 22, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Thomas Hampson, baritone
Craig Rutenberg, piano
All-American program, to include songs by
IVES, GRIFFES, CARPENTER, and BARBER

Friday, July 24, 6 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Prelude Concert
Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Friday, July 24, 7:15 p.m. Shed
This Week at Tanglewood
Panel discussion with moderator and guest artists

Friday, July 24, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
Steven Ansell, viola
BERLIOZ Le Corsaire Overture
BERLIOZ Harold in Italy, for viola and orchestra
MUSSORGSKY Prelude to Khovanshchina
MUSSORGSKY (orch. RAVEL) Pictures at an Exhibition

Saturday, July 25, 9:30 a.m. Shed
Pre-Rehearsal Talk

Saturday, July 25, 10:30 a.m. Shed
Open Rehearsal, Saturday program

Saturday, July 25, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
Soile Isokoski, soprano
Matthias Goerne, baritone
Tanglewood Festival Chorus,
John Oliver, conductor
BRAHMS A German Requiem

Sunday, July 26, 2:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
David Robertson, conductor
Thomas Hampson, baritone
Orli Shaham, piano
HARRIS Symphony No. 3
THOMSON Five Songs from William Blake
BARBER Songs with Orchestra
BERNSTEIN Symphony No. 2, The Age of Anxiety

Sunday, July 26, 7:30 p.m. Theatre
Tanglewood Music Center Vocal Fellows and Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
Ira Siff, director
Tanglewood Festival Chorus,
John Oliver, conductor
MOZART Don Giovanni
Sung in Italian with English supertitles

Monday, July 27, 7:30 p.m. Theatre
Tanglewood Music Center Vocal Fellows and Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
Ira Siff, director
Tanglewood Festival Chorus,
John Oliver, conductor
MOZART Don Giovanni
Sung in Italian with English supertitles

Tuesday, July 28, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Tanglewood on Parade
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Pops Orchestra
Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra
James Levine, Keith Lockhart, John Williams,
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, and Leonard Slatkin, conductors
ROSSINI Overture to William Tell
ENESCU Romanian Rhapsody No. 1
BERNSTEIN Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
WILLIAMS Tributes: For Seiji
COPLAND A Lincoln Portrait
TCHAIKOVSKY 1812 Overture
Fireworks to follow the concert

Wednesday, July 29, 7:30 p.m. Theatre
Tanglewood Music Center Vocal Fellows and Orchestra
Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Fellow
Ira Siff, director
Tanglewood Festival Chorus,
John Oliver, conductor
MOZART Don Giovanni
Sung in Italian with English supertitles

Thursday, July 30, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Sir James Galway, flute
Lady Jeanne Galway, flute
Phillip Moll, piano
Celebrating Sir James Galway’s 70th Birthday

Friday, July 31, 6 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Prelude Concert
Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Friday, July 31, 7:15 p.m. Shed
This Week at Tanglewood
Panel discussion with moderator and guest artists

Friday, July 31, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, conductor
Vadim Repin, violin
BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto
DEBUSSY La Mer
RAVEL Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2

Saturday, August 1, 9:30 a.m. Shed
Pre-Rehearsal Talk
Saturday, August 1, 10:30 a.m. Shed
Open Rehearsal, Sunday program
Saturday, August 1, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Celebrating Sir James Galway’s 70th Birthday
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Sir James Galway, flute
Special Guests
DEBUSSY Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun
COPLAND Appalachian Spring (complete)
MOZART Overture to The Magic Flute
MOZART Flute Concerto No. 2
Plus musical surprises especially for the occasion

Sunday, August 2, 2:30 p.m. Shed
The Serge and Olga Koussevitzky Memorial Concert
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Thomas Dausgaard, conductor
Leif Ove Andsnes, piano
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3
RACHMANINOFF Symphony No. 2

Monday, August 3, 8 p.m. Shed
Tanglewood Music Center Vocal and Conducting Fellows and Orchestra
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, conductor
Peter Serkin, piano
ALL-STRAVINSKY PROGRAM
Pulcinella (complete)
Concerto for Piano and Winds
Suite from The Firebird (1919 version)

Wednesday, August 5, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Thursday, August 6, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Mark Morris Dance Group
Tanglewood Music Center Fellows
Mark Morris, choreographer
Emanuel Ax, piano
Colin Jacobsen, violin
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
Martin Pakledinaz, costume designer
James F. Ingalls, lighting designer
New work (world premiere)
IVES Trio for piano, violin, and cello ‘A Lake’
HAYDN Horn Concerto No. 2
New work (world premiere)
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 4 in C for cello and piano, Op. 102, No. 1

Friday, August 7, 6 pm Ozawa Hall
Prelude Concert
Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Friday, August 7, 7:15 pm Shed
This Week at Tanglewood
Panel discussion with moderator and guest artists

Friday, August 7, 8:30 pm Shed
Boston Pops Orchestra
Keith Lockhart, conductor
Chris Botti, trumpet**

Friday, August 7 – Tuesday, August 11
Festival of Contemporary Music
Augusta Reed Thomas, director

Saturday, August 8, 9:30 a.m. Shed
Pre-Rehearsal Talk

Friday, August 8, 10:30 a.m. Shed
Open Rehearsal, Sunday program

Friday, August 8, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, conductor
Laura Claycomb, soprano*
Lawrence Brownlee, tenor*
Markus Werba, baritone*
Tanglewood Festival Chorus,
John Oliver, conductor
PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 1, Classical
ORFF Carmina burana

Sunday, August 9, 2:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Julian Kuerti, conductor
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
PERLE Sinfonietta No. 2
SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 1
FAURÉ Elégie, for cello and orchestra
BIZET Symphony in C

Wednesday, August 12, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Boston Symphony Chamber Players
André Previn, piano
VILLA-LOBOS Quintette en forme de chôros, for wind quintet
PREVIN New work (2009)
BRAHMS Quintet in F minor for piano and strings, Op. 34

Friday, August 14, 6 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Prelude Concert
Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Friday, August 14, 7:15 p.m. Shed
This Week at Tanglewood
Panel discussion with moderator and guest artists

Friday, August 14, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 3
SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5

Saturday, August 15, 9:30 a.m. Shed
Pre-Rehearsal Talk

Saturday, August 15, 10:30 a.m. Shed
Open Rehearsal, Sunday program

Saturday, August 15, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
André Previn, conductor
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 4
LISZT Piano Concerto No. 2
RAVEL La Valse

Sunday, August 16, 2:30 p.m. Shed
The Leonard Bernstein Memorial Concert
Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra
Kurt Masur, conductor
Garrick Ohlsson, piano
ALL-BRAHMS PROGRAM
Piano Concerto No. 2
Symphony No. 2

Sunday, August 16, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
André Previn, piano
David Finck, bass
André Previn and David Finck return to Ozawa Hall for an evening of jazz favorites.

Wednesday, August 19, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Thursday, August 20, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor and host
Pat Birch, director*
Judy Blazer, performer*
Neal Benari, performer *
Ronit Widmann-Levy, performer*
Eugene Brancoveanu, performer*
THOMAS The Thomashefskys: Music and Memories of a Life in the Yiddish Theater

Friday, August 21, 6 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Prelude Concert
Tanglewood Festival Chorus,
John Oliver, conductor

Friday, August 21, 7:15 p.m. Shed
This Week at Tanglewood
Panel discussion with moderator and guest artists

Friday, August 21, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Kurt Masur, conductor
David Fray, piano*
HAYDN Symphony No. 88
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 25 in C, K.503
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1

Saturday, August 22, 9:30 a.m. Shed
Pre-Rehearsal Talk

Saturday, August 22, 10:30 a.m. Shed
Open Rehearsal, Sunday program

Saturday, August 22, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Kurt Masur, conductor
Gil Shaham, violin
ALL-MENDELSSOHN PROGRAM
The Hebrides (Fingal’s Cave) Overture
Violin Concerto
Symphony No. 4, Italian

Sunday, August 23, 2:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Erin Wall, soprano*
Kendall Gladen, mezzo-soprano*
Stuart Skelton, tenor**
Raymond Aceto, bass-baritone
Tanglewood Festival Chorus,
John Oliver, conductor
IVES Thanksgiving and Forefathers’ Day, for chorus and orchestra
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9
*BSO debut
**Tanglewood debut

James Taylor and Friends
August 27 – 30

Thursday, August 27, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
The Band: Conversations Among Friends
James Taylor presides over an intimate and informal evening of conversation and performance with members of his legendary band

Friday, August 28, 7 p.m. Shed
Saturday, August 29, 7 p.m. Shed
James Taylor Concert
James Taylor and his band return to the Shed stage and are joined by special guests in two unforgettable evenings

Sunday, August 30, 2:30 p.m. Shed
James Taylor and the Boston Pops
Boston Pops
John Williams, conductor
James Taylor, soloist
Two Tanglewood favorites reunite in concert for the season finale

KFJC On-Line Reviews

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:00:00 +0000

From KFJC:

Liles, Andrew & Peron, Jean-Herve, “Fini!”, Dirter Productions, CD

Faust’s Jean-Herve Peron collaborates with Andrew Liles (Nurse With Wound) on this playful romp of an album. This release is a fitting sister album to the Faust and Nurse With Wound collaboration Disconnected. It sounds like the two are having fun, there is an element of humor here. 14 tracks, ranging from 40 seconds to 8 minutes. Weird lyrics in French, English and German. A couple of tracks stand out as my favorites, most notably “The Drummer Is On Valium” which runs a little over 8 minutes. The final track “Fini” is instructions on how to make bread.
# Reviewed by ophelia necro on November 19, 2008 at 4:09 pm
# Filed as A Library
# Comment on this review
I Heart Lung - “Interoceans ” - [Asthmatic Kitty Records]

Organic collages with an occasional ambient free-jazz bent, from this duo comprised of guitarist Chris Schlarb and percussionist Tom Steck. Acoustic guitars and drums figure prominently throughout these medium-length tracks, with a nice assortment of other sounds (electric guitars including pedal steel, sitar, acoustic bass, trumpet, flugelhorn, clarinets, and electronic effects) swelling and receding in drifting layers, appropriate for these ocean-themed pieces. Aaron Ximm’s subtle field recordings fit the mood perfectly. Other notable guests include Nels Cline, Kris Tiner, and Lynn Johnston. This is carefully-assembled music with quiet, meditative passages and louder moments of extreme density as well. An outstanding effort.

My Recently Added Songs Fuel a Friends Playlist

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:18:53 +0000

A friend of mine e-mailed me yesterday looking for some new music recommendations. Now, I should tell you that this is not some casual country fan. He used to work in country radio, so I had to think long and hard about what he might like. He’s pretty much heard it all. I wanted to make sure my playlist had the kind of music that was fresh and new but still country enough to feel genuine. And this is the what I came up with, by browsing my iPhone’s “Recently Added” playlist. Some may not be technically new, but they may be new to him. If you’d like to add to the list, feel free. The more country, the better. With enough good twangy vocals and steel guitars, maybe he’ll realize what he’s missing and come on back to country for good.

Zac Brown Band: “Chicken Fried”
Jamey Johnson: “In Color”
Darius Rucker: “I Hope They Get to Me in Time”
Taylor Swift: “Fifteen”
Taylor Swift: “Fearless”
Eric Church: “Carolina”
Jason Aldean: “She’s Country”
Trace Adkins: “Muddy Water”
Faith Hill: “A Baby Changes Everything”
Phil Vassar: “Around Here Somewhere”
Phil Vassar: “I Would”
Keith Anderson: “Adelaine”
Eli Young Band: “Guinevere”
Sugarland: “Genevieve”
The Lost Trailers: “How ‘Bout You Don’t”
Brad Paisley: “Start a Band”
Keith Urban: “Sweet Thing”
Little Big Town: “Fine Line”
Kellie Pickler: “Don’t You Know You’re Beatutiful”
Blake Shelton: “Green”
Ashton Shepherd: “I Ain’t Dead Yet”
Ashton Shepherd: “Pickin’ Shed”
Carrie Underwood: “I Told You So”
Lee Ann Womack: “I Think I Know”
Kenny Chesney: “Spirit of a Storm”
Kenny Chesney: “Ten With a Two”
Alan Jackson: “Good Time”
Lady Antebellum: “Love’s Lookin’ Good on You”
Lady Antebellum: “Slow Down Sister”

Joanna Ramirez: 'Satisfy Me'

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:01:00 +0000

According to Joanna Ramirez's myspace page, she's writing songs for a new album and that's good news indeed for folks who like female blues singers such as Angela Strehli, Michelle Willson and Lou Ann Barton.

The title track of her 2001 debut, "Satisfy Me," is a seductive invitation for love that's damn hard to resist. Ramirez's voice goes down like a deep-fried doughnut covered with sugar. The uptempo Texas blues tune "Fool for You Baby" might be even sexier.

One of my best friends, who's in Austin for a supercomputing conference, has a chance to see her at a club there Friday night. I've never envied him more than I do now.

Perfect Porridge Interview With Mighty Fairly

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:55:45 +0000

Local Minneapolis indie rock band Mightly Fairly release their new disc, Big Words and Power Chords, this Friday with a CD release show at Bunkers. More than just a one night stand, this is a band worth taking home to meet Mom and Dad.

This week we had the opportunity to chat with lead vocalist and guitarist Mischa Suemnig and drummer Joseph Papke about the new album, the MSP music scene and what it’s like to have a track on MTV’s The Real World…

Who is Mighty Fairly?
Mischa Suemnig: We are an indie-pop 4some from Minneapolis. Started in 2004, we’ve just finished our second album Big Word and Power Chords. We’ve been lucky enough to attend SxSW 2006 and 2007, Hyperactive Music festival and to tour in 15 states. We’ve been included on a few compilation CDs, won 3 songwriting awards and we’ve never had a label or manager. We like doing stuff ourselves, naturally with the help of some of our very generous friends, family and fans. DIY FTW

Joseph Papke: The perfect bon mot to riposte the last crappy band someone dragged you to see.

How do you guys fit into the Minneapolis music scene?
Mischa Suemnig: The Minneapolis scene is very open to lots of different kinds of music, from hip-hop to singer/songwriter. We’ve got some favorite bars to play at, like The Nomad, The Turf Club and Bunker’s. Also, some local favorite bands who’ve been very nice to us over the years, Alva Star, Kid Dakota, The Small Cities and Mercer. In reviews from our first album, we got typified as having the ‘prototypical Minneapolis pop sound’…so, I guess we fit in OK.

Joseph Papke: With lube.

For a band who’s only been around for 4 years, you’ve been played on more than 280 radio stations. Do you guys have a fervent fan base or just a lot of free time?
Mischa Suemnig: We don’t have fans as much as we do disciples. We baptize them and then initiate…nevermind. Yeah, we have a few folks around the country that come to shows when we tour through. When we’re out of state, it’s really fun to stop by the radio stations that play us. They treat us very nice. And, yeah, I think we work pretty hard at trying to get the word out (read: whoring ourselves).

Joseph Papke: Neither frankly. We’re hoping the new album generates one or the other.

You had some songs featured on MTV’s Real World. Which songs and can you confirm that getting tracks on the Real World automatically gets you laid?
Mischa Suemnig: Wake up, Last Stand Started and Superheroes from the first album got played on The Real World:Sydney and The Real World:Hollywood. The 1983 Buick Station Wagon that Kellie and I do acoustic tours in is like spanish fly.

Joseph Papke: “Wake Up” and another one—I don’t know which, I don’t have cable. And yes, it does, but not with people you’d actually want to sleep with.

Tell me about your new album.
Mischa Suemnig: We’ve finally released an album with Glockenspiel. It’s been my life long dream. It’s more of a rock record than the previous, slightly less acoustic (though every song still has acoustic guitar on it) and more rock out with your rooster out kind of deal. Still couldn’t do an album without 4 part harmony on every other song…probably the most fun part of the recording process for us is to sit around in the control room and sing in 4 part harmony at each other and then argue about who’s part sucks.

Joseph Papke: It was recorded and produced by us. It features eleven original songs. The songs are quite good. The cd fits into a medium sized pocket for on-the-go types.

What was the writing/recording process like?
Mischa Suemnig: I like the Michelangelo theory of creating. The marbel already contains the statue, your job is just to release it. Michelangelo believed God had put the statue there. In my case, I think it’s Timbaland. Recording was really different this time around. Last time we worked with the FICTION team of John Hermanson and Eric Fawcett. We had Erik Appelwick come in and play some wurly and keys too. Alex Oana mixed and mastered it…..So, we had lots of folks we really respected helping us out and keeping us honest. This time around it was just the 4 of us banging away and hoping it would come out OK.

Joseph Papke: Blissful. There’s nothing better than creating.

What’s your favorite track on the album and why?
Mischa Suemnig: Save Your Love. Lyrically, it speaks the most honestly about how I feel about love. If you’re not willing to hurt, you’re not ready to love or at least retain love. In terms of pop songs, it’s not the best, but it’s my favorite story on the record. I’ve always loved great stories inside of great songs and I think that is often what makes a song timeless is having both an engaging plot and a hook. This one at least has the narrative part.

Joseph Papke: It’s very hard to choose, but since you insist, I’d have to say “Closer to End” due to equal parts heartfelt sentiment and deliciously unquarantinable hooks.

Tell me about your upcoming CD release show.
Mischa Suemnig: We’re playing at Bunker’s on the 21st, music at 9pm’ish us at 11pm’ish. Very excited to have The Small Cities and Mercer playing with us. Two of our favorite local bands who are also crazy nice people.

Joseph Papke: We’ll be playing, you’ll be enjoying; it’s gonna work out great.