<![CDATA[[MusicRatty] tag: popular]]> http://www.musicratty.com/tag/popular Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:20:32 +0000 iRatty Engine http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss <![CDATA[JETHRO TULL - Slipstream (9 song version) (2007)]]> http://www.musicratty.com/article/50e5f4ee9108a8a2cdaea7e1a67dd62b http://www.musicratty.com/article/50e5f4ee9108a8a2cdaea7e1a67dd62b

Frankly I hoped for something better. I'm not complaining just because this version of 'Slipstream' I paid only € 7,90! Of Course, the original version was from 1981 and in 1981 Prog is not the most popular musical genre in the world. Not Jethro Tull! This is the only motive because this DVD please me!

Sure the music is good. But the live songs are too film (at mounting images) and video clips are, today, smiling. Great songs are, in my opinion, the pure Folk 'Dun Ringill' for solo voice and acoustic guitar, 'Songs From The Wood', perhaps the best example of Folk Hard Rock, 'Sweet Dream', great Rock with Folk arrengements, 'Too Old To Rock'n'Roll, Too Young To Die', typical 1980 AOR/ Hard Rock song but extreme melodic and the Tull's evergreen 'Aqualung'.

So, I think that this DVD is a recomandable DVD for all Tull fans. Vice versa is only another budget price DVD!

by Mandrakeroot


JETHRO TULL Music Online:
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]]> Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:39:03 +0000 jethro tull tull recomandable dvd dvd version budget price dvd rock folk hard rock live songs JETHRO TULL - Slipstream (9 song version) (2007) <![CDATA[When Africa Was Changing Its Tune]]> http://www.musicratty.com/article/ec8d966a2a63c4a466f85e02e2452127 http://www.musicratty.com/article/ec8d966a2a63c4a466f85e02e2452127 Highlife Time: Nigerian and Ghanaian Sounds from the ‘60s and Early ‘70s (Vampisoul VAMPI CD 101, 2008)
 
 Fela Ransome Kuti - 1963-1969 Lagos Baby (Vampisoul VAMPI CD 097, 2008)
 
 Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump - Original Heavyweight Afrobeat, High Life & Afro Funk (Strut Records STRUT035CD, 2008)
 
 As influential as African music has been, keep in mind the degree of influence it’s absorbed as well, particularly in its most popular forms. Even as the rapidly developing nations of Nigeria and Ghana were asserting a newfound African identity in the early years after independence, their music still brimmed with ingredients from Europe, the Western Hemisphere and beyond.

Built on a foundation of church music, military brass, sea shanties, traditional rhythms and an acoustic precursor style called palm wine, highlife was the soundtrack to the prosperous post-colonial mood of Ghana and Nigeria. Guitars, horns and percussion were (and are) essential to its big-band sound, and the more innovative highlife artists incorporated Latin, Caribbean, Congolese, jazz, funk and even psychedelic flavors into the mix as the music moved with the times. It was dance music of the highest order, it’s rippling, rolling arrangements always leaving room for rhythms that were distinctly African at the core and lyrics (sometimes in English) that ranged from parabolic to simply celebratory.

 

The period covered on Vampisoul’s compilation Highlife Time: Nigerian and Ghanaian Sounds from the ‘60s and Early ‘70s is a fairly brief one considering the decades-long history of the genre, but it’s arguably when highlife was at its greatest creative peak. Included are many rare and obscure gems along with work by some of highlife’s biggest names (Rex Lawson, E.T. Mensah, Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe) and every track brims with raw energy that frequently spins off musical ideas borrowed from elsewhere and incorporated in typically innovative African style. Compiler John Armstrong has done an impressive job on this double CD pack, and in the liner notes hints at more to come. I hope so, since what we have here is easily the best highlife compilation since World Music Network’s similarly strong Rough Guide to Highlife in 2003.

 

Before he changed his name to FFela Anikulapo-Kuti (“Anikulapo” meaning “he who carries death in his pouch” in Yoruba) and created the Afrobeat style in his own controversial image, Nigeria’s Fela Ransome-Kuti was a young trumpeter and vocalist who headed a band called Koola Lobitos. After several years of studying music at London’s Trinity College, he returned to his homeland intent upon injecting the popular highlife style with some of the jazz, soul, rhythm n’ blues and Caribbean sounds he’d absorbed in London. His commercial success was spotty- and, quite frankly, so is the recording quality on a few of the tracks on Vampisoul’s new collection of his ‘60s works -but you can’t blame the music. Fela called it “highlife jazz” and the name fit the sound. The role of the guitar was more diminished than in mainstream highlife, bringing the horns front and center to ride and punctuate the groove.

 

Fela was a charismatically focused singer at the time and noticeably better on trumpet than on saxophone (his later instrument of choice), even scaling to some Miles Davis-like heights on a couple of pieces that sport a quintet lineup. As the tracks on the two generously lengthy CDs progress, you can hear the increased influence of soul creeping in along with the relentless rhythmic intensity (thanks in no small part to the phenomenal drumming of Tony Allen, who first hooked up with Fela in 1965) that marked the emerging style eventually dubbed Afrobeat. In 1969 (the cutoff point of this collection) Fela visited America for the first time, getting wise to the Black Power movement and further refining his sound. Soon he would become the radical, in-your-face Afrobeat rebel who achieved worldwide fame. But he made some truly landmark music prior to that, a fact that this set spotlights with long-overdue comprehensiveness. Highly recommended.

 

For a broader sampling of what was happening musically in Nigeria three decades ago, check out Strut Records’ Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump - Original Heavyweight Afrobeat, High Life & Afro Funk. It’s packed with tracks from a time when Nigerian music was not just influenced by homegrown heroes but by the likes of James Brown, Santana, Bob Marley and Sly Stone as well. Wah-wah guitars and psychedelic keyboards are propelled by African percussion, soul sentiments get shouted out in call-and-response style and indigenous rhythms get electrified like nobody’s business throughout this CD’s 77 minutes, a feast of extended jams and shorter knockouts. The whole thing’s a blast, ranging from the delirious (“Ezuku Buzo” by Bola Johnson and his Easy Life Top Beats) to the sublime (“Peter King’s “African Dialects,” Chief Checker’s “Africa Irie”). A fascinating, satisfying slice of Nigeria’s rich musical history. (www.strut-records.com)

Buy the CDs: Highlife Time, 1963-1969 Lagos Baby, and Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump

]]> Sun, 12 Oct 2008 03:35:54 +0000 style popular highlife style highlife mainstream highlife music african music highlife jazz highlife compilation jazz When Africa Was Changing Its Tune <![CDATA[Let the Party Begin]]> http://www.musicratty.com/article/c5cf5b38ee04dd6999f5cfcb4d9b8d89 http://www.musicratty.com/article/c5cf5b38ee04dd6999f5cfcb4d9b8d89

In recent months, numerous world music compilations came out, many of which had party themes. Here is an overview of the latest anthologies.

 

The Rough Guide to Brazilian Street Party shows capoeira dancers at the beach, setting the context for the recording. The album opens with one of my favorite Brazilian bands, Funk'n'Lata, a group that brings together the spirit of James Brown, American funk and Brazilian grooves. The rest of the albums is a collection of upbeat tunes and remixes that will definitely liven your global celebration. 

 

When it's time for quieter music, try Acoustic World-China. The CD contains pieces by some of the finest Chinese instrumentalists. Pipa diva Wu Man participated with 3 pieces. Other artists featured include qin master Lin Youren; Xuan Ke and the Dayan Ancient Music association, playing ritual music; and Li Jinwen, performing "sheng-guan" music for wind and percussion.

Six Degrees specializes in global electronica and other hybrid world music styles. Its Traveler '08 presents some of the most attractive artists in the catalog. Ranging from the internationally popular Ojos de Brujo and Brazil's Bebel Gilberto and CéU to global electronic explorations by Karsh Kale, Gaudí + Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and several other artists.    

 

This seems to be the year for street party CDs. The Rough Guide to Latin Street Party combines both mainstream acts and alternative Latin artists from Colombia, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the United States and even Africa (Ricardo Lemvo's salsa explorations).

 

Putumayo Presents Acoustic France includes French artists as well as international acts that sing in French, like US-based Rupa & the April Fishes. Sometimes the boundaries between world music and straight ahead pop are broken and someone like pop singer Carla Bruni (prime minister Nicolas Sarkozy's wife, France's first lady) sneaks in. There are definitely more interesting acoustic French acts, but I guess celebrity wins.

 

Think Global Acoustic Brazil in association with OXFAM, features renowned Brazilian artists, as well as lesser known acts, in unplugged versions. Styles include samba, MPB and bossa.  Artist line-up: Maria Bethania, Garrafieira, Chico Buarque, Marcos Sacramento, Casuarina, Paula Santoro, Rosinha De Valença, Orquesta Imperial, Clara Moreno & Joyce, Nicolas Krassik with Beth Carvalho, Paulo Moura, Augusto Martins, Vitor Ramil & Marcos Suzano With Katia B, Mongol, Gabriel Moura and Armando Marcal.

 

Colombian Street Party is a portrait of what young Colombians are listening and dancing to. The vast array of sounds includes traditional and hybrid cumbia, salsa, champeta, reggaeton and even calypso. Some of the artists are well known acts in Colombia. Artists featured: Sixto Silgado, Paito y Los Gaiteros De Punta Brava, Grupo Retrovisor, Grupo Tumba Y Quema, Radio Cumbia, Mojarra Electrica, Dr Krapula, Creole, Calambuco, La Contundencia, Colombiafrica, Chocquibtown, Grupo Saboreo, LA-33, Joe Arroyo, Makina Del Karibe

 

Due to the tightening of the U.S. embargo against Cuba, fewer Cuban recordings have arrived to American ears. The Rough Guide to Cuban Street Party  provides a look at the current Cuban music scene, although the compilation includes historical recordings such as a song by Celia Cruz. Cuba is still a musical powerhouse and most of the album focuses of the popular dance genres such as timba, son, salsa, reggaeton, and guajiro music.

 

The Rough Guide to Latin Lounge reveals hip artists influenced by the musics of Latin America and Spain with styles that include new bossa, samba jazz, mestizo sounds, Afro-Peruvian hybrids, Cuban ska, and global electronica mixes. Artist line-up: Ska Cubano, Los Amigos Invisible,  Brownout,  Madrid de los Austrias,  Mo’Horizons, Alex Wilson,  Bah Samba, Miguel ‘Anga’ Diaz, Novalima, The Quantic Soul Orchestra, Arthur Verocai, Malena, The JuJu Orchestra and Color Climax.

 

Ultimate Musical Adventures includes one of the hottest groups in the world music scene, Cambodian psychedelic surf rockers Dengue Fever. Other artists included: Corey Harris With Ali Farka Toure, Cuban Cowboys, Idan Raichel's Project, Ozomatli, Rhany, Jolly Mukherjee & Sridevi, Francis Bebey, Tribali, Ravi Bal & Daljit Mattu, Sami Ali and Geraldo Pino & The Heart Breaks

 

Buy the CDs:

]]> Sun, 12 Oct 2008 03:35:53 +0000 rough guide music guajiro music world music scene artists alternative latin artists international acts ritual music acts Let the Party Begin <![CDATA[Sundaze (50)]]> http://www.musicratty.com/article/d24e46df4cf61b08a93f0a729ee99602 http://www.musicratty.com/article/d24e46df4cf61b08a93f0a729ee99602
*****

Brown and Booth formed the group in 1987 when they both lived in Rochdale. They began their career making and trading mixtapes between each other, and gradually moved on to their own compositions while collecting a handful of cheap equipment, most notably a Casio SK-1 sampler and a Roland TR-606 drum machine. Since then they have employed a wide variety of electronic instruments to create an evolving style.

Booth and Brown pronounce the name Autechre with a Rochdale accent ( "awe-teh-ker"). However, they have explained that the name can be pronounced in any way one sees fit. Booth explains: "The first two letters were intentional, because there was an 'au' sound in the track, and the rest of the letters were bashed randomly on the keyboard. We had this track title for ages, and we had written it on a cassette, with some graphics. It looked good, and we began using it as our name." They are also commonly referred to by the abbreviation "Ae".

Autechre have also recorded under various pseudonyms. One of the duo's earliest recordings was a 12" under the alias "Lego Feet", released in 1991 on Skam Records. The majority of Gescom releases, most of them on Skam, have been attributed to Booth and Brown, among other artists. Autechre helped initiate the All Tomorrow's Parties music festival in 2000, and were responsible for curating the 2003 festival.

Many describe Autechre's music as cold and austere, whereas others perceive a warmth and sentimentality that touches even the most cerebral pieces. Much of Autechre's music has a strong focus on complex rhythm, driving percussion, and meticulous sequencing. Often unusual rhythmic loops repeat and change incrementally, with the music constantly in transition. Sometimes patterns are set against one another, implying several time signatures at once. .Autechre's music creates a sonic environment that massages and stimulates our cortex directly In that sense, Autechrian communication takes place on two levels: sounds collide in a non- linear and anticyclical way within the piece (the first level), always maintaining a high amount of activity. This in part is transferred simultaneously to the listeners

Reactions to their music have varied. Many of their tracks contain complex or chaotic rhythms and close harmonies which some hear as random and noisy. Fans of their recent work tend to find the value of their music to lie in its unique fusion of rhythmic and melodic elements, percussive noises being tweaked to sound like they have pitches, and clustered, often enharmonic synthesizer patches implying numerous melodic lines and chord structures simultaneously. A recurring element in Autechre's work is the use of extremely short snippets of sound to create a fragmented, grainy effect.

Earlier this year they've released their ninth album Quaristice where Sean Booth and Rob Brown have definitely managed to harness the power of the neuron.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Autechre - Incunabula (93, 78min ^ 178mb)

Incunabula, released by Warp Records in 1993, is the debut album by the electronic music group Autechre, and the seventh album in the Artificial Intelligence series. The album's title isformed of two Latin words meaning literally "in the cradle" or "in swaddling clothes". , the plural of incunabulum, the term used for printed books published prior to 1501, or more generally for something in its infancy or early stages or development.

Although Autechre's debut release doesn't totally display the full experimentation which would dominate their future albums and singles, it is still striking nonetheless. Lumped in with the "intelligent dance music" semi-genre popular at the time, Autechre doesn't hit the same levels as Orbital or labelmate Aphex Twin, but Incunabula still stands out as being both good dancefloor material and equally pleasant listening, and not simply new-age hash with a backbeat. "Kalpol Introl" sets the overall mood for the rest of the record, with a sharp blend of minimal but effective beats and bass combined with a variety of keyboard textures and understated melodies. From there Incunabula follows the same general tone; tracks often experiment with ghostly keyboard backing and mostly clinical beats combined with odd, individual touches.



01 - Kalpol Introl (3:18)
02 - Bike (7:57)
03 - Autriche (6:56)
04 - Bronchus 2 (3:33)
05 - Basscadet (5:23)
06 - Eggshell (9:01)
07 - Doctrine (7:48)
08 - Maetl (6:32)
09 - Windwind (11:15)
10 - Lowride (7:15)
11 - 444 (8:55)

diet version
Autechre - Incunabula (* 99mb)

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Autechre - Amber (94, 74min ^ 169mb)

Amber is fossil tree resin, which is appreciated for its slightly orangish yellow color and beauty. In small but noticeable ways on this, their sophomore release, Autechre begin to break from the clean, if at times obvious, artistic techno from their debut record, and reach instead toward something far more distinct. Sean Booth and Rob Brown weren't quite there yet, but their self-production is even more accomplished than before, and their instincts to steer away from overly polite electronic dance music come ever more to the fore at various points throughout Amber. Things are clearly starting to gel a little more here than on previous releases; the great leap forward becomes all the more logical in retrospect.
The sleeve is designed by Sheffield based design agency The Designers Republic. The cover photograph depicts mountain formations from Cappadocia in Turkey.



01 - Foil (6:04)
02 - Montreal (7:15)
03 - Silverside (5:31)
04 - Slip (6:21)
05 - Glitch (6:15)
06 - Piezo (8:00)
07 - Nine (3:40)
08 - Further (10:07)
09 - Yulquen (6:37)
10 - Nil (7:48)
11 - Teartear (6:45)

diet version
Autechre - Amber ( * 99mb)

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Autechre - Tri Repetae (95, 72 min ^ 171mb)

Starting with the snarling, slow machine-funk of "Dael," Tri Repetae fully confirms Autechre's evolution into electronic noise kings. If not as immediately experimental as the fractured work by the likes of Merzbow, Tri Repetae expertly harnesses the need for a beat to perfectly balance out the resolutely fierce, crunching samples and busy arrangements, turning from being inspired by Aphex Twin to being equally inspiring in itself. "Rotar" does a particularly fine job on this front, with high-pitched sounds against low, distorted bass blasts -- and this only forms part of the percussion arrangement. The basic combination of soft melody and harsh beats are here as well, coming fully to the fore and resulting in such fine songs as the synth-string/organ wheeze laden "Leterel" and the quirky, sweet "Gnit." Nearly every track has a particular edge or element to it, making it eminently listenable and distinct. Tri Repetae stands as a varied, accomplished album, clear evidence of Autechre's unique genius around sound.



01 - Dael (6:39)
02 - Clipper (8:34)
03 - Leterel (7:08)
04 - Rotar (8:04)
05 - Stud (9:40)
06 - Eutow (4:15)
07 - C/Pach (4:39)
08 - Gnit (5:49)
09 - Overand (7:33)
10 - Rsdio (10:08)

diet version
Autechre - Tri Repetae (* 99mb)


With Tri Repetae in the US edition came as a bonus cd containing their previous 2 EP's, Garbage and Anvil Vapre, the latter I do have Autreche - Anvil Vapre EP ( ^ 86mb)

The Anvil Vapre EP starts out with the absolute classic song of "Second Bad Viibel." Not only did the track feature a video by Chris Cunningham but it's nearly impossible to listen to the clunking, fuzzed-out epic without images of demented robots coming to mind. The EP also contains the amazing "Second Peng," which might be one of the creepier ambient/IDM tracks you'lll ever hear.

11 - Second Bad Vilbel (9:45)
12 - Second Scepe (7:44)
13 - Second Scout (7:21)
14 - Second Peng (10:53)

Can't get enough of Autreche ? Why not check for download formats and links of
Autreche's 12 hour webcast 23 feb 2008

***** ***** ***** ***** *****
All downloads are in * ogg-7 (224k) or ^ ogg-9(320k), artwork is included , if in need get the nifty ogg encoder/decoder here !]]> Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:46:00 +0000 autechre confirms autechre describe autechre autechre special music electronic music music constantly intense music tri repetae stands Sundaze (50) <![CDATA[Pete Tong & Deadmau5 Essential Mix Live From The Warehouse Project, Manchester 11-10-2008]]> http://www.musicratty.com/article/e418fbb5518db3cf622e443d9fc0fd21 http://www.musicratty.com/article/e418fbb5518db3cf622e443d9fc0fd21 Pete Tong & Deadmau5 Essential Mix Live From The Warehouse Project, Manchester 11-10-2008


The Essential Mix comes direct from the Warehouse Project in Manchester with Pete Tong and Deadmau5.

The Essential Mix, hosted by Pete Tong, is the place for non stop, back to back dance music, each and every week. Between 3am and 5am on Sunday mornings, the worlds top DJ's and producers provide us with two hours of top quality dance music. First broadcast on Radio 1 in October 1993, the Essential Mix has brought us landmark DJ sets from the likes of Sasha, Andrew Weatherall, High Contrast, Daft Punk, James Zabeila and of course, Pete Tong. As popular today as it ever has been, the Essential Mix remains an integral part of the British dance music community.

]]> Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:49:00 +0000 essential mix pete tong essential mix remains deadmau5 warehouse project andrew weatherall dance music manchester producers provide Pete Tong & Deadmau5 Essential Mix Live From The Warehouse Project, Manchester 11-10-2008 <![CDATA[Four Concerts]]> http://www.musicratty.com/article/42d9af42071d0583c4a2efff572aa01c http://www.musicratty.com/article/42d9af42071d0583c4a2efff572aa01c
1) Two weekends ago, the ACL music festival in Austin. It was a more pleasant experience this year in a lot of ways, confirming my hypothesis that the overpopulation angst I felt at the festival last year would have been significantly eased had it not been so effing hot. Beautiful weather this year, and some great music. I was only there for Saturday, but managed to catch several very successful sets. The first thing that springs to mind is Man Man. Some of my readers will need to hear no more than the pseudonyms of the band members, which include Chang Wang and Honus Honus. These guys were extremely inventive and put on a raucous show that I very highly recommend. Midwestern friends: they're in Iowa City, St Louis, Urbana, Chicago and Milwaukee next week. Go. Aside from the bizarre energy, which was substantial, I should mention that each of them played several different instruments and also contributed percussion effects. There was also face paint. Fun show, creative music.

Then there was José González, who I'll admit jumped out of the program at me because of his Swedish-Argentine origins. Come on, folks, that's not a combination you see every day. González, like Regina Spektor last year, is a performer I'd really prefer to see in a cramped coffee shop in an alley rather than at a giant festival, but his classical guitar and nuanced vocals spoke nonetheless. Very tasteful stuff, with varied influences--there some great moments in the original songs, but perhaps the highlight for me was the set closer, his cover of Massive Attack's gorgeous "Teardrop," which I didn't even recognize at first. Someone should write a book about cover songs that completely recreate the original, as this one did. Stripped of Massive Attack's dark production and Elizabeth Fraser's unique vocal, the song was bare but at the same time somehow amplified in its emotional content; the constant minor/major mode shifts also jumped out for me in a way they haven't in my years of hearing the song. It needed to be saved from its new role as the theme song to House. Thanks, José.

A lot of partial sets in the middle part of the day--Spiritualized, Erykah Badu, and John Fogerty, to name a few. Our primary priority was getting a good spot for Iron & Wine, which, as it turns out, was a good choice. Sam Beam lives in Austin but doesn't play here all that much, so I hadn't heard him with his new live band format. He transformed several old songs, such as "Bird Stealing Bread" from his first album, into burners with full band extended jams, some of which, I'll admit, where not the most dynamic. In a performance by a good jam band, things change and shift, build and decay; there are musical sections, just as in a pre-composed piece. Some of Iron & Wine's efforts tended toward the other side of the jam spectrum ("really long guitar solos"). But all was forgiven when Beam came out to close the set with "The Trapeze Swinger," accompanied only by his sister, violinist/singer Sarah Beam. I've always loved this song, with its endless stream of verses full of touching and enigmatic imagery of childhood and longing--but hearing it live was religious, due in part to Beam's expressive tempo shifts. As the ten-minute song paced forward, each verse would speed up more, always pulling back again with an incredibly organic ebb and flow of intensity. But oh, when he got to that last verse, joined by vocal harmonies from Sarah, it was so gloriously slow. Every chord, every word washed over us out there, it breathed, it was alive. That's why you show up to concerts. What a moment of live music. I'd never had one like that in such a huge venue.

As soon as Iron & Wine finished, Beck started to play on the big stage behind us, which unfortunately was a mile and a half away. He and the band sounded great, but we could only really watch on the jumbotron, and besides, he didn't play "Debra," the greatest song ever written. I'll forgive it. The mix of old and new material was successful anyway. But I must say, the most exciting moment of the day came after Beck's set, on the way out of the festival, as we were carried with the crowd down Barton Springs Road towards downtown. Suddenly I heard some music coming from a parking lot on the south side of the road. We walked over to see a marimba band playing: three marimbas, one bass marimba, and drumset. There were some smelly people dancing. This is not an uncommon scene in Austin, so I assumed it was just another day, another drum circle.

This was before I listened to the music for a while. The band is called Rattletree, and man, they are soooo awesome. At first I said "this is fun. It makes me want to dance. I've never seen a bass marimba before" (they're HUGE). Then, after a minute, I realized that I was completely unable to mentally transcribe the grooves they were playing--particularly when their frontman Joel would walk over to the congas and start to play something that was completely dismissive of barline. Every time a new groove started I'd be convinced that someone had messed up until they did the same thing a few times and it became obvious that it was, mind-blowingly, intentional. They were collecting cash to pay for their overdue school bus registration. Terrific. And they're from here! Austin rules.

2) The UT Symphony Orchestra on campus, a week ago Wednesday. The group sounds good this year, but of course, being a composer, I want to discuss programming. They opened with Glinka's Russlan and Ludmilla Overture. Boring, but fine, whatever. The second half was Brahms 2. I will never protest the choice of JB. That's just good stuff there. But the first half: they bring out Daxun Zhang, our new double bass professor at UT. Zhang is a very high-profile performer who has, among other things, won an Avery Fisher Career Grant and played with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Project. He played two pieces with the orchestra: the first, Moon Reflected in the Erquan Spring, was an original transcription of a piece by Yan-Jun Hua, the famous early-twentieth-century virtuoso of the Chinese erhu. Now this was, of course, an unconventional and interesting programming choice. I will register the complaint that this piece was arranged for just bass and string orchestra, and the double bass, as much as I personally love it, is not a great solo instrument with strings. The homogenous tone from the ensemble makes it too hard for the bass' warm, fuzzy tone to speak, even with a mic. But the piece was different and interesting, and clearly close to Zhang's heart, so cheers.

But then they come out and do the Bottesini concerto! What an awful waste to hear such a talented soloist on such a boring, characterless piece. I had to give up hope for a memorable theme of any kind and just listen to Zhang's playing, which, again, was terrific. But it's incredible to me that such a versatile performer would do such a disservice to the audience, and really to his instrument, by ignoring more recent, more interesting rep in favor of a stodgy old war horse. Worth hearing, but certainly a missed opportunity.

3) The following night, the UT New Music Ensemble with guest tenor John Duykers. It was a joy to work with Duykers, who is a well-known tenor in new music, most famous perhaps for originating the role of Mao in John Adams' Nixon in China. For our concert, he joined the ensemble in Paul Dresher's one-hour monodrama The Tyrant and Peter Maxwell Davies' Eight Songs for a Mad King. We had Dresher in town for the show as well--his second visit to UT in as many years--and his piece was successful and affecting in spite of its narrow focus on one character. The credit must go to Dresher's compositional ability to balance drama and humor and keep the flow going for such a long piece, and as well to Duykers, whose nuanced acting kept us all focused on his every motion.

But the Davies, oh, the Davies. I'm biased because I played piano on the piece and so lived with it for a month before the concert, but what a brilliant creation. Written in 1969, Eight Songs is an avant-garde icon which for a while was being performed everywhere. Evoking the madness of England's George III (the last king of America), it requires of the soloist a five-octave range and astonishing array of vocal effects. Duykers held back until the night of the concert to save his voice, but it was an absolute clinic--his performance is actually more accurate to the score than the famous Julius Eastman recording. Aside from that, the ensemble scoring (Pierrot plus percussion) is spectacular; the theatrical effects going on obscure the creativeness of the orchestrational choices on first listen, but it was a joy to get inside the piece and hear it come together to create such beautiful chaos. And what a punch at the end: after making jokes about this poor king's insanity for twenty-five minutes or so, suddenly the tone plummets as the king speaks about his own downturn and death, eventually repeating the phrase "he will die howling" as he is chased slowly offstage by the percussionist, who is pounding on a mounted bass drum with whips. They exit in the back of the hall and you hear his voice and the drum trailing off into nothing. Chilling.

4) That Saturday, the Austin Classical Guitar Society sponsored a solo concert by Eliot Fisk, another performer of great versatility and ebullience. At intermission we were all impressed, particularly by his energetic Scarlatti and by the performance of American Bouquet, a set of pieces based on popular songs, written for Fisk by the American composer George Rochberg. Being partial to new American music, I'd expected the Rochberg to be the highlight of the concert. Then Fisk came out and played a second half of Spanish music by Granados and Albeniz, and there was so much passion and eloquence onstage that I simply couldn't stop smiling. Fantastic music and fantastic playing. It plainly illustrated the huge difference between Spanish music and the Austro-German bread and butter that we're always studying in music school: the Spanish stuff is all dancing, first off, and it's just so damn sultry all the time, rhythmic and full of motion but so dark and seductive and colorful. It was all I could do to not book a plane ticket to Madrid that night. It's not too often that I really want to hear an encore after a concert. Fisk played four. Short ones, yes, but I hung on every note. I would've listened to the guy as long as he wanted to keep on playing, and that's a rare concert. ]]> Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:00:00 +0000 fantastic music music acl music festival creative music music school double bass professor double bass music ensemble live music Four Concerts <![CDATA[Dark Side Of The Moon Review, Take #2]]> http://www.musicratty.com/article/8117fb3cc42f048c43033f5acc93a6b1 http://www.musicratty.com/article/8117fb3cc42f048c43033f5acc93a6b1
Through the Dark Side of the Moon

Quote:
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?

- T.S. Eliot, Choruses from the Rock


Author's Note: The first Dark Side of the Moon review I did was sort of out there. I tried to take you through a narrative journey, and in the end it failed since it provided little context. That doesn't mean I've all of a sudden done a run of the mill review. This album has been written about so much, that a standard review would frankly be boring and tedious. But what I first did, was way too experimental and out there. I sort of tried to expand the notion of what a review could be but I ended up shattering the test tubes. Let's see if this one works.

Speak To Me



It all begins with the beating of a heart, the purest and simplest sign of life. From the time we are a curled up little fetus inside our mother’s womb, to the fateful time when our lives fade and we pass into the great unknown, the beating of our heart is the one constant. It’s the ticking clock in our lives, and every beat is a grain of sand slipping through our fingers. Then another sound enters the picture, the clicks and ticks of machinery. Already, within the first forty seconds of the album, the central theme is subtly introduced; man versus the modern world he created, and each new soul’s struggle to make their way through it. With a piercing scream and manic laughter, the journey begins.

Breathe



Hypnotic guitar chords. Cryptic lyrics. What does this song mean? Here's what I got:

Open your eyes. Look at the world around you. Find your place in it. Everyone has a niche, but you better find yours quick or someone else will take your spot. Everyone needs to stake out their territory. You look to your parents with resentment and spite. You push them away. You want them to leave. But you don’t want them to leave you. Being abandoned sucks. And it feels good to have someone to fall back on if we fail, and we seem to fail a lot in this life. Remember the things that matter. Look at the machines that do everything for us. What do we have that they don’t? We cry, we smile, we ****, and we fight. Try to see things, see new perspectives and ways of looking at things. Stop every once in a while and look at the flowers around you. They smell pretty nice. And don’t forget to get all up close to those things that interest you. Touch them, not just with your hands though! Touch lives; touch the hearts of those you care about. You will change their entire world. That’s the power a human has over a machine. Just be careful though. Remember the Romans? All they wanted to do was fight and ****. They lived on excess, brought on by the hard work of their ancestors. We live on the wave of a superficial pop culture. Try to avoid the wave. But there is one thing that is the most important, above all others. Breathe.

On The Run


Footsteps crashing in an alleyway, belonging to a pour soul on the run. The crushing sounds of electronic repetition assault us. Daily, we're assaulted with advertisements that are the same, over and over again, we see images of death and war on the nightly news and we are desensitized. Desolate wind in a technological soundscape whirl in the background. I had a dream once, I was in a graveyard of technology. I walked past mounds and mounds of abandoned circuitry and wire, all the computer chips were baked dry under a brutal desert sun. The graveyard ended, and before me was a vast empty wasteland. In the distance I saw a computer, rising up from the landscape. I ran after it, the only sign of salvation in this empty world. But it never got closer. I just kept running after it. Then suddenly it was gone. I looked around, and I was alone in the wasteland. The computer was just a mirage. I thought it would be my savior, an oasis in an empty world, but it ended up being the death of me. I started laughing. What else was there to do in such a dire situation? I got my bearings and went in the direction that looked the most promising. I don’t know how it ended though, since my alarm clock woke me up.

Notice the use of voices on this song. They start to get crazier, as if they can't stand the repitition anymore. How much of the same do you see everyday? I'm sure it would drive you crazy. This is why I love this album. Musically, it's excellent, and it introduces complex themes in subtle ways, using voices and other sounds from the modern world.

Time


Someone once said that time is the universe's greatest teacher, too bad it kills all its students. Time is without a doubt the most precious commodity in any of our lives. It slips through our fingers constantly. It's also a relative thing, Einstein proved that. If any of you live in small towns, look at the people who were born there, and are now adults and still live there. They went to school there and they probably married their High School sweethearts. This song basically talks about those people. The people who were popular in school but then wake up one day, ten years later and find themselves with a boring wife, boring kids and a boring job selling insurance back in their hometowns.

Those people had dreams. So what happened to them? They tried, and they got smacked down. It happens to all of us. You say you want to be something to your parents, and they either say it's ridiculous or they smack it down. You are told that you should get the jobs with the most money. Where is the happiness in any of these equations? Look at guys going through a mid-life crisis.

"And you run, and you run, to catch up with the sun but it's sinking. And racing around, to come up behind you again."

This reminds me of another of the 20th century's seminal pieces of art, like Dark Side of the Moon, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. If you haven't read it, my god, read it. It's my favorite book. It's the tragedy of chasing the past, trying to recreate something that is no longer there. Here is a passage from it, that sums up everything.

Quote:
And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night.

Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter — tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther... And one fine morning —

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

The Great Gig In The Sky


Some call this song, "The Mortality Section" or the part that deals with death. To that I sort of agree. The voice at the beginning talks about death. But to me, it isn't just that. When I hear C. Torry's vocals, inevitably, orgasm comes to mind. But in reality, there's nothing dirty about that concept alone. I think this is basically a celebration of of the extremes in life. The extreme ups, the extreme downs, because in a sense they are all connected, like ying and yang, dark and light, without one another they couldn't exist.

Due to character limits and convenience(since this is the end of the first side), the rest of the album will be reviewed in the next post.
]]> Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:58:22 +0000 moon moon review review entire world world dark modern world lives fade lives Dark Side Of The Moon Review, Take #2 <![CDATA[TOCCATA - Circe (2005)]]> http://www.musicratty.com/article/a68d7f07d6ae9ab457feb4d55f3d0d48 http://www.musicratty.com/article/a68d7f07d6ae9ab457feb4d55f3d0d48

Here we have a good piece of real Progressive Rock. It was a nice surprise to me to find this material from this Mexican Band, since this is not a popular Genre in Mexico (I know it since I am Mexican). No doubt they have a great influence from classic masters of 70's but at the same time a good mix of Neo proggers. Andrea on lead vocals seems to me a little be stronger that it should be but creates a little dark atmosphere to the tracks she sings. Guitar and Keyboards create a good melodic symphonic mix while Bass and drums are not simple background but creates a good balanced rock beat. I appreciate they stick to rock roots not trying to make unnecessary latin or jazz fusions which is typical from bands around here, for obvious root reasons. Because the lack of information and presence over the Internet it seems to me that this band has been disappeared by now and it would be a sensible lost since the group looked promissory. I was tempted to assign five stars because I like this album very much but I would set aside my feelings and I will give a good and well deserved four for an excellent addition to a prog collection.

by Yes I am


TOCCATA Music Online:
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More about TOCCATA at Progarchives.com


]]> Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:32:15 +0000 toccata rock rock roots real progressive rock melodic symphonic mix band toccata music online mexican band mix TOCCATA - Circe (2005) <![CDATA[Another Popular 1960s Genre: The Blues]]> http://www.musicratty.com/article/0edcc0342fd75844f80d63f9fc3ddeac http://www.musicratty.com/article/0edcc0342fd75844f80d63f9fc3ddeac Blues and Chicago - The Blues Capitol of the World by Wendy Pan

Blues and Chicago are always mentioned in the same sentence and there's a good reason for it. Chicago is the proclaimed "Blues Capital of the World". Such greats as Buddy Guy, BB King and Muddy Waters have called it home. Blues in Chicago is still very much alive and and kicking its soulful heels up. Anyone that lives or has visited the Windy City will tell you that blues in Chicago are the best you will ever see and hear!

Places like Kingston Mines and B.L.U.E.S. are located in the famous Blues Alley District by Halsted and the famous and cozy Rosa's Lounge is a short walk away. Also keeping blues in Chicago going strong are places like Buddy Guys Legends and the historic Checkerboard Lounge on Chicago's South Side. There are numerous other blues establishments in the city and suburbs.

Blues in Chicago got its start probably in the pre-Depression era when folks were migrating North from the Southern Mississippi Delta region. People were lured to the big city thinking of better jobs, houses and more opportunities. It did work out for many but not all. People brought with them their dreams, Southern hospitality and their love of music. Big city life meant night life and there were plenty of places for entertainment in Chicago.

Blues changed dramatically in the 1940's but particularly blues in Chicago with the advent of electric guitar. Styles of blues were: traditional, jump, and electric.

The electric style of blues is without a doubt what made Chicago famous. BB King and his "Lucille" and Buddy Guy made the Chicago electric blues style a household word by the late 50's and early 60's. The blues were more then just music and notes. It was an emotional outlet and a creative outpouring that could easily captivate and mesmerize an audience of two or twenty thousand. Blues transcended being a music genre and became more of a culture and life style to many.

There are so many ways to enjoy the blues in Chicago. The city is loaded with neighborhood pubs that play blues music live on a nightly basis so people can hang out with friends after work, eat a good home-cooked meal and catch up on conversation while listening to some up and coming blues talent. There are annual blues festivals every year at Grant or Lincoln Park not to mention all the concert venues in and around the city.

Next time you are in the Midwest, you absolutely have to make a stop in the "City of Big Shoulders", Chicago, and check out the finest blues entertainment in the whole wide world! You will not be disappointed. If you are not a blues fan yet you certainly will find yourself tapping your feet and swaying to the music.

Wendy Pan is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about
blues clubs in Chicago, please visit The Chicago Blues for current articles and discussions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wendy_Pan
http://EzineArticles.com/?Blues-and-Chicago---The-Blues-Capitol-of-the-World&id=1567092

]]> Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:21:08 +0000 blues blues establishments chicago blues blues talent blues fan blues capitol annual blues festivals blues clubs blues entertainment Another Popular 1960s Genre: The Blues <![CDATA[Filtered Yet Fun :: BFM Digital And Mi2N Help Indie Labels Get Noticed]]> http://www.musicratty.com/article/4e1776f3112b1a793fb6fc56c3d87108 http://www.musicratty.com/article/4e1776f3112b1a793fb6fc56c3d87108 musicdish
Subject: BFM Digital And Mi2N Help Indie Labels Get Noticed
Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 4:28 pm (GMT -7)
Topic Replies: 0

BFM Digital, a leading digital music aggregator and distributor of independent music, announces that it will be using Mi2N's PR Gold Service to promote key album releases from BFM's growing catalog of indie labels and artists.

Mi2N, one of the most popular sources for delivering music news, has created a special, premium version of its successful PR Gold service exclusively for BFM's content providers. The exclusive package focuses on delivering broad online distribution and awareness of their press release directly to their intended audience: fans and music professionals. In line with this more 'street team' approach to PR marketing, Mi2N will include distribution through its newswire network, over 100 online communities and music blogs utilizing SoundCloud.

"We have already used the PR Gold services to successfully promote some of our high-profile album releases. It is the easiest and most effective method for targeting prospective fans and consumers," says BFM CEO, Steven Corn. "Offering such packaged services as this reflects our commitment to help our artists expand their online presence."

BFM will make this service immediately available. Utilizing their current digital assets, BFM will provide a turnkey process. In addition, Mi2N will create a customized ordering system to permit BFM's labels and artists to easily submit their album features and press releases.

"It was important to develop a simple-to-use system that adressed the specific needs of labels such as BFM Digital's members: more exposure reaching more eyeballs and ears," noted Mi2N Founder Eric de Fontenay. "We look forward to helping introduce BFM's family of labels to the online music community."

http://www.mi2n.com/services/

BFM Digital, LLC
Connecting music to the world since 2004, BFM Digital is an innovative digital distribution company committed to serving the independent music community by helping them maximize their catalog's potential through global digital distribution. BFM Digital offers labels, artists and content providers access to all major online and mobile store fronts. BFM represents hundreds of catalogs in every genre and works closely with labels to ensure top placements through ongoing promotions with retailers and target campaigns for key releases. BFM is also affiliated with leading global publishing companies such as The Royalty Network, Inc. For more information, please visit http://www.bfmdigital.com.

About Mi2N (Music Industry News Network)
Mi2N is a leader in delivering music news to music industry professionals and fans since 1998. With over 20,000 subscribers and free news submission, Mi2N has become a major marketing tool for promoters, independent artists, PR agencies and marketing departments across the music industry. For more information, please visit http://www.mi2n.com
]]> Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:20:32 +0000 bfm music music industry professionals bfm digital music professionals online music community music industry bfm ceo bfm represents hundreds Filtered Yet Fun :: BFM Digital And Mi2N Help Indie Labels Get Noticed