Former Black Flag front-man, actor, social activist, and all-around wordsmith, Henry Rollins, is embarking on a spoken-word tour simply titled “50.” The 33-date tour coincides with Rollins’ 50th birthday and kicks off March 17 at the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg, PA, continuing through mid-April.
Rollins – affectionately known as Hank - will be stopping at smaller venues, sharing stories and anecdotes from his chaotic career, thoughts on criticism he’s faced, and further reflections from his first 50 years. A lively performer with a stint as a stand-up comic, expect insightful, funny analysis of a life fully lived.
Hank will celebrate his birthday on February 13 in his native Washington, DC with a pair of already-sold out shows at National Geographic Live. For the rest of the tour, tickets go on sale January 28, with a limited number of presales available starting at 10am EST on January 24 at Music Today.
SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.
This album was released in February, so we had almost a full year containing some excellent recordings in which to check our judgment and yes, this is the best disc in the classical canon for 2009.
Bernarda Fink as contralto soloist with Petra Müllejans directing her and the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, offer three Bach cantatas "Geist und Seele wird verwirret," BWV 35, "Gott soll allein mein Herze haben," BWV 169, and "Vernugte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust" BWV 170. All are from a minor fault-line in Bach's output, coming after three years of composing, rehearsing and performing a cantata a week, they focus less on the chorale as a musical and textual pivot and more on the solo voice. Bach also elevates the organ from the traditional meat and potatoes continuo role, to full concertante instrument.
The Freiburg ensemble kept up an impressive recording schedule in 2009, what with the recent release of an exceptional "Die Schöpfung," (Haydn) under Rene Jacobs, and there is ample evidence on this record, to show why they have become the 'go to' band for authentic instruments. Freiburg's ensemble work is the best of all worlds, giving us the hearty soul of a classical orchestra, but from the authentic texture of original instruments, with breath-taking individual contributions (I'm thinking of the woodwinds, especially.) Unlike the Haydn box set, Petra Müllejans serves a unique role within the orchestra as both a Musical Director and principle violinist, so the result is light years away from a "what the conductor wants" mindset.
Seminal works, like these cantatas, don't fare well if they're loaded up with superstar brilliance. Quite often the path to the center of the work is subtractive in that the interpreter removes any and all obstacles between the author and the lucky audience. On this recording, Bernarda Fink personifies this stripping away of the unnecessary. Soaring above fine tone and consummate musicianship, she renders some of the most introspective, uncomfortable texts with utter humility and simplicity. No raised pinky, no chewed scenery, just you, Bach and words that leave you nowhere to hide. -- Hugo Munday.
This just in: Pitchfork has given the new Animal Collective song "What Would I Want? Sky," releasing on December 15 on the Fall Be Kind [EP], a perfect 10 rating. We wanted to mark the occasion since the music blog is stingy with its perfect rating (rightly so). And even though we at Chordstrike fawned all over the band and included them in our Best of the Year list, we're not quite sure if the favorable comments in the review fully justify the rarefied rating. Sure, "consistently different," and sounding like "new age or yoga or the 1990s" (things that make you go hmm), and the ability to "take a sound and turn it inside out to make something new, but something recognizable, even familiar" are all admirable if not altogether coherent qualities in a song. But are those really the things that merit a perfect 10? Indie bands take notice -- there's your new playbook for success. --Lucas HIlbert
For my money, this dubious honor belongs to Five For Fighting for the first song on their new album Slice (also called "Slice"). Behold:
"Have you ready my blog today/300 million little USAs"
Honestly, I've never really liked this band, but, BARF! Really? Really?? You're going there?
Everything about this lyric makes me cringe. I dare you to tell me I'm wrong--I'd love to hear what you think is the worst lyric of 2009. Please share the not-so-poetic lines that made you hate music this year in the comments.
It may feel a little early for this sort of thing, but we on the Amazon music team have pooled our collective knowledge and taste to determine the best music of 2009.
We spent 2009 soothed by Neko Case's wail, moved to dance by Yeah Yeah Yeahs' turn towards big beats, intrigued by Somali hip-hop Troubadour K'naan, and ready to hear three key words from neo-twangsters the Avett Brothers.
On the songs side, French popsters Phoenix went nutty for a composer and we went nutty for Phoenix. La Roux made us feel invincible, Jay-Z officially crushed an awful trend, and Passion Pit sent us reeling.
Voting with their wallets, our customers told us they really like U2, as it was both our bestselling CD and MP3 album of 2009. Black Eyed Peas also popped up in plenty of playlists, as they locked down the top two slots on our songs chart.
Every year, great albums slip through the cracks. This year, our
editors wanted to save some from that unfair fate. We shine a spotlight
on excellent underheard CD and MP3 albums across all genres, and we've even made a playlist featuring a single song from each record, so you can sample 'til you find something you like.
Dig into the lists and see which lists line up most closely with your personal tastes:
Head over to our best music of 2009 store to find complete lists, plus the best in everything from Latin music to Gospel to comedy and all points between.
We're aware there's still a decent chunk of the year left. We'll be adding a latecomers and honorable mentions feature over the next few weeks. Hit the comments, let us know what we missed, and perhaps it'll make an appearance.
Now that the ‘80s music revival is in full swing, those of us who were lucky enough to experience the original decade, and who were sad to see its musical demise, have a lot to be thankful for--and nobody has re-imagined the clean, danceable pop of the ‘80s for the new millennium better than British synthophiles La Roux. Sporting artistic influences of the highest
order, including Prince’s dark electro funk, Eurythmics’ shocking visual and
melodic style, and a heavy dose of the sharp songwriting and synthtastic soundsof Yaz (or Yazoo to you Brits) , the team of
Elly Jackson and Ben Langmaid have created an anachronistic gem of an album
that’s so strong, it could have brought back the ‘80s all on its own.
So much synthpop from past decades, as well as from today,
has a plastic, disposable feel to it, and truly, much of it is just that—but
not La Roux. What’s so salient about this debut release is not only its sharp attention
to sonic detail and stylistic flair, but, as with all of the best pop music, its
top-tier songwriting. These songs are catchy, deeply felt, full of attitude,
and just the right length. Every listen leaves me begging for the back button, and
check my iTunes library—of all the records I’ve loved and obsessed over this
year, nothing has had more play than La Roux. Tracks like “Bulletproof” are
undeniable, amplifying the most ‘80s elements of the ‘80s into a distilled and
concentrated dose of thoughtful, dark, pop perfection that feel like they’d be perfect
for everything from exercising and dancing to road-tripping and relaxing.
But honestly, you don’t need to be a fan of ‘80s music, or
even pop to appreciate what this album really is—a timeless, quality work of
art created by talented people who feel what they’re doing so much that every synthesized
note feels completely natural.
Check out La Roux's video for their latest single, "I'm Not Your Toy," as well as the classic "Bulletproof," below.
Robert Glasper is a man of many talents. Certainly, he's both an inarguably accomplished jazz pianist and a first-rate composer. But what Glasper does best is pick drummers. With 2007's In My Element, he provided Damion Reid with a platform to record nothing less than the drum performance of the year. For his newest album, Double Booked (Blue Note), Glasper teams up with Chris Dave, and the results are astonishing.
It's a concept album, sort of. The first half features Glasper, Dave, and bassist Vicente Archer. It opens with a voice mail from a worried Terence Blanchard, who has booked the Trio for his club but hears rumors that Glasper's Experiment has plans to play elsewhere on the same night. A handful of originals and a take on Thelonius Monk's "Think of One" follow. Throughout, the piano and drums intertwine with a complex integrity that sounds deceptively effortless. To call it virtuosity is almost demeaning. It simply must be heard. (And to be fair, Archer keeps up.)
Then comes the Experiment: Derrick Hodge replaces Archer with an electric bass, and Casey Benjamin adds saxes and vocoder. Bilal and Mos Def drop in for vocal cameos (welcome and disposable, respectively). The Experiment's five compositions -- including one each by Glasper, Hodge, Benjamin, and Herbie Hancock -- showcase what a second voice mail from the Roots' ?uestlove describes as "miraculous, spaced-out, past-geometry." The Experiment's songs differ in texture and depth from the Trio's set, but the adventurousness of the performances and the gorgeous lyricism of Dave's drumming fuse the album's halves into a single musical statement whose two chapters and two stars make for the year's best jazz album so far.
--Jason Kirk
P.S. A few more words on Chris Dave, starting with two pieces of advice:
• If you're a drummer, start listening to Chris Dave now. Right now. Go! • If you know a drummer, buy her a copy of Double Booked, immediately.
Why? Well, Dave might just be the best drummer out there right now. His most high-profile gig has been recording and touring with Maxwell, but the man's a collaborative dynamo, the list of musicians who call on him long, ecstatically diverse, and worth discovering on your own. YouTube abounds with disappointingly short clips of his performances, and picking one to include here is an excruciating exercise in unfortunate exclusion. But hey, ChordStrike's here to do the dirty work for you…
An exclusive video from Monsters of Folk is now available for your viewing pleasure. We're also hosting a Streaming Listening Party of the full album a week before street date release.
In an era chock-full of super groups (see Audioslave, Velvet Revolver, and Chickenfoot just to name a few), now Indie Music fans of the world can rejoice, too!
London rapper Speech Debelle is the surprise winner of the 2009 Mercury Music Prize. Her debut album Speech Therapy
won the award, which is given to the best album of the last 12 months
by a British or Irish artist according to a panel of judges. The prize
comes with a check for £20,000 ($33,000), and it will give a huge
boost to her profile. Reportedly, prior to its nomination Speech Therapy had sold only 3,000 copies. After nomination she was quoted as a 15/1 long-shot, though odds had shortened nearer the ceremony. She told the BBC after winning: "It feels so much better than I
imagined. I don't really get emotional but I'm emotional now. This
proves that if you believe in something, you can achieve it." Speech
Debelle's victory was a big surprise, with several better-known names
also in the running. Florence and the Machine were favorites, thanks to debut album Lungs, while Glasvegas, Kasabian, Bat For Lashes and Friendly Fires were also all widely tipped. Last year's award was won by Elbow's fourth album, The Seldom Seen Kid.
So what do you think - do you agree with the judges' choice? Here's a few videos of the budding star to help you decide:
"The Key" is available as a free download from Amazon here, and British fans can download the entire album for £3 from here.
SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and
quirky stories which catch the eye. We'll be posting a selection of
these news stories on Chordstrike every week; for much, much more,
visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.
John Eccles was a composer for court, church and stage, in the late 1600s and a contemporary of, and collaborator with, one of this years birthday greats, Henry Purcell.In 1700 Eccles, along with colleagues, Daniel Purcell (youngest brother of Henry), John Weldon and Gottfreid Finger entered a competition to see who could compose the best English version of "The Judgment of Paris."Move over Susan Boyle, this is the original "Britain's Got Talent."
This "Paris" is special because it shows Eccles trying to shunt musical theater in an all-English direction, and move it out of the shadow of the dominant Italian and French traditions.As Lindsay Kemp points out in verbose but thorough liner notes, the word settings, or underlay is for English speech rhythms and the score focuses more on line and melody that decoration and
ornamentation.This is a Maske, so it feels much more like music from a play than an opera.
The score is a theatrical and musical treat, lived up to in this vibrant and energized performance, conducted by Christian Curnyn and sung by the Early Opera Company.The soloists are well cast, lucid and each of them really grasp the difference between this and opera.
The Three Mad Songs that end the program are just that, set pieces from various English plays where the heroin loses it, usually because a man has done her wrong.One song each is given to our Paris soloists, Lucy Crowe, Claire Booth and Susan Bickley, so Curnyn presents the listener with a latter day "Judgment," with us playing Paris. Currently I'm awarding the apple to Ms. Crowe for her rendition of "Restless in Thought..." from "She Ventures, and He Wins."
Lastly, I save praise for Nicholas Anderson and the recording engineers.Chandos tout their 24-bit recording as giving greater dynamic range, and on this disc (along with attentive mike placement) this really seems to work.This listener feels right in the middle of the action.-- Hugo Munday
