War on Reggae/Dancehall: Is Homophobia the Genre’s Fatal Flaw?

Posted on August 10, 2010 by admin

Whilst terms like batty boy and chi chi man has always been a regular feature in the catalogues of certain Dancehall artists, in recent times it seems as if the deep-rooted homophobia in the genre is causing it more problems than ever before. Protests and debates continue to hinder concerts and parties in the US and UK. Currently perhaps the hottest debate topic within the German Dancehall community, the LSVD’s so-called ‘war on reggae’ is fast becoming the genre’s biggest obstacle in the premier European scene.
Boom Bye Bye: Is the Scene Still Paying the Consequences?

Although it has been years since the controversial, homophobic single ‘Boom Bye Bye,’ currently incarcerated Dancehall artist Buju Banton is still facing the repercussions for releasing the track as a teenager. Prior to his legal battle, the deejay faced constant struggle with US gay groups during the 2009 promotional tour for his Rasta Got Soul album. With constant cancellations of shows plaguing the tour, he even met with gay rights activists in San Francisco, although the outcome was not particularly constructive for either side.

Similarly, artists such as Sizzla and T.O.K. have faced similar difficulty with their European tours due to the resistance from gay groups, especially in Germany where the issue is particularly topical in recent times and widely covered by magazines, especially RIDDIM. Although it was ten years since the release of T.O.K.’s battyman tune ‘Chi Chi Man,’ the popular group still faced pressure over its German tour dates in early 2010.
Nuh Apologise: Business Vs Beliefs

Issues with touring and cancelled shows are not only detrimental to the local Dancehall scenes but also to the artists’ long-term earning potential. One the one hand it would be beneficial for the artists to separate their personal views from their music, but that could also certainly be considered a new form of internalised censorship. Whether or not you agree with the artists views on homosexuality, surely to ask them not to vocalise them would be to remove the same freedom of speech that allows gay groups to voice their concern in the first place.

No matter how detrimental it may be to all involved, asking artists to censor their views could be seen as the removal of their rights; after all freedom of expression is arguably just as important as the right to quality. With both sides set in their attitudes toward the other when it comes to the battle of Reggae versus the gay groups, surely the final remaining option would just be to respectfully agree to disagree?

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Metalcore, Screamo and Hugs

Posted on July 14, 2010 by admin

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — As éminences grises go, the members of Sum 41 are especially green. But at the Vans Warped Tour, which sprawled over the Nassau Coliseum parking lot on Saturday, it doesn’t take much to be a veteran.

Or a classicist. Or even a legend.

A decade ago Sum 41 was a bratty, unconvincing, pop-punk outfit with a couple of crossover hits. But on Saturday, assigned to one of the medium-size stages here — a tentative move — Sum 41, several years past its last significant hit, was received rapturously, as if it was the Ramones or maybe Blink-182.

The Warped Tour boosts bands on the way up and catches them on the way down. This annual punk roadshow, in action since 1994, has long been a site for tension between punk micromovements, in recent years cycling through pop-punk, emo, screamo, posthardcore, Christian metalcore and more.

For the last couple of years Warped Tour has been a war between the rising electro-punk scene and the traditionalists, which by now can include any micromovement veteran. Most of that tension was gone this year, in part because some big-stage bands like 3OH!3 and Cobra Starship have graduated to pop semistardom.

But without that animating tension, or any real tension, this year’s Warped Tour, which featured around 80 bands on 7 stages — a grab bag of stalwarts from a range of styles — felt unmoored. What good is punk with nothing to be mad about?

Of rising bands, among the most promising were Whitechapel and Suicide Silence, a pair of brutal groups playing deathcore, a brand of metalcore taking influences from death metal. Emmure, who plays on the fringes of the genre, had one of the day’s most invigorating sets. (It also had some of the most amusing merchandise, a category in which there’s a lot of competition at Warped: best was its T-shirt featuring characters from “Twilight” with the words “over it!” — punctuated with a snarling adverb.)

Early in the day Of Mice & Men played menacing posthardcore, and soon after, on one of the main stages, We the Kings upheld the suburban ideals of recent pop-punk. Pierce the Veil managed to combine those two instincts in its set, which included a cover of Drake’s “Find Your Love.”

The day’s only frisson came during the performance of I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody’s Business, which played an almost perverse set of acoustic punk, singing songs about getting old and encouraging the audience to square dance.

The long-running, technically dense experimental posthardcore band Dillinger Escape Plan delivered a furious performance, but such expertise felt like a rarity here. These days Warped is primarily an incubator of baby bands, which explained the presence of the ineffectual synth-punk of Breathe Electric and Mike Posner’s inexplicable disco-pop, among others.

As usual, female performers were scarce, a situation encapsulated in the scene of Sarah Saturday, of the quiet electro-pop outfit Gardening, Not Architecture, playing midday on a side stage — alone, large headphones on her ears, eyes often closed — to a few dozen onlookers.

Warped not only hosts several generations of punk bands but also fans. There are the young ones, with offers of “free hugs!” scrawled on their T-shirts or stomachs; the jaded ones, with colorfully worded suggestions as to what exactly one can do with those hugs scrawled on their T-shirts or stomachs; and the elders, who weren’t aware that there was ever hugging in punk music.

Occasionally that generation gap was enacted onstage. Midday, the screamo band Alesana played a fantastic, loud set. Just after it finished, the Pretty Reckless began on the adjacent stage five feet away. This is the band of Taylor Momsen of “Gossip Girl,” who has been studying her Courtney Love. “If you have anything to smoke, light it up,” she offered weakly.

Turns out that Ms. Momsen is a natural rock star, even if this band, not part of any of the day’s small scenes or indebted to punk in any real way, was a poor fit for Warped. A few minutes after her band’s set concluded, Ms. Momsen made her way to the merchandise table, where a long line of fans was waiting for her autograph. She arrived with a retinue: her band mates, a small video crew, some hangers-on.

The band signed posters and CDs, while fans who wanted a picture stood in front of the table, posing as if with a cardboard cutout. Shortly thereafter Ms. Momsen was gone, her Warped steppingstone complete, the stain of the day barely on her.

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The Fluffer – The Debut Album From The Blue Eyed Shark Experiment

Posted on June 23, 2010 by admin

Only in today’s celebrity-obsessed and musical talent show-filled culture can musicians succeed with ease. Gone are the days when the heart and soul had to be thrown into a project to make it work, with countless gigs, hours in studios and endless touring the only way to make it big. All it takes now is five minutes in front of a panel of judges and a star is born.

Refreshingly, this isn’t always the case.

It has been said that great art is born out of pain and adversity, and this is certainly the case with The Blue Eyed Shark Experiment.

After being adopted by his Bolivian grandfather at just six weeks of age and losing his father by eight years old, he had also survived a cancer scare by 20.

The Fluffer

Despite this, debut album The Fluffer is brimming with beautiful love songs and up-tempo tunes which beg the listener to sing along and tap their toes, carrying low-pitched male vocals on waves of sweeping pianos. In a music world dominated by stadium rock like the Kings of Leon or elaborate and eccentric solo artists such as Lady Gaga, it makes a refreshing change to hear tracks built out of simplicity.

The album also boasts huge diversity, placing “Tapdance”, an upbeat song that wouldn’t feel out of place on any generic Summer Anthems album alongside “Jetplane”, which could be mistaken for the highlight of a Kraftwerk album.
Milla Jovovich

Opening title track “The Fluffer” is a moody affair which juxtaposes haunting wails by none other than Hollywood megastar Milla Jovovich with a growling male vocal which could be taken from any of Interpol’s more atmospheric tracks. However any anger is instantly dispelled in the heart-warming “Goodbye My Little Friend”.

Elsewhere, “Sleep Next To Me” could have come from the mouth of one of the world’s number one singer-songwriters, as is it’s simplistic beauty makes comparisons to Jack Johnson difficult to ignore.
Unique Sound

However, it would do BES a major disservice to say that he ‘sounded like’ anyone else, as this album is unique in its sound and its ability to involve the listener. Being taken from a heart-wrenching love song to an upbeat dance provides the audience with a roller-coaster ride of a listening experience, and it is one which you just don’t want to end.

The album finishes in a positive fashion with “Ticket Outta Here”, and this musician has every right to feel optimistic about the future as this magnificent album could, and should, pave the way to stardom.

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Iron Maiden and The Final Frontier

Posted on May 19, 2010 by admin

For the last 35 years, Iron Maiden has been one of the faces of metal. The air-raid siren vocals of Bruce Dickinson soar through the sound waves like none other, and the blistering guitar work of Adrian Smith, Janick Gerrs, and Dave Murray have become nothing short of a phenomenon next to a rhythm section that sounds like the gods are hammering the earth.

With an approach to music that has influenced countless metal bands since their early formation, it comes as no surprise that they’re releasing their 15th album, The Final Frontier, to anxious ears.
Details of The Final Frontier

With rumors stemming from an interview with drummer Nicko McBrain stating that Iron Maiden had booked studio time for early 2010, details circulated of the specifics of the new album. There were also rumors of a tour. Those rumors proved to be true, as Iron Maiden just finished a North American tour, and are moving onto a Canadian trek.

The Final Frontier’s album details were revealed on June 8th, 2010 with cover art, track list, and release date of August 16th were announced. The first single “El Dorado” was released along with the announcement, available for streaming and download through various websites. Frontier has 10 songs, and promises to serve up “straight-ahead, up tempo rock songs with good grooves,” according to Dave Murray, who spoke to Billboard.com about the new album.
New Single “El Dorado” is Gold

“El Dorado” continues the legacy of Iron Maiden’s epic sound. On recent albums, the tracks have become more progressive and their lengths have doubled compared to their classic 80s singles. The ability to create epic songs with a well-rounded structure is the sign of a truly seasoned band, as the standard song composition is twisted on its head by the reigning kings of metal. “El Dorado” seems to follow in the footsteps cemented by Maiden’s previous album A Matter of Life and Death in length and sound maturity, but lyrically and thematically to the classic sound of masterpieces like Somewhere in Time.

The writing and recording process on this album was reportedly quick, compared to previous albums. “We actually finished it in six weeks,” said Murray, “we were getting down a track a day — all playing together as a band, Bruce singing, all in the same room, so there’s a very live-in-the-studio feel to it.”

The Legacy of Iron Maiden

The new album found Iron Maiden reuniting with Kevin Shirley, and also returned to Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas where they recorded their classic albums Piece of Mind, Powerslave, and Somewhere in Time.

Maiden’s classic albums from the 80s were extremely influential pieces, as they paved the way for many future bands. Steve Harris’ thundering bass and recognizable tone is regarded as classic and Bruce Dickinson’s larger-than-life vocals have definitely earned him the title of “the air raid siren.”

Instrumentally, the guitar work and drums are incomparable, as they present themselves as way ahead of their time. Iron Maiden have truly proved why they are still alive and well after 35 years.

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Jazz, Hot and Cold

Posted on May 7, 2010 by admin

A veteran of nearly twenty years of successful writing for stage and radio, Arnold Sundgaard describes himself as a “journeyman writer.” He began his career with the Federal Theater and with Writers’ Projects in Chicago and New Orleans, and has since devoted himself principally to libretti and musical plays. In spare moments he has written a book, The Miracle of Growth, taught at three universities and a college, and worked with Leonard Bernstein on the Omnibus program about Beethoven. His work includes Everywhere I Roam, in collaboration with Marc Connelly; Down in the Valley, with Kurt Weill; three operas with Alec Wilder; and a jazz opera (composer unannounced) currently in progress. His long, close association with contemporary music well qualifies Mr. Sundgaard to discuss the position of jazz in 1955.

by Arnold Sundgaard

IN the record catalogues jazz has a place of its own. It follows “Popular Music,” which is a vastly longer list. You will find in the jazz section, just as in the folk division, no mention of composers as such. The names of Arlen, Berlin, Carmichael, Gershwin are omitted. Instead you will find the names of Armstrong, Basie, Condon, Dodds, Eldridge, Freeman, Getz–the men who make the stuff. These craftsmen are themselves composers in that they possess the remarkable gift of spontaneously scoring music as a group.
From Atlantic Unbound:

Flashbacks: “Jazz at the Crossroads” (February 26, 2003)
Articles on Wynton Marsalis and the evolution of jazz shed light on where jazz has been—and where it may be headed.

A song of itself is not jazz, no matter what its origin. Jazz is what the jazzmen searching together bring to it, take from it, find within it. Spirituals, blues, stomps, ragtime, quadrilles, folk ballads, popular songs–all these and more are the subjects of their creative scrutiny. Even the most sensitive and skilled of jazz arrangers like Duke Ellington and Ralph Burns cannot put down all that is actually played. Much is left free for improvisation, and no precise method of notation has been developed to indicate its rhythmic and emotional complexities. In most cases no formal score whatever is followed. The song and its arrangement become for these men a means to an end. The music used, in other words, is somewhat incidental to the inspired uses to which it is put. For this reason jazz, within the realm of music, thrives on endless exploration and ceaseless discovery.

Coming, as it frequently does, as an outcry of a hurt suppressed or an exuberance released, jazz strives to speak for and to the individual. Because of this the group through which it speaks and from whom it must find its support is seldom a large one. As Henry “Red” Allen said one night, “If you got too many up there at once you start to get in each other’s way!” So here are voices speaking alone, speaking personally, yet drawing strength and deriving character from the group. The “combo,” as it is called, becomes almost a term of affection. The word has been cut down from “combination,” which means “a union or aggregate made by combining persons or things together so as to effect a purpose.” While intended originally to describe restraint of trade, it could serve quite easily as a description of love. And, like love, the playing of jazz is one of the few rituals which permit such a feeling of shared joy, one of the few arts in which creation and performance are simultaneous.

Jazz, by its very nature, is a kind of freedom rooted in the sense of responsibility. Each soloist is guaranteed unrestricted freedom but he must exercise this privilege always with the other men in mind. Between them they possess and treasure a common rhythm supporting a community of sounds out of which the single voice is sustained and strengthened. A symphonic performance, somewhat in contrast, demands a rigid control by composer and conductor; a discipline in which the musicians expect and are expected to submit to an outside will. (Imagine the pandemonium if the second trumpet of the Boston Symphony suddenly stood up and took a few riffs on his own!) But in a jazz group the total effect is the result of total contribution. The music exists without a strong central authority. Perhaps this sounds dangerously close to the classical hope for anarchism. In a sense it is exactly that, and in its less skilled practitioners the result is indeed anarchy. When functioning at its best, however, there is unbelievable order as each performer gives and is given, as he sends and is sent. This responsibility does not begin and end with the performers. In contrast to an alarmingly large body of contemporary music, jazz expects to be listened to. It does not pretend to be soporific even when accused of being an aphrodisiac.

Jazzmen are a proud and independent lot; they refuse to conceal themselves behind a potted palm. While great moments of jazz can be recorded, remembered, and even revered, the art itself cannot be wrapped, stamped, and packaged like dehydrated noodles. On the contrary, active participation here and now is the very lifeblood of its existence. “The most inventive improvisation comes only when the conditions are compelling,” Gerry Mulligan has stated. And the remarkable thing about jazzmen is that if nobody else will listen to them they will play for themselves. Hence the jam session in its original meaning. Hence the obsessive faith in their own striving. Hence the disdain of a commercialism which seeks–and they know it–to standardize, to stabilize, and ultimately to crush this lonely, loving art.

HISTORICALLY the journey that jazz has taken can be traced with reasonable accuracy. That it ripened most fully in the redolence of New Orleans seems beyond dispute although there are a few deviationists who support other theories of its origin. Around 1895 the almost legendary Buddy Bolden and Bunk Johnson were blowing their cornets in the street and in the funeral parades which have always enlivened the flamboyant social life of that uncommonly vital city. At the same time, it must be remembered, Scott Joplin was producing ragtime on his piano at the Maple Leaf Club in Sedalia, Missouri; and in Memphis, W. C. Handy was evolving his own spectacular conception of the blues.

Jazz in its beginnings, however, relied more on a variety of traditional ballads and songs than it did on new compositions. “Tiger Rag,” for example, is an inspired lift from an old quadrille, evidences of which still cling to the notes. Most of the music grew out of fertile memories and atavistic impulses rather than out of conscious study. “Head music” they still call it, and one of the reasons Bunk Johnson joined Buddy Bolden’s band was that he didn’t have to read notes in that organization. Even to this day there are jazzmen who are reluctant to admit they can read music, because of the stigma which adheres to the conservatory-trained professionals.

Exactly why jazz developed the way it did on the streets of New Orleans is difficult to determine even though a spate of explanations have poured forth from the scholars of the subject. Obviously the need for it there was coupled with the talent to produce it and a favorable audience to receive it. During those early years the local urge for musical expression was so powerful that anything that could be twanged, strummed, beaten, blown, or stroked was likely to be exploited for its musical usefulness. For a long time the washboard was a highly respected percussion instrument, and the nimble, thimbled fingers of Baby Dodds showed sheer genius on that workaday, washday utensil.

Also in New Orleans there was the lively tradition of the “second line” at street parades, which was made up of eager youngsters imitating the elite among the adult performers. Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory, Omer Simeon, Wingy Manone, George Lewis, Barney Bigard–all of whom are abundantly alive and still playing with the vigor of youngsters–were graduates of the “second line.” There was a truly intense rivalry between the various burial and marching societies and all took great pride in their musical prowess. And then, as a final environmental fillip, in the area known as Storyville there was as fine a group of brothels as any city ever boasted, and the managers of these mansions were absolutely without prejudice toward any form of art which would enhance the sense of elation among their patrons. As Jelly Roll Morton said of the district, “everything in the way of hilarity” was sought and sold there. There are those who still look askance at jazz because it was partially a product of this and other Bacchanalian playgrounds. But to condemn jazz for that reason is as foolish as it would be to destroy a Greek vase because of the presence of Silenus blatantly pursuing the maidens across a Grecian meadow.

This favorable situation of responsive patron and stimulated performer allowed the new music to thrive. One thing seems apparent in the development of the style which it evolved: the Negro bandsmen (and those influenced by them) seem to have applied their own special vocal technique and feelings to the instruments which fell into their capable hands. Spirituals and blues were an integral part of their heritage, and both forms of lament take on a strong, driving quality when sung by Negroes without the debilitating effects of formal musical training. As they sang, so they played. Fused to this tradition of singing there was the equally profound effect of the “stomp,” which grew out of their own primitive folk dances. These were the racial colors and local textures, Creole and working class amalgams, applied to the new music, and it is logical to assume there would be no abrupt change in feeling simply because of the acquisition of cornets, clarinets, “trambones,” violins, and tubas. That the vocal and instrumental styles were similar is still evident in the musicianship of Louis Armstrong, whose voice and trumpet employ the same basic style of jazz phrasing.

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Interview with Pantene Celebrity Stylist Brett Freedman

Posted on April 21, 2010 by admin

Pantene Celebrity Stylist Brett Freedman knows celebrities. He is the stylist for Hollywood actresses Kirsten Dunst, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kate Hudson, as well as country stars Reba McEntire, Julie Roberts, and Jennifer Nettles from Sugarland. He’s currently on tour with Reba on the Two Hats and a Redhead Tour, and will be styling Reba’s hair at the ACM Awards this month, and we had the opportunity to ask him some questions about what styles are in, some of his favorite beauty tips, and who looks hot, and who may need a little help. Check out what he had to say.

AboutCountry: How long does it typically take to style Reba from street casual to stage ready?

Brett Freedman:
I’ve been working with Reba for almost 3 years now…so we have it pretty much down pat. Reba has a line of clothes at Dillard’s so this past weekend she was doing some in store fashion shows in different cities in the afternoon and performing her concerts that evening. So she would need to look polished and crisp for the event and turn up the glam for the eve. It takes about 40 minutes to turn from a good girl to a glam girl.

AboutCountry: Do you have to change your styling preparations due to the dry desert conditions at the ACM Awards?

Brett Freedman:
Dry desert conditions are ideal for Reba’s naturally curly hair. We’re really liking it straight right now so the dry air doesn’t interfere with that. Now for more humid places like Florida or NY it’s all about prepping her hair with Pantene Pro-V Smooth & Shine Anti-frizz Serum to smooth hair, keep out humidity and add shine. That barrier really helps ward off any bending or frizzing. I finish with Pantene Pro-V Flexible Hold Hairspray, another layer of ‘bad moisture’ defense!

AboutCountry: Will Reba have her signature bob, or will she have an upswept style?

Brett Freedman:
Most likely she will have it down and kicky. We’re really into that. I like Reba’s hair to reflect her…hot, fun and a bit naughty.

AboutCountry: What sort of hairstyles are trendy right now for young women?

Brett Freedman:
Waves are back! Think the volume from the 80′s in a softer, more polished style. Break out your hot rollers!

AboutCountry: What type of things can the average person add to their wardrobe to give them a little bit of the star ‘glamour’?

Brett Freedman:
A great leather jacket. Find one that’s fitted and has a modern touch, like a mandarin collar or a slightly longer shape. This will give any outfit, no matter how casual a bit of an edge. Try some great jewelry…and layer it. A nice tangle of necklaces, mixing small beaded ones with jeweled pieces adds a bit of edge.

AboutCountry:Which country stars do you think have the best “looks?”

Brett Freedman:
I love Martina McBride’s unique style. She doesn’t look like anyone else and I love that! She plays with her style…she looks sexy at times…demure others. No danger of us ever getting bored with her! I also love Jennifer Nettles from Sugarland…her laid back style is so hot…I’m sure she thinks about the way she looks but it all seems so effortless.

AboutCountry: Which country stars could benefit from a little help on their hair style?

Brett Freedman:
I love Faith Hill and she is such a classic American beauty. I’m not crazy about her with shorter, monochromatic hair. I feel the shorter layered style is great…but for some reason they lack edge and seem a bit too round. I’d do some length and add some depth enhancing highlights. I’d suggest Shania pear it down a bit. Her style has gotten a bit fussy and seems to ‘sit’ on her. I think Shania is most beautiful the less bells and whistles.

AboutCountry: What kinds of trends do you foresee from the country music’s up-and-coming young artists?

Brett Freedman:
There is a real funky, almost grassroots look circling right now. Very simple, straightforward and downright sexy! Thanks Keith Urban!

AboutCountry: How do you style around stars that wear cowboy hats? For example, Terri Clark.

Brett Freedman:
It’s all about a good haircut! Terri is on tour with Reba right now so I’ve gotten to see her great show and I notice during her show she takes the hat on and off. No worries for hat hair…Terri has a great, slightly layered style that looks better and better the more you touch it and ‘rough it up’. Also, no bangs. If you are going to take a hat on and off, bangs are not your friend!

AboutCountry: How can an average person get a glamorous look like Reba has?

With Reba it’s all about subtlety. Softer red hair with highlights. I like to style Reba’s hair kicky and chunky…fun and unpredictable, like Reba herself!

AboutCountry: Do you do makeup as well as hair, or only hair styling?

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Peter Moran to lead school workshops at the Castletown Concerts Festival

Posted on March 27, 2010 by admin

As part of this year’s Castletown Concerts Festival, which is held in honour of Krzysztof Penderecki’s first visit to Ireland, Peter Moran will be working with local primary school children from Scoil Bhride Naofa in Kildare Town as they devise their own compositions in response to Penderecki’s work.

In the week leading up to the concerts, the students will be introduced to contemporary music and to Penderecki’s work in particular. They will be guided to develop their own compositional ideas, working at first with their voices and everyday objects and percussion instruments. The students will also have the very special opportunity to work with members of Camerata Ireland. As they learn of the variety of sounds and textures that the instruments are capable of, the children will then develop their very own instrumental compositions.

Finally, the students will perform their compositions in public, alongside members of the ensemble, on the morning of Sunday, 12 September 2010 preceding that afternoon’s performance of Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima conducted by Penderecki himself.

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Behind Brown Eyes

Posted on March 4, 2010 by admin

Writing about the songs of Van Morrison is rightly seen as something of a paradox. Perhaps that’s because, for all his scholarly use of multiple musical styles and his references to Yeats and Joyce, the Belfast Cowboy’s work is more sensual than it is intellectual. Which makes the renowned rock critic Greil Marcus, who’s written definitively on Elvis and Bob Dylan, the right man to plumb that work. Combining an incantatory prose style with careful reporting and inventive, sometimes infuriating judgments, Marcus manages to illuminate Morrison’s cerebral soul music — even if, as the singer once claimed, “the process is beyond words.”

“When That Rough God Goes Riding” is more a series of nonfiction short stories than a straightforward analysis. Marcus devotes virtually every chapter to a wide-ranging discussion of a Morrison album, song or live performance. Fittingly, just as the singer peppers his songs with eclectic allusions to Muddy Waters and William Blake, Marcus, too, brings in endless cultural signifiers, the better for us to understand the music. This means comparing Morrison’s version of Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” to Raymond Chandler’s writing: “It begins like the first page of a detective novel, with three clipped, odd bass patterns, like a knock on the door, but with an odd fatalism.” Throughout the book, Marcus also makes reference to artists as disparate as the comic Robert Klein, the director Neil Jordan and the novelist Jonathan Lethem, so that we might get a sense of Morrison’s complex appeal. Mostly, these comparisons feel strangely accurate. Sometimes, as when Marcus compares the music to Bob Beamon’s astonishing long jump, he’s, uh, stretching things a bit.

As with any critic whose strong tastes make him a maverick, occasionally you want to lasso Marcus and bring him under control. That point comes after a reverential chapter on Morrison’s magnum opus, “Astral Weeks.” It’s one thing to adore the record and write that Morrison is “saying everything in the cues of his chords, hesitations, lunges, silences, and in those moments when he loosed himself from words and floated on his own air.” It’s quite another to dismiss 16 (!) of Morrison’s recordings, from 1980 to 1996, as an “endless stream of dull and tired albums” that carry “titles like warning labels.” Marcus suggests that the slump ended only with “The Healing Game,” which contains the song that gives his book its title. This is where certain serious music critics always lose me.

Sure, the pop-jazz knockout “Astral Weeks” is deep, beautiful, painful. But it’s also become something of a shillelagh, often used to club other fine Morrison albums. O.K., Morrison explores all the ­requisite literary topics on “Astral Weeks”: sex, death, loss. Yet he is also tremendously convincing on less quirky albums. One listen to the radiant “Someone Like You,” from the “tired” “Poetic Champions Compose,” proves that. Also, Morrison showed in the course of those 16 albums that he was as interested in an evolving musical sophistication as he was in being the heartbroken Beat poet. It all depends on your mood, anyway. Sometimes you want “Cyprus Avenue.” Other days, “Have I Told You Lately” is exactly right.

Still, that’s what the most thoughtful music critics make you do: argue like crazy about their choices and ideas. And it’s what Marcus does here — reminding us, even as he antagonizes us, why we listen to Morrison in the first place. But the author might want to remember something simple. Sure, it’s great to hear Morrison sing about the dark, disturbed Madame George. Sometimes, though, all you want to listen to is “Brown-Eyed Girl” because, at that moment, “sha la la” says everything a rock fan needs to know.

Peter Gerstenzang is a humorist and a freelance journalist.

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Lisa Hyper: The Clash within The Female Deejay

Posted on February 18, 2010 by admin

There is little point in denying that Lisa Hyper is controversial even by Dancahall standards. The 21 year old female deejay is well known for her contradictory image and conflicting views, as is evident in a recent Suite 101 interview on the subject of her image and opinions on bleaching and exploitation of female sexuality. It is actually rather a shame that her positive messages on matters such as these have taken rather a back seat to the diss-tunes and clashing.
Clashing: Hyper’s True Calling?

She does, however, insist that her numerous clashes with her fellow female artists, particularly Spice and Ikaya – although sometimes it seems to be Lisa Hyper against the Dancehall world – have helped strengthened both her abilities and her career. “It does make you stronger because if I has sat down and listen to everybody calling my name and just watching it, they wouldn’t stop.

Everybody would just have me as a walk-over and I feel like in everything there’s competition so I just stood up on my feet and say ok I’m going to go,” she states, although according to her the clashes should not be taken as anything more than just entertainment. “When you do it for fun the lyrics and the songs it come out better but when you’re taking it personal, it’s not going to sound good. You have to just do what you do for fun and that’s what I did.”
The Positive Side of ‘Warr?’

The question of course, especially with the tensions that have already risen from such clashes in the Dancehall world, can this lyrical warfare ever really be considered a positive thing? “It’s helping me and it’s helping them and that’s no problem with me because I’m not all for myself,” says Felecia, before returning almost immediately to her Hyper persona and adding smugly, “If you notice nobody call mi name again.”

She makes a fair point, her venomous records like ‘Stop Chat’ and ‘Sting Aftermath’ certainly evoke the conclusion that she does not take any shots at her name and reputation lying down. Although with Lisa there is always a somewhat cheeky undertone to even her most hardcore lyrics, after all as she mentions it is just entertainment; so surely it should be seen more as friendly competition so to speak? “Well I wouldn’t say really friendly,” she laughs before adding “no it’s just a lyrical war; it’s just music.”
Introducing 21 Bad Gal: A Step toward Unity?

It is therefore rather ironic that our conversation next turns to the need for unity and support amongst female artists in this very testosterone-filled industry. Hoping to afford other young women an opportunity to step into the game, she recently founded her group 21 Bad Gal. “I have the ability to help people so I’m going to help some young female artists, who want people to know them and see the talent that they have,” she explains passionately.

“You never hear a female artist buss the next female artist! Lady Saw never do it and she have the ability fi do it more and mi just buss and she doing it years and she never buss an artist yet and I’ve six artists mi a buss one time.” In a very commendable move she even plans to return to school next academic year to work on her accounting qualification, so she can learn to handle the business affairs of both her career and those of her artists. After all, as she points out with a real sense of genuineness, “education is the key, trust me.”
A Rare Three-Dimensional Artist: Surely a True Example of Substance over Hype?

So just who is the girl – and of course the musician – behind the hype? There is little point in denying that Lisa Hyper is a complex web of contradictions, which merely adds to her character. It is sometimes hard to imagine that the deejay behind so many diss-tunes is also the woman behind tracks like ‘Stay in School’ and ‘Not Every Man You fi Trust,’ which provide surprisingly encouraging messages for her young fan-base.

Whilst it is very true that she has a long way to go in terms of artistic development and maturity, her progress and stance within the industry in just one short year is outstanding. People will undoubtedly continue to criticise every aspect of her career, from her image to her controversial subject matter and opinions but in true Hyper fashion, she frankly couldn’t give a damn and surely that alone should command some respect.

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50 Music Songs in Fifty Years: Top Song of Each of Last 50 Years

Posted on January 22, 2010 by admin

Billboard published its first popularity song chart in 1940 and now publishes a variety of weekly and yearly lists such as top songs by genre, top albums and a year-end overall top song list. To determine song popularity they now combine sales of singles with radio airplay and, since 2005, digital downloads.

The top 50 music songs from each of the last fifty years – the top song from 1959 through to 2009 – starts with Johnny Horton’s 1959 The Battle of New Orleans and ends with Boom Boom Pow by The Black Eyed Peas, Billboard’s number one ranked song in 2009. Watching a grainy video of Johnny Horton sing The Ballad of New Orleans – he stands in one place the entire time – and watching The Black Eyed Peas explosive performance is an indicator of just how much pop music has changed in 50 years.

The first 17 years, 1959 to 1975, has a great mixture of styles as it includes The Everyly Brothers, Patsy Cline, The Beachboys, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Roberta Flack and Tony Orlando and Dawn.
50 Music Songs: The Top Songs from Years 1959 to 1975

* 1959 – The Ballad of New Orleans by Johnny Horton
* 1960 – Cathy’s Clown by the Everly Brothers
* 1961 – I Fall to Pieces by Patsy Cline
* 1962 – Roses are Red, My Love by Bobby Vinton
* 1963 – Surfin’ U.S.A. by The Beachboys
* 1964 – I Want to Hold Your Hand by The Beatles
* 1965 – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones
* 1966 – The Ballad of The Green Beret by Sgt. Barry Sadler
* 1967 – To Sir With Love by Lulu
* 1968 – Hey Jude by The Beatles
* 1969 – Aquarius by The Fifth Dimension
* 1970 – Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel
* 1971 – Joy to the World by Three Dog Night
* 1972 – The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – Roberta Flack
* 1973 – Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree – Tony Orlando and Dawn
* 1974 – The Way We Were by Barbara Streisand
* 1975 – Love Will Keep Us Together by The Captain and Tennille

It’s a dramatic shift from The Battle of New Orleans and Cathy’s Clown, in 8 years, to Hey Jude, Aquarius and Bridge Over Troubled Water. Even before that the Rolling Stones I Can’t Get No Satisfaction in 1965 was an indicator things were changing. Things regress a little with Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Ole Oak Tree and Love Will Keep Us Together.

50 Music Songs: The Top Songs from Years 1976 to 1992

* 1976 – Silly Love Songs by Paul McCartney and Wings
* 1977 – Tonight’s the Night (Gonna be Alright) Rod Stewart
* 1978 – Shadow Dancing by Andy Gibb
* 1979 – My Sharona by The Knack
* 1980 – Call Me by Blondie
* 1981 – Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes
* 1982 – Physical by Olivia Newton-John
* 1983 – Every Breath You Take by The Police
* 1984 – When Doves Cry by Prince
* 1985 – Careless Whisper by Wham!
* 1986 – That’s What Friends are For – Dionne Warwick, Elton John and Gladys Knight
* 1987 – Walk Like an Egyptian by The Bangles
* 1988 – Faith by George Michael
* 1989 – Look Away by Chicago
* 1990 – Hold On by Wilson Phillips
* 1991 – Everything I Do (I Do it For You) Bryan Adams
* 1992 – End of the Road by Boys II Men

Paul McCartney’s Silly Love Songs all the way to Boys II Men and End of the Road is not such a great leap and overall these 17 years are lead by ballads and rather tame ones at that. Even Physical, which was considered sexy and a little avant garde at the time, seems pretty innocent now. The Bangles in 1987 manage to outsell Madonna, U2, Heart and Crowded House, among others.

50 Music Songs: The Top Songs from Years 1993 to 2009

* 1993 – I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston
* 1994 – The Sign by Ace of Bass
* 1995 – Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio
* 1996 – Macarena by Los Del Rio
* 1997 – Candle in the Wind by Elton John
* 1998 – Too Close by Next
* 1999 – Believe by Cher
* 2000 – Breathe by Faith Hill
* 2001 – Lady Marmalade by Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya and Pink
* 2002 – A Thousand MIles by Vanessa Carlton
* 2003 – Crazy in Love by Beyonce Knowles featuring Jay-Z
* 2004 – The Reason by Hoobastank
* 2005 – We Belong Together by Mariah Carey
* 2006 – Bad Day by Daniel Powter
* 2007 – Irreplaceable by Beyonce
* 2008 – Low by Flow Rida Feature T-Pain
* 2009 – Boom Boom Pow by The Black Eyed Peas

This last list shows how fickle pop music is, elevating Elton John’s Candle in the Wind two years after Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise. There is no sure formula to get into the number one spot, many greats have never got there like Lionel Ritchie, The Eagles and Madonna, and it doesn’t matter your age (Cher was 53 when she managed it with the saccharin Believe in 1999).

In the final analysis looking at Billboard top songs for each of 50 consecutive years is an indicator that the most popular song in terms of sales is rarely the best.

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Jazz: A musical Discussion

Posted on January 2, 2010 by admin

JAZZ is upon us everywhere. To deny the fact is to assume the classic ostrich pose, head buried in the sand, tail-feathers to the sun. To shout alarm hysterically from the housetops, is to exhibit over-confidence in clamorous indignation as a purifier of morals, if it be not wholly to ignore historic precedent.

The situation we are facing is not new. It offers many problems which are grave, yet seemingly not more perplexing than those which have arisen, under similar conjunctures, in the past. True it is that the dance to which jazz music has been coupled is not precisely setting an example of modesty and grace. True, also, that certain modern dance-perversions have called up music that is as noxious as the breath of Belial. Only by a bold stretch of fancy can this delirious caterwauling be brought under the head of music proper — or improper; as noise, its significance at times becomes eloquent to the point of leaving little or nothing to the imagination.

However, let us remember that the worst of our present dances are not beginning to approach in barefaced wickedness the almost unbelievable performances of our forefathers, for which we need not seek much further back than the time of the French Revolution, when the 1800 dance-Halls of Paris were not enough to hold the whirling pairs, but dancing went on gayly in churches and in cemeteries. And let us admit that the best of jazz tunes is something infinitely more original — perhaps even musically better than the so-called “popular” music that America produced in the “good old days,” that golden age which lives only in the mythology of disappointed sinners.

My ideas on the dance and the possible causes of its recurring degeneration I have set forth in an article, “Why do we dance?” which appeared in the Musical Quarterly for October, 1920. I shall merely remind you that almost every race and every age have known social conditions which result in an unloosing of instincts that nature wisely has taught us to hold well in check, but which, every now and then, from cryptic reasons, are allowed to break the bounds of civilized restraint.

Such excesses have not infrequently attained to tragic madness. The silly, lewd gyrations for which jazz is held responsible by some are the release of tension in a witless, neurotic stratum of society. But such dances were common long before the word “jazz” was coined. Our latest dance craze has known the Tango, the “shimmy,” the various zoological trots, to much the same purpose that now cries out for jazz.

Whoever wishes to reform the dance must break the grip that clutches partner against partner, in shuffling, wriggling ambulation. Abolish the comparative intimacy of that twofold company; make room for the benign third party that turns company into crowd; devise a dance in which there is general participation, as there was in the quadrille, the figure dances, the milder forms of country reels, and you will not only improve the tone of public amusements, but possibly you may open a way for dance-music to resume a swifter, ampler, and more sweeping gait, instead of the repeated, jogging, stubborn motives which lead to stupid, short, reiterated movements.

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Avenged Sevenfold – Nightmare Review

Posted on December 23, 2009 by admin

Avenged Sevenfold’s blend of raw power, emotion, heavy riffs and storytelling are what make the band one of the world’s biggest and best bands of recent times, but no album displays these characteristics better than their fifth studio album ‘Nightmare’

The band was struck down with a tragedy during the recording of their newest album when their drummer, James “The Rev” Sullivan died on the 28th of December from an accidental overdose, and in honour of his memory, the band soldiered on with the album, hiring the talents of The Rev’s favourite drummer, Dream Theatre’s Mike Portnoy to fill in on drums.

What has resulted is the darkest, and most emotional, mature offering from the band and has received critical acclaim.
Avenged Sevenfold : Nightmare

The opening track, and the first single released begins with an eery, lullaby-like chiming, before the guitars and drums kick in to a heavy build-up, before vocalist M. Shadows comes in with a scream of “NIGHTMAREEEEE”.

The song then leads into a Critical Acclaim sounding verse and sets the tone for the rest of the album quite well with the band crafting the epic, head-banging music that they do so well.

Mike Portnoy shows that he was the right man to honour The Rev’s memory, easily slotting his playing style in with Zacky Vengeance and Johnny Christ’s heavy riffs, M. Shadows guttural vocals and Synyster Gates’s shredding solos.

Welcome To The Family

Probably the ‘happiest’ song on the album content wise, this is a song seemingly designed for an audience to sing along and head-bang to.

More reminiscent of their last album’s style, this song provides the light-hearted side of the album and provides some of the usual catchy riffs alongside high-soaring solos. It’s apparent by this time that M. Shadows has certainly brought an aspect of his old singing style back, that’s been missing from the last two albums.
Danger Line

Starting off with a militaristic drumbeat and the usual Synyster Gates solo intro and developing into a steady, chugging riff. This song, much like M.I.A and Gunslinger, is mainly about a soldier at war and the loss that war brings, with the final verse about the soldier dying and saying goodbye to his family.

The song ends with a mournful sounding solo, and ends with a chilling whistle as it fades out.
Buried Alive

The song that the band released a lyric video for before the albums release is one that can be most closely compared to the Metallica sound that is present throughout parts of the album.

The song is a slow start, but slowly builds up until the last few minutes where it becomes a frenzy of solos and heavy guitars, much like Metallica’s ‘One’.
Natural Born Killer

Arguably the heaviest song in the album, the opening riff is a pretty generic metal riff complimented by a brilliant intro drum solo, followed by an absolute meltdown of thrash and screaming. What follows is a fantastic riff that bursts in with all the swagger and attitude you expect from this band.

Mike Portnoy’s work is on display and is at its best here and it’s no wonder why they brought him in, as the song continues its frantic pace and surging riffs.
So Far Away

The first softer song on Nightmare, this acoustic driven ballad displays the emotion of the band members at losing one of their best friends.

The song ends with another magical Synyster Gates solo in what is already a solo-heavy album. At this point it’s noticeable that Gates has improved in his playing immensely, with less of the screaming, fast paced solos and sees the lead guitarist injecting a lot more soul into his playing.
God Hates Us

The song where M. Shadows proves to his critics that he can still growl and scream. An old-school A7X song that seems to unleash the bands pure anger and fury.

A heavy, fast paced song that will most definitely be received with welcome arms by the older fans of Avenged Sevenfold.
Victim

From soft, to heavy, to soft again, Victim is another song mourning the loss of their friend. It starts with a bell tolling, and an emotional vocal solo, that quickly builds into another brilliant song about loss.

M. Shadows seems to be speaking to The Rev with the final lyrics of the song being, “I’m missing you” , and finishing with another soulful, vocal solo that opens the door to the next track.
Tonight The World Dies

The acoustics return for this emotionally driven song, with M. Shadows vocals starting off soft before soaring into the choruses, full of emotion and pain.

The song seems to be focused on the band at its lowest moment, mere days after The Rev died.
Fiction

Originally titled ‘Death’, this is The Rev’s final written song to the band and ominously foreshadows the events that follow after. The song title was changed to Fiction to honour their fallen comrade, who constantly said his life was like a book of fiction.

Shadows joins in this song as a duet with The Rev, whose vocals were kept on the track as a fitting tribute. The song itself lacks any guitars and is purely drums and a piano, but is haunting and beautiful all at the same time.
Save Me

As is the norm for an Avenged Sevenfold album, the last song on the album is an epic-length song clocking in at 11 minutes, building up as an epic finale to what is a truly emotional and well-crafted album, that is a tribute to their lost friend and brother.

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Matt’s Songwriter Spotlight – Hugh Prestwood

Posted on November 28, 2009 by admin

Since being discovered in 1978 by Judy Collins, singer/songwriter Hugh Prestwood has made an impact on country music listeners with his distinct and poetic song lyrics. Collins had a hit with “Hard Time For Lovers” and went on to record five more songs. One of the rare country songwriters who typically writes songs by himself, Hugh Prestwood has found success over the last 28 years with five No. 1 hits including Randy Travis’ “Hard Rock Bottom Of Your Heart,” Collin Raye’s “On The Verge” Shenandoah’s “Ghost In This House” and Trisha Yearwood’s “The Song Remembers When.”

Prestwood’s other hits include Highway 101′s “Big Bang Boom,” Michael Johnson’s “That’s That,” Kathy Mattea’s “Asking Us To Dance” and Anne Murray’s “Feed This Fire.” Other artists like James Taylor, The Judds, Vern Gosdin, Conway Twitty, Tanya Tucker, Don Williams, Lee Greenwood, Ty England, Marty Raybon, Sammy Kershaw and Alison Krauss and Union Station have recorded his songs. The sheer number of hits and song cuts has garnered Hugh many awards, including a 1994 Emmy Award for “The Song Remembers When.”

Since the early 1980s, Hugh has taught “Advanced Songwriting” for the New School in Manhattan, a short drive from his home on Long Island, New York. Also while in Nashville or other cities in the country Hugh can often be found teaching songwriting workshops for NSAI. With his steady stream of hits and willingness to share his craft, Hugh Prestwood has become well-respected by his peers and singers alike. It is that friendliness that comes through in his songs and possibly why Hugh Prestwood was nominated for the NSAI Songwriter Hall of Fame in 2006.

If you are a fan of Hugh Prestwood’s songs you might also like to know that he has released an album of his songs. The Fate Of Fireflies has 15 well-done tracks that showcase a man with a strong baritone voice that recalls James Taylor.

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Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki to visit Ireland

Posted on November 5, 2009 by admin

Krzysztof Penderecki, the Polish composer and conductor, will travel for the first time to Ireland this September 10th – 12th at the invitation of pianist Barry Douglas and Camerata Ireland to attend their festival, The Castletown Concerts 2010, in Celbridge, Co Kildare, as Guest of Honour.

The composer will conduct a number of his own works which will include the Threnody (for the Victims of Hiroshima), the piece which launched his international career as a young composer in 1960.  A Grammy Award winner in 1987, 1998 and 2001 and a recipient of many honours and awards from universities and governments around the world, Dr Penderecki will also be conferred with an Honorary Doctorate of Music from NUI Maynooth while in Ireland.  The concerts will take place in Castletown House and St Patrick’s College, Maynooth.

“Krzysztof Penderecki is one of the world’s greatest composers and Camerata Ireland and I are honoured that he will be with us this September in Castletown, as well as the many distinguished chamber musicians that will join us to celebrate his work.  This is also an exciting opportunity for young Irish musicians to work with Maestro Penderecki for the Threnody performance, one which they will no doubt all remember for many years.  We are also delighted to present a recital by the young 21-year-old winner of the 2009 Dublin International Piano Competition, Alexej Gorlatch, and we look forward to working with a local school on a pilot composing project”, commented Barry Douglas, Artistic Director of Camerata Ireland and The Castletown Concerts.

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They Got the Beat

Posted on October 13, 2009 by admin

The answer is “You Better Run” by Pat Benatar, and it’s a reminder that for all the valid criticism that MTV received over the years for the ways in which women were represented in music videos, the channel’s wide-open programming, especially in its early years, also offered a new opportunity for female musicians. New autobiographies by two of the women who were in perpetual rotation during MTV’s first few years are a study in the divergent paths that could lead to rock stardom during the Reagan years.

Benatar and Belinda Carlisle, lead singer of the Go-Go’s, are such perfect mirror images it’s almost cartoonish: New York versus Los Angeles, musical theater versus punk, eyes-on-the-prize ambition versus cocaine-driven excess. If their stories seldom rise above cliché, they are also examples of the fact that things become clichés for a reason, that they are are generally based on some kind of truth, especially in rock ’n’ roll.

The awkward title of Benatar’s ­“Between a Heart and a Rock Place” gives a sense of the earnest, determined tone found in these pages, and in her songs, for that matter. Born in Brooklyn and raised on blue-collar Long Island, this daughter of two factory workers had to find her own way early. “I was forced to create a sense of independence,” she writes, “an emotional armor that helped me protect myself.” Singing became her goal, and high school revolved around training for Juilliard and beyond, though an early marriage marked the end of her conservatory plans.

After a revelation at — no kidding — a Liza Minnelli concert, Benatar decides to pursue a performing career for real. She can hear the sound she wants; “not someone’s idea of how a ‘girl’ would rock, but the real thing — only sung by a female.” A guitarist named Neil Giraldo became the catalyst for this approach, and eventually became her husband as well. Once they found their formula, the hits started raining down — “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “Love Is a Battlefield,” six platinum albums in a row and four Grammy awards.

Much of “Between a Heart and a Rock Place” is devoted to Benatar’s insistence on remaining a regular person in the face of celebrity. “I’ve never done anything in my life that would excite a tabloid reporter,” she says, even going so far as to label herself “Erma Bombeck with an edge.” She seems happy enough, I suppose, though it doesn’t feel as if she was ever having much fun.
So let’s assume that if you’re reading this, you already know that the first clip ever to run on MTV was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles. The goofy New Wave number was a shot across the bow, the perfect mission statement for the upstart network, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary this summer. O.K., then, smart guy, what was broadcast next — what was MTV’s first “regular” video?

Throughout her career, Benatar remained committed to combating the focus on selling female performers for their sex appeal. “Sexy didn’t even occur to me,” she says. “I was much more interested in showing how strong-minded I was.” When her record company tries to play up her looks, she finds it “offensive but also boring — typical of most men’s thinking in postfeminist America.”

After her popularity begins to wane in the mid-1980s, and she slows things down for a while to raise her family, Benatar concludes that she needs to embrace the digital age and remake herself as, you guessed it, “a brand.” To her credit, she has steadily released music and continued to tour, on her own terms, ever since. “While I made a pretty good rock star,” she discovers, “I made an even better businesswoman.” It’s all well intentioned and admirable, but Benatar also includes a telling quotation from another ’80s icon, Robin Leach. They were both on Howard Stern’s radio show, and after Benatar recounted her family-centered, scandal-free life, Stern suggested booking her for a “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” segment. “She just spent 20 minutes telling you how boring she is,” Leach countered. “Why would I do that?”

He presumably wouldn’t have had the same reaction to Belinda Carlisle, who went from working-class California girl with Top-40 tastes (and a brief fixation on the Manson family) to the heart of the Los Angeles punk scene to the featured spot in the Go-Go’s, the first all-female band that wrote and played its own songs ever to hit No. 1 on the album charts.

In “Lips Unsealed” (the title is taken from her band’s signature hit “Our Lips Are Sealed”), the insecure little girl who “wanted to be Marcia Brady” claims that “my whole life changed the day I came across the cover of Iggy and the ­Stooges’ ‘Raw Power.’ ” Carlisle’s punk credentials are strong; as “Dottie Danger,” she played in an early version of the notorious, pioneering Germs, and the fledgling Go-Go’s opened for the Circle Jerks and Lydia Lunch (though for special occasions, her mom was still sewing her outfits). Carlisle, who is fond of lists of adjectives, writes that those days were “surreal, colorful, vibrant, reckless and irresponsible.”

As her band acquires a shiny, irresistible pop edge, the singer discovers cocaine; “it always made me feel better no matter what else was bothering me.” And from 1981 to 2005, the ups and downs of the Go-Go’s, and then Carlisle’s solo career after the band broke up, become a backdrop for her history with the drug.

Unfortunately, after a while, drug stories get dull. Carlisle is no Nikki Sixx, so while there are some disturbing episodes (a trip through the slums of Rio looking to score), “Lips Unsealed” isn’t even a lurid thrill ride, just a reminder of the endless slog of addiction. After moving to the South of France (playing boules with Yves Montand, striking up a friendship with “Fergie,” the Duchess of York), Carlisle still finds herself snorting coke in the bathroom of her son’s school. She even shows up drunk for the standard rock star moment of redemption — her “Behind the Music” interview.

Finally, much to everyone’s relief (including the reader’s), she gets clean, through a combination of A.A., yoga and, oddly, a consciousness-raising mushroom trip. Her journey, she writes, has been “sad, tough, amazing, stupid, silly and enlightening.” And this summer, the Go-Go’s attempted, then cancelled the latest in a series of farewell tours (she quotes one writer who cracked, “Not since the Who has a band had a harder time sticking to breakup vows”).

“Between a Heart and a Rock Place” and “Lips Unsealed” were no doubt cathartic for the women who wrote them, and you sure want to cheer for survivors like these. But the singer Michael Hutchence of INXS, with whom Carlisle had a brief tour fling, once offered her a revealing insight about the odd relationship between fans and lead singers. “They fantasize about much more than is really there, don’t you think?”

Alan Light is the director of programming for the public television series “Live From the Artists Den.”

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Grammy’s Favorite Reggae Artists

Posted on September 16, 2009 by admin

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which hosts the annual Grammy Awards, awarded its first Grammy Award for Best Reggae Recording in 1985. Singles and albums available through general distribution in the United States were eligible for this award. In 1992, the award was changed to Best Reggae Album. Although there are several sub-genres within reggae music, the Grammy Awards have only one category to accommodate the diversity within the field of reggae.
Reggae Artists with the Most Grammy Awards

Ziggy Marley leads the list with four Grammy Awards in the reggae category. With his band, the Melody Makers, he won Grammy Awards in 1989 for Conscious Party, in 1990 for One Bright Day, and in 1998 for Fallen is Babylon. As a solo artist, he won in 2007 for Love Is My Religion.

Following close behind Ziggy Marley with three Grammy Awards in the reggae category is Bunny Wailer, who used to perform with Ziggy’s father, the legendary Bob Marley, as part of the Wailers. Bunny Wailer won Grammy Awards in 1991 for Time Will Tell: A Tribute to Bob Marley, in 1995 for Crucial! Roots Classics, and in 1997 for Hall of Fame: A Tribute to Bob Marley’s 50th Anniversary.

Only four other recording artists have won more than one Grammy Award in the reggae category. The Grammy has been awarded twice to Damian Marley (in 2004 for Halfway Tree and in 2006 for Welcome to Jamrock), Stephen Marley (in 2008 for Mind Control and in 2010 for Mind Control: Acoustic), Shabba Ranks (in 1992 for As Raw as Ever and in 1993 for X-tra Naked), and Burning Spear (in 2000 for Calling Rastafari and in 2009 for Jah Is Real).
Reggae Performers with Multiple Grammy Nominations

Nine artists have been nominated five or more times in the field of reggae. The acts leading the list are:

1. Burning Spear (with 12 nominations)
2. Ziggy Marley (with eight nominations)
3. Tie: Steel Purse, and Third World (with seven nominations)

Of all the reggae artists who have never won the award for Best Reggae Recording or Best Reggae Album, Third World has received the most nominations. They received one nomination in the 1980s, three in the 1990s, and three in the first decade of the twenty-first century. In spite of their longevity as recording artists, Grammy victories have eluded them.

Black Uhuru and Jimmy Cliff both have received six nominations. Sly & Robbie and Bunny Wailer have earned five nominations. Toots Hibbert has received five nominations; four with Toots & the Maytals and one as a solo artist.

Grammy Recognition for Reggae Artists and Mainstream Success in the United States

Reggae fans may wonder if winning a Grammy Award in the field of reggae translates into mainstream success in the United States. They may also wonder if commercially successful albums are more likely to win.

In 1989 and 1990, Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers won back-to-back Grammy Awards for their platinum album Conscious Party and their gold album One Bright Day, respectively. They were the only recordings nominated in reggae category those two years that achieved platinum or gold status.

Shabba Ranks enjoyed the similar back-to-back success at the 1992 and 1993 Grammy Awards ceremonies with As Raw as Ever and X-tra Naked, respectively. These albums were the only two gold albums that were nominated in the reggae category those years.

Inner Circle’s Bad Boys album won in 1994, Shaggy’s Boombastic won in 1996, and Sean Paul’s Dutty Rocks won in 2004. All three of these albums went platinum, but none of the albums nominated alongside of them even went gold.

However, at the 2006 ceremonies, this trend changed. Sean Paul’s album The Trinity went platinum and was the most commercially successful album nominated for Best Reggae Album that year, but it lost to Damian Marley’s Welcome to Jamrock, which went gold. The next year, Matisyahu’s album Youth was the only nominated reggae album of 2007 to turn gold, but it lost to Ziggy Marley’s solo album, Love Is My Religion.
Measuring the Success that Reggae Artists Have in the United States

Knowledgeable reggae fans will notice that many well-respected musicians are missing from the lists presented in this article. Since there were no Grammy Awards given specifically to reggae artists before 1985, many legendary and pioneering reggae musicians, such as Bob Marley, are not listed. Also, artists whose recordings are not released in the United States are not eligible for Grammy nominations.

How musical success is defined in the field of reggae music is also a topic for debate. Awards and sales are only two measure of success. The artist’s career longevity, cultural impact, message, volume of work, and in some cases, posthumous influence, are just a few more of the many issues to consider when measuring the success of reggae artists.

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CD Review: Ria’s Self Titled Debut Crosses Over

Posted on September 3, 2009 by admin

Ria’s 12 tracks on her self-titled debut introduce larger audiences to her Latin-flavored, heavy pop sound. At times her CD is like listening to a soundtrack from Melrose Place or any of the CW Network’s Monday night lineup, but listeners should not hold that against the lovely sounding Ria. She has catchy music that lingers in the listener’s head for hours.
A Bit More Diva to Her

Whereas Alanis Morrissette further brought the world of angry lyrics and Jennifer Lopez maligned airwaves with dance tunes, Ria’s infectious and heartfelt words could even make the most cynic of listeners smile. She has this sweet-sounding voice like Colby Callate, but has a bit more diva to her.

The first three tracks on the album are safe and have dance floor worthy beats. At times the first track “The Real Thing,” Ria’s voice has this soft tempo (a bit Sade, maybe). The words and arrangement in “The Real Thing” are quintessential pop. Ria nails it.

In “Anymore” the backbeat and mix takes a larger role than the first piece. However, her voice is strong enough to overcome the production. Track three, “Alright,” tones it down a notch, and brings to life this light, airy sounding open diary entry. This song could seamlessly be the backdrop to any “boy dumps girl movie.” Please, do not take that as a negative, but merely an announcement that it is a wide audience accepting song.

Infectious Pop Music

“Simply Happy” feels like the best of the first handful of tunes. The chorus is a knockout. The song sounds sexy and holesome at the same time. The song starts out with solid guitar work, but changes into this electronic bump. As her voice strings along, the backbeat and orchestration keep perfect time as her voice shows its range in the most of subtle of ways. This song is infectious pop.

This writer enjoyed “Simply Happy” way more than “Club Zombie” (track 11). “Club Zombie” as its lyrics suggests – “predator of the night” is certainly a meaty dance song. Get ready to go to the club and dance to this one. Just as it rolls into a fast chorus, the beat slows down and cuts out the mojo. Just a bit.

She Shines, Corny As It May Be

Other standout songs on Ria are the familiar backbeat-sounding “Queens” (track eight) for a night out on a town, as well as the devoted daughter tune, “Momma’s Love,” (track seven). Okay, this song is ready and packaged for Hallmark’s Mother’s Day, Ria’s voice is still stunning and clear as day. She shines as does this somewhat corny song. It is the same chagrin when Gloria Estefan released the uber inspirational “Coming Out of the Dark” or the Estefan-*NSYNC collaboration “Music of My Heart.”

Fans of Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan, Rhianna, Haley Bennett and seductive-sounding pop music will want to take a listen or two to Ria. She holds an incredible presence in each of her songs, and the mood she creates is one of mass audience appeal. Look for Ria to have a solid career with crossover between dance and pop, as well as the Latin music market.

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AXIOM steps out live in Northern California

Posted on August 5, 2009 by admin

Sounding somewhat similar along the veins of today’s music genre type sections as Linkin Park, and System of a Down, AXIOM is set to steam stages at Marin Stock II, near San Francisco Saturday, August 21, 2010 and Nicolaus, north of Sacramento Saturday, August, 28, 2010.

An 80’s progressive rocker might discover the sounds of AXIOM to those of Metallica, Black Sabbath, ranging to exceptionally varied beats of Yes’ Bill Bradford. AXIOM’s live performances will include its recorded work on its CDs Alpha & Omega released June 2006 and A Means to an End November 2008.
What is AXIOM

AXIOM is defined as a self evident truth, an established principal in an art or science, that it seems its members feel society ought to get back to in terms of how it lives and works together. Its greatest fan base is in Sacramento, CA where the band has been recording and playing since 2002.

AXIOM’s base has now been taken as far as Idaho, Nevada, and to San Jose with their new bassist, John Coffee. The band does have established following as far away as Europe however, and even recently appearing on the Progressive x Grooves radio show on radio station RosaFM in Amsterdam earlier this year, along with a published review of album A Means to an End in Germany’s Rock Hard magazine.

* Scott Wisenhunt is guitar and vocals, lyrics and primary producer.
* Justin Herzer is drums.
* John Coffee is bass.

AXIOM Is About

AXIOM’s heavy handedness and variable rhythms is about the struggles, complexities of awakening to, the futility of fighting, and the battle and transformation over the disparity of power in our world; to its transformation, and ultimate victory over it.

Wisenhunt belts out, “I tried to set a clock with a hole in time” in the first track of A Means to an End entitled Atomic Bomb. This is futility accompanied with the hopelessness of trying to change the world for the better. However, the next track A Means to an End inspires rebellion, “your mind is a muscle- don’t let it atrophy- your tongues will dig your trenches and your graves to conforrn.”

AXIOMs of life

One-Sided carries the battle forth more intensely as perhaps that between the destructive Sky People and the protective Pandorans in Avatar, “You’ve broken the vein, distilled the water, and soured the taste. …I’ve drawn a line in the sand to give me a side and a place to stand.”

The track Models for God invokes Greek mythological Icarus most recently portrayed in the 70’s as Jonathan Lvingston Seagall “I could almost reach the light but my wings have been torn off and burned away-“This begs the question over what is illusion and true unbreakable laws of limits, “…what if damnation and salvation exists only if you believe?”

Resolution and realization is the gem of the last track on the groups second CD, Winds of Change- Don’t Blink “I don’t know what’s happening or what I will become as the tapestry unravels and the color starts to run…I am now an instrument.”
AXIOM is Where When

AXIOM is currently in the middle of booking a US tour for June 2010. Stay in touch to learn of future play dates by subscribing to the groups mailing list and social networks.

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We Are The Ones We Are Waiting For!

Posted on July 26, 2009 by admin

The internet is an amazing phenomena…it is helping to connect the human race in ways that we could never even have imagined! Being connected to a network like ours enables social networking to evolve as well as collaboration. In fact it has been said that this networking effect is expanding the collective intelligence of the entire human race!!!

In 5 years the Christian Jazz Artists Network has grown from nada to a whole worldwide community of jazz artists who are Christians and who value the connection between God, jazz, and spirituality! Many of us find strength and encouragement by what other Christian jazzers are doing in churches and concert halls! Never before in history has there been an opportunity like we as Christians have today to connect with others who share a similar passion for jazz and God! It is such a great blessing to have a centralized location online where Christians who play jazz have their music located. It is also a great testimony as well.

The World Wide Web has brought about a revolution regarding the way musicians market themselves and their music. It has truly opened the door for talented independent artists to get their music heard, marketed, and sold! But our times are complicated, chaotic, and individualistic. Unfortunately many artists just aren’t interested in “hanging out”.  Furthermore, our society works against connectedness, against developing and sustaining lasting relationships over time. The internet can even work against hooking up with others – individuals can become nothing more than islands e-mailing other isolated individuals without any real personal contact.

As artists we must fight the tendency and dangers of becoming so egotistical and self – absorbed with our own musical careers and CD sales, that we fail to celebrate our musical gifts with other artists and share them and the ‘good news’ of our faith with others. Sharing with others implies connectivity and community. Our network is a community that goes beyond music and unites us for a common cause – spreading the joyful news that the creator God has given us life, Jesus, salvation, and the gift of Jazz music to share and overflow to others. In addition, reaching out and connecting with others is the perfect antidote for our self-absorbed lives. We must learn to see ourselves as a part of a community to participate in, build friendships, and develop a mutual respect for each other’s diversity.

So it saddens me when artists refuse to hook up with us thinking they can achieve success just by having a web site built and attempt to do a “solo gig” when it comes to marketing their music. Other Christian jazzers never join our group because they are waiting for someone to discover their CD and put their CD’s in record stores. (The fact of the matter is that there aren’t very many record stores left and eventually they will be virtually non-existent!)  Many times, accompanying this type of thinking is a helpless passivity while they wait to finally be discovered. Then they mistakenly believe that they will finally achieve the recognition and fortune they so earnestly desire.  Too many Christian artists are waiting for something magical to happen – a quick fix! There’s an old Gospel song that states, “Everybody put your shoulder to the wheel” and that is definitely applicable here!

I came across a quote a couple of years back by a social worker that has really stuck with me! “We are the ones we are waiting for”!  And the message in this quote is that it we can’t wait around waiting for someone or something magical to happen that will open the doors for us as Christian Jazz Artists!  There has never been a greater time for us than right now to celebrate our musical gifts to the glory of God!  We must open the doors. The Apostle Paul’s ministry is an excellent example of this. He went from city to city aggressively preaching Christ and only when the doors shut in an area did he move on. Of course, there are times to wait upon the Lord, but the familiar verse in scripture, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength” is better translated as, “They that look unto the Lord shall renew their strength”.  There is a tremendous difference between “waiting” and “looking”… waiting is passive – looking is active. The implication in this context is if we simply look to the Lord for strength we will receive it – no other requirements necessary!

An important ingredient of our networks’ vision and purpose is for Christian Jazz Artists to aggressively lead in the arena of the fine arts in our present day culture. No longer is the church the influential leader in our culture! The Churches influence was never greater in the area of fine arts than during the time of J.S. Bach! Bach wrote some of the most incredible music the world has ever heard in its entire history and performed it in the church every Sunday to the glory of God!

The problem with much of what is presently labeled, “Christian Music” today has been narrowed down to a couple of styles of music that don’t provide enough variety, imagination, challenge, or pizzazz artistically or musically. People are tired of the repetitive nature of much of the music being labeled “Christian Music”. I believe that Jazz music, in all of its varied forms, is the perfect vehicle and antidote for starting to reclaim our influence as Christian artists in the world! Jazz is returning home – to the church where it belongs!

Recently, jazz pianist Danilo Perez was the keynote speaker at the IAJE Convention (International Association Of Jazz Musicians)  and he really had some really great things to say! He spoke on envisioning the future of jazz and one phrase Danilo would repeat over and over is this – “the future is now”!  Perez also spoke passionately about advocating more jazz in school curriculums, new venues for young jazzers, more government funding for jazz, and playing more jazz music for underprivileged children.

Now is the time to make the most of our network and I encourage you to “get up offa’ that thang” and reach out to others in our network by connecting and collaboration. If you are a fan of Inspirational jazz ask your local church to have a jazz service/concert in your area. Maybe you are a Christian musician who plays jazz who is discouraged with trying to make a living playing jazz. Or you just don’t see anything related to jazz music happening at the church you attend. Get together with some other musicians and ask your pastor (or another church in your area) to have a jazz service at their church. Share with them your recordings or point them online to our network pages where they can see firsthand the huge pool of talented musicians who love jazz and the Lord!

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Bryan White Interview – Laurie Petricka Chats with Country Star Bryan White

Posted on July 2, 2009 by admin

The start of the new year brought an unique opportunity for me to interview an incredibly talented and gracious man – Bryan White. He took time out of his busy schedule to discuss his music, life, and his new album Out Of The Storm with me. He shared his thoughts about a variety issues which give you a unique insight to an extraordinary man.

Laurie: During my research for this interview, I found that you have an enormous pool of talent within you. Producer, performer, song writer, session musician – out of all of those, which one is your favorite thing to do?

Bryan: Performing live. In a live show because it’s fun, and there is so much energy. It is really hard to recreate or make that same energy happen in a studio. It’s a little bit more stale of an environment and the microscope is so big in the studio you can hear all the imperfections and when you perform live you don’t. Live is a good thing for me. That is what I like the most.

Laurie: During a live performance you get to see the audience’s reaction to things?

Bryan: Absolutely. Especially when you are trying on a new song for the first time and playing it at few shows, putting it out there to see how people respond to it. Afterward, at the meet and greet, asking them what they thought about it, and their reaction to it. That is definitely a great vehicle to try out new songs, and it’s great to have people out there that will give you honest feedback on what you’re doing.

Laurie: During your time away from stage performing, it sounds like you did alot of song writing, were there any special projects you would like to tell us about?

Bryan: I partnered up with a long time and great friend Derek George, and we started our own production company. It is a place where we can develop new artists, in hopes to launch them and get their careers started. Basically, it’s an opportunity for them to cut a great demo and go through some developmental stuff to really hone their chops, to prepare them to get out there are really do it. Not that I’m a guru of knowledge or anything, but I do know that I’ve got 15 years of experience, and I can at least tell them the mistakes I’ve made. They can learn from someone else, and what it was like for them, and to be able know what it is when they see those same things come down their pipe.

I’ve worked on several different projects, one is a girl that you will hear from soon, she is a phenomenal singer. Her name is Andrea Phearson. She just got a deal on Warner Brothers. She is working on the record now and it should be out hopefully by the end of this year. That is the latest project, I am not doing the record on her, but I feel we were very instrumental with where she’s at now. We are excited for her, and to see where she goes. I feel very blessed to be able to do all the things that I feel I can do well, that’s sing, produce, write songs. It’s definitely a business where you can spread yourself too thin.

I’m really fortunate to do alot of things. I’ve got alot of areas that I’ve got to cultivate, and some areas to get better at, so there is always something to do.

Laurie: It sounds like it is kinda tough for these new people to get their foot in the door.

Bryan: Absolutely. The worst thing about this business, probably more so now than ever, is the fact it’s not just about cutting a great demo and going to do a show, and getting a record deal…. it’s a season we are all in with the world in general… it’s about being your own cheerleader. Nobody is going to do it but you. You’ve gotta be your own networker, and create your own buzz, and become active in the town. Nashville is such a small town and if you are not in their face and saying hey, look at me, look at what I’ve got going on, then you get left behind. It’s unfortunate that it’s that way, because there is so much talent out there and I think that there are more than half get overlooked because they are not in front of the right people, and it’s unfortunate. That is why I was inspired to start this production company because I just think there are a lot of people getting overlooked out there, and I will help them in any way. More importantly, it’s a chance to help somebody not go down some of the same trails I went down, maybe I was insecure or afraid to say no, or too influenced by a certain side of the people I work with, or whatever.

Laurie: It’s gotta be hard for the newer performers to try and fit a mold that a record label has told them they need to be like. An audience can tell when they are trying to be someone they are not.

Bryan: Yeah, there are some performers that are suffering through that right now, and they are not secure enough in themselves to do what they want to do. But there is the exceptional other half that are the fortunate enough, and have people around them that want them to be themselves, and then they are confident enough to say you know, I can’t go and do that, I have to do this or I’m not going to do it at all.

Laurie: Good for them! At the same time that has to be a risky thing to do, knowing you could loose your dream?

Bryan: Yeah, exactly. I think our listeners can sniff out when someone is really not genuine or authentic. I think they can really tell when it is a cookie cutter thing. What really speaks the loudest on that token, is that some of the greatest songs in history are the simplest songs. They are not hugely in depth lyrics where people really have to dig into the cleverness of what they are trying to say. “Stand By Me,” “You Are The Wind Beneath My Wings,” those are cut and dry and simple and that is the way people talk to each other.

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Matt Doyle Offers Contemporary Music Concert At Joe’s Pub 4/21

Posted on June 26, 2009 by admin

Matt Doyle, of Broadway’s Spring Awakening and Bye Bye Birdie and TV’s Gossip Girl, returns to Joe’s Pub on Wednesday, April 21 at 7pm with a unique follow-up to his two sold-out engagements last summer. Inspired by his passion for the up-and-coming writing talents of musical theatre, Matt’s all-new concert will highlight the most current, thrilling and innovative sounds of the genre. The show, which is part of Sh-K-Boom & Ghostlight Records’ ongoing concert series, will feature several songs by Kait Kerrigan & Brian Lowdermilk, Joe Iconis and Ryan Scott Oliver, as well as pieces by Paul Scott Goodman, Chris Miller & Nathan Tysen and a new song by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater.

Matt will be joined by special guests Jennifer Damiano (Tony nominee for Next to Normal) and Emma Hunton (Spring Awakening), as well as several more friends to be announced.

Matt made his Broadway debut in Spring Awakening where he played the role of Hanschen and later assumed the role of Melchior in the show’s national tour. He is well known for his appearances as Jonathan Whitney on the CW’s Gossip Girl and also for his work on the studio recording of Bare: A Pop Opera. Matt most recently finished his run as Hugo Peabody in the Broadway revival of Bye Bye Birdie.

The concert is being directed by Travis Greisler with musical supervision by Brian Lowdermilk, and is being produced by Katie Riegel / jokr productions and Noah Cornman / Sh-K-Boom & Ghostlight Records.
JOE’S PUB at The Public Theater (425 Lafayette Street, NYC / Between East 4th and Astor Place)

TICKETS:
Online – joespub.com
Phone – 212-967-7555
In Person – The Public Theater Box Office (425 Lafayette Street)
Tues-Sat from 1:00pm to 7:30pm
Sun + Mon from 1:00pm to 6:00pm

DINNER RESERVATIONS: 212-539-8778
Purchase of a ticket does NOT guarantee seating; seating, as well as standing-room, is available only on a first-come, first-served basis for all shows without a dinner reservation. Two drink or $12 food minimum per person is standard. All tickets are non-refundable.

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A Hit Record, and an Indie-Rock Identity Crisis

Posted on May 26, 2009 by admin

IN January 1992, Nirvana’s “Nevermind” replaced Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous” as No. 1 on the Billboard album chart, and the S-word began to fly, from critics, old fans and anyone else whose favorite underground band had been scrubbed and neutered on its way to the top: “sellout.”

Christinne Muschi for The New York Times

MODERN BAND Arcade Fire’s success provoked criticism from old fans.

It’s a damaging slur for any group whose values are forged in indie rock’s anticommercial cocoon, implying loss of principles and abandonment of a faithful base. But whenever the single-digit altitudes of the chart are in sight, it becomes an unavoidable risk.

So when Arcade Fire, the Canadian band that is the current standard-bearer for do-it-yourself musical virtue, hit No. 1 last week with its album “The Suburbs” — replacing Eminem’s “Recovery” — there was bound to be an outburst. Critics, old fans and various naysayers worried about the significance of the triumph, and questioned the D.I.Y.-ness of marketing efforts like a weeklong $3.99 deal at Amazon.com and paid promotion on Twitter. “ ‘Corporate indie,’ anyone?” wrote one tattooed fan.

Not everyone was a hater, of course; plenty of supporters, including other bands on Arcade Fire’s American record label, Merge, sent their 140-character congratulations. But just as Nirvana’s success prompted fans to wonder whether so-called alternative music had any meaning once it became culturally dominant, Arcade Fire’s No. 1 has raised questions about what it means to be indie.

In many ways, the market that Nirvana conquered could not be more different from today’s. In 1992 the music industry was financially strong but in need of a musical reboot, and Nirvana’s gradual climb to No. 1 — bypassing not only Jackson but also Garth Brooks, U2, MC Hammer and Guns N’ Roses — represented a broad shift in mainstream tastes. With each additional million in sales, “Nevermind” convinced another record executive to sign that flannel-wearing, distortion-pedal-stomping band whose demo tape would otherwise have gone to the circular file.

Now, with the music business weakened, and powerful online marketing tools available to everyone, the goal is not necessarily to go multiplatinum, but simply to be heard — and to become a Web trend.

“The Suburbs” sold 156,000 copies in the United States in its first week, a quantity that might not have been enough for the Top 10 a decade ago. The number that irks critics the most isn’t 156,000 but 1, with its visibility and the implied victory of reaching a commercial peak, no matter how diminished it may be. Laura Ballance, a founder of Merge, told The Los Angeles Times, “The whole chart thing is kind of like sports.”

Yet Merge, and the band, still played the game. Their plan to prepare fans for the all-important first week of sales included two shows at Madison Square Garden; both sold out, and one was filmed for a live Webcast by the director Terry Gilliam.

The Garden shows, the prominent Amazon discount and the band’s entirely promotional Facebook and Twitter accounts — don’t look for many Kanye West-style whimsical asides there — struck some fans as being no different from the kind of mercenary sales campaigns they might see for, well, Eminem.

In today’s music industry, however, every band, big or small, has to push as hard as possible. And most do. What separates Arcade Fire from most others isn’t the band’s tactics; it’s that those tactics have worked.

“Everyone wants to be more popular; you don’t want to be less popular,” said Doug Brod, editor of Spin magazine. “So you take what steps you need to take to get there. What they’re doing, people may find it vulgar, but I think they’re doing it the right way.”

Ultimately, the most indie thing about Arcade Fire might simply be that it owns its means of production. Unlike most bands, which turn over many of their rights to a record label in exchange for financial support, Arcade Fire owns its music and licenses it to labels around the world. (“The Suburbs” was also No. 1 on the British, European and, of course, Canadian charts.)

Mr. Brod points out that the band doesn’t sell its songs for commercials. The last group you saw at your local 250-person capacity club, on the other hand, might be desperate to cut that kind of deal.

And as much as No. 1 might be an impressive trophy of success, it won’t be relevant to Arcade Fire for long. On Thursday, Billboard reported that this week’s chart, released on Wednesday, will most likely be topped once again by Eminem.

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The Grateful Dread: “The Grateful Dread” CD

Posted on May 8, 2009 by admin

It’s interesting how many ways the Grateful Dead’s songs can be played and still retain their soul, their meaning, their appeal, their heart. There are many Grateful Dead cover bands out there, performing their music in a wide range of styles. Their songs have been played in a bluegrass style, in Celtic style, in punk and even in a classical symphony style. These songs are truly timeless.
Grateful Dead Reggae

The Grateful Dread, as one might guess, does Grateful Dead music with a reggae beat and groove, and it totally works. This might not be all that surprising, as there was always a large cross-over audience between the Grateful Dead and reggae bands. This is in part because of the loose feel of a lot of reggae music, with some jams and its positive vibe. Both the Grateful Dead and reggae are great music to dance to.

This CD is of live performances of Grateful Dead songs, and one can almost hear the audience dancing.

This CD opens with “Friend Of The Devil,” a song that the Grateful Dead had slowed down for concert performances. This Grateful Dread version is somewhere in between the fast version from “American Beauty” (1970) and the slow concert version. But it has the happier feel of the faster version because of the reggae beat.
“Franklin’s Tower”

“Frankin’s Tower” is incredible on this album. It has a nice long jam. This song was originally on the 1975 Grateful Dead release, “Blues For Allah.” On that album and often in concert it was played right after “Help On The Way” and “Slipknot!” though occasionally it was played on its own.
“I Know You Rider”

“I Know You Rider” is almost unrecognizable until the lyrics start. It has such a different feel at first. This is a song that the Grateful Dead themselves covered. It’s an old folk song (early on it was done as blues and as bluegrass by various artists). Over the years, the Grateful Dead did this song in various ways themselves. There are early tapes of very slow versions of it. There are also tapes with extra verses that they stopped doing in later years.

So of course this song lends itself well to new interpretations, including this reggae version. The guitar work on this song is excellent. And after the guitar solo, the band breaks the song down for a bit, letting the cool reggae beat drive the audience.

“Cumberland Blues”

“Cumberland Blues” is such a great song, and the Grateful Dread’s version on this CD is phenomenal. This is just total fun. And in the middle of it all, there is a great drum section. It’s all rhythm, and it’s wonderful.
“Sugaree”

“Sugaree” is one of the most beloved tunes by the Grateful Dead. The version here is pretty good, though there is a strange change in the lyrics. The Grateful Dead’s lyric is “Shake it, shake it, Sugaree/Just don’t tell them that you know me.” The Grateful Dread sing it as, “Shake it, shake it, Sugaree/Just don’t tell them that you know it’s me.” It’s only one word, but it’s a word that greatly changes the meaning.
“Brown-Eyed Women”

“Brown-Eyed Women” is another song that sounds very different at first, before the vocals begin. This isn’t at a bad thing. In fact, it’s one of the wonderful things about the Dead’s music, that it can be interpreted in so many ways. And the beginning of this song has a nice, interesting guitar part that is repeated later.
“China Cat”

It’s not clear why this CD doesn’t have the full title listed. The actual name of this song is “China Cat Sunflower.” Also interesting is the fact that both “China Cat Sunflower” and “I Know You Rider” are included on this live album, but are not paired together. The Grateful Dead generally would play “China Cat Sunflower” straight into “I Know You Rider” in concert. The Grateful Dread instead play “China Cat Sunflower” into “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad.” There is a really interesting jam during “China Cat.”
“Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad”

This is the other song on this album that was not written by the Grateful Dead (the first being “I Know You Rider”). “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad” is generally listed as a traditional song, but it was most likely written by Woody Guthrie. This song is famously included in the 1940 film The Grapes Of Wrath. The Grateful Dread do a really cool version of it.
Jerry Garcia Tunes

It’s interesting that all of the songs chosen for this album are songs that Jerry Garcia sang lead on in the Grateful Dead. There are no Weir/Barlow penned tunes here, nor are there any Phil Lesh, Brent Mydland, Pigpen or Vince Welnick tunes. Apart from the two covers, all of the songs were written by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia. (Though John Dawson co-wrote the music for “Friend Of The Devil,” and Bill Kreutzmann co-wrote the music for “Franklin’s Tower” and Phil Lesh co-wrote the music for “Cumberland Blues.”)
Entrain

The Grateful Dread sprang out of the group Entrain, a band well known for its fun grooves and great rhythms. At some concerts, Entrain would basically do a Grateful Dead set to open the show, calling themselves The Grateful Dread. Since then, there have been changes in band members in both bands. At this point, the only person who is in both bands is Tom Major.
Grateful Dread Band Members

The lineup for The Grateful Dread on this release is Tom Major on drums, Edwin Horowitz on bass, Jon Zeeman on guitar and vocals, Mike Benjamin on guitar and vocals, and Wes Nagy on keyboards.
CD Track List

The following is the track list for “The Grateful Dread”:

1. Friend Of The Devil
2. Franklin’s Tower
3. I Know You Rider
4. Cumberland Blues
5. Sugaree
6. Brown-Eyed Women
7. China Cat
8. Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad

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RPA & The United Nations Of Sound: ‘The United Nations Of Sound’

Posted on April 3, 2009 by admin

Many have asked the question and unfortunately Richard Paul Ashcroft, with The United Nations Of Sound, has yet again failed to answer. Well that’s not entirely true…he’s still got the bug-eyes and the washed out thing going on…but the music? Uhmmm. To his credit he’s trying something new by crossing the pond and teaming up with a bunch of LA session players, but that really is where the novelty ends. As much as there is a decipherable edge in musicianship, this is quickly absorbed by the ghost of that ‘drowned cat in a bag’ that is Richard Ashcroft 2010 (no he’s no longer waiting). Back in the 90’s you might have felt moved to share his pain and nostalgia in lyrics like ‘My friend in need, looking through her red box of memories’ but with RPA & Co. it’s a different story. Instead of heart-felt hymns we’re getting what sounds more like a ‘has-been’ churning out stock formulas.
Soul music? Really?

Since The Verve days Richard Ashcroft has described his music as Soul and it would seem, with the LA session players and Chess Records samples that feature on “How Deep is your Man” and others, that Ashcroft’s trying to accentuate this influence on his music. But unlike the great stars of Chess (e.g. Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf) what you get here is a very watered down kind of Soul. Imagine a drunk dad singing to a songbook of The Commitments on Boxing Day with his embarrassed five-year-old son on keys and you’re petty close to the mark.

Listening to The United Nations Of Sound brings to mind the video of Vindaloo where Richard Ashcroft is parodied walking down the street in his video to Bittersweet Symphony. This IS Dickie having a pork pie and a football and all the rest of it hurled in his face. But still, like Sisyphus, he continues to nobly push his little boulder up the hill to the distant cry of ‘there’s no plateau’. But this isn’t the age of Ancient Greece, pushing boulders up hills, but rather of blasting through them. If Dickie would stop riding through his mind ‘till the morning sunshine’, as he celebrates in Royal Highness, and start paying some attention to the world outside, he might realize this fact and start once again making some tunes we can all sing along to and feel good about.

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Metallica, a Quick History: from Los Angeles to Belfast

Posted on March 30, 2009 by admin

The Beginning: Lars Ulrich and The Recycler

Twenty-nine years ago, in 1981, a young Danish man by the name of Lars Ulrich placed an ad in Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler, advertising for a vocalist. James Alan Hetfield answered that ad, an event that led to the birth of one of the Big Four bands of thrash metal. “When I met him, he had a crap drumkit and could barely drum. He still can’t!” So said the lead vocalist when he first met the mysterious little Dane.

After a few bands on Hetfield’s part (there were three pre Metallica), an almost non-start (he was coaxed into singing, along with playing guitar) and a line up change, Metallica were born. In April 1983 in New York, as they recorded their debut album Kill ‘Em All, original lead guitarist Dave Mustaine was fired due to alcoholism; a “raving maniac” when drunk, he poured a full can of beer into the bass guitar of Ron McGovney, shocking McGovney and causing the band to pack his equipment and give Mustaine a one way ticket bound for Los Angeles – Kirk Hammett was poached from Exodus soon after this.

April 1986, Metallica were touring in Sweden when they lost their bassist Cliff Burton to a bus accident; Jason Newsted was his replacement; he left Metallica in 2001. This, and the following two years, is related in the film Some Kind of Monster. In August 1988, Metallica played the Antrim Forum, a concert that was to become legend amongst those who attended- mostly for the gig itself, but also for the rumours surrounding it (missiles thrown, things said etc). That was 22 years ago, and the fans thought they would never see them on Northern Irish shores again.

Fast forward to the first week of May 2010: it’s been a hectic tour for Metallica so far, and they’re most likely wondering what they’ve got themselves into – Belfast’s Odyssey is packed out and the fans are thronging everywhere. The queue is insane and it’s wonderful; there are many who are proud to say Metallica have come back to Northern Ireland after so long (don’t leave it so long next time, fellas!)

The sun is shining and the weather is sweet, as Bob Marley once sang, and everyone is in good spirits. The darkness of the Arena itself is stark contrast to the bright sun and the music is thumping so hard you can hear it from outside. There’s a very different atmosphere here than there was to Green Day in October; there is more of a feral energy here.

You know it’s going to be an exciting night when your heart thumps in time with the kick drum! Danish band Volbeat are the final support act and they play what seems to be an odd mix of metal with a bit of country thrown in (their cover of Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues is their highlight); they’re good and the dedicated band of fans down the front seem to think so too.

From Death Magnetic to Master of Puppets

At 9:10 p.m., the arena slams into darkness and the crowd roars; the beautiful Ecstasy of Gold begins and we’re off on an adventure that everyone thinks they know every twist and turn of. From the lasers of The End of the Line and That Was Just Your Life, to the flames that introduce One and Queen’s Stone Cold Crazy; the journey is high-speed, leaves you with no voice, and the morning after, you won’t be able to move.

James Hetfield knows how to work a crowd, challenging fans to sing against the PA, and practically giving them Master of Puppets to sing / howl. “C’mon, Belfast, you can do better than that!” Cue many hoarse people trying to out-sing the man.

From their debut album to 2008’s Death Magnetic, all the classics are there and some surprises too (Fuel and The Memory Remains from ’98’s Reload, anyone?); there are some truly emotional moments such as The Ecstasy of Gold at the beginning and the crowd sing along of the Master of Puppets solo.

And later in the evening, when everyone’s home and lying awake in bed with the echoes of the amplifiers ringing in their head… there’s no doubt the fans will remember what they said..

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Jazz: Sinful Or Spiritual?

Posted on March 21, 2009 by admin

“Tain’t no sin to step out of your skin and dance around in your bones”

In an article published in the Women’s Home Journal in 1921 entitled, “Does Jazz Put The Sin In Syncopation?” the following words are found: “Jazz originally was the accompaniment of the voodoo dancer, stimulating the half-crazed barbarian to the vilest deeds. The weird chant, accompanied by the syncopated rhythm of the voodoo invokers, has also been employed by other barbaric people to stimulate brutality and sensuality. That it has a demoralizing effect upon the human brain has been demonstrated by many scientists.” Sounds incredulous doesn’t it? But back in 1921 there was an outcry from many segments of society, coming from both religious leaders and music educators, that jazz music had an evil influence on its listeners! Some felt that it led to immoral dancing and promiscuity while others went so far to say that jazz could cause permanent damage to the brain cells of those who played or listened to it!

Fast forward in time to 2007, where an extreme religious fundamentalist website contains the following words: “Like the blues, boogie-woogie, and ragtime, jazz was born in the unwholesome and sensual environment of sleazy bars, honkytonks, juke joints, and whorehouses. The very name “jazz” refers to immorality.” This website goes on to list just about every negative quote on jazz that has ever been written and their main purpose for posting this is to “provide information to assist preachers in the protection of the churches in this apostate hour”!!!! Are you shocked yet? Read on, “the world’s music, in any era, has never enhanced the Lord’s message. The devil was not able to be as blatant in the jazz era as he is in the rock generation, but the same raunchy fellow is behind both styles. Both mediums represent classic worldliness.”

Here are several questions that I will attempt to answer in this article. Is listening to secular jazz a sin? Is it wrong to play jazz in church? Even further, must I only listen to what has been labeled “Christian” music to please God? Do I have to be doing something religious to be truly glorifying God? Must all the music I play have a religious or evangelistic theme? These questions have been raised by many Christian jazz musicians who are sincerely seeking answers. All these questions usually stem from a Christian’s desire to do the right thing and please the Lord.

Many people often associate jazz exclusively with the secular, the carnal, and that which is sinful. Why? One reason is because jazz
has been widely used and found to be effective in environments where “booze, broads, and drugs” are used. And it is a well documented fact that many great jazz musicians from the past have had a history of drug abuse and an immoral lifestyle. In addition, in our present culture, almost every movie that contains a romantic or sexual encounter has to have a breathy saxophone playing in the background. Many jazz artists have chosen to think “way outside the box” not only musically but in their entire outlook on life in general. Yet to say that jazzers have been typecast would be a huge understatement! Both jazz music and jazz musicians have been associated with a sin and a sinful lifestyle in our culture. Louis Armstrong once said, “What we play is life.” But in fact, when jazz musicians speak of jazz as a “way of life” or lifestyle, they are primarily pointing to the severe and unrelenting demands the music places upon its artists, including the fact that one must totally immerse oneself in the jazz vocabulary – not that a jazz musician’s way of life must be that of a sinner, womanizer, or drug addict!

A careful study of the history of jazz reveals many moments where jazz music has become a very expressive and powerful vehicle that points to a spiritual dimension in life. Whether it’s been jazz funerals in New Orleans, Duke Ellington’s beautiful sacred jazz compositions, or John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”,  jazz music has been created and played for spiritual purposes. In fact, many of its musicians and fans understand both jazz and improvisation to be of a spiritual nature.  Dizzy Gillepsie once shared that…”the church had a deep significance for me musically…I first learned there how music could transport people spiritually”. Many of those considered founding fathers of jazz music from New Orleans, King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, and Louis Armstrong were all brought up in church and church music played a very important roll in their musical development. The Negro spirituals also played a most important role in the birth of the music we today call “jazz”.

The Reverend Alan Kershaw poignantly states, “ …jazz played with a feeling and inspiration seems to me more truly an act of worship than singing some of the religious songs I learned back in Sunday School…life is so big and wide and deep that you just have to go beyond what’s superficial, and banal, and what’s phony. Faith rises above the streets, above the slime and the suffering men, to the source of goodness Himself. In this sense, jazz becomes a glorious anthem of praise”. As jazz music is played and improvisation takes place both the audience and the performers can get caught up into a higher place. Entering into another world of euphoric awareness and deep sensitivity, they can experience a deep sense of reverence for life and all living things – they become “jazzed”! But is Jazz music really spiritual? Can music that swings, that makes you want to get up and groove be truly spiritual? Can a Christian be jazzed? To answer this we must proceed by looking back into Church History and the Bible.

Over much of the course of history the church has frowned upon dancing as pagan, fleshly, and unspiritual. As early as the fourth century John Chrysotom, the archbishop of Constantinople proclaimed, “For where there is a dance, there also is the Devil”. Even up to the present day many religious leaders have spoken out on the fleshy dangers and frenzy that dancing to jazz or rock music can bring to those who yield themselves to its carnal beats. But this thinking was not always the case. The Hebrew people were a dancing people. They celebrated life and had discovered the joy and ecstatic pleasure that music and dancing could provide them. In fact, the most prominent musician in the Bible was King David, and as everyone knows David “got down and boogied” before the Lord – and even danced almost stark naked in the streets in front of everyone to the glory of God! If you take time to read the book of Psalms you will discover that King David and the Hebrew people grooved!! Yet many Christian people believe and have taught that dancing and certain beats are evil and at all costs to be avoided!

How about the music of J.S. Bach? Is the music that Bach wrote spiritual? After all he is considered one of the main musical influences upon the Hymns that churches sing every Sunday. Many well respected music scholars have pointed out the many dancing elements contained within Bach’s music- even in many of Bach’s cantatas that were written specifically to be performed in church, to the glory of God! This could also be said of many of the religious works by Handel, Mendelssohn, and others. And almost no one would deny the spiritual elements and extravagant passion inherent in Bach’s music. (And the cat could improvise and even throw in an occasional Major 7 chord!)

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Top 10 Country Singles

Posted on February 13, 2009 by admin

We have a new No. 1 this week as Kenny Chesney climbs three places with “Better as a Memory.” Carrie Underwood’s “Last Name” settles into the No. 2 spot, dropping from No. 1 last week. Blake Shelton’s “Home” moves up two places to No. 3, followed by Brad Paisley’s “I’m Still a Guy” at No. 4, Rascal Flatts’ “Every Day” at No. 5, Montgomery Gentry’s “Back When I Knew It All” at No. 6, Alan Jackson’s “Good Time” moves up two places to No. 7. Dierks Bentley’s “Trying to Stop Your Leaving” hops two places to No. 8, followed by Lady Antebellum’s “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” at No. 9, and Brooks & Dunn’s “Put a Girl In It,” which moves up three to claim the No. 10 spot. Look for Kenny Chesney to remain at No. 1 for a second week.

Moving Up at the Speed of Light
Taylor Swift’s “Should Have Said No” moves up seven, from No. 24 to No. 17. Keith Urban’s “You Look Good In My Shirt” also moves up seven places, from No. 29 to No. 22.

The Latest Tunes To Hit The Air Waves
We have new music this week from Brad Paisley, who enters the chart at No. 51 with “Waitin’ on a Woman.” Pat Green’s “Let Me” enters at No. 53. James Otto debuts at No. 58 with “For You,” while the Zac Brown Band enters at No. 59 with “Chicken Fried.

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Music review: Contemporary Music Players

Posted on January 28, 2009 by admin

New music has its pleasurable and communicative aspects, but they were in dispiritingly short supply during Monday’s dry-as-dust concert in Herbst Theatre by the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players.

With one notable exception, this was music from the “eat it, it’s good for you” school, as dour and didactic as it could be. Not even the group’s dynamic and focused performances under the superb leadership of guest conductor Brad Lubman could bring this stuff to life.

The evening’s standout came right at the beginning, with a performance of “More Leaves” by Swiss composer Michael Jarrell. Jarrell is evidently an artist of considerable grace and imagination, and this 12-minute work, a sort of mini-chamber concerto for viola, proved as beguiling as the beautiful orchestral versions of several Debussy piano etudes that the San Francisco Symphony played this month.
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The sound canvas of the accompanying ensemble strikes a listener immediately, a dense but detailed combination of clarinet, trumpet, trombone, piano and bass with a few subtly deployed electronics to deepen the mix. Above and around that, the viola, forcefully played by Nanci Severance, dances and declaims in a frenzy of activity.

And Jarrell uses that palette to create a series of distinctive but clearly related sections. The opening focuses on a single note, garnishing it with various flavorings; the result sounds like one of Giacinto Scelsi’s obsessive episodes, but with a sense of urban grit in place of the Italian master’s woo-woo mysticism.

Soon the piece expands its scope without losing any of its rhythmic momentum, adding some melodic fragments for the soloist and expanding on them among the other players. Jarrell concludes with a witty nod to the past, writing a quasi-Romantic cadenza for the viola and bringing the piece to a surprise ending without giving the ensemble the last word.

From then on, the rewards were scarce. Oscar Bianchi’s “Zaffiro,” an intriguingly scored quartet for bass flute, baritone saxophone, guitar and viola, was followed by Helmut Lachenmann’s “Trio fluido.”

These turned out to be largely the same piece under different guises, a collection of brief, brusque expostulations that studiously avoided any kind of continuity; each one sounded like a suite of preliminary exercises for a piece the composer had neglected to write. Bianchi’s work dates from 2005 and Lachenmann’s from 1966, which, depending on your perspective, is either evidence of the latter’s farsightedness or a depressing hint of how little things have changed.

After intermission came Matthias Pintscher’s “Nemeton,” a frenetic but dull percussion extravaganza vigorously rendered by Christopher Froh, and “Flurries,” an abrasive and uncompromising exercise by Brian Ferneyhough.

Despite the evening’s meager musical payoff, it was a thrill to watch Lubman in action. His ultra-clear beat elicited a rhythmic profile in music that didn’t immediately seem to have one, and his gestural vocabulary often gave a better hint of what was going on than any of the sonic evidence.

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Green Day to Serenade in the Jets’ New Season

Posted on January 19, 2009 by admin

Green Day is lending some of its star power to the New York Jets: these punk musicians (and Broadway composers) will perform during the halftime show of the Jets’ opening game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 13, The Associated Press reported. The group will be enlisting the help of the cast of the Broadway musical  “American Idiot,” which revolves around Green Day songs, and Gang Green, a hardcore punk band from Boston. And if that isn’t enough musical inspiration for the Jets, Nicole Scherzinger of the pop group the Pussycat Dolls will sing the national anthem and perform in a pregame concert, which will also feature the guitarist Slash, outside the New Meadowlands Stadium. The halftime show will, of course, end with fireworks.

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New Matisyahu Single ‘One Day’

Posted on December 13, 2008 by admin

Reggae often carries its own stereotypes in the music world. Everything points to the likes of Marley, Wailer and Cliff, herbal remedies, carefree lifestyles and lush, sandy beaches.

Very few immediately think of an American Hasidic Jewish man who incorporates everything from the usual reggae mindsets to traditional Jewish themes, hip-hop and ska in to his music.

Step forward (again) Matisyahu, the Hebrew name of Matthew Paul Miller, born and bred in Pennsylvania. It is six long years since he first surfaced with the majestic ‘Shake Off the Dust…Arise’ and he returns to us with a little help from his newfound friends.

The father-of-two takes his religion as seriously as his career and since adopting Hasidism he refuses to perform on Friday nights, the Jewish Sabbath.

Ahead of his forthcoming third album ‘Light’ comes the release of single ‘One Day’ on 100% Records.
Uplifting Vocals On War And Devestation

A breezy track it takes you through a misty world with a sound which gives you the feeling of first light at the dawn of a sunny spring day.

Thumping drums and acoustic guitar couple with keys to give an electronic twinge to a genre not-oft associated with such techniques.
Read on

Lyrically it’s an uplifting anthem of hope for the future which tackles the issues of war and devastation across the world. It is quite a fitting release coupled in with football’s FIFA World Cup currently being held on probably the most war-torn continent on earth.

He is known to mix a collaboration of rap, beatboxing and reggae styles with the more traditional art form of Judaism’s hazzan style of songful prayer. The result is a hair-raising, spellbindingly powerful narrative which grabs your attention and leaves you hanging on every word.

The track has been available for digital download from Matisyahu’s website and other online stores for a while now, and with nearly 400,000 digital downloads has proved an instant hit. So much so that NBC used ‘One Day’ in its coverage for the Vancouver Winter Olympics earlier this year. It debuted inside the US Billboard top 20 and June 14 marks its official release in disc format.
Jakwob Provides Remix

With the single comes four variations of the track. Alongside the album version from ‘Light’ comes a haunting acoustic ensemble which gives even more prominence to Matisyahu’s thrilling vocal range as well as a third version of the song featuring hip-hop heartthrob Akon.

Finally, dubstep experimentalist Jakwob, whose own impressive CV of remixes continues to grow, gives his familiar spin to proceedings on the Akon version of the track.

This tune will give those who may not usually lend their ear to such strands of music a newly opened door in to the world of reggae and an insight in to an artist whose reputation should precede him.

This could be one of the hits of the summer should it gain sufficient airtime and exposure on mainstream British radio. A fantastic song to chill out to after a hard day at the office.

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The Misconceptions of Jerry Garcia: a Truly American Musician

Posted on November 15, 2008 by admin

When someone says the name “Jerry Garcia,” it’s not unreasonable to think of a fat, drug-addicted hippie who played guitar and somehow made the 60s last twenty-five years longer than most decades. For many people, Jerry is synonymous with psychedelia. But it is a tremendous shame that this popular image (while not totally untrue) obscures Jerry’s remarkably deep, wide ranging musical fascination. His music is influenced by almost every kind of music under the sun, including many traditional forms of American music. Music aside, there’s an attraction people feel towards him because of the humanistic philosophy in which his life and music is grounded. This article hopes to give some new perspective to a frequently misunderstood musical icon.
Jerry Garcia: the Musician’s Musician

Jerry’s musical exploits outside of rock are remarkable for their diversity, for the understanding he shows to each musical tradition, and for the extent to which his own voice is maintained throughout. He possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of traditional American folk music. With heavy weight bluegrass players like Vassar Clements and Peter Rowan he played banjo in the group Old and In the Way in ‘73. Jerry played jazz with the accompaniment of a horn section in groups like the Legion of Mary and Reconstruction in the later 70s. In all his groups he managed to slip in music ranging from Bob Dylan, to Jimmy Cliff, and even fingerpicks blues legend Mississippi John Hurt. In the 90s he dabbled with exotic, Middle-Eastern scales playing on tunes like “Arabia” with old friend David Grisman on mandolin. He teamed up with Grisman many times in the 90s and explored a wide range of musical styles from Miles Davis’ “So What” to traditional children’s songs on the album Not For Kids Only. The gospel influence is felt in the Jerry Garcia Band on songs like “My Sisters and Brothers,” featuring female choir type back up singers harmonizing. Many people don’t know that it’s Jerry playing pedal steel on Crosby Stills and Nash’s hit song “Teach Your Children”—what a difference from his psychedelic extended jams with the Grateful Dead.

Not only did Jerry play American music, but the hard work and eventual success he achieved embodies the American Dream. Jerry was that rare performer who risked failure and eschewed safety in favour of playing the music he personally loved, and before welcoming audiences he expressed all his musical inclinations. His curiosity was insatiable—you might say he was more addicted to learning new music than he was to heroin! Playing in only one band was too limiting for Jerry. All his successful sidebands are a testament to his passion for different kinds of music and his dedication to performing. He clearly wasn’t playing music for the money: against the best interest of record sales, the Grateful Dead famously allowed people to freely record their concerts. Jerry was purely about the music and his fans. There was nothing phony; no stage antics or changing wardrobes. Jerry’s love of music was palpable and clearly authentic, and it caused a special connection to form between he and his fans…in fact, this author consciously doesn’t call him “Garcia” even in a formal article because he feels he and Jerry are on a first name basis! (There are many “Garcia’s” out there, but only one “Jerry”). It’s time Jerry gets mainstream credit for being more than a hippie guitar player. Jerry Garcia deserves to get recognized for his pure motives concerning his fans and the spirit of his music, and especially for his lifelong dedication to exploring American music and playing it beautifully.

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What Is A “Christian Jazz Artist” Anyway?

Posted on October 24, 2008 by admin

So what is a “Christian Jazz Artist” anyway?  Is a Christian jazz artist a musical cat that only hangs and blows with other Christian musicians…that only plays hymns and gospel tunes and hands out salvation tracks to people……or only plays at churches (doesn’t do “secular” gigs)…or thinks that he should only play jazz as a, “tool for evangelism”? The answer is a resounding no!

Although the Christian jazz artist may be involved in some of the above activities at various times, they are not the only options for Christian jazz artists.  There is much confusion about just what it means to be a Christian jazz artist today. Many Christian artists wrestle with the tension of the sacred/secular, ‘tug’o war’ that can seem to pull them in opposite directions in their artistic and career decisions. In this article I would like to address key issues, present, “food for thought”, and hopefully shed some light on what it means to be a Christian jazz artist today.

I would like to start with a simple definition: A Christian jazz artist is a Christian who plays, writes, and records jazz to the glory of God! Whether at a jazz worship service, in a church or concert setting, or even in a club or studio, a Christian jazz artist plays his/her music to the glory of God and delights in doing so! In this way, the Christian jazz artist can celebrate his/her musical gifts and offer them up with thanksgiving and joy, while sharing joy, jazz, and faith with others! Notice in the definition above it states that the Christian jazz artist plays his/her music to the glory of God. Moreover, the Bible says “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (I Cor. 10:31). This means as a Christian no matter what you do you should do it to the glory of God.

What does this mean in practice for us as Christian jazzers? It means that with a thankful heart you continually recognize the source of your musical gifts and give God the credit due him. Not out of duty, but out of love. Celebrating and enjoying your musical gifts is a spiritual act in itself and God is glorified. God is delighted when we enjoy and use our musical gifts!!

But we must further define what, “to the glory of God” means! Unfortunately for many, glorifying God has been narrowed down to mean only doing something religious! This type of thinking has had a devastating effect upon the manner in which Christians view the arts in general. This outlook implies that the arts must be used only as a vehicle for evangelism – not art for arts sake. This leads to ignoring all art that isn’t specifically designated as, “Christian Music” or at least created by Christians.

Jazz Trombonist Wycliffe Gordon is a deeply spiritual man who has struggled with the sacred/secular musical dichotomy that exists today – especially the old school of thinking about music from many church folks. Wycliffe shares that while growing up, “If you weren’t playing church music you were playing the, ‘devil’s’ music! It presented a challenge for me because I’d grown up in the church and I didn’t want to go against what I’d been taught.”  Wycliffe went on to discover in time that, “it’s all music and it’s all from the same source.” Wow! That is a most profound insight because we as Christians believe that the Creator is the source of all creativity!

You see, this “old school” thinking unfortunately has had a very negative effect upon the aspiring Christian jazz musician. Christian musicians are made to feel obligated to play, “only for the Lord” in church and usually without pay because again its music, “for the Lord”. And then they are totally forbidden to play at clubs because its the, ‘devils music’ so they can’t make a living playing at church or anywhere else and are forced to get a, ‘real’ job.  Unfortunately I have seen this scenario repeated too many times, and my heart goes out to those all those who have had to struggle with this.

In truth, there isn’t a secular or Christian world; there is only the one world our Creator has made. These terms are mere words and not valid realities. The entire world is God’s world and God loves the world He has made (John 3:16!) and the whole earth is filled with his glory (or presence). And that means that the earth, nature, and our very existence is holy. Why? Because His presence is holy and His presence is everywhere. “Bidden or not bidden, God is present”. The Psalmist expressed it this way, ” Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?… “Even if I make my bed in hell you are there”. (Psalm 139 )The Psalmist has discovered something very striking; no matter where you or I go God is there!

Additionally,  since the Creator, source, and giver of all musical gifts and creativity is God,  and since we are all made equally in His image, even the person who isn’t a Christian who plays jazz does so to the glory of God whether he/she likes it or not!  How is this possible? Because everyone is created in the image of God, and consequently everyone, Christian or not reflects the glory of God! That means I can worship and praise God when listening to jazz played by anyone, thankful for the fact that God’s gifts are abundant to all who are made in His image! I can give God the credit as the source of these musical gifts, and as I stand in awe give God the glory! When a Christian listens to so called, “secular” jazz they can do so to the glory of God, confident that God is the creative source behind it! (Of course this wouldn’t include questionable lyrics or any content that detracts from God’s glory!)

In the Bible the apostle Paul declared that God has revealed himself to everyone in the entire world whether they are Christian or not.  Paul argued that there is no excuse for anyone not believing in Him! (see the book of Romans chapter one).  In the Romans passage, Paul underlines the fact that it is clear from what’s been created, that there is a Creator, and every human being can clearly recognize this fact.  He also points out that those who choose not to give Him credit and bow before Him are simply living in denial! Paul then points out all the dangers involved in not giving God the credit and glory that is due Him.

This denial reverses giving God the glory and instead says, “look what I can do!”  Failure to give God the credit and honor due Him basically leads to, “upstaging” God! If you as a Christian jazz artist are off, “ego tripping” and playing your music only to pump up your own ego, you are missing out on the blessings and peace that come from doing your music for God’s glory. Don’t get me wrong…it is perfectly normal to have a healthy ego! It is when it leads to arrogance and excessive pride that an artist’s ego becomes unhealthy.

Feeding off your own ego may seem temporarily satisfying…inflated sense of self-importance and send your self esteem sky-rocketing. But that brief momentary reward pales in comparison with the rewards, (both psychological and spiritually) you receive when you do it for God’s glory!  The old Quaker hymn contains the following profound and appropriate lyrics:

“It’s a gift to be simple, it’s a gift to be free;

It’s a gift to come down to where you ought to be.”

I believe a primary characteristic of being a Christian jazz artist is that we have an attitude of acceptance and tolerance for one another, regardless of color, race, denomination, or what styles of jazz are played. Learning to “accept one another as Christ has accepted you” can be very challenging. But it is love and acceptance that should characterize our attitude and outlook on others because Christ taught and modeled love, acceptance, and equality for every human being. There are of course many pitfalls and obstacles that can prevent this from happening! Chief among them is the danger of getting caught up in the game of “spiritual one-upmanship”… you know the “I’m more spiritual than you are,”  thinking that is being implied by many, subtly or not. Persons caught in this trap tend to think that their church, their music, or their group is more spiritual than everyone else’s. Additionally, this can become a treadmill to an endless cycle, where one always has to keep coming up with something that will prove that they are more spiritual than everyone else! This thinking promotes pride, which always leads to much pain and division, and destroys the unity which should exist among brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. Jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller once said “We all need to reach out to one another and become closer…now…while we are all here and blessed to be in each others presence”. That is a remarkable statement that we all should pay close attention to and it implies having and attitude of equality and acceptance for others.

Another major stumbling block in the way is the fact that there is simply way too much division in the jazz world today!  Specifically, about what is “pure jazz” and what isn’t! Do we really have to choose and take sides? Does jazz have to be played only in a “straight ahead” jazz style or only in a “smooth” jazz offering? Could it be funk jazz, Latin jazz, or fusion? Do you have to play the “standards“ to be considered a legit jazz artist? More importantly, is my acceptance of my fellow Christian jazz musician based on what kind of music he/she likes or plays? All these are valid questions worthy of further consideration.

This is not to imply that we as Christian jazzers won’t have stylistic differences or deep opinions about what jazz is or isn’t. All though it is vitally important that we promote and preserve the heritage and history of jazz music, and support jazz education itself, remember that jazz music itself continues to evolve. The very nature of the gift of creativity guarantees the continual evolution of jazz in an infinite variety of ways. There is no way to stop the creative flow! In the “Post-modern” jazz age jazz we live in Jazz historian Joachim E. Berendt in his book “The Jazz Book” offers the following observation about how jazz has changed since the 1980’s. “Postmodern jazz creates unity amid the multiplicity of differing and disparate stylistic elements… Postmodern jazz doesn’t say either/or it advocates both/and! The freedom of postmodern jazz is the freedom of choice.”  Real freedom, Berendt states “is only possible for someone who can apply over and decide between everything offered: between free meter and playing with beat, open form and the standard 32 bar form, free tonality and major-minor triads, free jazz and world music, bebop, minimal music, rock, New Orleans jazz, tango, and hip hop”. Today, the jazz musician must be fluent in many styles, not just one. Freedom to choose, freedom to play, and freedom to improvise…freedom is what jazz is all about!

Berendt also goes on to say that, “one of the main reasons why rock elements could be so smoothly integrated into jazz is that, conversely, rock has drawn nearly all its elements from jazz – especially from the blues, spirituals, gospel songs, and the popular music of the black ghetto, rhythm and blues and soul music. Drummer Shelley Manne once said, “If jazz borrows from rock, it only borrows from itself”!! If that’s the case then we can rejoice that jazz continues to have a major impact on many styles of music.

But we will also need to preserve the integrity of jazz, including its roots! After all, Classical artists have been performing a standard body of works using composers from hundreds of years ago and it is still what the majority of Universities use for material to teach and perform Classical with!  Why can’t there be a body of “standards” that jazzers use to teach and perform with? Not that we need to be locked into, “only playing jazz standards” but the jazz standards represent an incredible body of great material that teaches much about composition and improvisation. To ignore this material is to miss out on untold riches.

The challenge is for Christian Jazz artists to be an example and a model for others in the jazz community. This is not always easy to do and will take constant prayer and efforts. When others see how us Christian jazzers dwell together in unity, even though there are creative differences and artistic diversity, others will definitely take notice.

We as Christian jazzers must also have an attitude of acceptance and love for those who aren’t Christians. There is a very disturbing statistic that shows that after a person becomes a Christian within two years he has basically cut himself off from any, “non- Christian friends”!!! How can we as Christians be the, ‘salt’ and, ‘light’ to our generation if we always hang or play music with only Christians???

Furthermore, If we only show acceptance to those who believe, think, and play music like us then we will not be able to reach out to others with our music or our faith. We will be nothing more than mere “rabbit hole” Christians who only stick our necks out once in a while! We will find ourselves asking the question, “aren’t we just playing and talking to ourselves”? Remember, Jesus said that the sunshine and rain fall on both the good and the bad. God loves everyone, and not just “us Christians”!!

Jazz can be used as an evangelistic tool and is being done so in churches and other venues every week!  There are many Christian Jazz artists who go from church to church playing and spreading the good news! Others play secular gigs or coffee houses and use their jazz music as an evangelistic tool! Many others are session musicians for studios and let their lights shine in that area. We rejoice that the message of Christ is being shared in so many creative ways!

One of the evangelistic approaches used by the Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, IL is called, “throwing a Matthew Party”. A, “Matthew Party” in the Bible, was a gathering at one of the disciples homes, (in the Bible story it was the tax collector Matthew).  Matthew decided to invite all his tax collector friends and mix them in with the other disciples for a party! Of course with Jesus being there I can imagine very lively and spirited conversations taking place!  (And a great starting place in conversations with others who might not be Christian is the connection between jazz music and spirituality).

Ever thought about throwing a “jazz” party and you or your group provide the music, “live” and invite both Christians and those that aren’t? Then play music, eat, and engage in conversations to become better acquainted before trying to make any attempts to share your faith, ect.

One of the slogans from the Willow Creek program was “barbecue first” and I think it is a very valid point when attempting to evangelize anyone. Taking the time to get to know them takes time!! And one must also guard carefully against copping a “holier than thou” judgmental type attitude. Instead, one’s attitude should be more like “one human telling another human where to find spiritual food.”

On Mars Hill in Athens the Apostle Paul quoted a modern day poet as a starting point for his evangelistic sermon to them: The quote Paul used was, “In Him we live, move, and have our being”. Paul started his approach to sharing Christ with others here by underlining what we all have in common…that we are human beings created equally in God’s image. And that is another tremendous starting place when we begin to share our faith with others.

So if you find an opportunity to do so I encourage you to throw a, “jazz party”, get out your instruments or CD’s and play some jazz , get with some Christian musicians and invite non-Christians friends and share your music and lives with them. Celebrate your musical gifts and be ready to discuss the spiritual connection between God and music when you get a chance. And don’t forget to celebrate!

Unfortunately, there are many, “party poopers” who have made the decision not to enjoy “the ride” and don’t want others to be jazzed either!  Many Christians have been taught that while in the sanctuary during worship congregants must totally deny or ignore their emotions or the ecstatic in their gatherings. You know, “Get a grip on your emotions and control it!” type attitude… or, “none of that spirited singing in here!” Biblical Scholar Abraham Heschel’s insights are most appropriate here, “It is as non-biblical to separate emotion or passion from spirit as it is to disparage emotion or passion…Emotion is inseparable from being filled with the spirit, which is above all a state of being moved”.

Also, our culture has helped to develop a, ‘heartless’ passivity and distaste for any experiences that may disturb the surface of our lives. Music does tend to soften and open up the heart, but not if you’re carrying around a sign that says, “Do Not Disturb”!  Jazz music can be a great antidote for many people and church congregations if you can get them to loosen up and enjoy themselves at a jazz vespers or jazz concert. Hopefully some of it will spill over into the Sunday morning worship.

I have to confess that this tendency to stiffen up and not enjoy yourself during music and worship times at many churches has always been a real puzzle to me! Certainly, the Biblical example of the Hebrew people and the way they worshipped has not for the most part been followed! The Hebrew people were a lively bunch who danced, sang, played musical instruments, and celebrated, all in a very spirited manner. Many Biblical examples show that these were passionate, exuberant, and ecstatic experiences… check out the Book of Psalms for multitudes of examples.

But if you take a careful look at Church History you can clearly see how that Greek, “platonic” thought crept into the thinking of the church and we are still fighting the effects from it today!  Basically, platonic thinking says that the soul or spirit is all important. Physical things like the body are sinful, un-important, and to be neglected. Promoting escape from the, “world”, and all things sensual, God becomes the epitome of the immaterial and asensual. In other words, if you  enjoy or find pleasure in anything it’s probably sinful! This is the antithesis of what the Hebrews believed about God and life itself! (who viewed and defined God as, spirit, wind, or Divine energy!) They believed that God was the most, “alive”, spirited, or passionate being that exists. (” In His presence is fullness of joy; At His right hand there are pleasures forevermore”. (Book of Psalms)

This, ‘platonic’ thinking is responsible for many grievous misconceptions, including just what is considered, “proper reverence” in a worship service. Some feel that clapping hands or any loud music is irreverent in the Sanctuary. Others feel very uncomfortable if there is silence for any period of time, while still others have periods of silent prayer in every worship service. Others dance a jig, while still others won’t allow musical instruments to be played in the church – all supposedly because it is or isn’t spiritual! Why does church have to be the only place in the world where you can’t enjoy and respond to music? Once again, platonic thinking is to blame!

We clearly recognize and respect the diversity of different forms of worship, and sacred traditions that exists today in all of our social, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual lives. But to consciously turn off your emotions in a worship setting is to turn off the spiritual flow and blessings that God wants you to enjoy! Indeed, I feel that the whole gamut of emotions can and should be experienced during the singing, playing or listening to music during church or anywhere.  There are appropriate quiet times as well as times of celebration. Time for tears and time for joy…. Time for the music to resonate very deep within and speak to you. Time to laugh, cry, dance, quiet yourself, or get funky! All this comes gift-wrapped from the God of diversity!

Christians who play jazz should be aware of the spiritual nature of the music they are playing and its effect on other listeners, knowing that God can speak to hearts through music. They should play from the depths of their hearts, totally engaged intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually.  Whether the mood or style is serious, somber, humorous, frivolous, nonsensical,  or just to jam or blow off some steam, the Christian jazz artist recognizes that music can transform you and carry away from your environment.

There are many who while playing jazz have experienced what’s been called, “break throughs” or, “ecstatic” experiences! Let me define the word ecstatic because the word gets a bad rap especially amongst some Christians! The word ecstatic is derived from the word ecstasy and can be defined as… something outside the realm of normal experience…something incomprehensible or foreign to our ordinary understanding and experiences. An ecstatic experience is one of forgetting ourselves for the moment, of getting outside yourself for the moment. The ecstatic nature of music and the effects it has on the performers and listeners cannot be denied. It is something that all humans experience and not only in music but in many other arenas in life.

I as a composer, keyboardist, and singer have on many occasions personally experienced many such ecstatic moments while playing and listening to music and consider these among the great moments I have had in my life. I believe that these experiences are the energizing presence of God. Also there can be a sense that something else has taken over! Time is on hold, notes fly, ideas flow, all in a very creative and exhilarating manner. Some call this the, “anointing”, others a fresh filling of the “Spirit “. There are also varying levels of intensities when dealing with such ecstatic experiences. Obviously there is also an element of mystery involved when attempting to explain these breakthroughs to others. But they are real nonetheless.

Whatever you choose to call these experiences, they can be most energizing and joyful ones that you never forget! These refreshings have come to me while listening to music, they have come while singing, playing, and leading worship playing jazz as well. These ecstatic experiences are not to be confused with the normal emotional responses that you have when playing or listening to music. During these ecstatic experiences time can seem to be temporarily suspended and the intensity is overwhelming.

But those who have played jazz in the, “secular” field who aren’t Christians have also had ecstatic experiences as well! Is it possible for non-Christians to feel the presence of God in the music and have ecstatic experiences? Without hesitation the answer is, yes, of course!. King Saul is described in the Bible as having an evil spirit come over him. David, a Hebrew musician, was called to play and sing for King Saul to soothe and calm his tormented spirit.  So David went and played his music to the glory of God even in an, “evil” atmosphere!  The results of David’s music were therapeutic and beneficial to Saul… God blessed Saul using David’s music to do so. Remember, everyone is important to God! God’s gracious Spirit flows to all!

There are many examples in the history of jazz that document the ecstatic nature and its effects on jazzers. New Orleans old timer Jim Robinson once shared how the ecstatic used to flow on the bandstand on certain nights:  “If everyone is frisky the spirit gets to me and I can make my trombone sing!”  Singer Ethel Waters testified that certain stride pianists, “stirred you into joy and wild ecstasy”. Drummer Billy Higgins once said ”Music doesn’t come from you, it goes through you”! Saxophonist Ornette Coleman believed that a great jazz performance could be explained as “just showing that God exists”. The audiences that have attended these concerts have been equally touched by the ecstatic, as untold millions have described being touched in an extraordinary way while attending a jazz concert or listening to jazz or (other types of music.)

The fact that many who are not Christians have had these experiences might seem to be a contradiction or confusing to some. This is quite understandable, given the personal and subjective nature of the subject. I recall when I was a young teenager struggling over this very issue. I would be listening to the Rolling Stones, (the ‘devils music!’) on my record player at home and sometimes I would be overwhelmed by the chills and thrills that I received from the music. Then I would go to church and the music, choir, Hammond organ, and band would get in a swinging groove and I would feel the exact same feelings as I had felt in my room at home! I remember at the time saying, “Lord, are you trying to tell me that Mick Jagger also has the, “anointing”? Ha- Ha… This story is hilarious but true!!!  Many other Christians have become confused when listening to secular music or vice- versa. Too many times a, ‘secular’ song has touched a Christian down deep and he/she doesn’t know exactly how to deal with it…was it the Holy Spirit that touched him/her or a, “worldly” spirit?

Trombonist Bob Brookmeyer once claimed that no form of music is as intense emotionally as jazz music and I agree wholeheartedly. And when it is played in a, “spirited” fashion it can stimulate feelings of exultation and affirmation.  This is communication between the artist and the hearer on the highest level. You and your listeners can be lifted to a much higher place and energized by the entire experience. John Coltrane once said, “It seems to me that the audience in listening is in an act of participation, you know. And when somebody is a moved as you are…it’s just like having another member of the group”. This provides a sense of mutual ecstatic understanding for both the performer and listeners.

The challenge for Christian jazz artists is to play and record music with spirit and conviction, totally engaging hearts, minds, and emotions to respond to the music. The results will overflow to everyone, both Christians and non-Christians. This doesn’t mean for a moment that we should try to put up a, “false front” or put on a phony facade for the, “world” to see! Instead it means that in the midst of our everyday existence, with our struggles, weakness, and frequent shortcomings, that our lives are still characterized by integrity as we seek to live out our lives to the glory of God.

So as Christians who play jazz let us never forget to be thankful for the gift of jazz. Let us make every effort to stay connected to the spiritual source and nature of this wonderful music. Jazz music is a gift from God who wants us to enjoy listening, playing, and even dancing to the beat of it! May we as Christian artists continue to go forward with our jazz music and enjoy and savor it. This is all to the glory of God who loves to see his gifts being enjoyed and used by those to whom He gives them!

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Review of Norma Jean’s “Meridional”

Posted on October 16, 2008 by admin

Summer 2010 marks the occasion many metalcore fans have waited for and the cornerstone release to Norma Jean’s ever-rising popularity. Unlike bands like Mudvayne and Thrice, whose best days drag long behind them, Norma Jean has cut a fine figure with Meridional, the newest addition to an album family of five. Kickstarting the band’s participation in the 2010 Mayhem Festival, the record showcases a partial reinvention (as many do) of the way the band’s songs are generally put together.

Up Against Redeemer and The Anti-Mother

Norma Jean’s songwriting style showcased in Meridional is so far removed from the near toneless, irregularly-timed hardcore compositions of their 2005 album O God, The Aftermath, the first with vocalist Cory Brandan, that a detailed comparison would be a waste of discourse. With the Ross Robinson produced Redeemer (2006), Brandan made-over his output from a very forced bellow and Chad Gray-like singing to a fresh, innovative scream-sing that in later albums began incorporating more pitch correction. This fat-sounding throatiness as well as Dan Davidson’s clumsy-yet-creative drumming became Norma Jean’s trademark sound, cutting Redeemer and the work that followed off from the band’s previous installments.
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Redeemer was also innovative in its catchy melodic choruses, face-ripping breakdowns (hear “The End of All Things Will Be Televised”), and in its guitar tone, which incorporated the purposefully, slightly untuned twang of southern bluegrass (perhaps not to the degree of “Maylene” and the Sons of Disaster” or “He Is Legend” on Suck out the Poison) into heavily distorted hardcore riffs. The Anti-Mother (2008) thrust the band squarely into the nu-metal/metalcore realm with a balance of full-out abstraction-hardcore tracks versus songs, like “Robots 3 Humans 0” or “Self-Employed Chemist”, that display Brandan’s auto-tuned, rough-edged melodics.

The Revelation of Meridional

The balance of heavy versus melodic in varying combinations and proportions within songs continues into 2010’s Meridional. Long gone are the detuned guitars and the extra misplaced snare hits of Redeemer and The Anti-Mother. The production quality has shifted from the raw mid-peaking equality and tone-level consistency of Robinson to Jeremy Griffith’s orchestral variation and experimental editing. An earphone listener will discover a deep dynamic range, and have the most fun with the perceived auditory distance of various drum components and guitar modes.
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* Marilyn Monroe and the Still Camera
* Australian Metal Scene – Thriving or Dieing?
* Suspicious Film Star Deaths: Murder or Suicide?

The songs in Norma Jean’s most commercially prepared album to date are diversely revealed, and in a well thought-out order. It begins with “Leaderless and Self-Enlisted”, the usual fast-paced and intimate song with a touch of color at choice moments to kickstart a musical conversation, and moves on to “The Anthem of the Angry Brides”, a highly abstract, richly progressive and almost toneless hardcore chugger that concludes with one of the heaviest breakdowns the band has ever tracked. “Deathbed Atheist”, the first single and music video, slows things down and seems to linger in a suspenseful, catchy zone of repetition. The rest of the album follows suit, with unprecedented high points residing in “A Media Friendly Turn for the Worse” (the melody completely ripped off of Thrice’s “Under A Killing Moon”), “The People that Surround You On A Regular Basis” and perhaps the most memorably haunting of the collection (and the biggest indication of an Underoath-like influence), “Falling From the Sky: Day Seven”.
Norma Jean Records A Reinvention

Often when a band adopts a more radio friendly style, critics and fans claim a regression in its innovative potential. However, with Meridional Norma Jean has posted a softer makeover with the right balance of progressiveness, heaviness and emotion to hopefully appease its followers.

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Country Chatter – Weekly Country Music News

Posted on September 18, 2008 by admin

Toby Keith says his upcoming summer/fall tour, which kicks off August 25 in Boston with opening acts Terri Clark and Scotty Emerick (I Can’t Take You Anywhere), will be called the Throw Down Tour.

Lee Ann Womack and Josh Turner(Long Black Train) have been added to the 500 Festival Weekend lineup in Indianapolis. Josh will sing the National Anthem at the 500 Festival Memorial Service, scheduled for May 28 Monument Circle. Lee Ann will appear in the Flagstar Bank 500 Festival parade, May 29.

Big & Rich Committed to Making Country Without Prejudice

The duo talk about their music, their latest video, for “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” and the Muzik Mafia. More…

Uncle Kracker Looks To Conquer Country Music

After becoming a familiar face in the worlds of rap and pop music, Uncle Kracker is now preparing to conquer the country music market as he continues to rub elbows with some of the biggest names in the business. More…

Terri Clark Has Things To Do On June 12, 2004

Terri Clark has been invited to join the Grand Ole Opry. She was asked during her appearance last Saturday (May 15, 2004). Her formal induction will take place on June 12th. More…

Hank Williams, Jr. And Montgomery Gentry Added To CMA Music Festival/Fan Fair® Nightly Concerts

Music is in the air all-day and all-night at the 2004 CMA Music Festival/Fan Fair®. The legendary 32-year old event takes place Thursday through Sunday, June 10-13, in Downtown Nashville. With more than 60 hours of performances featuring today’s top Country Music artists, rising stars and legends, “Country Music’s Biggest Party(tm)” is the place for music this summer.

Montgomery Gentry and Hank Williams, Jr. bring their partying style to “Country Music’s Biggest Party(tm)” and along with The Mavericks and Lee Ann Womack, are the latest additions to the Nightly Concerts at The Coliseum (home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans). More…

Sisters Wade Releases New Single/ Album On Seraph Records

After taking five years to write the right songs, Julie and Debbie Wade, the beautiful Nashville duo, are releasing their second album, Walls of Time. Sisters Wade, formerly on Blue Hat Records, will once again make country music traditionalists proud of the clean and rootsy sound of their new album. The new album is being released under their own indie imprint — Seraph Records.

Sisters Wade arrived on the Country Music scene in 1999 when they debuted their critically acclaimed CD, Sisters Wade (Blue Hat Records). They garnered rave reviews from the likes of Billboard Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Request Magazine, and Music Row Magazine. Just a year later, Sisters Wade was nominated for an Indie 2000 Award for Best Country Record by AFIM. More…

Grand Ole Opry Live & After Midnite Announce Teams For 14th Annual City Of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge

Vince Gill, Joe Nichols, Rebecca Lynn Howard and Sara Evans are just a few of the celebrity players who will join in on the 14th Annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge. The announcement was made today by team captains for the Grand Ole Opry Live and After MidNite teams. The game, which brings country music’s hottest stars together for an afternoon of softball, pranks and fun, will be held at Nashville’s Greer Stadium on Thursday, June 10th at 1PM CT.

This year’s Grand Ole Opry Live lineup includes: Vince Gill, Joe Nichols, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Brad Paisley, Josh Turner, Julie Roberts, Chris Cagle, Jeff Bates, Jimmy Wayne, Linda Davis, Lonestar’s Dean Sams and the Nashville Predators’ Tomas Vokoun, Little Jimmy Dickens, Trace Adkins and Buddy Jewell will serve as the Opry Live coaches.

The After MidNite team includes: Mark Wills, Gretchen Wilson, Sara Evans, Scotty Emerick, Blake Shelton, Chely Wright, Amy Dalley, Andy Griggs, Billy Dean, Dusty Drake, Jamie O’Neal, McHayes, Rodney Atkins, and Tennessee Titan Drew Bennett. Big & Rich will coach the After MidNite team. In addition to the all-star line-ups for the teams, Tennessean Entertainment Guru, Brad Schmitt, will serve as the celebrity umpire. More…

Diffie Does Double Duty – Juggles Two New Projects World Premier and New Baby

Joe Diffie’s all about ‘hands on’ commitment these days; with his new baby daughter arriving just one month prior to the June 1st release of his first project on Broken Bow Records, “Tougher Than Nails.” “I’ve got two of the most important events of my life occurring within weeks of each other. I’m talking to journalists on the telephone, doing interviews to promote the new CD, while I’m holding my baby daughter in my arms. My wife, Theresa calls it multi tasking…. Assuring me that I’ll get used to it,” Diffie laughed. “Theresa is a great mother, and baring most of the ‘baby duties,’ but I help out when I

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Does contemporary classical music have a future?

Posted on August 12, 2008 by admin

Young audiences don’t appreciate being told what to think about new music – so what’s the best way to get them involved?

National Youth Orchestra The National Youth Orchestra rehearsing at the Barbican, London. Photograph: Garry Weaser

In a recent one-star review of a particularly purgatorial contemporary music concert, a critic from the Times sympathised with “an audience that could have fitted into a village hall, had it not been boosted by 45 A-level pupils who had been invited to ‘play the critic’ and write about the event”. He claimed that the exercise bordered on cruelty – “perhaps the NSPCC should be alerted”; he was clearly depressed that such an important opportunity to engage young people with new music had been so incompetently, and high-handedly, squandered.

It takes imagination, care and perseverance to bring the under-25s into the world of musical modernity, and in this regard, interesting developments are afoot with the National Youth Orchestra.

NYO members have always had the opportunity to benefit from composition lessons and to have their works performed on NYO courses. Now there is a Composers’ Class which runs alongside orchestral rehearsals. Composers who are not members of the orchestra absorb the wonderfully creative atmosphere of NYO training courses, working intensively under the guidance of the orchestra’s composer in residence. Musical ideas can be tried out, and final performances are given by NYO musicians. Budding composers in the orchestra are also encouraged.

This places contemporary music at the heart of the activities of one of the most important cultural contexts of young musical Britain. The orchestra has been working more and more with living composers and learning to perform 20th- and 21st-century music in a natural continuum with music from the canon. The legendary flexibility and enthusiasm of NYO members is inspiring and should be nurtured, so that it can reach out to their immediate audience of family, friends and peers. Their openness to the unknown is a lesson to others who have closed their minds and ears to music they do not yet know and love. That is why, in the forthcoming NYO New Year concerts at the Roundhouse in London and Leeds Town Hall, they have asked me to talk to the audience about the three works, all composed in the last century.

The one-star review mentioned earlier earned a significantly warmer write-up from this newspaper. I’ve always thought that reading reviews by the hard-line Andrew Clements and his acolytes is a bit like receiving a stern lecture from the grave – all aesthetic fundamentalism and the puritan-pulpit irritability of those who feel let down by recent history, as regards musical developments. The young deserve better than a chilly finger-wagging from these grumpy “old” men, some of whom are still depressingly young themselves.

If contemporary music is to thrive, it must do so in a pluralist and eclectic culture. Then, the best of modernism can be appreciated alongside the parallel strands in new music, which draw on the wider, bigger reservoirs that have reached beyond the introverted, thin gruel and aesthetic limitations of the so-called “avant-garde”. The young do not appreciate being lectured by sniffy cultural snobs, reliving their own glory days of 1968. Time and music have moved on.

A wider imaginative ambition is clearly discernible among the new generation of coming composers. The NYO, and their team of tireless tutors, associated composers and managers seem up to speed, and ready to share an infectious excitement

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