Crib Notes

From March 26-28, Knoxville, Tenn., is hosting the second annual Big Ears festival of “visionary music, exploratory art, and southern hospitality.”

Terry Riley will serve as this year’s Artist in Residence for the weekend with a series of concerts celebrating his 75th year on this planet.

The Daily Swarm says,

“One of the most influential musicians and composers of the past century, Terry Riley’s impact and influence on contemporary music and art cannot be overstated. In 1964, his revolutionary composition, In C, launched the Minimalist movement in music and his influence is still heard today in the work of Philip Glass, Steve Reich, John Adams and other classical composers. His subsequent early works, A Rainbow in Curved Air and Poppy Nogood, with their kaleidoscopic, psychedelic atmospheres, sent waves across the musical worlds of the 1960s, strongly reflected in the music of the Who, Pink Floyd, and other rock bands of the time. That influence continues today in the music of Radiohead and Animal Collective and even the National and Bon Iver. It’s no surprise that Terry Riley was recently selected by the London Times as one of the ‘1000 Makers of the 20th Century.’”

(Photo courtesy The Daily Swarm)

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By Omar Khalid

Why Knoxville? Why Knoxville? The question was asked and subsequently answered more than a few times during last weekend’s ambitious avant-garde/outer music festival dubbed “Big Ears.” Fennesz, Jon Hassell, Matmos, the Necks, Neil Hamburger, Antony & the Johnsons, Negativland, Philip Glass and many others. Would people really come to Knoxville from all over the country — all over the world — for a music festival with, yes, a wide variety of music, but all somewhat in the “weird music” vein? Would the community support it? The answer: A resounding yes.

Festival organizer Ashley Capps — whose company AC Entertainment is responsible for the success that has become Bonaroo — lives in Knoxville and apparently has roots in promoting free jazz and experimental music in the area.

If one thing stood out about the festival, it was how professional, yet easy the whole experience was. There were as many as 10 venues involved, all seeming to be just blocks from each other, with everything starting on or near on time. Go have a huge $2.50 bloody mary at the Bistro for a brunch performance from the Balkan-gypsy inspired Luminescent Orchestrii; walk down the street to catch some of the film Powaqqatsi at the beautiful Tennessee Theatre (Knoxville’s own version of Atlanta’s Fox Theatre); a few blocks over there’s a performance from NYC clarinet/saxophone circular-breathing virtuoso Ned Rothenberg; stroll back down to the Bijou for the Phillip Glass concert. It was a busy weekend, but everything was so well-planned and the acts were so thoughtfully scheduled. The fluke weather in the high 60s couldn’t have hurt either. The only hangup was probably when Saturday’s 10 p.m. show with the Baltimore combo Matmos had to suddenly be moved from the Square Room to “Old City’s” Catalyst. Apparently the proprietors of the Square Room were, uh, squares. Something in the video to be shown during the Matmos performance they found offensive (probably the naked dude getting into the hot tub). Regardless, that show at the Catalyst was one of the better experiences of the whole festival (no, not because of the naked hot tub video).

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Dear Andisheh,

My heart goes out to you. And my ears. Though I didn’t suffer from sinusitis, I did buy an iPod for the first time in ‘07 and, yeah, it did kinda freak around with the way I listen to music.

In some ways that was a good thing. But whatever the iPod and downloadable music has done to my listening experience, I’m just glad it hasn’t deterred artists from making (or attempting to make) real albums — rather than random songs strung together on one CD. Of course, some succeeded while others sucked.

Here are some of the overrated, underrated and old albums I dug and dismissed in ‘07. Maybe some of these will help you get over your ‘year in music’ blues:

1. Best and most slept-on album (I think): Saul Williams, The Inevitable Rise and Fall of NiggyTardust — I’m starting with the big category first because, as you revealed, the iPod has your attention-span all jacked up and I know I could lose you quick. So you know the story with Radiohead, Prince, the Eagles — they all dropped nontraditional releases (online, Wal-Mart, etc.). Well, Saul Williams did, too. But instead of limiting his boldness to his method of distribution, he actually hooked up with Trent Reznor who produced the album. Need I say more? Actually, I will. You can download it for free, with liner notes and artwork included, or you can pay $5. Who does that? The reason why I “think” it was the most slept-on is because I just haven’t heard much buzz about it. But it was better than his first two albums, and it was free. Uh, I mean $5. (Think I just told on myself.)

2. Most disappointing album: Wu-Tang Clan, 8 Diagrams — Turned out all the talk leaking out of the Wu camp was semi-correct. RZA produced a pretty uneven album, shifting between that “ooh baby I like it raw” Wu fans have come to expect and some borderline campy stuff. Not necessarily commercial, but compromising (the joint with George Clinton is straight corny). I was surprised. If anything, I expected the complaints from his crew about his beats meant he was leaning too far to the left. Guess it’s hard to score Hollywood flicks and keep it grimy simulaneously. Oddly, RZA sounds better rapping over his own beats than he ever has.

3. Most over-hyped album: Kanye West, Graduation — Yep, there were a lot of Kanye West dick-riders in ‘08. And honestly, I don’t blame them. It’s hard out here for a mainstream critic. A lot of disposable music rises to the top. And I think that’s because, like the industry, a lot of music writers are still depending on the old label system for the bulk of their music. But I digress. Kanye West put out another damn good album; I can’t hate. But it was a minor triumph next to Late Registration. It makes sense that he thinks Graduation is his best ever, as he spouts in every interview. He accomplished what he sought out to: achieve stadium-status by making an album full of big, bombastic songs. You can’t compete with “Can’t Tell Me Nothing”; it’s the song of the year — not “Stronger” as Spin magazine proclaimed. And the ode to his tenuous relationship with Jay-Z, “Big Brother,” is probably one of the most honest sentiments expressed in a rap song since Scarface said “day by day it’s more impossible to cope/I feel like I’m the one that’s doing dope.” I could go on, but the point is Kanye made some of the best songs of his career. Just not the best album. (more…)

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