Posted by Leilani Polk on Jul. 27, 2009, at 12:00 am
A weekly bulletin on musical guests playing late night TV; set your TIVOs or DVRs if you’ve got an early bedtime.
The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS
Monday, July 27: Dave Matthews Band
Tuesday, July 28: Silversun Pickups
Wednesday, July 29: Elbow (The British alt rockers are currently on tour with Coldplay.)
Thursday, July 30: Cage the Elephant (They don’t have a new album out since their 2008 self-titled debut, but they did play a much-talked-about set at Bonnaroo.)
Friday, July 31: Dave Matthews Band (Two nights of DMB on Letterman. Woo fucking hoo!)
Posted by Leilani Polk on Jul. 15, 2009, at 12:51 pm
It’s been three years since Soviet-American songstress Regina Spektor first enchanted us with the soul-pop perfection of Begin to Hope and proved herself a storyteller with a keen sense of detail and drama, a confident singer with a broad vocal range — from high and pure to low and sensual — and a poet with a unique use of words and an alluring inflection, not as if English were her second language, but as if she’s established a whole new charming style of speaking.
The follow-up and Spektor’s fifth studio album doesn’t quite attain the catchy ease of its predecessor, but far (Sire Records) carries its own abundance of appeal.
In the bouncy opening track, “The Calculation,” Spektor playfully ponders the mathematical equation of love and the surprising fury of its burn while in “Folding Chair,” she enjoys a casual day at the beach with her sweetheart and daydreams of domestic bliss (“Let’s get a silver bullet trailer, and have a baby boy / I’ll safety pin his clothes all cool and you’ll graffiti up his toys”). “The Wallet” shows her way of making the mundane seem remarkable with a touching ballad about finding someone’s lost wallet, and she combines quiet, abstract contemplation with grandiose stretches of piano and rhythmic flourishes in the melancholy yet somehow uplifting “Eet.” (Video after the jump) Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Jul. 2, 2009, at 3:26 pm
Random news bites from the last several days (excluding anything about Michael Jackson … well, mostly).
Regina Spektor’s new album, far, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 this week and the lovely Russian-born songstress is scheduled to perform on Late Night with Conan O’Brien on Thursday, July 30. Slipping to the No. 2 spot this week are theJonas Brothers with Vines And Trying Times, which held last week’s No. 1 position. Black Eyed Peas have moved to the top of the charts withThe E.N.D. And in case you BEP fans were worried, the title doesn’t foreshadow the band’s immenint break-up, but stands for “The Energy Never Dies.” Clever.
Seattle grunge metal makers Alice in Chains have confirmed the dates of their upcoming world tour, sans lead voice Layne Staley, who, if you recall, faded away into reclusivity before he speedballed to his death in 2002. The tour supports the band’s first new studio release in more than 10 years, Black Gives Way to Blue (in stores September 29). The first single, “A Looking View,” is currently streaming on their MySpace page and definitely has the feel of classic Alice in Chains, complete with the hard-meets-soft harmonies by vocalist/guitarist Jerry Cantrel and Staley replacement, vocalist/guitarist William Duvall. Here’s a statement the band released about the new song: “The song basically speaks to any number of things that keep you balled up inside. A cell of our own making with an unlocked door that we choose to remain in. Focusing our attention inward instead of reaching out to a much larger world. I think this is common to us all. It’s funny how hard we fight to hang on to a bone we can’t pull through a hole in the fence, or how difficult it is to put down the bag of bricks and move on.” Current confirmed U.S. stops include Detroit, DC, Chicago, NYC, Milwaukee, Portland and San Francisco. No telling whether the tour will bring them to Florida. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Vinyl Fever on Jun. 24, 2009, at 3:20 am
VINYL:
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO – Dark Side Of The Black Moon: What Planet Are We On? More proggy psych from Acid Mothers Temple — mixes Pink Floyd with fuzzy wah guitars and cosmic sounds. Double LP includes an exclusive bonus D-side track.
Dinosaur Jr. - Farm Double LP comes in beautiful litho-wrapped gatefold jackets and includes MP3 download.
Earth - Radio Live Vinyl only release. Radio Live is comprised of two tracks from a live radio broadcast on KFJC (12/31/07) and two tracks from a live performance in Vienna on their 2008 European tour.
God Help The Girl - God Help The Girl After the success of Belle And Sebastian’s most recent album, The Life Pursuit, band leader/singer/songwriter Stuart Murdoch decided to pursue the writing of a rock musical scored for female singers. After auditioning vocalists via Internet contests, he made his choices and, with all members of Belle And Sebastian backing him up, recorded this record. It combines the strengths of early Belle And Sebastian records in a broader musical palette, drawing equally on musicals, ‘60s girl groups, ‘80s indie, and classic pop. LP includes MP3 download.
Green Day - Know Your Enemy7” Ultra-limited edition 7” single features the non-album B-side “Hearts Collide”. We have a limited few remaining after Vinyl Saturday!Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Jun. 5, 2009, at 2:14 pm
Several days ago, while watching Marco Benevento fire up his piano on a YouTube video, I got to thinking — who are some of the best keyboardists around right now, the ones who truly bring chops to the table, either via instrumental compositions, or songwriting, or both? I’ve tried to go less obvious — no one’s questioning the skills of Gregg Allman, or Keith Emerson, or Count Basie, or Richard Wright, or George Duke, or Dr. John, or interchangeable piano men Billy Joel and Elton John, or even the wondrous Stevie Wonder. We all already know those dudes are at the top. But what about some of the less obvious, but no less great? In the vein of Ivan’s Top 5 Bass Players Ever — except that, despite the title of my post, I’m not really claiming these are the best key players ever, just my favorites — I’ve put together the following list, in no particular order, and with video.
Marco Benevento
He’s among the most talented keyboardists around right now, in my humble opinion. He’s pretty hip to current technology and usually incorporates it into his compositions. I’ve seen him play in his main band with drummer Joe Russo, the Benevento/Russo Duo, I’ve seen him perform as part of a Led Zeppelin tribute, Bustle in Your Hedgerow, I’ve seen him tear it up with Russo, Mike Gordon and Trey Anastasio during the GRAB tour, and I’ve seen him in his solo project, a trio with badass bassist Reed Mathis and drummer Matt Chamberlain. The following video Marco with his trio playing “Twin Killers” from a May 13 show in Philly.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Jun. 5, 2009, at 12:47 pm
I fell in love with Soviet-born songstress Regina Spektor a few years ago with the release of 2006’s Begin to Hope. While I was initially turned off by the inherent pop marketability of the album (it’s almost too well-produced for its own good), I was drawn to her poetry, to the sweetness of her accented voice, to the moments of her singing in her native language. (There’s more of that on her earlier self-released albums, though she really does it best in her third album, Soviet Kitsch.)
Anyway, the point of this post is that Miss Spektor is set to finally release the follow-up to Begin to Hope and I am stoked. Other than her adorable duet with Ben Folds, “You Don’t Know Me” — the first single off his 2009 album, Way to Normal — Spektor has been virtually MIA for far too long. Now, she’s gearing up for a worldwide release of far, due out on Sire Records June 23. (The official press release with info on her upcoming Letterman and Good Morning America, track listing and European tour dates, and the video for her new song, “Laughing With,” after the jump.) Read the rest of this entry »
The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS
