Posts Tagged ‘new music’
My A to Z listening project fell by the wayside last week. Not because I wasn’t trying — I assure you, I put my all into it. But I couldn’t make it through the E’s. I was pulling my hair out. I now agree with the commenters who thought it was an ill-conceived project. Glad I tried anyway. And I was able to delete about 20 or so albums that I didn’t even know I had that were just plain bad (how did Metallica’s Load get on my computer?!?)
So back to full album listening. Here are a few records, new and old, that I’ve been listening to recently. Please, pass on anything — again, new or old — that you have been digging (or not digging if you want) in the comments section here.
NEW RELEASES:
Gil Scott-Heron – I’m New Here [XL]
What a voice. With spoken word and grainy singing, interesting percussion and production elements, I keep coming back to this record for more. And the title track is a cover of a Bill Callahan tune masterfully done here.Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me [Drag City]
The long-awaited — well, at least by some — new album from the folk pixie turned sophisticate long-form songwriter. A sprawling 3 LP (or 3CD) collection of beautifully arranged tunes. My highest of recommendations.Nels Cline Singers – Initiate [forthcoming Cryptogramophone]
Details on this forthcoming double-disc and an advance track preview of “Grow Closer” at Crypto’s website. The release date can’t come soon enough.Citay – Dream Get Together [Dead Oceans]
I got turned onto this label last year when Chicago-stalwarts Califone released their last one, and the Gray/Kotche duo On Fillmore did the same. One of their first releases this year was from this band. One thing I love about the album is the guitarist unapologetically goes guitar-hero on the best tracks. Check out the free downloads at the links above.
OLD HAT:
Abercrombie/Holland/DeJohnette – Gateway I
Getting my hands on that $1 set from the new Dave Holland site last month got me going back through his catalog. One of my faves is this one. Still have some of those guitar riffs from “Backwoods Song” written out in my old college notebook somewhere.Altschul/Bley/Peacock – Virtuosi
Picked this LP up at Laurie’s Planet of Sound in Lincoln Square for $3.99. A steal. Anytime I see Paul Bley’s name on anything, I buy it. Hasn’t failed me yet.Fleetwood Mac – Then Play On
Also grabbed this one at the same shop. It’s quickly rising up on my Desert Island list. Don’t let the band name fool you. Quite a different band when Peter Green was leading the troupe.
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Also, I’ve have been checking out In The Soul Kitchen from DJ Harry D at 90.3 FM KUSF. Trying to school myself a bit more in R&B. These playlists have been a great start. Keep ‘em coming Harry!
Last week, we noticed Dave Holland launched a new site featuring the new Archival Series: Volume One. The album is killer as you might expect. Not only can you listen to it all the way through at his site, the limited-time offer to buy the MP3s for $1 or $3 for the lossless ends today (Monday, 15th). I suggest you get clicking. From the name “Volume One,” we can only hope for many more to come.
The Quintet continues at the Vanguard tonight. Thanks to all who’ve been and will be there this weekend.
The FLACs of the set from the Vanguard last night are being added to our subscriber downloads database. Those are lossless files that you subscribers can download and sink your ears in to. Thanks to WBGO and NPR for their work. Enjoy.
For non-subscribers, plenty of music to listen to at the NPR Vanguard page. And if you’d like to join our Greenleaf subscriber community, click here to see all the current special offer.
We hope to see you out at the Vanguard. Tickets are available here.
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December 11th, 2009
A quick update on those files. We’ve split the set into tracks rather than the one big file up over at NPR Vanguard page. We cut the chatter, too. So it’s as clean as possible.
Also, of the seven tunes played, four have not been released yet. Those tunes and a lot of the new book that the Quintet have been and will play this weekend is scheduled to be recorded and released on the next Quintet studio album tentatively scheduled for late 2010.
The Festival of New Trumpet Music (FONT Music) will present Forward Flight, the third and final event of its 7th annual performance season, from Wednesday, January 13th through Saturday, January 16th at New York’s Abrons Arts Center.
This four-day celebration of the eclecticism of the trumpet in contemporary music, curated by Dave Douglas and Taylor Ho Bynum, will feature events on two stages, including performances by a diverse range of ensembles, three free FONT Music Workshop Series events and an opening night tribute to unheralded veteran trumpet player, Wilmer Wise.
The program will include world premieres of music from the New York-based composers collective Anti-Social Music (ASM) and composer David Sanford, whose piece, “Seven Kings”, was commissioned by FONT Music with support from Chamber Music America to be performed by the Meridian Arts Ensemble with guest soloist Dave Ballou. And, The New York Trumpet Ensemble, directed by Mark Gould, will present the New York premiere of Charles Wuorinen’s Brass Quintet.
Great interview with Willard Jenkins over at A Blog Supreme.
“…I think baby boomers have to a great extent been products of arrested musical development; that is they have stayed with those more popular music genres — even to the point of being more invested in “oldies” of their development years than in current contemporary music — and have not grown in terms of their music sensibilities to embrace the more “serious” forms of music, i.e. jazz, classical, contemporary chamber music, opera, etc. Supposedly when we grow and develop we don’t for example continue to read books and publications that are geared more towards children or teens. So why not the same relationship with music?”
Obviously, it’s a little off their topic, but that question got me thinking…
As a person who is constantly seeking out new music in almost all genres, some of the most powerful music remains those records I heard in my formative years. I have a weird bond with them, and I think even people who don’t think of themselves as music appreciators do, too. I know every note of that album, every word, everything about them, what I was doing when I first heard it, and when the last time I listened to it. It’s almost as if, since the amount of music I had heard up to say 16 pails in comparison to how much I’ve heard now, an album stood on a superlative pillar of Nothing Like This Has Ever Been Done.
Like when I heard Kid A. My favorite Radiohead album hands down, and really the first of theirs that I REALLY got into. Most of my older friends say that record has nothing on OK Computer. And some of my younger friends say neither has anything on their newest. Not the best example since preference has a lot to do with it. But still, introductions to a band or album in those years are powerful. Just thinking now… American Beauty by the Dead — 7th grade mowing the lawn. Or Kind of Blue — 16 with headphones in my neighborhood library freaking out! So many vivid memories brought on by just hearing that first note.
I still get excited about new music. I work for a boss who delivers extremely exciting and inspirational albums to my doorstep every few months. And every year, I hear at least 30 albums that I think are 10-out-of-10. So I’m certainly not starved for content nor do I EVER hark back the days of old when music was “different.” But I have so much to compare everything to now. I understand a lot more about it. “Serious” music or not, I know that those albums have shaped what I listen to now (for better or worse), and that’s one reason why I continue to go back to them.
Not everyone wants to grow into new music. Some like to sit and listen to those records that changed them or simply to what they know. And this is present in jazz and other “serious” music today, too. But for those who continue to seek out new music in this new age of music consumption, it’s all right at our fingertips ready to be discovered by us and a new generation. And that feeling I got from those albums I heard in my formative years that I’m searching for to feel again will be felt by some other 16 year old.
Click on the Terry Winters cover art above to get to the A Single Sky album page at our store where you can get more information on the project, stream the record in full, watch videos, sample sheet music, and read the full liner notes by Darcy James Argue.
Preorders will ship nearer to release day (October 27th).
Sheet music orders will include the three Douglas arrangements to start. Expect an update with the four McNeely arrangements before the aforementioned release day.
Enjoy!
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New Henry Threadgill album preview at Destination: Out.
Awesome.
A few rock-related links to pass on in case you’re interested…
New Radiohead Tune Leaked – “These Are My Twisted Words?“
Jonny from Dead Air Space: So here’s a new song, called ‘These Are My Twisted Words’.
We’ve been recording for a while, and this was one of the first we finished. We’re pretty proud of it.
There’s other stuff in various states of completion, but this is one we’ve been practicing, and which we’ll probably play at this summer’s concerts. Hope you like it.
It seems they actually leaked it. Perhaps a piece of the “great idea” Thom mentioned in a recent interview. Never a dull moment with those guys.
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New Jim O’Rourke Album – “The Visitor”
Stream a preview of a track at the new Drag City website. More details to follow, I’m sure.
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From boingboing.com – New Jersey police detained 68-year old American music star Bob Dylan recently, after a young officer failed to recognize him. A disheveled Dylan was wearing a hoodie, wandering around in the rain looking at a house for sale. The 24-year-old female officer was responding to a phone call from the occupants of a home that had a “For Sale” sign on it. The residents were called in with a report of an “eccentric-looking old man” in their yard .
Spirit Moves has been a pleasure to release and work on. Kudos to all who helped and are continuing to help spread the word. And with the preorder long since past, the orders shipped out (more coming in daily, thank you!), we thought to gather some of our promotional material and news together in one post. And here it is.
Brass Ecstasy: On Stage
First, most recently, we’ve released two sets from Brass Ecstasy’s record release shows in NY. Each contain new tunes not found on SM or via our Subscription series. Both are available as MP3s or FLACs. If you preordered SM, you received an email from me this morning with a link to the 9:30 show on June 19th. We’re happy to have been able to get you this music and hope you enjoy it. Check the Brass Ecstasy tour page for their upcoming European tour dates.
Both sets available here. Also included is a bundle with both sets and a Deluxe Spirit Moves that saves you some money.
Sheet Music
These charts are some of my favorites. Here is a sample of the score format. Included with the full scores are charts of all the individual parts for each tune. We’ll most likely have an update for you soon.
Video
We’ve heard from so many of you regarding how much you like the DVD from the Spirit Moves Deluxe edition. We have to give props to Jem Cohen and Christoph Green for making this happen. Here are all 4 videos we’ve released on the web. More available on the aforementioned DVD.
