Deerhunter used to offer recordings sheathed in noise that hid the group’s melodicism. But there’s no blanket of noise on their latest, Halcyon Digest, no gimmicks. The record leaves me with the impression that the band is ready to embark on a new path, a melodic and lyrical one at that. Effects and reverb are [...]
Gregory Isaacs, 59, the Jamaican-born reggae singer who was known as the “cool ruler” for his smooth, romantic singing style and who popularized the reggae subgenre known as lover’s rock, died of lung cancer Oct. 25 at his home in London. Unlike roots rockers Bob Marley and Burning Spear, who popularized songs that reflected world [...]
The inaugural post for the Thinking Man’s College Basketball Podcast is available now. If you’re not aware of NBN, or if you’re a fan, it’s available here: http://www.wfpk.org/2010/10/21/the-return-of-nothing-but-net/
Arianna Foster, aka Ari Up, frontwoman for pioneering English punk band the Slits, has passed away, according to the website of John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd., who was also Up’s stepfather. According to Lydon’s site, Up died “after a serious illness.” She was 48 years old. Ari [...]
The Summer ’10 release, “Seu Jorge e Almaz,” is rapidly becoming one of my favorite recordings of 2010. It is a disc that flat-out sounds unlike anything else you’ll hear this year. It’s raw production values harken to Punk, but think Pil, or something slightly dub-drenched. Listening to this remarkable album for the first time [...]
Here are some images I snapped around Toronto on Thursday, October 7th, 2010. It was a gorgeous day, with many folks playing hookey to attend the NHL’s Slap Shot event on Yonge Street, celebrating the start of the NHL season, and Toronto’s opening night tilt in the city. They won, too, eh?
Been in Toronto, Ontario, for three days now. And never would have thought it would be 70 degrees F, sunny and blue blue skies. It’s gorgeous. So is this wonderful city, for the most part. Toronto is an international city, large and cosmopolitan. Despite a pretty hurting jazz scene. Music, in general is rather weak [...]
Man, this subbing at WFPK has been wonderful! Reconnecting with a lot of non-Jazz artists and music is a real treat. And one group I really just flipped over, because I honestly had forgotten about them, basically, is The Undertones. Feargul Sharkey was a one of a kind vocalists. And the group was a marvel [...]
I’ve been hosting a Noon to 3 p.m. shift on the radio station I produce and host a jazz show for, WFPK, 91.9 FM, in Louisville. It’s been a blast. Very revealing for me to run down new, and older, material I love. Artists like Pops Staples, Senegal’s Orchestra Baobab, Clifton Chenier, The Gospel Chandeleirs, [...]
There is a danger in proclaiming a recording as Record of the Year (RoY) before, let’s say for the sake of argument, mid-December. Releases flood the marketplace in the last months, sometimes THE last month, jockeying for position for inclusion on important year end critic’s lists. But there does exist the possibility that one release [...]