February 2012
30 posts
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Esperanza Spalding: Black Gold →
We may have found this article a bit late, however the message it has is still important, Esperanza Spalding is doing amazing things!
-Niladri
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Sharon Van Etten: Half Interview, Half Article →
This is probably one of the last posts we will do on SVE for a while since her show in Boston is tomorrow! Here is a short interview curtailed by some asides by the journalist. Also, a couple of tracks are embedded at the end of the page for your listening pleasure (and what a pleasure it is). If you haven’t gotten your tix yet, check your head, and do it:
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Brad Mehldau Trio: "Everything In Its Right Place" →
A couple of Radiohead covers coming your way: first, the epic opening track off of Kid A re-imagined in a post-bop setting by one of the most underrated pianists around (jazz or otherwise).
-Tony
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5 Questions to Ask Sharon Van Etten →
I sure am glad there are professionals who do this, because if it were up to me, these would not be the 5 questions I ask. However, thanks to the professionals, we get a greater look at Sharon Van Etten and what inspires her music.
She will be playing in Boston in less than a week! http://worldmusic.org/sharon-van-etten-0-901
-Niladri
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Review - Le Vent Du Nord →
Were you not able to catch Le Vent Du Nord when they were around in Boston? Well, perhaps this review of their show will make you find a way to be at their next show in the area!
-Niladri
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Sharon Van Etten: World Cafe Live →
If you have any doubts on whether or not you should go to her show next week (2/23) at the Paradise Rock Club, here is her full session on NPR’s World Cafe for your full listening and judging pleasure. Also, the loud & great Shearwater is opening, so, that’s a plus.
Tickets? Sure:
http://worldmusic.org/sharon-van-etten-0-901
-Tony
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Ladysmith Black Mambazo: A Q&A →
A great in depth interview with one of the founding members of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Albert Mazibuko. He speaks about auditioning new members, the importance of family, and why he likes touring the States so much.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo will be harmonizing all over the Sanders Theatre on 3/17. Tickets at: http://worldmusic.org/ladysmith-black-mambazo-0-917
-Tony
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Are YOU Boycotting the Grammys? →
It is that big weekend! It seems that there have been many cuts in this award ceremony. The executives decided to add live performances, and take away many on air award announcements for a chance to get more viewers. Though I understand their desire for more viewers (and more money) I don’t think it makes sense to be clumping categories together to make more time for performances. But is...
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The Grammy's - Making Cuts →
“The Grammy’s again defy common sense” by slashing the number of musicians nominated. Many categories lost out, from R&B being halved to Hard Rock and Heavy Metal being combined to others. Even the category of “best world music album” went from 10 nominees to 4.
-Niladri
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Blind Boys of Alabama - Marching On! →
Have you been wondering how the Blind Boys of Alabama met? What about how they have kept going over the years? It may have taken these men a while to get on the world scene, however, now that they are they continue to soar.This video gives a great glimpse of the musical career this group has gone through, and continues to have.
-Niladri
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Blind Boys of Alabama ft. Anthony Hamilton:... →
A short promo for the upcoming compilation Soundtrack for a Revolution in which (mostly) prominent African-American musicians pay tribute to the songs that helped endure the oppressed spirit of their culture at the height of the racial divide.
-Tony
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Zakir Hussain: Playing To Survive →
A great, albeit short, interview with one of the renown masters of tabla. Here he reminisces about the ground braking band Shakti, which he co-founded with John McLaughlin. As active as always, Hussain will surely bring his all for his upcoming show at the Sanders Theatre (3/18).
-Tony
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Ebo Taylor: The Highlife Master →
The legendary boogie man will release a new album through Strut Records this May. Prepare to get down.
-Tony
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Sharon Van Etten: Free at Noon! →
It’s a few days away still, but make sure you get your tickets now! It’s a free concert to be streamed online, but stream connections do seem to be limited. And even if you’re not available for the live stream concert, take a look at the page, as XPN has a lot of exclusive Van Etten recordings.
-Niladri
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“The oppressive nature of its initial salvo – Serpents, in particular, is...”
– http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/vjvh
-Niladri
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Carolina Chocolate Drops - Song of the Day →
NPR’s Song of the Day picks Carolina Chocolate Drops’ “Country Girl” as today’s song of the day. “Fiddler Rhiannon Giddens sings fulsome verses about the joys of living below the Mason-Dixon Line,” take a listen!
-Niladri
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Vieux Farka Touré - Following Footsteps →
Vieux Farka Touré beautifully mixes elements of blues, country, and western along with traditional Malian music. And to him “music is duty – to family, to tradition, and to the sacred forms he has mastered.”
He will be playing at the Somerville Theater this spring, and you can purchase tickets here: https://www.worldmusic.org/sales_searchseats.php?pb_seq=1346
-Niladri
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Carolina Chocolate Drops & The Chieftains: It... →
Yeah, I know, these guys are everywhere, but it’s definitely a justified presence. Here, the premiere of the collaborative track by The Chieftains with Carolina Chocolate Drops. This one is from the upcoming compilation which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the legendary Irish band. The song is a tap & clap sing-a-long, which makes every bit of sense.
-Tony
January 2012
21 posts
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Sharon Van Etten: First Listen →
Okay, here it is, the post to end all speculation. Listen to the gorgeous album in its entirety and let it sink in. Trolling down a familiar path, Van Etten crafts an album that is haunting in its delivery, but comfortably optimistic in its own melancholic way.
-Tony
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Inside the Tramp - Sharon Van Etten →
Sure, we’ve been talking a lot about Sharon Van Etten, but there is great reason to! With a little over a week until the record is released, Van Etten gives her fans some more knowledge as to how Tramp was formed.
She will be playing in Boston on February 23, and you can get your tickets here: https://www.worldmusic.org/sales_searchseats.php?pb_seq=1316
-Niladri
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Behind the Performance →
Chitresh Das and Jason Samuels Smith give us a closer look at their dueling performances. From how they paired up, to why they got into dance!
The two will be performing in Boston this Spring at the ICA.
-Niladri
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Carolina Chocolate Drops: CNN's Spot On →
The Carolina Chocolate Drops here profiled on CNN, a medium far from dead, which is ironic since the Drops have made a reputation of rescuing dead sounds in order to rehash an image that is firmly placed in a contemporary setting.
-Tony
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a Review - Brad Mehldau →
Do you enjoy some Jazz piano? Reasons why you should invest (or even reinvest) in this set of CDs.
-Niladri
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The Toure-Raichel Collective: A Slow Burning... →
Both Vieux Farka Toure and Idan Raichel come from a tradition that is embedded in the understanding of a certain culture, or a certain state of mind, that is as globe-spanning as it is locally inspired. This collaboration was a no-brainer, and by the sound of this single, both pitch in enough feelin’ and sentiment to make it worth your time. Raichel’s piano struts through the track...
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Sharon Van Etten: Reviewed →
Seems to me she’ll manage to make you feel something and more.
-Tony
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Sharon Van Etten: Verse after verse, unsure &... →
Sharon Van Etten’s new album, Tramp, is one of the most anticipated releases of the first months of the year. So far, every song seems to be drenched in an emotional ambivalence that fits the winter, just like the biting cold that sweeps around New England does.
Here a couple of stripped down versions that might, or might not, sound even grander on the record. She’ll be performing...
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David Byrne & Caetano Veloso: Musing Together →
Two of my favorite artists musing over each others talents. The track list is fantastic and I can’t wait to get my hands on the album and let it rip on a sunny afternoon. Brazil and New York were never that far apart anyway.
-Tony
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Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Age makes you flexible →
Ladysmith Black Mambazo impressed the reviewer, and apparently wowed an audience that didn’t want to be wowed. At the Sanders Theatre on March 17th, prepared to be transfixed. Tickets at:
http://www.worldmusic.org/ladysmith-black-mambazo-0-917
-Tony
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Leonard Cohen: First Listen →
It’s a day of good news and amazing happenings. Several of my favorite artists have been making the rounds today (add to that the recent announcement of a Pulp show in NY).
This is perhaps the most exciting one: the (almost) immortal troubadour, and one of the reasons that I have such a sharp tongue, is releasing what is possibly one of the best albums of his career. Listen to it here in...
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Mark Kozelek
For some reason, I find the beginning of any year to be somewhat overwhelming. One second you are counting down, making toasts, and the next thing you know it is almost the end of the month, and you have yet to figure out what your new year resolutions are, let alone start them. I understand it might not be like that for everyone, but it certainly is for me. When I find myself overwhelmed, trying...
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WatchThis type of dance presented, called Kathak, comes from my native country of India. Growing up, I have been fortunate to seen many of these performances, as well as other types of Indian dance - bharatanatyam, bhangra, odissi, drunken relatives. Nevertheless, I am still amazed at Kathak. I can’t say I know too much about this technique, other than it involves a lot of intricate footwork, as...
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globalFEST 2012 goes Irish →
Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill join forces again, but this time creating an “Irish supergroup.” This music may make you want to get up and dance, but just remember to be careful if you are at work, everyone in the office may give you strange looks.
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