take a look / listen
MEDESKI MARTIN & WOOD ARE BACK
WITH RADIOLARIANS II
Restlessly inventive improvising trio Medeski Martin & Wood are set to release the second installment of The Radiolarian Series on April 14th, 2009.
Recorded last summer, Radiolarians II demonstrates MMW's bold and wild side. Strong rock riffs and hooks butt up against noise, and classic jazz seamlessly. The jazz tunes on this record feel fresh, yet familiar.
The Radiolarian Series named after a type of single-celled organism with a dazzlingly intricate exoskeleton is designed to subvert the age-old music industry cycle of write>record>tour. The trio, consisting of keyboardist John Medeski, drummer Billy Martin, and bassist Chris Wood, convened for brief writing retreats, performed only that new material on tour, recorded the material immediately after getting off the road, and are now releasing these albums on their own Indirecto label.
Catch Medeski Martin & Wood live if you can:
04.17.09 – Smith Opera House – Geneva, NY
04.18.09 – B-Side Jazz Fest – Minneapolis, MN
04.19.09 – Loyal Earth Festival – St. Louis, MO
04.23.09 – Congress Hall – Warsaw, Poland
05.01.09 – Beale Street Music Festival – Memphis, TN
05.02.09 – The Studio at Colton Theater – New Orleans, LA
05.23.09 – Summer Camp – Chillicothe, IL
06.04.09 – Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden – Richmond, VA
06.06.09 – 3 Rivers Arts Festival – Pittsburgh, PA
http://www.medeskimartinandwood.com/
From his time as lead singer of Sunny Day Real Estate and The Fire Theft to his accomplished solo career, Jeremy Enigk’s singing has had the remarkable quality of becoming more nuanced with each album he records. It’s as if each of his life experiences literally adds a new color to his voice. On his new album, OK Bear, he reminds us once again why he is credited with influencing an entire generation of song-writers.
Enigk opts for a relatively stripped-down rock aesthetic on OK Bear compared to the orchestral nature of his previous two solo albums. In this setting the dynamic qualities of his voice shine more than ever. Although fewer instruments are employed, the dramatic crescendos that are a staple of Enigk’s work are present as ever, and provide a satisfying catharsis to each and every song.
The sheets of noise that bookend “Late of Camera” form the album’s noisiest moments, and the song itself is shaped by intense peaks and dreamy valleys. On the other hand, Enigk’s voice quivers with fragility on the minimalist slow-burner, “Vale Oso.” As usual, he explores the subtleties of the human psyche with a complete lack of pretension, but Enigk also delves into lyrical themes about subjects that are entirely separated from himself. For example, “Sant Feliu de Guíxols” is about the town in Spain where the album was recorded, as well as the Saint for which it was named after.
As immediately satisfying on the first listen as it is revelatory after several spins, it is no wonder that Enigk already has a place in music history. OK Bear ensures that he will continue to command our attention for years to come
DJ Skeet Skeet has put together an awesome mix tape to preview the Afro-punk showcases at SXSW this year!Afro-Punk is pleased to announce the fifth annual Afro-Punk Music and Art Festival, returning to Brooklyn’s iconic Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) July 3-7, 2009. Afro-Punk will also present two showcases at SXSW this year, and will take their music and art show on the road next fall.What is Afro-Punk?Afro-Punk is a cultural movement for tens of thousands of multi-cultural urban kids across the nation (and the globe) who listen to a diverse range of rock and pop and other genres of music that are not easily classifiable as "urban".
Ground Zero for this movement is the annual Afro-Punk Music and Art Festival, an annual multi-day event held in Brooklyn. The festival celebrates music, film, skate, and most importantly, the fiercely independent and influential individuals that are the lifeblood of the AP community. Past Afro-punk events have featured a diverse group of artists, including The Noisettes, The Dirtbombs, Saul Williams, and The Apes, as well as trend-spotting recent Grammy nominees Janelle Monae and Little Jackie at last year's festival. AP has also garnered praise from a wide range of media outlets ranging from Pitchfork, URB, Vibe, and Nylon to Variety, Entertainment Weekly, and The Los Angeles Times, and was the subject of an "Urban Eye" video feature by Melena Ryzik in the New York Times last year.